Poor Score on DAT Section

[Dentist 2 be]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I was looking over some of the questions that interviewers may ask. I did poorly on the PAT section of the DAT. If they aslk me what is the reason for doing poorly. What is a good response? I mean I took Kaplan and I was practicing wither their tests and getting in the 20s, but when I took the actual DAT I got a 15 on the PAT section.

Any good advice will be highly appreciated? Thanks!

 

[drat]

I'm no expert but my advice would be: be honest. Tell them you were doing well on the practice exams and were surprised by your real PAT score. Perhaps nerves kicked in. You can also mention that you found it difficult to do perception on a computer, without being able to touch or manipulate it with your hands (like rotate a piece of paper). Then I would just mention your strenghts in terms of manual dex. like, "I know I have good hand-eye coordination because I have been playing the flute for 13 years." I don't know...just be honest!! 😉

 

[Dentist 2 be]

Thanks a lot Drat! That really helps!! 😀

 

[Sprgrover]

Furthermore, a lot of people don't exactly 'rock' the PAT score and I am sure adcoms are aware of this. I don't think your score will come up too often.

 

[Mo007]

I got 17 on the PAT, and I consider that to be just around average... but anything below 16 must compensated with good AA and TS, I wouldn't rule out good GPA too.

Which schools are you (Dentist 2 Be) applying to?

Good Luck

 

[tooth paste]

I mean I took Kaplan and I was practicing wither their tests and getting in the 20s, but when I took the actual DAT I got a 15 on the PAT section.

Ditto! I was scoring 20+ on practice tests...and when it came down to it, i got below 20. Don't feel bad!

 

[Dentist 2 be]

Well, thanks guys you're making me feeling much better

 

[Dentist 2 be]

MoOO7 why do you say that? I have average scores and an average GPA but I also have a lot of other things to offer that other candidiates don't.

 

[accidental]

During the one interview I have had so far the dean of admissions told us that they don't put a lot of emphasis on the PAT. He told us you can teach a monkey how to be a dentist and what he meant by that was you can be taught the perceptual skills and dexterity during dental school. What they were more concerned about were your gpa b/c that is an indication of your past and future acedemic performance, study habits, and aptitude.

 

[Dentist 2 be]

thanks accidental. Just curious which school were you interviewing for?

 

[Mo007]

MoOO7 why do you say that? I have average scores and an average GPA but I also have a lot of other things to offer that other candidiates don't.

That's my point... If you have other things to offer - thats great. Your PAT won't be so much of an issue then. I wasn't implying that your scores are low, I was just speaking in general. Besides, everyone (well, not everyone - but in average) has a low score somewhere in their DAT. PAT is the only section you don't have to take college courses to do well on it. Adcoms are aware and view this section as a self-study section. If the score was low (I don't mean too low), then it doesn't say anything about you doing bad in Dental School, some schools don't even pay that much attention on the PAT score.

However, low AA or TS with low PAT is a red-flag... that's a lot of serious attention surrounding your ability to cope with Dental School.

Good Luck

 

[MEM3]

Moo, nice icon. Remember, e60 M5 coming out soon!.

If i were typing that last sentence, I'd flip things aorund.

However, low AA or TS with low PAT is a red-flag... that's a lot of serious attention surrounding your ability to cope with Dental School.


A low overall gpa and low science gpa...now that's a lot of serious attention surrounding your ability to cope with dental school (of course, that person can get into dental school and rock it). DAT's are something to be looked at, but its a one time test. The person with good grades has taken more than 100 tests and has done well overall. Let's not forget about test anxiety and lingering pressure.

We'll all be a-ok.

Good luck Moo and Dentist 2 be 😉

 

[DMD_DREAMING]

During the one interview I have had so far the dean of admissions told us that they don't put a lot of emphasis on the PAT. He told us you can teach a monkey how to be a dentist and what he meant by that was you can be taught the perceptual skills and dexterity during dental school. What they were more concerned about were your gpa b/c that is an indication of your past and future acedemic performance, study habits, and aptitude.

Does anyone know of any schools that don't focus as much on the PAT? Thanks,

 

[quickfix]

He told us you can teach a monkey how to be a dentist and what he meant by that was you can be taught the perceptual skills and dexterity during dental school.

uhh I think he meant that you can teach a monkey how to be a lawyer, not a dentist. 😉 all seroiusness aside, some people are better with 3d stuff, just like some people are better at math or physics. However if you practice your ass off I'm sure you could be just as good. In dentistry you don't have to know how to solve a rubiks cube to operate on teeth, but it is helpful to be able to view the world from differnt angles and be able to mentally rotate objects. You will see how this works when you are in dental school or while practicing if you have not already seen it. The people with the high pat scores usually are better at this 3d stuff at the point of the test, and are in a better position to deal with 3d stuff in dental school. But if u work your ass off in dental school, by the time you graduate you might be better at it than someone that scored a higher pat on the dat. and that will serve you more in practice.