dentistry @kings

OP

Original post by ratratrat

You'll need at least three A's but likely higher since grades are more inflated now than in previous years and also a stronger UCAT score than in previous years - cut-off marks for when I applied last year ended up well being above 2600+, which is quite a bit different from say 2 or 3 years ago. Work experience is important too, I got an offer from Plymouth without any but it all depends very much on the university and what they're looking for. So in other words apply to the universities that play to your strengths. My advice would be to focus on the grades and get as much relevant experience as you can. It doesn't have to be dental either, anything broadly medical is good for example volunteering in a care home. Think about how you can prove to a panel of interviewers that you're passionate about not just the science but helping people too.

Thankyou so much for your response!!!
Ive been trying with grades so far but any suggestions on unis to apply for?

Reply 3

username5319484

19

Original post by ilovesanji

I really want to do dentistry at uni but im not sure how im supposed to prepare for it. (im in year 12 btw ; doing bio,chem and psych.)

How much research have you done so far?

Reply 4

You will need:
- Work experience - virtual experience is accepted if you can’t in-person experience
- A skill showcasing manual dexterity such as painting, playing a musical instrument, cake decorating, sewing etc
- Volunteering
- Extra-curricular activities showcasing key skills such as team-work, management and leadership, organisation
- UCAT (in the summer before year 13). As high a score as possible increases your chances
- At least AAA predicted/achieved. For some schools such as Kings and Barts, they want A*AA

Reply 5

ratratrat

7

Original post by ilovesanji

Thankyou so much for your response!!!
Ive been trying with grades so far but any suggestions on unis to apply for?

It's important to remember that all of the universities you apply for will be accredited and you'll still end up being a dentist after the 5 years you spend there. That said I'd recommend applying for Sheffield, Plymouth and Bristol if you're unable to get any/as much work experience but still got the required grades. It really depends on the school - you can look online to see which one would be the best fit for you. In my experience, It's a combination of three things: work experience, UCAT, and exam results. Each university will weigh them differently so apply accordingly. Best of luck :smile:

Reply 6

OP

I see thank you!
Due to covid it is very difficult to do any sort of work experience in real life, but I have done virtual experience.
I have also wanted to start playing an instrument but I can sew!
For the UCAT do you have any suggestions on when I should begin revising or how long I should revise for?

Original post by Mesopotamian.

You will need:
- Work experience - virtual experience is accepted if you can’t in-person experience
- A skill showcasing manual dexterity such as painting, playing a musical instrument, cake decorating, sewing etc
- Volunteering
- Extra-curricular activities showcasing key skills such as team-work, management and leadership, organisation
- UCAT (in the summer before year 13). As high a score as possible increases your chances
- At least AAA predicted/achieved. For some schools such as Kings and Barts, they want A*AA

Reply 7

OP

Thankyou!!
Unfortunately because of covid work experience in clinics has been very hard to get but I have done some virtual experience!
Any tips on how to revise for UCAT (I really don't know :|) .

Original post by ratratrat

It's important to remember that all of the universities you apply for will be accredited and you'll still end up being a dentist after the 5 years you spend there. That said I'd recommend applying for Sheffield, Plymouth and Bristol if you're unable to get any/as much work experience but still got the required grades. It really depends on the school - you can look online to see which one would be the best fit for you. In my experience, It's a combination of three things: work experience, UCAT, and exam results. Each university will weigh them differently so apply accordingly. Best of luck :smile:

Reply 8

OP

At most I've learnt about UCAT , the A levels required and some extra things which schools look for!

Original post by hungrysalamander

How much research have you done so far?

Reply 9

OP

Ive been thinking recently about how I could get an offer for dentistry and simply lose it because of my interview! Any tips on interviews haha im genuinely lost.
Also yes I've been wanting to do some summer experience/volunteering but because of covid everything has been so difficult - I have done some virtual experience though.
I haven't even finish my year 12 exams yet , just did my first biology exam on Friday. So I don't even know what grades ill be getting yet.
Also adding to advice I need ; do you have any on the UCAT like revising and preparing!1
Thankyou so much <3

Original post by ratratrat

You'll need at least three A's but likely higher since grades are more inflated now than in previous years and also a stronger UCAT score than in previous years - cut-off marks for when I applied last year ended up well being above 2600+, which is quite a bit different from say 2 or 3 years ago. Work experience is important too, I got an offer from Plymouth without any but it all depends very much on the university and what they're looking for. So in other words apply to the universities that play to your strengths. My advice would be to focus on the grades and get as much relevant experience as you can. It doesn't have to be dental either, anything broadly medical is good for example volunteering in a care home. Think about how you can prove to a panel of interviewers that you're passionate about not just the science but helping people too.

Reply 10

ratratrat

7

Original post by ilovesanji

Ive been thinking recently about how I could get an offer for dentistry and simply lose it because of my interview! Any tips on interviews haha im genuinely lost.
Also yes I've been wanting to do some summer experience/volunteering but because of covid everything has been so difficult - I have done some virtual experience though.
I haven't even finish my year 12 exams yet , just did my first biology exam on Friday. So I don't even know what grades ill be getting yet.
Also adding to advice I need ; do you have any on the UCAT like revising and preparing!1
Thankyou so much <3

For UCAT revision I paid for Medify's tool - it's well worth the money in my humble opinion. It gives you detailed breakdowns of the areas you're struggling in, tips, and literally 100's of questions on everything that could come up. To tell the truth I didn't revise nearly enough lol - I probably started about 2 weeks before my exam date which is not what I'd recommend. I did alright anyway, but it really depends on the person. I'd advise you to start at least a month before so you're familiar with everything they can throw at you.

As for the interviews, I can only speak from my experience at Plymouth and Sheffield. Both were in a similar style - introductions followed by a series of questions, but Plymouth was much more focused on ethics whilst Sheffield asked more nitty-gritty questions. It depends on the university, so do your research :wink:

. The main thing that you're not told is just how relaxed the interviews actually are, to the point where it's kind of unnerving honestly. My best advice is to just breathe and remember that they're not out to get you, they just want to learn more about the student they'd be teaching. All that stress and anxiety will quickly disappear when you realise just how quickly those 15-30minutes went by.

Also keep in mind that you WILL make mistakes - you'll stumble over your words, can't think of a good answer etc. That's not unique to you though, everyone else is having the same problems as you. If a question is hard for you then chances are it's hard for everyone else. If I had time over after finishing a question and I knew there was something I wanted to correct, I would make a point and do just that. Not sure if that's good advice or not but it seemed to get a positive response each time so hey ho.

There are plenty of resources online that have examples or past questions, so I'd recommend going over those and thinking of how you'd respond. Practising that with friends/family is never a bad idea, but to be honest most of my answers came from the time I spent thinking about it in the shower. It's all up to you. Most of the 'good' answers could be boiled down to two points honestly :

1) Does it relate to you?
2) Does it relate to dentistry?

For example, the most obvious question is; why dentistry? A crap answer would be something superficial like money, a better answer would be an interest in science etc, but the best answers would be proof of said interest. Maybe a relative has suffered from poor oral health and that inspired you, or your time at a clinic really captivated you or whatever. Something that proves you have an interest/passion because you acted on it. Personally, I have suffered from anxiety in the past due to issues with my oral health, and becoming a dentist allows me to alleviate that in other people which is something I would find incredibly fulfilling. With that said DO NOT MAKE ANYTHING UP. Lying is hard and they'll know straight away. dentistry is like medicine and other tougher subjects - the passion and interest you have is what makes the workload tolerable. If you don't have it you simply aren't cut out for it and this is the interviewer's way of gaging that. Are you just a good kid with good grades or genuinely interested in the field? If you can't honestly say that you are then there's no shame in reconsidering your options.

Apologies for the rambling tone but I hope at least some of it was helpful lol. Feel free to message me if you're still stuck with anything :smile:

Reply 11

Original post by ilovesanji

I see thank you!
Due to covid it is very difficult to do any sort of work experience in real life, but I have done virtual experience.
I have also wanted to start playing an instrument but I can sew!
For the UCAT do you have any suggestions on when I should begin revising or how long I should revise for?

Sewing will come in very handy when you learn to suture! It makes things a lot easier and more enjoyable.

I'm nearing the end of my dental school journey so I sat the UCAT back when it was still called the UKCAT - I revied for 2 weeks only using the ISC book (bought off Amazon for £15) and free resources on the UCAT website. I didn't use medify or other paid packages and scored above average for my cohort and band 1 SJT - I was able to secure 4/4 interviews. My cohort was the year trialling the DM section so we were only scored on 3 sections, whereas you'll be scored on 4, so for that reason, I would recommend prepping for a bit longer, about 4 weeks. You'll see people on here suggest 6-8 weeks but in my opinion thats excessively long because 1) You may run out of resources when you get closer to your exam and 2) you'll burn out and may actually perform worse. Also, year 13 is a stressful year, so don't waste away all of your summer on UCAT prep - there's absolutely no need.

Reply 12

bea_murray0

16

Original post by ilovesanji

Ive been thinking recently about how I could get an offer for dentistry and simply lose it because of my interview! Any tips on interviews haha im genuinely lost.
Also yes I've been wanting to do some summer experience/volunteering but because of covid everything has been so difficult - I have done some virtual experience though.
I haven't even finish my year 12 exams yet , just did my first biology exam on Friday. So I don't even know what grades ill be getting yet.
Also adding to advice I need ; do you have any on the UCAT like revising and preparing!1
Thankyou so much <3

This UCAT thread is a great one to watch: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7161733&p=97371009&page=35#post97371009 and I recommend doing mock interviews with whoever you can: teachers, parents, friends, on YouTube etc. In terms of wex + volunteering it doesn't have to be directly dentistry related, I've had a part time job in a pub for 2 years that I talked about at interview for med school and HCA jobs (teamwork, communication skills, fast-paced environment), I've volunteered at a food bank (empathy, teamwork again) and coaching football at my school (communication, conflict resolution). It's not so much what you do, but what you learn and how you reflect. The 'insight into dentistry' aspect of WEX should be covered by online WEX and talking to dentists/dental students, but you need to be developing key skills for dentistry as well and personally I think those non-medical roles were more valuable to me in terms of becoming a better future doctor than my shadowing period at my local hospital (although I found that incredibly valuable too!). I am a med applicant but there are a lot of similarities in terms of WEX so while I'm no expert I'm hoping my advice can be useful still.

Reply 13

Original post by bea_murray0

This UCAT thread is a great one to watch: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7161733&p=97371009&page=35#post97371009 and I recommend doing mock interviews with whoever you can: teachers, parents, friends, on YouTube etc. In terms of wex + volunteering it doesn't have to be directly dentistry related, I've had a part time job in a pub for 2 years that I talked about at interview for med school and HCA jobs (teamwork, communication skills, fast-paced environment), I've volunteered at a food bank (empathy, teamwork again) and coaching football at my school (communication, conflict resolution). It's not so much what you do, but what you learn and how you reflect. The 'insight into dentistry' aspect of WEX should be covered by online WEX and talking to dentists/dental students, but you need to be developing key skills for dentistry as well and personally I think those non-medical roles were more valuable to me in terms of becoming a better future doctor than my shadowing period at my local hospital (although I found that incredibly valuable too!). I am a med applicant but there are a lot of similarities in terms of WEX so while I'm no expert I'm hoping my advice can be useful still.

Agreed - in fact, apart from 2 weeks I'd done in a dental practice in year 10, I didn't have any other dental work experience. However, the skills I picked up from mentoring, medical summer schools, volunteering in a charity shop and doing other extra-curricular activities were what I reflected on and spoke about in detail. Reflection is key.

Reply 14

OP

Original post by Mesopotamian.

Sewing will come in very handy when you learn to suture! It makes things a lot easier and more enjoyable.

I'm nearing the end of my dental school journey so I sat the UCAT back when it was still called the UKCAT - I revied for 2 weeks only using the ISC book (bought off Amazon for £15) and free resources on the UCAT website. I didn't use medify or other paid packages and scored above average for my cohort and band 1 SJT - I was able to secure 4/4 interviews. My cohort was the year trialling the DM section so we were only scored on 3 sections, whereas you'll be scored on 4, so for that reason, I would recommend prepping for a bit longer, about 4 weeks. You'll see people on here suggest 6-8 weeks but in my opinion thats excessively long because 1) You may run out of resources when you get closer to your exam and 2) you'll burn out and may actually perform worse. Also, year 13 is a stressful year, so don't waste away all of your summer on UCAT prep - there's absolutely no need.

hi ! thank you for this reply :0 My UCAT exam is booked for September 14th as there was none during the times I will be available (holiday etc) i wanted to start revising from around the 10th of august do you think that is enough? And congrats omg well done for getting there!

Reply 15

OP

I am so thankful for this reply!
yes so I've had it tough this year trying to get work experience like shadowing a doctor especially because of covid , I also have a part time job in the summer - similar to a bar but as a barista/waitress and I think the would be useful. Also I chose to be deputy heady student solely for the fact that I have absolutely nothing else to talk about in interviews and my personal statement. Hope med applications go well for you!

Original post by bea_murray0

This UCAT thread is a great one to watch: https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7161733&p=97371009&page=35#post97371009 and I recommend doing mock interviews with whoever you can: teachers, parents, friends, on YouTube etc. In terms of wex + volunteering it doesn't have to be directly dentistry related, I've had a part time job in a pub for 2 years that I talked about at interview for med school and HCA jobs (teamwork, communication skills, fast-paced environment), I've volunteered at a food bank (empathy, teamwork again) and coaching football at my school (communication, conflict resolution). It's not so much what you do, but what you learn and how you reflect. The 'insight into dentistry' aspect of WEX should be covered by online WEX and talking to dentists/dental students, but you need to be developing key skills for dentistry as well and personally I think those non-medical roles were more valuable to me in terms of becoming a better future doctor than my shadowing period at my local hospital (although I found that incredibly valuable too!). I am a med applicant but there are a lot of similarities in terms of WEX so while I'm no expert I'm hoping my advice can be useful still.

Reply 16

OP

I think I will definitely volunteer in the summer

Original post by Mesopotamian.

Agreed - in fact, apart from 2 weeks I'd done in a dental practice in year 10, I didn't have any other dental work experience. However, the skills I picked up from mentoring, medical summer schools, volunteering in a charity shop and doing other extra-curricular activities were what I reflected on and spoke about in detail. Reflection is key.

Reply 17

CandiiCG

5

Hello, I wanted to ask a question regarding having Cambridge Pre U mandarin as a third a level? I wasn’t sure if it would be a suitable choice. I have looked at king’s colleges entry requirements for the enhanced dentistry support programme. I have attempted ringing and emailing them, I am still waiting for a reply. Please give some advice!

Reply 18