Specialties and the GRE

[Neurodent]

Does anyone know if 3 years old GRE scores are accepted for post-graduate specialties? I start dental school in the fall, and I was thinking about taking the GRE this summer in case I decide to specialize later. I think it would be easier to do it now rather than while in school.

Is there a main difference between expensive specialty programs and ones where you get paid. I'm thinking it has to do with private vs public schools.

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[spooky42]

i dont think you have to take the GRE. why would you need them?

Most specialty programs dont pay. Usually OMS pays, sometimes peds. and gpr's pay.

 

[River13]

Virtually any specialty that grants a master's degree will require you to take the GRE, aka many orthos, endos, perios, and a couple OMS's. Many times they could care less what your score is, yet there are still a few that have cut-off scores for it.

As was stated, more programs probably don't require it than do.

I would wait to take it.

 

[Mo007]

Why does OMFS applicants have lower stats than ortho applicants - but OMFS spacialists get higher income than ortho specialists.

Is that right?

 

[River13]

mostly right...
supply and demand

 

[Mo007]

mostly right...
supply and demand

If that's the case, how about OMFS/MD's oppose to OMFS, is that pretty much the same demand? or those with MDs are in more demand?

 

[River13]

No studies have been done on that topic. I've often wondered that myself- you'll hear speculation but that's all it is...

 

[gryffindor]

Does anyone know if 3 years old GRE scores are accepted for post-graduate specialties? I start dental school in the fall, and I was thinking about taking the GRE this summer in case I decide to specialize later. I think it would be easier to do it now rather than while in school.

Is there a main difference between expensive specialty programs and ones where you get paid. I'm thinking it has to do with private vs public schools.

There is a limit to how old GRE scores can be, I think it is 5 years. A classmate of mine took them in Fall 1999 and applied to specialize in Fall 2003, so this student just made the cut-off to apply with the old scores. I agree with River, I'd wait to take them b/c there is never any guarantee you'll get into specialize on your first shot, in which case you add an additional year to those GRE scores and push the limit on whether they'll be accepted or not.

The only difference between the programs where you get paid and the ones you don't is the funding for the program to pay the resident. Whether or not the program is good in teaching that specialty to the residents depends on many other factors, almost none of which are how much it costs to go there.

 

[straightsmile4u]

As for pay: This is totally variable (from personal experience) - don't pick a program just because it pays because it's based on government funding and can change (or be cancelled!) from year to year. It isn't written in stone. You could be really dissapointed.

As for GRE: It's really stupid, but you have to take it for a lot of programs. Honestly, it isn't too hard to do well. If you can take the DAT you can take the GRE and kick butt. Doing well can really enhance your chances of being accepted especially at a few programs. (It happened to me!)

 

[Neurodent]

Thanks all. I really appreciate your feedback