Want to apply for pedo after 2 yrs of practicing

[sachicago5858]

Hi, hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!

I graduated in 2018 from the East Coast, moved to Chicago and started working at mid-size corporate for about 1.5 yrs now, with a little more than 1/3 of my patients being kids/adolescents. The corporate was sponsoring for my permanent visa so I almost had no choice/thoughts before I started working. Right now - quite fortunately with COVID circumstance - I'm trying to move away from this corporate and start looking at associate positions at offices that will see a lot of pediatric patients.

The more I practice, the more I want to stay as a specialist, especially for the kids. I'm honestly getting tired of making dentures/bloody extractions and surgeries/difficult endo but I do enjoy seeing younger kids. Most of my GP friends are taking implant/extraction CE courses and I've tried a couple of them but I immediately knew that those are not for me - I just have zero interest.
My office does not have any nitrous or GA privilege so I've been mostly treating kids of 5 yrs old and older for basic restorations and extractions. I've had some cases for pulpotomies and SSCs if kids were cooperative enough, had maybe 3-4 cases of chairside space maintainer placements (ie simple band & loops).
After I received my green card, I've been leaning more towards applying for pediatric residency but ever since I graduated, I was not really keeping in touch with my professors/faculties back from dental school so I'm getting quite worried about asking recommendations. Looking at PASS/MATCH requirements, I realized that the minimum number of recommendations, especially from the dean (my school's dean has changed since I graduated) or from the pedo faculty (I was close with this part-time faculty during pedo rotation in D4 year but I doubt she remembers me haha) will be the weakest aspect in my application.
I've been getting some ideas from different threads and have narrowed down my questions to the following:
1) I'm sure at least one of my dental school faculties will be able to write me a recommendation but for other ones, would it be ok to ask my peer dentists and my corporate clinical director (both GP)?
2) my dental school cumulative GPA is about 3.4 - will taking ADAT help?
3) the nearest pediatric residency program offers externship for about 3 days - will it help?

I appreciate any other feedbacks as well! Thank you all in advance

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[tinman831]

1) schools usually want one pediatric dentist to write your letter of recommendation. You'll need to find faculty members to fill in the rest. Several letters from colleagues won't work.
2) some schools require the ADAT, so if you want to apply to those schools, you'll have to take it anyways. 3.4GPA is pretty decent. Doing well on the ADAT can only help.
3) externships will usually help get your foot throught he door. If you are interested in that school, it'll give them a chance to get to know you better. It won't really help your overall application since you're actively seeing pediatric patients anyways. However, they're more likely to respond favorably to you if you are familiar. There's one or two externships in the country that are fairly extensive (weeks) that may help you though.

 

[teethforlife]

1) schools usually want one pediatric dentist to write your letter of recommendation. You'll need to find faculty members to fill in the rest. Several letters from colleagues won't work.
2) some schools require the ADAT, so if you want to apply to those schools, you'll have to take it anyways. 3.4GPA is pretty decent. Doing well on the ADAT can only help.
3) externships will usually help get your foot throught he door. If you are interested in that school, it'll give them a chance to get to know you better. It won't really help your overall application since you're actively seeing pediatric patients anyways. However, they're more likely to respond favorably to you if you are familiar. There's one or two externships in the country that are fairly extensive (weeks) that may help you though.

Would you please mention those extensive externships?

 

[Rambunctious]

Hi, hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!

I graduated in 2018 from the East Coast, moved to Chicago and started working at mid-size corporate for about 1.5 yrs now, with a little more than 1/3 of my patients being kids/adolescents. The corporate was sponsoring for my permanent visa so I almost had no choice/thoughts before I started working. Right now - quite fortunately with COVID circumstance - I'm trying to move away from this corporate and start looking at associate positions at offices that will see a lot of pediatric patients.

The more I practice, the more I want to stay as a specialist, especially for the kids. I'm honestly getting tired of making dentures/bloody extractions and surgeries/difficult endo but I do enjoy seeing younger kids. Most of my GP friends are taking implant/extraction CE courses and I've tried a couple of them but I immediately knew that those are not for me - I just have zero interest.
My office does not have any nitrous or GA privilege so I've been mostly treating kids of 5 yrs old and older for basic restorations and extractions. I've had some cases for pulpotomies and SSCs if kids were cooperative enough, had maybe 3-4 cases of chairside space maintainer placements (ie simple band & loops).
After I received my green card, I've been leaning more towards applying for pediatric residency but ever since I graduated, I was not really keeping in touch with my professors/faculties back from dental school so I'm getting quite worried about asking recommendations. Looking at PASS/MATCH requirements, I realized that the minimum number of recommendations, especially from the dean (my school's dean has changed since I graduated) or from the pedo faculty (I was close with this part-time faculty during pedo rotation in D4 year but I doubt she remembers me haha) will be the weakest aspect in my application.
I've been getting some ideas from different threads and have narrowed down my questions to the following:
1) I'm sure at least one of my dental school faculties will be able to write me a recommendation but for other ones, would it be ok to ask my peer dentists and my corporate clinical director (both GP)?
2) my dental school cumulative GPA is about 3.4 - will taking ADAT help?
3) the nearest pediatric residency program offers externship for about 3 days - will it help?

I appreciate any other feedbacks as well! Thank you all in advance

Honestly why specialize? If you have enough experience confidence, pediatric dentistry is bread and butter dentistry (crowns, fillings, extractions). Any general dentist can excel at it i promise. Open your own practice and go for it! trust me you'll make decent money

 

[wannagiveup]

Honestly why specialize? If you have enough experience confidence, pediatric dentistry is bread and butter dentistry (crowns, fillings, extractions). Any general dentist can excel at it i promise. Open your own practice and go for it! trust me you'll make decent money

I'm convinced people go into peds because they can't cut it in general dentistry. Either that or they didn't have the grades for ortho.

 

[sachicago5858]

I'm convinced people go into peds because they can't cut it in general dentistry. Either that or they didn't have the grades for ortho.

Haha true, yes. I hate working with dentures & elderly patients (no offense) - it takes a great amount of attention to details and you spend longer chair time on one patient/procedure. And my personality isn't really up for those. I prefer fast-paced, busy environment. I can tolerate kids crying and being crazy, but not the same for elderly patients.

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

I can tolerate kids crying and being crazy, but not the same for elderly patients.

It’s not the crazy kids you have to watch out for...it’s the crazy parents.

Big Hoss

 

[Rambunctious]

I'm convinced people go into peds because they can't cut it in general dentistry. Either that or they didn't have the grades for ortho.

EXACTLY!! I've never seen so much truth on SDN until i saw this comment

 

[setdoc7]

A peds residency is a lot more than the five procedures they do. Read the CODA requirements for peds and you will see why it is a specialty. I know plenty of residents who were in GP private practice prior to peds. Your PS will be the key to interviews. And when you interview, your answers will either get you in, or keep you in corporate. Preparation is the key. Real answers which demonstrate a knowledge of what is required in residency will be the key. Good luck.

 

[Rambunctious]

A peds residency is a lot more than the five procedures they do. Read the CODA requirements for peds and you will see why it is a specialty. I know plenty of residents who were in GP private practice prior to peds. Your PS will be the key to interviews. And when you interview, your answers will either get you in, or keep you in corporate. Preparation is the key. Real answers which demonstrate a knowledge of what is required in residency will be the key. Good luck.

just because theres more than 5 procedures doesnt mean you actually do it all in private practice. do most oral surgeons perform Lefort Osteotomies? no they hit the money makers with extractions and implants. so most pediatric dentists do bread and butter dentistry at a higher price to the patients because they are a "specialist"

 

[setdoc7]

I disagree. My opinion.

 

[setdoc7]

just because theres more than 5 procedures doesnt mean you actually do it all in private practice. do most oral surgeons perform Lefort Osteotomies? no they hit the money makers with extractions and implants. so most pediatric dentists do bread and butter dentistry at a higher price to the patients because they are a "specialist"

OMFS grads do a lot more than implants and extractions. Selling them short is unprofessional. If that was all they did, two maxi courses and you would be an OMFS too. Oh yeah, and a weekend sedation course. Get real.

 

[Rambunctious]

OMFS grads do a lot more than implants and extractions. Selling them short is unprofessional. If that was all they did, two maxi courses and you would be an OMFS too. Oh yeah, and a weekend sedation course. Get real.

I'm not selling them short im saying a majority of their procedures they do in private practice are implants and extractions, but of course they know how to do more

 

[MrThirsty12]

I'm convinced people go into peds because they can't cut it in general dentistry. Either that or they didn't have the grades for ortho.

more maybe because they like it? I’ve yet to meet a pediatric dentist who isn’t killing it in terms of income and lifestyle. It’s getting more and more competitive