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hospitaldoctor1

hospitaldoctor1

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I have just recently decided to go into dentistry after shadowing a dentist for a few days
Where do I start? What do I do?
I need to take DATs... how does it work exactly? What are the best books to use? Best course to take?
Thanks
 
I see you have already made over a 100 comments, probably in the premed forum so I assume you know your way around a forum.

You could try searching the forum for answers to all those questions. Sorry if that's rude, but you're just being lazy.

Edit: But hey, welcome to the forum!
 
hospitaldoctor1 said:
I have just recently decided to go into dentistry after shadowing a dentist for a few days
Where do I start? What do I do?
I need to take DATs... how does it work exactly? What are the best books to use? Best course to take?
Thanks
Click to expand...

it sounds like you were teetering between medicine and dentistry. i would first make absolutely sure that dentistry is what you want to do with your life. you're off to a good start, but only 3 days of shadowing may not give you a deep enough perspective.

after that, get the ADEA guide to Dental Schools. that has it all. plus, slm266 got it right - it's all been asked on this forum before - you just gotta find it! 🙂
 
by 'all' i mean it has a really concise outline of the admissions process, the requirements (DAT/GPA/Course work) for each and every dental school, estimated costs of application and attendance, descriptions of each of the specialties of dentistry, how to write a solid CV, and all of the D-schools' contact information in one place.

it definitely helped me narrow down my choices when applying (in conjunction with each school's webpage)
 
Take things one step at a time. Don't be too worried about getting everything you need at once, it'll only cause a sense of overwhelming. It is good that you have already begun to shadow a dentist, keep it up! Take the required courses, and you want to do the best you can in each of those classes. Consider taking the other courses that are recommended. Get to know the teachers in those courses, in order to build your network and maybe even weasel out a letter of recommendation, you sneaky devil 😉. Too me, that should be a pretty strong start for a foundation of your academic portfolio. Next, destroy the DATs, Apply, Interview, and then get accepted. BADABING BADABOOM!
 
most people start with the Kaplan Blue Book. it's a good foundation, but lacks in some areas (particularly biology). DAT Destroyer is generally regarded as one of the more thorough reviews of the natural sciences with questions that are generally much harder than actual DAT questions. My personal favorite was Barron's Biology - it had EVERYTHING in it 🙂

Topscore is a great program because it pretty accurately reflects where you are with your scores.

Kaplan Class is expensive, the class time is a waste, but I personally think the online stuff is really good. tons of practice tests, quizzes, workshops, etc.
 
No full length version of the DAT has ever been released, but the practice exams available through Kaplan, Topscore, and Crack DAT are accurate if not harder than the actual exam.
 
Good luck with whatever you wish to pursue. I don't care where you are from, the bottom line is, if you got what it takes to be a good dentist and want to be one, go for it. That being said. You need to have a good gpa of 3.0+, good dat scores 20+, and extracurriculars such as shadowing to show your interest in dentistry to have a realistic shot for an interview.

As for what books, I suggest you get your hands on a practice DAT and take it. Familiarize yourself with the sections and weak spots. From then, strengthen each subject matter individually using any books necessary. After you build your initial knowledge base, use mock exams to drill for the real thing.

Oh, and while you are studying for the DATs do yourself a favor and avoid this forum as much as you can (unless its a pertinent question).
 
hospitaldoctor1 said:
what are the best books/materials to use for the DAT?
thanks
Click to expand...

Bio- Cliffs AP Bio
O Chem- DAT Destroyer, ACS Organic Chemistry (practice problems)
G Chem- DAT Destroyer, ACS General Chemistry (practice problems)
PAT- Crack DAT PAT
QR- SAT math book, Crack DAT Math
Practice Tests/Reading- Top Score Pro, DAT Achiever
General initial review- Kaplan Blue Book

Edit: ACT Math book is may be better for QR, because ACT includes trig, etc, although for word problems I'd recommend studying from an SAT math book.
 
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why am i supposed to avoid this forum as much as possible? isnt this forum here for help? how does that make sense?
 
which exams are the most accurate? how/where do you buy them?
how do you sign up to take the DAT? i looked at the site... doesnt make sense realy... I just call and schedule it? anytime i want? how far in advance does it have to be?
what about DAT Destroyer?
 
Troll Alert.

If you can't figure out how to apply to dental school then it is not for you. Go back under

your bridge.
 
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