Guest jugule Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 Hello everyone, I am a fourth year student and I've applied to dental schools this year. But I am thinking of taking a year break if i don't get in this year. Does anyone knows if there is any disadvantage of taking a year break on admission to dental shools? Thanks for your help and time in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 2oothfairy Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 hello, I don't think you are at a disadvantage at all.. If you want to rewrite the DAT, you'll have plenty of time to study and time to do all the applications. For the schools that require an autobiographical letter, it would probably help to write what you accomplished during that year.. say if you volunteer or worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest sensodyne Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 I'm taking a year break right now b/c I needed to write the DAT for the first time and I also wanted to travel a bit. UBC has a section on the application--a small one though--where you can write down what you've been doing for the past year if you are not in school. I think taking a year can be even advantageous as long as you do something constructive w/ that time. Besides, once school starts, you may not have another chance to travel or whatever that you've been dying to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dentin09 Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 I have heard the Dean of a Dental school, when asked this question, advocate for the importance of continued education (essentially hinting that a master's is better than taking a year off)... but I took a year off and opened a clinic for the rehabilitation of acute and chronic injuries and I'm in. The experience of working with patients in a health setting and operating a business was invaluable... but Dental schools are still Academic Institutions which focus more on school! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UBC DMD for me Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 one thing to consider is that if you choose not to take a year off and instead begin a Master's, some dental schools insist that you finish your degree before you can even be considered for acceptance. This is the case for UWO, U of T and many schools in the US (I did some of the leg work last year so if you want a list just PM me ). If you have your heart set on a particular dental school that does require a completed Master's before beginning, then taking a year off might be your best option so you don't get trapped into a grad program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aplusdent Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 Dentin09...Wow!! You sound so mature and put together...did you open your business on your own or with a partner? Will your business continue once you start dental school? Have you had previous experience with that field of work? You were very productive during your year off. However...what if someone worked as a dental assistant and volunteered...would that be productive as well or not enough to be considered for dental school? I'm just wondering what my options are if I don't get in after the first time (I'm applying this summer for the following fall). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DentFlosS Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 Am in 4th year now, and if I take a year off, it would be to work for the Government (perhaps health canada) and to volunteer here and abroad...and travel. So do you guys think that this will be seen unfavourably??? My other option is to do a second degree..which will take a year to complete. Am sooooooooooo confused..?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Dent08 Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 The best thing you can do during a year off to improve your chances of getting into dentistry is to improve your GPA and DAT marks. Feeding starving children in Africa just to fill space on your dental application is a waste of time. They don't care if you have 1 or 100 degrees. They just make sure you have the pre-reqs and look at your GPA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wishywish82 Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Yeah man all that volunteer stuff is @#%$!! Your applying for dentistry not trying for a Nobel Peace Prize. If I were you, I'd pump up my grades, maybe re-write the DAT, do some research (helps to get better references) and shadow a dentist (again reference) and that's it. They don't care if you've been off travelling and @#%$. But whatever you do make sure you improve your application staying static or going downhill hurts it. I know at Dal for instance people on the waiting list last yr and many with interviews didn't get a second chance b/c their application was no longer competitive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest UBC DMD for me Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 I concur with Dent08- GPA is one of the most important selection factors. For example, McGill weights GPA at 80% and this is not even including interview performance or DAT scores. Similarily, U ot also places heavy emphasis on GPA (though unlike McGill, U of T will drop your worst year so long as you have finished 4 years and the worst marks aren't in your most recent year). If you've got solid grades and DAT scores, then you can probably afford to spend some time improving your bank of work experiences & ECs. No amount of volunteering or altruism will make up for weak grades in the eyes of the admissions committee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DentFlosS Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Well I understand gpa is very important, but do you guys think 3.88 is bad or not good enough. I know I will need to improve on my dat, but that wont be so hard...well except for the carving! Besides even if I do a second undergrad, its not like they'll get my marks from next year in time for application anyway. U guess my main concern is..if taking a year off is seen unfavourably compared to a person who's in 4th year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Qwigley Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Above are some very good comments about improving your GPA and DAT to help yourself get in (from wishywish and Dent08). I think doing extravagant ECs for the purpose of improving your application would be a waste of time. If you're going to be working during this year off, you'll probably be thinking, "I should save a bunch of money because dental school is going to be expensive." This seems logical, but remember that the way they grant student loan money can be a bit counter-intuitive. For example, if you save 10 Gs before school starts and you put that info on your student loan applications, then you're probably going to be granted less money by the Gov. If you do the math, it may seem like you've got the same amount of money but have borrowed less so you're better off, right? Well, you might be wrong. You see after you graduate, if you've borrowed enough money with Gov student loans, some of it will be remitted and you won't have to pay back all that you borrowed (ie. you get free money that is also intrest free). The system designed to help people who are most in need (and it does) actually punishes those who might be better financial planners. Be aware. I actually haven't graduated, so this info about remission is just through word of mouth from people who have graduated. This is my opinion of how it works, but in other provinces or if your financial situation is different things may be completely different for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dentin09 Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Aplusdent, Voluntering and working as a CDA will provide great insight for what you will be dealing with when you eventually open your own practice. These aspects will help your application only to schools, like UBC, that take these things into consideration. A possible reference letter could also come out of it that would help. But the other replies on this thread are right, focus on the DAT and grades if you can. These seem to be the "foot in the door" aspects that cannot be overlooked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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