- UFCD does not require a minimum number of hours for any experience reported on the ADEA AADSAS application.
- Service is a significant part of the mission and vision of UFCD and providing evidence of leadership and service is crucial in becoming a competitive applicant. As part of the UFCD curriculum, leadership and service are fostered so that once UFCD students graduate, they will continue to serve all people in the community.
- Gain research experience if available at your institution. While not required for acceptance into UFCD, it is beneficial for students to have experience in the scientific process since dental procedures, materials and diagnoses are rooted in evidence-based research and knowledge.
- Extracurricular activities that highlight opportunities to develop time management, leadership and interpersonal skills are also a critical part of learning and growing as an individual and are a valuable component of a competitive application.
- Get involved with your college/university predental organization.
- Include any work experience when completing your ADEA AADSAS application. Work experience is important in improving communication skills, teamwork, time management and customer service, all necessary in becoming a successful dentist.
- In all experiences, try to take advantage of opportunities to develop your attention to detail, hand skills, teamwork and critical thinking. Experiences do not need to be dental related to be valued in the review process and in dental school.
- Nurture relationships with leaders with whom you encounter during your experiences. You can learn from them, and they may be willing to write a letter of evaluation for your ADEA AADSAS application.
- Select experiences that you enjoy and can dedicate time and energy. You will be more likely to be successful if you are passionate about the activity in which you are involved.
- Sustained involvement in an activity which allows you to grow is often more meaningful than multiple superficial experiences.
- It is a good idea to enter the date, location, number of hours, specific activities and insights into all dental experiences into a journal for documentation and inspiration. Referring to the journal while completing the ADEA AADSAS application, writing the personal statement and preparing for the interview can be extremely helpful.
- Familiarize yourself with how the ADEA AADSAS experiences are reported.
- When recording a date range for each experience on your AADSAS application, UFCD discourages and will not consider the hours that are projected into the future.