Any "non-trad" dental students out there?

[Longcatislong]

I'm wondering if there are any current dental students who took a non-traditional route to dental school. I, for instance, majored in sociology as an undergrad and will begin a formal post-bac program this summer to complete all my science dental pre-requisites (I'm one year out of college at this time). It'll be another two years before I take my DAT and apply to dental schools. So, here are a few questions:

1) Is there anyone else who did their pre-reqs as a post-baccalaureate student? Or had a non-science undergrad major?

2) How did dental schools view the fact that you did your prereqs as a post-bacc and not during undergrad when you applied/interviewed? Did they question your commitment to dentistry knowing that you had another career prior to your interest in dentistry or majored in a non-science related field?

Thanks!

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[Saddleshoes]

I had one classmate in my DS class that did exactly what you are planning. She also worked as a social worker, dealing with foster kids, while getting her science pre-requisites. I think the "powers that be" were impressed with her real world life experience.

 

[Mackchops]

I'm wondering if there are any current dental students who took a non-traditional route to dental school. I, for instance, majored in sociology as an undergrad and will begin a formal post-bac program this summer to complete all my science dental pre-requisites (I'm one year out of college at this time). It'll be another two years before I take my DAT and apply to dental schools. So, here are a few questions:

1) Is there anyone else who did their pre-reqs as a post-baccalaureate student? Or had a non-science undergrad major?

2) How did dental schools view the fact that you did your prereqs as a post-bacc and not during undergrad when you applied/interviewed? Did they question your commitment to dentistry knowing that you had another career prior to your interest in dentistry or majored in a non-science related field?

Thanks!

Hey! There are a bunch of us out there. More than you'd think!

I graduated with a degree in philosophy and religion and had to take all my pre-reqs. I was accepted to the Brandeis program but decided to enroll as a second-bachelors student at my local state school instead for the pre-reqs. I applied, got a bunch of interviews, and I'm graduating next month.

At the interviews I really had to defend my decision to go into dentistry. I think as long as you have a solid number of shadowing numbers logged and can get a dentist or two to write a LOR you'll be fine. What matters most is good grades, a good DAT, and proof that you know what you're getting into.

 

[Nat426]

There are quite a few taking the non-traditional approach to dental school. I have a BS in Construction Management and worked in the industry a few years before deciding to become a dentist. Had to do mainly science coursework and it took 2 years before I could apply. The adcom's made it very clear they loved non-traditional students and because of this, I heard that it's almost not considered non-traditional now from some of them. The real world experience and sacrifices you make to get into dentistry look very impressive to the adcoms. Good luck!

 

[tjddmskiss]

me
Photography major BA
Own night club for 7 years
post bac for pre requisite classes
class of 2015

 

[Longcatislong]

Glad to hear of your successes you guys 🙂 Gives me hope that one day I'll be in your shoes!

I don't have much "real world experience", as I've only been out of college one year before deciding to go pre-dental, but hopefully that lack of experience won't count against me when I apply. I certainly plan to have a good amount of dental shadowing, and get involved in pre-dental activities/societies through my post-bac.

Any advice you former post-bacs turned succcessful dental students can give me as I start my postbac journey?

 

[Dentinmyarmor]

Hello,

This is an interesting thread. I might get flamed here, but being non-traditional is almost an advantage now. I know 5 people, 2 of whom are going to harvard dental, who have had real life jobs/experiences and this was impressive to adcoms at Ivy leagues. If non-trads could muster a 22 DAT with 3.8+ GPA -- well Adcoms fall head over heels for such an applicant. Just throwing it out there as ECs (real life experiences/work/being CEO/your own boss) beats the crap out of club member on resume of a 21 yo typical undergrad applying for dental schools.

I love non-trad students as they are unique and bring maturity and I alway learn some new things from them (couple of great friendships I have developed at my school are with very smart non-trad students). Cheers and good luck.

 

[UBDent19]

Own night club for 7 years

I bet that made for some interesting discussions with your interviewers. You must have some good stories!

 

[Msmouth]

Hello,

This is an interesting thread. I might get flamed here, but being non-traditional is almost an advantage now. I know 5 people, 2 of whom are going to harvard dental, who have had real life jobs/experiences and this was impressive to adcoms at Ivy leagues. If non-trads could muster a 22 DAT with 3.8+ GPA -- well Adcoms fall head over heels for such an applicant. Just throwing it out there as ECs (real life experiences/work/being CEO/your own boss) beats the crap out of club member on resume of a 21 yo typical undergrad applying for dental schools.

I love non-trad students as they are unique and bring maturity and I alway learn some new things from them (couple of great friendships I have developed at my school are with very smart non-trad students). Cheers and good luck.

wow that gives me hope. Maybe they will pity me since I'm almost too old to start dental school ( :
I'm applying to only 2 schools.......Columbia (long shot) and UMDNJ........might as well say both long shots but it's all about location for us.

 

[UBDent19]

I'm almost too old to start dental school ( :

How old is too old to start?

 

[Msmouth]

How old is too old to start?

I am 39, if all goes as planned I will be a dentist at age 45. Kind of old but not too old in my book. If I have to apply a 2nd time that will push it to 46 and I decided if I don't get in after that then I have to give it up.

 

[K9sbestfriend]

I am 39, if all goes as planned I will be a dentist at age 45. Kind of old but not too old in my book. If I have to apply a 2nd time that will push it to 46 and I decided if I don't get in after that then I have to give it up.

I guess ill be the one to say it... You have probably seen other threads that recommend applying to more schools to improve chances of getting in. So if you are serious about dentistry then you definately need to apply to more schools. Since according to your own post you feel the two you plan on applying to are longshots. Obviously we dont know the underlying reasons for you to stay where you are at but if you must stay close you could consider other health professions you may also be interested in and apply to those as well. My back up was optometry and if I had not been accepted to dentistry this year I was planning on applying to both next cycle.

Just a thought.

 

[sketo43]

I'm a non-trad also! I'm a humanities major who worked for a few years before deciding I want to be a dentist. As a non-trad, you will need to demonstrate 2 things to admissions committees:

1. your commitment to dentistry
Their concern is that you will change your mind again, and leave dentistry (or dental school) after a few years. You need to show them that you are interested in dentistry for the right reasons (helping people, working with people, detailed work, science, running a business, etc). Also, spend time shadowing dentists. People who want to be a dentist to "make good money doing easy work" will be in for a rough time. If you have a good story that shows why you want to be a dentist, then incorporate it into your personal statement. At your interviews, they will definitely ask why you want to be a dentist!

2. you can handle the course load in dental school
This is especially true if you were not a science major or if you have been out of school for a while. The solution: do really well in your pre-reqs and the DAT!

If you are passionate about dentistry, then I think you will get in.

Good luck!

 

[Msmouth]

I guess ill be the one to say it... You have probably seen other threads that recommend applying to more schools to improve chances of getting in. So if you are serious about dentistry then you definately need to apply to more schools. Since according to your own post you feel the two you plan on applying to are longshots. Obviously we dont know the underlying reasons for you to stay where you are at but if you must stay close you could consider other health professions you may also be interested in and apply to those as well. My back up was optometry and if I had not been accepted to dentistry this year I was planning on applying to both next cycle.

Just a thought.

Thanks...we live 30 minutes from UMDNJ and 45 from Columbia. I am married with 2 kids. I want this badly but I don't want to sacrifice everything for my dream.....meaning my husband's job and our home (that we couldn't sell if we wanted to). It's not a bad idea to think of something else to apply to but ultimately if I don't get in I plan to get my master's in Biology and continue dental hygiene.

 

[Msmouth]

I'm a non-trad also! I'm a humanities major who worked for a few years before deciding I want to be a dentist. As a non-trad, you will need to demonstrate 2 things to admissions committees:

1. your commitment to dentistry
Their concern is that you will change your mind again, and leave dentistry (or dental school) after a few years. You need to show them that you are interested in dentistry for the right reasons (helping people, working with people, detailed work, science, running a business, etc). Also, spend time shadowing dentists. People who want to be a dentist to "make good money doing easy work" will be in for a rough time. If you have a good story that shows why you want to be a dentist, then incorporate it into your personal statement. At your interviews, they will definitely ask why you want to be a dentist!

2. you can handle the course load in dental school
This is especially true if you were not a science major or if you have been out of school for a while. The solution: do really well in your pre-reqs and the DAT!

If you are passionate about dentistry, then I think you will get in.

Good luck!

The good thing is that I've been a dental hygienist for years and I'm not stranger to the ins and outs of dentistry. I won't be the student that suddenly changes her mind because I see how hard dentists work and I'm not afraid of hard work.
Thanks for the pep talk!😍

 

[sketo43]

The good thing is that I've been a dental hygienist for years and I'm not stranger to the ins and outs of dentistry. I won't be the student that suddenly changes her mind because I see how hard dentists work and I'm not afraid of hard work.
Thanks for the pep talk!😍

If you were a dental hygienist, then you should have no problem convincing them that you are committed to dentistry. Just show them that you can handle the course load of dental school. And apply to more than 2 schools! At least apply to NYU also. And think about Temple, UPenn, Stony Brook, and any other schools that are somewhat close. Good luck!

 

[Msmouth]

If you were a dental hygienist, then you should have no problem convincing them that you are committed to dentistry. Just show them that you can handle the course load of dental school. And apply to more than 2 schools! At least apply to NYU also. And think about Temple, UPenn, Stony Brook, and any other schools that are somewhat close. Good luck!

I can see how one would think it a good idea to apply to school 2+ hours away also but I will be away from my family so much as it is. I can't imagine commuting 4 hours round trip every day. I suppose it's doable. I do have a cousin that lives in Philly,so I could crash by her place if I don't want to drive all the way home. I just hate to sacrifice that much time from my young boys. NYU is too expensive, especially for someone my age.

 

[NoPresident]

I can see how one would think it a good idea to apply to school 2+ hours away also but I will be away from my family so much as it is. I can't imagine commuting 4 hours round trip every day. I suppose it's doable. I do have a cousin that lives in Philly,so I could crash by her place if I don't want to drive all the way home. I just hate to sacrifice that much time from my young boys. NYU is too expensive, especially for someone my age.

Assuming all these numbers are current, this is how things stand:

Columbia:
http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/student/finaid/pdf/dnbg1112.pdf

Total for 4 years with all fees, insurance, instruments, etc. = $256,775

NYUCD:
http://www.nyu.edu/dental/financialservices/tuitionfeesexpensesdds.html

Total for 4 years with all fees, insurance, instruments, etc. = $265,286

UMNDJ:
http://dentalschool.umdnj.edu/students/prospective/10-11 TUITION & FEES.pdf

RESIDENT: Total for 4 years with all fees, insurance, instruments, etc. = $164,328
NON-RESIDENT: Total for 4 years with all fees, insurance, instruments, etc. = $239,164

-None of these figures include accrued interest or cost of living associated expenses

 

[Msmouth]

Assuming all these numbers are current, this is how things stand:

Columbia:
http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/student/finaid/pdf/dnbg1112.pdf

Total for 4 years with all fees, insurance, instruments, etc. = $256,775

NYUCD:
http://www.nyu.edu/dental/financialservices/tuitionfeesexpensesdds.html

Total for 4 years with all fees, insurance, instruments, etc. = $265,286

UMNDJ:
http://dentalschool.umdnj.edu/students/prospective/10-11 TUITION & FEES.pdf

RESIDENT: Total for 4 years with all fees, insurance, instruments, etc. = $164,328
NON-RESIDENT: Total for 4 years with all fees, insurance, instruments, etc. = $239,164

-None of these figures include accrued interest or cost of living associated expenses

thanks nopres....I guess I looked at NYU and thought I saw it closer to 400K and completely disregarded it. I will have to look at it again. Ok, maybe I have 3 options but praying for UMDNJ.

 

[SwedishStallion]

Forgive me if some of these questions have already been answered in a previous thread. I am brand new to this site and have found some great information from everyone on SDN. I have a few different circumstances, and I was wondering if anyone coould give me some soild advice on my situation.

First off, I am 32 yrs old and half way through my BS degree in Healthcare Administration. I am married with 4 children ages: 5,3,2 and 9 months old. I work full-time for a university, at 45 hours per week. I need to mention that I talk to students about HC and nursing. I am hoping that it looks good on my application. I already have the challenge working, and going to school BOTH full-time. The university where I work is where I am completing my Bachelors degree, because they are paying for it. I have completed approximatley 60 credits thus far. As of now I have an overall GPA of 3.7. Now that my Gen Eds are completed, I am working on my major. I will/should have my bachelors degree completed in 3 years time. This past year I completed 42 credits in 1 academic year. I am trying to take a heavy load and double up in class so that Ad Comm's from dental schools see that I can handle the academic load and rigors of dental school. The problem I run into, is that none of my current courses I am, or will be taking for my major are pre-dental related. I now am faced with the delimma of going to school FT and taking my pre-req's for Dental school at another university.Where I currently attend, they do not offer these classes with labs. I am thinking of going ot ASU b/c they are right down the road from me. So, again, how many courses are expected of me to take to be competitive for Dental School? Seeing as I am a non-traditional student, and have a family of 4 children plus a wife, and a FT job, plus I am already enrolled in FT school, I am curious as to what they expect of me with regards to the number of classes I am suppossed to take per semester. Additionally I have to figure out a time when i am going to get 100 hours of shadowing plus work in some volunteering in the community. I live in AZ and the 2 schools here favor student with a lot of community service on their resume. These of course are my first choices of school. Are the Ad Comms going to look at all these aspects of my life? I know every decision is crucial for acceptance, and I want to make sure that i am doing things right the 1st time around, condisering that I am 32 yrs old already. What do I do? I apologize for rambling, I just have alot on my mind, and wanted to be through so that you all have some insight into my daily/weekly life. THANKS to all!

 

[txaggie03]

SwedishStallion,
I answered your post on the pre-dental forum.

 

[RCT PC CRN]

1. your commitment to dentistry
Their concern is that you will change your mind again, and leave dentistry (or dental school) after a few years.

I think it's actually opposite. Here is why. Non-trads, in most case, have full time job and are earning enough money to make his/her living. In order to achieve thier goal of becoming dentist, they sacrifice thier full time career, put them thru prereqs (again in most case) for a year or two and go thru DAT. Having enough maturity, I imagine that they have researched the career as a dentist with great detail, in many cases they are associated with dentistry in one way or other. Most importantly, non-trads are aware of the fact that it will be another four years before they can earn any money and they are prepared for it. Now this is a damn good commitment and Adcoms are aware of it, so DROP OUT is least of their concern.

Other side, traditional students, (keep in mind, this is in comparison to non-trad, not that anything negative or inferior) they never have had full time job, so lack the real world experience. Most have shadowed various dentists for few hours to some hundreds, in order to gain knowledge of the industry. Some of them have parents who are dentist so they get their feel of industry from parents. Once trad student become dentist (if he/she hasn't dropped out already - those 1 or 2%), there is a chance that he/she may not like the real world as a dentist. Now age is a factor here, if you go in trad route, you become dentist at any where around 25. After working for a year or two, one is still young enough to change the career vs. non-trad have already changed thier career once and they are not young 🙂 so in my view, changing career does not really cross his/her mind.

 

[SmileMechanic]

I think it's actually opposite. Here is why. Non-trads, in most case, have full time job and are earning enough money to make his/her living. In order to achieve thier goal of becoming dentist, they sacrifice thier full time career, put them thru prereqs (again in most case) for a year or two and go thru DAT. Having enough maturity, I imagine that they have researched the career as a dentist with great detail, in many cases they are associated with dentistry in one way or other. Most importantly, non-trads are aware of the fact that it will be another four years before they can earn any money and they are prepared for it. Now this is a damn good commitment and Adcoms are aware of it, so DROP OUT is least of their concern.

Other side, traditional students, (keep in mind, this is in comparison to non-trad, not that anything negative or inferior) they never have had full time job, so lack the real world experience. Most have shadowed various dentists for few hours to some hundreds, in order to gain knowledge of the industry. Some of them have parents who are dentist so they get their feel of industry from parents. Once trad student become dentist (if he/she hasn't dropped out already - those 1 or 2%), there is a chance that he/she may not like the real world as a dentist. Now age is a factor here, if you go in trad route, you become dentist at any where around 25. After working for a year or two, one is still young enough to change the career vs. non-trad have already changed thier career once and they are not young 🙂 so in my view, changing career does not really cross his/her mind.

I would have to agree. As a 44 yo non-trad just entering first year of dental school, I found that most interviewers were impressed with my decision to leave a career of 24 yrs, making 58K + bene, with the prospect of four years of 0 income before me. Only someone who is committed (or needs to be) would make this kind of decision. Having gone back to school while working full-time, and still making the grades, figures into it too.

 

[Enamelize]

I would have to agree. As a 44 yo non-trad just entering first year of dental school, I found that most interviewers were impressed with my decision to leave a career of 24 yrs, making 58K + bene, with the prospect of four years of 0 income before me. Only someone who is committed (or needs to be) would make this kind of decision. Having gone back to school while working full-time, and still making the grades, figures into it too.

Very admirable. 🙂 How has your 1st year been, especially with family time? How is studying?

 

[FreewheelingFrolicker]

Thanks...we live 30 minutes from UMDNJ and 45 from Columbia. I am married with 2 kids. I want this badly but I don't want to sacrifice everything for my dream.....meaning my husband's job and our home (that we couldn't sell if we wanted to). It's not a bad idea to think of something else to apply to but ultimately if I don't get in I plan to get my master's in Biology and continue dental hygiene.

I agree with your sentiments. A lot of people would have the same response as K9sbestfriend about how your inflexibility in schools to which you would even apply translates to lackluster determination for dentistry. I'd like for the people who think that way to consider this: "If you were a newly graduated female dental student who then had a kid, would you completely abandon your future as a dentist in order to solely pursue motherhood?"

I aspire to succeed in both family and work. Those who can compromise and maintain the two are inspirational people. Granted, I won't be cutthroat ambitious about my career, but being a good dentist for those that I can serve is success as a dentist in my book.

 

[Bereno]

thanks nopres....I guess I looked at NYU and thought I saw it closer to 400K and completely disregarded it. I will have to look at it again. Ok, maybe I have 3 options but praying for UMDNJ.

It is just over 400K with living expenses... 🙁