Brutal Summer

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LowcountyDoc

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Hello all! Great forum, tons of info and resources here. Thanks to all contributors. Need some advice on my current situation.
I am a 28yr old non-traditional student who graduated in 06 with a BS in Health Science. Graduated with honors and a 3.01 GPA, member of health club and honor society. I did the corporate sales thing for a couple years then decided it wasn't my gig. I have moved back to SC and I currently work as a dental technician with my father who owns the business. I am currently shadowing some of the Dentists we work for and I absolutely want to be a DMD. I started to take my Science pre-reqs (Chem 1&2, Bio 1&2) last fall and I currently have a 3.5. I should finish out with an A in Bio and B in Chem.
I am taking Orgo 1&2 this summer and Physics 1&2 in fall/spring ('11/'12). Throw in Biochem and Microbiology with that Physics course load as well. I am planning on taking the DAT following Orgo 2. This will be around late July, early August. Will this later application be detrimental to my chances for acceptance? Can I apply early without taking my DAT and required course work? I am applying to MUSC, Medical College of Georgia and probably UNC.
One more question, I need to get an A in orgo 1&2 to up my GPA, what resources to everyone use to ace this class?

Any help would be great guys, thanks a ton. This site is very motivational!

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Hello all! Great forum, tons of info and resources here. Thanks to all contributors. Need some advice on my current situation.
I am a 28yr old non-traditional student who graduated in 06 with a BS in Health Science. Graduated with honors and a 3.01 GPA, member of health club and honor society. I did the corporate sales thing for a couple years then decided it wasn't my gig. I have moved back to SC and I currently work as a dental technician with my father who owns the business. I am currently shadowing some of the Dentists we work for and I absolutely want to be a DMD. I started to take my Science pre-reqs (Chem 1&2, Bio 1&2) last fall and I currently have a 3.5. I should finish out with an A in Bio and B in Chem.
I am taking Orgo 1&2 this summer and Physics 1&2 in fall/spring ('11/'12). Throw in Biochem and Microbiology with that Physics course load as well. I am planning on taking the DAT following Orgo 2. This will be around late July, early August. Will this later application be detrimental to my chances for acceptance? Can I apply early without taking my DAT and required course work? I am applying to MUSC, Medical College of Georgia and probably UNC.
One more question, I need to get an A in orgo 1&2 to up my GPA, what resources to everyone use to ace this class?

Any help would be great guys, thanks a ton. This site is very motivational!


August would be fine, but try not to push it into September. It sounds like a good plan if you can handle that much work. sounds like a bit of overload if you are not accustomed to taking that much in such little time. Orgo during the summer will consume most of your time for most of the summer, then you wont have much time for a break, and go straight into studying for the DAT.
 
I have taken summer classes before as an undergrad and I know they can be gut wrenching. Its do or die for me now tho b/c I am getting up there in age and if I dont take the class now, I wont be able to apply until the next cycle. Thats my thought process at least.
 
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I have taken summer classes before as an undergrad and I know they can be gut wrenching. Its do or die for me now tho b/c I am getting up there in age and if I dont take the class now, I wont be able to apply until the next cycle. Thats my thought process at least.

Yea it sounds reasonable. What classes are you taking right now?
 
I am taking General Bio 2 and General Chem 2. I should finish with an A in Bio and B in Chem. Next fall is when I plan to take Physics 1 & Microbiology with Physics 2 & Biochemistry in spring. I have already taken Anatomy and Physiology 1 & 2, earning an A in both classes. Would this Science course load look good on an application? Or is there other classes to consider?
 
Hello all! Great forum, tons of info and resources here. Thanks to all contributors. Need some advice on my current situation.
I am a 28yr old non-traditional student who graduated in 06 with a BS in Health Science. Graduated with honors and a 3.01 GPA, member of health club and honor society. I did the corporate sales thing for a couple years then decided it wasn't my gig. I have moved back to SC and I currently work as a dental technician with my father who owns the business. I am currently shadowing some of the Dentists we work for and I absolutely want to be a DMD. I started to take my Science pre-reqs (Chem 1&2, Bio 1&2) last fall and I currently have a 3.5. I should finish out with an A in Bio and B in Chem.
I am taking Orgo 1&2 this summer and Physics 1&2 in fall/spring ('11/'12). Throw in Biochem and Microbiology with that Physics course load as well. I am planning on taking the DAT following Orgo 2. This will be around late July, early August. Will this later application be detrimental to my chances for acceptance? Can I apply early without taking my DAT and required course work? I am applying to MUSC, Medical College of Georgia and probably UNC.
One more question, I need to get an A in orgo 1&2 to up my GPA, what resources to everyone use to ace this class?

Any help would be great guys, thanks a ton. This site is very motivational!

your GPA (both overall and science) are putting you on an automatic disadvantage. On top of that, taking the DAT early August means... AADSAS won't get your official scores till about 2-4 weeks later.

You can apply without a DAT score (like submit everything in June)... however, your application will be considered "incomplete" at schools until your DAT scores are in....So the earliest your application will be Complete and viewable by schools is mid to late August (that is if you take the test early August).

IMO, thats late, and to make things worse, you are only applying to 3 schools along with a lower than average GPA.... Odds are against you :(
I think it would be wise if you applied to 12-15 schools.

As far as Orgo goes... I didn't use any resources other than the text book and class notes.... I used to re-write my notes when I got home every day I had lecture, that really helped reinforce material. I also relied heavily on the text book.
 
How is that late when the deadline is December 1st? I understand the earlier an application, the better but how much does that weigh on the success of an application?
 
Is august really considered late? I would consider applying in December or November late but August is in between. Just saying plus take it when you are completely ready for it its better.
 
How is that late when the deadline is December 1st? I understand the earlier an application, the better but how much does that weigh on the success of an application?

The "deadline" is not Dec. 1. Generally, most people want to have their stuff in by June-July, maybe August. September/October is pretty late in the cycle. Not saying you won't get into dental school if you apply then, but you're playing with alot of fire. November is really shooting yourself in the foot. You don't want to be applying around then.

And don't forget, it takes about a month for AADSAS for verify your transcripts and grades. So you can submit in August, but school's won't receive it until September. They verify pretty fast in June though lol
 
How is that late when the deadline is December 1st? I understand the earlier an application, the better but how much does that weigh on the success of an application?


Timing matter, it can make the difference between you getting in, and NOT getting in. After August is typically considered late, October and NOV is deff late, and will negatively effect your chances.
 
People start getting accepted into dental school starting Dec 1st which means the number of seats left in each dental school starts shrinking starting Dec 1st. Without an exceptional GPA and DAT its going to be hard to get into school that late into the game.
 
Is august really considered late? I would consider applying in December or November late but August is in between. Just saying plus take it when you are completely ready for it its better.

I submitted my application on August and I only received one pre-Dec interview. Maybe I am just unlucky, but you can see my stats at predent.
 
How is that late when the deadline is December 1st? I understand the earlier an application, the better but how much does that weigh on the success of an application?

Speaking directly with admissions people from my instate school, I was told that if I apply in August (middle of) my application would be behind 1200 others. They begin awarding interviews as they come across applicants worth interviewing. They do not wait for all the applications to come in and then decide who to interview from there.

The one incontrovertible fact in the application cycle that I have found is....getting in early is a must, and early means June.

By the way...I feel your pain on the Summer schedule. I am also taking Orgo 1 and 2 this summer...I just tested out of Gen Chem II because the Orgo I professor wouldn't let a 28 year old post grad, non-degree seeking alumnus in to his class without the pre-requisite of Gen Chem II. I am also working 45 hours a week and taking the DAT on May 23rd.
 
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I am just curious, how did you graduate with honors with a 3.01 GPA, or am I missing something?
 
Taking Orgo 1 and 2 during the summer will be tough, but doable. Plus you won't have to take as much time to study for that section on the DAT once you take it.

Also, as everyone else has stated, you need to submit your AADSAS application in June/July. Even if you take your DAT in August, you can fax an unofficial copy of your scores to schools that allow this and speed things up a little. Also, you NEED to apply to more than 3 schools. UNC will be tough to get into out of state, and with a below average GPA, it'll be even tougher. Spending the extra money now and applying to 10 - 15 will be worth it.
 
I am just curious, how did you graduate with honors with a 3.01 GPA, or am I missing something?

Maybe he had alot of retakes that replaced some bad grades grades. But the actual AADSAS GPA is 3.01. That would be my guess.
 
I am just curious, how did you graduate with honors with a 3.01 GPA, or am I missing something?

First 2 years at NC State were rough. Transfered to another school and didnt get anything under a B. Graduated with a 3.5 but my total undergrad was 3.01. I am taking my pre-reqs now to hopefully boost that final GPA.
I found a link on here a while ago listing the avg GPA and DAT scores for all dental schools. Can't find it tho, any help? I assume I should apply to the schools that accept a lower GPA?
 
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your GPA (both overall and science) are putting you on an automatic disadvantage. On top of that, taking the DAT early August means... AADSAS won't get your official scores till about 2-4 weeks later.

You can apply without a DAT score (like submit everything in June)... however, your application will be considered "incomplete" at schools until your DAT scores are in....So the earliest your application will be Complete and viewable by schools is mid to late August (that is if you take the test early August).

IMO, thats late, and to make things worse, you are only applying to 3 schools along with a lower than average GPA.... Odds are against you :(
I think it would be wise if you applied to 12-15 schools.

As far as Orgo goes... I didn't use any resources other than the text book and class notes.... I used to re-write my notes when I got home every day I had lecture, that really helped reinforce material. I also relied heavily on the text book.

Thats awesome, i do the same thing with my Bio lectures. I take quick notes on my laptop during lecture, and fix them up when i get home. I'm glad to see you did the same thing and it worked out for you. I'm going to keep doing that :D
 
Thats awesome, i do the same thing with my Bio lectures. I take quick notes on my laptop during lecture, and fix them up when i get home. I'm glad to see you did the same thing and it worked out for you. I'm going to keep doing that :D

For a few classes I would record myself reading a few concepts with my iPhone and listen to those condensed notes as I walked between classes or during my commute.
 
For a few classes I would record myself reading a few concepts with my iPhone and listen to those condensed notes as I walked between classes or during my commute.

Oh that's kinda cool, I might try that. Seeing as I have the all might IPhone 4 :D
 
Thats awesome, i do the same thing with my Bio lectures. I take quick notes on my laptop during lecture, and fix them up when i get home. I'm glad to see you did the same thing and it worked out for you. I'm going to keep doing that :D

Yeh, it worked out for GC and Orgo.

But...Biology type courses, where most material was taught off of power-points... re-writing wasn't a very good option.... Re-writing 1 power point would require 20+ pages haha. So Instead, when I got home that day (if I had time), I would crack open the chapters relating to that power-point and read them. Whatever interesting facts I read, I would write them up next to the power-point slide, not only did this reinforce the lecture, also made reviewing for the exam easier cause my little side-notes helped me remember stuff better.... Its time consuming, but this is how I mastered upper level biologies

For a few classes I would record myself reading a few concepts with my iPhone and listen to those condensed notes as I walked between classes or during my commute.

I know alot of my friends who did this, especially for the upper level biologies.... and it worked out really well for them.... The reason I didn't do it was, it made me lazy from reading the text book.

In DS tho, I might have to choice but to do this, I can't expect myself to read the chapters (seeing as how much material they go through)... I dunno we'll see
 
Yeh, it worked out for GC and Orgo.

But...Biology type courses, where most material was taught off of power-points... re-writing wasn't a very good option.... Re-writing 1 power point would require 20+ pages haha. So Instead, when I got home that day (if I had time), I would crack open the chapters relating to that power-point and read them. Whatever interesting facts I read, I would write them up next to the power-point slide, not only did this reinforce the lecture, also made reviewing for the exam easier cause my little side-notes helped me remember stuff better.... Its time consuming, but this is how I mastered upper level biologies

Yea, my teachers tests are "based off of his lectures" though, as many people have said. His power points are just pictures of stuff, but he lectures and explains and talks detailed about every slide.
 
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