3.24c/3.1s: Considering D-school Again

[StericHindrance]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hey everyone,

I graduated in May with a B.S. in Biology. GPA: 3.24c, 3.1s. I took a graduate assistantship across the country to work in recreation and am currently pursuing an M.S. in Sport Management (big change, I know).

I was originally pre-med, then switched to pre-dental, but it was in my last year of undergrad. Feeling a bit overwhelmed and underprepared, I decided getting an assistantship would be a good next step. Also, I thought going into recreation was what I really wanted since I had a ton of experience in that area. But now, getting to experience what this career is really like and not getting to study the things I love (science, mostly) I'm considering dental school again. I always wanted to do dentistry, but was worried about the financial side of it. Learning more about financial maturity I can see that that's not a major concern for me really.

I know my GPA is pretty low, but I'm more than willing to put in the work and I count myself extremely lucky for it being as high as it is. I think it is pretty salvageable. But the problem is I didn't complete all of the prereqs for D-school. I did all of the prereqs for med school, but I need to take A & P and biochem. I'm here until may 2015, so I have time to shadow, volunteer, and study for the DAT without rushing. So, since I'm in a grad program, I am looking into a few options:

A. Switching into a Human Performance or Exercise Physiology M.S. track (would still need some prereqs done, but would look good as upper level science I think?)
B. Completing a DIY post-bacc during my masters study to retake some of the classes I did poorly in and finish the prereqs (my GPA is pretty solid where it is since I have a lot of credits)
C. Completing a 1-year SMP that is very rigorous and structured like professional school to complete A & P and biochem and raise my GPA and total application in one fell swoop. (seems like the best option for me)

Is this a reasonable path to take if I can study hard and do well on the DAT?

 

[IsaacYankem]

I'd def get the pre-reqs out of the way and probably lean towards switching into Physio as that will be very useful down the line. But your best bet is to contact a few dental schools and see what they suggest. A lot of schools are good in providing useful feedback. Good luck

 

[StericHindrance]

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. I really want to go to Indiana University's D-school since that's my state school. I'm also looking at other schools in nearby states, but obviously would go anywhere that I got in. Moving far away from home has shown me how important location is to me.

I think my best bet would be to switch to HP or physio and complete all prereqs here, apply, then do an SMP during the gap year. But maybe if I could just switch my M.S. track and then do the SMP to cover all the prereqs and raise my GPA it would save me a bit of money.