How competitive is Dentistry compared to Medicine + Interview training for either ?

[mabelinthegable]

DC has a UCAT score of 3100 Band 1, 3 x Astar ALevels and all 10 x grade 9 GCSEs.

They've done work experience in a hospital/care home + a dental practice as they were truly undecided as to which career appealed the most. (Always leaned towards medicine but dental practice work experience/shadowing was really interesting made them start considering it as a career too).

I think the reconstructive/oral surgery side of things has swung them in in favour of dentistry over medicine particularly as dentists seem to be happier with their work/life balance compared to doctors who are going part-time as soon as they can etc.

However, despite dc's stong academics, if I'm honest think interviews will be their weak point and the early entry deadline is fast approaching.

Is dentistry more competitive than medicine to get a Uni place and have we left t too late to get some assistance with interview preparation ?

Would really appreciate some knowledge or even just opinions here.

Thanks

Hello - I’m no expert but my DD is a second year studying medicine so remember the application process fairly well!

I’ve always been under the impression that dentistry is perhaps even harder to get a place on than medicine - certainly no easier.

I know with medicine there are one or two medical schools that take their UCAT into account in conjunction with their interview score. With your DD’s high UCAT it might be worth checking if any Dentistry course do this? It’s fee and far between for Medicine, maybe just UEA and Aberdeen?

Re interviews, most would take place Dec to Feb I assume - maybe some early ones are Nov. So you’ve not left it too late to sort out a course or whatever you had in mind.

I think some places are going back to in person interviews now so if you think that would suit your DD more than on line it might be best checking which Uni is doing which format.

Good luck to your DD. Her academics are excellent!

This will probably be worth a read.

www.theukcatpeople.co.uk/medical-schools/ucat/how-universities-use-the-ucat