This year at WSU has been quite eventful and very stressful for me so far. Not only have I had to deal with my impending graduation but I have also had to get those "living essentials" in order as well.
This past fall I took an amazingly informative course entitled basic electron microscopy. I learned so much from that course, not only because a lot was demanded of the students but also because it was extremely hands on with ample didactic portions to back up the practical side. The course made me see my love for the scope and also the importance of hands on courses. I highly recommend taking all the hands on biology courses you can.
I have also been involved in the Mac Users Group on campus as an officer but since it is a new group we are still trying to get our "wings" and as with any new organization, we are hitting stumbling blocks trying to make it an established organization. I highly encourage getting involved in one or a few organizations that you are very interested in and therefore don't mind getting heavily involved in. It shows dedication and passion, which are desirable qualities for admissions committees.
It's very difficult to have to worry about where to get an apartment when you apply to an out of state school because for one thing you have to first know whether or not you are accepted and dental schools can make you wait quite a while before letting you know either way. Second, you most likely will not be familiar with the area and you must utilize all available resources, which correlates to lots of investigative work on your part in finding an appropriate location in relation to your school.
I have had an interview at the Medical University of South Carolina and to be completely honest, it was incredibly nerve wrecking. I felt like it went just OK and it definitely highlighted my weaknesses so that if I don't get accepted and decide to reapply I will know what to work on in the meantime. One thing I found was that it seemed like I really didn't have much to make me stand out. My minor in Spanish is a great asset but unfortunately there was another person in my interview group that was a double major in Spanish and biology, so I felt that overshadowed my accomplishment. That same person had studied abroad just like me, so again I was overshadowed.
Another weak area was shadowing. Many of the applicants that were interviewing with me that day had shadowed a dentist for many years and shadowed many types of dentists for hundreds of hours. I was definitely lacking in that area and so I cannot stress the importance, at least in the eyes of admissions committees, of shadowing a lot. I would shadow/work for a dentist as much as you can. In dentistry this such an important thing because it not only shows the admissions committee that you have a good idea of what you are getting into but also that you are dedicated.
Waiting has been the worst part after my applications were submitted. I applied to out of state schools, primarily because my residency in Ohio, or any other state for that matter was up in the air. The schools that I have applied to definitely favor their own residents and so they have been making me wait so they can see what they have to choose from in their own state. MUSC, for example does not send rejection letters until March and the program starts in June so a lot will have to be done, accepted or rejected, within a narrow window if I do not hear anything until March.
I have done a lot so far this quarter. I have had to work on implementing a potential backup plan should I not be accepted this year including looking at job opportunities, classes, and housing arrangements. It can be discouraging but it's just being realistic. Dentistry is becoming more competitive every year. For example, a "good" DAT score five years ago would most likely just be mediocre by many dental school's standards today. It is very important to realize that you may not be accepted and so you must have a realistic backup plan.
Take home points: SHADOW SHADOW SHADOW, do what you can to stand out to the admissions committee and hope for the best but plan for the worst!
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