GUIDE FOR PREPARATION TO DENTAL SCHOOL

STEP 1: PICKING THE RIGHT SCHOOL

• Location• Specialty programs at school?• How new is the school?• Chances of getting in• i.e how do you stack up for the application process

• Consider board certifications• Would you live here, or are you planning on moving?

ADEA GUIDE TO DENTAL SCHOOLS 2013

-E-text available online.-Great resource for stats and research on each individual school.

STEP 2: VOLUNTEERING AND DENTAL EXPERIENCE

• As much volunteering as possible!• Service Learning

• Shadow a GENERAL dentist• Some schools require you to have a minimum

requirement of observation hours• i.e U of M requires 100 hours BEFORE the application.• Working does not count

SHADOWING OPPORTUNITIES

• Service Learning• Common etiquette• Dress appropriately!• Visit the office in person, face time is important!

STEP 3: DAT PREPARATION

• Kaplan class• Topscore• Chad’s Videos• Crack the DAT/ PAT• Orgoman DAT Destroyer• Princeton Review• Cliff’s AP Bio

DAT PREPARATION

• About 2-3 months in advance:• Obtain for DENTPIN• http://www.ada.org/dat.aspx• Click ‘Register for a DENTPIN’• Name must match EXACTLY

• Look at DAT guide (same website)• “Apply” for DAT• Sign up to test at www.prometric.com • Pay for DAT

DAT PREPARATION

• DAT PRICES• DAT Fee $385• Rescheduling Fees• $100- Day before to 5 business days prior• $60- 6 to 30 business days prior• $25- 31+ business days prior

DAT STRUCTURE

• Arrive to Prometric Center 30 mins early• 2 ID’s (1 w/ pic and signature, 1 w/ name and

signature), finger print, picture taken, metal detector scan• Provided 2 white boards with skinny black marker• “Permanent” marker

• Test on PC; not very HD (bad for angle ranking)

DAT STRUCTURE

Section Questions Time (mins)

Optional Tutorial n/a 15

Natural Science 100 90

PAT 90 60

Optional Break n/a 15

Reading Comp 50 60

Quantitative 40 45

Optional Survey n/a 15

STEP 4: APPLICATIONS

• Applying is expensive! Get a list of schools you can see yourself going to.• Apply to as many / as little as you are

comfortable.• Most people apply to 10 schools or less• Roughly ~$200 per school

AADSAS

• Application opens June 1st • iPhone application to keep track of progress• Rolling admissions, so complete the application

ASAP!

INPUTTING GRADES INTO AADSAS

• AADSAS uses a different grading scale (A, AB, B, BC, etc) instead of our scale.• The “grade” section is how it appears on your transcript,

“AADSAS grade” is how it appears with this conversion

• Transcript matching forms must be sent to AADSAS• Download via AADSAS, print out, fill out, email or send

with official transcripts to AADSAS• Search AADSAS conversion for the actual conversions

(4.0 = A, 3.5 = AB, 3.0 = B, etc)

WHAT IS CONSIDERED “SCIENCE”?

• AADSAS makes you classify what classes are science and non-science classes. • ADEA provides a comprehensive list to what

specifically is classified as science and non-science

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

• AADSAS has a section to allow you to list observation specifically.• Provide a brief description of “activities”

• There is a section for extracurricular activities / volunteer / community service• Lastly, there is a section to fill out any work

experience you may have had

PERSONAL STATEMENT

• Opportunity to tell your story• Why dentistry? What is your passion? Journey

that has led you where you are today• Be creative! Admissions want to see that you can

write and that you are different than every other applicant!• Get 4500 characters to do so

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

• Seek professors out early!• Check ADEA guide for specific requirements for

each school.• Generally speaking, get one biology, one

chemistry, one general dentist whom you have shadowed, and one from whomever you think would write a good letter!• Interfolio is convenient for storing letters before

applying.

INTERFOLIO

• Pay a yearly fee to interfolio, and they hold your letters for you until you are ready to send.

• Each letter is kept confidential• When a person is willing to write you a

recommendation, input their email into interfolio and they will get emailed a list of instructions on how to upload it to the site.

• On AADSAS, if using interfolio, reference type is “paper”.

• Be sure to print out matching forms for each evaluator, sign them, scan them back into your computer, and send them with the letters to AADSAS.

CLASS REQUIREMENTS

• General Idea• Chem 1 and 2 with labs• Bio 1 and 2 with labs• Orgo 1 and 2 with a lab• English (LB or WRA)• SOC (any) or ISS 215• Biochem (401 or 461/462)• Microbio (MMG 301)• Psychology (any)• Physics 1 and 2 with labs

4 YEAR CLASS SCHEDULE

• Freshman Year• Chem 1 and 2 with labs• English/SOC/PSY• Summer- Orgo (Sterling Heights, Grand Blanc,

Yipsilanti)/PSY

• Sophomore Year• Bio 1 and 2 with labs• Orgo 1 and 2 with labs• Physio (PSL 310 or uppers)-------will be helpful for

DAT• SOC/English/PSY• Summer- STUDY FOR DAT (no classes)

4 YEAR CLASS SCHEDULE

• Junior Year• Biochem• Microbio• Physio

• Senior Year• Physics 1 and 2 with labs

• Class load• 15-17 credits if NOT working• 12-14 okay if working

PREPARATION FOR INTERVIEW

• Have a good idea of what you want to say for 2 minutes if they ask “Tell me about yourself”• Be able to honestly answer “Why dentistry?”

and “Why [school name]”• Student Doctor Network- Old interview questions• My Spartan Career- You can sign up online for a

mock interview at the stadium• Helps to know how you interview

• Research the school and have questions prepared• ie) I noticed a group of dental students went to Kenya

this year, is that opportunity available each year?

INTERVIEW ATTIRE

• Men• Suit color- usually black or dark grey• Add a pop of color- either with a colored shirt and black

tie, or white shirt and colored tie• Dress shoes, simple socks• Ironed/pressed/dry cleaned suit• Make sure you have tried it on recently…• Clean shave or solid but trimmed beard- no in between• Optional- cuff links, tie clip (personal favorite)

INTERVIEW ATTIRE

• Ladies• Nonsuit: Professional dress with a suit jacket• Suit: either black, navy or dark grey• Pants- not too tight• Skirt- at/below the knee

• Less specific with the shirt- button up, or a nice blouse• NO cleavage… none!• Panty hose = MUST• ~3 inch black heel• Jewelry = Simple! Necklace-pearl, earrings- studs• Be cautious on rings and bracelets- nothing gaudy • No fun piercings! ie) tragus, industrial, tongue

• Brief bag- optional• Hair: “You want them to remember you, not the do”

INTERVIEW ATTIRE

• Both• Make sure you feel COMFORTABLE• “The smell of success is scentless”• Rule of thumb- unbutton suit jacket whenever sitting, and

re-button it when standing• Gum: good to freshen breath, but NO chewing • NO phone, turn it off and get a watch• Bring a portfolio

INTERVIEW- UMICH MMI

• Multiple Mini Interview “Speed Dating”• Process: 10 stations that are one-on-one (with

either faculty, dentist, alumni, or student); read prompt and discuss for 8 minutes, wait 2 minutes, move on• Questions: A few about you/application, more

about ethical situations in the health field• Provides document with met/unmet requirements

that you need to turn in; flash drive with all presentations; a mini portfolio

INTERVIEW- UMICH MMI

• Surprise: While the journey to dental school always feels like you’re trying to prove yourself, the interview day felt like the dental school was trying to prove itself… totally different perception • “If you have an interview, they already want you”• 64% of all Michigan residents who interviewed

were accepted (taken from ADEA book)• That is over 2/3!!

• Closed- Interviewers do no see your application before hand

INTERVIEW- UMICH MMI

• Structure of 8:30am-3:30pm on Fridays• 8:30-9: Introductions of all 30 interviewees• Note: Granola bars and water provided

• 9-10:30- ~4 presentations• 10:30-11:30- tour of dental school from students• NOTE: These may be the same students doing interviewers

• 11:30-12: Lunch provided• 12-2: MMI’s; 3 sets of 10 stations in one huge room• Time flies by unbelievably fast

• 2-3:30: Presentations about financial aid and DDS/PhD

INTERVIEW- UDM

• Process: two faculty members with one interviewee

• Structure: Open interview (they are able to see your application before interviewing you)• More personal questions about application• One ethical question• Relaxed atmosphere -- felt more like a conversation with

the faculty members rather than an interview

INTERVIEW- UDM

• Interviews are on Saturdays 8:00am- 12:30am• 8:00-8:30 check in• 8:30-9:00 Welcome/introduction• 9:00-9:30 Curriculum Presented and Student Panel• 9:30-10:00 Interview• 10:00-10:50 Dental School Tour• 10:50-11:00 Break• 1100-11:30 Question and Answer with Dr. Jeffers• 11:30-12:00 Student Affairs faculty member speaks

about activities outside the classroom offered• 12:00-12:30 Closing/Final Q&A