SOS Presents: Dental Seminar

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SOS PresentsDental Seminar

• By Becky Zendel and Alan Ko

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Outline of Seminar

• DAT information
• Ontario School Requirements UofT and Western
• Out of Province Schools
• Applications
• Sample Interview Questions

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Dental Aptitude Test

• http//www.cda-adc.ca/en/dental_profession/dat/

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SECTIONS

• Carving
• Natural Sciences
• Chemistry
• Biology
• See website for detailed information regarding
  each subject
• Perceptual Ability
• Verbal Reasoning

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DURATION

• Carving Dexterity Test
• 30 minutes
• Survey of Natural Sciences Test
• 60 minutes
• Perceptual Ability Test
• 60 minutes
• Reading Comprehension
• 50 minutes

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GRADING

• Standardized
• Each section is scored out of 30

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SCORES

• Each section is scored individually
• Also scores Academic Average (Biology, Chemistry,
  Verbal Reasoning)
• Often this is what the Universities look at
  Scientific average (Biology and Chemistry)

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American vs. Canadian DAT

• No manual dexterity/carving
• NOT accepted for entry into Canadian Schools
• Canadian version IS accepted by American Schools

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FEES

• Registration 230
• Test Prep Materials
• Carving Kit 65 GST/HST
• Additional Soap 35 GST/HST
• Kaplan Test Prep Book 81 (Book List Price)

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TESTING DATES

• Held in November and December
• November 2009 test date
• Registration closed
• February 2010 test date
• Registration deadline 15th of January

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U of T Dental School

• Largest dental school in Canada
• 70 dentists graduate each year

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UofT

• Applicants must have completed three years of
  university education (i.e. at least 15 full year
  courses or equivalent)
• The earliest time at which applicants may apply
  is during the third year of their program
• Any courses completed after May 31, 2008 will not
  be considered for admission to the 2008-2009
  session.

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UofT - Prerequisites

• 3 years of university studies
• a full course in general biochemistry.
• a full course in general mammalian (human or
  animal) physiology.
• two additional full courses in Life Sciences (For
  example anatomy, biochemistry, biology, botany,
  genetics, immunology, microbiology, molecular
  genetics, biol- ogy, neuroscience, nutritional
  Sciences, pharmacology, toxicology, physiology,
  zoology)
• one full course in a Humanities or Social Science

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UofT

• A minimum current grade point average of 2.7
  (4.0 scale) is required.
• Interview cut-offs
• GPA 3.83
• DAT 20 (AA)
• The worst academic year will be dropped from
  the calculation of an applicant's cumulative
  grade point average provided that (a) the
  applicant has completed four or more years of
  university education by May 31st of the proposed
  year of entry, and (b) the year with the lowest
  grades is not the applicant's most recently
  completed year of study.

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Cost

• Annual Fees (domestic students)
• Tuition 24,421.00
• Non-academic incidental fees 907.30
• Dental instruments 5482.00
• TOTAL 30,810.30

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UofT - DAT

• The DAT must have been taken within two calendar
  years prior to the application deadline.
• If the test is written more than once, the
  highest set of DAT scores will be used.

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UofT

• December APPLICATION DEADLINE. Application forms
  accompanied by the non-refundable application
  service fee of 230 must be received in the
  Admissions Office.
• Official transcripts and certificates covering
  all previous university and other post-secondary
  education must be received in the Admissions
  Office.

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UofT

• Criteria for selection
• academic achievement
• DAT scores
• the interview process
• personality test scores

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Schulich Medicine and Dentistry at Western

• Does not require a full course load every year
  but a penalty is applied to the applicants score

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Western

• The average achieved in an academic year in which
  fewer than four full-course equivalents (24
  credits) are taken will not be considered in
  entrance decisions.
• Courses taken during the Summer sessions will not
  normally be counted as part of the five courses.

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Western

• To be eligible for admission to Dentistry,
  applicants must complete a minimum of 2 years of
  an accredited undergraduate university program,
  and have taken specific science course
  prerequisites.

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Western - Prerequisites

• All candidates must complete approved physiology,
  biochemistry and organic chemistry courses
• If a candidate applies to enter prior to
  completing an undergraduate degree, approved
  introductory biology, chemistry and physics
  courses are also mandatory

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Western - Prerequisites

• Recommended Prerequisites
• AS/SC/KINE 3011 3012 (both)
• OR
• SC/BIOL 3060 3070 (both)

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Western

• Should a prerequisite course be successfully
  completed during the summer term, the course
  requirement is considered fulfilled.

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Western

• In order to be considered competitive, candidates
  must have achieved at least 80 or higher in two
  undergraduate level years by the end of the
  application cycle in which the candidates are
  registered.

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Western - DAT

• Only the score of the most recent DAT completed
  within the TWO years prior to the application
  deadline of December 1 will be used.

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Western

• Deadline for completion (for graduation in 2014)
  of the application is December 1, 2009. There
  will be no time extensions.
• Application will be available early October
• There is a 250 non-refundable application fee.
• Contact Admissions Coordinator - Dentistry
• Telephone [phone] FAX [phone]
• Email admissions.dentistry_at_schulich.uwo.ca

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Western

• Admission to Dentistry is based on academic
  ability and personal qualities, as evidenced by
• 1) Academics (GPA)
• 2) Dental Aptitude Test (DAT)
• 3) An interview

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Western - Last Year

• Applications 671
• Gender
• Female 378
• Male 293
• Class Size 54
• Females 30
• Males 24

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Western - Last Year

• Qualifications of Admitted ApplicantsClass
  average based on best 2 years preceding
  admission 84.75
• Interview 81.85

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Western Last Year

• Dental Aptitude Test Average Scores
• Reading 20
• Biology 20
• Chemistry 20
• Perception 19
• Carving 19
• Composite Score over 5 Sections - 98

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Western Last Year

• Age range 20-30
• Median 23
• Average 23

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Dental Schools Outside of Ontario

• Dalhousie
• McGill
• University of Alberta
• University of British Columbia
• University of Manitoba

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Dalhousie

• accepts up to 36 candidates to the first year of
  the D.D.S. program (preference is given to
  Canadian applicants who are from the Atlantic
  Provinces)
• Admission to the four-year Doctor of Dental
  Surgery program requires the completion of a
  minimum of 10 full-year (2 years) academic
  classes at the undergraduate level.
• Academic requirements
• One full-year academic class in each of biology,
  general chemistry, physics, organic chemistry
  (each of these courses must include laboratory
  instruction) an approved one-term Bio-organic
  Chemistry course may be substituted for the full
  year Organic Chemistry class
• Two full-year academic courses (or four one-term
  courses) chosen from the humanities and/or social
  sciences
• One full year (or two one-term) writing course
• One university course (full year or one term) in
  each of the following Introductory Biochemistry,
  Introductory Microbiology, and Vertebrate
  Physiology. These courses should be at the second
  year level or higher and applicants are
  encouraged to contact the Faculty of Dentistry
  for approval of selected courses.

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• Applicants with the best academic record have
  the greatest chance of admission
• The Admissions Committee makes significant use of
  non-academic factors in deciding which applicants
  are admitted. These include the Dental Aptitude
  Test, interview, a personality-factors test, and
  references
• Applicants must complete the Dental Aptitude
  Test no later than February to be considered for
  admission to the following academic year (it is
  recommended that you complete the November DAT in
  the event you wish to retake the DAT in February)
• Applicants must complete the DAT within two
  years of applying for the program. Most
  successful applicants have achieved a score of 15
  or better on each of the components of the DAT.

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• Admissions Profile
• Number of applicants237
• Number accepted 36
• Average in required science subjects A-
• Average in Higher science subjects
  (biochemistry, microbiology, physiology) A-
• Average in final 60 University hours A- 

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McGill

• A Bachelors degree.
• Applicants must have received an undergraduate
  degree or be in the final year of a course of
  study at a recognized college or university in a
  program leading to an undergraduate degree
  consisting of 120 credits over eight semesters
  following completion of high school.

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McGill

• A cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher (on a 4.0
  scale) is considered competitive
• Specific course requirements.
• One year full course load (2 semesters) in each
  of the following courses, with laboratory
• General Biology
• General Chemistry
• Organic Chemistry
• Physics
• University-level courses in Biochemistry, Cell
  and Molecular Biology are strongly recommended.
• Students applying for admission to the four-year
  program must complete the DAT no later than the
  Fall of the year in which they are submitting
  applications.

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University of Alberta

• CRITERIA
• The minimum requirement for admission to the DDS
  Program is the satisfactory completion of 60 of
  transferable postsecondary work (2 years), of
  which 30 (5 full year course equivalents or 10
  half year course equivalents) must be taken
  during one Fall/Winter
• The preprofessional course requirements are
• (1) General Chemistry (6)
• (2) Organic Chemistry (6)
• (3) Biology(6)
• (4) Physics (6)
• (5) English (6)
• (6) Statistics (3)
• (7) Introductory Biochemistry (3)

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University of Alberta

• Applicants must write the Canadian Dental
  Aptitude Test (DAT)
• if the test is taken more than once, the best set
  of scores will be used, (at the latest, the
  November prior to admission)
• meet minimum requirements a score of 15 or more
  must be achieved in each of Reading
  Comprehension, Perceptual Ability and Manual
  Dexterity. 

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University of British Columbia

• Receive 300-350 applications each year and accept
  only 40 students
• Be a Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident
• Complete 3 academic years (90 credits) at a
  recognized faculty at The University of British
  Columbia, or its equivalent
• Achieve a minimum overall Grade Point Average of
  70 or 2.8 on a 4.0 grading scale for ALL
  college/university work (including failed
  courses)
• Three components of the DAT are used in our
  calculations Academic Average, Perceptual Test
  and the Carving Test
• minimum score of 12 must be obtained on the
  carving portion of the exam for your application
  to be considered

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University of British Columbia

• English, Math, Chemistry, Physics, Biology,
  Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry (full year)
• To reduce traveling expenses, out of province
  applicants may have their interview conducted at
  another dental school that participates in the
  revised CDA structured interview and details will
  be provided upon request.

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University of Manitoba

• number of out-of-province students vary from
  year to year. Out-of-province applicants and
  Manitoba residents compete equally for the first
  29 positions in the class (wait list is made up
  of Manitoba residents)
• require 2 years of undergraduate
• courses biology, chemistry, organic chemistry,
  biochemistry, physics, English, non-science
  course
• As guidance for prospective students, successful
  applicants have recently had an average Adjusted
  Grade point average (AGPA) of 3.7, had Dental
  Aptitude Test (DAT) scores averaging from 18-23
  and have been within the top 20 of the pool when
  interviewed
• Grades, interview and DAT score equally weighted

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Interview Questions

• Often times board directors, CEOs, etc, like to
  be kept up to date on the progress of a project.
  How would you, as the leader of the project, make
  sure that these people are kept up to date?
• One of your close friends parents have just
  gotten a divorce and she's very upset over it.
  What would you do?
• Lately you've been noticing that one of your
  friends has been acting strangely, and you and
  your other friends often talk about her. What
  would you do?
• Have you ever been involved in a group project
  where one person didn't do their share of the
  work, but still got the same mark? What did you
  do? or what would you do if you have never
  actually experienced that?
• You have just submitted in a project/proposal,
  and everyone complements you and says what a
  great job that you've done. Except for one
  person, who just criticizes everything you did,
  and tears the project apart. What would you do?
• 6) You have just been accepted to a couple of the
  schools that you've applied to for Dentistry. How
  would you go about making your decision about
  which school to go to?

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Questions Continued

• 7) Have you ever been in a situation where you
  have disagreed with a decision made by one of
  your supervisors?
• 8) Have you ever been in a situation where you
  have disagreed with the actions of someone very
  close to you? What did you do?
• 9) Have you ever had to reassure someone of a
  decision that you have made but that they do not
  agree with?
• 10) Do you play any sports? What's your favorite
  sport?
• 11) Why do you want to be a dentist?
• 12) Tell us about a mistake that you have made at
  some point in your life.

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Advice from a Dental Student

• different universities have different approaches
  to teaching Dentistry - some are more practical
  oriented, some more theory oriented, and some are
  Problem-Based Learning, so you should look into
  this- what is the curriculum like at the school,
  and choose the school that suits you best
• If you are not very good in art or things like
  that, then consider taking private classes for
  the Carving Section for the DAT

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• For the interview, the questions are almost
  always from the CDA- sometimes at the end, if
  they have time, they'll ask you a typical 'why do
  you want to be a dentist' or 'what do you like to
  do in your free time' type of question. Other
  than that, the questions are like, 'Here is a
  hypothetical situation, what would you do?' or
  'Have you ever been in a situation where.... and
  what did you do?'
• Dentistry is not easy!!! There's a lot of work
  involved! The upper years and teachers are there
  to help you. No one wants you to do poorly. And
  it is not competitive anymore like in Undergrad
• If you can, you should just apply! Who cares if
  you don't get in, you should just apply for the
  experience. That's what I was doing, but somehow
  I actually got in!! )

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Contact info

• Alan Ko alanko_at_yorku.ca
• Becky Zendel- rzendel_at_yorku.ca