* Dentistry 2013 Applications *

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Hi,

just some background: my names Natasha, I'm 17 and i'm in year 12...just beginning my university applications.

At gcse i got 5 A*s, 4 As and 1 B... currently awaiting AS predictions and results (hopefully all As!)

Anyway my top choice is glasgow university, I am about 99.9% sure I want to take a gap year...however Glasgow doesn't accept deferred entry.

This scares me as I won't have a guaranteed place and will have to apply on the year (2013)..

I was thinking, could I apply this year, see if I get a place:
- so if i DO, I know I have enough to be accepted the next year (hopefully), I would then reject this, and then apply AGAIN in 2013..
-but if i DON'T, then I would improve my skills etc from the gap year anyway and hopefully get accepted the next year

sorry if this is really confusing by the way...so would that be allowed-to apply twice after rejecting the offer the first time? or should i just apply deferred entry for 4 choices not including glasgow this year and then apply glasgow next year?

basically im a really confused girl, so if you can help me in anyway i would greatly appreciate it!!

Your first idea of applying this year, hopefully getting a Glasgow offer, rejecting the offer, applying next year, and getting another offer will NOT work. If you applied this year and got a Glasgow offer and rejected it - why would they even interview you next year? They would think that you rejected them for a particular reason the first year, maybe you preferred another Uni. Then they would think that maybe you didn't get the grades or something happened that meant that you couldn't go to your first choice Uni, so you had to apply again and are putting them down as an almost certain offer. This method does not give off the impression that they are your top choice, at all. I really wouldn't do this. If you got the offer the first year and rejected it they would most likely reject you the following year, or if you didn't get the offer the first year, but got an interview, some schools say (Liverpool I know is one) that if you were interviewed and then rejected you will be immediately rejected if you apply again.

Now, your second plan is to apply for 4 deferred choices this year, not including Glasgow, (so you will be going to Uni in 2014), hopefully get some offers, and then apply to Glasgow for 2014 entry normally. There is a major problem here; UCAS won't let you. Say you applied this year and you got a deferred offer from Y dental school. UCAS will not allow you to hold on to your deferred offer from Y and apply to Glasgow normally. You would either have to hold on to your offer from Y and go there if you got the grades, or reject your offer from Y and apply straight to Glasgow.

As I see it you have 3 options:
1) Apply to University this year for deferred entry. Hopefully get an offer at a UK Dental school for deferred entry, then hold on to this offer and attend this Dental school.
2) Apply to University this year for deferred entry. Hopefully get an offer from one Dental school. Decide in May next year (usually when the deadline is) whether is it really is worth risking this offer that you hold for Glasgow. If so, reject the offer then apply to Glasgow.
3) Don't apply this year, apply next year for normal entry for Glasgow.

Personally I would choose option number 2. I would apply to Dental schools for deferred entry as normal this year. Go on open days and find a few that you like the look of. You have to remember that Glasgow cannot be your be-all-and-end-all. What happens if even when you do apply to Glasgow, you get rejected? You need to find other Dental schools that you are willing to attend almost as much as Glasgow. Obviously, everyone will have a favourite school, but there can't be just one University you want to go to, it's too much of a risk. Then, if you get an offer this year for deferred entry at another school, decide before May next year whether it is worth the risk rejecting this offer just for one University. Personally, I don't think it is, but that's up to you to decide and determine how confident you are about your application to Glasgow. I'd say definitely apply this year to other Unis for deferred entry, as the experience of the application process will be beneficial. Doing the UKCAT, practicing interviews will all be beneficial, especially if you do decide that you'll be applying for Glasgow next year.

Also, just a word of advice. At the start of my UCAS application for 2012 entry, my two favourite schools were Kings and Leeds, and I was 99.9% sure I'd go to one of them. I loved Leeds as a city, the masters programme really appealed to me, and Kings has an amazing reputation worldwide and has great connections with 3 London hospitals. I got rejected before interview from Leeds, but for Kings I got an offer 1 week after interview. After going for interviews at my 2 other schools, and getting offers for both, staying overnight and doing some proper research into all 3 of my offers, I've firmed Newcastle and I am so excited to hopefully start in September. Kings didn't even end up as my insurance, I declined their offer. Your opinions can change, and although Glasgow may seems so amazing right now, that can easily be altered by visits elsewhere. Even if next year Glasgow is still your #1 choice, you will at least be able to find 1 Dental school that you like almost as much as Glasgow.

Reply 121

dent90

Original post by inspiron1

Is canvas painting sufficient to demonstrate manual dexterity, or is it better to have something which involves 3D work e.g. model making.

Hey, inspiron1 hope your well, just wondering if you'l be able to let me know how your application process goes and if you hear anything back from the unis you have applied to. All the best and inshAllah you hear back from the uni of your choice. I think if i hear good news from yourself, l have a little more hope when i apply lol. Tried messaging you but for some reason wouldnt go through :confused:

Reply 122

MB95

Hello everyone again! :biggrin:

My grades are hopefully okeyish for dentistry and i would have enough work exp. and everything..What i just want to learn is which universities are looking for high ukcat scores or put a lot importance on it?
Thanks in advance!

Reply 123

jojo1995

Original post by MB95

Hello everyone again! :biggrin:

HI,what would you say is 'enough work experience' I need some advice on the duration to try and get. Thanks. Also kcl look quite strongly at your ukcat score. Unfortunately I am unaware of the other unis. :smile:

Reply 124

.inspiron1

Original post by jojo1995

How much have you got?

Manchester want 10 days.
King's don't have a minimum requirement.
Leeds want 6 months +.
Glasgow want 3 days.
Bristol want 20 days.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 125

.inspiron1

Original post by MB95

Hello everyone again! :biggrin:

The following universities place high emphasis on the UKCAT:

Sheffield - 650+
Newcastle - 640+
King's - 650+
Glasgow - 650+

Reply 126

jojo1995

Original post by .inspiron1

How much have you got?

Manchester and Bristol want 10 days.
King's don't have a minimum requirement.
Leeds want 6 months +.
Glasgow want 3 days.

Wow - Leeds ask for a lot!!
I am worried about my w/e at an NHS dental practice, I've only managed to get 7 days :s but I'm working on getting some more - hopefully things go well. Thank you for the information :smile:

Reply 127

.inspiron1

Original post by jojo1995

No worries, Leeds quoted that when I rang them a few weeks back. Although I have seen people with less than 6 months get interviews.

Reply 128

.inspiron1

Original post by jojo1995

Just make sure you have long-term in a VARIETY of settings; it's all about variety with Leeds. I got rejected last time and I only had NHS general, orthodontics and dental lab. This time I have general (NHS and private), orthodontics, dental lab, community and dental hospital.

So even if you did every Monday for 10 weeks in general, + 3 days in dental lab, + 1 week in community, + 1 week in private, + 2 days oral and maxillofacial surgery, that would be good for Leeds.

Reply 129

EcclesReece

Tip for Leeds: they love hospital placements. A girl I know is there and she said they were really interested about how she found her hospital placement to be, etc. And as far as I know, she only did a few weeks worth of experience altogether. Like no more than 4 weeks. However, this was when she applied for 09/10 entry, so the admissions could have got a lot more strict now.

Reply 130

EcclesReece

Original post by .inspiron1

Does a dental hospital count, such as one attached to a dental school where current dental students are? I observed oral surgery, emergency dental, restorative, general anesthetic, sedation, prosthodontics, perio and paediatric at the dental hospital whilst shadowing both dental students and clinical tutors.

Or are they looking for hospital placements in a general hospital e.g. orthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral surgery etc?

We both lived in Wigan at the time, and I'd assume she did it at the general hospital there, as I know that they do maxfax work experience. But I'd like to think yours counts just as much!

Reply 131

PhoenixxX

Original post by .inspiron1

How much have you got?

Manchester and Bristol want 10 days.
King's don't have a minimum requirement.
Leeds want 6 months +.
Glasgow want 3 days.

I thought Bristol wanted 20 days?
Have they reduced it?! That would be great :biggrin:

Reply 132

.inspiron1

Original post by PhoenixxX

I thought Bristol wanted 20 days?
Have they reduced it?! That would be great :biggrin:

My bad.

Reply 133

rawragee

Do I actually stand any chance with the bare minimum work experience? :frown:

I'll only have around 3-7 days by October.

Reply 134

.inspiron1

Original post by rawragee

Do I actually stand any chance with the bare minimum work experience? :frown:

I'll only have around 3-7 days by October.

Just don't apply to the ones that specify a minimum amount. I think you should be okay with KCL and Glasgow. Maybe your referee could mention you found it hard to get experience because of your age.

Reply 135

wallflowers

okay i have a question to ask, basically i can only apply to Glasgow and Dundee for dentistry because I cant afford to go outwith Scotland. Essentially I was hoping somebody could advise me on what other courses to apply for which I could use to eventually enter into dentistry. Courses at Aberdeen preferrably. thanks

Reply 136

LL1

Original post by wallflowers

Look on the Glasgow and aberdeen website in the dentistry section entry requirements...should say what courses they accept.

This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

Reply 137

ZA.1

Finally got my PS to be 1 page long after being 1,500 characters over the limit. Now to tweak and refine until it's gold standard. How's the preparation going for everyone else?

Reply 138

sangchu

Original post by .inspiron1

Bristol want 20 days.

For everyone who was asking about Bristol having a minimum 20 days, when I went to the Bristol open day, the admissions tutor said that she has removed this minimum because it is unfair on those students who live in remote areas and simply cannot get this many days and they understand that getting work experience is very difficult.

And another good point about minimum days is that what you've learnt from the experience is more important than counting days.