Helpful Hints from the Web: The "Ins and Outs" for Dental School Admission

Having recently been accepted to a few very prestigious dental schools, I thought it might be helpful to provide my readers with valuable tips on how to achieve positive results from the dental school application process. Provided within my linkroll (left) are ten websites, which I have appropriately evaluated below according to the Webby Awards Criteria, that may offer advice to future dental school applicants. The Webby Awards evaluate resources based on content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity, and overall experience. Some of the websites listed may be stronger in some areas than in others. Depending upon the future dentist’s area of interest within the application process, a few or several of these sites may offer some assistance.

From personal experience, one of the best ways to begin the dental school application procedure is to first seek advice from those who have already applied and “suffered” through the process. Even though Predental.com has poor visual design, with minimal colors and no pictures, it does offer an excellent way to become interactive via its discussion group. By simply entering an email address, browsers can contact professionals and other students with questions and comments. FAFSA is another website that permits easy interaction. It is no surprise that the cost of dental school is prohibitive. Because this site utilizes exceptional structure and navigation techniques, applying for financial aid online is made easier for the applicant. Having just submitted my own FAFSA, I found the site map and main links at the top of the page useful for locating particular portions of the application. Similarly, the Ultimate Dental School Admission Guide provides an opportunity for readers to effortlessly subscribe to its newsletter on the main page, which offers tips from an actual dental medical doctor, Dr. Aly Kanani DMD. The site also offers a test preparation package (see to the right), which appears to be a great alternative way to practice for the DAT, for those who do not desire or cannot afford to enroll in a Kaplan course. Unfortunately, that portion of the site is cumbersome. Even if one is able to dredge through the site, with intentions of making a purchase, the site is not currently accepting any orders online. If a DAT preparation package is of little interest, Education Index offers several links within the site that offer alternative ways for preparing for the DAT. Although the overall visual appearance is plain with very little textual variety, its brightly colored links offer tips for the admission test. Nonetheless, most dental schools do place a great emphasis on board scores regarding acceptance.

Often, the next step immediately following the completion of the DAT, is to begin filling out the application itself, which is done online through AADSAS. The site is structured in a manner to make the application process significantly simpler, so that a student only needs to fill out one application for all designated schools. During the 2007-2008 application cycle, I found that the site was frequently under construction or inaccessible. It would be helpful in the future to make the site more functional, as the application process is long and tedious. To provide guidance as to which schools may be most suitable for an individual, The Dental Site contains a page within it that provides links to all the 54 dental schools within the United States. To alleviate some of the stressors of the application process, it also provides easily located links to personal stories involving admission, professional accounts, and online archives.

Several of the other resources provide adequate content for dental school preparation and other aspects of dentistry. A link within the US Department of labor presents easily navigable information on the nature of dentistry, earnings, and job outlooks. This link, however, could be more visually attractive. It is easy to access the information being sought because it neatly arranges the topics of interest at the top of the screen, which prevents the browser from having to scroll through the entire page. Choosing the right dental school may be difficult, so it may be wise to base a decision on a school’s residency programs, especially if the candidate is interested in post graduate studies. Dental Resources not only is appealing, through its videos on cosmetic dentistry and several pictures, but it also provides excellent links to information on other branches of dentistry like endodontics, orthodontics, periodontics, and other specialty programs. This, as well as the Academy of General Dentistry, may also be of some assistance to current dental students and dentists. The Academy of General Dentistry is the most well constructed site, as it is updated frequently, contains appropriate and appealing images, provides detailed descriptions of the benefits of becoming a member, and also offers opportunities for readers to interact through its blog, “The Daily Grind.”

I thought it would also be beneficial to include a site for those who may be interested in pursuing other careers in the dental field other than the doctor of dental surgery or dental medical doctor programs. All Allied Health Schools provides links with easy access and functionality to schools for training in areas like dental hygiene and dental assistance, for example. Links to career centers, recent articles, and top programs and schools are also available on the home page. Since it is common to enter programs such as these for extra experience before applying to dental school, this resource may be very informative, even for the future dentist.

Through first hand experience, there is no doubt that the application process for dental school admission is extensive and challenging. I certainly hope that at the very least, a few of the websites enlisted can ease the process and answer several questions regarding the course of action that is necessary to take in order to be a prime candidate for a career in dental medicine.

Cybermouth: A Closer Look

This week I decided to explore the Web for sources that are relevant to my blog’s emphasis in dentistry. In the course of my search, I found ten sites, which have been posted in my link roll to the left, that may be valuable to those who share an interest in my field of study. As a tool for those browsing my blog, I have critiqued the websites according to the Webby Awards criteria, and have offered a few comments as to how these sites may be improved in order to make a viewer’s experience more enjoyable.

The first and foremost significant aspect of a credible website is having trustworthy text, visual, and musical content. The American Association of Orthodontics offers educational videos, detailed advice for patients, and updated press releases. These areas of interest are easy to navigate, structurally appealing, and engaging. I found my overall experience at this particular site to be excellent, as it functioned well and provided a wide variety of topics that could be valuable to dentists and patients.

Since cosmetic dentistry involves meticulous attention to detail, it is no surprise that the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry appropriately contains superb visuals and audio. The Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions suitably offers exceptional material for students with intentions of pursuing a career in dental medicine. From personal experience, I can ensure that it contains easily accessible links that can offer a student all the necessary advice to properly prepare for the DAT. The American Dental Association also offers suggestions for the DAT exam, in addition to a variety of subject matter concerning oral health. It arranges all of its topics in alphabetical order, which makes browsing the page more efficient.

The American Association of Women Dentists is an appealing site because more and more women are entering the field of dentistry and need power for networking and representation. The site also offers easy access to affiliate organizations. The content is intriguing, however the way the material is presented needs to be done so more creatively. Web Dentistry encounters a similar problem. Although it contains high-quality, frequently updated content relevant to current issues in dentistry, the structure of the site is very repetitive and boring. For these sites, it may be beneficial to add supplements that are visually pleasing to the viewer, like video clips, audio, and photos.

With new breakthroughs in medicine and health care everyday, it is important for professionals and patients to be able to share experiences and thoughts on the web. Oral Health America actively portrays to the public the importance of the mouth on general health, and encourages viewers to donate to charities and sign up for news letters. Dental Fear Central allows patients to easily and promptly discuss their fears involved with seeing the dentist. There is abundant opportunity for students to interact within the American Student Dental Association. It encourages student dentists to obtain a membership, make a profile, and to participate in discussion forums. Although ADS Practice Transitions Made Perfect offers interactivity for those professionals with questions about their practices and questions about dental economics, it is unfortunately not very functional. It is slow to load its blog page, which may drive away browsers. It is crucial that websites not only have easy access to areas within the page, but it must allow viewers to retrieve information in a timely manner.

Although these websites do need some corrections and updates, they do contain very useful information that may be beneficial to patients, practitioners, and students. I hope my critiques may be valuable to others when exploring these links.