Will covid reduce specialty applicant pool?

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Will there be more or less residency applicants this year due to Covid-19 (not including GPR/AEGD)?

  • Way More

    Votes: 42 30.7%
  • More

    Votes: 51 37.2%
  • Same

    Votes: 31 22.6%
  • Less

    Votes: 10 7.3%
  • Way Less

    Votes: 3 2.2%

  • Total voters
    137

nobeldds

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Do you think more or less people will be applying for specialty programs due to Covid?
 

Awisdomtooth

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I would say more applicants due to the possible job shortage for associate dentists in the future :)
 

allDAT

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Many associate dentists were fired in late March/Early April. Perfect time to finally apply if you’ve been sitting on the edge. I’d expect a huge influx of applicants this year.
 

ssdang

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People may not want to apply for schools in big cities like NY,LA and Chicago but definitely more people would be applying for sure.
 

steweydds

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I spoke with someone at one institution, they have received 140 applicants this cycle. They normally receive around 35-40.
 
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Awisdomtooth

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I'm assuming Endo & Ortho will have the most number of applicants
 

BritDentist

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I'm not even suprised, I wonder how D4s not graduating on time will affect things too
 

ssdang

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I thought it would be perio and anesthesiology
 

AONLINE

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I'm not even suprised, I wonder how D4s not graduating on time will affect things too

Most schools have already let their class of 2020 graduate (except for a small number of people who still need to finish a requirement here and there). It is still too soon to tell for sure what will happen to class of 2021, but they are likely to graduate on time too.
 
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nobeldds

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I would have thought that there would be about the same number of applicants...
1. There may be a lot of good opportunities for dental practices for purchases in the coming months
2. The Covid impact didn't realize until April, and the PASS application system opened 6 weeks later. That's a short timeline to get an application together. I think that specialty residencies are getting more and more applications every year. Last year a few programs told me they had a record number of applicants. I could see that residencies with later deadlines than endo may have more applicants.
3. Covid has caused some uncertainty for people and may steer them away from investing more time and money into dentistry.
 
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deleted972255

What about OMFS-won't there be more applicants for that? I think there will be.
 

Onyxxx7

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I think OMFS would not really draw new interest due to covid. That specialty would require the most preparation for the application cycle (externships, lors, cbse). Usually it is something you decided well before the application cycle. With the current issues on testing for the NBME this fall and ability to extern, it may even affect current applicants.
 
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deleted972255

I think OMFS would not really draw new interest due to covid. That specialty would require the most preparation for the application cycle (externships, lors, cbse). Usually it is something you decided well before the application cycle. With the current issues on testing for the NBME this fall and ability to extern, it may even affect current applicants.

Mmm, I was thinking more for future application cycles (class of 2022 and beyond). For them, I could see OMFS having increased interest.
 

Onyxxx7

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Mmm, I was thinking more for future application cycles (class of 2022 and beyond). For them, I could see OMFS having increased interest.
It has been already increasing so I think it will just continue on that trend. I would guess that COVID's effect would be negligible.
 

allDAT

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I think OMFS would not really draw new interest due to covid. That specialty would require the most preparation for the application cycle (externships, lors, cbse). Usually it is something you decided well before the application cycle. With the current issues on testing for the NBME this fall and ability to extern, it may even affect current applicants.

My guess is that endo and perio will see the biggest surge as a percentage of applicants followed by pedo. I think you’re right in that OMFS takes more long term prep to apply to than the other specialities given the additional examination requirements so their influx should not be affected by COVID as much as the other specialties.
 

steweydds

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Would you be able to post which program this was or send me a PM? I’m curious which endo program traditionally receives so few apps and why.

Sorry, I can't give that info. I spoke to a resident at another today, and was told they have received almost 200 applications.
 
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Life of Pablo

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Mmm, I was thinking more for future application cycles (class of 2022 and beyond). For them, I could see OMFS having increased interest.
Four words - Comprehensive Basic Science Examination.

I don't know many working dentists that would want to slave away studying for that thing years removed from school. Tack on a mandatory internship, I don't see COVID causing more OMFS applicants.
 

endodonia

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I spoke with someone at one institution, they have received 140 applicants this cycle. They normally receive around 35-40.
now I've never been strong in math, but that's a 350% increase. wow. I have to imagine this is an outlier although I do think application numbers will be up across the board for Ortho/Pedo/Endo/Perio/AEGD/GPR/Dental Anesthesia, Implant fellowships and others.

I agree with others that any increase in OMFS application numbers was an increase that was going to happen with or w/o coronavirus.
 

FutureDent020

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Sorry, I can't give that info. I spoke to a resident at another today, and was told they have received almost 200 applications.
It’s all public information. It will be published at the end of the cycle.

Table 7 under advanced dental education. Every year the school reports how many applicants they get. It’s no secret. Y’all can probably deduce which schools based on previous app #’s.
 
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steweydds

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It’s all public information. It will be published at the end of the cycle.

Table 7 under advanced dental education. Every year the school reports how many applicants they get. It’s no secret. Y’all can probably deduce which schools based on previous app #’s.

Wasn't trying to be secretive, just was asked by the faculty to not mention the program. The point was it appears there are more applicants this year, at least at this particular program.
 

AONLINE

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It’s all public information. It will be published at the end of the cycle.

Table 7 under advanced dental education. Every year the school reports how many applicants they get. It’s no secret. Y’all can probably deduce which schools based on previous app #’s.
Dandy tables. A GPR program that I'm interested in has 8 applicants for 8 spots in 2019-2020. Well, who knows how this year will be.
 
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shmebeble

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Some of the increase may be due to remote interviews. The growth can be attributed to some applicants applying to broader range of schools.
 

BritDentist

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From what I gather some endo programs are doing remote interviews. Nothing as of yet for other specialties though
 
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