My Dat Is Done!

[DATMATT]

Today I took the DAT and am pleased. My scores:

ACAD AVE: 20
PAT: 20
QUANT : 20
READ: 21
BIO: 20
CHEM: 19
O CHEM: 20
TOT SCI: 20

The reading part had a mistake, it claimed that the planets #1-#5 were Mars to Jupiter (should be Mercury not Mars or #4-#5). Makes me woder about some of the other questions that seem "iffy."

The PAT is tough. The angles and TOP-FRONT-END questions had bad, bad resolution and the paper folding seems off when they fold 1/4 or 3/4 of the page. It looks more like they folded 1/3 or 2/3 of the way.

IT FEELS GREAT! I was actually let down by the QUANT score and Gen Chem but more than happy with the rest.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[portlander]

Awesome job!!! When you say let down, do you mean you were scoring way higher on your practices?

I'm glad to hear it went well. And yah, the percentile thing, I'm pretty sure it is just because the reading is easier.

What did you do to prepare?

Again, awesome job. I hope I can do that well.

 

[DATMATT]

I really did not pre-test the Math & Chem. Math was my major and chem was my minor (I graduated in 1997). I looked over the tests but I put all my energy into bio. I knew I was up against a lot of bio majors, I took O Chem this summer (8 credits in about 9 weeks) so what I did learn was fresh. I did not read the reading first. I read about 2 paragraphs, then went on to reading questions. I actually ended up reading most passages at least one time throgh hunting down answers. Like the practice DAT reading on the Kaplan I had, 1 reading section was science dense reading (about neurotransmitters and the molecules assoc. with them even had something on MSG). The other two sections were easier, 1 was about outer space, comets, formation of solar system etc. The PAT was not bad. I was actually in eng. school for 1 year and took a class that I think all dental school wannabes should take. It was engineering and 3-d analysis or something. I had it in 1992 and it still helped me. We basically had to draw top-front-side views with autocad. GOOD LUCK on your DAT PORTLANDER!

 

[Yah-E]

Congrats Matt!

 

[Centrum]

Good Job Matt!!!

 

[sjdent]

Wow, matt. I would've killed for those scores! Great job all around.

 

[ibo man]

Great Job!!!

 

[smile_doctor]

Congrats Matt! I'm sure the interviews will come rolling in soon!

 

[savvysearch]

Good job! How did you study? Did you use exclusively Kaplan to know materials or school books etc? Any advice on how to study?

 

[smile_doctor]

Well, the DAT is over (and hopefully for good) but I need some input. Overall, I am pleased with all of my scores besides the one on the PAT. Here goes:

Academic 21
Perceptual 15 (yikes!)
Biology 28
G Chem 19
O CHem 19
R.C. 22
Q.R. 16
Total Sci 21

Do you guys think that the 15 on the PAT will eliminate me from consideration (remember that my science GPA from undergrad was not great)?

I've gotta run, but I'll post my impressions of the test on this thread a lttle later.

Smile_doc

 

[savvysearch]

Wow! smile doctor. how did you study especially for Bio?!

 

[Yah-E]

Hey bud, congrats on your DAT scores....Your PAT will standout to interview committees, but hopefully will not eliminate you. Admissions committee will use your PAT score as an excuse for not accepting you IF you don't get accepted by them. I wish you the best, nonetheless, your DAT scores are amazing! Keep us posted!

 

[hockeydentist]

I just got an email from a friend who had an interview in one of the texas schools and they said that the PAT score has no direct correlation with becoming a skilled dentist. I think that your other scores will speak for them selves. So don't worry about it. Overall your scores are very high. I do agree with some of the other replies that if they do reject you ( which they shouldn't) but it might becuase of your PAT score.


later
hockeydentist

 

[smile_doctor]

Savvysearch:

I used my college lecture notes as well as the Kaplan book to prepare for biology. I found that the Kaplan book was a little deficient in the biology section based on the level of difficulty of some of the questions that I had. Overall it was okay, though.
I also found that the biology tapes in AudioLearn for the DAT were helpful in reviewing basic concepts.

Here were my overall impressions of the test:

Biology- harder than Kaplan material
G Chem- easier than Kaplan material
O Chem- on par with Kaplan material
R.C.- on par with Kaplan
Q.R.- harder than Kaplan
PAT- much harder than Kaplan