Thinking about ortho

[Dentistry.masterd]

Hi, I thought I’d post on here to get peoples feedback who don’t know me and can be brutally honest with me.

I don’t really like working as a GP and much prefer working with kids. So I’ve considered peds and ortho but I think I’ll be most happy with ortho. I’m considering applying to ortho residencies but I really don’t think my stats will match up to other applicants to even get me an interview. I understand I’ll have to apply to 30+ programs and apply broadly but I’ve included my stats below and want your feedback. whether you’ve applied before, are currently in residency or if you’re already an orthodontist. I want feedback to help me improve my app so I can build a strong well rounded app before applying, whether that’s next year or even in 2-3 years.

My stats (graduated in 2021 and working as GP since):
-Dental school gpa: 3.41 (did receive cum laude honor)
-Dental school rank: 51/110
-Passed nbde part one on the second attempt. Passed part two on first attempt.
-No research experience
-Was on eboard for a club in dental school for 1 year
-Emailed ortho offices to see if I can speak with them and come in and shadow from time to time, just waiting to hear back. Hopefully they’ll write a LOR for me
-Studying to take GRE so no score yet

If you’ve gotten this far in the post, any input would be great. Thanks!

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[dentistrydmd]

How much do you want to spend is the real question

 

[Dentistry.masterd]

How much do you want to spend is the real question

If you’re asking about GSO, I won’t be applying there. The class size is too big and haven’t heard anything good about the program, even from a previous resident.

 

[LeagueofLigTies]

You won’t know until you try. GPA and class rank doesn’t work in your favor here. Was the eboard position your only extracurricular activity in dental school? If so, that’s not too great. Keep in mind you’re competing with applicants who knew they wanted to do ortho in dental school and are actively involved in research and have many leadership positions. The applicants I competed against had publications/presented at major research conferences, were top 20% of their class, and had things that made them stand out or unique dental experiences. Many of them had strong connections with their school’s ortho department. If you think about it on paper, what would make the admissions committee want to take you over one of these applicants?
I think your best bet is to apply broadly and try to apply to hospital based programs or ones that value work/real life experience over rank and extracurriculars. That’s your strong point- that you have years of real life dental experience over these other candidates. Also try to score very high on the GRE to offset GPA and rank. I think you might have a good chance at a hospital based program like Montefiore. University based programs typically value GPA/rank/research/EC more. Applying broadly will cost a lot but give you your best chance of getting interviews. If you’re desperate to be an orthodontist and don’t care about cost, GSO is an option but will financially wreck you.

 

[2TH MVR]

Does Montefiore still offer a stipend?

 

[Thehighwind87]

Hi, I thought I’d post on here to get peoples feedback who don’t know me and can be brutally honest with me.

I don’t really like working as a GP and much prefer working with kids. So I’ve considered peds and ortho but I think I’ll be most happy with ortho. I’m considering applying to ortho residencies but I really don’t think my stats will match up to other applicants to even get me an interview. I understand I’ll have to apply to 30+ programs and apply broadly but I’ve included my stats below and want your feedback. whether you’ve applied before, are currently in residency or if you’re already an orthodontist. I want feedback to help me improve my app so I can build a strong well rounded app before applying, whether that’s next year or even in 2-3 years.

My stats (graduated in 2021 and working as GP since):
-Dental school gpa: 3.41 (did receive cum laude honor)
-Dental school rank: 51/110
-Passed nbde part one on the second attempt. Passed part two on first attempt.
-No research experience
-Was on eboard for a club in dental school for 1 year
-Emailed ortho offices to see if I can speak with them and come in and shadow from time to time, just waiting to hear back. Hopefully they’ll write a LOR for me
-Studying to take GRE so no score yet

If you’ve gotten this far in the post, any input would be great. Thanks!

The real question is how much debt do you have, how much money do you have, and how much debt will you be in after?

Going 1 mil into ortho debt for a degree, while uprooting your family + kids (if you have them) and working 60 hour residency weeks, and then getting out and buying another 500k-1mil ortho practice- 2 mil of debt + buying a house 500k-1 mil= 3 mil of debt for a chance of having a "ortho" lifestyle of 4 days workweek making 300-500k doesn't really make any sense financially.

 

[Lemillion]

Another consideration would be to consider doing an ortho internship for a year if you don't match. It can be a good way to boost your application, experience and may be a route to getting into a ortho residency. You will have to pay a tuition fee to enroll in an internship program but it can be a difference maker versus working another year as a GP and applying again. Not a lot of different ways you can differentiate yourself now that you have graduated.

University of Florida, Jacksonville, Seton Hill, Rochester, Ohio State are some of the first ones that come to my mind that offer internships

 

[Orthomaybe]

Not that much you can do on paper to improve/change your application (especially with GPA/rank and research experience but tbh you're definitely not at the bottom of the applicant pool so no used stressing about things you cannot change now).
But I'd agreed with whoever above about leaning on the fact that you got way more real life work experience over most fresh grad applicants (on your PS). I think you can write a much more interesting personal statement (or have more things to say in the context of dentistry) than half the fresh grad that are applying right after school.
If you still have contact with your school, maybe you can reach out to talk to any ortho faculty for additional advice tailor to you and possibly for shadowing them if they work outside part time?
Two things right now on your application that you have control over are personal statement and letter of recommendations and for sure schools def reads those. (since they have to somehow differentiate among p/f applicants)

 

[PGP Dental Consultancy]

Hi, I thought I’d post on here to get peoples feedback who don’t know me and can be brutally honest with me.

I don’t really like working as a GP and much prefer working with kids. So I’ve considered peds and ortho but I think I’ll be most happy with ortho. I’m considering applying to ortho residencies but I really don’t think my stats will match up to other applicants to even get me an interview. I understand I’ll have to apply to 30+ programs and apply broadly but I’ve included my stats below and want your feedback. whether you’ve applied before, are currently in residency or if you’re already an orthodontist. I want feedback to help me improve my app so I can build a strong well rounded app before applying, whether that’s next year or even in 2-3 years.

My stats (graduated in 2021 and working as GP since):
-Dental school gpa: 3.41 (did receive cum laude honor)
-Dental school rank: 51/110
-Passed nbde part one on the second attempt. Passed part two on first attempt.
-No research experience
-Was on eboard for a club in dental school for 1 year
-Emailed ortho offices to see if I can speak with them and come in and shadow from time to time, just waiting to hear back. Hopefully they’ll write a LOR for me
-Studying to take GRE so no score yet

If you’ve gotten this far in the post, any input would be great. Thanks!

Consider engaging in meaningful conversations with respected providers in both fields who may be able to give you guidance on the realistic expectations of being a specialist as well as the process for building a strong application.

 

[Thehighwind87]

Consider engaging in meaningful conversations with respected providers in both fields who may be able to give you guidance on the realistic expectations of being a specialist as well as the process for building a strong application.

And ask someone that is about 3-5 years out.

The older docs- 20-30+ years out have no clue what it means to be a millenial/gen z dentist. They will probably talk about how they bought a house for 1000$ and how they opened their practice on the side of the road and magically patients came in. Probably also talk about how they worked through college and paid it all off and how you should be able to.

The specialists out 1-3 years tend to have rose colored glasses.

 

[Silver_arrow]

And ask someone that is about 3-5 years out.

What like this guy ?

Mike Meru Has $1 Million in Student Loans. How Did That Happen?

Due to escalating tuition and easy credit, the U.S. has 101 people who owe at least $1 million in federal student loans. Five years ago, 14 people owed that much. More could soon be joining the group.

www.wsj.com

 

[Thehighwind87]

What like this guy ?

Mike Meru Has $1 Million in Student Loans. How Did That Happen?

Due to escalating tuition and easy credit, the U.S. has 101 people who owe at least $1 million in federal student loans. Five years ago, 14 people owed that much. More could soon be joining the group.

www.wsj.com

Better to get the worse case scenario then get a all is fine scenario

 

[AlignerGuy]

@2TH MVR Monte still offers a PGY salary (75k ish), but charges about 35k tuition.

 

[2TH MVR]

@2TH MVR Monte still offers a PGY salary (75k ish), but charges about 35k tuition.

That's what I thought. You still come out ahead.