PT before DDS?

Started by GlassyCat
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GlassyCat

UWO Dents 2009
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15+ Year Member
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I am having some problems and I was hoping to see if anyone here has been in similar situation as I. I am currently accepted to start the PT program in September but I got waiting listed by Dentistry. (Stupid me only applied to ONE dental school 🙁 ).

I know that I want to be in dentisty and I know that the only thing that is holding me back was the interview. My grades were fine and competitive according to the dental admission administrator (double 🙁 🙁 ). My DAT was fine too although it was a bit on the low side (because I went in to the exam with a migrane and no study for over 4 months -- something bad happened).

My option now is either to do PT for two years then apply to dentistry again OR take a "special" minor year in Anatomy and Cell bio to top off my undergraduate Micriobiology degree and then apply to more dental schools this year. I know that I will eventually be a dentist, but PT would be a nice back-up for the short-while that I am not (i.e. what if I did my minor year and didn't get into dental school again? I wouldn't know what I would do because I won't want a job in plain research. )

My problem is that I am having the decision jitters 😱 . I am not sure if I made the right choice. I am not sure if I should spent 2 years and do a MSc-PT degree just because I want it as a financial back-up. Should I just risk it and take the special year and apply since it was not a problem with my GPA or DAT? I don't think I will have any problems studying PT either as I am very good with academics. I need some advice. Should I do PT or not? Should I risk it and drop PT altogether and apply this year?

Thanks in advance for any comments and advice.

P.S. I am a Canadian student. PT is accepted as a Masters of Health Science here. Since it is a Masters, I can't apply to Canadian dental school in the middle of my program. The condition is that I have to finish my Masters before I can start my DDS program. Masters starts Sept 1, 2004 to Sept 7 2006 (just before the DDS program starts in 2006).

And also, do I have to take the American DAT in order to apply to American Dental school? I know that there are some descrepancies. And if so, where can I register to write it? Do I have to go down to the States to write it?