Supplemental app: is it bad to write...

[snikki]

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Is it a bad idea to write in your supplemental that your ultimate professional goal is to specialize? or to write that your ultimate professional goal is to own your own private practice?

 

[Philippines03j]

Is it a bad idea to write in your supplemental that your ultimate professional goal is to specialize? or to write that your ultimate professional goal is to own your own private practice?

Not sure that I would mention the specializing part but maybe you could explain that you have an interest in a certain area.

Owning a private practice...It would probably just depend on the tone and purpose of writing about wanting to own your own private practice. They know that many of their dental students want to own a practice so i don't see this necessarily as a bad thing.

 

[want to drill]

I agree with the above. I have spoken with at least one person on an ad-com who felt VERY strongly about people being general dentists. He said when I interview the person to get into my school, I want to know that they want to be a dentist, not an orthodontist, etc. He wants people that go to his dental school to come out and be incredible dentists, not go on and specialize.

As far as your own practice goes, I can't imagine anyone on a committee having negative feelings towards that. Just don't say something like you won't treat medicaid people, or you will only work on people who make six figures. Obvious stuff like that. We are going to have to pay back student loans somehow, right?

 

[SeattleRDH]

It's not *what* you want to do but *why* you want to do it. If, for example, you want to be a periodontist because your mom lost all her teeth to perio disease and you want to prevent that from happening to others then write that. If you want to be an orthodontist because your orthodontist drove a porche... you might want to leave that out.

 

[dentalWorks]

Is it a bad idea to write in your supplemental that your ultimate professional goal is to specialize? or to write that your ultimate professional goal is to own your own private practice?

yes to both.

 

[dantemac]

What is the question/prompt? If they are asking why you want to go to their school, don't say because it gives you a greater chance to specialize. Say something like it'll prepare you for your career ahead.

 

[snikki]

If you want to be an orthodontist because your orthodontist drove a porche... you might want to leave that out.

 

[Double Bonded]

What about mentioning in a secondary to a research focused school that you would be interested in research even though you haven't done any before?

 

[dantemac]

What about mentioning in a secondary to a research focused school that you would be interested in research even though you haven't done any before?

That is OK; That is what they want to hear. They want to hear that you will get involved and further their mission of research. Tell them you want to give back to dentistry more than just care in the chair.

 

[thewobblytooth]

in my primaries I wrote about research, in my secondaries, I only wrote about research to schools that emphasize it or have a strong research-based school. Other schools like ASDOH, I talked more about my contributions to the community