**Official 2020 Ortho PASS/Interviews/Match/Non-Match**

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1. 7/12 Oklahoma (phone) 10/25 or 11/1 with social the night before
2. 8/15 University of Iowa (email) 10/4 with social the night before, 10/25 with social the night before
3. 8/20 Loma Linda University (phone) 10/7 or 10/8 no social
4. 8/22 University of British Colombia (email) 11/2 with social the night before
5. 8/26 Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (email) 9/24 with social the night before
6. 8/30 University of Illinois at Chicago (email) 10/03 or 10/10 with social the night before
7. 8/30 MUSC (email) 10/11 or 10/18 with social the night before
8. 9/3 Indiana (email) 10/18 with social the night before
9. 9/4 Houston (email) 10/10 or 10/11 with social the night before (either 10/9 or 10/10)
10. 9/6 University of Tennessee, Memphis (email) 10/11 with social the night before
11. 9/6 University of Missouri, Kansas City (email) 10/21, social the night before (according to a current resident)
12. 9/8 OHSU (email) 10/24 or 10/25 with social the night before
13. 9/9 Ohio State (email) 10/7 with social the night before
14. 9/9 A.T. Still University, Arizona (email) 10/8 with social the night of interview
15. 9/9 Louisiana State University (email) 10/24 or 10/25 with a social the night of 10/24
16. 9/9 Seton Hill University (email) 9/27 with a social the afternoon/evening of 9/26
17. 9/9 Boston University (email) 10/07 or 10/15 with social the day before
18. 9/10 UCLA (email) 9/30 with social the night before
19. 9/10 University of Pittsburgh (phone) 10/25 or 10/28 (assuming social the night before)
20. 9/10 University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) (email) 10/14 with social the night of interview
21. 9/10 Nebraska (phone) 10/7 or 10/8 with social
22. 9/10 Texas A & M (phone) - 10/29 or 10/30 or 10/31 (choice of social on 10/29 or 10/30
23. 9/12 University of Michigan (phone) - 10/7 or 10/14
24. 9/13 University at Buffalo (email)- 10/18 or 10/21 with social the night before
25. 9/13 Augusta (phone) 10/21 with social the night before
26. 9/13 Louisville (email) 10/10 or 10/11 (no mention of a social)
27. 9/13 San Antonio (email) 10/23 or 10/30, social the night before
28. 9/13 UCSF (email) 10/11, social night before
29. 9/16 Virginia Commonwealth (email) 10/24 and 10/25
30. 9/16 University of Washington (email) 10/7 with social the night before
31. 9/17 St Barnabas (email) 10/22 with social the night before
32. 9/18 University of Kentucky (phone) 10/28 with social the night before
33. 9/18 University of Rochester (phone) saying selected for an interview and will receive an email with possible dates to choose from
34. 9/18 Nova Southeastern University (email) 10/17, 10/24, 10/28, 10/29 (4 interview dates) with social the night before.
35. 9/18 Montefiore Medical Center (email) 10/4 or 10/11 with social the night before
36. 9/19 University of North Carolina (phone + email) 10/21 or 10/22 with social the night before
37. 9/20 University of Pennsylvania (email) 10/16 or 10/23 with social the night before
38. 9/20 Rutgers School of Dental Medicine (email) 10/10 or 10/11 with social the night before
39. 9/20 University of Alabama- Birmingham (phone) 10/17 or 10/18
40. 9/20 NYU Langone (email) 10/03
41. 9/23 Columbia (email) 10/21 or 10/22 with social the night before
42. 9/24 University of Colorado (email) 10/10, 10/11, or 10/14 with no mention of social yet
43. 9/24 St. Louis (email) 10/28, 10/29, 10/30, 10/31 with social any night from 10/27-10/30
44. 9/24 Albert Einstein Medical Center (phone) - 10/23 with social the night before.
45. 9/25 University of Florida (email) - 10/22 with social the night before.
46. 9/26 NYU (email) - 10/17 and 10/18 Compulsory to attend both days
47. 9/27 Stony Brook (email) 10/24 with social the night before
48. 9/27 Minnesota (email) 10/28 with social the night before
49. 9/27 UoP (email) 10/21 or 10/22
50. 9/27 Roseman (phone) 10/21 or 10/22 social 10/21
51. 9/27 Bronxcare (Bronx Lebanon) 10/17 with social the night before
52. 10/1 Harvard (email) 11/4 with social the night of the interview
53. 10/2 University of Maryland (email) 10/23 or 10/24, social the night before
54. 10/2 Jacksonville (email) 10/14 & 10/15, social the night before
55. 10/2 Temple University 11/1 and 11/4, social night before.
56. 10/2 West Virginia University 10/28, social night before
57. 10/3 University of Connecticut 10/17 or 10/18, social the night before
58. 10/3 Detroit Mercy (email) 11/5 or 11/6, social the night before
59. 10/7 Marquette (email) 10/31 or 11/1, social on the night of 10/31
60. 10/7 Case Western Reserve (email) 10/30 or 10/31, social on 10/30
61. 10/8 USC (email) 10/28, social the night before
62. 10/8 Maimonides 11/5 9-4PM (personal interview- they're only accepting 2 resident
63. 10/11 Howard 11/6, no mention of social
64. 10/18 Medstar 10/26, no mention of social
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For those that have had interviews, and are willing to share...How was the experience? Did your program ask you any "crazy" or hard to answer questions? Any advice for those of us still preparing?
 
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I heard that Rochester is sending out acceptances 11/9... can anyone confirm?
 
Ortho_B said:
I heard that Rochester is sending out acceptances 11/9... can anyone confirm?
Click to expand...
For anyone wondering about Rochester, apparently they are having a meeting on 11/8 and will be sending out acceptances shortly after.
 
Practicing orthodontist here. Class of 2015. I have been following the changes in the ortho market and DIY orthodontics (SDC, Candid,...) on daily basis. I just rejoined SDN after 13 years to increase awareness. To let you guys know that there is no bright future for this profession:
  1. ADA, AAO, state dental boards,... cannot fight DIY ortho.
  2. They cannot fight DSO's.
  3. DIY and DSO's claim they increase access to care and noone can argue with someone who is claiming increasing access to care.
  4. More and more stablished orthodontists are printing aligners in house.
  5. More and more stablished orthodontists are taking state insurances and HMO insurances to justify their overhead.
  6. GPs, pedos and DSOs are hiring orthodontists in house.
  7. Staffing agencies are hiring orthos and sending them to GP and pedo offices.
  8. Orthos are graduating with over half a million dollar debt.
  9. More and more female orthos are graduating. DSO's, GP's and pedos love them because most female orthodontist are not interested in owning.
  10. Banks are following the changes in the market and are starting to think twice before they lend money to new grad orthodontists.
  11. An average ortho associate ortho working 6 days a week doesn't make more than $400k/yr. Subtract taxes, student loan repayment, your daily expenses and you are not left with much.
  12. Fewer orthos are retiring
  13. DSO's buy most practices that are on the market for sale
  14. I have been working 5-6 days per week for the past 4 years and noone has ever asked me if I am board certified or not
  15. More and more for-profit ortho residency programs are opening. They are graduating clinically incompetent orthodontists.
  16. More and more group multi specialty practices are opening.
Do you still want to apply to ortho residency programs?
 
simon1984 said:
Practicing orthodontist here. Class of 2015. I have been following the changes in the ortho market and DIY orthodontics (SDC, Candid,...) on daily basis. I just rejoined SDN after 13 years to increase awareness. To let you guys know that there is no bright future for this profession:
  1. ADA, AAO, state dental boards,... cannot fight DIY ortho.
  2. They cannot fight DSO's.
  3. DIY and DSO's claim they increase access to care and noone can argue with someone who is claiming increasing access to care.
  4. More and more stablished orthodontists are printing aligners in house.
  5. More and more stablished orthodontists are taking state insurances and HMO insurances to justify their overhead.
  6. GPs, pedos and DSOs are hiring orthodontists in house.
  7. Staffing agencies are hiring orthos and sending them to GP and pedo offices.
  8. Orthos are graduating with over half a million dollar debt.
  9. More and more female orthos are graduating. DSO's, GP's and pedos love them because most female orthodontist are not interested in owning.
  10. Banks are following the changes in the market and are starting to think twice before they lend money to new grad orthodontists.
  11. An average ortho associate ortho working 6 days a week doesn't make more than $400k/yr. Subtract taxes, student loan repayment, your daily expenses and you are not left with much.
  12. Fewer orthos are retiring
  13. DSO's buy most practices that are on the market for sale
  14. I have been working 5-6 days per week for the past 4 years and noone has ever asked me if I am board certified or not
  15. More and more for-profit ortho residency programs are opening. They are graduating clinically incompetent orthodontists.
  16. More and more group multi specialty practices are opening.
Do you still want to apply to ortho residency programs?
Click to expand...

@simon1984, Sounds like you are having a hard time adapting to changes in the profession and you are just venting under the false guise of helping out these future applicants. It's quite condescending to assume that applicants are completely unaware of these issues that you've outlined here. You've neglected to think that that perhaps people are applying in spite of these issues. Maybe they want to improve this situation? Maybe they want to capitalize on these market forces and start the DSOs whom you regard so negatively? Maybe they are so passionate about ortho that they cannot imagine doing anything else? I'll admit that many people apply for the wrong reasons, or they get into unsustainable debt. We need to do a better job as a community about helping people make the right choices. What you're saying here however is no different than what's happened in most areas of medicine and dentistry.

Instead of venting, why don't you make some positive contributions such as strategies for how you and future grads will combat or take advantage of these changes?
 
Wahoowah said:
@simon1984, Sounds like you are having a hard time adapting to changes in the profession and you are just venting under the false guise of helping out these future applicants. It's quite condescending to assume that applicants are completely unaware of these issues that you've outlined here. You've neglected to think that that perhaps people are applying in spite of these issues. Maybe they want to improve this situation? Maybe they want to capitalize on these market forces and start the DSOs whom you regard so negatively? Maybe they are so passionate about ortho that they cannot imagine doing anything else? I'll admit that many people apply for the wrong reasons, or they get into unsustainable debt. We need to do a better job as a community about helping people make the right choices. What you're saying here however is no different than what's happened in most areas of medicine and dentistry.

Instead of venting, why don't you make some positive contributions such as strategies for how you and future grads will combat or take advantage of these changes?
Click to expand...
Applicants cannot improve the situation.
I tried making positive contributions by contacting ADA, CODA, AAO, state dental boards,.....no luck.
You cannot fight billion dollar companies.
 
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Wahoowah said:
@simon1984, Sounds like you are having a hard time adapting to changes in the profession and you are just venting under the false guise of helping out these future applicants. It's quite condescending to assume that applicants are completely unaware of these issues that you've outlined here. You've neglected to think that that perhaps people are applying in spite of these issues. Maybe they want to improve this situation? Maybe they want to capitalize on these market forces and start the DSOs whom you regard so negatively? Maybe they are so passionate about ortho that they cannot imagine doing anything else? I'll admit that many people apply for the wrong reasons, or they get into unsustainable debt. We need to do a better job as a community about helping people make the right choices. What you're saying here however is no different than what's happened in most areas of medicine and dentistry.

Instead of venting, why don't you make some positive contributions such as strategies for how you and future grads will combat or take advantage of these changes?
Click to expand...

Do you think DSOs are a positive thing? Care to explain why?
Regarding aligners in a box, well we are a society that doesn't have discipline or patience, both of which are necessary for successful treatment with removable aligners. Braces aren't going anywhere.
As far as all of his other points, some are valid, some are vents. Buyer beware. This specialty has changed but so have all the others.
 
studentdent00 said:
can u tell us how you failed to match with the first five choices in your third year of applying? i just find it hard to believe that u could have several interviews and go unmatched for not one but two years and then on the third try match with your sixth choice. dont most peeps match their first choice? what went wrong? nevertheless impressive tenacity, u have!
Click to expand...

Once upon a time, it was very hard to get into ortho. Orthodontists had it made. Residency was a front where you learned to count money and maybe bend some wires since robotic wire bending had not been invented yet. Did you know some current 3 year residencies were once only 18 months long? This mighty exclusive club wasn't about to let just anyone in.

First the general dentists "sued" to be able to give their patients the plastic trays. Then the "Six Months" people let out the secret of the NiTi wires. Now the millennials are "disrupting" and plastic trays arrive at your door step without ever seeing any licensed dentist let alone orthodontist. The party's over. Everyone wants in on the business of moving teeth.

So it doesn't matter why anymore. Good luck to those of you accumulating half a million or more trying to break in.
 
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gryffindor said:
Once upon a time, it was very hard to get into ortho. Orthodontists had it made. Residency was a front where you learned to count money and maybe bend some wires since robotic wire bending had not been invented yet. Did you know some current 3 year residencies were once just 18 months long? This mighty exclusive club wasn't about to let anyone in.

First the general dentists "sued" to be able to give their patients the plastic trays. Then the "Six Months" people let out the secret of the NiTi wires. Now the millennials are "disrupting" and plastic trays arrive at your door step without ever seeing any licensed dentist let alone orthodontist. The party's over. Everyone wants in on the business of moving teeth.

So it doesn't matter why anymore. Good luck to those of you accumulating half a million or more trying to break in.
Click to expand...
I agree with gryffindor statements.
Unfortunately, a couple of SDN users reported my original post yesterday as "inappropriate" and "harassment" to admin!
I am just trying to tell you what the world out there will look like by the time you guys graduate. I wish someone had told me when I was in dental school.
I am just trying to make sure you don't make the same million dollar mistake.
 
Technology is going to disrupt industries at an ever increasing pace. No type of business is completely immune to this. Unfortunately, going to school for 10+ years will not protect you anymore from disintermediation. I think that is what is so unsettling for people who traditionally thought medicine/dentistry was a safe path. We expect our training to insulate us from what robots have done to assembly lines or what Uber did to taxis. We have to acknowledge that our traditional tools and method of practice don't make us special.

Echoing @gryffindor and @simon1984 people really need to take their choice seriously especially when taking on a lot of debt ($500k+) It's going to be hard to if you just want to be an associate your whole career. However if you are entrepreneurial or creative there are still many opportunities to be successful. You have to adapt to the reality of what's going on.
 
gryffindor said:
Once upon a time, it was very hard to get into ortho. Orthodontists had it made. Residency was a front where you learned to count money and maybe bend some wires since robotic wire bending had not been invented yet. Did you know some current 3 year residencies were once only 18 months long? This mighty exclusive club wasn't about to let just anyone in.

First the general dentists "sued" to be able to give their patients the plastic trays. Then the "Six Months" people let out the secret of the NiTi wires. Now the millennials are "disrupting" and plastic trays arrive at your door step without ever seeing any licensed dentist let alone orthodontist. The party's over. Everyone wants in on the business of moving teeth.

So it doesn't matter why anymore. Good luck to those of you accumulating half a million or more trying to break in.
Click to expand...
And many new ortho programs began popping up in the early 2000s (many of them were OEC programs), which added to the saturation of the specialty (Jacksonville, Colorado, UNLV, etc). The same guy also opened the 18 resident/year Georgia School of Orthodontics back in 2016.
 
mmc12 said:
And many new ortho programs began popping up in the early 2000s (many of them were OEC programs), which added to the saturation of the specialty (Jacksonville, Colorado, UNLV, etc). The same guy also opened the 18 resident/year Georgia School of Orthodontics back in 2016.
Click to expand...

The ortho programs that have opened since 2004 are -
Jacksonville
Colorado
UNLV
South Carolina
Arizona
Roseman
Georgia School of Orthodontics

And the one that has closed since 2004 is -
Vanderbilt

Since this is the interview thread, chances of landing a residency spot look good!
 
Thanks for your input everyone! Definitely a lot to think about when considering residency/debt and everything that goes along with it. I would make one recommendation though, can we keep this thread more related to residency applications and interviews? You are bringing up many valid points for people to think about, but they may be better received in a separate thread so that those who are here for help and support in this process don’t have so much to sift through. TIA!
 
simon1984 said:
Practicing orthodontist here. Class of 2015. I have been following the changes in the ortho market and DIY orthodontics (SDC, Candid,...) on daily basis. I just rejoined SDN after 13 years to increase awareness. To let you guys know that there is no bright future for this profession:
  1. ADA, AAO, state dental boards,... cannot fight DIY ortho.
  2. They cannot fight DSO's.
  3. DIY and DSO's claim they increase access to care and noone can argue with someone who is claiming increasing access to care.
  4. More and more stablished orthodontists are printing aligners in house.
  5. More and more stablished orthodontists are taking state insurances and HMO insurances to justify their overhead.
  6. GPs, pedos and DSOs are hiring orthodontists in house.
  7. Staffing agencies are hiring orthos and sending them to GP and pedo offices.
  8. Orthos are graduating with over half a million dollar debt.
  9. More and more female orthos are graduating. DSO's, GP's and pedos love them because most female orthodontist are not interested in owning.
  10. Banks are following the changes in the market and are starting to think twice before they lend money to new grad orthodontists.
  11. An average ortho associate ortho working 6 days a week doesn't make more than $400k/yr. Subtract taxes, student loan repayment, your daily expenses and you are not left with much.
  12. Fewer orthos are retiring
  13. DSO's buy most practices that are on the market for sale
  14. I have been working 5-6 days per week for the past 4 years and noone has ever asked me if I am board certified or not
  15. More and more for-profit ortho residency programs are opening. They are graduating clinically incompetent orthodontists.
  16. More and more group multi specialty practices are opening.
Do you still want to apply to ortho residency programs?
Click to expand...
I wonder if the fact that ortho is not doing as well now than in the past has discouraged applicants from applying to ortho. I'm wondering if the top students are still applying to ortho, or are they instead branching into other specialties (pedo, OS, endo). Given the market trends and saturation of the specialty, If the average orthodontist salary drops below that of a GP's, would there still be this many applicants?
 
LMNOPA said:
Someone please post here once Jacksonville sends out position letters. Supposedly going to be this week
Click to expand...
Jacksonville sent out their acceptances Oct. 23rd. They send out 10 acceptances and give them 10 days to accept and put down a deposit. If they don't accept they send out additional acceptances to fill out the rest of their spots. Once they have all the spots filled they'll send out non-acceptance emails to the remaining applicants.
 
Anyone receive an acceptance from Langone. Last year it was on Oct 31st...but maybe they already have this year. Thx

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Hey everyone, thanks for the reports but appropriate action has already been taken in this thread, so let's continue to stay on topic and hear all about interviews and acceptances going out 🙂 If you would like to, you can create a new, separate thread to talk about the future of ortho- it just doesn't belong here.
 
Hi everyone! Can someone help me with this MATCH question?

Let's say there's Program 1 and Applicants A and B. Program 1 only has one spot available.

Rank List submitted by Program 1:
1. Applicant A
2. Applicant B

Rank List submitted by Applicant A:
1. another program
2. another program
3. another program
4. another program
5. Program 1

Rank List Submitted by Applicant B:
1. Program 1

Applicant A is not matched to any of the first 4 programs on his list. Program 1 only has one spot. Which applicant gets the spot? Does MATCH consider that Program 1 is Applicant B's top choice? Or does it work in a way that does not allow someone who is ranked lower into the program first?
 
iloveortho123 said:
Hi everyone! Can someone help me with this MATCH question?

Let's say there's Program 1 and Applicants A and B. Program 1 only has one spot available.

Rank List submitted by Program 1:
1. Applicant A
2. Applicant B

Rank List submitted by Applicant A:
1. another program
2. another program
3. another program
4. another program
5. Program 1

Rank List Submitted by Applicant B:
1. Program 1

Applicant A is not matched to any of the first 4 programs on his list. Program 1 only has one spot. Which applicant gets the spot? Does MATCH consider that Program 1 is Applicant B's top choice? Or does it work in a way that does not allow someone who is ranked lower into the program first?
Click to expand...
The MATCH always tries to match applicants with their first choice. Since Applicant B has ranked program 1 first, it will be tentatively matched with program 1. For applicant A, it will try to match him/her with his/her first choice program. If that doesn't work out, it will continue down their rank list until they get a match or ultimately unmatched. When MATCH reaches applicant A's 5th choice (program 1), he will thus ultimately get matched with program 1 and applicant B will now be unmatched because Program 1 ranked applicant A higher and there is only one position.

The following video explains the MATCH process.
 
New to this Match program. Can you put the same school in more than one rank column...or just one? Thanks in advance?

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Will we receive a Match notification via email on the morning of Nov 22? :bear:
 
Name of Ortho Program:
Dental School Attended:
Year Earned DMD/DDS:
AEGD/GPR/Fellowship/Residency:
International Student (yes/no):
NBDE Part I/II scores:
ADAT Score:
GRE Score:
Class Rank:
Match/Non-Match:
Externship(s)/where:
Research:
Extracurriculars:
Programs Applied to/Interview Invites/Interviews Attended/Programs Ranked:

for tomorrow!
 
Wishing all the best to everyone for the match results today....i hope everyone matches to their choice.
 
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Name of Ortho Program: Southern School
Dental School Attended: Southern School
Year Earned DMD/DDS: 2020
AEGD/GPR/Fellowship/Residency: No
International Student (yes/no): Yes (graduated from international dental school in 2014, currently enrolled in a CODA accredited DMD program)
NBDE Part I/II scores: Pass/Pass
TOEFL: 119/120
ADAT Score: 620 (95th Percentile) - Bio: 640, Cli: 600, DRI: 630
GRE Score: 169 verbal, 161 quant, 5 w
GPA/Class Rank: US: 3.93 overall, 2/~ 75
International: 3.89 (ECE), no rank but had honors for high scores in different subjects
Match/Non-Match: Applied exclusively to Match
Externship(s)/where: None
Research: Two posters presented in dental school (non-ortho), One dental publication in Compendium (non-ortho), Assisted in two orthodontic systematic reviews (not published), One presentation at an international conference (medical related, non-dental)
Extracurriculars: US dental school: Leadership in a few clubs, Student tutor, volunteering and the like, worked as dental assistant in a clinic on weekends.
International dental school:Class representative, volunteering, magazine editor
Programs Applied to/Interview Invites/Interviews Attended/Programs Ranked: 23/10/8/8

All the very best to everyone applying. I know it seems daunting but if I could make it, so can you. There were a good number of non traditional applicants that I met on the interview, who had worked a few years and then were applying to ortho- so I don’t believe programs in general prefer fresh / traditional graduates. As long as you work hard and show interest, you’ve got as strong a chance as anyone. As for the GRE and ADAT, my scores were brought up in three interviews- it doesn’t do any harm to do well in these, and while I don’t know what got me the interviews, I can’t say these extra exams didn’t help. DM me and I’ll my best to answer any questions you have. Hope this helps someone, I know previous posts like these really helped me!
 
Name of Ortho Program: West Coast
Dental School Attended: West Coast
Year Earned DMD/DDS: 2020 DDS
AEGD/GPR/Fellowship/Residency: NONE
International Student (yes/no): NO
NBDE Part I/II scores: PASS/TBD
ADAT Score: NONE
GRE Score: 162V/163Q/4W
Class Rank: 5/mid100s
Match/Non-Match: Match and 1 non-match
Externship(s)/where: NONE
Research: Undergrad experience with public health study and 2 clinical studies. Dental school research related to orthodontics. Poster presentation. No publications.
Extracurriculars: Lots of undergrad volunteer experience (medically-related). Lots of meaningful leadership in both undergrad and dental school. Created own club in dental school. 10+ years of work experience (part + full time). Honor society. Scholarships.
Programs Applied to/Interview Invites/Interviews Attended/Programs Ranked: 17/6/1/0

Honestly, I found this application process relatively easier compared to applying to dental school. The GRE is very doable. The ADAT is a chance for you to stand out even more. Work closely with your clinical faculty for great letters of rec. I even finished my applications really late, almost the day before or day of. I was expecting to match when I had applied. But, my first interview was the only non-match school I had applied to. I chose to accept the non-match offer and ended up declining the following interviews. I chose to opt out of match because the freedom of choice was a big factor for me. Although the interview invites for the match schools were in great locations and had great programs, my priorities were location, family, and lifestyle and the non-match school just happened to satisfy those criteria. Congrats to everyone! Good luck to the rest!
 
Name of Ortho Program: Midwest
Dental School Attended: East Coast
Year Earned DMD/DDS: 2020 DDS
AEGD/GPR/Fellowship/Residency: None
International Student (yes/no): No
NBDE Part I/II scores: PASS/TBD
ADAT Score: None
GRE Score: 168V/164Q/5W
Class Rank: 1 or 2/low 100s
Match/Non-Match: Exclusively match
Externship(s)/where: 4 northeast programs, 3 invited for interviews
Research: Health policy-related study in undergrad. Basic science, pathology case report, literature review, educational research in dental school. Poster presentations. No publications.
Extracurriculars: Non-traditional applicant - 4 years of work experience in different industry, full-time. 5 years tutoring part-time. Hospital-based undergrad volunteer experience. Some leadership experience in undergrad and a lot in dental school. Created own club, chaired/spear-headed school-wide activities, involved with an organization on national level.
Programs Applied to/Interview Invites/Interviews Attended/Programs Ranked: 32/12/10/10

Coming from a relatively new dental school, I was told to apply to 30+ programs. The application process is expensive and requires good organization to keep track of all the required supplemental pieces. Start working on your CV and personal statement early. Try to avoid cliches, i.e. "my orthodontist changed my life and that's why I want to be an orthodontist" -- directors are tired of reading this, even if it's genuine. Find faculty who write well and can speak to your academic strengths, clinical skill, and personal qualities. Also cozy up to an orthodontics professor who can write one of your recs, because some programs require this. The GRE is like the SATs on steroids: recommend Manhattan Review 5lb book, Magoosh, and Crunchprep. I finished my applications, including supplementals, 2 weeks prior to first deadline.

For program selection, I used this thread for reference: Orthodontics Program Rankings. Make sure you know how many spots are in each program, tuition, and whether an MS is included. During the interview process, I tried to make it to all the socials even if I was late to them. Residents understand this can happen due to travel logistics, and appreciate the effort. For me, location was not a major criteria; program quality and value for the tuition were.

I prepared for each interview like it was a test. I kept files of all the information I could find on each program, including all resident bios/information. It helps you recognize them and remember their names. I even searched for mutual friends on Facebook, because this was a good conversation starter. Some programs give a lot of weight to how much the residents like/get along with you, while at others it is mostly the prerogative of the faculty admissions committee. As soon as they introduced themselves in the morning session, I found all the information I could on these faculty and mentioned their research interests and casually brought up any personal interests we had in common during interviews. I asked detailed questions about the clinical experience (variety/scope and number of cases started, transferred, finished), didactics (what techniques are taught, curriculum), and research (basic? clinical? areas of interest?). All but 1 of my programs violated rules of the match and probed how many and specifically which other programs I was interviewing at. It's okay to say, "I'm sorry but I don't feel comfortable answering this question."

I ranked all the programs I felt were acceptable, heavily considering tuition and living costs. I didn't try to game the system, because I believe the system favors the applicant. Matched with my second choice school.

The whole process was exhilarating, although kind of exhausting. I also met quality human beings with inspiring stories of trying multiple times before finally matching with their ortho program. Don't give up! Persistence pays off.
 
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Name of Ortho Program: east coast
Dental School Attended: west coast
Year Earned DMD/DDS: 2020 DDS
AEGD/GPR/Fellowship/Residency: None
International Student (yes/no): No
NBDE Part I/II scores: PASS/TBD
ADAT Score: None
GRE Score: 150V/156Q/4W
Class Rank: no gpa, no rank
Match/Non-Match: match
Externship(s)/where: none
Research: 1 pub during dental school + few other research projects
Extracurriculars: lots of club involvements
Programs Applied to/Interview Invites/Interviews Attended/Programs Ranked: 30+ / 7 / 7 / 7

I highlighted a weakness which was my GRE score (below 70th percentile). I also didnt have any ortho experience since I applied last minute. No one ever asked me about about it and I still got plenty of interviews and I matched. I think what made me stand out were my letters of rec. I know this now bc in every interview they'd ask me about my letter writers. Clearly, a number is not a measure of who people are and its certainly not the main predictor for success in residents.

As a side note... for people who know details about MOONLIGHTING while in residency, I started a thread here! please share advice for some of us that will be 1 million in debt...
forums.studentdoctor.net

Moonlighting + Ortho residency

Hello! Im looking for some advice on moonlighting during my Ortho residency. Assuming that my program would allow me to work as a GP on weekends, I'm thinking of moonlighting in Connecticut area. 1. What does pay look like per day/ hr 2. What is the cost / types of malpractice insurance...
forums.studentdoctor.net forums.studentdoctor.net
 
I stalked previous posts when applying and found these to be helpful, so here we go...

Name of Ortho Program: Southern school
Dental School Attended: Southern school
Year Earned DMD/DDS: 2016
AEGD/GPR/Fellowship/Residency: No
International Student (yes/no): No
NBDE Part I/II scores: Pass/Pass
ADAT Score: N/A
GRE Score: 159V/157Q/4.5W
Class Rank: Unknown - graduated a few years ago, didn't remember and didn't want to ask (ignorance is bliss, right?)
Match/Non-Match: Match
Externship(s)/where: None
Research: R&D intern during undergrad, nothing during dental school.
Extracurriculars: Non-traditional applicant, 3.5 years experience as GP (private practice, corporate, and community health), post-grad clinical faculty, lots of clubs and involvement throughout undergrad and dental school.
Programs Applied to/Interview Invites/Interviews Attended/Programs Ranked: 14/1/1/1

"It only takes one" was my motto of throughout the application cycle.

I decided I wanted to apply somewhat late (April-May) so staying hyper organized to make up for lost time was imperative. Making sure all the programs received the supplemental applications, transcripts, etc is time consuming and confusing - use a spreadsheet! I definitely recommend getting tracking on every piece of mail sent - I had to resend transcripts several times because some were showing they were never delivered and the stress of not knowing wasn't worth the savings on postage.

Academically, I'm probably a pretty average ortho applicant, so I think it really came down to my personal statement, which was the first part of my application I worked on and continued to refine throughout the process until I submitted my application. I initially wrote my personal statement similar to a diary post by letting it all spill onto paper, and then pared it back - to me this made it very approachable and from the heart. Like everyone else says, be your genuine self on interview day and it'll all work out in the end.

I was pretty selective when choosing programs because if I was going to pull myself out of the workforce for a few years, it would have to be for a program I really liked and could envisage myself going to. The application process is arduous (mostly the waiting parts in between), but it's worth it!

Apply early!
 
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e00z said:
Name of Ortho Program: West coast
Dental School Attended: Midwest
Year Earned DMD/DDS: 2017
AEGD/GPR/Fellowship/Residency: GPR
International Student (yes/no): No
NBDE Part I/II scores: Pass/Pass
ADAT Score: 600 overall, 570 bio, 620 cli, 630 dri
GRE Score: 163V/164Q/5W
Class Rank: top 30%
Match/Non-Match: Applied to both
Externship(s)/where: None
Research: Research in undergrad. 1 publication.
Extracurriculars: Lots of volunteer experience over the years
Programs Applied to/Interview Invites/Interviews Attended/Programs Ranked: 28/9/6/0

I’ve been out of school for 2 years, so you could say I’m a non-traditional applicant. Did 1 year GPR and 1 year private practice. Accepted a nonmatch position. Surprised by how many interviews I got. I’m proof that you don’t need to be in the top 10-20% to make it, so to all those in similar positions with ortho dreams, go for it.

I think what stood out in my application were my GRE scores and personal statement. Both were touched upon during interviews. In particular, I think personal statement is a huge chance for you to stand out among the crowd, and that’s really what it’s all about, having something in your application that makes it easy for the adcoms to give you a second look. I must have rewrote my essay two dozen times.

Make sure you prepare for the interviews like your life depends on it. I slacked on that aspect and crashed and burned on my first few, and it took a couple under my belt before I started feeling good coming out of the interview. One more tip for the interviews is that in general, be passionate about the activities that you pursue and care about, it will allow you to have material to talk about during the interview and allow you to really express yourself.

Lastly...keep faith in yourself. The whole process sucks. You’ll feel real down at points, but keep pushing. Keep working at it. Every mistake leads to growth and experience. With that attitude I guarantee you’ll get in too.
Click to expand...
Did you inform match programs that you were also applying to non match programs? I've heard you can only do one or the other. I'm really not sure what is protocol. Any advice appreciated.
 
Name of Ortho Program: Boston school
Dental School Attended: Boston school
Year Earned DMD/DDS: 2020
AEGD/GPR/Fellowship/Residency: No
International Student (yes/no): No
NBDE Part I/II scores: P/P
ADAT Score: Did not take
GRE Score: 154V / 160 QR / 5 W
Class Rank: 16 / 193
Match/Non-Match: Match and Non match
Externship(s)/where: None
Research: Undergraduate thesis in plant cell and molec. Approved dental project but never went through with it. No publications
Extracurriculars: E-board of volunteer dental screening program. Dental service trips, Give kids a smile, pediatric outreach, private dental school tutor, clinical TA. Dental assisting and dental insurance coordinator at two local dental offices. Apartment listing broker.
Programs Applied to/Interview Invites/Interviews Attended/Programs Ranked: 25/4/4/4
-- I only applied to 2 year programs and 3 year programs cheaper than 200k.--

Congrats to all that matched and good luck to all the future applicants reading. This process was a lot more stressful than I had anticipated so definitely start planning early and stay organized. Keeping up with all the supplemental apps was a nightmare. Have your app complete and submitted early, I almost missed the early deadlines since I was waiting on 1 letter of rec. Letters of rec are extremely important and they should be from people you know very well. Getting a letter from ortho faculty is tricky since most curriculum barely have ortho, but some schools require it so plan ahead! You really need to plan out when you will take boards/GRE, I really wished I took it sooner. I honestly think the entire GRE thing is fake just shoot for 155+ in both sections, it’s one of those things that can only help you if you do REALLY well. I used Magoosh and took 5 practice tests.

I know it’s expensive to apply to schools, but definitely apply to more than you think. If you really want to do ortho you should be willing to do it anywhere, you never know where you will get an interview as the entire process can pan out differently than expected. Also don’t waste your money applying to certain schools that notoriously only accept international students or students from their own dental program. Look at the list of current residents-- it’s crucial! Focus on rank/GPA and curate your essays/letters of rec to showcase yourself. Utilize the interests and hobbies as a conversational hook as interviewers almost always gravitate to that section when reviewing your app.

Like everyone else has been saying don’t be discouraged if you’re rank isn’t top 10 or if you’ve been in private practice for a bit. There were many excellent applicants that I met at interviews with non-traditional applications and backgrounds. If you’re worried about rank make sure you stand out somehow, especially research. Some programs are really research heavy so good research experience can go a long way.
 
livefastdieyoung said:
Did you inform match programs that you were also applying to non match programs? I've heard you can only do one or the other. I'm really not sure what is protocol. Any advice appreciated.
Click to expand...

Pretty much all schools ask you where else you are interviewing. I was just upfront with my answer, and schools did not pursue the question any further. I didn't specifically say whether each school was match/non-match.

Some schools are match only and will say so on their website. I did not apply to these.
 
Has anyone heard/interviewed/accepted the post match positions at Saint Barnabas or Bronx Lebanon yet?
 
Bronx is currently accepting applications for their remaining spots. OHSU filled their spot.
 
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Your intel is fresher than mine so it looks like their decision is made. That just leaves Georgia School of Ortho.......
 
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