Hello and welcome to the best dental speciality there is!
If you’re applying to competitive programs, I’d aim for the top 20% of your class.
Visits or externships can work for you or against you. We had people visit my program that left bad impressions with staff, residents, and/or faculty, so they were never invited for an official interview.
Would you mind expanding on things that may be red flags to staff/residents? Was it just the typical stuff like being late?
What if our program is P/F and doesn't have rankings?
My program director didn’t like P/F grading. They had no idea how you performed relative to your peers. You’ll have to figure out another way to stand out.
#1: Get the best grades possible.
Which programs are considered to be competitive?
How/why?
Programs at well regarded universities and at prestigious hospitals. Programs at community health centers (ie, most NYU Lutheran programs) are decidedly less competitive.
Being on your phone the whole time.
Experience is a plus for sure. Never know unless you apply😃. I’m in similar situation but doing endo.
Hello,
Like some have mentioned before, I think externships could be a double edged sword. But to be honest, if you are respectful and appreciative, you should be fine. I think going to externships will give you a chance to get to know programs and rather than trying to use an externship to appeal to a program, you should use that opportunity to get an inside look for what kind of residency you personally want.
Hello, thanks for offering to help us! If it would be possible, I would seriously appreciate your help to get a sense of whether I stand a chance for a peds residency. Im an internationally trained dentist and have no idea if schools will consider me instead of someone else
You may have problems when applying to programs that fund residents with GME funding, depending on your immigration status.
Other than that, am i automatically considered less competitive because of the fact that I didn’t study dentistry in the us? And also, does it really come down to who recommended you and if they know who you are?
You probably have an uphill battle. Pediatric dentistry is one of the most popular specialties right now. I am pretty sure they receive more applications than any other specialty. So, there are more than enough qualified applicants from US schools. There are a few programs, I believe that do reserve spots for foreign grads. But, these spots are usually unfunded, meaning you need to support yourself and pay any applicable tuition.
No. You need a well rounded application.
Also, don’t discount the GME funding issue. Many programs, where I went included, won’t even consider someone not eligible for the funding because it would be too much of a hassle for them to figure out alternative arrangements.
Out of curiosity, what are some examples of bad habits people have to overcome coming from the workforce VS dental school?
Every program has their own ways of doing things and this can even be attending specific. Everything from treatment planning down to how to perform a given procedure. As we work in private practice, we take what we've already learned in dental school and modify it to suit our own needs. We develop shortcuts, we add new steps and remove others. When you enter residency, their goal is to teach you their way of doing pediatric dentistry. The saying "you can't teach old dogs new tricks" applies in this case. Are you able and willing to learn their way? Can you be coached and taught the "right" way to practice pediatric dentistry? These are things that they look for when evaluating applicants who have real world experience under their belt.
Isn’t everyone learning all the time to do things better? What if residency uses antiquated techniques? I know that was the case when i was in dental school. Why not aim to learn the “best” way, old dog or not?
I’ll start dental school in August and I am not very familiar with application and applying process for residency but I see ADAT, NBDE part 1,NBDE part 2 and INBDE in standardized test section in app. Does it mean I should take all these tests before I submit my application? Or some of them are optional? Or discontinued?
ADAT-required for some residency programs as another way to evaluate candidates. Hasn't been a big of factor as they made it out to be when I was in dental school and it was supposed to be new way for residency applications.
I'm on the fence about doing a pediatric residency. I graduated in 2020, and have only worked at pediatric offices as a general dentist since then. I really enjoy it a lot. My biggest hangup with not having done a residency is that I cannot do general anesthesia cases in a hospital or outpatient office setting. Most of them require a residency and to be board certified.
If you're truly interested in pediatrics, then just start doing some research on the application process and get started. I was hardly a 5 star applicant and managed to get some interviews and eventually matched. I'm also familiar with the interview processes at a couple of schools and you'd be surprised at the candidates that apply and end up getting interviews. If you like pediatrics, just go for it!
Do you have research experience? Do you think it is necessary for pediatric residency?
No I don't have research experience. Never particularly interested me too much so I'd probably focus more on hospital programs without research.
what ways were you able to get clinical experience outside of working in the school's clinic? cause I kinda struggle with how to demonstrate that I care about the community because there are not a lot of opportunities available to us at my school, especially if you are not a D3/D4.
Just wanna clarify that I'm also a future applicant so I prob don't have any good answers to your questions lol
Im a current D3 who never wanted to specialize. I just finished my first pediatrics rotation (3 weeks long) and i fell in love with it. I have not participated in any peds clubs/shadowing/research, but i plan on participating now as a 3rd year. My class rank is exactly 40 out of just over 100 total students. GPA is 90.5 (we go off a 100 scale).
Stats are only one piece of your overall application. I've met many pediatric dentists over the years that were not exactly the best applicants as far as transcripts were concerned. Try and make yourself known to the faculty at your school. Volunteer at any of their events and just try your best.
You certainly have a chance. As the person above stats aren't everything but they certainly are important to get you through the door. But if you are passionate about the field, it will be clear on your application. Get strong letters of recommendation, and its great that there are faculty who are already supporting you. It Is well worth the effort if its what you really want.
Those people are correct calling it endo. You will learn about it in peds, but you will not be doing it.
You mean to say that what we learn during residency wont be enough to practice is it? Just curious..what does a peds resident do as part of trauma management during emergency on call?
Mostly they just wish they weren’t on call, as they try to splint the alveolar fracture on the 3 year old who most definitely does not want to be in the ED at 2 AM…
This. But you'll, get a lot of fractured/avulsed teeth and pain/abscesses. Nothing too interesting.
