Which Dental School has the most Gunners?

[lunguv]

So which school has the most over achieving backstabbing punks?!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Irene010]

Yeah, I'm really curious about this too...I have a feeling this incoming class starting Fall 2005 might be kinda high-strung everywhere, considering how competative this application cycle was...

I hope the class up at UMDNJ will be nice and chill and laid-back...otherwise we might all go off the deep end in the next 4 years...

 

[paolorossifan]

Right, all schools will prob. be a bit more competitive this year. Those schools with actual letter grades will be most competitive. Next the Honors/Pass/Fail like good ol CU and then least in the Pass/Fail schools.

 

[xxJuiceDxx]

Most likely the school I will be attending. I'm such a prick. HAHA.

 

[dentist_to_be?]

I hope people aren't to competitive... since we have no choice but to spend so much of out time with other dental students, it would suck if everyone was out for blood.

Also, in class rankings, does everyone know who is who? They dont have class ranking at my undergrad, grades are kept private, so you have no idea how your classmates are doing in comparison to you.

 

[JakeMUSC]

IMO, I think competetiveness makes everyone increase their level of performance, which in turn makes us better students/clinicians. Just keep it "friendly" competition!

 

[grinningrice]

Two types of people scare me in life, people with big eyes, and competitive people. I really hope where I go is not too competitive.

 

[DDS2BE]

Two types of people scare me in life, people with big eyes, and competitive people. I really hope where I go is not too competitive.

Don't say that Competition is the mother of excellence... and the best way to deal with competition is to face it! Who knows, maybe people will be saying the same thing about you being competitive

 

[USUaggie]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to be trying my hardest to keep my options open for specializing in case I want to. I'm not out to get anyone, I just want to do really well. Mostly I am a laid-back easy-to-get-along-with person. as far as gunners go, my gf just got a glock for Christmas! (a 9mm handgun) so if she comes with me than Umaryland will have at least one in the area!

 

[Ind201]

competitiveness is good when it motivates u. but it sucks when people deliberately don't help you with class/notes/books or whatever just b/c they want to do better than you. during my interview at nyu thts what a student there told me. people can be meaannn.

 

[tam0026]

So which school has the most over achieving backstabbing punks?!

Does anyone actually have an answer to the post? I have heard that Nova does not have many gunners.

 

[dentist_to_be?]

Does anyone actually have an answer to the post? I have heard that Nova does not have many gunners.

Ive heard Columbia

 

[paolorossifan]

Ive heard Columbia

CU is known for their spec. rate. And our incoming stats are impressive. But various students there said that the competition isn't fierce as one would expect since even the mid-rank kids have a decent shot at spec. coming out of CU.

 

[Dukie]

Ive heard Columbia

Yes, Columbia is notorious for being extremely cutthroat. My father went to school there and it has beeen a problem since before his time. In recent years, they switched to Honors/Pass/Fail in hopes to improve the atmosphere a bit. I've been told by current students that this helped some, but now there is competition for Honors grades. The students are successful in getting in to specialty programs, but it comes at a cost.

 

[Jaws]

One of the things that I have heard is that there is an east/west divide, with the schools west of the Mississippi being more laid back and collegial and the schools on the east being more cut-throat.

 

[toofache32]

Every school has them, but they fizzle out a little every year. My first week of dental school, a professor asked, "who wants to go into ortho?" and about 50% of the class raised their hands. Most of these people did well on their exams the first semester but got burned out or something by the last year. In the end, we only had 6 people even apply to ortho and i think 4 got in (out of about 80 students).

The key is longevity. You basically have to keep making good grades while other people slip up.

 

[DrTacoElf]

Well i'll admit right now i'm VERY competitive but not to the extent of my actions being deleterious to others. I will always share notes and study with others to help them and me. But in the end I like being on top .

PS. I want to be a general dentist, although I want to have the GPA and board scores to specialize if I decide to. (I highly doubt it would be ortho or endo) More likely OMFS - but I really don't want that much more school when I can do basic oral and tons of other procedures as a general .

 

[Tzips]

I hope the class up at UMDNJ will be nice and chill and laid-back...otherwise we might all go off the deep end in the next 4 years...

I'm with you there - my fingernails have finally grown back and I'd like to keep them that way, thanks all the same... I like sharing notes, especially with those with enough fotitude to decipher my execrable handwriting .

 

[wammmy]

I'm not sure if this is how it is, but while I was interviewing at IUPUI all the students semmed like punks there. I guess that is a big genralization, at least the ones I met. I even had two of them admit they felt like they couldn't trust others in their class.
That seems a bit scary to me.

 

[ItsGavinC]

The key is longevity. You basically have to keep making good grades while other people slip up.

It's all about the proper pacing (and knowing when to REALLY kick it into gear).

 

[anamod]

Dental students by nature are a bunch of tools. Most are closet gunners, and worry to much about grades.

 

[Zurik5]

Dental students by nature are a bunch of tools. Most are closet gunners, and worry to much about grades.

Soo true, good advice.

 

[jk5177]

This is an interesting thread. And here are my thoughts in no particular order.

Most of us have studied biology right? We had cell biology, zoology, and even genetics. One of the most overarching theory in biology is the theory of evolution. And if I paraphrase it correctly, it basically says that.... genetic diversity + competition will give that animal the most likelihood to pass down its genes. (Okay this is not phrased as elegantly as a textbook, but you get my point) So competition, I believe will actually make us better dentist, for the most part.

However, one can also say that competition induces stress and thus that may be poisoning. In my life, I went to a competitive high school, and college, and both environments have provided me more stress than I like, and it sucked. Hence, in the past couple years, I've taken a pretty laid back route, but not knowing nor sharing any grades, or test scores. As you noticed, I never share my gpa or DAT on this forum.

I want to do well, and I want to push myself to the limit, but not at the expense of my sanity or at the expense of someone's sanity. I would never share my sucess with another individual to brag and make them feel bad, just so that might give me a slight emotional advantage. And like Dr. TacoElf said earlier, I would also share my notes and teach other students what I know. Learning is pointless unless we share it. Also, when we teach others, we become better at it ourselves.

UCSF and UCLA are both P/NP, so that would be pleasant

 

[Jaws]

One of the things that attracted me most to dentistry is that there is a very cooperative atmosphere among dentists. Perhaps it is that I am living in a state where a dental shortage means that there are more than enough patients to go around, but I believe that the dental profession as a whole is a pretty friendly bunch. I have heard many stories of dentists comming together to help maintain a collegue's practice when the dentist is out due to illness. Are we all competitive? Yes, in that we are going into a rigorous field, with most of us at the top of our academic game and a competitive streak is often needed to provide a motivation to continue onward. However, there is a difference between competition and cutting throats.

I don't honestly have a lot of respect for many of the pre-Meds I have encountered. Several of these students seem to be willing to strangle their own mother if it would raise thier GPA a tenth of a point. I have seen many who would contaminate reagent bottles so that experimental yields decrease for subsequent students. This is what I consider "cut-throat."

I think that a difference exists in the two mentalities for several reasons. In dentistry the job market is more promising and secure. I think that there is also the realization that you can't practice dentistry in a vaccum, that most generalists refer out to specialists (and thus maintain a good relationship) and that specialists need to earn the trust of generalists (in order to recieve their referals).

 

[dentite001]

Gunning yourself. That's the key to high grades. Comparing yourself to others will pull you towards the mean if you set them out to be the highest. Leaders only listen to themselves.

 

[Tzips]

Leaders only listen to themselves.

Then they aren't very good leaders... If by "leader" you mean the antisocial, arrogant twit who everyone hates, who's only postive attribute is that he has the highest gpa, then fine - your statement holds. But any real leader has to at least pretend to listen attentively to those he's leading. (Well, that or get a really, really good PR guy, I guess )

 

[souperman]

Leaders only listen to themselves.

That is one of the worst descriptions of a leader I have ever heard. In my oppinion that is the antithesis of a good leader. I hope my future dental class will have individuals who don't push others out of their way to the top, but will help pull others up with them.

 

[drat]

Leaders only listen to themselves.

You can't be a leader if you don't have any followers.

 

[USUaggie]

Now we're just waxing philisophical, but I think he meant they only compete with themselves, set their own standards, etc. It's better to be happy about reaching the goal you set for yourself than doing better than the rest of the class. They are their own competition.

A leader who gives too much weight to what his followers are saying is actually just a follower - which, in government, is a great thing, you know, representing the people and all.

Anyone seen hitch? That's a good show.