Got some questions on DM …
Jumping in here since I think a lot of people may have similar questions:
1. Dental School Prestige:
Programs generally do NOT prioritize which dental school you went to. That said, a few schools have strong DA programs or support structures like USC STAT team. If you are coming from one of those schools, take full advantage of those resources. But overall, we understand that most people don’t even know they want to pursue anesthesia when they choose a dental school.
2. Boosting Your Application (besides CBSE/class rank/externships):
You should check out the article by Whitmer, Saraghi, and Badner out of Jacobi gives a good overview of what makes an applicant stand out.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jdd.12625
That said, it’s really late in the cycle, so if you haven't already done externships, try to line one up ASAP but don’tt be surprised if some programs are already full. Also, shadow as many people as you can, even if it’s
local or just for a few days. Anything that gives you more exposure to the field and shows initiative helps.
3. Last-Minute Additions (e.g., Research):
At this point in the cycle, research won’t help much unless it’s already ongoing and meaningful. Focus your energy on doing a few things well rather than scrambling to add fluff. For example, I didn’t do every club or extracurricular I just focused on being the best dental student and committed to the few things I actually cared about. Meanwhile, some of the people in every activity were struggling academically and I ended up tutoring them. Quality > quantity. PDs can see cut through a fluffy CV like a hot knife through butter.
Hope that helps!
