Approaching First Yr. College with Dental Interest

[juicy]

Hi everyone I am attending UCI in the fall as a freshman (undergrad) and want to start my experience off in the right track. I have intense interest in the field of dentistry and was wondering what kind of classes I should take in the fall semester or how many classes, etc. to prepare myself for dental school. I know this seems like a desperate search for answers but I screwed up in high school and don't want to make the same mistake again. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

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[RPatel2]

Don't take all sciences classes first year (general bio, chem, etc). Find out what the pre-dental requirements are at your school and go from there. Keep your schedule varied to show that you have other interests to, aside from science. Start with either general biology, generaly chemistry, or both if you can handle the pressure of both. Also, shadow a dentist to get a better idea of the field. Hope that helps.

 

[DDSSlave]

Find a major that you'll do well in, and incorporate the prereq's. I took Gen Chem and Calc 1st yr, Organic and Bio 2nd yr, Physics 3rd yr. That gets you the backbone of dent prereqs right there. Throw in some advanced biology, biochem, writing, and whatever else here and there and you're all set. It's a fine balance of making sure you're taking all the appropriate classes in a timely manner and not overloading your schedule. A lot of it depends on your major. Talking specifics, fall semester I took Gen Chem I, Calc I and a couple of electives my first semester - 14-15hrs.

Regarding screwing up in high school: don't worry about it. Start fresh and develop good habits from the beginning. Always keep in the back of your head that getting into Dent school is harder than it's ever been, and it isn't going to get easier in 4 yrs. If you want it, make the sacrifice and study hard. Have fun, but study hard.

 

[ISU_Steve]

Check out the websites of the schools you want to attend before putting yourself through a calculus class- some schools don't require it. But otherwise you've received good advice from my esteemed colleagues.

 

[Pikeyman]

Kid,

Don't think of college as just another "trade" school you need to go through to get to dental school and get paid.

Keep in mind what the guys above have said and remember to explore other fields.

You will get to go to college only once. Explore. Get the pre-req's done and enjoy what the college has to offer.

Explore and experiment. (But don't act like a ***** by doing drugs and getting STD's.)

 

[themarvinh]

As a UCI graduate (2005) the easiest way is to simply follow the bio curriculum. they recommend bio(evolutionary), gchem and english or humanities. if you choose humanities don’t take any more classes because that class is hard (8 units but worth it). Don’t over work yourself because its really competitive the first 2 years. Join the dental club, they have a lot of good information, fieldtrips and I even got to go to the California Dental Convention and talk to the UOP dean of admissions. If you have any questions feel free to message me (i used to be a UCI tour guide), or I know there are a lot of UCI peeps on this board and I’m sure they’ll help. Also check out www.anteaterforum.com. there is some good information on that web site.