what does it take to get into a dental specialty program?

[denty]

For those of you thinking/applying to specialty did you know you want to do it when you started or did you become interested during school?
Also what kind of gpa are we looking at in order to get in somewhere for specialty (endo, pedo, ortho, etc). obvioulsy extracurricular/volunteering are not taking into consideration at a profesional level like in undergrad?

A dentist recently told me that if he could go back he would have worked harder for his grades to go into something like endo.

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[gumgardener2009]

For those of you thinking/applying to specialty did you know you want to do it when you started or did you become interested during school?
Also what kind of gpa are we looking at in order to get in somewhere for specialty (endo, pedo, ortho, etc). obvioulsy extracurricular/volunteering are not taking into consideration at a profesional level like in undergrad?

A dentist recently told me that if he could go back he would have worked harder for his grades to go into something like endo.

I know more than a few dentists who have gone back to do a residency after working for a few years. At that point your grades mean less than your experience. Maybe your dentist friend ought to stop being sorry for himself and apply for a specialty program. On the flip side I have friends who are rethinking if they want to specialize and if they don't they regret killing themselves to get the grades.
You might want to look at the thread where residency applicants are posting their stats. Some specialties are going to require a high GPA and class rank, others won't. Extracurriculars, volunteering and research can't hurt and may help when they look for well rounded individuals. If everyone has similar stats, whatever makes you stand out helps. And the interview can make or break you. Make sure you have people in your corner to vouch for you. A prosthodontist friend told me that he didn't match, but a dept. head at my school went to bat for him and got him in.

 

[denty]

thanks

 

[KY2007]

The 5 main specialties all require high G.P.A.'s and a solid class rank. For Endo and Ortho you should be in the top 10 in your class maybe even the top 5. OMS you should probably be in the top 25% although you can get in with a weaker rank if you bust ass on the boards (same for all specialties). Pedo is competitive but not as bad as the three I have already mentioned (top 1/3). Perio is pretty easy to get into. I don't know enough about the other specialties to even mention them.