ranked below 50% in class..no chance for specialization?

[filler84]

Hi guys,

My first two yrs grades are pretty bad..mostly C's and my rank is below 50% of the class. I recently started to develop interest in pedo dentistry. But afraid I can't get into pedo right after dental school with my poor grade. Will I still have a shot at pedo? if so, what kind of board score I should get to realistically have a chance getting into pedo? Thank you guys.

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[live]

Maybe someone with more experience will answer you eventually but in the meantime I'm not claiming to be an expert on this topic, but here is my advice. I would say study as hard as you can for boards and try to make as high as possible to try and offset your rank. Also, I know at most programs showing interest in pedo goes a long ways, so really try to get involved and get to know the faculty or residents there. If you find out you really want to do pedo, what's an extra year or GPR-year if that's what it takes to get in. In the long run it probably will be a blink of an eye to us all (that's what I'm tell myself about school at least ha). Good luck and hope it works out for you.

 

[ODEP PEDO]

Hi guys,

My first two yrs grades are pretty bad..mostly C's and my rank is below 50% of the class. I recently started to develop interest in pedo dentistry. But afraid I can't get into pedo right after dental school with my poor grade. Will I still have a shot at pedo? if so, what kind of board score I should get to realistically have a chance getting into pedo? Thank you guys.

I will answer with the same old classic answer, before someone else does it.
...bla bla bla...
have lots of extra-curricular, high scores on boards (90+because of rank), have someone to write you awesome letters of recommendation, on your statement explain that you are more that just below 50% of class, and I saved the best (bla bla bla) for last, you will only find out if you have a chance if you apply..., and apply to lots of programs, as many as you can.
as I said in the beginning bla, bla, bla, (same old advise, just different thread)

 

[amalgamator42]

You don't have to specialize to do pedo. There are plenty of kids-only clinics that would be more than happy to get a GP, then you can cherry-pick the cases and send the miserable ones to the pedo specialist or go ahead and be a GP for a few years and see kids too and again send off the terrors....sounds like the best of both worlds!

Now if you just want to do it b/c it sounds like a good way to make a ton of money...well, trust me, it's not worth it for just the salary difference.

If you LOVE kids and want to specialize later you probably could. Try and do some pedo extramurals if your school does that.

 

[setdoc7]

Lot's of roads to pedo.
You should try and get good boards if you can.
Get involved in Pedo at your school.
Visit programs.
Apply to lot's of programs.
If you do a GPR, do lot's of pedo there and hope for the best with your director.
Do a second year of GPR as chief, your director knows you now and may go to bat for you.
Apply to school based tuition programs.

That's what I know.

Plenty of pedo residents have low grades and boards. They have lot's of post doc stuff to offset it.

 

[Ninety]

fortunately our school did not report class rank since we have small number of students in each class