As you begin to consider your options after graduation, keep these 10 tips in mind if you are interested in post-graduate training:
- Keep an open mind throughout dental school about your post-graduate training options. You may be surprised about what field you end up falling in love with.
- The faculty in your pre-clinical and clinical education are a wealth of information. Make sure to reach out to them regarding questions about the future of dentistry as well as the different specialties.
- Don’t let pre-clinical failures deter you from pursuing a field you are interested in.
- Connect with classmates and upperclassmen with similar interests. Joining an interest group (or multiple interest groups, if you are like me) at your dental school is a great way get involved and develop your interests.
- If you are interested in a something and can’t find a club or organization, talk to your dental school’s administration about starting an interest group.
- Find a mentor and then ask them lots of questions.
- Like dental school applications, you will need “letters of recommendation” for residency application so make sure you get to know faculty on both a professional and personal level.
- Be proactive when considering program requirements, as each specialty has slightly different requirements (i.e. some post-graduate orthodontic programs require the GRE while post-graduate dental public health programs require a master’s in public health).
- Being involved in research is a great way to be involved in the future of your chosen specialty and sets your apart from other applicants.
- Make sure to keep track of all your activities throughout dental school. It is surprisingly difficult to remember things you did and respective dates when putting your resume together for residency application.
Follow this timeline to stay on track of the necessary steps and deadlines for applying to post-graduate programs.
This content was developed in cooperation with Dr. Sarah Khan, MPH, Stony Brook ’16, GPR resident at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell.