What it takes to get into dental school.

[bballinpure]

The thing that some people dont understand is that yes grades do correlate to how well you would do in dental school and on the national boards, but they dont tell you how well you will do as a dentist. Yes all of the schools would like to have students with a high gpa and DAT to boost their stats but they know that those people dont always make good dentists. Otherwise they have plenty of people with 3.7 and above and 20 and above DATs. It might will make it easier to get in with these stats, but they sure do look at what kind of EC you have and your experience. Some schools do look at stats first and cut out everyone else, but there are plenty of schools who actually put your secondary application fee to use and review your whole application.

I know a couple of people who have gotten in with low scores, but they had extensive EC and have shown their dedication to dentistry and leadership in many ways.

Oracle was just trying to expand on the fact that scores aren't the only thing that matters. And obviously he had no connections to the school, its in its first year!

LMAO at all you people with little man syndrome stop talkin trash!

I hope Oracle is my dentist some day because he obviously is in dentistry for the right reasons.

ps: YA DIGG?!

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[adizzle87]

This post gives me hope...thank you

 

[Oracle DMD]

i'm glad! i thought this thread was long since buried! haha i wrote it when i got in to shed some light on the reality of the road to dental school. now i just finished my 2nd quarter of dschool and i'm doing great! amazing. my story is not unique to dental school; i don't have lowest gpa or DAT in the class either. i don't have the saddest story or the most EC's or anything like that. once you get in, all that application nonsense goes out the window and you become part of your dental school community and make life long friends from all over the country. keep at it guys! make some moves, do your best and be persistent in the pursuit of your goals. you can get in.

 

[chiz2kul]

This makes a great read!
Some guy in the pre-allo forum made a post about the intensity of the pre-dent forum, and I came over to check it out!
Whew! That was intense!
To the OP: Good job sharing your story and sticking with it.
There are soo make haters out there, its incredible!!!!!

 

[BillytheEchidna]

It gives me hope, too! Thanks, Oracle!

Not getting an "A" in a class doesn't mean one wasn't capable of it (i.e. "smart enough"). Sometimes there are extenuating circumstances...

 

[crimsonite2099]

Hey, good job at researching my past posts. Why don't you post them so they're easily accessible? As far as I'm concerned - I'm just stating the truth as I see it and I'm certainly okay that they don't sit well with you.



You shouldn't be embarrassed. I'd like it if my PCP is as intelligent as humanly possible in terms of numbers. I mean, do you really want your PCP to be scraping by med school because he gotta work the night shift? Do you really want him to treat you only because he is passionate about being a MD but had to miss class or be tardy because he had "special" situations? I remember a guy posting for help on what he can do to stay in school even though he was failing due to some learning disability ~ and I remember posting strongly about how wonderful it was that the dental school was kicking him out. Because seriously ~ do we need special needs people treating other humans?

I do believe we are a special group of people. I believe we need to be as elite as possible because we're handling people's health. To be honest, I'm not too happy that our school is ranked 3rd from the bottom in terms of GPA. I'm not too happy that curriculum is becoming easier every year because dental schools are worried about presenting a good graduating rate. Did I mention in my other posts that our pharmacology used to be cumulative, but because too many people flunk out, they changed it? Sure, it made my life 110% easier, but for the profession as a whole, the course director did a huge disservice for everyone.

Look at all the different schools going to "Pass vs Fail" instead of weighing people on a scale and forcing them to be competitive. Everyone gets to pass! You don't have to memorize this or that anymore ~ because it's all on Google! You don't have to learn that, because you can just post a handy reference card on the cabinet! Etc, etc.

Let me be honest here ~ I'm not smart. In fact, I'm stupid in comparison to my roommates. Last semester, we had Oral Dx and Radiology. For the cumulative final, we had to know how to identify different cysts, tumors, growth, etc on a radiograph (bitewing, PA, pano, etc). I studied pretty hard and I scraped by with a B-. My roommates studied about the same and got As. When I reflect on such, I feel as if I'm not supposed to be a dentist. When I try to think back on different drug names, and different pathologies - and my mind comes up blank... I feel incompetent. For the record, the two years that I studied pre-dent, my GPA was 3.9 and I had 24 for AA/TS.

When I think about someone like you who got a 2.9 and 17 on DAT joining our ranks and encouraging others of the same caliber to apply, I feel hopeless because you're glaring evidence that dentists are becoming dumber. And if my cyber ego can convince you to quit and become a garbage man, I'd sleep more soundly tonight.

The pass/fail system isn't about letting everyone pass. It is about not being discriminated against when applying to specialty programs. The thinking is that when two people are applying to specialty programs, that one person from Harvard with a ranked number 35 and a 95 board score is at a disadvantage compared to someone with a 87 board score who is ranked 3rd in his/her class at a lesser known school. The thinking is that if that person from Harvard was at the lesser known school, that person would be ranked much higher at that school.

 

[DrReo]

How has the transition been to MWU?

 

[DrReo]

This makes a great read!
Some guy in the pre-allo forum made a post about the intensity of the pre-dent forum, and I came over to check it out!
Whew! That was intense!
To the OP: Good job sharing your story and sticking with it.
There are soo make haters out there, its incredible!!!!!

I agree, Jason is such a help about here. Especially when he consistantly updates MWU status. Thanks bro

 

[Waitlisted2009]

A 2.9! and a 17! what else did you have? I see lots of experience in offices but wow.

 

[Oracle DMD]

I agree, Jason is such a help about here. Especially when he consistantly updates MWU status. Thanks bro

hey thanks bro! i do what i can.

My transition to MWU has been pretty smooth. the systems based learning rocks, and our class has crazy unity, like family. i'm a solid B student, just like my entire career in academia i suppose. haha i've never been less stressed in my life. since i don't have to work AND go to school, the academics aren't bad at all. don't get me wrong, you gotta put in the work and all but without $$$ issues or worrying about how in the F i'm gonna get into dental school, it's kinda easy. i'm not looking to specialize so B's are fine i figure. it's so funny how the work it takes to go from a C to a B isn't much, but from a B to an A seems like a lot more work.
My last semester at San Diego State i took a tough anatomy class and man did that teacher ever do me a solid! after taking a tough anatomy class, dschool anatomy was like baby einstein anatomy for real. haha

i'll be here for anyone who needs help or wants to know more about MWU. It is a great place to be and as long as you're not an elitist a-hole like a lot of the cyber tough guys on the net, you'd be welcomed here in AZ!

 

[sony102]

this is a great post, I wish I had more time to put in my thoughts cuz I learned SO MUCH from this experience....the biggest lesson was NEVER GIVE UP
hopefully I will have more time in the future to put in my thoughts,
here are my stats to encourage anyone out there still skeptic about their abilities:

overall gpa:3.3 science gpa:3.1
AA: 19 TS:21 PAT:16 Qr:13 OChem:20 GChem:23 Bio:20 RC:17
spent 2 full yrs studying for the dat
interviews: howard, meharry, san antonio, temple, UOP, western u, baylor.
acceptance: western u, sanantonio, temple

 

[rhuot11]

Hey, good job at researching my past posts. Why don't you post them so they're easily accessible? As far as I'm concerned - I'm just stating the truth as I see it and I'm certainly okay that they don't sit well with you.



You shouldn't be embarrassed. I'd like it if my PCP is as intelligent as humanly possible in terms of numbers. I mean, do you really want your PCP to be scraping by med school because he gotta work the night shift? Do you really want him to treat you only because he is passionate about being a MD but had to miss class or be tardy because he had "special" situations? I remember a guy posting for help on what he can do to stay in school even though he was failing due to some learning disability ~ and I remember posting strongly about how wonderful it was that the dental school was kicking him out. Because seriously ~ do we need special needs people treating other humans?

I do believe we are a special group of people. I believe we need to be as elite as possible because we're handling people's health. To be honest, I'm not too happy that our school is ranked 3rd from the bottom in terms of GPA. I'm not too happy that curriculum is becoming easier every year because dental schools are worried about presenting a good graduating rate. Did I mention in my other posts that our pharmacology used to be cumulative, but because too many people flunk out, they changed it? Sure, it made my life 110% easier, but for the profession as a whole, the course director did a huge disservice for everyone.

Look at all the different schools going to "Pass vs Fail" instead of weighing people on a scale and forcing them to be competitive. Everyone gets to pass! You don't have to memorize this or that anymore ~ because it's all on Google! You don't have to learn that, because you can just post a handy reference card on the cabinet! Etc, etc.

Let me be honest here ~ I'm not smart. In fact, I'm stupid in comparison to my roommates. Last semester, we had Oral Dx and Radiology. For the cumulative final, we had to know how to identify different cysts, tumors, growth, etc on a radiograph (bitewing, PA, pano, etc). I studied pretty hard and I scraped by with a B-. My roommates studied about the same and got As. When I reflect on such, I feel as if I'm not supposed to be a dentist. When I try to think back on different drug names, and different pathologies - and my mind comes up blank... I feel incompetent. For the record, the two years that I studied pre-dent, my GPA was 3.9 and I had 24 for AA/TS.

When I think about someone like you who got a 2.9 and 17 on DAT joining our ranks and encouraging others of the same caliber to apply, I feel hopeless because you're glaring evidence that dentists are becoming dumber. And if my cyber ego can convince you to quit and become a garbage man, I'd sleep more soundly tonight.

So I was popping around the internet after studying and wanted to see some pointers on getting into D-school and I come across this post about how people with not so high GPA's shouldnt be in dental school because there so called "DUMB" I dont ever blog or anything like this, but as a 3.0 full time biology maj. chemistry min. and working at a pharmacy and another job plus I observe dentists as much as humanly possible I am pretty sure the dentists I do talk to say I have a pretty good chance. They know I have a 3.0 GPA, but the one thing I am damn outstanding at is being an incredibly social person. I can talk with just about anyone. My communicative skills are well above par. Which is what I think to be a very big part of the application process. I am not in D-school yet but I am pretty sure by what I see on a day to day basis I wont need to be on top of my O-chem (for example) as a dentist. What I do see though is the fact that the dentists I do observe connect with there patients. Not only on a proffesional level, but on a personal level. It makes the patients feel comfortable. Lets them know that its okay to be here. Yeah a huge part is your knowledge and your ability to actually be a great dentist, but I think and even larger part is to be able to connect with other human beings in a way that makes them feel comfortable to come in and sit in that chair. I love watching patients leave with a smile on their face cause you know they had a great visit and it makes me want to be a dentist even more. I know the difficulty of getting into school. I worry about it every day no matter who says what.
I never do this blogging thing personally I think its pretty stupid (no offense to anyone) But your dumb friggin post made me come on here and state an opinion. You sir are a full blown idiot. You may have an outstanding educational record and thats great, but i am willing to bet that your ability to be in a social setting is probably lacking a bit isnt it? What gives you the right to state that dentists are becoming dumber when in fact the whole proffession has progressed so far. I dont know if your in dental school yet and for you I really dont care. The attitude you just presented in your message to a fellow dentist is rediculous. You sir are the dumb one and I do hope for your sake one day you can come down off that imaginary pedestal you have sitting in that massive ego of yours.
I do have a 3.0 and I bust my ass to get it. If I didnt work or have a social life I am sure it would be better, but I do believe I have a fighting chance to get in unlike Mr. "I got a B- and feel like a failure here" Be grateful ya douche bag!

 

[slm266]

You're talking to someone who hasnt posted on these boards for over a year. I didnt read their comments, only yours own social skills vs academic performance.


However, you're absolutely correct that dental schools are looking for competitive candidates who demonstrate social skills. On the other hand, let me play the devils advocate here and ask if you would rather have a unintelligent but social dentist working in your mouth, or 1 that has shown that he is smart in most of what he does.

My school's chemistry department is known to be quite brutal and I often hear complaints that we won't have to know ochem to be a dentist, which is mostly true. In my schools case, it's a weed-out department. If you don't have the brains to hack it in organic chemistry, you probably dont have the brains to handle the much harder science classes in dental school, and dental schools want to keep their stats up.

What good does it do you to have all the social skills in the world if schools are not willing to offer you an interview based on your stats? I'm not saying all this to scare you, I just wouldnt hold on to that crutch any more. Kill that DAT, and refer to the thread on "Under 3.0 Club" to get good advice from people who have a similar GPA to you.

 

[Oracle DMD]

You're talking to someone who hasnt posted on these boards for over a year. I didnt read their comments, only yours own social skills vs academic performance.


However, you're absolutely correct that dental schools are looking for competitive candidates who demonstrate social skills. On the other hand, let me play the devils advocate here and ask if you would rather have a unintelligent but social dentist working in your mouth, or 1 that has shown that he is smart in most of what he does.

My school's chemistry department is known to be quite brutal and I often hear complaints that we won't have to know ochem to be a dentist, which is mostly true. In my schools case, it's a weed-out department. If you don't have the brains to hack it in organic chemistry, you probably dont have the brains to handle the much harder science classes in dental school, and dental schools want to keep their stats up.

What good does it do you to have all the social skills in the world if schools are not willing to offer you an interview based on your stats? I'm not saying all this to scare you, I just wouldnt hold on to that crutch any more. Kill that DAT, and refer to the thread on "Under 3.0 Club" to get good advice from people who have a similar GPA to you.

like many pre dents, you fall into the mind set that gpa has more to do with brains than hard work. there are a 101 reasons why people have lower gpa's that have nothing to do w/ raw intelligence, and more to do with what they deal with during school. moreover, i think you're being pompous when you advise this guy to head to the "under 3.0 club". he obviously knows that he's in a crappy position, he's not argueing that he deserves an interview based solely on his social skills. also, basic sciences in dental school are not conceptionally hard at all! its the volume of info that people have trouble with, not the complexity.

 

[lnngu]

So I was popping around the internet after studying and wanted to see some pointers on getting into D-school and I come across this post about how people with not so high GPA's shouldnt be in dental school because there so called "DUMB" I dont ever blog or anything like this, but as a 3.0 full time biology maj. chemistry min. and working at a pharmacy and another job plus I observe dentists as much as humanly possible I am pretty sure the dentists I do talk to say I have a pretty good chance. They know I have a 3.0 GPA, but the one thing I am damn outstanding at is being an incredibly social person. I can talk with just about anyone. My communicative skills are well above par. Which is what I think to be a very big part of the application process. I am not in D-school yet but I am pretty sure by what I see on a day to day basis I wont need to be on top of my O-chem (for example) as a dentist. What I do see though is the fact that the dentists I do observe connect with there patients. Not only on a proffesional level, but on a personal level. It makes the patients feel comfortable. Lets them know that its okay to be here. Yeah a huge part is your knowledge and your ability to actually be a great dentist, but I think and even larger part is to be able to connect with other human beings in a way that makes them feel comfortable to come in and sit in that chair. I love watching patients leave with a smile on their face cause you know they had a great visit and it makes me want to be a dentist even more. I know the difficulty of getting into school. I worry about it every day no matter who says what.
I never do this blogging thing personally I think its pretty stupid (no offense to anyone) But your dumb friggin post made me come on here and state an opinion. You sir are a full blown idiot. You may have an outstanding educational record and thats great, but i am willing to bet that your ability to be in a social setting is probably lacking a bit isnt it? What gives you the right to state that dentists are becoming dumber when in fact the whole proffession has progressed so far. I dont know if your in dental school yet and for you I really dont care. The attitude you just presented in your message to a fellow dentist is rediculous. You sir are the dumb one and I do hope for your sake one day you can come down off that imaginary pedestal you have sitting in that massive ego of yours.
I do have a 3.0 and I bust my ass to get it. If I didnt work or have a social life I am sure it would be better, but I do believe I have a fighting chance to get in unlike Mr. "I got a B- and feel like a failure here" Be grateful ya douche bag!

Ugg... OracleMD is my hero, but I'm going to have to add (quite pompously) that it requires neither brain nor hard work to use proper punctuation or a spellchecker. I don't care how "social" you are. I don't see how talking or writing like a valley girl impresses anyone. kklolamIrite?

 

[predentduck]

wow! what an entertaining thread! highly recommend reading it in its entirety haha

All I really have to say is that I feel awful for Oracle, what a great guy. People on SDN often have no concept of reality and I believe this cannot be better exemplified than by dreaming2k5

That is all

 

[iluv2run11]

My school's chemistry department is known to be quite brutal and I often hear complaints that we won't have to know ochem to be a dentist, which is mostly true. In my schools case, it's a weed-out department. If you don't have the brains to hack it in organic chemistry, you probably dont have the brains to handle the much harder science classes in dental school, and dental schools want to keep their stats up.

This is a great thread by the way! In response to slm266 all I have to say is that you are going to BYU.......a business school. Chemistry might be hard compared to your other science departments (since BYU is not a science-focused university) but it in no way can be compared to the science classes at most universities. I'm not saying you personally aren't smart, but your university isn't known for anything in the sciences.

 

[Oracle DMD]

This is a great thread by the way! In response to slm266 all I have to say is that you are going to BYU.......a business school. Chemistry might be hard compared to your other science departments (since BYU is not a science-focused university) but it in no way can be compared to the science classes at most universities. I'm not saying you personally aren't smart, but your university isn't known for anything in the sciences.

hahahaha oh young pre-dent! BYU puts more kids into dental school than ANY other school in the country. i am NOT a fan of BYU but you better believe that they are gunning for dschool spots. the year i got in they put in 200 students out of the 203 that they boast as pre-dents.

 

[Oracle DMD]

wow! what an entertaining thread! highly recommend reading it in its entirety haha

All I really have to say is that I feel awful for Oracle, what a great guy. People on SDN often have no concept of reality and I believe this cannot be better exemplified than by dreaming2k5

That is all

lol thanks for the compliment but don't feel aweful for me! i'm living the dream!

 

[iluv2run11]

hahahaha oh young pre-dent! BYU puts more kids into dental school than ANY other school in the country. i am NOT a fan of BYU but you better believe that they are gunning for dschool spots. the year i got in they put in 200 students out of the 203 that they boast as pre-dents.

Just have to give the kid a hard time since his school was turned down from joining the pac-12 because they had a crappy science/research department. GO UTES!

 

[jesusisreal]

Oracle DMD,

Please continue to encourage others. I love to read your post. I wish you the best in your dental career. To all pre-dents be encouraged. Do not let anyone on SDN discourage you from your dreams. I love this site and its has good info but please remember most of the postings are form YOUNG PEOPLE, life experiences are not there. Attitude trumps aptitude. If dental school is truly your dream, follow it, let the school tell you no. All (while almost) of my co-workers and friends told me dental school was impossible (I was full time military). However, I got in. Actually I got into all of the schools that interviewed me (accept on Dec 1). I know so people are saying your properly black. It does not matter. God does see color. AND NO MAN CAN SHUT A DOOR THAT GOD HAS OPENED. Truthful I did not believe in myself, but I knew God put a seed in me and it forced me to follow my dreams. I named my pre-dent journey “mission impossible”, but I never gave up and I never allowed HATERS to stop me. So please follow your heart and do not take SDN advice seriously.

 

[alanan84]

Just have to give the kid a hard time since his school was turned down from joining the pac-12 because they had a crappy science/research department. GO UTES!

Classic utah fan, obnoxious even on a predental forum... lol, wow.