research and dental school

[BulsangHanNamja]

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How important is research getting into dental school? I'm currently a sophmore and have not considered research until now. Is it too late?

 

[Profchaos]

How important is research getting into dental school? I'm currently a sophmore and have not considered research until now. Is it too late?

Depends on what school you are applying to. To UOP probably not, to Harvard probably yes.

 

[dexadental]

Research helps out alot, but isn't absolutely necessary. I was going to do research, but by all means, if it will lower your GPA or DAT score, don't do it. I'm not doing it this next semester due to me studying for the DAT...remember, your GPA and DAT are the two MOST important factors in your application, don't do research at the expense of these. However, if you like research, and you can still afford time in your studies and DAT prep, by all means do it, its rewarding and kinda fun I hear...that is if you like it 🙄

 

[edkNARF]

I think it can help your application at a research oriented school (the ivies, UCSF/LA, etc...). It will not make up for 2.7GPA and a 15AA though. If you desire to do research, do it, if not, why waste your time?

 

[The Musketeer]

Research will be good to pad your application, but volunteering in a dental setting is more valuable as it will allow you to gain an appreciation for the profession.

Bottom line: Do research if you have the time and it won't effect your GPA; if not, just shadow in dental office will suffice

 

[ecdoesit]

Below quote taken directly from UCLA SOD website:
As you can tell, it would be nice, but not the most critical.
If I have to choose, I would do volunteer work(not just dental), if u really dont have the interest/time. Know the importance of research and be able to show that u love volunteer work more.
quote:
The Admissions Committee takes into account:

Scholastic record
Aptitude for science demonstrated by academic record and the DAT
Academic performance on DAT, in particular, the PMAT portion of the exam to determine spatial aptitude
English composition performance on DAT, especially for English as a Second Language applicants
Manner in which scholastic record was achieved, i.e., course load, breadth of the courses of study, extracurricular activities, and work experience
Substantive letters of recommendation.
Personal Interview
end quote

 

[tam0026]

i agree--it depends on the school. At UF, it is VERY important. I would suggest if u have the chance, do a semester of research. At least that way you can say you did it at one point. However, it is true that DAT scores and gpa are more important. You could look at research as being the final determining factor when all other things are identical to another qualified applicant.

 

[ktrain315]

I only did research for a few months and it was probably the main topic of my interview. Research can go a long way...it'll definitely give you something to talk about during your interview.

 

[Dr.Bear]

I did a lot of research (in different fields) Not only did I enjoy it, but at EVERY interview it was one of the major topics of conversation.

 

[hockeydentist]

I did a lot of research (in different fields) Not only did I enjoy it, but at EVERY interview it was one of the major topics of conversation.

Yah that happened to me as well. Only do research if you're really interested in doing research.

 

[DDS2BE]

I agree with everybody else above and would like to add one more point. If you do research, make sure you know it well... meaning that you should be able to explain what your research was about and be ready to answer specific research related questions at your interviews. If you can't, then simply don't even mention it on your application, as you would look bad in front of the interviewers.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I would say that research is not important at all. That is, if YOU like research then you should do it to fulfill your goals and interests, but don't do it just to have it on your application.

Nearly everybody has one or two semesters of research on their applications. It just doesn't set anybody apart from anybody else anymore (neither does shadowing a dentist). If you don't like research then don't do it.

Undergraduate research too often involves straight scut-work. You might as well stay home and do scut-work (ie, clean your apartment 🙂 ).

I did 3 years of research and was published/attended a conference and presented research. My project was investigating the means by which IL-2 signaled production of cortisol when the a portion of the HPA axis was removed/not working (such as the pituitary).

I was accepted to: Creighton, Marquette, UNLV, Case Western, Arizona. Not a single interviewer asked me even ONE question about my research.

 

[crazy_sherm]

Also keep in mind that schools that value research a lot on your application will tend to have a very research oriented curriculum/philosophy. So if you don't enjoy doing undergrad research, you're probably not going to enjoy the dental schools that take research experience into consideration heavily on your app.

 

[drat]

I believe research has many benefits for an application. First of all, it can demonstrate motivation in the sense that you are going beyond what is expected from you. At many schools, research/thesis is not required to graduate, but doing so can set you apart from your peers. In my opinion, going that extra mile speaks volumes. Also, you will establish an important relationship with your advisor, which can benefit you when it comes time to request letters of recommendations. My advisor got to know me beyond a student-professor level. I dined with his family and talked with him about career decisions. I'm sure our relationship helped him write a more personal letter of recommendation. Also, research has helped develop my technical writing skills, critical reading skills, oral presentation skills, and hand-eye coordination. It really has. While I admit it's not fun writing a 60 page thesis or a publication with strict length restrictions, I cannot overlook the fact that writing and reading comes much more easily to me. And this may seem a little lame, but I'm really proud of the research I've done. I like the feeling knowing that I was the first to do this and the first to do that, and get recognition of my work through patents, publications, and presentations.

These are the benefits research has given me. Also, in my experience, every interviewer asked me about my research experiences, and I was happy and proud to explain. AADSAS specifically asks you about it and the schools that I applied to that had secondaries specifically ask about research experiences. I cannot comment on how admission committees feel about no research experience, but I can say in my case, my experience made me stand out among the many qualified applicants this year.

Obviously, I am encouraging you to further investigate research opportunities. And research doesn't have to be in a lab doing "scut" work, as suggested. (Although, I must say that there are many opportunities to work in a lab and do valuable work.) You can research the literature on a specific topic, for example, and write a comprehensive paper. And research isn't limited to chemistry and biology. Maybe you'll have the opportunity to study anthropology in Egypt or research the use of mathematics in codes. I really think there is a research topic out there that can pique your interest!

 

[JavadiCavity]

I think research experience being a boon to your application is overrated. I was accepted to a couple of schools that are well-known for research and I had zero research experience. And, I wasn't ever asked about it. All that matters are grades, DAT, and personality. I'd say forget the research and focus on grades/DAT unless you are really intereted in research (i.e. for the love of the game). Listen to Gavin, he's right on the mark with this one.

 

[BulsangHanNamja]

wow.. so which one is it? I'd prefer not to do research so ic an concentrate more on my studying / DAT. I was just considering .. the fact that it might help me get in dental school.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I think research experience being a boon to your application is overrated. I was accepted to a couple of schools that are well-known for research and I had zero research experience. And, I wasn't ever asked about it.

Which echoes what I've said. Schools don't care a whole lot about research. It doesn't show much these days, although I suppose it showed "drive" at one point.

 

[Qarmonist]

I'm confused about this research thing. Did u all write publications in journals. Or did some of you that did research just help out with the proffesor in assisting? is assisting the same thing as doing research? Thanks if you could clarify this i'm really confused about how it works.

 

[hockeydentist]

I'm confused about this research thing. Did u all write publications in journals. Or did some of you that did research just help out with the proffesor in assisting? is assisting the same thing as doing research? Thanks if you could clarify this i'm really confused about how it works.

Interesting point you bring up.
1. I have seen a couple situations in a lab, where one if you actually participated in gathering data for the research you were included as a secondary author.
2. If you were in generous lab you're PI would include you in the paper, even if you just washed dishes (rarelly happens)
3. I've also seen people who are just assisting in the actual writing of the manuscript and were given a co authorship for the manuscript.

Actual process of publishing(short version)
First you draft a manuscript and then you decide which journal you want to submit the manuscript too. Each journal has a guideline of how the data should be drafted for there journal. After submitting it to the journal it's reviewed by usually 2 other PI's where they comment on your manuscript and decide whether you're research is publication worthy. If they decide that your manuscript is publication worthy, the journal will then put it into publication in their journal. Usually takes 4-5 months if there are no quams with the manuscript, otherwise I've seen it take a year to get an actuall publication into print.


HD

 

[msf41]

Research is a little over rated. At my interviews at UMKC, creighton, Nebraska, Iowa, not one of them asked me about my 3 years of research! I worked on a public health research project, genetics, and organic synthesis. My last project I presented a poster at a regional chemistry conference and no one asked about that.

My last project has been sucking the free time out of my schedule for 8 months now. In some ways I wish I had never gotten involved, because I think it has interfered with my academics.

Enough negative about research, the positives are that you will really learn to think critically (if you get beyond washing test tubes and grunt work). There is something very rewarding in discovering something through the scientific method. One moment that I though was enlightening to me was one day when I was working on an organic synthesis reaction I couldn't get it to work, when theoretically it should have. When I went to see if my advisor could tell my how to fix it, he said, "I don't know how it works, that's why you are doing the research." It sounds really dumb, but discovering something that nobody has learned yet is thrilling (okay I'm officially a nerd now).

So if you want to do research go for it. Like many things in college, you may never have a chance to ever again. 👍