doing a masters before dentistry

[toronto-dentist-hopeful]

I know everyone is in that 'waiting' mode

 

but I was wondering, for people that have done this and others considering it but what masters would you take before going to dentistry?

 

what kind of masters have people done???

 

I didn't get in to dentistry this year, and as a 4th year student, after much debate over whether taking an extra year or doing a masters is the better choice, i have decided to do a masters.

 

But i don't know what would give me an edge.

 

any help/advice would be much appreciated. THANKSSSSSS!!!

[chibichibi]

I know everyone is in that 'waiting' mode

 

but I was wondering, for people that have done this and others considering it but what masters would you take before going to dentistry?

 

what kind of masters have people done???

 

I didn't get in to dentistry this year, and as a 4th year student, after much debate over whether taking an extra year or doing a masters is the better choice, i have decided to do a masters.

 

But i don't know what would give me an edge.

 

any help/advice would be much appreciated. THANKSSSSSS!!!

 

I think a masters degree can only help you definitely. My understanding is they don't even care what your field is. It's different from say meds, where you'll have lots of opportunities to discuss your grad experience in personal statements/interviews and otherwise incorporate your research experience into your application in a much more significant way (meaning that it's more closely examined). I know many ppl who have mediocre marks who have worked to get masters degrees to differentiate themselves and gotten much higher masters GPA too. They've been successful in getting accepted to competitive programs like dentistry or medicine they otherwise would not have without a grad degree. Personally, I think this is a much safer and surer way of improving your chances than getting a random job or whatever.

[chibichibi]

Having said that, I despise research anything (physical setting, the crappy job you have to do, environment, the ppl, the animals, the nonexistent pay etc etc) so life as a grad student would suck a lot for me. So it's not for everybody.

[stresso]

try a masters in oral biology

[Amalgam]

I think a masters degree can only help you definitely. My understanding is they don't even care what your field is. It's different from say meds, where you'll have lots of opportunities to discuss your grad experience in personal statements/interviews and otherwise incorporate your research experience into your application in a much more significant way (meaning that it's more closely examined). I know many ppl who have mediocre marks who have worked to get masters degrees to differentiate themselves and gotten much higher masters GPA too. They've been successful in getting accepted to competitive programs like dentistry or medicine they otherwise would not have without a grad degree. Personally, I think this is a much safer and surer way of improving your chances than getting a random job or whatever.

 

+1

 

I think a general trend towards bonus points for students with Master's degrees is that it shows someone has the capability for maturity, independence and critical thinking. Not that I'm saying these qualities are not found in people w/o Masters ... but it helps when you have an extra degree. Plus, U of T is a the biggest dentistry-research based school in the country so I think they're kinda hopeful that some of the students will continue on with research

[toronto-dentist-hopeful]

THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH FOR YOUR INPUT.

= ) = ) = ) = ) = )

 

ekkkk... this all makes great sense. Obviously and ideally I would have liked to have gotten into dentistry without getting a masters. But we all have to take different paths in our lives to end up where we want to. = )

 

(sorry for being so philasophical lol)

 

would any masters program give a better edge than another?? (i.e. one not in the physical sciences?)

[Amalgam]

A large majority of the MSc students in my year did research-based masters (compared with course-based). With that said, a lot of profs in dentistry are cross appointed in other depts such biochem, physiology, microbio, etc so you might want to try there. I'm not saying a MSc degree in something like "political science" won't help but I dunno how much of an "edge" it'll give you lol

[toronto-dentist-hopeful]

hmmm lol and I go and spell philisophical wrong ... typooo!!!

 

That's what i thought. Has anyone done a masters prior to dentistry and found it helpful to them now????

 

might be two birds with one stone, type thing lol

[Amalgam]

The thing is, first year dentistry has a very broad range of courses. Having a Master's in Physiology will help you in Gross Anatomy, a MSc in Microbio will help you in Microbiology (a 2nd year course that they moved down to first year), biochem will help you for BBOHD (a course taught by a variety of 'guest' lecturers, there's a lab with a heavy biochem component), etc

 

If you're gonna do a MSc in one of the more "core" sciences, then I'm sure it'll help with one of the courses you'll take

 

However, that doesn't mean undergrad courses aren't useful. We have a nutrition course in 2nd term and apparently the undergrad nutrition courses are very similar too.

[seann]

Stick to sciences though. A non science related masters won't help you out.

[hannah.lo]

DItto to Denty's Question.

[bpatient]

Do 1 year masters count, or do you have to have 2 year ones?

[Dinan]

I dont think it really matters whether you do a one year masters vs two years in addition to course base vs. thesis based... at the end of the day, you rank higher than if you didnt do a masters otherwise.... in the application it just asks whether you did a masters and the rest is up to the adcom to decide.

 

Most people have suggested doing a science based masters and I agree.... it will only help you in the disciplines that you will experience in first year and throughout.

 

To the original OP... I think you are asking which Masters degree is better in the context of making you more competitive in the overall application process as opposed to which will help you only after you get accepted.... it doesnt matter. The reason I know is because I remember years back when I was talking to PI's I spoke to one who teaches at U of T dentistry who works in the matrix dynamics department... he said you could do an English based masters and it is worth the same.... as long as you do a masters.

 

Hope that helps, and goodluck

[miss_indep]

sorry to branch out a bit but..

 

how about a masters vs a 5th year? which would be more beneficial ?

[Dinan]

sorry to branch out a bit but..

 

how about a masters vs a 5th year? which would be more beneficial ?

 

This is really dependent on which school you are trying to get into.... and I mean U of T vs UWO.

 

If i was hedging for U of T, no doubt in my mind Id do a masters. UWO would give more weight to a special year but keep this in mind.... at UWO...... before considering a special year, figure out what your percentile average is in your highest year before taking on this special year.... that way, you can calculate what you need to (project to get) in your 5th year and if it is realistic.

 

I mean for example.... if your best year currently is an 82% average say.... that would mean that you would need (based on a 5 course load) to get like 90-95 average just to get you an interview and even at that point..... it still might be tricky to get in.

 

Im starting to think that since UWO's averages are reaching a peak.... that it is getting really hard to stay within the competitive average now... probably harder than U of T maybe:confused:

 

You have to strategize your application so take what you have first and then decide what your next viable route is.

[bpatient]

You could do a special year then masters, it might be harder to do it the other way around.