"religious" extra-curriculum activities ?

[Smooth Operater]

Hello guys. For those of you who have been through the application process for dental schools, I need your input if possible. How do adcom ,in general, preceive religious extra-curriculum activities?

I have done many extra-curriculum activities that are religious based and they mean a lot to me since they have helped shaping up my characters. I plan to do a mission trip in Africa next summer to develop my characters and gain new perspectives.

I am not doing these things just to fill up application paper or have something to say during the interviews. Honestly, the experience actually solidify my decision to pursue dentistry.


your suggestions are welcome. Thanks

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[jk5177]

How do adcom ,in general, preceive religious extra-curriculum activities?

I have done many extra-curriculum activities that are religious based and they mean a lot to me since they have helped shaping up my characters. I plan to do a mission trip in Africa next summer to develop my characters and gain new perspectives.

I am not doing these things just to fill up application paper or have something to say during the interviews. Honestly, the experience actually solidify my decision to pursue dentistry.

Religion was a central theme in my application. I alluded to it in my first paragraph of the personal statement, it was a part of my extracurricular acitivities, and it came up in all of my interviews (I naturally had to mention it because of its importance to me).

I had the same dilemma as you because none of us really know how schools will view religion. It's a personal call. My approach is that if the committee was so close-minded about my religious belief, then I don't want to be going there for the next four years. This is not to sound arrogant, but to me it was more important to be at a place where I can feel comfortable for the next four years and learn my dentistry.

It's your call, but it sounds like religion has been central in your life.

Now, if you practice Wiccan, fetal sacrifice, cross-burning, blood-lusting, ugh... mmm... I don't know what to say, guess I'm suppose to be accepting of all people right? j/k =)

 

[786mine]

I really don't think dental schools want overly religious people. If your "mission" to Africa shows that you helped people besides converting them to LDS, that would be a plus. Sorry in advance if this post sounds rude - it is not meant to be. Good luck.

 

[aphistis]

I really don't think dental schools want overly religious people. If your "mission" to Africa shows that you helped people besides converting them to LDS, that would be a plus. Sorry in advance if this post sounds rude - it is not meant to be. Good luck.

I imagine some of the 25,000,000 or so LDS dental students, not to mention plenty of others besides, might take exception to this comment.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I imagine some of the 25,000,000 or so LDS dental students, not to mention plenty of others besides, might take exception to this comment.

LOL, not to mention that there is NOTHING in the OP's original statement that lends to correlating with being LDS. Lots of people take mission trips, obviously. Further, the OP states that he has yet to take the mission trip. Methinks it is a poor reponse due to poorly reading the OPs post.

To the OP: list what you will. Life-shaping events are important.

 

[syn_apse]

Personally, I think discussing religion (and likewise politics) during an interview can be a risky and somewhat off-topic endeavor. Who knows how adcoms will interpret your viewpoints? Listing religious clubs and activities on your application is great -- be proud of who you are and what you've accomplished! However, I don't advise going out of your way to make religion the "central theme" of your application (sorry jk5177).

The central theme of your dental application and subsequent interviews should be how dentistry fits into your goals in life. If religion happens to come up, cool. But forcing the topic might hurt more than it helps.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Personally, I think discussing religion (and likewise politics) during an interview can be a risky and somewhat off-topic endeavor. Who knows how adcoms will interpret your viewpoints? Listing religious clubs and activities on your application is great -- be proud of who you are and what you've accomplished! However, I don't advise going out of your way to make religion the "central theme" of your application (sorry jk5177).

The central theme of your dental application and subsequent interviews should be how dentistry fits into your goals in life. If religion happens to come up, cool. But forcing the topic might hurt more than it helps.

Excellent advice in this post.

 

[Gulch]

Excellent advice in this post.

Amen

 

[jk5177]

However, I don't advise going out of your way to make religion the "central theme" of your application (sorry jk5177).

No offense taken. Thanks for being so polite.

 

[colt]

The future: door-to-door dentist on bikes.

 

[Chris125]

I recently spoke with a member of the admissions committee at the University of Washington School of Dentistry. He told me flat out that nearly 30% of their students are LDS. He said that he and the rest of the committee like LDS students because (for the most part) they are mature, responsible and able to cope well in difficult circumstances. He added, however, that this was a huge generalization and that he has been dissappointed by some LDS students in the past. Bottom line - be yourself. Adcoms already know all about LDS missions, church callings, etc. No need to overemphasize these topics. To echo Gavin's comments - don't alienate anyone by being overly religious and be sure to portray dentistry as your main focus in your interviews.

 

[jk5177]

Bottom line - be yourself. Adcoms already know all about LDS missions, church callings, etc. No need to overemphasize these topics. To echo Gavin's comments - don't alienate anyone by being overly religious and be sure to portray dentistry as your main focus in your interviews.

Good point.

I want to further chime in and say that "I believe" (not speaking for anyone else), religion plays a central role in our understanding of this world. It is the sole paradigm to understand humanity. If we have this spectacle, then we can better understand of human suffering, wish, desire, hope, and psychology.

A few years ago, I left school to undergo some soul-searching. I read about certain strengths/personality which allowed the remaining Jews to survive the concentration camps. One character is, you guessed it, a spiritual direction, purpose and meaning. The second character is having a mutual friend to survive together.

My religion was probably the sole guidance toward my entrance to dental school. It helped me with my ability to be calm and to overcome stress. It encouraged me to study when I rather be doing something else. It prevented me from thinking when I was thinking too much. It taught me to think when I wasn't thinking enough.

For me it is clearly a central theme, and I would not trade any admission to any graduate program for it.

This is a slight tangent from the OP, but it's good too.

 

[Smooth Operater]

yes, my religion is a central theme of my life too. I forget that many of you Americans are Christians esp. in South. So I think American schools are more tolerate to religions than Canadian schools. I guess it is best to be myself.

 

[ItsGavinC]

My religion was probably the sole guidance toward my entrance to dental school.

Great post. And to add to the thought, religion doesn't have to be correlated with any organized religion.

 

[River13]

When I applied to OMFS the main extracurricular activities I listed were due to my religious affiliation...Boy Scoutmaster, congregational leader (branch presidency), etc. I used those in my personal statement to emphasize not my religious zealousness, but my desire to serve others, and specifically, through my intended path--OMFS this time, dentistry when I applied to schools. I got all the interviews I wanted, went to dental school and am in OMFS at my 1st choices of locations. It came up in interviews everywhere I went applying to both dental school and OMFS, and virtually always in a positive way.

The only negative one I remember was when I interviewed at UPENN's OMFS residency and I was asked "if you had to choose between OMFS and your marriage, which would it be since you belong to ____ religion."

 

[786mine]

Personally, I think discussing religion (and likewise politics) during an interview can be a risky and somewhat off-topic endeavor. Who knows how adcoms will interpret your viewpoints? Listing religious clubs and activities on your application is great -- be proud of who you are and what you've accomplished! However, I don't advise going out of your way to make religion the "central theme" of your application (sorry jk5177).

The central theme of your dental application and subsequent interviews should be how dentistry fits into your goals in life. If religion happens to come up, cool. But forcing the topic might hurt more than it helps.

Thank you, that is what I was exactly what I was wanting to say."

 

[aphistis]

When I applied to OMFS the main extracurricular activities I listed were due to my religious affiliation...Boy Scoutmaster, congregational leader (branch presidency), etc. I used those in my personal statement to emphasize not my religious zealousness, but my desire to serve others, and specifically, through my intended path--OMFS this time, dentistry when I applied to schools. I got all the interviews I wanted, went to dental school and am in OMFS at my 1st choices of locations. It came up in interviews everywhere I went applying to both dental school and OMFS, and virtually always in a positive way.

The only negative one I remember was when I interviewed at UPENN's OMFS residency and I was asked "if you had to choose between OMFS and your marriage, which would it be since you belong to ____ religion."

Did you answer honestly and then not rank the program? That would've been my temptation.