In continuation of one of our previous articles, Window to Dental Specialties, there are many more different types of dental specialties to explore. After all, our mouths are such intricate elements of human anatomy that require extensive care and treatment with the development of research and science. And you might be less familiar with some of these specialties than the more well-known practices covered in our first article, but they require just as much additional studying and training beyond dental school. Continuing education and competitive residency programs are all down the road of tackling these practices. Read the rest of this article to explore more:
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The DAT is a mountain every pre-dental student must climb in order to apply to dental school. While definitely daunting, that’s not what the D stands for. The DAT, otherwise known as the Dental Admissions Test, is an entrance exam administered year-round by the American Dental Association (ADA) that is required by all dental schools. More than 14,000 people take the DAT each year, so you are not alone in your journey (ADA).
Aside from your general dentist whom you see for daily check-ups, it takes a lot of different health care providers to keep your mouth healthy. They are recognized as dental specialists who deliver unique oral care to a specific area of study as a branch to dentistry. The profession requires additional training to the four-year dental program to obtain a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree. Some specialty programs require applicants to take the Advanced Dental Admissions Test (ADAT) during their last years of dental school. Graduates can then complete a dental residency typically spanning between two to four years, depending on the specialty of interest. As a prospective dental student, it may be beneficial to explore these different specialities and sub-specialties in dentistry. Therefore, in this article we will introduce a few of these practices with a general overview to expand your view of dentistry.
Huge thanks to Reese Wilson for sharing her dental experience with us! Graduating in 2019, Reese is a UC Davis alum who is currently a third year dental student at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry. As a D3, she definitely has a busy schedule, and she’s here to share her valuable advice with Pre-Dental Society.
As for most careers, dentistry does not have one clear pathway to follow. Every pre-dental students’ journey is unique and particular to their own situations, but they all lead to one common goal: dental school. We interviewed Victoria Nguyen, a fourth-year pre-dental student at UC Davis, to hear about where she currently is in her pathway to dental school!
Beyond the Pre-Dental Society at UC Davis, the dental field continues to grow as a community, adopting more clubs and resources for students interested in the field. It can be overwhelming to decide which dental club aligns with your passions and goals because there’s an abundance to choose from. But no fear, PDS is here to help you decide which dental club you’d best resonate with! Your choices, besides the Pre-Dental Society, include Youth in Dentistry, Oral Health Society, and Operation Smile. Read more to learn what toothy opportunities await:
Applying and getting into dental school is already no easy feat, but being a dental student is another challenge. I had the pleasure of interviewing Janet Nguyen, a UC Davis alumni and current first-year dental student at the University of Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, and she gave wonderful insights into her own experiences as a former pre-dental and current dental student.
Q: Introduce yourself! A: “Hello, my name is Janet Nguyen! I graduated from UC Davis back in June 2020 with a Biological Psychology, B.S. I took one gap year to work in customer service at Amazon. I did nothing dental related except apply to schools during the gap year. I am currently a D1 at UOP and a recipient of the Navy HPSP 3 year scholarship. During my dental journey, I found it extremely helpful to get feedback from current dental students and ask about their journeys! My inbox is always open for anyone who has questions about dentistry, UOP, HPSP, or even non-related dental stuff! I’m super open to sharing all of my stats, application, interview tips, personal statement, etc!” Q: Why dentistry? A: “I chose dentistry because it gives me so [much freedom] in terms of what I get to do in my career (getting a DDS and being able to do surgery without having to go to residency), [maintaining] a healthy work-life balance, and all while being able to play a larger positive role in patients’ health and wellbeing.” Q: What were your stats in college and/or graduate school? A: GPA: 3.47 sGPA: 3.00 DAT: AA 20, TS 2 Welcome to the first UC Davis Pre-Dental Society blog article, where we hope to help pre-dental students through their journey!
What makes teeth so interesting? What makes you want to stare into someone’s mouth all day? What makes you want to fix someone else’s smile? What makes you a pre-dental student? These are the introspective questions pre-dental students find themselves pondering when deciding if dentistry is truly for them. They put us on the spot when we are at interviews, writing personal statements, or simply having a casual conversation. But these occasions have allowed each of us to build unique, individual answers that serve as reminders for our passion and dedication to pursuing a career in dentistry. Here is an inside scoop on why our PDS Board members chose dentistry and what steps they have taken to dive deeper into the field: |
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