Texas: How competitive am I in TX?

[BaylorDDS]

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Hey, my GPA is 3.62, sciGPA is 3.61. Assuming my DAT is 20 what are my odds for getting into the 3 texas schools? Anything anyone would recommend to improve my application?

Also, I've applied to med school for the past two years and been rejected (i know you all hate me now lol, but after looking into it dentistry is totally for me, medicine not so much.) Will that hurt my chances any?

Gracias

 

[doc3232]

Hey, my GPA is 3.62, sciGPA is 3.61. Assuming my DAT is 20 what are my odds for getting into the 3 texas schools? Anything anyone would recommend to improve my application?

Also, I've applied to med school for the past two years and been rejected (i know you all hate me now lol, but after looking into it dentistry is totally for me, medicine not so much.) Will that hurt my chances any?

Gracias

This is where it all went bad...DAT scores cannot be assumed. TRUST ME.

 

[Danny289]

Hey, my GPA is 3.62, sciGPA is 3.61. Assuming my DAT is 20 what are my odds for getting into the 3 texas schools? Anything anyone would recommend to improve my application?

Also, I've applied to med school for the past two years and been rejected (i know you all hate me now lol, but after looking into it dentistry is totally for me, medicine not so much.) Will that hurt my chances any?

Gracias

before assuming anything find the good answer for why dentistry after two years rejection from med schools. 😎

 

[BaylorDDS]

Ok, lets try this again. I was averaging my DAT on the low side based on my practice tests, so it isn't a goal that I hope to achieve but a genuine probable score. Second, please don't respond to question about why dentistry or anything of that nature, my question is simply will that hurt my chances?

Thank you

 

[Clubby]

Ok, lets try this again. I was averaging my DAT on the low side based on my practice tests, so it isn't a goal that I hope to achieve but a genuine probable score. Second, please don't respond to question about why dentistry or anything of that nature, my question is simply will that hurt my chances?

Thank you

I think Danny289 is right. I think you need to answer that question first. If you can't answer it well, your chances will be severely impacted.

 

[alanan84]

"Assuming" you get that score, your chances are good.

I think what everybody's trying to say is:

1. It's really hard to assume your DAT score because even the practice tests are quite a bit different then the real thing

2. There are a lot of students that apply with similar statistics as yours. So the question becomes "what other factors would make you stand out?" The reality is two years of med school rejection doesn't help but as long as you've got a good reason and can prove it in the interview, you're probably fine.

No one can really accurately tell you your chances. All we do is look at the average stats. In your case, both your GPA and "assumed" DAT score are higher then the averages at least for Baylor and UTDB.

 

[doc toothache]

Hey, my GPA is 3.62, sciGPA is 3.61. Assuming my DAT is 20 what are my odds for getting into the 3 texas schools? Anything anyone would recommend to improve my application?
Gracias

Ok, lets try this again. I was averaging my DAT on the low side based on my practice tests, so it isn't a goal that I hope to achieve but a genuine probable score. Second, please don't respond to question about why dentistry or anything of that nature, my question is simply will that hurt my chances?
Thank you

Your gpa is on the low side for ms (3.67) and on the higher side for dental (3.53). It is unlikely that there is a single ds in the country that could not care less what you did in your previous life, but they will certainly care about the change of heart whether it is from ms or from grad school or from a lucrative position with Wall Street. Since you have a crystal ball and know the outcome of your DAT why not check on the part about your chances? As to your question on improving your application- a change in attitude would be a good start.

 

[TB123]

i second Doc's sentiment. If you're willing to ask questions, you have to accept criticism and suggestions. You can't expect 'You're the Ideal Candidate!' unless you have a flawless record and have been volunteering at dental clinics since the age of 10. A simple search on here or from the respective school's matriculation records will tell you if your stats are competitive. You will definitely be asked why you changed your mind from medical school because your TMDSAS records will show it. We're just making sure that as long as you can answer that honestly and well that you will be ok, with a good attitude that is =).

 

[mamelons]

Based on your GPA, you should be okay for the dental schools in Texas, "assuming" you do well on the DAT. Your GPA should have been fine for at least Texas medical schools in my opinion, so I am assuming your MCAT is what was holding you back or maybe a LOR. Who knows? If it was the MCAT holding back your application, then be sure and work hard to nail the DAT. The DAT from what I understand is not as difficult as the MCAT, but it is also different from the MCAT. Talking to some of the DS4 students this year who conduct interviews, there were some people who had applied to medical school and were rejected... I don't know whether they were accepted or not, but they did get interviews following medical school rejections. Another thing to consider is to talk to medical schools about your application... they might be able to tell you that your interview score isn't as strong as the rest of your application, or maybe a LOR was questionable, or they didn't think you did enough to improve your application between application cycles. If the latter is the case, you need to do whatever you can to make your application stand out, and not make it appear as a spur of the moment decision to switch to dental (due to being rejected from medical school). You definitely need to shadow, get some dental experience, etc. I don't know if you have any of that yet... but it might be hard to convince an adcom that dentistry is really for you now (as you said). The reason I mention that, is because it currently seems that because you didn't match this year you just decided that you didn't want to keep working toward medical school because of being rejected, or because you heard dentistry is a better lifestyle, better hours, etc. just make sure you are switching over for the right reasons or you will be miserable... and remember dental school isn't necessarily any easier to get accepted to.

 

[alanan84]

i second Doc's sentiment. If you're willing to ask questions, you have to accept criticism and suggestions. You can't expect 'You're the Ideal Candidate!' unless you have a flawless record and have been volunteering at dental clinics since the age of 10. A simple search on here or from the respective school's matriculation records will tell you if your stats are competitive. You will definitely be asked why you changed your mind from medical school because your TMDSAS records will show it. We're just making sure that as long as you can answer that honestly and well that you will be ok, with a good attitude that is =).

This is true but we need to be careful not to dissuade people from posting on these boards. Sometimes we, as SDNers, are a little quick on the draw. Then we wonder why no one posts lower DAT scores or GPA's...

 

[NyCzPeter]

Ok, lets try this again. I was averaging my DAT on the low side based on my practice tests, so it isn't a goal that I hope to achieve but a genuine probable score. Second, please don't respond to question about why dentistry or anything of that nature, my question is simply will that hurt my chances?

Thank you

Rule 0 NooB

Edit: Besides, I think med students coming into dental is more so a thing of the past. The number of Dental school applicants have been rising steadily over the past decade or so and has no evidence of stopping here. Also, the decreasing reimbursement rates and the hectic lifestyles of those in medicine is turning off alot of potential applicants with high credentials, and are pushing many of us to turn over to dental for the chillen lifestyle and considerable income, which is precisely the reason I've joined forces here. Thus I speculate dental school surely become even more competitive in the years to come. So personally, I commend the OP because I like the fact that many premeds are switching to dental since it'll ultimately make our field even more competitive.

Before I get burned, let me clarify that although I do love healthcare, the only reason I'm in dental rather than med or anything else is not because I loveee teeth so much but because of the lifestyle and income advantages found in dentistry which are important to me.

 

[Lulu2809]

I hate this med school/dent. school bashing. I was very clear about my intent to pursue medical school from the beginning of college, and didn't change my mind until the middle of my junior year AFTER I did some shadowing with a dentist. Sometimes, it's what you're familiar with that you're drawn to and you don't realize what you really want until after.

For me, shadowing a dentist showed a different side from medicine. Apart from using my hands, I was able to actually form a relationship with the patient because you're not seeing them for a hurried five minutes like you are in a Dr.'s office or a hospital. It was the one thing that really made the change for me.

I understand where Baylor is coming from and I hate all this nonsense. When I explained my situation to my interviewers they commented on the fact that that was extremely MATURE. You have to be willing to step out of your "med school" box to really find what you want, and if this is what you really want, well then, props.

 

[BaylorDDS]

For those of you that commented on my chances or gave me advice, thank you, I really appreciate it. I have no problem answering why I chose dentistry, however that is not the point of my post and that would tilt the discussion away from my original intent and lead the thread towards discussing my answer to why dentistry or a med/dent discussion or whatever. Since I didn't want this to happen I asked that we stick to the subject of my post and not about anything else.

But...

what is so bad about switching from medicine to dentistry? Why did you all choose dentistry over medicine?

 

[yakuza]

Hey, my GPA is 3.62, sciGPA is 3.61. Assuming my DAT is 20 what are my odds for getting into the 3 texas schools? Anything anyone would recommend to improve my application?

Also, I've applied to med school for the past two years and been rejected (i know you all hate me now lol, but after looking into it dentistry is totally for me, medicine not so much.) Will that hurt my chances any?

Gracias

Why don't you guys just give OP and answer instead of a lecture on assuming?

Bottom line, if you get those scores than you're good to go

 

[doc toothache]

Why don't you guys just give OP and answer instead of a lecture on assuming?
Bottom line, if you get those scores than you're good to go

The "lectures" he has received might turn out to be more beneficial than the pat on the back with the reassurance that "you're good to go".

 

[alanan84]

Why don't you guys just give OP and answer instead of a lecture on assuming?

Bottom line, if you get those scores than you're good to go

Not meaning to call you out but I'm a little confused as to why you'd be "good to go" with those scores. They certainly to do not guarantee admission and you yourself are a pretty good example of someone with very good stats that hasn't been accepted to a texas school yet.

To the OP, as far as I know there's not really anything bad about switching from med to dental. As we've said, you just need to be able to explain the switch. For me, I have chosen dentistry because I just love the atmosphere. I love working with my hands, I love helping people, I love easing their pain, I love the variation that each patient brings, I love talking to people, I love being my own boss, and I like the money. Believe it or not, I made the switch from engineering to dentistry before I even knew what Dentists generally make.

 

[BaylorDDS]

What exactly of legitimate value do you have to say to me toothache??

BTW, my crystal ball said you were an a-hole 😉

 

[doc toothache]

What exactly of legitimate value do you have to say to me toothache??

BTW, my crystal ball said you were an a-hole 😉

Sometimes what is not said is exceedingly more important than what is said. Time to upgrade the blue light special crystal ball since it appears to be out of tune.

 

[JenniferD]

BaylorDDS,
I had nearly identical statistics to your's. I also originally thought that I wanted to go to med school. Even though I never applied, it was still obvious from the different organizations I was in, pre-med scholarships, etc. what I originally intended to do. I changed my mind in May after shadowing a dentist. I quickly took the DAT, and had my application in by August. Not only did I get into all three Texas schools Dec. 1., but also got 2 scholarships. To answer your question, your chances are just fine with those stats. Just be prepared to answer the question, "Why dentistry?" You will only be able to genuinely answer this question after actually shadowing a dentist and serious contemplation of what you want. Good luck.