prehealth

My Top 5 DAT Study Tips

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DAT study tips

This article originally ran on ASDA’s blog, Mouthing Off, on Feb. 3, 2016. ASDA encourages all predentals to join us in celebrating DAT Week 2016 and becoming a member of the association. 

Remember studying for the SATs? Or maybe you don’t because you didn’t need to. Now we’re older and smarter, and have made the decision to pursue dentistry as a career. With that though comes its own set of preparation, most notably the Dental Admission Test (DAT). This past summer, I prepped and took the DAT. This exam is certainly no SAT, and anyone who’s set on taking it has to prepare. In my preparations for the DAT, I acquired some helpful strategies and tips that I have compiled into five simple steps to help you succeed on the DAT.

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How to Impress While Shadowing

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shadowing

Shadow (verb shad·ow)1
· To follow and watch (someone) especially in a secret way
· To follow and watch (someone who is doing a job) in order to learn how to do the job yourself

Shadowing is clearly defined in the dictionary, but yet the role of the shadow is vaguely defined in the medical field. Some students may feel that shadowing is a medical school application requirement or an easy way to get a letter of recommendation. However, this attitude of going through the medical school application process like a checklist, fulfilling requirements, often mask the truly rewarding moments of shadowing. Shadowing can be the first experience for a pre-medical student in the medical setting, and can inspire and nurture the passion for medicine in a future physician. Each medically relevant experience, such as shadowing, inspired my passion for medical school in those darkest moments in my room studying for over 12 hours. They reminded me that at the end of my preclinical year journey, there were patients that I would eventually have the opportunity to help. 

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Tips for Speech Pathology Graduate Students

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speech pathology

Embarking on an educational journey that explores all forms of communication sciences and disorders is a decision that typically involves an innate desire to help and serve individuals who have undergone a life changing health event, or who simply need specialized expertise regarding how to effectively utilize language. No doubt the decision to pursue a career within some aspect of speech-language pathology has an underlying and individualized foundation. Whether the choice was prompted by a personal speech disorder, a family member who chose to obtain a speech degree or simply an interest in the dynamic world of language and how we communicate, you have made a rewarding decision. As you have started to learn, the fundamentals of how language is acquired and communicated will be the primary focus during graduate studies. Speech and language pathology can range from the fascinating world of linguistics, neuroanatomy, phonetics, and the impact of hearing loss on speech production, to cultural dialects, stuttering, aphasia and the significant importance of nonverbal signals in communication.

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How to Skillfully—and Successfully—Revise Your AMCAS Personal Statement

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revising personal statement

Nowhere else on your medical school application will you have the chance to represent your personality and goals as strongly as you do in your AMCAS personal statement. Your personal statement is one place to which schools will turn to understand who you are separate from your MCAT score and GPA.
For those individuals aiming to submit their primary AMCAS applications in June or early July, revising your personal statement throughout May is essential to crafting an application that represents your unique attributes as a future physician, as well as what you will bring to your medical school class. Use this checklist as you revise to ensure that you are covering all that you must in order to submit a successful personal statement.

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Tips for Writing a Convincing Personal Statement

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convincing personal statement

The personal statement is the centerpiece of a medical school application. The space given, which varies from 5300 (AMCAS) to 5000 (TMDSAS) to 4500 (AACOMAS) characters, represents an opportunity to tell your “story” to the medical schools. The prompts in each application are similar:

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Exam preparation: More than just studying?

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exam preparation

Do you know of a colleague who is extremely good at their job, yet cannot pass the professional exams required to ascend the career ladder? Or an exceptionally bright friend – who seems to fall apart during exam periods? Or do you yourself struggle when it comes to final assessments? I’m sure most of us are familiar with situations like this, as they are a very common occurrence. Failure to pass specialist exams in one’s field is not down to lack of intelligence or an inability to do the job. Rather, it is usually down to inadequate preparation for the examination.

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A Timeline For Your Ultimate Predental Experience

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This article originally ran on ASDA’s blog, Mouthing Off, on Dec. 2, 2015. ASDA encourages all predentals to join us in celebrating Predental Week 2016 Feb. 21-27 and becoming a member of the association. 
Yesterday was dental school acceptance day – the first day that dental schools start extending offers. If you aren’t quite at the point where you’re checking the mail for your acceptance letter, here are some tips on creating a compelling application.
There are endless opportunities available for predental students to enhance their applications. Most students are aware of the basic elements needed for applying to dental school: a great GPA, a high score on the Dental Admission Test, dental shadowing hours. These components are surely respected, but there are also other avenues available to leverage your experiences. It is important to discover, participate in, and highlight all potential prospects during your undergraduate career. As an enthusiastic predental student embarking on your journey toward the application and acceptance process, here are several recommendations to consider:

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