WAMC? Trying to avoid gap year

[thedentaljourney]

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School list:

 

[macsak]

Date of submission: 6/4/24
Overall GPA: 3.97
Science GPA: 3.94
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.93
DAT (AA/PAT/QR/QC/Bio/Gen Chem/O Chem): 22/22/22/23/24/22/21
State of Residence: TN

Major: Biology Minor(s): Chemistry, STEM Entrepreneurship
Minority? No Reapplicant? No Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: General Dental (106), Periodontics (29 hrs) & Endodontics (15 hrs)
Volunteering Experience: Dental mission trips to Central America (226 hrs), homeless missionary work (80 hrs), Remote Area Medical (RAM) clinic (21 hrs) & kids oral health educator (6 hrs)
Employment: Sterilization tech/junior orthodontic assistant (187 hrs), expanded function dental assistant (128 hrs), undergraduate researcher (300 hrs)
Research: Materials science engineering undergraduate research with 3D printed dentures (300 hrs); multiple presentations and an unpublished paper
Other Extracurriculars: Treasurer and now president of my university’s pre-dental organization, travel coordinator for international student volunteer organization, co-founder of new Remote Area Medical (RAM) Chapter at my university
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? Toured a few dental schools, attended a few virtual info sessions as well
Relevant Honors or Awards: President’s list 5 of 6 semesters, Finalist in EngiPreneur pitch competition, 2 honors societies, University Honors Program, National Merit Scholarship from NMSC
LOR type and strength: 2 science professors (analytical chem/anatomy & physiology), 1 dentist, 1 orthodontist

School list:
DCG
Colorado
UPenn
UTSD
Texas A&M
UTHSC
NSU
Lousiville
LECOM
LMU

how is your relationship with UTHSC faculty/staff?

 

[thedentaljourney]

how is your relationship with UTHSC faculty/staff?

Pretty decent I would say. I met a few people on a DDS tour there, and I liked all of them

 

[macsak]

Pretty decent I would say. I met a few people on a DDS tour there, and I liked all of them

what did they say about your chances?

 

[thedentaljourney]

what did they say about your chances?

they did not discuss with me. I toured during the '23-24 admissions cycle, so I wasn't applying at the time (had no DAT scores, only a sophomore, etc)

 

[macsak]

they did not discuss with me. I toured during the '23-24 admissions cycle, so I wasn't applying at the time (had no DAT scores, only a sophomore, etc)

you should have kept in contact and visited prior to the start of this cycle...

 

[macsak]

you should have kept in contact and visited prior to the start of this cycle...

wait, what's UTSD?
is that houston?

 

[thedentaljourney]

wait, what's UTSD?
is that houston?

yes. I have a personal connection there

 

[Mr.Smile12]

So if you have already submitted your TMDSAS application for the Texas schools, apply to them all. How familiar are you with the TMDSAS application process? Have you attended their office hours or listened to their admissions officers on their podcasts?

I had to blink at your list a few times. You mix the Texas schools as a Tennessee resident, but I think you want affirmation to bust out of Tennessee as an engineer/innovator. I'll agree if Tennessee or LMU don't interview you, something is weird with your app.

Sure, I think with your metrics and some of your activities, you can push yourself to the Ivy schools (Penn, Columbia, Harvard). Colorado is trendy among medical school applicants for their entrepreneurship tracks, but I'm uncertain it extends to the dental curriculum (outside of say, interprofessional education but innovation would be extracurricular). I don't see the connection with Nova Southeastern or DCG.

Have you visited the campuses on your list? Which campuses really hammer "innovation" as a core value and in the way their preclinic is set up? Also, how is "innovation" compatible with your service experiences with RAM? It's nice to have a 3D printer on-site to print dentures, I guess... is that happening at a RAM Clinic? How about any of the "local" dentist offices that you refer RAM clients to? In other words, do you see yourself practicing to drive innovation in dentistry or do you want to serve dental underserved areas?

Your metrics aren't going to stop you from starting dental school in the next year. Your ability to discern your program fit and how they will satisfy your long-term goals and purpose as a dentist will dictate whether you will really be happy in your training.

 

[thedentaljourney]

So if you have already submitted your TMDSAS application for the Texas schools, apply to them all. How familiar are you with the TMDSAS application process? Have you attended their office hours or listened to their admissions officers on their podcasts?

I had to blink at your list a few times. You mix the Texas schools as a Tennessee resident, but I think you want affirmation to bust out of Tennessee as an engineer/innovator. I'll agree if Tennessee or LMU don't interview you, something is weird with your app.

Sure, I think with your metrics and some of your activities, you can push yourself to the Ivy schools (Penn, Columbia, Harvard). Colorado is trendy among medical school applicants for their entrepreneurship tracks, but I'm uncertain it extends to the dental curriculum (outside of say, interprofessional education but innovation would be extracurricular). I don't see the connection with Nova Southeastern or DCG.

Have you visited the campuses on your list? Which campuses really hammer "innovation" as a core value and in the way their preclinic is set up? Also, how is "innovation" compatible with your service experiences with RAM? It's nice to have a 3D printer on-site to print dentures, I guess... is that happening at a RAM Clinic? How about any of the "local" dentist offices that you refer RAM clients to? In other words, do you see yourself practicing to drive innovation in dentistry or do you want to serve dental underserved areas?

Your metrics aren't going to stop you from starting dental school in the next year. Your ability to discern your program fit and how they will satisfy your long-term goals and purpose as a dentist will dictate whether you will really be happy in your training.

Thank you so much for your response! I really like the fit of the Colorado program as they heavily emphasize innovation as a key part of their education. They also provide many opportunities to serve the underserved, so their program meets two of my dental career goals. I like Tennessee's program and facilities-they're top notch after the new Delta Dental building. However, I am unsure of how my mental health will fare powering through dental school while living in Memphis. I am from the opposite side of the state, so even though I am a TN resident, life is very different where I'm from than it is in Memphis.

As far as the TMDSAS app, I did not submit one because UTHealth Houston (UTSD) says on their website to pick either TMDSAS or AADSAS but not both. Texas A&M also allows OOS students to apply through AADSAS and then they have two additional secondary apps on top of AADSAS. I know my chances at the Texas schools are a longshot, but financially they are very enticing as well as the strong reputations of their programs, so I applied anyway. Additionally, one of my biggest mentors is an alumni of UTHealth Houston for both hygeine and DDS, and she highly encouraged me to apply there because of the great education.