5 Months before Dental School Application.. Do I have a chance?

[karemkat]

I graduated this Fall 2015 majoring in Human Communications with a concentration in Practice and Professional Ethics. I have a minor in Statistics and did my year of inorganic chem, organic chem, physics, and one semester with Biology and biochem. I am planning on taking the DAT Spring 2016.

Grade Breakdown
Ethics GPA 3.1
Stat GPA 3.75

Science Breakdown
Class Semester
CHEM A B C+
Lab A ^ ^
BIO C C-
Lab B- A+
PHY A B-
Lab ^ ^
BioChem C+
Lab None


I have taken a psychology class titled Human Biology and Behavior. Also I took a Community College Calculus 1&2 with A's, Animal Behavior with a C, and I am looking to take one or two more Biology classes this Spring 2016. I have had 3+ years shadowing one very good orthodontist in Mexico and also plan to shadow more in the U.S. I'm bilingual and Mexican American.

Since I Graduated from CSUMB December, I have five months to boost my application for June. What can I do these five months to better my chances for Dental School? Also do I have any chance at all....
My dream schools are Southern California Dental Schools: UCLA, USC, Loma Linda, and Western.

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[fogorvostan]

What is your overall GPA and your science GPA? How many shadowing and volunteer hours do you have? As long as you have decent numbers for all of those and you do well on the DAT, along with applying broadly and early, I'm going to say you should have a decent shot.

 

[studentdental8]

Looking carefully through your app, I would retake Bio and Biochem (2 very important indicators of success) and score As. If you then get above a 21 you will be golden, definitely get in somewhere.

 

[GAdawg94]

C- in prereq is not accepted. You need to retake the biology. I would go onto biochemistry II and get an A instead of retaking the C+

 

[Mhines24]

I graduated this Fall 2015 majoring in Human Communications with a concentration in Practice and Professional Ethics. I have a minor in Statistics and did my year of inorganic chem, organic chem, physics, and one semester with Biology and biochem. I am planning on taking the DAT Spring 2016.

Grade Breakdown
Ethics GPA 3.1
Stat GPA 3.75

Science Breakdown
Class Semester
CHEM A B C+
Lab A ^ ^
BIO C C-
Lab B- A+
PHY A B-
Lab ^ ^
BioChem C+
Lab None


I have taken a psychology class titled Human Biology and Behavior. Also I took a Community College Calculus 1&2 with A's, Animal Behavior with a C, and I am looking to take one or two more Biology classes this Spring 2016. I have had 3+ years shadowing one very good orthodontist in Mexico and also plan to shadow more in the U.S. I'm bilingual and Mexican American.

Since I Graduated from CSUMB December, I have five months to boost my application for June. What can I do these five months to better my chances for Dental School? Also do I have any chance at all....
My dream schools are Southern California Dental Schools: UCLA, USC, Loma Linda, and Western.

Don't let anyone tell you that you don't have a chance because nobody knows whether or not you will get into dental school. There is only one way you will 100% not get in and that is if you don't apply. If dentistry is what you want to do then go for it!!

 

[karemkat]

Thank you all for your replies! I am planning on taking Bio again, and an lower division Anatomy class at my local community college. I heard the anatomy class would help tremendously on the DAT. Does anyone think that taking these classes at a CC will lower my changes during the application cycle or is there better classes I should be taking?
Also, I have 100+ shadowing/volunteer hours in Mexico, around 54h volenteering in the US.
My science GPA is round 3.2

 

[GAdawg94]

Thank you all for your replies! I am planning on taking Bio again, and an lower division Anatomy class at my local community college. I heard the anatomy class would help tremendously on the DAT. Does anyone think that taking these classes at a CC will lower my changes during the application cycle or is there better classes I should be taking?
Also, I have 100+ shadowing/volunteer hours in Mexico, around 54h volenteering in the US.
My science GPA is round 3.2

No, those courses should be at a university level. You need to prove yourself and a CC is not gonna do it. Science GPA is the most important factor or showing improvement as you take upper levels. You have the minimal number of courses in sciences and the grades are modest. Most of the people you are competing against have tons of those courses and grades that show aptitude in sciences. Try courses like genetics, cell biology, physiology, or histology and get A's in them or minimum of B+.

Try to do general dentistry shadowing (no more orthodontics) because at interviews they will make it clear not everyone will be able to specialize and some schools even require general dental shadowing and won't count the specialty hours (i.e. Tufts).

Also, the DAT is an important factor that should be your heaviest concentration in the upcoming months.