Somalia

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Hadiya...

DAT Maths is a lot of Algebra, if you have taken Maths classes lately, you should be fine. I noticed that Maths problems is all about concepts, once you know them, you should be familiar with problems and get around them with a solution. Obviously, this means knowing all the different concepts and be able to apply to them to the right problem, so the more concepts you know, the better. Most DAT problems are word problems, so you have to develop a quick method to translate them to numbers to get the solution (hence you get a pencil and a blank sheet of paper in the real test), you are not expected to just to rely on doing calculations in your head, you are expected to know the steps or short-cuts... in other-words, practise with a lot of problems. :D

When I took the DAT last round, I used the sheets of papers I was provided with for almost all of the questions, even if the answer was an obvious one, I would make sure it was correct on paper :rolleyes: ... always use the time allocated for each question, rushing can lead to a bad out-come in that section. My tip is, skip any question you are stuck on, and come-back to it in the end... that way, you make sure you tackled the questions you could handle first.

I didn't register for the DAT yet, because I am not in the states right now, I am in London for a summer-break. However, I should be able do so by August, and hopefully take it no later than September (inshallah). At the moment, I haven't started studying for the topics yet, but scheduled to do so in couple of weeks... that should be fun! :sleep:

My strongest subjects are the Ochem and Inorganic... My major was in Biochemistry. I always find the Reading comprehension section the trickiest on the DAT (maybe it's because I can't find myself intersted in the topics that come-up in that section so easily), that's an area I need to improve on anywayz.

Enjoy
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The Candidate said:
Hadiya...

DAT Maths is a lot of Algebra, if you have taken Maths classes lately, you should be fine. I noticed that Maths problems is all about concepts, once you know them, you should be familiar with problems and get around them with a solution. Obviously, this means knowing all the different concepts and be able to apply to them to the right problem, so the more concepts you know, the better. Most DAT problems are word problems, so you have to develop a quick method to translate them to numbers to get the solution (hence you get a pencil and a blank sheet of paper in the real test), you are not expected to just to rely on doing calculations in your head, you are expected to know the steps or short-cuts... in other-words, practise with a lot of problems. :D

When I took the DAT last round, I used the sheets of papers I was provided with for almost all of the questions, even if the answer was an obvious one, I would make sure it was correct on paper :rolleyes: ... always use the time allocated for each question, rushing can lead to a bad out-come in that section. My tip is, skip any question you are stuck on, and come-back to it in the end... that way, you make sure you tackled the questions you could handle first.

I didn't register for the DAT yet, because I am not in the states right now, I am in London for a summer-break. However, I should be able do so by August, and hopefully take it no later than September (inshallah). At the moment, I haven't started studying for the topics yet, but scheduled to do so in couple of weeks... that should be fun! :sleep:

My strongest subjects are the Ochem and Inorganic... My major was in Biochemistry. I always find the Reading comprehension section the trickiest on the DAT (maybe it's because I can't find myself intersted in the topics that come-up in that section so easily), that's an area I need to improve on anywayz.

Enjoy
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Hey,
The method I use when I don't know a questions is guess and mark ofcourse and move on until I finish the rest...that is how I do the PAT and it seems like a good method. My strongest subject is biology which I score the highest. My major is biology but I personally love chemistry more than biology. I have always enjoyed my chemistry classes especially Organic chemistry. I think the most interesting course anybody can take (depending on the professor ofcourse). I got lucky that I had a very good teacher who was just passionate about his subject. You have a great time in london, I am sure you need it before you focus on DAT. Take Care
 
Did you shadow at a dental office yet?
 
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The Candidate said:
Did you shadow at a dental office yet?
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I am not planning to apply until september because I am planning to shadow in July and august. I already work in the health field (even though it is not a dental office). I have been working as a pharmacy tech for the past year and half. What about you? have you shadowed? take care.
 
Hadiya said:
I am not planning to apply until september because I am planning to shadow in July and august. I already work in the health field (even though it is not a dental office). I have been working as a pharmacy tech for the past year and half. What about you? have you shadowed? take care.
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The reason I asked was to see whether you enjoyed it or not.

Yes, I did shadow last year for about 30 hours. I want to do it again, so I can get the edge for dental office questions that usually come up during interviews. :D

How's the DAT practise coming along? - feel free to ask any questions on the DAT.
 
Where are you guys hiding? :D

4th of July holidays keeping you busy?
 
HIM0098 said:
Oh my GOD, It is realy good to know I have fellow countrymen:clap: .
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Nabadgalyo( sorry for my atrocious spelling:S)

Countrywomen also bro!

New on the site and I was pleasantly surprised to say the least when I ran across this thread. :clap: Yaaay, Somali doctors and dentists, yaay.

Ok introductions it is. I'm currently doing my undergraduate degree in Medical Sciences in Canada, hopefully applying for med. school the end of next year iA. I'm guessing that most of you are Americans, which is great but are there any Canadians around?*chirp chirp* :laugh:

Anyways I must say its awful good to see my people, oh and no I'm not that isolated from other Somalis, just a tad bit.

Hope to see you dudes/duddettes around the boards.

wsalam
 
wlc. It is good to see more somalis join these threads. Are the medical and dental schools in canada similar to the US ones? Are they four years and do you have to have undergrad to get into med school?
I have taken my DAT before 2 days. It was alright...i did well in all except Math. I was kind of expecting that with Math, but my mistake was I didnt work harder in math than the rest. I put alot of stress in sciences but my hard work paid off. Here are my scores anyway:
Bio 19
General Chem 18
Organic chem 18
Reading 17
PAT 17
QRT 15
AA 17
Total science 18

I think I am going to go ahead and apply with these scores and see if I get it through. If not, I will retake it. I have to go to summer school and I do not think i can put my mind to the test again. I am just burnt out. If you guys have any questions or comments on what might be on the DAT (esp Candidate cause I know you are getting ready to take it), let me know. Take Care...All the Best.
 
Yea the medical schools in Canada are pretty much the same as in the states. We do a lot more problem-based learning in Canadian schools, I think, correct me if I'm wrong. You can apply to med school with a min. of 3 years undergrad but most prefer 4 yr completion. The only other difference is we have so few in Canada that it is extremely competitive.
 
Fortune said:
Yea the medical schools in Canada are pretty much the same as in the states. We do a lot more problem-based learning in Canadian schools, I think, correct me if I'm wrong. You can apply to med school with a min. of 3 years undergrad but most prefer 4 yr completion. The only other difference is we have so few in Canada that it is extremely competitive.
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In here too, they prefer a bachelor degree. Unless you are a genius and have had a long set plan, no-one gets in in their third year. Even though we have many schools, it is so competitive that we will feel there isnt alot.
 
Hadiya said:
Here are my scores anyway:
Bio 19
General Chem 18
Organic chem 18
Reading 17
PAT 17
QRT 15
AA 17
Total science 18
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Good Job! - I think you will be fine with those scores, depending which scools you apply to - check their average stats, and see if your scores fit.

I currently have similar stats, although you did better in the Bio and the RC (which I found the hardest sections), I have higher scores in Ochem and Inorganic - and considering to re-take the DAT in September.

You have the DAT behind you, now move on to the rest of the requirements. :thumbup:

When are you thinking of applying?

- mo
 
The Candidate said:
Good Job! - I think you will be fine with those scores, depending which scools you apply to - check their average stats, and see if your scores fit.

I currently have similar stats, although you did better in the Bio and the RC (which I found the hardest sections), I have higher scores in Ochem and Inorganic - and considering to re-take the DAT in September.

You have the DAT behind you, now move on to the rest of the requirements. :thumbup:

When are you thinking of applying?

- mo
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Thanks Candidate. I have studied quite alot of Bio and maybe that is why I got the highest score in it. I utilised Kaplan Blue book and some of Campbell (which is very detailed, i didnt have time to go into it all). The Bio section was all over the place. To be honest, it was the hardest section of the DAT. It tested on so many things and their qs were very specific for example, what feature made the reptiles adapt into land that the amphibians did not have? Another question was when can you tell genotypically the sex of a mammal?
and the RC section was not like the practise tests. I could not easily get the answers. I got passages like Magnesium and Cardiovascular Diseases. The lucky thing is I got all health passages. Anyway, I will write more when I get off work about where I will be applying and when. Take Care
 
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The Candidate said:
Good Job! - I think you will be fine with those scores, depending which scools you apply to - check their average stats, and see if your scores fit.

I currently have similar stats, although you did better in the Bio and the RC (which I found the hardest sections), I have higher scores in Ochem and Inorganic - and considering to re-take the DAT in September.

You have the DAT behind you, now move on to the rest of the requirements. :thumbup:

When are you thinking of applying?

- mo
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Hi again,
I am going to apply Meharry, UT, Tufts, UK, University of Liousville and I am still looking into more. I would like to know your comments about these universities and their programs. I definitely like University of Tennessee because of the very low tuition ($12,000/yr), who can beat that? I am also looking into programs that might get me involved in research. I like research and I think it has alot of potential in dentistry (much more than people usually think of when they think dentist). So i am going to re-evaluate my lists couple of times before I apply and I am going to apply atleast 7 schools because I do not want to miss the 2006 cycle for whatever reason. I am going to start shadowing this week and work on my application. I will send the applications latest by mid-august. Let me know how your studies are going. Are you back from London yet? Take Care
 
Hadiya said:
Hi again,
I am going to apply Meharry, UT, Tufts, UK, University of Liousville and I am still looking into more. I would like to know your comments about these universities and their programs. I definitely like University of Tennessee because of the very low tuition ($12,000/yr), who can beat that? I am also looking into programs that might get me involved in research. I like research and I think it has alot of potential in dentistry (much more than people usually think of when they think dentist). So i am going to re-evaluate my lists couple of times before I apply and I am going to apply atleast 7 schools because I do not want to miss the 2006 cycle for whatever reason. I am going to start shadowing this week and work on my application. I will send the applications latest by mid-august. Let me know how your studies are going. Are you back from London yet? Take Care
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Hadiya,

In my opinion, I think you have a good shot at UT, and their average stats are; (2003-2004) GPA:3.39, Sci:3.28, DAT AA:18 DAT PAT:16, instate-tuition for 4 years:$71,356. It's also the best deal for you out of the rest, plus you might want to stay close to home and save yourself from the expenses of living away. Other than that, I haven't heard much about UT. I think you need to personally visit the school before applying, and try to get an idea of their program/facility/faculty, you can do this by arranging a tour with someone in the admissions. If you do so, it will also give you the oppertunitty for them to comment on your stats/qualifications, every school has different set of criterias to consider applicants. Another advantage at UT is that you are a resident of TN, state schools put a lot of emphasis on resident applicants, it's a duty required by the state. Other than that, I don't know what it's like living in TN, I love big cities, so I would only go to a small city school for tuition purposes only.

UK might be the most competitve school for you. Again, similar stats to UT, but they enroll about 55 students, and only about 30% of those student are non-residents - meaning more competitive, higher stats needed to be successful. The cost of the 4 yrs for non-residents is $222,950 (2003-2004).

If you apply to Meharry, I think it will be the easiest to get in out of the lot. Class size is around 50, 80% are non-residents, their average stats is one of the lowest in the nation (due to the school being a predominantly black school). It's a private school, so no preferance given to any applicant, with a price tag of $182,898 (2003-2004). I think you will have no problem on getting into this school.

Louisville is one of my favorites. I visited the school last March, and I think it's a well rounded school, and constantly ranks in the top 5 in the NDBE 2 (meaning, they have a really good clinical program). The director of the program invested a lot of money in the school's facility, so students train in high-tech environment (sim-labs). Again, in Kentucky, big class size (81), 40% non-residents, with national average stats (3.4GPA, 3.3Sci, DAT18's). The only weird thing about this school is that, it's a private school, but gets funded by the state, so they end up dividing their applicants into residents and non-resident during the admission process. Non-residents pay $167,240 for the 4 yrs (2003-2004). Louisville is in the middle of no-where, there is a small Somali community there, I haven't seen anybody there during my visit.

Finally Tufts!, this is a great school in all aspects, 150 students enroll every year (90% non-residents), the stats are similar to above, it's in the heart of Boston (very social and academic atomsphere), the school has access to unlimited patients in the area. Very diverse, has both strong national and international ties. It is in a 15 storey building, you don't have to step out if you need anything within the school. Great clinical program, students I met there were really happy. Long story short, I am applying there too, knowing that it will cost me at least $257,431 (2003-2004) to earn a DMD.

Still in London, I won't be back until September, but I will apply to AADSAS and take the DAT as soon I come back. If I achive the scores I want, I will apply to UPenn, UOP (3 yrs school), UConn, UMich, Columbia and alike, inshallah.

Take care

- mo
 
Thanks Candidate for letting me know about all those stats.
I have always lived and grew up in a small cities, so i pretty much do not know how to live anywhere else. That is why Nashville doesnt bother me. I have also started summer school which is only 2 classes and not very hard ones. I spoke to a friend of mine in University of Liousville dental school, she just started this summer and upto now she loves it. She is taking gross anatomy and neurophysiology. She got lucky getting accepted because she applied in December 2004. Anyway, I will let you know when I have further info concerning dental schoosl. Let me know if you have any questions about the DATs. All the Best!
 
There is a new somali youth website which can be very resourceful for somali students and youth. We can share information or talk to each other about challenges (wether it be education, career, etc) that we face. We can talk about issues that affect us and others and it can be a bridge connecting many somali youths all around the globe. At the moment, it is in the process of construction and soon they will undertake projects.
http://www.somaliyouth.com/
 
It's funny you mentioned that.

I am currently working on an international website for Somali students in the medical field (www.SomaliDoctor.com). I can't get around to building the website at the moment, because I am away from home, but it should be up and running by fall, inshallah.

Maybe you can venture with me spread the word when it's ready. :thumbup:
 
I sure will! :)
 
I am glad you guys are visiting the site and hopefully will help out.I exactly was thinking the same thing like you candidate and I am glad u are making it possible. I was actually telling the guys at somaliyouth.com that i would like to make a forum for somalis who are health professionals. They said it was a good idea. Maybe we can have your website concentrating in the health fields and the somali youth on other professions. Or maybe we can collaborate if it is ok with everyone. I will definitely spread the word for you or even help out in any case. I have spoken to several people about the somalidoctors website or forum and they thought it was a good idea. I will make sure they know now that I know there is someone doing it. Let me know if you need anything. Bye
 
Sure.

I started building the one I was hoping to build.... :rolleyes: , it actually came to me by surprise that it only took couple hours to do the framwork... I need your opinion on how it looks so far, (www.SomaliDoctor.com). It's still in the early stages, you won't be able to post anything for now, I disabled post features.

More later...
 
I take that back.

The site is complete now, and you guys can register there when you get the chance.

- mo
 
The Candidate said:
I take that back.

The site is complete now, and you guys can register there when you get the chance.

- mo
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I think you have done a great job. It has some features that are better than SDN for example "my assistant" which helps you find your last 10 posts so we can easily see what replies we got. second great feature is that it saves your recently read topics so incase you want to look again (like the history icon). Thirdly, it has its own personal notepad incase we want to jot down something realy quick without worrying about a pen. Another feature is the we can view our recent attachments and many more. Bye
 
Glad you liked it. :thumbup:

Let's continue our discussions there.

- mo
 
Ok guys,

I apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced at SomaliDoctor.com. The site is temporarily down due to system upgrade, but still working under this link: http://www.somalidoctor.invisionzone.com - use this link to visit the site until further notice.

I will notify you when things get back in order.

Enjoy your weekend. :thumbup:

- mo
 
Mo007 said:
leena

will you be attending UCL or Queen Mary? That's the only 2 I know in London, maybe King's College is the 3rd.

I am a DDS student (dental) in the U.S. (Ohio), and I have a brother in Medical School in Florida. I am happy for you, virtually any other Somali would be too.

I grew up in London (Wood-Green), so I am very familiar with the education system in the UK. You must have had Killer A-level grades to get into Medical School, in the U.S. it's even more competitive to get into Medical School. I have a somali friend who is in UCL medical school (London), I think he is in his last year by now.... by the name of "Saeed". Another friend from Asia graduated from Queen Mary few years back - great school, he is a physcian in London now, maybe training for surgery. London Medical Proffesors are text-book instructors, and they mostly teach at London schools - so you are definetly in for some serious surprises - due to these professors who are the fore-fronts of their prespective fields.

You are right, it WILL be fun.

Enjoy It.
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SALAMU ALAIKOM,

Your life-story a copy of mine, man-o-man, do I know you??!! I also grew up in London(woodgreen, Enfield), moved over here in the states, preparing for a medical school next year, as a profession I am a pharmacist, but not very interested to persue my career in that field, I had a 3 years of experince in London as a hospital pharmacist.

Any MCATers early next year???
 
You know it is easier to get the pharmacy lic. My sister she is a lic pharmacyst, she works now for Walgreen, graduated from King Edward University in Pakistan. Had her paper and Lic within 2 years. Hospital pharmacy is a kinda tough but retail pharmcy is much easier and better payments too 99,000- 110,000 per year.

Salam alaikom.

UKGRADUATE said:
SALAMU ALAIKOM,

Your life-story a copy of mine, man-o-man, do I know you??!! I also grew up in London(woodgreen, Enfield), moved over here in the states, preparing for a medical school next year, as a profession I am a pharmacist, but not very interested to persue my career in that field, I had a 3 years of experince in London as a hospital pharmacist.

Any MCATers early next year???
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whats up guys, I knew I would find Somalis...am I the only freshman on here?
 
Salaam everyone, I'm so excited to see my fellow Somalis on this site!! I'm a med student in the states, wayyy down south! I'm new to this forum, so help a sista out with the cool features. I've already been on here for quite a while and so far, I'm fascinated.
 
Hi everyone, nice to see all the botherss and sister's. I'm a medical student in the UK:) . I'm new in this forum.
 
hi..am a medical student in the final year of medicine and i got my final exams in sept 2007 wish me luck ya'll and my college is in dubai but am originally from doha, qatar

nice 2 see my fellow brothers and sisters in here

salam alikum
 
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