Thebeyonder : DDS/DMD or DO/MD?

[groundhog]

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Thebeyonder,
Do you know which direction you are leaning if you get accepted to both dental school and medical school?

 

[Thebeyonder]

It depends on the school I get into. Also I guess I will cross that road when I come to it.
Factors for me to consider are:
1)Overall differences in time committment
2)Where the school is located
3)Overall cost of the education
4)Impression of the school and the students

 

[Yah-E]

Thebeyonder,

I am curious, what were your academic numbers (DAT and GPAs) for dental school applications? Please reply.

😎

 

[StarGirl]

isn't it bad to apply to med and dental? dental schools don't ususally accept people that apply to both...
hmm i wouldn't know, med's not for me <img src="graemlins/pity.gif" border="0" alt="[Pity]" />

 

[DesiDentist]

Hey Star Girl--

Congrats on your interview to Columbia..do you mind me asking what your stats where (i.e. GPA/SGPA; DAT/PAT; extra...)

Thanks,
DD

 

[StarGirl]

hello destident
my gpa is in the low range... barely above 3.0 🙁 my dat was pretty high tho... both 20 and above. I did have a low score in reading 🙁 but overall I was still in the 90+ percentile 😎
but I don't think that's what's getting me into dental school (it helps) but I think it's my letter of rec and personal statement that's doing the trick! good letters goes a long way, and experience... i have over 500+ hours at a clinic (assisting) and ???? hours in research while at the same time being a full time student at a top university (YAY UCLA!! GO BRUINS) Don't worry, it's not very hard to get into dental school as I learned, just show them you want to be a dentist that's all they really want <img src="graemlins/laughy.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughy]" />
oh and community service is important too and disadvantage background won't hurt as well....
you can tell "fantasies" in your personal statment as my friend nicely told me that mine was (although everything in mine's true....)

what are your stats? i am sure you will be fine.
I think if you have above a 2.8, and 18+ on your DAT and have good letters, personal statement, show them u want to be a dentist, you will get in somewhere even if it's not harvard, ucsf, ucla, u'll still get in somewhere.... you'll be a dentist that's the ultimate goal <img src="graemlins/laughy.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughy]" />

 

[DesiDentist]

HI STARGIRL,

Thank you for replying. Yes, my ultimate goal is to be a dentist. I am not too picky like many people, but it would be nice to get in state. Unfortunately, WA only has one dental school and it is probably one of the best in the nation and accepts only 55 students per year. I am hopeful, but am liberal in my choice.

My (min.)stats are:

3.4/3.3 science (not including com. college work which I have 3.5+)
I have around 200 hours of experience in dentistry. I've done over 2000+ hours worth of lab related work in the medical environment including vascular surgery, blood lab etc. I have been doing research off/and on for about three years in the dept. of neurological surgery. My majors consist of Asian Languages/Lit. and Neurobiology at a top research university (University of Washington..GO DAWGS).

Now I'm just preparing for the DAT's and am extremely nervous, especially for OChem. Dentistry is getting more and more popular every year and the competition is getting more stringent...my worst fear is by the time I apply my gpa will fall into just the average range. Hopefully, I'm just too nervous. I've seemed to have researched the average gpa since the 1970's and it has been stable for each school (except certain schools that increase due to incredible board/selection procedures) these schools fall into the top 15-20 the rest 30 or so schools gpa averages have remained constant around 3.1-3.4 and I hope that does not drastically change with in the next two years.

Good luck to you, I am sure that when the spring ends you will be one happy person. Let me know what you think my chances are...anyone for that matter. I will really appreciate any suggestions/advice.

<img src="graemlins/laughy.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughy]" /> DesiDentist <img src="graemlins/laughy.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughy]" />

 

[Thebeyonder]

Hi Yah-zz,
Sure all the information about me can be found by searching the pre-dental forum.
Put the words "running tab" into the search bar and you will find out everything about my CV.

 

[StarGirl]

DD~

oh man, you're going to go gray before next week if you don't stop worrying. you got excellent stats! just try to maintain your gpa, and do well on the DAT (assuming you haven't taken it since you didn't tell me your scores). Get good letters and you're all set! Don't sweat it, trust me, i have been in your shoe! (but my gpa was much lower, and I kept scoring around 15/16's on my practice DAT's...) you'll be fine!

yes UW is tought, but at least u have a better chance than anyone else for being in state! I didn't even apply cause I know they wouldn't take me. Don't worry! you'll be going somewhere! (just don't screw up during your interviews!)

Star =)
STUDY for the DAT's (give yourself no less than two months of real studying!)

 

[groundhog]

DesiDentist,
You are in the hunt for a shot at UW. Your experience and research will give you a boost. For in staters such as yourself, the adcoms like to see 19 or better on each portion of the DAT with a 20 or better on the overall academic DAT. Lower than 19 can be tolerated on the quantative portion if you score in the very high twenties on O-chem. Good luck and GO DAWGS

 

[DesiDentist]

Hi Groundhog,

Thanks for your advice. How do you know so much about what the UW adcom's like to see? I noticed that you graduated from the UW, do you currently work at UW?

I look forward to your response.

😛 DesiDentist 😛

 

[groundhog]

DesiDentist,
First, let me state that I do not have access to any "for adcom eyes only" info nor do I claim to offer a sure fire formula for gaining admittance to UW dental school. I know two folks who got in (one in 2001 and one for 2002). Having knowledge of some information provided to them (and available to any one else who might ask) by the UW predental advisor I was conveying to you my opinion that you should be a competitive candidate at the UW given your present stats and your performing on the DAT in the range that I suggested. I am sure that you are well aware that projecting the chance of admittance, in the final analyis, is as much an art as it is a science.

PS. The DAT range I sugggested is at the low end but still quite competitive. It goes without saying that you will do yourself a big favor if you can get 22+ total academic and 20 or better on all the individual portions. Shoot for 25+ in O-chem.

 

[3aliyah]

I was talking with the Dean at UT San Antonio med school and I asked him the question about applying to both schools. He simply said that med schools don't look favorably on it but dental schools didn't care as much. Hmm! Maybe that's just the TX perspective...