After many tests and more hours in the classroom you thought were possible, D3 year is finally here. By now, you have become accustomed to the time demands of dental school, and hopefully have a solid foundation from which to base your application to residency. Despite having the bulk of your studies completed, D3 year presents its own challenges. Learning how to communicate and manage patients, being efficient in clinic, and keeping up with lab work can be overwhelming at times when you are also trying to keep didactic grades up. Remember, every year students are able to get it done. Treat your patients well, don’t procrastinate, and stay organized. Doing these three things will pay dividends.
For the OMFS hopeful, D3 year is all about finishing strong. Until now, most OMFS experiences have probably been classroom or shadowing related. This is the year where you will be putting what you have learned into practice. Apply to do at least 3-4 externships. Some schools give you time off to do this. Others require you to use your breaks or summer. Use every opportunity you have to improve your hand skills. Practice suturing. Learn new techniques and when they are indicated. The more time you spend in your OMFS department, the more you’ll be able to see and do. This experience will translate to better externship experiences allowing you to stand out. Most programs will understand your knowledge as a D3 is limited, but they can easily differentiate between those that actually know what they are doing and those that just say they do. Spending more time in the OMFS department also allows you to develop a better relationship with the residents and faculty. When it comes to application time and for programs to set their rank list, you better believe they are going to favor people that they know and like.
Other important considerations during D3 year are your grades, CBSE score, and registering for PASS/MATCH. Grades, as always, matter. Make sure you do what is necessary to maintain or make a high rank. If your CBSE score is sub-par, or you are unhappy with it, make sure you take it again. This will be the last time you are able to take it in order to apply before graduation. Most importantly, apply to PASS. For the 2017 cycle (for residencies beginning in 2017), it opens on May 18th, 2016. There are many components to your PASS application including, but not limited to, personal statement, transcripts from undergrad and dental school, CV, and letters of recommendation. The PASS application is a tedious and frustrating component that I will cover more in-depth in another article. Until then, know when the application opens and when it needs to be completed (ideally end of July or early August at the latest. The rate-limiting step for your application will be your letters of recommendation. Because of this, make sure to ask faculty at least a month before you plan on having your application complete.
Additionally, one of the hardest things to complete is your personal statement. Don’t just use an updated dental school personal statement. Rewrite it from the beginning so that it is personal and flows well. A personal statement is an extension of your CV, not a rehash of it. Use it to tell things about yourself that a bulleted list of involvement never could. Probably one of the more exciting things you’ll do this year is to research the programs in which you want to apply. Considerations include length of program, city, tuition (if any), scope, and application deadline. Once you have outlined places you’re interested in, it’s time to apply. Finally, only one year left.
Important D3 Dates:
July: Retake CBSE, if necessary
November: Apply for externships during next Spring/Summer
January: Begin organizing application materials and researching programs
February: Retake CBSE, if necessary.
May: Register with PASS. Meet with your OMFS program director to get feedback about the application process and your competitiveness.
June: Complete personal statement, request letters of recommendation, and obtain school transcripts.* Complete externships.
July: Submit PASS application. Complete externships.
*Ideally, you can have your undergrad transcripts sent right when the application opens, but you’ll have to wait for your D3 grades post before you can send that one.
Stay tuned for