2 and Counting...

After nearly 4 months I received my second interview request. This time from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and I could not have been more delighted. You see, I love Chicago and the thought of staying here for dental school gets me excited.

What was interesting about this interview request was an advertisement for UIC's DDS/PhD. I say advertisement because it was couched in that way - a short blurb asking a rhetorical question, followed by a "to learn more contact..." I found it strange, but I had to check it out.

For a long time I have wrestled with the thought of doing PhD work. After college, I spent the better part of a year kicking around applying for graduate or dental school. Eventually, dental school won out, and I swept my PhD aspirations under the rug. That is, until now.

The DDS/PhD program is attractive for numerous reasons. One is the flexibility it offers students in terms of what they will devote their research work, too. Sure, I cannot go off and study anything related to the oral cavity, but from what I understand, faculty are open to new ideas and areas of study. Another reason I find the program attractive is that it is not only concerned with conducting research, but also applying research. Thus, all the great findings in the lab will find its way into the general public in at least some capacity. And finally, I can complete the program in 6-7 years, which I find unbelievable. The thought of two great dual degrees that address my passion for helping others would truly be an honor.

Even though I only have 2 interviews to date, the fact that I have 2 at schools that I really want to be at is very satisfying. Now, all I have to do is nail that interview and hit it off with the UIC faculty. It cannot be that hard, right?

I Hate Doing a Post Like This, But...

The fact is that I sent my application June 14th, which is considered early by most standards, and have only received one interview request. I do not expect every school to request an interview, but one out of nine is an abysmally low percentage. It is October 3rd for chrissake!

I have no idea what goes on behind the hallowed wall of dental school admissions, so I should not judge, but my frustration is growing by the day. In all honesty, I do expect to get interviews at half the schools I applied to because of my state residency. I know that my scores and grades are definitely worthy for interviews at those schools, too.

As for the others, I knew applying there would be a crapshoot. There is really know way of knowing what the admissions counselor is looking for. Even worse, there is no way to know who is getting interviews. The Student Doctor Network, SDN, is the closest thing dental shool applicants have to show which schools they applied to and what stage, such waitlisted and accepted, they are in a particular school's application process. The problem with SDN is that it has a heavy selection bias of great applicants. For example, the average DAT score of interviewers at Temple University is a 21, which is way higher than their dental school's average over the past few years. Even though I am aware of this bias, it still affects me.

Ok, now that I have that off my chest, I feel a little better. I still have one interview and, until I get others, that should be my principal focus over the next few weeks along with my biochemistry class, volunteering, and weekend exploits. Who knows, maybe the next time I write I will have many more interviews. Let us hope...