Off topic dental forum question

[ChronarchB]

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Well going through the other health profession forums, only in the dental forum people actually post their GPA/DAT scores in the signature. Seems like the other forums are more secretive about their scores. Any thoughts/reasons about this?

 

[QuackDentist]

Well going through the other health profession forums, only in the dental forum people actually post their GPA/DAT scores in the signature. Seems like the other forums are more secretive about their scores. Any thoughts/reasons about this?

Hmmm... I don't know. I don't post my stats on my sig but I'll tell someone if they ask. As for the other pre-health forum, the people may just feel the competition more. 😕

 

[Euphoria36]

.....or maybe in the other forums the people don't measure each other by their scores but by the sheer virtue of what's being said?

just a thought

 

[bionerd]

Hmmm... I don't know. I don't post my stats on my sig but I'll tell someone if they ask. As for the other pre-health forum, the people may just feel the competition more. 😕

OK, I'd like to ask what are your stats? 😀

 

[maksidaa]

they probably don't list stats b/c of several reasons. i like to list mine b/c i like to know how other people are doing and where i fit in and i think other people like to do the same, so why not list my stats? i can see how some people don't want to show stats b/c it might be considered showing off or they think it's none of anyone else's business.

 

[laelialudisia]

the reason i don't post my stats is b/c i don't want there to be any identifiers. i like using this site as a way for me to say what i am thinking and get some perspective on issues that may not look all that favorable to someone at a school to which i am applying. i have gotten into a couple of conversations where i have questioned something that is going on at a certain school b/c i want to see what other people may know.

i don't think it would be that difficult for a school to piece together the identitiy of someone when they know their gpa and dat scores, and when they may or may not know where else you are applying. on one supp. i filled out they asked me where else i was applying--- so, it would be pretty easy for that school to figure out who i am if i had my gpa, dat, and the schools to which i am applying in my signature.

paranoid? maybe. 😳 but the last thing i want is to feel like i can't get the information i am looking for b/c it may offend someone on an adcom.🙄 and risk getting a rejection b/c of something someone saw me post on here.

 

[ecuajedi]

If there are any Adcomm members out there they should get off hte boards and get back to that big stack of applications

 

[djeffreyt]

I noticed that other people in the forum had stats in their signature when I first signed up with SDN, so I put mine...never noticed other forums didn't have it.

I'm not secretive about my stats to anyone who asks either so I didn't have any weird feelings about it when I saw that a lot of predents did it on here.

 

[SMCohen]

I list my stats because I like to compare mine with everyone else's, and I'm certain others like to do the same. Unlike laelialudisia, I still feel quite anonymous even with my stats posted - it would be difficult to pick out a single person from UofT's +60,000 students.

 

[Fuji]

I list my stats because I like to compare mine with everyone else's, and I'm certain others like to do the same. Unlike laelialudisia, I still feel quite anonymous even with my stats posted - it would be difficult to pick out a single person from UofT's +60,000 students.

I really don't mean to come across as a creepy stalker, but I'm going to use you, SMCohen, as an example as to why it would not be difficult for a school to identify some of the people on this forum. With a quick search, I found that you are:

a female
enrolled at the University of Toronto
you live right by York Mills Subway Station
you took the DAT after your 3rd year
these are your stats:

cGPA/sGPA: 3.35/3.48
AA/TS/PAT: 21/20/19
between 5 and 10 on the manual dexterity

your application was mailed out August 4th
applied to at least the following schools:

Buffalo, Nova, Louisville, Case, Howard, UConn, Iowa, UIC, Louisville, Kentucky, UMKC, Creighton, Meherry, VCU

For your fall semester you are taking:

Developmental Neurobiology
Statistics 1
Germ Cell Biology (Waitlisted)
Microbiology 1
Biology of Plants & Micro-Organisms (Waitlisted)

you've worked p/t as a receptionist in a dental office for the past 4 years
you've volunteered during the past two summers (non-dental related)
you do not have any research experience, nor have you received any awards/scholarships

Lastly, there's a possibility that your name is S. M. Cohen

Sorry for singling you out, SMCohen. I just wanted to make this point: people on this forum have been rather quick to give out insults, express their greed for making money, and post myriad other comments that reflect poorly on them as a potential dental school students and future doctors. For your sakes, I hope you haven't been as cavalier about posting your personal information.

 

[laelialudisia]

I really don't mean to come across as a creepy stalker, but I'm going to use you, SMCohen, as an example as to why it would not be difficult for a school to identify some of the people on this forum. With a quick search, I found that you are:

a female
enrolled at the University of Toronto
you live right by York Mills Subway Station
you took the DAT after your 3rd year
these are your stats:

cGPA/sGPA: 3.35/3.48
AA/TS/PAT: 21/20/19
between 5 and 10 on the manual dexterity

your application was mailed out August 4th
applied to at least the following schools:

Buffalo, Nova, Louisville, Case, Howard, UConn, Iowa, UIC, Louisville, Kentucky, UMKC, Creighton, Meherry, VCU

For your fall semester you are taking:

Developmental Neurobiology
Statistics 1
Germ Cell Biology (Waitlisted)
Microbiology 1
Biology of Plants & Micro-Organisms (Waitlisted)

you've worked p/t as a receptionist in a dental office for the past 4 years
you've volunteered during the past two summers (non-dental related)
you do not have any research experience, nor have you received any awards/scholarships

Lastly, there's a possibility that your name is S. M. Cohen

Sorry for singling you out, SMCohen. I just wanted to make this point: people on this forum have been rather quick to give out insults, express their greed for making money, and post myriad other comments that reflect poorly on them as a potential dental school students and future doctors. For your sakes, I hope you haven't been as cavalier about posting your personal information.

agreed; i am not saying that someone can pick you out from 60,000+ ppl at your current college. i am saying that it is quite easy (or you can make it quite easy) for someone to pick you out from anywhere from 500-3000 applicants at a particular school to which you may have applied (that's a lot less than 60,000). everything is entered into a database, so all they would have to do is plug in your dat scores and gpa and that would significantly narrow down the list. then, on top of that if they know where you went to undergrad, where else you are applying (if you were required to state that in a supplemental) they pretty much know who you are.

i would like to think that the pple on the adcoms have better things to do with their time than lurk on sdn (like reviewing our applications 😉 ) but i have heard otherwise.

 

[laelialudisia]

BTW, "Fuji" that is totally creepy in a make-you-sit-up-and-take-notice sort of way. i don't think people realize how easy it is and how little time it takes to put the pieces together 🙁

i think you illustrated a very important point that many people need to consider what they are posting BEFORE they post certain things (stats and comments included).

 

[DrBowtie]

The pre-med people have links in their sigs linking to a website called www.mdapplicants.com

You make a profile and it lists all the stats, schools, EC's etc.

 

[pearlywhite]

Reading this forum has been enough for me to take down my stats! I've already checked and once they are removed from your profile they are automatically removed from all previous posts.
I just never thought of how much information was being shared- its just creepy!!!!

 

[Chrono1984]

Why does it matter if the adcoms find out your sn? Unless you carry yourself in an unprofessional and idiotic manner, or have some dark secrets posted in your sig, it won't matter.

As for singling out cohen...it doesn't appear you put down any information that would hurt her application chances..it is all just bio stuff that is probably on the aadsas form. Unless you were making a point about online stalkers, than I can see what you mean.

The only major reason I can come up with is people not wanting schools to know where else they applied. To this I say who cares? Schools know you are applying elsewhere, as long as you can answer the "why here" question, it shouldn't make a difference.

I also doubt that adcom members spend hours on this forum and unless you truly make stupid, rude posts, you most likely will be unnoticed.

I post my stats simply as a personal reference and for others to compare. It also saves the time of "what are your stats" that pops up in nearly every thread.

and like brettbachelor said, the pre-meds post their stats as well. I don't think it is ego-boosting or bragging, it is just a reference which is what this site is all about.

 

[SMCohen]

I really don't mean to come across as a creepy stalker, but I'm going to use you, SMCohen, as an example as to why it would not be difficult for a school to identify some of the people on this forum. With a quick search, I found that you are:

a female
enrolled at the University of Toronto
you live right by York Mills Subway Station
you took the DAT after your 3rd year
these are your stats:

cGPA/sGPA: 3.35/3.48
AA/TS/PAT: 21/20/19
between 5 and 10 on the manual dexterity

your application was mailed out August 4th
applied to at least the following schools:

Buffalo, Nova, Louisville, Case, Howard, UConn, Iowa, UIC, Louisville, Kentucky, UMKC, Creighton, Meherry, VCU

For your fall semester you are taking:

Developmental Neurobiology
Statistics 1
Germ Cell Biology (Waitlisted)
Microbiology 1
Biology of Plants & Micro-Organisms (Waitlisted)

you've worked p/t as a receptionist in a dental office for the past 4 years
you've volunteered during the past two summers (non-dental related)
you do not have any research experience, nor have you received any awards/scholarships

Lastly, there's a possibility that your name is S. M. Cohen

Sorry for singling you out, SMCohen. I just wanted to make this point: people on this forum have been rather quick to give out insults, express their greed for making money, and post myriad other comments that reflect poorly on them as a potential dental school students and future doctors. For your sakes, I hope you haven't been as cavalier about posting your personal information.

I agree that it seems like a lot of information, but most of it is pretty vague. I also agree that people should beware of posting personal information, but even from the compilation you put together, I don't feel that I am particularly at risk for identification - even if you are an adcom (and therefore have very personal information about applicants). Perhaps you may think I am naive, but I am not a suspicious person and I don't think I have much reason to be.

 

[Fuji]

Unless you carry yourself in an unprofessional and idiotic manner,

Unless you were making a point about online stalkers

unless you truly make stupid, rude posts, you most likely will be unnoticed

These were my points. Check out the "Any smokers in here?" thread or some of the other threads where people talk about how they are just going into dentistry to make money (one person even said that dentists aren't doctors!) and you will see what I'm talking about. To be quite honest, I hope these people get found out so that they don't taint the profession.

If you only put up insightful, respectful, helpful posts, then you've got nothing to worry about. Knowing someone else's stats can be a very helpful bit of information (although some of you have done so well it's making me nervous!).

I agree that it seems like a lot of information, but most of it is pretty vague.

It may be too vague to find where you live, but it certainly is not vague enough to prevent someone from picking you out from a list of other applicants. Like I said, if you aren't embarassing yourself on here, don't sweat it. Just don't think that this is 100% anonymous. Heck, I would like to see what others can dig up on me 🙂

 

[54807]

.....or maybe in the other forums the people don't measure each other by their scores but by the sheer virtue of what's being said?

just a thought

I don't think so, lol. My premed buddy on SDN is mean to all the people on there. My pre-dent classmates are a different breed than the pre-med ones. Maybe it is more competitive, or their is at least that perception, but the pre-med people tend to be really mean and unhelpful in my classes. The pre-dents are generally willing to help out.

I even asked a general question on the pre-dent forum regarding personal statements and I had a few people actually PM me and offer to read it. The responses were REALLY good and they took their own quality time to edit MY personal statement. For all I know, I could actually be competing against them!!

Besides, if someone told me "This is how to study for the DAT and do well..." and their sig said 15/15/17, chances are I would not listen quite as closely.

All I know is that our side of the fence is alot better from what I have experienced!!

 

[jrm]

Well said!

I don't think so, lol. My premed buddy on SDN is mean to all the people on there. My pre-dent classmates are a different breed than the pre-med ones. Maybe it is more competitive, or their is at least that perception, but the pre-med people tend to be really mean and unhelpful in my classes. The pre-dents are generally willing to help out.

I even asked a general question on the pre-dent forum regarding personal statements and I had a few people actually PM me and offer to read it. The responses were REALLY good and they took their own quality time to edit MY personal statement. For all I know, I could actually be competing against them!!

Besides, if someone told me "This is how to study for the DAT and do well..." and their sig said 15/15/17, chances are I would not listen quite as closely.

All I know is that our side of the fence is alot better from what I have experienced!!

 

[SMCohen]

It may be too vague to find where you live, but it certainly is not vague enough to prevent someone from picking you out from a list of other applicants.

This is why I'm not worried. Which adcom (ie a person with a list of applicants) has the time to go through the threads of this forum to not only read the threads, but also try to identify those posting? Even if someone posts a message that is highly offensive, I don't think it would set off any red flags because no one (in their right mind) would have the time to do this. It's just paranoia (unless someone knows of an adcom that is really off their rocker and has seen them search through SDN with a pile of applications in hand).

 

[bionerd]

This is why I'm not worried. Which adcom (ie a person with a list of applicants) has the time to go through the threads of this forum to not only read the threads, but also try to identify those posting? Even if someone posts a message that is highly offensive, I don't think it would set off any red flags because no one (in their right mind) would have the time to do this. It's just paranoia (unless someone knows of an adcom that is really off their rocker and has seen them search through SDN with a pile of applications in hand).

If I were an ADCOM, I'd do that 😀 Nuttin' better than weeding out greedy predents!