Ohio MD vs. Tri state DDS

[JayMiranti]

I feel like I am forced to choose between moving to a random state like ohio, random to me no offense ohio residents, or applying to dental schools in the NYC area. I like dentistry and have always questioned whether or not to just be a dentist and forget this stuff, but for some reason I have just always assumed just get my MD, and play it by ear...

But now that it looks like my second year of rejections, I am starting to lean towards dentistry, just because i am tired of being rejected, and of not really doing anything productive since i have graduated.

I think that my stats (28/3.6) are good enough to get me in in a relatively less competitive state like Ohio, but not good enough to get me into a North east area school, although I have been applying as an out of stater, from CT. I got 5 ints, 2 waitlists (gtown and einstein) after applying to around 20 schools.

In the immediate future, I am going to apply again as a NY resident and see how I do in the SUNYS and other ny schools. But after this, my 3rd time, I feel like it is time for drastic action... and Im wondering which of those drastic options you guys would choose? Move to Ohio or go dentistry?

THats what ive boiled it down to, so let me know what u think, thanks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[exmike]

I feel like I am forced to choose between moving to a random state like ohio, random to me no offense ohio residents, or applying to dental schools in the NYC area. I like dentistry and have always questioned whether or not to just be a dentist and forget this stuff, but for some reason I have just always assumed just get my MD, and play it by ear...

But now that it looks like my second year of rejections, I am starting to lean towards dentistry, just because i am tired of being rejected, and of not really doing anything productive since i have graduated.

I think that my stats (28/3.6) are good enough to get me in in a relatively less competitive state like Ohio, but not good enough to get me into a North east area school, although I have been applying as an out of stater, from CT. I got 5 ints, 2 waitlists (gtown and einstein) after applying to around 20 schools.

In the immediate future, I am going to apply again as a NY resident and see how I do in the SUNYS and other ny schools. But after this, my 3rd time, I feel like it is time for drastic action... and Im wondering which of those drastic options you guys would choose? Move to Ohio or go dentistry?

THats what ive boiled it down to, so let me know what u think, thanks.

First of all, you still have two waitlist which may pan out, second of all, it takes a year to get resdiency so do you really want to wait two years? You obviously have the numbers for medical school. Did you apply to Albany, Drexel and NYMC? Did you apply to DO school?

OSU is moving away from Ohio state preference, as is Case Western. That leaves you MCO, Cincy and Wright. I wouldnt take that big of a risk moving to another state w/o any guarantee that it'll substantially help.

If you dont get in this year, I bet you would get in next year. If you really want to do medicine, then keep trying. If you dont care that much, then go into dentistry. I think you know better than any of us what you really want, and I think thats how it'll play out in the end.

 

[SaltySqueegee]

Hmmm... I have to admit that making a decision for me to move from California to Ohio was a difficult one. However, it will be a good time in my life to experience something outside of the diversity of California (and possibly NY for you).

In the end, I found the one Ohio school (MCO) that I interviewed at to be very personable, and so far have had no regrets in picking it instead of the California schools. My stats are average, and are similar to yours.

Consider what an experience like Ohio might be able to do for yourself. And make sure you're picking a profession, not out of lack of perceivable options, but out of well-thought-out planning.

Good luck. GO MCO and the Toledo Mudhens' AAA Farm Team!

 

[JayMiranti]

thanks for the responses..

I did apply to albany drexel and nymc, rejected from all, interviewed at nymc and drexel but rejected post interview... I like to think that it was because I got my app in so late (aug mcater) with borderline numbers.. but who knows...

I just really want to have my cake and eat it too i guess.. I want to get into an MD program, AND have it be in a convenient place.

THe thing about the residency taking a year to go into effect I am not sure of, I think that for some states, at least NY, you can write down immediately that you are a resident when you get a mailing address.... anyone with info on that?

 

[exmike]

I think that for some states, at least NY, you can write down immediately that you are a resident when you get a mailing address.... anyone with info on that?

Honestly, I find that very very hard to believe. The point of residency is that you're a tax paying resident of the state, and thus are entitled to the benefits it comes with such as preference at an in state institution.

You're probably confusing general residency with residency for admissions purposes. Sure, I'm a VA resident now since I live in VA, but for applications to med school I wasnt b/c I didnt meet the criteria.


I bet if you applied early this coming cycle, you'll get in.

 

[juddson]

I know for NEOUCOM (in norther ohio) you need to have been a resident for at least a year (and perhaps longer). I seem to remember that more than half the secondary application was designed to determine that you are a "bona fide" resident of the state of Ohio.

I do NOT recall for sure what the applications for Wright State, UC ad MCO looked like, but my impression was that they also went to some length to determine true Ohio residency. Like exmike, I would be shocked if one could apply to any of those Ohio schools as an Ohio resident having only lived here for, say, six months.

In any event, assuming you comply with the residency requirement thing, your current stats would be competitive at MCO and Wright State (both perfectly fine medical schools) but not really super competitive at UC or OSU. That said, after you live here long enough to become a resident I think your mcat score will have expired for these schools. No mention of retaking the MCAT?

In any event, dentistry is a fine profession as well. And in fact, if you care about such things (of course you do - I know I do) the average dentist made $187,000 last year. Not bad at all.

Judd

 

[Dentalist]

so dental school as your back-up?

 

[JayMiranti]

Well I was reading up on the SUNY residency requirements, it seems like as long as you have a residence in NY 12 months before the start of the school year, you are an in-state resident, so i have a couple months it looks like to get it all taken care of, at the latest...

Does anyone have any info on how to become a NY resident or links to a similar thread?

I have heard that it is not good to apply to Dental and to MD schools at the same time, so I am not sure, maybe I will just apply to a few dental schools..

But for now I am focusing on becoming a NY resident before its too late...

 

[SaltySqueegee]

One of the nice things that appealed to me, was that the director told us at our interview that we would be able to claim residency status after the first year, and by that logic resident tuition status.

 

[exmike]

Well I was reading up on the SUNY residency requirements, it seems like as long as you have a residence in NY 12 months before the start of the school year, you are an in-state resident, so i have a couple months it looks like to get it all taken care of, at the latest...

Does anyone have any info on how to become a NY resident or links to a similar thread?

I have heard that it is not good to apply to Dental and to MD schools at the same time, so I am not sure, maybe I will just apply to a few dental schools..

But for now I am focusing on becoming a NY resident before its too late...

Thats for TUITION, not for admissions. If you are domicile within NY for the 12 months before school begins, you can get in state tuition. In almost every case I can think of you have to be domicile 12 months before the initiation of your application to be considered a resident for admissions purposes. So if you want residency in a state right now for admissions, consider it a two year process.

 

[JayMiranti]

oh no, are you sure about that?

I just think you apply as a NY state resident with your address and everything, and by the time you enroll, you have been there for 12 months, and are good...

I think i am going to call one of the SUNYS and ask them

 

[Kung Foo]

Jay -

If you want to be an M.D., you will be MISERABLE in dental school. If your plan is to do that until (and if!) you can get into an M.D. program, your classmates will hate you, and you will have wasted a ton of money getting training for a profession you have no desire to pursue. Why not look into a real alternative to an M.D. program, like a D.O. program or even P.A. training or podiatric school. All are closer to the M.D. than is dentistry.

Have you thought about what you'll say to the admissions committees (assuming you'll even be able to get an interview)? Something like " well.... I was tired of not getting into medical school.. so i thought your school would be easier to get into... and dentists make a lot of money...." Remember, the admin. comittee will be made up of very dedicated dentists - and they hate applicants who think dental school is a last ditch attempt at a professional degree.

Just the truth - good luck with the rest of your application cycle.

-jw

 

[JayMiranti]

I can understand what you are saying, but its not like I have not considered the other options, out of all of the other options, podiatry, DO, whatever, I like dentistry.. I actually do like it... I would be totally happy being a dentist, in fact being a dentist is probably closer to the kind of work/life I want to have than I would attain being most kinds of MD.....

And I mean I dont know why it is so bad to choose to go to dentistry after you have been denied to med school.. i mean it is the reality.... I want a job that involves these kinds of things, I have a dentist in the family, I have had trouble getting into MD school, which was just a blind goal I had been chasing, I mean I dont know what specialty I want to do or anything.....SO whats wrong with just deciding to be a dentist after encountering resistance? I have to be born and bread a dentist from day 1? Are MDs and Dentists rivals or something? I mean using that logic is like saying, Dont go into baseball if you are a pro basketball player, you can only really do one thing well, its not really true, especially if both things have lots of the same components for success.

I totally understand how adcoms dont want the premed reject dush who just wants to go dentistry as bad as he wants to go into Law or whatever...but does that mean all once premeds are banned from entering dentistry? I really do have an interest in it and think i would be happy. I know im certainly not happy barely scraping by, spending all my time describing my motivation to become a physician year after year.

 

[southbelle]

Jay,

you need to really question why after a few years you aren't getting into medical school. Plenty of people get in with your numbers(even from your state). Poor interviewing? Your clinical experiences aren't gunnerish enough to impress adcom's? Just don't like act some force is stopping you from staying the tri-state area and go to medical school. If you really wanted it you would do the small bit you would need to get your DO application in and go there.

But I think this is a little too soon. You are on two waitlists after all. Good chance one of those will move.

 

[JayMiranti]

THanks for all the responses by the way...

the thing is i dont think a lot of people with my numbers (who arent URMS) get into a med school from my state... i think my state is killing me...

sure I wouldnt have a problem if i had a 33 on the mcat, but i dont.

Last year, my state school accepted 27 men, including minorities, from over 350 applicants in-state (many of which are men). So with my scores I basically have no state school that is a reasonable chance (being non-URM with a borderline score).. I think people in massachussetts are in the same boat with Umass, but they are least have private in state schools to apply to....

I have really worked so hard to get all of those things you are talking about, worked as an emt since i was 16, worked as a teacher this year, that is why it is so frustrating.. its like what am i missing! I feel like the results of this application cycle tell me, im missing nothing crucial, but whats killing me is my MCAT and my state combo ... so i feel i either have to raise my mcat, or change my state of residency...so NY here i come

 

[southbelle]

THanks for all the responses by the way...

the thing is i dont think a lot of people with my numbers (who arent URMS) get into a med school from my state... i think my state is killing me...

sure I wouldnt have a problem if i had a 33 on the mcat, but i dont.

Last year, my state school accepted 27 men, including minorities, from over 350 applicants in-state (many of which are men). So with my scores I basically have no state school that is a reasonable chance (being non-URM with a borderline score).. I think people in massachussetts are in the same boat with Umass, but they are least have private in state schools to apply to....

I have really worked so hard to get all of those things you are talking about, worked as an emt since i was 16, worked as a teacher this year, that is why it is so frustrating.. its like what am i missing! I feel like the results of this application cycle tell me, im missing nothing crucial, but whats killing me is my MCAT and my state combo ... so i feel i either have to raise my mcat, or change my state of residency...so NY here i come

I heard you talking about this earlier, but the state school in connecticut doesn't appear to have unreasonably high gpa/mcat averages. Plenty of people from connecticut with your numbers must be getting in because the gpa/mcat averages aren't 3.9/33. Uconn isn't a particularly highly thought of state school. It's not bad and I'm sure it's a great school with great opportunities like most state schools have, but it's not UCSF or UTSW. And this is the first time I've ever heard of a specific # of slots set aside just for men........

And this still doesn't explain why you aren't having any success after a few attempts with out of state lower tier schools. Finch, Drexel, NYMC, etc.....not to mention DO schools.

 

[JayMiranti]

southbelle,

You are basically right, it is not that Uconn is a super star school, it is just that its a school looking for very specific applicants and im not their type. Low # of men right? Well thats because in years past there have been proportionally too many men, 2/3 too many, so to make an even distribution among all four classes (fresh - seniors) they are taking 2/3 women to compensate... that is not an exageration it is a literal figure from the literature they give out at the interview....

So take into account that Uconn has a class size of 80 (smallest in nation?)
That means 27 open spots for men.. including minorities....and over 400 applicants too by the way..

So.. if you took a look at the numbers of non-URM men that are admitted given these conditions, i dont think i stand a chance statistically. Sure the AVERAGES are 30/3.5 or whatever, but what will be the average of the incoming non-URM males this year... i bet 3.9/33 is not that far off....

And the other members of the class will have lower numbers to make the 30 average...Thats my analysis of it anyway..

As for NYMC and drexel, I feel like i did have relative success, even though i got rejected . I got interviews at both (didnt apply to finch), but they were both late so i feel like that has something to do with it...

I mean i made the waitlist at two great schools, so i dont think there is some terrible thing about my app that needs immediate improving, getting rejected at those schools was really random though.