What interests you the most in dentistry, what interests you the least

[shengx12]

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Upenn application question: what interests you the least in dentistry?

 

[I'mFillingFine]

Upenn application question: what interests you the least in dentistry?

What about it...? 😉 People are more willing to help if you say what you've tried out or ask specific questions about it....everyone's on the same boat with all these rediculous secondary app and AADSAS questions.


What DOES interest you the least in dentistry?

 

[shengx12]

What about it...? 😉 People are more willing to help if you say what you've tried out or ask specific questions about it....everyone's on the same boat with all these rediculous secondary app and AADSAS questions.


What DOES interest you the least in dentistry?

Yeah so I don't like smell stinky teeth, if I put that on does that reduce my chance of getting to dental school?

 

[shengx12]

What about it...? 😉 People are more willing to help if you say what you've tried out or ask specific questions about it....everyone's on the same boat with all these rediculous secondary app and AADSAS questions.


What DOES interest you the least in dentistry?

Yeah so I don't like smell stinky teeth, if I put that on does that reduce my chance of getting to dental school?

 

[I'mFillingFine]

Yeah so I don't like smell stinky teeth, if I put that on does that reduce my chance of getting to dental school?

If you're mocking me, then you suck. 😉

If you're asking seriously, I don't think you want to give the impression that anything about dentistry will gross you out or that you don't like some parts of the mouth. They're expecting you to be thrilled to be wrist-deep in blood and saliva and desperate to want to get in their and manipulate all sorts of tissue.....saying something is stinky will probably sound like you're picky with what you'd like about dentistry or that you're high-maintenace.

Any thoughts about insurance companies? Dental HMOs? Irate patients? Lack of respect for dentists? Something you're nervous about in owning your own business - liability, lack of sleep, whatever?

How about how those stupid slits in lab coats so you can get to your pants pockets always catch on things? 👎

 

[jorUW]

I agree. I think saying something about how Dentists generally have a bad reputation would be a good thing to put down. You can than spin it and say that you want to be example of how people are misinformed. Try spinning the negative, similar to how a lot of people say their biggest weakness is that they are a perfectionist.

 

[husaini]

For UPenn, do you have to wait for an acknowledgement of your application before you submit the secondary? Or do you just send it in any time after you submit aadsas?

 

[Driller23]

I agree. I think saying something about how Dentists generally have a bad reputation would be a good thing to put down. You can than spin it and say that you want to be example of how people are misinformed. Try spinning the negative, similar to how a lot of people say their biggest weakness is that they are a perfectionist.

Dentists generally have a bad reputation? How so?
Thats news to me. Elaborate if you dont mind.

 

[HermeytheElf]

What interests me the most? chicks, money, power, and chicks
What interests me the least? dealing with the insurance companies/paperwork

 

[jorUW]

Oh sorry, what I mean is.... people generally dont like going to the dentist. A lot of people associate pain with the dentist 😱 . You also have that whole rumor about it having the highest suicide (from what I hear, b/c people dislike you)....etc... I'm not trying to say that dentists aren't respected, rather people just dislike our kind, at least what I hope will be my kind 😉 Do others disagree? I love talking dentistry

 

[HermeytheElf]

Oh sorry, what I mean is.... people generally dont like going to the dentist. A lot of people associate pain with the dentist 😱 . You also have that whole rumor about it having the highest suicide (from what I hear, b/c people dislike you)....etc... I'm not trying to say that dentists aren't respected, rather people just dislike our kind, at least what I hope will be my kind 😉 Do others disagree? I love talking dentistry

I'll second that. Dentistry is always pretty high on the rankings of most prestigous careers(usually right under doctors), but its true that most people generally don't like going to the dentist. Oh yeah, the whole thing about the high suicide rate...total myth. There have been tons of threads discussing it, so if you're interested do a search.

 

[devin_62]

This may be off the subject just a tad, but this is something I've noticed more and more. It seems like dentists are advertising more than ever now to get their name out. I'm not saying that marketing your practice is a bad thing, but it seems like there are more and more "sleeze-like" advertisements out there. Has anyone else noticed this? This is something I cringe at. I've had two dental professionals tell me that the best advertisement for dentistry is approval and word-of-mouth by your patients. I think this is far greater than any television ad or billboard.

 

[aphistis]

This may be off the subject just a tad, but this is something I've noticed more and more. It seems like dentists are advertising more than ever now to get their name out. I'm not saying that marketing your practice is a bad thing, but it seems like there are more and more "sleeze-like" advertisements out there. Has anyone else noticed this? This is something I cringe at. I've had two dental professionals tell me that the best advertisement for dentistry is approval and word-of-mouth by your patients. I think this is far greater than any television ad or billboard.

Not to mention a lot cheaper.


In response to the OP's question...whether it's the right answer to give at an interview or not, perio breath is my least favorite part of dentistry, hands down. 😛

 

[dexadental]

For the most interesting aspect...I wrote something about the unique patient interaction, and relationships you build a long the way...(I know, boring)
For the least interesting aspect, I put...INSURANCE COMPANIES and the fact that dentistry is so expensive for many people...

That said, I got a UPENN interview last cycle...
Didn't get into UPENN though and was alt listed so use at your own risk...
😳

 

[jorUW]

Correct me if i'm wrong, but insurance isn't nearly as big of an issue as it is with medicine, right? From my understanding, dental care is one of the more straight foward insurances. Yes, dental care is darn expensive, but there aren't nearly as many hoops to jump through. It is my understanding that the insurance companies haven't really affected the dental field in a huge way as it has the medical field.

Additionally, this is acutally a really interesting divider between different dentists. I've shaddowed one dentist who has set up his practice to cater to a more "elitist" demographic of individuals that have major dental coverage and also one who tends to have more of the discounted insurance patients. In the first case, his business philosophy is that I am going to use the best materials and give them the best services and not adjust my prices (most patients get an hour of chair time). The other dentist has to circulate patients in and out of the office like a factory to keep up moneywise due to the rates (patients may get a 30 or 45 minute slot). I think the hardest thing about dentistry is going to be running a private practice. How many people on here have taken a significant amount of business classes?

 

[SuperTrooper]

I think the hardest thing about dentistry is going to be running a private practice. How many people on here have taken a significant amount of business classes?

I think this is a good answer. I bet "business & staff management issues" would rank pretty high if you did a poll of established dentists asking them what they struggled with most, or hadn't anticipated being such a big problem.

 

[leelee]

Dentists generally have a bad reputation? How so?
Thats news to me. Elaborate if you dont mind.

A bunch of people out there are just afraid to go to the dentist!

 

[Dr.RedundancyDr]

Hey Shengx12, is this a U-Penn secondary question from the 2007 cycle? Did you already receive a secondary from them of is this a question you heard they have on it?

 

[HermeytheElf]

Hey Shengx12, is this a U-Penn secondary question from the 2007 cycle? Did you already receive a secondary from them of is this a question you heard they have on it?

I believe the Penn secondary is available to be printed now and sent in. AADSAS has information on secondaries for every school, so check their list for more info.

 

[shengx12]

I believe the Penn secondary is available to be printed now and sent in. AADSAS has information on secondaries for every school, so check their list for more info.

Yeah it is avaliable.

 

[husaini]

So for the last question, whats special about Penn's dental school? What do they pride themselves on?

 

[drhobie7]

Upenn application question: what interests you the least in dentistry?

Most: surgery
Least: perio

Put that on your application and you're sure to get accepted.