How to make your dentistry application stand out

The dentistry application is extremely unique and very competitive. Therefore, it is of the upmost importance that your application stands out from the crowd. There are some key things that you can do to maximise your chance of success. In this article, I will go over the basic sections of your application. I will then go into more detail about how to maximise your potential for each section. Finally, we will discuss how Future Doc can help you develop your application and secure your first-choice spot at dental school.

We can break down your application into these different sections:

1. Academics
2. Extracurriculars/Volunteering/Hobbies/Work experience
3. Shadowing
4. UCAT
5. Personal Statement
6. Interview

Academics

Dentistry is a challenging degree, there is no doubt about it. Therefore, universities want to see that you are up to the challenge academically. Although academic scores (whether A Levels or equivalents) aren't everything, they form a vital part of the application. Some universities ask for AAA at A-level, however some have lower grade boundaries, so it is important to research the university you are applying for. It is also important to know what ‘minimum requirement’ and ‘standard requirement’ means. The standard requirements are the grades that are usually accepted by the university on average. These grades or above are ideal to aim for. Minimum requirements are the grades that they will except as the bare minimum in the case that the rest of the application is exceptional. Either way, you want to build the rest of your application to the best it can be while also aiming for top grades to maximise your chance of a successful application and make you stand out from the crowd. Your academics are something that you will work on from an early age (GCSEs) and that you will continue to work on in the background of your application.

Extracurriculars/Volunteering/Hobbies/Work experience

Dentistry requires a multitude of specific skills and qualities. The use of extracurriculars, volunteering, hobbies, and work experience are all ways that you can express that you have these skills when it comes to talking about yourself in interviews and personal statements. Some examples of skills/ qualities that you may want to express to make your application stand out include:

• Leadership
• Organisation
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Manual dexterity
• Empathy
• Kindness
• Commitment

These can be demonstrated by, for example, talking about a time you played a team sport, volunteered at a local community centre, worked a part-time job, or played an instrument. The list goes on. Hobbies that may not seem relevant to dentistry at first can still be used to your advantage. A big one that is specific to dentistry is manual dexterity. This is something that people often forget about; however, it is vital to your future career as a dentist, as you will be using your hands to work in a small space to create fine detail. A way to maximise your potential in your application is to take up a hobby or place emphasis on a hobby that is relevant to manual dexterity. Examples of this include model making, painting, crocheting, and many more. It is also good to keep a log of every activity that may demonstrate one or more of the previously listed skills so that you can easily be reminded of them when the time comes.

Shadowing

Shadowing is essential for your application. Most universities ask for a minimum of 2 weeks of shadowing experience in a dental practice. However, there are some ways that you can make your shadowing experience more striking. This could include going to shadow a specialist and experience treatment that is a little bit different to that done at general dental practices. An example of this would be shadowing an implantologist (implant placement) or a prosthodontist (denture making). Something else that can maximise your shadowing would be to shadow at a dental hospital. Many teaching hospitals have opportunities for prospective students to come and shadow current students for the day. This looks especially good if you manage to shadow the university that you want to apply to. Something else to think about is that you could shadow different aspects of the dental world, such as dental laboratories (these make dentures/crowns, etc). Sometimes there will be a dentist attached to the lab, however even if there isn’t, it is still something extra to show you have an in-depth interest in the whole dental process and that you appreciate every member of the team. These shadowing experiences are invaluable. You should also make a log of what you see during your shadowing so that you can talk about what you have seen in interviews/ personal statements.

UCAT

The UCAT is sometimes a daunting test for prospective students. However, with the right amount of preparation and support, a good score is completely achievable. Preparation for the UCAT can be challenging to begin with, however, with Future Docs 1 to 1 tutoring support, use of practise questions and a good amount of focus you should be able to achieve an impressive score. See Future Doc’s article on how to manage UCAT preparation alongside your A Levels here. The UCAT is often used to distinguish those who will be offered an interview from those who will not. Therefore, it is vital to try your best to make sure that you don’t underestimate this part of your application.

Personal Statement

The personal statement is a 4000-character piece of text that you submit to your universities of choice to showcase why you would be a good dental student and future dentist. This is your chance to talk about all your shadowing, extracurriculars, etc. This, alongside your UCAT score, will usually determine whether you get invited to an interview or not. To make your application stand out, it must be purely dentistry-focused. You need to demonstrate that you will be committed to the course and thrive in your studies. The most important thing is to make sure it is well written and structured whilst also including links to many key skills and qualities such as manual dexterity, communication, and teamwork. These things are vital to being a successful dentist, so we want to make sure that you talk about them. We will discuss a bit later about how Future Doc can support you, however our team of expert tutors are amazing at making sure this text showcases your talents in the best way possible before it is sent off.

Interview

If successful with the rest of your application, you will be invited to interview. The interview will be either MMI (multiple mini-interviews) or panel interviews (traditional type). No matter which type you do, you want to make sure of a few things. You must be prepared, appear confident through the use of verbal and non-verbal communication, and showcase that you are the best person for the job. This is your last chance to highlight your strengths. You must target your preparation at any of the possible topics that could come up. Important things that people often forget about are technologies in dentistry and hot topics in the dental media, however, these are both dental specific topics that often arise. It is also vital that you can confidently talk about your skills and qualities and why you want to be a dentist.

How can Future Doc help?

All of this may seem overwhelming, and if you are at the start of your application process, you may feel like you have a long way to go. However, here at Future Doc, we believe that with the right tools and the correct level of drive and motivation, we can help you succeed. Our expert tutors help students with their application step-by-step through 1 to 1 tutor sessions. These sessions will practise how to build your extracurriculars so that you have plenty to talk about, tutors also help you study for the UCAT and then help you to write your personal statement along with much more. Both our 1 ON 1 sessions and our in-person interview days are essential to make sure you are prepared to impress in interviews. More about Future Docs 1 to 1 tutoring can be found here. It is important to remember that a dental application is not like any regular application because it is a highly competitive course; therefore, we want to ensure that your application stands out among the crowd to maximise the success of your journey to dental school.

Written by Holly Davidson