Dental School Answers

Hey! Guess what?! Christina and I were asked to do an interview for Dental School Answers! Their website consists of guest posts from other dental bloggers giving out tips, stories, etc. The people running the website also offer some services such as one-on-one coaching, personal statement editing, mock interviewing, and more. My interview was posted sometime this week here. So check it out and be on the look out for Christina's interview soon, too! 

Thank you so much for reading & your support,

Oli

After the jump you can also see my interview.

Interview with Olivia of Christina + Olivia

Name: Olivia Nguyen
Website: http://christina-and-olivia.com/
Bio: I am a first year dental student at UCSF. I attended UC Irvine for my undergraduate degree and majored in Biological Sciences. I am a foodie and enjoy exploring multiple cuisines. I began fiddling with my camera during my year off–exploring the camera functions and learning photo editing. I am also very passionate about music. I love to try new things and sample multiple aspects of life. In addition to my interests, I started the joint blog not only as a personal journal to keep track of my journey in dental school, but also as a means of help and resource for pre-dental students.

What are the top tips you would like to give to students applying for dental schools?

You are never quite finished aspiring to be the best applicant; there are always more hours one could set aside for volunteering/interning, more programs one can be a part of, and it is never safe to assume that there is a “safety school.” Applicants should make deadlines and follow it, that includes signing up for the DAT test immediately, asking for LORs preferably a year early, and figuring out the deadlines of secondary applications. If you need further tips or answers to common questions the Student Doctor Network is a great help. Do not give up and continue to work hard because it will be rewarding in the end when acceptance day comes!

Were you involved in any internship/program you would like to recommend to students?

I really enjoyed my time volunteering with Flying Samaritans at a dental clinic in El Testerazo. The experience helped me view dentistry in a different light–I grasped the value and necessity for the field of dentistry. Interning at different dental offices, specialties, and clinics provided me a spectrum of experiences in the dental field. If your school provides a mentor program where you are paired with a dentist, that is a good program to be a part of. The dentist can discuss with you the application process, the likes of running a dental practice, etc. In general, an applicant should expand and get involved in research and/or campus organizations he/she is interested in. Whether it be a hobby, political, cultural, or health science related organization, taking on a leadership role will provide different opportunities, experiences, and help gain valuable attributes.

Time Management Tips: studying, relaxing, working out, homework, etc. How to stay ahead in class.

During my time in undergrad, when I was boggled with so many things to do, I would write a simple to-do list. It helped break down the overwhelming load of tasks to accomplish in more doable increments of time. I would schedule when to exercise, how many pages to read for a certain class, etc, and it would become much simpler. For dental school, it has only recently started. So as of now, I am trying to follow the number one tip the upperclassmen has given me: to read lecture slides before the lecture and review the slides immediately after the lecture.

Main deciding factors for why you choose your school.

UCSF is located in one of the best cities! There’s going to be great food everywhere! The interview process was one of the more enjoyable and relaxing processes among other interviews I have had. UCSF has a reputation of having well rounded, intelligent, friendly faculty and student body. They are at the forefront of dental research, which leads me to assume that they have a top notch faculty and the students are kept updated in dental technology and discoveries. Also, the view from the library is amazing!

If your GPA is below ideal, what’s the best thing you can have on your record to subsidize that negative? Working for a dentist? A great DAT score? Over the top recommendations? All of the above? 

You never know who on the admission is reading your application and what they weigh more important. I think having all the above would be ideal, even for a person with an average GPA. It is best to prove to them how well rounded and capable you are well beyond performing adequately in academia.