2016 dentistry applicants

Original post by hulk_smash!

any graduates here???
also anyone started looking at ukcat! i find it so hard and worried that I wont get a good score when it comes to the real thing

(2.1 in Biomedical Sciences btw)

I'm a grad. I got 3 interviews and 2 offers (I didn't attend the 3rd interview) depending on where you wanna apply ukcat plays different roles-at KCL/qmul ukcat plays a major role on whether you get an interview so you need a well above average score

Reply 93

Original post by lois griffin

Do you have contacts within the profession?
If not then you should take whatever work experience you can, whenever you can..... obtaining work experience placements for dentistry can be really difficult and you MUST get the minimum 2 weeks (and btw for some universities you must state the amount of time in your personal statement or you will be automatically rejected),
The minimum is 2 weeks GDP but if you get an opportunity for specialist work experience such as max-fax then I would definitely go for it, whenever the opportunity arose.
If you are confident you can organise work experience then I would organise it now (to secure your place) If you can pick and choose when to do your work exp, personally I would organise a few days in the Feb half term or Easter holidays in order to get a snapshot of dentistry (if you don't like it you can start looking at other options/uni courses)
I would also organise at least 2 weeks at the beginning of your summer holiday.Don't leave it til the end of the summer holiday in case your work experience is cancelled, for whatever reason. If possible it is good to do work experience in different practices, nhs and private.
Personally I would recommend you doing work exp in blocks of at least a week. Work experience is not just about observing clinical skills, it's about discerning whether dentistry is the career for you. Work shadowing 9-5 for whole weeks will enable you to get a sense of what it is like to work in a dental surgery full time and build relationships with members of the clinical team so that you can ask questions.

I was wondering if unis would require evidence when you say you've done 2 weeks? Because I just did it but didn't get any sort of letter as proof? All I did was book it with my dentist for 2 weeks and then did it and then thats it if that makes sense?! Do you think I should get one as proof?

Reply 94

Original post by mrchemistry

I was wondering if unis would require evidence when you say you've done 2 weeks? Because I just did it but didn't get any sort of letter as proof? All I did was book it with my dentist for 2 weeks and then did it and then thats it if that makes sense?! Do you think I should get one as proof?

Most don't ask but perhaps ask your dentist to write you a little recommendation letter just incase?

Reply 95

Original post by eshdentist

Most don't ask but perhaps ask your dentist to write you a little recommendation letter just incase?

Will do, thanks for the advice! Are you doing A2s this year? :smile:

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Reply 96

Original post by mrchemistry

Will do, thanks for the advice! Are you doing A2s this year? :smile:

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I'm a grad :-) starting grad dentistry in August :smile:

Reply 97

Original post by eshdentist

I'm a grad :-) starting grad dentistry in August :smile:

Oh nice! What are you graduating from? And which uni are you going to go to?

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Reply 98

Original post by mrchemistry

Oh nice! What are you graduating from? And which uni are you going to go to?

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I graduated in biomed 2 years ago, and I'm going to KCL :-)

Reply 99