Try again - dentistry ?

Zebra1962

I have had two goes at getting a place
i have excellent IB and UCAT scores
I dont have a place
What shall i do
where is best for another go

Reply 1

King_George_Weah

Have you received interviews? If so, have to requested any feedback as to why you were rejected? If you haven't received interviews have you also requested feedback on this?

Have you sought advice from tutors/mentors as to why you might have been unsuccessful? Perhaps have you looked at the university websites to see what they look for outside of the academic requirements in terms of work experience, manual dexterirty proof etc.? How were your scores in admissions tests like UCAT etc.?

I'm always a believer that no application is perfect and there are things that can always be improved upon. That being said you have applied twice without succes and unless you think you can make a significant improvement on your application for another try, you may need to consider carefully whether this is best use of your time and resources. You could of course apply for an alternative programme alongside your Dentistry options, for example Pharmacy or Optometry and if you got the equivalent of at least a 2:1 or 1st, could consider applying to study Dentistry as a graduate?

The flipside is if you were a qualified Pharmacist or Optometrist you would also be able to work as a locum (if you have the time) during your studies to supplement your income and they're both excellent careers with excellent prospects.

Don't rush into making a decision, you still have a while yet. Indeed if you wanted to apply and study Dentistry abroad that is a possibility. You could even perhaps start abroad and reapply in the UK? There's the Irish Schools as well which are super competitive but they're an option.

Maybe sit down with a careers adviser or your tutor and discuss your options and see what works best for you. Neither of the above options means giving up on being a Dentist and tbf you only come to that point if you personally decide you no longer want to pursue it.

What's required here is a an assessment of what you've done right and wrong up to this point, how you can improve and perhaps place the strongest possible application to give this a further shot.

Good luck.

Reply 2

toothysmile

What the previous poster said was great but I wouldn't recommend grad entry its very competitive...

Reply 3

King_George_Weah

Original post by toothysmile

What the previous poster said was great but I wouldn't recommend grad entry its very competitive...

Well here's the thing. As far as I am aware there are only three graduate entry/fast-track dental programmes where you can complete the programme in 4 instead of 5 years: Aberdeen, UCLAN, and King's I believe. In any case you would still want to consider a standard-entry programme too. GEPs are statistically far more competitive but at the same time the standard programmes don't have a specific quota for graduate applicants. You would need to decide whether you'd be happy doing an extra year or not.

No route into Dentistry is "easier" but as I said, there are always ways to improve an application and simply put it if you ticked all the academic boxes, it's the non-academic criteria you have tripped up on (notwithstanding admissions tests).

With regards to graduate-entry and other career options again you need to consider whether you could realistically afford to continue reapplying and the time, money, and energy that takes up. Qualifying as a Pharmacist is by no means a bad career at all and some would argue it's more "lucrative" than Medicine and Dentistry in the working/life balance sense (I couldn't possibly comment on the financial aspect).

Nevertheless, you still have a number of options including in Ireland if you still wanted to go via the undergraduate Dentistry route but it's going to require a lot of research, weighing up the pros and cons, and ultimately, you deciding what is best for your future career and indeed your life.

Reply 4

momomo1234

Original post by Zebra1962

I have had two goes at getting a place
i have excellent IB and UCAT scores
I dont have a place
What shall i do
where is best for another go

You could study Dentistry in Europe, I know MedentEurope (search them on instagram) operates to help students get into dentistry into Europe, a few of my friends on gap years went through them recently.

Reply 5

McGinger

Depends how badly you want this doesnt it.
Ask for feedback. Think carefully and honestly about your Interview performance.

Get a job in a care home or similar, and try again.
If necessary, apply to different Unis - remember, it doesnt matter where you train as a dentist.