Thinking about specializing? Read this...

[Dr. Dai Phan]

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Hello,

Being a past dental student and a professor, I know that wanting to specialize is on the minds of many incoming dental students. This lead them to consider what school to go to and when they are in school, they loose sleep over a B since so and so tell them that unless you have 3.9, forget about specializing... Take my advice: DO NOT let this obsession ruin your dental school experience! You have NO idea what you will see in dental school so to pick a specialty or thinking about doing one is premature! Your goal now would be to do as well as possible in classes, then see if specializing is for you. As a professor who taught year 1 to seniors to super-seniors ( ones who slept too much during lectures), I can tell you that the mentally changes after four years in school. Take one thing at a time, PLAN AHEAD-WORK HARD-RELAX and if you want to specialize, the opportunity will come to you. Just do not focus too much on it.

Go have a beer and RELAX!!!

DP

 

[howui3]

I have to agree with you to some respect, but if you know you want to pursue one of the more competitive specialties (ie OMFS or ortho) it is a good idea to be thinking ahead, getting the needed grades, making the right connections and getting involved.

Although I am not an expert on this topic, I understand that OMFS is very competitive, requiring board scores of at least 90% (of course there are exeptions, but not many), solid GPA and a lot of other stuff. This field leaves no room for relaxation.

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

I have to agree with you to some respect, but if you know you want to pursue one of the more competitive specialties (ie OMFS or ortho) it is a good idea to be thinking ahead, getting the needed grades, making the right connections and getting involved.

Although I am not an expert on this topic, I understand that OMFS is very competitive, requiring board scores of at least 90% (of course there are exeptions, but not many), solid GPA and a lot of other stuff. This field leaves no room for relaxation.

Hello,

I totally agree and that is why I mention the motto that I tell all my students: PLAN AHEAD-WORK HARD-RELAX. Just don't let the whole specializing thing ruined your dental school experience like I once did. DP

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

I have to agree with you to some respect, but if you know you want to pursue one of the more competitive specialties (ie OMFS or ortho) it is a good idea to be thinking ahead, getting the needed grades, making the right connections and getting involved.

Although I am not an expert on this topic, I understand that OMFS is very competitive, requiring board scores of at least 90% (of course there are exeptions, but not many), solid GPA and a lot of other stuff. This field leaves no room for relaxation.

Hello,

I totally agree and that is why I mention the motto that I tell all my students: PLAN AHEAD-WORK HARD-RELAX. Just don't let the whole specializing thing ruined your dental school experience like I once did. DP

PS: I truly believe in this statement too: Specializing like OS, ortho, endo is not as hard to get in as you think. I know personally many of my students and classmates who earned spots in ortho, os , endo with slighly better than average grades. Hard to believe but it is true. DP