- Joined
- Aug 6, 2008
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Firstly, I'd like to thank you for reading this post. I very much appreciate your time in doing so.
I hope this post doesn't sound too much like a sob story. I am hoping to get some perspective of my situation, and where I can go from where I am now.
For as long as I can remember, I have had The Dream: To Be A Dentist. To be a dentist has long been my be-all and end-all in life, and having spent close to a thousand hours shadowing dentists, I understand relatively well the commitment and skill required by the profession. I also know that dentistry is my path to happiness in life. In fact, every dentist I have shadowed has told me that they have seen no one become as excited as I do about one day being a member of their profession. I have also spent many hours assembling radios and other electronics (I'm a ham radio operator) and I love very fine and detailed work.
I know The Dream is not false. I feel with complete certainty that a career in dentistry is my life goal. I have loved every moment I have been in a dental office, and this is what I want to dedicate my life to.
When I first entered college, I chose a school that was well-known to be challenging (Most people I have spoken with have told me that my school's Cs and Bs are like other school's Bs and As.); I have always enjoyed the thrill that accompanies mastering a subject. I decided to major in biology and minor in computer science, and I was a straight-A student my freshman year.
That trend was not to last. In my second year first semester organic chemistry course, I had my bottom handed to me. I struggled with the material, always believing that the solution was more study, more repetition, but in the end, I ended up with a C in the class. I never lost sight of The Dream; honestly, I think it was all that kept me alive. However, that C made me doubt I would ever see The Dream fulfilled, and I sank into a terrible, debilitating depression.
I hope none of you ever have to experience depression like I did, and if you have, or if you are now caught in its terrible clutches, There is Hope! Don't lose sight of what YOU want in life, because YOU can change it for the Best! Just keep trying, and no matter what, DON'T GIVE UP!
I could barely eat or sleep, let alone study. I was trapped in a creeping paralysis, one that was robbing me of every trace of ambition. I was barely able to keep my grades up, and while most of my courses were As and Bs still, I received a C- for Organic Chemistry II and a C+ in Genetics. I tried retaking Organic Chemistry II in my junior year, but at the time, I was in a Botany field course required for graduation when I was abandoned by my lab partner; the resulting workload forced me to withdraw from Organic.
Only recently have I emerged from the doldrums, thanks to a wonderful friend who forced me to see that as long as I had life, there was hope.
I am now about to enter my senior year. I have not yet taken the DAT, as I independently studying Organic Chemistry (and finally making good progress) and I want to make the strongest showing possible. I also have not asked my college's Health Services Committee to write me a recommendation yet. I understand that this will likely result in a gap year, but if a strong DAT score can offset my college transcript, that is more than worthwhile. I also have not applied to any schools; those three Cs are black marks that I feel would turn off any admissions office. Unfortunately, I also brought in a substantial amount of AP credit from high-school; I have relatively few major biology courses to show that I indeed do have aptitude for biology. While my cumulative GPA is 3.462, thanks to those Cs, my science GPA is somewhere in the twos.
I fear my situation is very grave, but no matter what, I will never, ever give up. Dentistry is my life, and it is The Dream I cling to. But where can I go from here? What can I do to improve my chances of admission? If I am making any mistakes right now, what would you suggest I do to correct them? Any help or support you can give would be very appreciated.
Thank you for reading this long post. I wish you all success in your undertakings.
I hope this post doesn't sound too much like a sob story. I am hoping to get some perspective of my situation, and where I can go from where I am now.
For as long as I can remember, I have had The Dream: To Be A Dentist. To be a dentist has long been my be-all and end-all in life, and having spent close to a thousand hours shadowing dentists, I understand relatively well the commitment and skill required by the profession. I also know that dentistry is my path to happiness in life. In fact, every dentist I have shadowed has told me that they have seen no one become as excited as I do about one day being a member of their profession. I have also spent many hours assembling radios and other electronics (I'm a ham radio operator) and I love very fine and detailed work.
I know The Dream is not false. I feel with complete certainty that a career in dentistry is my life goal. I have loved every moment I have been in a dental office, and this is what I want to dedicate my life to.
When I first entered college, I chose a school that was well-known to be challenging (Most people I have spoken with have told me that my school's Cs and Bs are like other school's Bs and As.); I have always enjoyed the thrill that accompanies mastering a subject. I decided to major in biology and minor in computer science, and I was a straight-A student my freshman year.
That trend was not to last. In my second year first semester organic chemistry course, I had my bottom handed to me. I struggled with the material, always believing that the solution was more study, more repetition, but in the end, I ended up with a C in the class. I never lost sight of The Dream; honestly, I think it was all that kept me alive. However, that C made me doubt I would ever see The Dream fulfilled, and I sank into a terrible, debilitating depression.
I hope none of you ever have to experience depression like I did, and if you have, or if you are now caught in its terrible clutches, There is Hope! Don't lose sight of what YOU want in life, because YOU can change it for the Best! Just keep trying, and no matter what, DON'T GIVE UP!
I could barely eat or sleep, let alone study. I was trapped in a creeping paralysis, one that was robbing me of every trace of ambition. I was barely able to keep my grades up, and while most of my courses were As and Bs still, I received a C- for Organic Chemistry II and a C+ in Genetics. I tried retaking Organic Chemistry II in my junior year, but at the time, I was in a Botany field course required for graduation when I was abandoned by my lab partner; the resulting workload forced me to withdraw from Organic.
Only recently have I emerged from the doldrums, thanks to a wonderful friend who forced me to see that as long as I had life, there was hope.
I am now about to enter my senior year. I have not yet taken the DAT, as I independently studying Organic Chemistry (and finally making good progress) and I want to make the strongest showing possible. I also have not asked my college's Health Services Committee to write me a recommendation yet. I understand that this will likely result in a gap year, but if a strong DAT score can offset my college transcript, that is more than worthwhile. I also have not applied to any schools; those three Cs are black marks that I feel would turn off any admissions office. Unfortunately, I also brought in a substantial amount of AP credit from high-school; I have relatively few major biology courses to show that I indeed do have aptitude for biology. While my cumulative GPA is 3.462, thanks to those Cs, my science GPA is somewhere in the twos.
I fear my situation is very grave, but no matter what, I will never, ever give up. Dentistry is my life, and it is The Dream I cling to. But where can I go from here? What can I do to improve my chances of admission? If I am making any mistakes right now, what would you suggest I do to correct them? Any help or support you can give would be very appreciated.
Thank you for reading this long post. I wish you all success in your undertakings.
