MCAT vs. DAT

[Guest pazas]

Are these two tests similiar? I had taken a prep course for the MCAT and done well on it and was thinking of writing the DAT as well. Do I need to take another prep course for it or is it safe to assume that doing well on the MCAT is a good indication of doing well on the DAT? Is one easier than the other? Also, what's carving?

 

Thanks.

[Guest Snew]

Hey,

 

My roomate wrote the DAT and is now in dental school. I think the DAT is a different kind of test than the MCAT. The DAT does not test organic chemistry or physics - I believe it just tests first year biology and first year chemistry. So there is less science tested but it makes up for it with the Carving and Perceptual Ability questions.

 

For carving, they give you a piece of soap in the shape of a cylinder and give you thirty minutes and a diagram of what your carving should look like. In that time frame, you attempt to carve a shape which is as close to the diagram as possible. No directions are given, just the shape and its dimensions. They grade you on the exactness of your carving and wether or not it is complete.

 

There is also a section on perceptual abilities, which I am guessing is a measure of how well you would work with people's teeth, which come in many shapes (I know in first year dentistry you spend a lot of time studying the shapes and orifaces of teeth). You are given the face of a bizarre shape and asked which diagram it belongs to (it is multiple choice), and it is a lot harder than it sounds. Personally, I would find the carving and perception sections of the DAT to be the most challenging part of the exam.

 

So, you would probably find a better answer about what the DAT entails in the Dental Forums, but in terms of being easier or harder than the MCAT, you would just have to judge for yourself.

 

I think prep courses are geared at carving and perception, and give you practice in those areas, but you can also buy the carving kit from the DAT people and practice on your own. Hope this helps!