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Getting into dental school. Disclaimer. I have not yet been accepted No school has started acceptances at this point in time I have been interviewed at 6 schools. Dentistry as a Profession. Help others Relieve pain Increase self-esteem Prevent pain Educate
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Disclaimer • I have not yet been accepted • No school has started acceptances at this point in time • I have been interviewed at 6 schools
Dentistry as a Profession • Help others • Relieve pain • Increase self-esteem • Prevent pain • Educate • Long term care/relationship with patients • Work with hands • Run your own business • Generally work 4 days a week • Financially rewarding
Important Qualities for Dentistry • Work with people • Communicate to employees and public • Work with hands (manual dexterity) • Leader/Manager • Educator • Hard worker • Critical thinker • Well organized • Compassionate
Getting into Dental School • 1. Fulfill the prerequisites • 2. Get involved • Organizations • Research • Service • 3. Observation • 4. DAT • 5. Application • 6. Interview • 7. GET ACCEPTED
Undergraduate Studies • No pre-dental major • Only prerequisites • Biology Major fulfills almost all requirements • Degree is not required BUT recommended • Choose a major that interest you • Give full attention to your studies • Competitive GPA is around a 3.7 • Have to get a C or better in required courses • Dental school will look to see if you used freshman forgiveness • Form a close relationship with academic advisor
Getting Involved • Quality is better than Quantity • Leadership • Service • Research • Work experience • Pre-dental or pre-med group • ASDA (American Student Dental Association)
Leadership • Officer of a club/organization • Captain of sports team • Manager • Etc.
Service • Get involved with community service • Dentistry is a service to the community • You can’t say that you want/like to help others and not get involved in community service • Hospital, Food Banks, Nursing Homes, Biology Club, etc. • Need to be able to work with public
Research • Build a strong resume • Critical thinking • Organization • Time Management • Team work • Talk to Dr. Jackie or Dr. Reagon for opportunities in Biology
Work experience • Not required BUT it shows time management • Try to get a job in a dental office even if it’s just during summer • Hygiene assistant does not require any certification • Sterilize equipment • Scan X-rays • Receptionist • Prepare trays and rooms
Observation • It is required by most schools • OSU requires 40 hours with at least 2 dentist • I recommend shadowing all specialties as well • General Dentist • Oral Surgeon • Endodontist • Orthodontist • Periodontist • Pediatric Dentist • Keep a journal of what you experienced • Watch YouTube videos of the procedure afterward
DAT • Dental Admissions Test • 4 Sections • Natural Sciences • Biology • General Chemistry • Organic Chemistry • Quantitative Reasoning (Math) • Reading • Perceptual Ability • Scale 0-30 • 17 average • 21 is a competitive score
Apply Early • Applications open beginning of June • Rolling acceptance • Most apply summer between junior and senior year • If prerequisites are done try to apply you might get in • Apply through ADEA AADSAS standard app • Takes time to fill out • Write personal statement ahead of time • Get Letters of Recommendation arranged ahead of time • Gather all other info ahead of time • Even though you can’t fill out the app early you can get on the website and see what information is required
Secondary Application • Most schools will require a secondary application after they receive the primary application • Generally consist of personal information and a few short essays • Why dentistry • Why this school • Observation experiences • Along with the secondary app they will require a fee • ~$50-100
The Application Process • Most applicants apply to 5-8 schools • Plan for ~$5,000 in application fees • This includes cost of: • Application • DAT • Supplemental fees • Traveling expenses for interviews • Hotels, gas, plane tickets • Suit for interviews
Interview • Every school requires an interview before acceptance • Getting the interview is the hardest part • OSU 886 application 216 interviews • At this point you will have a 50% of being accepted • OSU interviews 216 people for 110 seats • Allows the admissions committee to get to know you • Send a thank you letter afterward
10 Standard Interview Questions • Tell me about yourself • Why Dentistry • Strengths • Weaknesses • Why this school • Why should we pick you (what makes you unique) • How do you manage time • How will you handle the work load of dental school • Where else have you applied • Scenario/Ethics question
Get accepted • According to ADEA policies no applicant will be accepted before Dec 1st • Interviews and acceptances may or may not continue after this date
Helpful Resources • studentdoctor.net (SDN) • ADEA virtual dental fair • http://adea.expos2events.com • ASDA • predentals.com
Questions • Contact Information: • Ryan Kinn • kinn.18@osu.edu