ATAR Notes: Forum

Uni Stuff => Faculties => Health sciences => Topic started by: sodapop on December 14, 2011, 05:11:53 pm

Title: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: sodapop on December 14, 2011, 05:11:53 pm
Hi! So I was considering Dentistry as a career, and I know that in Melbourne, there are two Dentistry courses available:

Undergrad Dentistry at LaTrobe (5 years)
Adv: - shorter period of study
        - Entry is guaranteed if you get the marks.
Dis: - located in Bendigo
       - ATAR cutoff is about 99.4+?

and

Postgrad Dentistry at Melbourne (7 years)
Adv: - more prestige (which would be important in gaining patients' trust?)
Dis: - harder to get into?
       - longer period of time?

Does anyone have any information/advice/opinion about these two courses, or could make a comparison between them? (How would you get into them?)

And also, would going interstate for Dentistry be better?

And does the Uni really matter in the end?
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: kensan on December 14, 2011, 06:40:59 pm
I'm interested in Dentistry as well, I don't think I'll get 99.4 or whatever it is to get into La Trobe :P
So I'm aiming for biomed or science at UOM then hopefully transfer to DDS. I'm just dreading GAMSAT  :'(

I know you can go to Adelaide to study Dentistry, not sure on the details though.
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: sodapop on December 14, 2011, 06:45:10 pm
So I'm aiming for biomed or science at UOM then hopefully transfer to DDS. I'm just dreading GAMSAT  :'(

GAMSAT - is that just UMAT for Graduate students? So there'd be competition to get into the course all over again?
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: Edmund on December 14, 2011, 07:19:23 pm
For dentistry, it doesn't matter which uni you go to. All dental graduates from an Australian Uni are accredited by the Dental Board of Australia and will be eligible to practice dentistry like any other dentists out there.

If you are totally set on dentistry, I'd say go for the one at La Trobe.
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: dc302 on December 14, 2011, 07:20:28 pm
So I'm aiming for biomed or science at UOM then hopefully transfer to DDS. I'm just dreading GAMSAT  :'(

GAMSAT - is that just UMAT for Graduate students? So there'd be competition to get into the course all over again?

Pretty much. Entry into the Doctor of Dental Surgery at melbourne is determined by GPA (ongoing uni marks) and performance in the GAMSAT. The two should be equally weighted. However, the GAMSAT differs in structure to the UMAT, just to let you know.
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: Hamdog17 on December 14, 2011, 07:28:30 pm
I'm interested in Dentistry as well, I don't think I'll get 99.4 or whatever it is to get into La Trobe :P
So I'm aiming for biomed or science at UOM then hopefully transfer to DDS. I'm just dreading GAMSAT  :'(

I know you can go to Adelaide to study Dentistry, not sure on the details though.

I considered dent for a while but I'm 95% decided on med so I know a little about the process. For Adelaide you need a UMAT (has risen in recent years but roughly high 80%iles), you are then invited to an interview and typically a 98 is required though it can change depending on the strength of the other two. Hope that helps.

So I'm aiming for biomed or science at UOM then hopefully transfer to DDS. I'm just dreading GAMSAT  :'(

GAMSAT - is that just UMAT for Graduate students? So there'd be competition to get into the course all over again?

Yes it a competitive process but IMO graduate entry is a bit fairer than undergraduate entry (eg. You can study for the GAMSAT, you have multiple chances to sit the GAMSAT without repeating or falling behind a year- unlike yr 12 entry, you don't have to get 95%ile+ in the GAMSAT to get in, your ATAR doesn't come into it at all and the interview:places offered ratio is a lot lower than undergraduate med and dent schools).
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: dc302 on December 14, 2011, 07:58:40 pm
Yes it a competitive process but IMO graduate entry is a bit fairer than undergraduate entry (eg. You can study for the GAMSAT, you have multiple chances to sit the GAMSAT without repeating or falling behind a year- unlike yr 12 entry, you don't have to get 95%ile+ in the GAMSAT to get in, your ATAR doesn't come into it at all and the interview:places offered ratio is a lot lower than undergraduate med and dent schools).

Just to let you know but dent at melbourne doesn't have interviews.
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: Hamdog17 on December 14, 2011, 08:39:06 pm
Yes it a competitive process but IMO graduate entry is a bit fairer than undergraduate entry (eg. You can study for the GAMSAT, you have multiple chances to sit the GAMSAT without repeating or falling behind a year- unlike yr 12 entry, you don't have to get 95%ile+ in the GAMSAT to get in, your ATAR doesn't come into it at all and the interview:places offered ratio is a lot lower than undergraduate med and dent schools).

Just to let you know but dent at melbourne doesn't have interviews.

Really, that's interesting thanks for filling me in. I was more talking about med I guess then.
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: Charmz on December 14, 2011, 09:11:44 pm
what's the usual cut off for dentistry?
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: giveup on December 14, 2011, 09:38:58 pm
" hey guys, I have a passion for putting my hands in peoples' mouths. It's pretty stupid but at least it's prestigious. "
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: Edmund on December 14, 2011, 09:53:59 pm
what's the usual cut off for dentistry?

2008: Entry 1st round cut-off 98.8 | 60 places TOTAL (approx. 50 Undergraduate, 5 Transfers, 5 Rural)
2nd/3rd round offers as low as 97.00 (90.00+ for rural)

2009: Entry 1st round cut-off 99.7 | 40 places TOTAL (approx. 32 Undergraduate, 4 Transfers, 4 Rural)
2nd/3rd round offers as low as 99.3 (96+ for rural)

2010: Entry 1st round cut off 99.40 | 75 places TOTAL (approx. 55 Undergraduate, 6 Transfers, 14 Rural)
2nd/3rd round offers: THERE WILL BE NO 2nd/3rd ROUND OFFERS THIS YEAR - confirmed Health Science Faculty La Trobe. (90.00+ for rural)


If anyone is up for work experience, dental health services victoria (Melbourne Dental Hospital) is offering a 1 week work experience. It says Year 10 students but anyone can apply. I just did mine 2 weeks ago :P

http://www.dhsv.org.au/careers/work-experience/

If anyone is interested, just email the contact on that site. Be quick, only 4 spots left for 2012!!
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: paulsterio on December 14, 2011, 10:06:53 pm
If you're considering Bendigo, you might as well consider the University of Adelaide, probably the best undergraduate dentistry course
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: duquesne9995 on December 14, 2011, 10:10:30 pm

If anyone is up for work experience, dental health services victoria (Melbourne Dental Hospital) is offering a 1 week work experience. It says Year 10 students but anyone can apply. I just did mine 2 weeks ago :P

http://www.dhsv.org.au/careers/work-experience/

If anyone is interested, just email the contact on that site. Be quick, only 4 spots left for 2012!!

I know right. The availability is so bad. =\
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: Cuddlekins on December 14, 2011, 10:19:29 pm
Hey guys, Whats the minium GAMSAT and GPA score required to get in graduate DDS at Melb uni?

Thanks
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: Edmund on December 14, 2011, 11:04:23 pm
Hey guys, Whats the minium GAMSAT and GPA score required to get in graduate DDS at Melb uni?

Thanks

No one knows but you should have at least 6.0 edit: 6.5 GPA and 60 GAMSAT to be competitive for a FFP, and the cutoff is much higher for a CSP. Both GAMSAT and GPA are weighted equally.
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: dc302 on December 14, 2011, 11:11:00 pm

If anyone is up for work experience, dental health services victoria (Melbourne Dental Hospital) is offering a 1 week work experience. It says Year 10 students but anyone can apply. I just did mine 2 weeks ago :P

http://www.dhsv.org.au/careers/work-experience/

If anyone is interested, just email the contact on that site. Be quick, only 4 spots left for 2012!!

I know right. The availability is so bad. =\

Do private practices not usually offer work experience places? I did my work exp with my orthodontist; it was pretty cool.
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: Edmund on December 14, 2011, 11:30:55 pm

If anyone is up for work experience, dental health services victoria (Melbourne Dental Hospital) is offering a 1 week work experience. It says Year 10 students but anyone can apply. I just did mine 2 weeks ago :P

http://www.dhsv.org.au/careers/work-experience/

If anyone is interested, just email the contact on that site. Be quick, only 4 spots left for 2012!!

I know right. The availability is so bad. =\

Do private practices not usually offer work experience places? I did my work exp with my orthodontist; it was pretty cool.

Yep they do. But the one offered by DHSV allows you to rotate round all their departments within the week - endodontics, prostodontics, emergency dent, MaxFaxs, oral medicine etc...
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: sodapop on December 15, 2011, 07:56:06 pm
Thanks for all the responses guys, it's really helpful. :)

Do private practices not usually offer work experience places? I did my work exp with my orthodontist; it was pretty cool.

I actually did do work experience in Year 10 with my dentist - it was interesting working as a dental nurse, not to mention quite easy, but to be honest, by the end of the four days, I was a little bored already and I couldn't imagine doing it for the rest of my life (or at least, for 30-ish years), despite the great pay. I'd rather earn less money and go for a more fulfilling job. But it's nice to know my options anyway.


If anyone is up for work experience, dental health services victoria (Melbourne Dental Hospital) is offering a 1 week work experience. It says Year 10 students but anyone can apply. I just did mine 2 weeks ago :P

http://www.dhsv.org.au/careers/work-experience/

If anyone is interested, just email the contact on that site. Be quick, only 4 spots left for 2012!!

I know right. The availability is so bad. =\

I just looked and agree, all of those dates are during school. And I looked up Hospital work experience placements as well - they're almost all closed. :(

Oh and thanks to Edmund for the link, everyone check out this previous thread, it's got lots of useful info about Dentistry at LaTrobe: Introducing: Dentistry at La Trobe University
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: kensan on December 16, 2011, 06:23:30 pm
So when I put my preferences down next year should I put biomed first or science?

I did work experience at the Dental Hospital :) I did it through our school w.e. program and I enjoyed it a lot. Didn't get to do anything but still enjoyed watching all the different departments within dentistry.

And does anyone have details on the dental course in Adelaide?
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: iffets12345 on December 16, 2011, 06:28:51 pm
Hey guys,
if you get the ATAR, you might as well go to La Trobe, especially if you have no UMAT for Adelaide or UQ. Just on the side, paul I reckon UQ trumps Adelaide. I have a few friends at La Trobe who then transferred out to the better unis for dent as in the former 2 I just mentinoed. So you might as well get yourself into a dent course, then try to get into the prestigious course later if you're really that fussed :). Also La Trobe will probably (but don't take my word for it) accept a few people under the 99.4....maybe 99.1? I still don't think there's a high demand for La Trobe dent between the VCE graduates.... so it might drop...it usually does.

And if you can't get into that, maybe do a course like Science and Melbourne Uni and every year sit the UMAT and try to transfer into adelaide, UQ or La Trobe, until you reach your final year where you can apply for all the post graduate unis. It's not the end of the world if you can't get into the undergraduate course. In some ways I wish I had gotten a bad ATAR so I could have an excuse to go to Science and study for 3 years before applying out. :)
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: kensan on December 16, 2011, 06:47:43 pm
Sorry what's UQ?
Title: Re: Dentistry @ LaTrobe vs Melb
Post by: iffets12345 on December 16, 2011, 06:49:37 pm
University of Queensland.