pass/fail dental schools?
Started by Dentalkid434
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Why do you need to know? I think by next year ALL DS are going to use Pass/Fail system
Good question.
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Pass/Fail fosters an entirely different academic atmosphere. It encourages collaboration and teamwork rather than competition. Also with some schools' curriculums just passing is already a small accomplishment of its own.
Dental courses.
+1 I really admire this philosophy and hope that more dental schools would opt to the pass/ fail system fostering a better learning experience. Most medical schools run on this pass and fail system and their students seem to be doing well on the boards. I think dental schools would only benefit from a pass/fail system.
NYU? Really?
Don't think this is true..
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You forgot: having a better easier time specializing. With grades in a a/b/c/d/f school, you are screwed forever if you are bottom rank with b/c's. With A's, well it looks good no doubt. However in P/F, it's hard to distinguish top rank/bottom rank aside from the occasional P with "Honors" award.
Bottom line: go to P/F if you want to have an easier time specializing.
Except that schools like Rosman and Lecom (the Devrys of dental school) don't take in the top candidates. Maybe pass/fail was implemented at these schools to make people think it might be easier to specialize from these programs to pay off their exorbitant tuition.
Your statement might be true for schools like Harvard, Columbia, and UConn. Also, even these top schools that are pass/fail, still rank their students. For example, Columbia puts you in three group - top 1/3, middle 1/3, ad bottom 1/3. So while certain schools might be pass/fail, you might still get ranked.
This is true for prestigious schools like Harvard. As the boards are pass/fail now, pass/fail is detrimental as it removes yet another way for the best candidates to distinguish themselves. If you were choosing between two equally qualified candidates, would you choose someone from an average school with all A's or someone from an average school with all P's?
Schools that are P/F acknowledge this; that's why many schools that are P/F actually give numerical scores and keep class rankings but aren't transparent about it. This allows someone with access to the information like the dean to write a LOR disclosing your rank to residency programs.
If something is good to be true... like a program that offers a student to hide among peers and not work their behind off for the ability to specialize... it probably is.
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I see where you are coming from, but if I had to do Dental School over again, I would choose P/F hands down. The competitiveness to be top 10-20 in an A/B/C/D school is just to intense.
😛
Pass/Fail is a joke. Everybody gets a trophy.
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If everyone passed how do they select better candidates for residency or other advance education programs?
Recommendation letters, research, honors if it's h/p/f.
I think the school's name plays a role too, but not sure how big/small of a role
Number of procedures done in the given field as well as the number and quality of externships have a lot to do with it.
It certainly is pass/fail. Interviewed there September 14th.
I turned down Harvard which was p/f, so "butthurt" isn't exactly how I would describe my sentiments. I wasn't fond of it being pass/fail then, and I'm not now. H/P/F is a good system b/c you still have something to work towards which also separates the men from the boys: honors. Pass/fail offers no incentive to do well.
didn't lecom say don't go there if you want to specialize?
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That's not what they told us interview day. They said multiple times if you want to specialize don't attend there. They also said you get a letter grade for each test but not an overall grade, rather a pass or a fail.
But the facilites at LECOM are pretty ballar right? Worth the price for PBL or not really?
They told us when I was there this past Friday that they do not like people specializing that attend but, they do keep letter grade records if you choose to specialize.
Their DO school has been in the top 5 board pass rates for a very long time. So it would appear that PBL is an excellent way to learn.
Their DO school has been in the top 5 board pass rates for a very long time. So it would appear that PBL is an excellent way to learn.
Schools have had grades for a very long time. If anything, they will be moving towards grades since the boards are P/F
I'm not sure I agree with this. Grades/rank historically played a very large part in matching. This might even be amplified by the P/F boards. This would be the case if you would be in the bottom of your class, but shoot for OMFS and kill the CBSE haha 😀
I agree. Thats why I chose a P/F school lol
I disagree. Its not that everyone gets a trophy, its just that nobody gets a trophy.
If you want to distinguish yourself, do research, externships, do well on the various residency exams like the GRE or CBSE, etc.Residency exams, interview, recommendations, resume
