premed => predent, research? ec's?

[NatyaLaya]

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(I'm a premed so please excuse the ignorance about dental schools)

I'm asking on behalf of my grandma's friend's grandson. Indians out there, you know how grandmothers can get, pestering you for information 🙂. He's a junior at UCLA, 3.4 GPA or so, science major of some sort. All of his research experience has been with medical school labs, but he's changed his mind recently and wants to pursue dentistry. Does he need dental-specific research or EC's for getting in? How can he show his interest in dentistry apart from that? I checked the FAQ but couldn't find anything addressing this whole premed to predent thing.

 

[tinman831]

(I'm a premed so please excuse the ignorance about dental schools)

I'm asking on behalf of my grandma's friend's grandson. Indians out there, you know how grandmothers can get, pestering you for information 🙂. He's a junior at UCLA, 3.4 GPA or so, science major of some sort. All of his research experience has been with medical school labs, but he's changed his mind recently and wants to pursue dentistry. Does he need dental-specific research or EC's for getting in? How can he show his interest in dentistry apart from that? I checked the FAQ but couldn't find anything addressing this whole premed to predent thing.

Any research is fine, whether its in medicine, dentistry, or even psychology or something. As long as he's doing what ever he's interested in, it'll look great on his application. You don't need dental related EC's to show interest. But volunteer work (in any field) does show a willingness to help others which is an important part of dentistry.

 

[polarnut]

hey i'm from ucla too with 3.4 gpa! 😀

 

[NatyaLaya]

hey i'm from ucla too with 3.4 gpa! 😀

are you an annoying indian kid? 🙂


Thanks for the response. Given our ethnic community's preoccupation with name brands and status, what will it take for him to get admitted into Harvard or Penn Dent?

 

[binsbts]

What I know is that AVG GPA for Harvard is around 3.7 range...and they give some importance to research experience. With 3.4 at UCLA, I say a very high DAT score and something really great about his research or volunteering experience.

im only a freshman in college so um...
i might be wrong.

 

[binsbts]

hey i'm from ucla too with 3.4 gpa! 😀

Polarnut, how come between UNLV and Case? Both are far away from CA...why not UCLA or UOP?

 

[NatyaLaya]

What I know is that AVG GPA for Harvard is around 3.7 range...and they give some importance to research experience. With 3.4 at UCLA, I say a very high DAT score and something really great about his research or volunteering experience.

im only a freshman in college so um...
i might be wrong.

What about for Penn? He got a 1550 on his SAT, so I assume he takes tests well, so his DAT should be decent. I want him to find research or do community outreach through some dental school -- are dental schools amenable to this?

 

[howui3]

(I'm a premed so please excuse the ignorance about dental schools)

I'm asking on behalf of my grandma's friend's grandson. Indians out there, you know how grandmothers can get, pestering you for information 🙂. He's a junior at UCLA, 3.4 GPA or so, science major of some sort. All of his research experience has been with medical school labs, but he's changed his mind recently and wants to pursue dentistry. Does he need dental-specific research or EC's for getting in? How can he show his interest in dentistry apart from that? I checked the FAQ but couldn't find anything addressing this whole premed to predent thing.

I was originally premed and then switched. He does not need to have dent specific research, his med related work will carry him far, since any research in a big plus.

Suggest your grandma's friend of a friend to find a dentist at UCLA or elsewhere and shadow - follow the dentist around and watch what they do. Have him watch a general dentist for a while and then a few other specialties, avoid ortho - watching a root canal is SO boring, especially if you have to do it all day! maxofacial surg or perio is much more fun, get to see more blood!

Hope that helps..

by the way,

MCAT Score: VR 14, PS 12, BS 14, T
BCPM GPA: 3.83
Overall GPA: 3.91

WOW!!!! YOUR MCAT SCORES ARE UNBELIEVABLE!!!! having taken then myself, you must be a rocket scientist and a great test taker!!!!!

 

[PDizzle]

avoid ortho - watching a root canal is SO boring, especially if you have to do it all day!

I think you were looking for "endo" here.

 

[howui3]

I think you were looking for "endo" here.

thanks for the correction. endo exaclty! i spent a day shadowing, almost killed myslef!

but they do make a decent living.

 

[PDizzle]

thanks for the correction. endo exaclty! i spent a day shadowing, almost killed myslef!

but they do make a decent living.

I shadowed an endo office and loved it! I saw a couple surgeries where they did the root canal from the gum line instead of through the tooth and it was very cool. The office was super high tech and had super fast x-ray's that displayed on a plasma screen right in front of the patient. I was very impresseed and although extremely premature at this point, my plan is to go endo.

but they do make a decent living.

...the understatement of the year! The Doc's at that office were pulling down like 350K. The owner was making at least .5 million/year but probably more. He was avoiding direct numbers but that's the picture he painted for me.

 

[howui3]

I shadowed an endo office and loved it! I saw a couple surgeries where they did the root canal from the gum line instead of through the tooth and it was very cool. The office was super high tech and had super fast x-ray's that displayed on a plasma screen right in front of the patient. I was very impresseed and although extremely premature at this point, my plan is to go endo.

Yeah the apico surgeries are fun to watch, but the rootcanal procedure itself is pretty boring, since you cannot really see what's going on.

...the understatement of the year! The Doc's at that office were pulling down like 350K. The owner was making at least .5 million/year but probably more. He was avoiding direct numbers but that's the picture he painted for me.

i was being sarcastic. those guys are big time playas, financially!!!

 

[PDizzle]

Yeah the apico surgeries are fun to watch, but the rootcanal procedure itself is pretty boring, since you cannot really see what's going on.

I didn't see much of the proceedures either because they all used microscopes but it just looks like it will be fun.


Hmm...maybe I should actually do a root canal before I comit to them for the rest of my life!!


Sheesh.....why do I speak?