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Week 5: The
Four-Year Plan
Today's Agenda
•Announcements
•DAT Q’s of the Week
• “The Four-Year Plan”
Announcements
• CDA Cares Trip Deposit (Due by Week 7)
• PDS Hot Cocoa Fundraiser (Thursday, 2/7)
• Tooth Waxing and Denture Pre-Dental Course (Saturday, 2/9)
• Kaplan Practice Test (Saturday, 2/9)
• Beach Cleanup (Saturday, 2/9)
• Village Montessori School Presentations (Friday, 2/8)
DAT - Biology
What acts as a catalyst in the following reaction?CO2 + H2O -----> C6H12O6 + O2A. LightB. ADPC. CO2D. ChlorophyllE. None
Answer
D. Chlorophyll is a green pigment essential as an e- donor, and for light capture in photosynthesis. When protons of light strike clorophyll moleculs, those molecules transfer the energy of light to their e-. Energy funcions to 1. ADP to ATP, 2. NADP to NADPH, 3. Split H2O into 2H+ and 1/2 O2.
DAT – Perceptual Ability
The Four – Year
Plan
The game plan for your
dental school ambitions!
A Checklist for First Year
Classes to Take• Biology (93/94/3A)• General Chemistry (1A-1C, labs)• English Composition (Writing 39/Hum. Core)• GE Classes (e.g. psychology, speech)
Where to Seek Extra Help • LARC• UCI Peer Tutoring Program (free)• Private tutoring• Professor's or TA's Office Hours
A Checklist for First Years
• Start building on your extracurriculars!• Community Service
o e.g. Jumpstart, Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross, Alpha Epsilon Delta, hospital
• Dental-related volunteeringo e.g. community health center,
private practices, mission trips• Shadowing
A Gentle Reminder for First Years
• Do your best in your classes. Start the year strong with a high GPA.
• Ask for advice from dentists or upperclassmen
• Explore dentistry more to see if it's right for youo How?
Pre-Dental Hands-On Courses (e.g. Vinmars Solutions at UCI, UoP, UNLV)
Shadowing different dentists
2nd Year - Academics
• KEEP YOUR GRADES UP and STUDY - sophomore year is tough!
• Research (Bio 199) - Look into labs you would be interested in joining and apply, apply, apply
o Doesn't have to be dental-related
• Figure out dental school prerequesites and make a courseplan!
o 2012 ADEA Official Guide to Dental Schools
o Schools you'd be interested in
2nd Year - Academics
• Get to know your professors - possible LORs!o UCI's LOR service – Cheap and easy!o Attend office hours frequently and stand
out!
• DATo Decide on when to take it: over the
summer (right after ochem!) or the next year (gap year)
Huge time commitment to self-study/take a class
2nd Year - Extracurriculars
• Begin shadowing a dentist, if you haven't already
o Remember, you'll need a LOR from one!
o Dental Assisting if at all possible
• Volunteering
o Internships, clinical volunteering, even volunteering with organizations like Habitat for Humanity, Flying Sams, etc.
2nd Year – Extracirriculars
• Student clubs, organizations here on campus
o Leadership positions
o Clubs here on campus: Pre-Dental Society, pre-health frats (AED, PDE), community service organizations (APO, Circle K)
• Hobbies and Interests
o Take up/learn activities that require manual-dexterity (if you don't have any)
Summer's the perfect time to pick up a new hobby!
2nd Year - Extracurriculars cont.
• Hobbies and Interests
o Having a skill or activity that demonstrates your manual dexterity will impress dental schools
Junior Year - Required
•University Requirements
•Take Upper Division Bio Classes
• Physiology with Loudon (Fall)
• Cell Bio with McGregor/Sutterland (Winter)
• Neurobiology (Spring)
• Bio 100• DAT• Get Busy. Really Busy.
Junior Year – Options!
•Research
•Shadow/Work at a Dental Office
•Leadership Opportunities
•Community Service
•Hobbies… you need a life outside of dentistry and class.
Junior Year - Applying Early• Start looking at dental
schools• ADEA Official Guide to
Dental Schools• DAT
• $360• Kaplan Practice Exam
(Saturday)• Letters of
Recommendation• Fall/Winter Quarter• Communicate with
Professors• Portfolio• UROP & Excellence• Personal Statement• Apply for Dental School
Senior Year-AADSAS• Apply in June! We aren’t kidding. JUNE!
o Through the ADEA Associated American Dental Schools Application Service (AADSAS)
o Application opens June 3rd , 2013 for the 2014 cycle
o Canadian schools use AADSAS
o Texas schools use TMDSAS
o To be considered a competitive applicant, you should turn in your AADSAS application between early June-late August
o Admissions is on a rolling basis-- the sooner you turn it in the better!
o AADSAS application deadlines: October-February
Senior Year- Secondaries/Interviews
• After reviewing your initial AADSAS application, most schools will ask you to complete secondary applications
o From June-August
o Secondaries deadline: usually 1-2 months after receiving the secondary application
• In conclusion: The actual filling out of all applications lasts from June-September.
• Schools will start giving out interviews in August
o Begin preparing for interviews in June
o Look for common interview questions online, research about each school, what their interviews are like, etc.
o Practice!!
Senior Year-Waiting Game...• Schools begin handing out acceptances/rejections on
December 2nd, 2013 for the 2014 cycle IF you have interviewed before December 2nd
o 30 days to accept the offer
• Interviews continue from December-April
o Notification of your status after post-December interviews: 2-4 weeks after your interview
• The 2013 Dental School Year begins in August-September!
Senior Year-Almost There!
• While all of this is going on…continue to focus on your grades
o Academic Update: update your grades from Spring quarter 2013-Fall quarter 2014
o Academic Update period: November-February
• Continue research, shadowing, participation in clubs, etc.
• Have some fun!
Gap Year – What do should I do?
• Shore up your application! Where could you use the most improvement?
• GPA Booster or Academic Credibility?
o Post-Bac Programs
o SMP’s Specialized Master’s Program
• “I didn’t really shadow much…”
o GO SHADOW! YOU CAN’T GET IN WITHOUT IT!
o General dentistry or clinics
• “I didn’t really give back much”
o Go volunteer! There are volunteer clinics out there.
o Things you are passionate about are better than only dental.
Gap Year – Post Bac’s/SMP’s • Post Bac’s
o SFSU – Also have special UoP connection option
o UCSF
• SMP’s
o Western U – MS Medical Sciences
o USC – MS Global Medicine
o Boston U
MA Medical Sciences
Oral-Health Track
o Midwestern Arizona – MA Biomedical Science
• Bio Sci Student Affairs has an entire list on their website!
Gap Year – Final Thoughts
• Best advice? Don’t do nothing.
o Do something with your time, but be productive.
o If it’s something you wouldn’t want to talk about in an interview, don’t do it.
o Show you still love dentistry.
• Don’t freak out. You aren’t alone.
One day, you will all get to your goal!
Develop your plan, and never give up.
REMINDER! STAY AFTER IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON VOLUNTEERING THIS FRIDAY AT THE
CHILDREN’S ORAL HYGIENE PRESENTATION
