OMFS Fall 2011- applicant stats

[stomatolog92]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello to all. I posted this at the 2011/2012 Hopeful Forum but decided to make a new one instead.

Hello to all,

Just posting my stats to get an evaluation from the pros:


NBDE 1: 90
Class Rank: 15/86
Externship Experience: 2 completed, 2 planned for August.
Extracurricular: Tutoring, several academic spots, community service, several works authored.
Research: 2 projects completed (1 to be published soon), and a 3rd scheduled
Work experience: DAT instructor, private practice OS assistant
Undergrad: Valedictorian (4.0 gpa)

I posted my undergrad academics not to brag, but to ask: Does a very strong undergrad record make me a stronger applicant for the 6 year (For which the Medical school evaluates College grades) than the 4th year? How in depth to 4/6 year programs look at College grades, and do they help?

Still deciding: 4 year vs. 6. Im not convinced of the superiority of the MD program, that is unless you wish to pursue academic endeavors, research, or plastics. Cant 4 year graduates still do plastics? What are your takes on 4 vs 6?

Any advice as to how many programs one should apply to? Program directors at my school advise to hit around 25-30 programs.

When is the best time to begin applying? I know that Pass/Match opens this coming week, however some professors have not written their letters for me yet. Is it detrimental to wait till the end of the summer (aka end of August)?

Thanks for your input.

Sincerely,

Hopeful OMFS.

 

[Mackchops]

I think a high undergrad gpa will help you not get rejected by the med school but probably won't play a big role in improving your chances of getting in.

The MD really just makes things a little easier down the line. The training isn't different -- in fact, at many programs you'll receive more ORAL SURGERY training at a 4-year program. 3 years of med school takes away from OR time.

Nice stats but I'll bet you won't get many replies at this point. Most people don't like to put themselves out there until after they've been accepted. Good luck though! You'll get in somewhere.

 

[servitup]

You will get plenty of interviews. Applying to 25 programs or so should be sufficient. Get the MD only if you think it is valuable. On one hand two years is a long time but on the other, a medical degree in two years is the best deal in higher ed.

Timing-wise, the sooner you get your app in the better. Letters are usually the hold up so stay on your faculty and give them hard deadlines. I would aim for mid-July at the latest. Many programs will begin inviting people for invites well before their published deadlines. Others will wait until the deadline then go through them all.

 

[DREDAY]

Just to clarify. Plastics is not Synonymous with cosmetics.
If by plastics your mean a plastics fellowship, then no 4 year omfs cannot apply.
If by plastics you mean cosmetics then, yes 4 year omfs can perform cosmetic surgery, although the AMA is trying to block 4 year guys from doing it.

 

[wolfman26]

You will get plenty of interviews. Applying to 25 programs or so should be sufficient. Get the MD only if you think it is valuable. On one hand two years is a long time but on the other, a medical degree in two years is the best deal in higher ed.

Timing-wise, the sooner you get your app in the better. Letters are usually the hold up so stay on your faculty and give them hard deadlines. I would aim for mid-July at the latest. Many programs will begin inviting people for invites well before their published deadlines. Others will wait until the deadline then go through them all.

What programs choose to go ahead an send out invites before the deadlines? does it hurt your chances of getting an invite if you get it in say Mid july if recs are the hold up?? thanks for any input.

 

[servitup]

Parkland and Kentucky off the top of my head when I applied (2007-08 cycle). PASS won't send your stuff to the programs until they receive all your letters. If you get your letters and all in by mid-July you should be in good shape for every program.

 

[smogdodger]

Hello to all. I posted this at the 2011/2012 Hopeful Forum but decided to make a new one instead.

Hello to all,
Just posting my stats to get an evaluation from the pros:

NBDE 1: 90
Class Rank: 15/86
Externship Experience: 2 completed, 2 planned for August.
Extracurricular: Tutoring, several academic spots, community service, several works authored.
Research: 2 projects completed (1 to be published soon), and a 3rd scheduled
Work experience: DAT instructor, private practice OS assistant
Undergrad: Valedictorian (4.0 gpa)


Thanks for your input.
Sincerely,
Hopeful OMFS.

Stomagolog92,

Everything looks solid except for your class rank. Some programs are going to shrug when they see it but not to worry, your other stats look good enough to get interviews. 25-30 programs is a great idea. It is worth it to spend a little extra money at the outset. Your goal is to have too many interviews and several may overlap.

Most OMS residents/faculty don't care about undergrad grades. The med school admissions people look at such details for 6yr programs. Regarding your externships, you are going to get a lot of questions about this during interviews. My point- find out which kind of programs suit you while externing and be able to articulate that to your programs so you and they both know whether you are a good fit for their program. And for goodness sake, extern at good programs with known faculty. This will facilitate great discussion throughout your interviews and assure your interviewers that you know what OMS is all about.

And I agree with everybody above - get the app in by mid-July.

 

[stomatolog92]

Thanks so much for a valuable reply. I am targeting the July window as mentioned.
Class ranking is an interesting topic. Some schools for example dont rank their students, while schools like mine obviously do. The program director at our institution really doesnt put much weight on CR, since in his opinion there is too much grade inflation throughout schools, as he put it. It will be interesting to see how other PD's take to this. Cheers!

 

[armorshell]

The program director at our institution really doesnt put much weight on CR, since in his opinion there is too much grade inflation throughout schools, as he put it. It will be interesting to see how other PD's take to this. Cheers!

I don't understand how grade inflation would affect class rank? GPA sure, but class rank should be the same.

 

[smogdodger]

I'm with Armor on this one... and class rank is not something to be underestimated in importance. Just because a few D schools don't rank - doesn't change the fact that it will remain one of the few criteria to differentiate you when the boards go to P/F, regardless of whether a new exam is implemented for specialization.

 

[molarext]

Hello everyone. I will be applying this upcomming cycle and would appreciate any advice or input you present.

NBDE 1: 91
Class Rank: 20/93
Externship Experience: 2 completed, 2 planned for summer.
Extracurricular: Tutoring, mission trips, community service
Research: 1 published article in the new england journal of medicine


Thanks

 

[Odontoclast]

Hi guys, long time reader first time poster.
I was hoping to get feedback on my chances for matching into either 4 or 6 yr programs.

NBDE1: 94
Rank/ GPA: 3.75 (my school doesnt rank anyone past top 10 students)
Externship: 2 oms completed
Extracurrics: class president, countless other clubs, and more community service
Research: none in dental, 1 yr for undergrad in neuroscience
Work Experience: dental assisting for gp


I just have a few questions:

1) Would I be more competitive for a 4 yr or a 6 yr program
2) Do OMFS directors look at transcripts throughly? My first year at dental school was rough, and took a hit in biochem (C+), and got a few B's here and there. Other than a few B's and a C+, I had straight A's on my other classes.
3) Do OMFS directors look at certain classes heavier? IE. Restorative dentistry lab classes/ didactic classes, or oral surgery didactic classes? Or do they just look at ur overall, and Boards?
4) If anyone can also add what I might do to add to my competitveness?
5) What are my overall chances?

Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.

 

[senpai]

1) Would I be more competitive for a 4 yr or a 6 yr program
-The answer to this question shouldn't determine what type of program you decide to pursue, 4 or 6 year. It's personal preference, you need to decide whether you feel the MD will be valuable. I think you're smart enough to tell by your stats that you'd be competitive for either on

2) Do OMFS directors look at transcripts throughly? My first year at dental school was rough, and took a hit in biochem (C+), and got a few B's here and there. Other than a few B's and a C+, I had straight A's on my other classes.
-GPA/Class Rank, in my opinion, seems to be more important. Past getting around ~90+ and around top ~10% in your class, I think what carries the most weight is what type of person you are and whether they like you or not. You should be fine unless you're a complete tool 😉

3) Do OMFS directors look at certain classes heavier? IE. Restorative dentistry lab classes/ didactic classes, or oral surgery didactic classes? Or do they just look at ur overall, and Boards?
-If I remember correctly, someone on here posted that the only B they got in D-school was in Oral Surgery and still got accepted in to one of the top programs. Just one persons experience though...

4) If anyone can also add what I might do to add to my competitveness?
-If you're applying this next cycle there is not much you can do in a few weeks/months that is somehow going to make a huge difference in your application, except for maybe externships if it's an applicant that hasn't done any at this point. Again, it's the total package

5) What are my overall chances?
-If OMFS is what you want to do, then why don't you just apply and find out for yourself? If your looking for someone to tell you you're awesome and that you'll be the best applicant, I just call and talk to my Grandma. Gives me a good ego boost everytime 😉 You know you have good stats, So stop worrying about it...

Hope that helps and I apologize if any of my comments come off sarcastic. I guess you better get used to it though if you want to get accepted into a school of O.ffesnive, M.alicious, (&) F.oul, S.arcasm😉

 

[smogdodger]

Odontoclast, I agree w/ Senpai. Your chances are good. 4 vs 6 yr is a personal decision of what you want out of your medical/surgical training. Out of the 10 interviews I chose to attend, not a single interviewer asked me about a specific course/grade. We did, however, spend a lot of time talking about my externships. Getting different externship experiences allows you to evaluate what kind of program suits you and interviewers ask you about this to evaluate how you fit into their program. Bottom line, if you want to improve your chances, go on another externship at a place you are applying. No joke, last yr their were guys externing in the middle of interviews, and they were applying that year!

 

[wantchurwizzys]

Hey Friends... just became an SDN member and thought I would jump in the conversation!

Part I: 93
GPA: 3.77
Rank: 8/55
Research: Notta!!!! I absolutely hate it!😀 (much to my demise!)
Externships: 1 down, 1 planned for MGH, another in Sept = 3 total
Extracurricular: Class treasurer, ASDA, local state dental association
Want a 4 yr program but will take 6 if I have to

I post because I am concerned about an aspect of my application that I am slightly worried about.... I got into the game late (just recently decided that I was going for OS) and I haven't been too in to the OS scene. I am not sure I can get great letters from an oral surgeon. Any advice on how I can quickly get my name out there and maybe get a nice letter or two? Thanks

want em real bad... lets take off some buccal bone

 

[Murka]

SO is it absolutely imperative to have an externship behind your belt to apply? I graduated in 2009 and have been working as a gp for a year now. I suppose I can take 2 weeks off to do it but it's difficult, especially in this economy. I know externship is a great way to learn about the programs and what the OMFS residency is all about but unfortunately it may not be possible. Anyway, does my experience in the "real world" mean anything to the OS directors? And, is there a preference for new grads vs. not so new when it comes to accepting to OS?

My stats:
DS GPA: 3.68
Undergrad GPA: 3.8
Rank: 15/137
Externships: 0 😱
Others: local gp volunteering, Honors, etc.

Thanks!

 

[OMFS ORIF]

SO is it absolutely imperative to have an externship behind your belt to apply? I graduated in 2009 and have been working as a gp for a year now. I suppose I can take 2 weeks off to do it but it's difficult, especially in this economy. I know externship is a great way to learn about the programs and what the OMFS residency is all about but unfortunately it may not be possible. Anyway, does my experience in the "real world" mean anything to the OS directors? And, is there a preference for new grads vs. not so new when it comes to accepting to OS?

My stats:
DS GPA: 3.68
Undergrad GPA: 3.8
Rank: 15/137
Externships: 0 😱
Others: local gp volunteering, Honors, etc.

Thanks!

In my opinion, it is imperative to do a minimum of one, should do two, preferably three externships. If you apply to programs, you probably won't get many interviews. Even if you managed to get a few interviews, the residents would tear you apart and probably veto you from getting in there. They would be concerned you don't really know what you are getting yourself in to. Externships allow you to see a little into what life would be like as a resident. It is long hours and not just about wisdom teeth and implants. They don't want you to get in and then quit because it is too hard for you. It has happened before. If you try to use the excuse that you couldn't get some time off from work because of the down economy, the residents and attendings will tear you a new one. If you are serious about OMFS, you will make the time to go on externships.

Your stats look good enough to be competitive although you did not post your part I boards, which are important. I would just hate for you to go through the application process which is costly and time consuming, and then not get in because you didn't do any externships. Just trying to give you constructive criticism since you asked. Best of luck to you.

 

[Chase23]

Hi there,
First time poster and thought I would share to see what those who have been through the process think...

GPA: 3.5 - My school does not rank.
NBDE I - Writing this month
Externships: 7
Research: M.Sc. in Cancer Biology and 3 publications in OMFS related topics.
Extracurriculars: Class President all 4 years of dental school, Dental school admissions committee and research committee. Executive committee of student run community healthcare outreach program.
I know the boards hold alot of weight so I'm hoping I can achieve a decent score.

Any feedback and/or perspectives are welcomed. Thanks

 

[servitup]

NBDE I - Writing this month

If you are the author of NBDE I, you should be able to do well.