Ortho Specialty

[The_Baron]

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I am just curious, I think I saw a thread similar to this before but i could not find it. I will be starting dental school in the fall and I hope to specialize afterward. What steps should I take to plant that seed in the minds of the faculty. I know that some people will say that I am getting ahead of myself, but I think that the earlier I start, the easier it might be and the better the impression I can give. Just a little advice would really help.

 

[12YearOldKid]

This may not be what you want to hear and others may disagree.
But I wouldn't worry about making a special effort to let everybody know you want to do ortho. It will come up naturally.

In my experience the people who make it a point that they are going to do a certain specialty from day one usually come across as:
a. arrogant
b. a kiss-up
c. a prick
d. some combination of the above

None of those things will help you much. Do your best in school. Participate in research that interests you. The faculty will know that you are interested without you devising schemes and "planting seeds." (whatever that means )

Just my opinion.

 

[The_Baron]

Gotcha, and I know what you mean. I really don't want to be one of those people that annoys the crap out of everyone by asking for extra work to get ahead. Just don't want to find out later that I really should have done something a lot early. As far as the Dental school application process goes, I put everything off till the very last minute and it left me with a whole hell of a lot of stress that I didn't need nor did I want. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Jediwendell]

Gotcha, and I know what you mean. I really don't want to be one of those people that annoys the crap out of everyone by asking for extra work to get ahead. Just don't want to find out later that I really should have done something a lot early. As far as the Dental school application process goes, I put everything off till the very last minute and it left me with a whole hell of a lot of stress that I didn't need nor did I want. Thanks for the advice.

Fly under the radar. Don't let anybody know what you want to do until after step one, except maybe the orthodontic residency director.

 

[toofache32]

Fly under the radar. Don't let anybody know what you want to do until after step one, except maybe the orthodontic residency director.

I definately agree. This goes for any specialty.

Dental school is very cut-throat when it comes to specializing because not everyone gets to do it. When you get to dental school you'll realize how easy it is to sabotage someone's work and thus affect their grades. Nobody knew I wanted to specialize until the beginning of 3rd year when the Dean announced in class the top 3 GPA's from the year before. I was one of them and I wished he had kept his damn mouth shut. Later that day, I went to clinic and found some of my models broken. This would have set me back weeks in clinic if I hadn't made duplicates which I kept hidden elsewhere.

Keep your mouth shut....nobody cares. Your grades, board scores, and class rank are what get you into a specialty.

 

[dentalman]

Seriously? Broken models? Were you going to school with Tonya Harding? What is they just accidentally broke?

 

[Rezdawg]

Just worry about your didactic courses for now.

 

[toofache32]

Seriously? Broken models? Were you going to school with Tonya Harding? What is they just accidentally broke?

Yeah...they just accidentally broke when they "fell" out of the drawer onto the floor.

 

[Kniles5]

I definately agree. This goes for any specialty.

Dental school is very cut-throat when it comes to specializing because not everyone gets to do it. When you get to dental school you'll realize how easy it is to sabotage someone's work and thus affect their grades. Nobody knew I wanted to specialize until the beginning of 3rd year when the Dean announced in class the top 3 GPA's from the year before. I was one of them and I wished he had kept his damn mouth shut. Later that day, I went to clinic and found some of my models broken. This would have set me back weeks in clinic if I hadn't made duplicates which I kept hidden elsewhere.

Keep your mouth shut....nobody cares. Your grades, board scores, and class rank are what get you into a specialty.

Why would a student risk getting thrown out of school to sabotage your work? What a dumb a** that kid had to be. I hope that dental school really isn't this brutal. I have lived my academic life helping other students with my memorizing techniques (mnemonics for the most part) and helping understand complex concepts that they didn't really grasp. Don't get me wrong, I was helped out with things I couldn't get too. I wish dental school would be that way. Like a team. This sucks. I hate the thought of keeping the things I learn a secret and only being out to help myself.
🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁

 

[dentalman]

It was not that way for me. You have a choice of how you want it to be. You can still be top rank and help other people.

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

Hello,

It is a very common finding in all new comers is that "I want to specialize this, I want to specialize that...." and they all stressed out over that. Then couple years went by and that once "specializing urge" just evaporated. If you truly want to specialize, then you need to built your credentials quietly! Study hard, and do well in classes and keep in GOOD terms with your faculty. Then the credentials will work for you. Don't walk around and anounce to everyone your intention. Dental school is cut throat and eveyone wants that piece of pie. Like Frank said to Tony Montana... "the ones who want it all, cigar champaign.... they don't last..." DP

 

[aphistis]

Yeah...they just accidentally broke when they "fell" out of the drawer onto the floor.

The spring-loaded drawer bottom is all the rage this year for office pranksters.

 

[speedy3816]

The spring-loaded drawer bottom is all the rage this year for office pranksters.

lmao

 

[shoppingbuddy]

Since this topic just came up, I will ask this question: what are the good schools for specializing?

 

[toofache32]

Why would a student risk getting thrown out of school to sabotage your work? What a dumb a** that kid had to be. I hope that dental school really isn't this brutal. I have lived my academic life helping other students with my memorizing techniques (mnemonics for the most part) and helping understand complex concepts that they didn't really grasp. Don't get me wrong, I was helped out with things I couldn't get too. I wish dental school would be that way. Like a team. This sucks. I hate the thought of keeping the things I learn a secret and only being out to help myself.
🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁

Like I said before...they're not risking much because it's really easy to sabotage others if that's the way you play.

 

[duh?]

I definately agree. This goes for any specialty.

Dental school is very cut-throat when it comes to specializing because not everyone gets to do it. When you get to dental school you'll realize how easy it is to sabotage someone's work and thus affect their grades. Nobody knew I wanted to specialize until the beginning of 3rd year when the Dean announced in class the top 3 GPA's from the year before. I was one of them and I wished he had kept his damn mouth shut. Later that day, I went to clinic and found some of my models broken. This would have set me back weeks in clinic if I hadn't made duplicates which I kept hidden elsewhere.

Keep your mouth shut....nobody cares. Your grades, board scores, and class rank are what get you into a specialty.

😱 😱 😱 OH MY LAWD! I think I'm getting a better idea of the kind of 'hurdles' and challenges some of the current dental students hinted on other threads concerning the 'difficulty' of dental school. 😱 I can see that happening in any class or school and it's sad that people would resort to bad stuff like that!

 

[adamlc18]

I am sorry to hear that kinda stuff happens. I have to say that I can't imagine this happening at all in my class. Maybe I just got really lucky, but I don't think anyone in my class would do this to a classmate.

 

[UNLV OMS GUNNABE]

Hello,

It is a very common finding in all new comers is that "I want to specialize this, I want to specialize that...." and they all stressed out over that. Then couple years went by and that once "specializing urge" just evaporated. If you truly want to specialize, then you need to built your credentials quietly! Study hard, and do well in classes and keep in GOOD terms with your faculty. Then the credentials will work for you. Don't walk around and anounce to everyone your intention. Dental school is cut throat and eveyone wants that piece of pie. Like Frank said to Tony Montana... "the ones who want it all, cigar champaign.... they don't last..." DP

This is great advice. Pros residencies are extremely competitive. You better lay low if you want to have any chance at one of them. Maxillofacial pros is even tougher.

 

[TiggerJSA]

This is great advice. Pros residencies are extremely competitive. You better lay low if you want to have any chance at one of them. Maxillofacial pros is even tougher.

I think I love you UNLV 😍 😍

 

[gryffindor]

This may not be what you want to hear and others may disagree.
But I wouldn't worry about making a special effort to let everybody know you want to do ortho. It will come up naturally.

In my experience the people who make it a point that they are going to do a certain specialty from day one usually come across as:
a. arrogant
b. a kiss-up
c. a prick
d. some combination of the above

None of those things will help you much. Do your best in school. Participate in research that interests you. The faculty will know that you are interested without you devising schemes and "planting seeds." (whatever that means )

Just my opinion.

Sure, but there are choice "d" people who do make it into specialties with the above stated wonderful qualities. Maybe they're doing it right.

If you get a competitive part I score and class rank, come back in 2 years and start talking about ortho. Till then, go bury yourself in a cubicle and start memorizing all the minutia in basic science that will make you a good orthodontist - you know, the details that will get you the "A" in the class and the "98" on your board exam

If you're gonna do research, I would do ortho research or generic dental research. Like bone research - all specialties deal with bone. If you go on an ortho interview, do you really want to be discussing your summer project evaluating hand filing vs. rotary endo? There is no way you can spin that endo project into relevance in ortho, whereas a bone project could conceivably fit in ortho somewhere. Also, you never know who your research mentor might know that can connect you to an interview at another school - commiting yourself to an endo mentor while applying to ortho could reduce your chances for this.

And I agree with all the others, keep it under wraps until senior year when you show up to an ortho interview on the other side of the country and your fellow classmate sees you there with a puzzled look on his face. 😕

 

[TucsonDDS]

If someone asks what your intentions are just tell them. If they ask for help then help them. If you are a cutthroat A-Hole then it will most likely comeout during the interview process. Dentalschool sucks bad enough to sitback in a cubicle for 4 years without any friends. Oh and don't shoot yourself in the foot badmouthing any instructors. Info gets back to them.

 

[jpollei]

Since this topic just came up, I will ask this question: what are the good schools for specializing?

Depends on what area of dentistry you like, and who you speak to. The reality is, it's like dental school...you'll get a few "consensus" top programs and a whoe bunch of "this school is good" based upon who you ask. Reality is, most teach you what you need to know to practice that specialty, so most all programs are "good schools for specializing in".

Not very helpful, I know. 🙂 Sorry.

 

[jpollei]

Sure, but there are choice "d" people who do make it into specialties with the above stated wonderful qualities. Maybe they're doing it right.

If you get a competitive part I score and class rank, come back in 2 years and start talking about ortho. Till then, go bury yourself in a cubicle and start memorizing all the minutia in basic science that will make you a good orthodontist - you know, the details that will get you the "A" in the class and the "98" on your board exam

If you're gonna do research, I would do ortho research or generic dental research. Like bone research - all specialties deal with bone. If you go on an ortho interview, do you really want to be discussing your summer project evaluating hand filing vs. rotary endo? There is no way you can spin that endo project into relevance in ortho, whereas a bone project could conceivably fit in ortho somewhere. Also, you never know who your research mentor might know that can connect you to an interview at another school - commiting yourself to an endo mentor while applying to ortho could reduce your chances for this.

And I agree with all the others, keep it under wraps until senior year when you show up to an ortho interview on the other side of the country and your fellow classmate sees you there with a puzzled look on his face. 😕

Great post overall IMO. I'd make just one or two exceptions...

The last paragraph: At least at my school, there wasn't really a cut-throat/competetive air between students who hoped to specialitize. If anything, the "gunners" knew who else wanted to specialize and would help each other out...probably totally unconventional, I know. 🙂 There's no reason to have a clandestine strategy about not letting anyone know you like surgery, or ortho or pedo or whatever. Having faculty know you are interested in that specialty only helps you become more than a face and a name on an application. It made it easier to work in the department, do research with them, etc. And classmates were more eager to hand off extra cases of patients of theirs in that area (in my case ortho) for me to have as a pre-doc...thus more exposure for me, and more of a change--though relatively small--to see if I really enjoyed doing that, not just looking at it.

Research: True that departmental research is preferred in the area of your interest. Yet any research experience is beneficial--even if the subject matter doesn't apply if you're learning methods and project set-up, lit. review, data analysis, writing, etc.

The ealrier you start thinking about and doing what it might take to get into the specialty you want, the better. However, do yourself a HUGE favor and keep your mind open to all areas of dentistry...you may find yourself loving something you thought you'd abhor like removable. 😍

 

[gryffindor]

And I agree with all the others, keep it under wraps until senior year when you show up to an ortho interview on the other side of the country and your fellow classmate sees you there with a puzzled look on his face. 😕

Haha jpollei, this was just an extreme example of keeping things under wraps, although I have heard of it happening. At my school, it didn't matter if you wanted to do ortho or not because there were no pre-doc ortho cases for anyone. But you also don't want to be "that guy" who talks big about being an orthodontist from day 1 but ends up having almost no chance.

Burying yourself in a corner to memorize minutia and being helpful/sociable/nice guy are not mutually exclusive things. You can do both. There are people who earn high grades and help their classmates and help the others who are also aiming high. It all depends on the personality you have, not on the grades you earn.

 

[Yah-E]

It's interesting to see everyone suggesting to keep the desire to specialize under the radar. I guess I came out of the closet prior to matriculation to dental school! I started to contact program directors as soon as I found out that I got accepted to dental school. Here's a thread that I started back in 4/21/2002 when dental school didn't even start until 8/15/2002:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=249488

God, was I a douchabaggery or what? Griffin, look, you were helpful back then too! You are too sweet.

Hey, at least I stayed on track the whole time, right?

At NSU-CDM, we CDM-SGA is sponsoring a Post-Doctoral Seminar Series called Applicant's Perspective. Each and every post-doctoral specialty is getting a 3-hour seminar (dinner provided) on how to get in that particular specialty. The speakers at these seminars will be all my classmates (D4) who have successfully matched and/or have been accepted to their specialty of their choice. These seminars will include everything on how to apply, how to become competitive, and what that particular specialty is all about from the applicant's perspective! This is open to D1, D2, and D3s who are interested. Our first seminar is on Ortho, three of my classmates will speak at that seminar. They matched at NSU, Univ. Washington, and St. Louis respectively.

I've always been a supporter to inform and encourage my underclassmen to plan early and get a head start on things. I guess I just like to see people achieve their dreams! 👍