25 Pre-Dental Myths, Debunked!
The following 25 myths have robbed pre-dental students of time, energy, and happiness. Together these myths will lead to hundreds of wasted hours on pursuits which will neither benefit you as a dental school applicant nor as a person, and may actually harm your chance for acceptance to dental school. Please carefully read the following myths and share them to all those are in involved in supporting the development of a great dentist, including parents, friends, significant others.
Myth 1:
My health professions advisor will only give me good advice and will be able to answer all of my questions about dentistry.
False. I have formerly served as both a health professions advisor at a major university and later as an assistant director of admissions at a prestigious dental school. Unfortunately, I have seen that oftentimes advice from health professions advisors (albeit given with the absolute best of intentions) sometimes misses the mark and other times is outright counter to the beliefs of dental school admission committees and the characteristics that they look for in applicants. The reason is two-fold: First health professions advisors are trained to give general advice that applies to the majority of pre-health profession students, and oftentimes good advice for a medical school applicant is downright detrimental to a dental school applicant. Secondly, the state of dental school admissions is continually evolving and it is a full time job to stay current on just one field; thus health profession advisors trying to stay current on the application trends in the fields of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy, veterinary medicine, optometry, podiatry, chiropractic medicine, nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, physician assistant, audiology, and public health often fall short.
I took my years of experience and created Dental Admission Strategies® to fill this gap. While I too cannot guarantee that I will be able to answer all questions about the field of dental admissions, I will work with my team of dentists, dental students and professional medical editors to find solutions for all of my clients. Additionally, I will be forthright in letting clients know if I am not certain about their question or particular situation.
Myth 2:
The success of my application rests solely on my numbers (G.P.A. and DAT scores).
To some degree this is true in academic preparation, as evidenced by your G.P.A. It is the most important factor on your application taking up approximately 35%-40%. However, many pre-dental students neglect other aspects of their application including: letters of recommendation, the personal statement, the list and description of extracurricular activities, the DAT score and the interview. All of these factors deserve your utmost attention if you want to be successful in gaining entrance into dental school. While you will be forced to spend thousands of hours in lecture, writing papers, and studying for exams; pre-dental students routinely underestimate the importance of their entire application. A good personal essay, for instance, should take you at least 100 hours. Unfortunately the typical pre-dental student spends around twenty hours or less and as former admissions officer I know that it is entirely obvious. Contact us at Dental Admission Strategies® to find out how to strengthen your entire application, because by the time you’re applying that’s all you can do (besides make unoriginal or outlandish excuses for your GPA and DAT scores.)
Some pre-dental students don’t take the steps to forge a relationship with their professors early on. As a result, their references can be summarized as: “such and such took my class and got an A.” Still other pre-dental students never practice their interview skills or even spend 2-3 hours learning about the school they are interviewing with (falsely believing that it will come “naturally”). More than one 4.0 pre-dental student has been baffled when classmates with lower grades were more successful in gaining admission to dental school. Don’t let this happen to you – instead reach out and get the edge you need from Dental Admission Strategies®. We value that every application is unique which is why we’ll work with you one-on-one, to ensure you get the greatest return on your investment.
Myth 3:
Dental schools look down upon re-applicants.
Not exactly true. While dental schools do scratch their heads when they see the exact same application come through after a rejection, they certainly do not look down on these applicants because they have made the effort to strengthen their application from the previous year. It was Albert Einstein who said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Work with the experts at Dental Admission Strategies® to submit your last AADSAS® or TMDAS® application and get into dental school this year. Our specialty is working with re-applicants and non-traditional applicants to get them accepted to the dental school of their choice.
Myth 4:
The higher I score on the DAT the better chance I have for being admitted to dental school.
While this myth has some basis to it, it is not unequivocally true. If your DAT score is within the general range for your target school, then you have passed the threshold after which other factors will typically have a stronger influence on your application. For this reason, Dental Admission Strategies® has been able to take students whose scores meet the threshold and help them get accepted to multiple dental schools, while other students who also met the threshold, but did not employ our strategies, often have their application overlooked by the admissions committee.
The SAT is a more linear test than the DAT. The DAT is more of a threshold test. If you get above a certain score, which is typically the schools’ average, you are usually fine. This is because multiple research studies (all of which dental schools are aware of) have demonstrated that there is no correlation between extremely high DAT scores and being a good dentist. So aim to do your best on the DAT, but don’t lose your sanity trying to get a near-perfect score. Instead focus your efforts on your application.
Myth 5:
In order to get into dental school you must have a parent or family member that is a dentist.
Dentistry is an incredible profession that has often flown under the radar, avoiding the difficulties associated with managed care and malpractice lawsuits. While it is true that many dental school applicants do have parents or family members that are dentists, since their exposure is greater, it is not the rule. At Dental Admission Strategies® we have worked with children of all types of professions to help them navigate the foreign field of dental school admissions and the intricacies associated with the competitive process.
Myth 6:
If I did not or do not do well in my pre-dental courses, then I should quit being a pre-dental student.
No way. If you really want to be a dentist, then be one! Not doing well as a pre-dental student does not mean that you would not make an incredible dentist. It doesn’t even mean that you wouldn’t do well in dental school, where clinical performance is of great importance. Rather, not doing well in your pre-dental courses simply means that you are not doing well in your pre-dental courses. It also means that you need to figure out a different path for yourself. If you are hitting a wall then pause, regroup and contact Dental Admission Strategies® to get help create and manage your own path to becoming a dentist. You can prove you are a strong dental school applicant through an infinite number of routes.
Myth 7:
Dental school is for people that can’t get into medical school.
Sickeningly false. Many candidates find out the hard way that dental school is just as (sometimes more) competitive than medical school. Both U.S. medical and dental schools have average G.P.A.s that are above a 3.5 out of 4.0 cumulative average. For example a state school in the Midwest has an average science GPA of 3.5, a non-science G.P.A. of 3.7 and a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.7 for students admitted. While medical school and dental school do share common pre-requisites they both have their own history, tradition, and criteria sought in applicants. A lot of great dentists were former pre-medical students – not because they couldn’t get into medical school, but because they realized that dentistry is a better fit for their lifestyle. If you’re unsure about the dental versus medical question, give Dental Admission Strategies® a call and we’ll help you truthfully sort it out, preventing you from making a bad decision becoming bitter.
Myth 8:
Dental schools won’t look at me if I don’t do lab research.
False. Statistically speaking, you are very unlikely to end up doing lab research as a dentist. If you truly like research, then pursue it with a passion and try your very best to get published. If you don’t, then there are many other extracurricular activities which are equally strong. Simple participation in research is like listing that you are a member of a club on your application… nobody cares.
There are a handful of research oriented dental schools with combined DMD or DDS and PhD programs, which especially like a research background. However, even at these schools the research can be in virtually any field and need not be basic science bench work. If you want to do research that will make the admission committee sit up and take notice, then use our approach at Dental Admission Strategies®.
Myth 9:
If I drop a class, then I am doomed.
Wrong. If you drop a class then it may mean you (a.) have the chutzpah to take academic risks (b.) had gotten all you wanted to out of the class, or (3.) you may just be human (gasp!). On the contrary, if you routinely have to drop half of your classes to make it through school, then dental school may be more difficult for you. So don’t be afraid to drop a class or two, especially in the beginning of your academic career. If you have more than a couple of Ws, then call us at Dental Admission Strategies® and we’ll figure out a way to address those Ws, minimize their impact, and refocus your application on your strengths.
Myth 10:
The most important thing is the prestige of the dental school I attend.
Wrong. Dental schools are not ranked because…. wait for it… It doesn’t matter where you attend dental school. All accredited dental schools train you to become a competent dentist. Do you or your parents know where your very own personal dentist graduated from dental school? Probably not, because all you care is that they provide you with good patient care and are amiable. If you think that attending a more “prestigious” dental school will help you gain a competitive residency or fellowship, then you’re wrong again. Admission directors look far more closely at your board scores, class rank, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation (all of which are independent of the prestige). Ask currently practicing dentists and you will soon realize that the most important thing about the dental school you attend is (a.) your opportunity to succeed there and (b.) the amount of loans you have to take out to attend. If you have any trouble figuring out which dental schools you should apply to or which dental school you should attend, then contact us at Dental Admission Strategies®. We’ll analyze your career objectives and personal situation to ensure that you’re making the best investment with your time and money.
Myth 11:
There is only one “best track” to dental school.
No dice. Some pre-dents spend a great deal of energy trying to figure out what they’re “supposed to do” to get into dental school. I have seen firsthand that among successful applicants, the paths to dental school are quite varied. Provided one has met the threshold for academic preparation and DAT scores, original applicants often garner more attention from admission committees, than those who put what they thought would be an ideal dental school applicant. While there are many paths to becoming a dentist, the key is to find the path that is best for you. At Dental Admission Strategies® we can help you by charting a path to dental school as unique as you are.
Myth 12:
If I don’t go straight to dental school from college, I will appear weak or indecisive to dental schools.
Very, very false. If you take time off you will likely appear more well-rounded to dental schools. Admission committees know that students with life experience often interact better with patients and colleagues. For this reason, some dental schools even prefer mature students with varied life experiences. So don’t be afraid to take time off, if (and only if) you use it meaningfully. Contact us at Dental Admission Strategies® to find out how to frame your time off, as time spent becoming a better dental applicant.
Myth 13:
I have to be a genius to be a doctor.
Negative. Few doctors are “geniuses” and that’s because geniuses often have difficulty relating to patients. If you have hit a wall in the pre-dental process, then it does not mean that you should not be a dentist; it simply means that perhaps the traditional path for admittance to dental school is not meant for you. If you are passionate about dentistry and willing to work hard then we at Dental Admission Strategies® can help you achieve your goals.
Myth 14:
To get into dental school I have to major in Biology or some other science.
Wrong. You have to complete the pre-dental requirements and other coursework to prepare for the DAT and be able to demonstrate that you can succeed in a challenging curriculum. Other than that, you can major in anything that you are academically passionate about – whether that is Philosophy, Spanish, Art, Accounting or Sociology; it makes no difference. If you are passionate about your major then you are more likely to learn better, get a higher G.P.A., get better letters of recommendation, be a happier person, and eventually be a better dentist. If you love Biology then go ahead and do it, and if you love Art History than go ahead and do it - either way you have to have a solid G.P.A. and prove that you can succeed in the pre-requisite courses for dental school.
Myth 15:
Dentists have the highest suicide rates.
No dice – it’s an urban legend. Over the past twenty years, there has been little attempt to verify this claim, despite the fact that there are plenty of valid statistics on this important issue. According to an article in the June 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) there is little evidence towards dentists being more prone to stress-related suicides than the general population.
Myth 16:
All dentists just clean teeth.
Negative. Being a dentist involves first and foremost being a health care provider focusing on the oral health of one’s patients. In the Surgeon General's Report on Oral Health in America, oral health is defined as "encompassing all the immunologic, sensory, neuromuscular, and structural function of the mouth and craniofacial complex. Oral health influences and is related to nutrition, communication, self-image and societal functioning.” To be a successful dentist one must be able to recognize and appreciate the aesthetic artistry of dentistry and also be able to manage the demands of a small business. To say a dentist must love teeth is like saying a physician must love writing prescriptions for medication.
Myth 17:
I must take all of my pre-dental classes at my home institution, because it will look better to dental schools.
Not really. Many successful dental school applicants took some of their pre-dental requirements at community college in the summer or other local universities. By taking some of their core classes elsewhere, you can create more academic freedom for yourself to explore other academic interests or study abroad.
The only caveat to this is that it might look odd if you did poorly in all your science classes at your home institution and did well at an “easier” school during the summer. If you fear it may appear this way, don’t despair. Instead, let Dental Admission Strategies® help you, overcome this situation by employing strategies tailored specifically to your circumstances.
Myth 18:
I will use what I learn as a pre-dental student as a dentist.
Sadly, no. So don’t confuse pre-dental coursework with the practice of dentistry as they share very little in common, besides the very basic scientific principles.
Myth 19:
I have to start my pre-dental science sequence the first semester of my freshman year - otherwise I won’t be able to fit them in before I apply to dental school.
Not true. You could take only the requirements for two terms straight and complete your pre-dental requirements in time for the DAT and dental school. So if you want to take some time your freshman year to settle into your new environment and explore if dentistry is right for you, then by all means do it – it will likely result in you either (a.) avoiding a lot of time, energy and money pursuing dentistry when you don’t want to or (b.) you being more prepared for the rigors of the pre-requisites for dental school and more passionate about the profession of dentistry.
Myth 20:
If I don’t take the absolutely “hardest track” or pick the “hardest major,” dental schools will look down on my application.
Get over yourself. While taking the hardest classes in every subject may have helped you get into college, this simply does not translate into dental school admissions. Taking non-honors classes is just fine as dental schools do not have the time or energy to keep track of all the courses offered at every college in the nation. Regarding the choice of a major, the key is to find your academic passion and pursue it – while still taking enough of the pre-dental courses to score reasonably well on the DAT.
Myth 21:
If I do really well as a freshman, it will impress dental schools.
Not really. Dental schools pay much more attention to the trends in your grades. Your freshman year grades are not a good indicator of your dental school performance. Your grades will, however, become increasingly more important up until the point you actually apply to dental school. Many of our clients at Dental Admission Strategies® have overcome an academic stumble and still went on to dental school. Utilize our strategies to ensure that this is addressed in your application and interview, but not focused on.
Myth 22:
If I take a lot of classes each term and don’t do as well, then dental schools will understand that I took a heavy course load.
Nope. There is no question that it is better to have a higher GPA with an average course load than a low or even average GPA with a heavy course load.
On the AADSAS (universal dental school application) form, it is difficult for admission committees to figure out what classes were taken together. I have never seen an instance where admission officers take the time to tally how many units you took during individual terms. So keep in mind that more often times than not, slow and steady wins the race.
Myth 23:
I won’t know if I am making the right decision on becoming a dentist until I get into dental school.
No. Dental school won’t really tell you if you made the right decision either. The first two years of dental school are just more coursework and the last two years, while clinically focused, do not let you fully appreciate the beauty and the beast of practicing dentistry. So if you want to figure out if dentistry is right for you, then for gosh sakes, spend time with a variety of practicing dentists in a variety of fields (private practice, public practice, general practice, specialty practice, academia, research, public health policy, etc.) Realize that there’s a lot more to dentistry than cleaning teeth and filling cavities.
Myth 24:
Better pre-dental grades make me a better dentist.
Yeah right… While good undergraduate grades have some correlation to applicants’ success in applying to dental school and performance in pre-clinical dental school courses, but grades bear no statistical relationship to the quality of a dentist or their clinical performance. For that matter, neither do DAT scores. This question has been well studied. However, it is true that the better you do academically, the better dental school applicant you will be. Still, some of the nation’s best pre-dental students bomb in dental school where people skills and manual dexterity are more important than rote memorization.
Myth 25:
Good grades make me a good person, while bad grades make me a bad person.
An incredible falsity. Tragically many pre-dental students believe and internalize this myth, creating a tumultuous academic experience that inevitably ends in poor self worth. Believing this myth will make you a miserable person, and if you do happen to gain acceptance to dental school it will make you a miserable dentist.
Undergraduate pre-requisites for dental school (including organic chemistry and the DAT) are quite challenging and dental school courses are very difficult. To be able to pursue a doctorate, the highest level of education, one must be able to divorce their academic performance from their self esteem in order to take on such paramount challenges in academia. |
