Program Matched: Midwest program
Dental School Attended: UMKC
Year Earned DMD/DDS: 2017
International Student (yes/no): No
NBDE Scores if applicable: Pass/Pass
ADAT taken (yes/no)? No
Class Ranking/Size: Mid-pack/109
Externship(s)/where: 3 day externship, several 1 day visits/externships, several pediatric office shadowing days
Research: Small amounts in both undergrad and dental school
Extracurriculars: Leadership positions, dental school TA positions, pedo volunteer experiences, community activities, professional memberships, 8 years of dental assisting (high school, undergrad, and early in dental school)
Programs Applied to/Interview Invites/Interviews attended/Programs Ranked: 18/5/5/4
One of my interviews was for a non-match program which offered me a position that I ended up turning down. In retrospect, I put myself in a very tough position by applying to the non-match program, but it was a good experience overall.
I was initially very hesitant about applying this year due to the fact that I'm not at the top of my class. After much discussion with my faculty and residents at different programs, I decided that the worst case scenario would be not getting invited to interview anywhere and applying again next year. Obviously I am very, very happy to have matched this year! From feedback I received during my interviews it seems that having good letters of recommendation, a strong personal statement, and activities that showed obvious interest in pediatrics helped me in this whole, crazy process. It was a lot of hard work and a lot of stress, but it was worth it. Don't hesitate to message me if you have questions about anything I've written here.
