6 years so far...

[rsrsrsrsrs]

hi there fellow pre-dents
I really need some advice because I am at a point in my life where I feel there really are no more second chances...
I am a 24 year old Canadian asian guy.
I am in my 6th year in university in a science major that will get me no where just on its own.
I applied back in June of 2013, with a cGPA 3.2 sGPA 3.0 bcpGPA 3.0 with DAT 20AA, 19TS, 18BIO, 17RC, 22gCHEM, 22oCHEM, 24PAT (second attempt)
I got no interviews...
right now, I am wondering if its all worth it to try again.
I mean, I really really do want to become a dentist, and it is not just because of the salary
I am passionate about it.
BUT realistically speaking, I feel like I need to do 2 more years of university to bring my GPA up and attempt the DAT for the third time.
I am looking far into the future and by the time I am done with everything, I will 31, with 500K debt.
I am wondering if it is all worth it...I am considering a career change but every time I think about this, I feel I let myself down because I really do want to become a dentist.

If you were in my shoes, how would you plan my future for the next few years?
I would appreciate some good advice. Thanks.

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[Dent_Dent]

hi there fellow pre-dents
I really need some advice because I am at a point in my life where I feel there really are no more second chances...
I am a 24 year old Canadian asian guy.
I am in my 6th year in university in a science major that will get me no where just on its own.
I applied back in June of 2013, with a cGPA 3.2 sGPA 3.0 bcpGPA 3.0 with DAT 20AA, 19TS, 18BIO, 17RC, 22gCHEM, 22oCHEM, 24PAT (second attempt)
I got no interviews...
right now, I am wondering if its all worth it to try again.
I mean, I really really do want to become a dentist, and it is not just because of the salary
I am passionate about it.
BUT realistically speaking, I feel like I need to do 2 more years of university to bring my GPA up and attempt the DAT for the third time.
I am looking far into the future and by the time I am done with everything, I will 31, with 500K debt.
I am wondering if it is all worth it...I am considering a career change but every time I think about this, I feel I let myself down because I really do want to become a dentist.

If you were in my shoes, how would you plan my future for the next few years?
I would appreciate some good advice. Thanks.

Hi rsrsrsrsrs, here are some of my thoughts.

First, don't let your age get you down. Honestly, 24 years old is still a very young age. I am an Asian girl and I am 26 years old this year. I didn't get into dental school after I finish my undergrad. I got into grad school to improve my grades. So by the time I graduate, I will be 30 and if I were to specialize (most likely), I am looking to be around 32-36 years old. By Asian standard, that is considered "old", especially for a girl/ woman when the prime age is in the 20s (no offense female readers but this is how most traditional Asian families think). I am lucky to have a supportive bf, who is willing to wait for me. He knows I won't be happy if I don't get to do what I love (dentistry). If dentistry is what you are passionate about, no matter how long it takes, you WILL get there.

But I suggest you have a plan in mind.

1) Get your grades up. If a full course load is too heavy for you, try take one course less per year. I don't recall full course load is required for admission. E.g. I did poorly in my first year (5 courses), so I took only 4 courses in my 2nd year. I managed to get higher grades, which gave me much confidence. Then in my third year, I took 5 courses again and I can manage much better this time, and by the time I am in my 4th year, with 6 courses, I am still doing well. Bottomline: Know your weakness and adjust accordingly.

2) Be selective of your extra-curricular activities. Instead of doing 10-20 short term activities, commit to a couple activities that help in your personal development AND you are genuinely interested in these activities. At my interview, my interviewer is really impressed that I stay committed to my volunteer position for 6 years in a row (because I love the work I do! and my interviewer can tell that I do).

3) Find some research assistant part time job. You can to earn some money towards your dental school tuition, at the same time, get some research experience.

4) If you are worried about debt. Why not start learning how to manage your financials now. Try learn some basics of managing a business. I suggest "the white coat investor". It's a great book. Also, your local bank is a great resource. E.g. I don't earn much from my part time job but after talking to financial advisors at my bank (their service is free), they teach me to (a) start saving $300-400 in my TFSA account every month, (b) after a year of saving, they suggested that I can try buying mutual funds, (c) and once I get comfortable, I am experimenting with the stock market now. The financial advisors are free resources, so use them to your advantage.

5) Once you are in dental school, you probably will not have enough time to do things you like. Enjoy your life to the fullest while you still can! For me, I love cross-stitching so I am doing as much of it as I possibly can now

Just my two cents. Sorry if it's too long. Feel free to disagree. Good luck!

 

[Ferneezy]

if i were you, and i really wanted this: knowing that my GPAs were at or above the seemingly critical 3.0 level, and understanding that after six years i may not move the needle all that much, i would 1) get into a one year SMP, 2) retake the DAT after studying harder for it

 

[Gen. Beauregard]

Hey OP, what are your extracurriculars, volunteer hours, and demonstratable hand skills like? Building upon those may be a consideration. Don't give up hope, especially if you're passionate about dentistry and your motives are altruistic. I was in undergrad for a total of 9 years, coming away with two degrees from different universities, in completely unrelated fields, had DAT scores lower than yours, and am comparatively an old fart that will be an old fart +4 upon graduating from dental school. There's hope for you.

 

[2THDDS]

Smp / post bach.
Then kill dat. Easy combo

 

[Vince21]

I am exactly in the same position as you are and totally understand about not wanting to change your career goal. You should perhaps take a SMP or a two year undergrad specialization (in Canada). If a dentist is what you truly want to become, then do not give up. Don't worry about graduating in your early 30's because that is the age range where most people finish professional schools nowadays. I will also be graduating in my 30's, so you are not alone!

 

[Cello]

I don't think that your GPA will exclude you from dental schools here in the US. Try to remember that the average GPA at many dental schools is a 3.2 - 3.3. That means that there are plenty of people BELOW that average as there are people above it too. The fact that you are Canadian is likely to play a bigger role in how many interviews you get. It's my understanding that it is just harder to get into dental schools here in the US as an international student.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/2011-international-students-us-ds-admissions.916149/

That said, you are still very young. I didn't commit to going to dental school until I had turned 27. I will apply when I am 30, matriculate when I am 31 (if I make it on my first application cycle), and graduate when I am 35. I'm not really particularly worried about the debt because, well, I've lived on a pittance and don't really mind it. That said, you will not live on a pittance indefinitely, even if the first few years are tough. There are plenty of people our age with hundreds of thousands of dollars wrapped up in a home, and I'd rather invest in an education which has a high return on investment.

You are still young at 24. Even if you don't get to practice until you're 31, or 32, you could still make a 30+ year career of dentistry.

 

[rsrsrsrsrs]

thanks so much for all of your responses. I really appreciate it.
I want to ask about your opinion on my plan
I am attending a 2 semester university but am transferring over to a trimester university.
I still have to take a semester to graduate (Jan-April 2015).
I plan to take 4 semesters in a row meaning it will be equivalent to 2 years at a 2 semester university.
so it will start from (May-Aug 2015, Sept-Dec 2015, Jan-April 2016, May-Aug 2016)
I want to take ALL of the pre-reqs and upper level science courses (anatomy, physiology, biochemistry) as well.
I will take full course load for each semester, meaning 5 courses per semester.
This means that I will have close to 150credits (25 courses) to really improve my GPA and show that I have grown from the past and am a new student.
I want to apply early in June 2016 with my current DAT but will note that I will be retaking it in around Nov 2016.
I know that my DAT will not be ready until Nov2016 which is considered late in the application cycle, but right now, I think I should focus on my GPA more than anything.
I know that to say I will try to aim for 4.0 on ALL 25 of my new courses is really hard but I'm going to have to really work my ass off.
sorry for the long post but I want to hear what you guys think about this plan.
Thanks again and congrats to all those who got accepted this year!

 

[rsrsrsrsrs]

bump