Question about Orthodontics and Dentistry

[johnny13oi]

Hey guys, I am the first in the family to go to college and have a question as I am new with all of this still. I just finished my second year of college and UT Austin and was wanted to become an orthodontist. Is the path on becoming an orthodontist the same as one for becoming a dentist? Like you go to dentistry school to become an orthodontist correct? Because I really want to go to UT Dental in Houston to stay in my home town.

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[Quattro DMD]

You have to go to dental school first. Then, if you graduate in the top of you class you can specialize and go into an orthodontic residency program, which generally consists of 2 years for a certificate or 3 years for a masters.

 

[Bruinlove]

Hey guys, I am the first in the family to go to college and have a question as I am new with all of this still. I just finished my second year of college and UT Austin and was wanted to become an orthodontist. Is the path on becoming an orthodontist the same as one for becoming a dentist? Like you go to dentistry school to become an orthodontist correct? Because I really want to go to UT Dental in Houston to stay in my home town.

First, you need to attend 3~4 years of dental school to get DDS or DMD degree.
Then, if you are within top 10% of dental students, you may apply to orthodontic residency program and study for additional 2~3 years.

 

[johnny13oi]

Oh wow, I never knew that. So becoming an Orthodontist is much harder. Thank you for the quick replies.

 

[SugarNaCl]

Oh wow, I never knew that. So becoming an Orthodontist is much harder. Thank you for the quick replies.

Oh yeah, getting into an Ortho program is harder than even oral surgery. If you wouldn't be content with being a general dentist, don't go into dentistry. NEVER go with your heart set on orthodontics. That's how hearts get broken. The others are right. You are in the top 10 in GPA AND boards, then you are CONSIDERED generally out of over a hundred applicants per program (who are also in the top 10%) for 2 available spots.

 

[MonchichiMan]

All this is very true, however Boards will be pass/fail after 2010, so pretty much you need to excell academically, be involved, and stand out amongst your class mates.

 

[Hysteria24]

You are in the top 10 in GPA AND boards, then you are CONSIDERED generally out of over a hundred applicants per program (who are also in the top 10%) for 2 available spots.

Not for much longer. Remember that boards go pass/fail starting 2010. So many d-students graduating in 2012 and later will not have to score 90+ on the boards anymore. Everyone applying for residency will have the score "P."

 

[Bruinlove]

Not for much longer. Remember that boards go pass/fail starting 2010. So many d-students graduating in 2012 and later will not have to score 90+ on the boards anymore. Everyone applying for residency will have the score "P."

Then, how will dental schools select students for residency?

Especially, if students are from schools with no ranking and only P/F scale (such as ULCA), how can they see applicant's quality?

I doubt that they will say, "Oh, we like you because you were in one of the top programs in the nation and must have had 22/3.7 when you entered the program..."

 

[Hysteria24]

Then, how will dental schools select students for residency?

Especially, if students are from schools with no ranking and only P/F scale (such as ULCA), how can they see applicant's quality?

I doubt that they will say, "Oh, we like you because you were in one of the top programs in the nation and must have had 22/3.7 when you entered the program..."

Join the crowd!

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=508743

 

[Bruinlove]

Join the crowd!

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=508743

One word. "A Disaster."

 

[gogiantsss]

my guess is that they'll create a separate "specialty test"

any specialty hopeful out there will have to shell out the extra dough to take it.

 

[Hysteria24]

my guess is that they'll create a separate "specialty test"

any specialty hopeful out there will have to shell out the extra dough to take it.

Money is one thing... But having to devote months of studying for the "specialty test" on top of studying for school, NBDE I, NBDE II, and regional boards does not sound enjoyable.

Like I said on the other thread. At least when students had to over study in order to score well on part 1, it was a test they had to pass anyways.

This other test would either be worth it if one did well, or a complete waste of time if one scored poorly.

 

[MnBr63]

Since you're just learning about dentistry at UT I'd HIGHLY recommmend joining Texas Predental Society. Not only will you learn all about the application process and haer from practicing dentists but the deans of admission for Houston, San Antonio, and Baylor come to speak and even give you a tours of the schools.

 

[armorshell]

Money is one thing... But having to devote months of studying for the "specialty test" on top of studying for school, NBDE I, NBDE II, and regional boards does not sound enjoyable.

Like I said on the other thread. At least when students had to over study in order to score well on part 1, it was a test they had to pass anyways.

This other test would either be worth it if one did well, or a complete waste of time if one scored poorly.

But now the NBDE is basically a non-issue; a specialty bound student will have to do minimal studying as there's no way a P/F score can come into play in specialty admissions (Unless you fail, which is very unlikely. Many people at Pacific take the test as it is completely cold and pass with low 80's).

For specilizing students, the NBDE 1 will basically be like the NBDE 2 is now, just a speed bump on the way to post-grad.

 

[DrEagleMike]

My professor told me, who went to UCLA, that all the students get Pass/Fail for each class but the professor will select the top three (I believe) in that specific class and give them a commendation. So the key, at least at UCLA, is to get as many commendations as possible. This is just what I gained from my professor...

 

[Hysteria24]

But now the NBDE is basically a non-issue; a specialty bound student will have to do minimal studying as there's no way a P/F score can come into play in specialty admissions (Unless you fail, which is very unlikely. Many people at Pacific take the test as it is completely cold and pass with low 80's).

For specilizing students, the NBDE 1 will basically be like the NBDE 2 is now, just a speed bump on the way to post-grad.

Very true. Probably not that much of a hassle, but it is still one more speed bump.

And I apologize the OP about my minor hijack of the thread.

 

[armorshell]

My professor told me, who went to UCLA, that all the students get Pass/Fail for each class but the professor will select the top three (I believe) in that specific class and give them a commendation. So the key, at least at UCLA, is to get as many commendations as possible. This is just what I gained from my professor...

Unless they rank the class by the number of commendations you've gotten, this probably doesn't mean much outside of UCLA. Otherwise, I better start listing the number of Dugoni Dollars I've gotten so far on my CV.

 

[Bruinlove]

Unless they rank the class by the number of commendations you've gotten, this probably doesn't mean much outside of UCLA.

That's exactly what I heard from several UCLA students.
Because of no ranking and no GPA, the board score is almost the only thing that matters for specialty. They used to have no problem with it, because most of them do well on the exam. But, now what?

 

[armorshell]

That's exactly what I heard from several UCLA students.
Because of no ranking and no GPA, the board score is almost the only thing that matters for specialty. They used to have no problem with it, because most of them do well on the exam. But, now what?

They will have you take a different test that will be graded, and everything will be peachy keen. If there's no new test, that really sucks for people at unranked schools...

 

[IDoWhatIWant]

That's exactly what I heard from several UCLA students.
Because of no ranking and no GPA, the board score is almost the only thing that matters for specialty. They used to have no problem with it, because most of them do well on the exam. But, now what?

OHHH. The cheating scandal makes so much sense now!

 

[UCSF2012]

Somehow, I doubt UCLA will go from half its students specializing to just a small handful with commendations. Would you forego a school who you've known to produce top performers for more of what you've known to be the low performers?

 

[SHC1984]

I just hope they don't use the GRE as the "new" exam b/c my verbal really sucks!

 

[SHC1984]

Somehow, I doubt UCLA will go from half its students specializing to just a small handful with commendations. Would you forego a school who you've known to produce top performers for more of what you've known to be the low performers?

I see what you mean. However, I think Harvard would most likely be the only school that can guarantee specializing now. (I know people are going to get upset at the post but can you really disagree with it???)

 

[armorshell]

Somehow, I doubt UCLA will go from half its students specializing to just a small handful with commendations. Would you forego a school who you've known to produce top performers for more of what you've known to be the low performers?

There are already a few programs who won't accept students from Pass/Fail schools. There will probably be at least a few more if there's literally no information available.

And as always, I'm of the opinion that most residency directors select the student, not the school. There are many smart, driven and talented students at UCLA which is why the school does so well in specialty admissions, and it would be a terrible shame to see them get affected by a change like this.

Even then, I doubt that will happen, because there will be another test for everyone to take.

 

[Bruinlove]

I see what you mean. However, I think Harvard would most likely be the only school that can guarantee specializing now. (I know people are going to get upset at the post but can you really disagree with it???)

I don't know whether Harvard is the only school that can 'guarantee' (100%) speicializing.
But, I know that we are just talking about UCLA as an 'example' of schools that used to have many students specializing, and may have problem soon because of their pass/fail system and new board exam.

Dude, you have a serious problem with big name schools.
Whenever people talk about some schools, you can't resist to come up with other big name school even though it's irrelevant.

I noticed this when we were talking about diff btw Berkeley and UCSD.
That time you said something like "I thought Stanford is the best school in Cali." I believe none of the posters said Cal is the best school in Cali.

 

[SHC1984]

I don't know whether Harvard is the only school that can 'guarantee' (100%) speicializing.
But, I know that we are just talking about UCLA as an 'example' of schools that used to have many students specializing, and may have problem soon because of their pass/fail system and new board exam.

Dude, you have a serious problem with big name schools.
Whenever people talk about some schools, you can't resist to come up with other big name school even though it's irrelevant.

I noticed this when we were talking about diff btw Berkeley and UCSD.
That time you said something like "I thought Stanford is the best school in Cali." I believe none of the posters said Cal is the best school in Cali.

I was talking to UCSF2012 on this forum, both of my responses were to him.
1) He say he believe Berkeley and UCLA were the most reputable schools in CA, but I disagree b/c Stanford is obviously the most reputable.
and
2) He say he can't imagine UCLA and other top schools that usually place most of their students in residencies stop doing so just b/c the boards are changed to P/F. I agree with him to an extend on this subject. However I believe Harvard would be the only school not effected by this change at all b/c they have and always will have everyone specializing in their class. Thats all that I was saying.

I don't have a problem with big name school...I don't know what you are talking about there...

 

[Bruinlove]

I was talking to UCSF2012 on this forum, both of my responses were to him.
1) He say he believe Berkeley and UCLA were the most reputable schools in CA, but I disagree b/c Stanford is obviously the most reputable.
and
2) He say he can't imagine UCLA and other top schools that usually place most of their students in residencies stop doing so just b/c the boards are changed to P/F. I agree with him to an extend on this subject. However I believe Harvard would be the only school not effected by this change at all b/c they have and always will have everyone specializing in their class. Thats all that I was saying.

I don't have a problem with big name school...I don't know what you are talking about there...

Oh, c'mon. Anyone who read the thread would have known UCSF2012 was referring to UCs only. Then, I guess you didn't read the whold thread and just saw that statement.
If that's the case, I apologize for my premature conclusion.

 

[SHC1984]

Oh, c'mon. Anyone who read the thread would have known UCSF2012 was referring to UCs only. Then, I guess you didn't read the whold thread and just saw that statement.
If that's the case, I apologize for my premature conclusion.

I never read the whole thread on any of these topics...just post by certain users like armoshell, UCSF2012, shunwei, monterserrat, jackbauer, etc.
But yes, I do prefer big name schools...

 

[armorshell]

I never read the whole thread on any of these topics...just post by certain users like armoshell, UCSF2012, shunwei, monterserrat, jackbauer, etc.
But yes, I do prefer big name schools...

Just remember, not all program directors have your same outlook: they don't see the name Harvard on an application then excuse themselves from work to change their pants. I'm sure there are gaggles of program directors that would rather have a top student from Meharry or Mississippi over a mediocre/bottom rung student from Harvard.

 

[Hysteria24]

they don't see the name Harvard on an application then excuse themselves from work to change their pants.

Not an image I needed in my head right now.