Chances of Getting into Dental? (Career Change)

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hey1234

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Hi Everyone!

Would you please give me some advice? Here's my situation:

I am 26, and I'm thinking of a career change into Dentistry. I am currently working as a Senior Financial Analyst at a large hospital making $61k per year. But lately I have realized that this career path really isn't for me. I dislike working at a desk all day working on budgets, analysis, and other spreadsheets, and also sitting in meetings trying to solve problems for a business that I don't own. Also, opportunities aren't that great in terms of earnings, and availability of jobs. So, I am considering going to dentistry since you get to interact with people, help people, and can also have a much higher earning potential that I'll ever probably have in my current career path.

I have the below education & grades:

a) AA - (don't remember my GPA, but it wasn't great) - Community College
b) BSBA in Finance - 3.0 GPA - Florida State School
c) MBA in Finance - 3.9 GPA - Stetson University (Private & respectful FL school)
d) CPA pre-requisites - Essentially all of an Accounting major pre-reqs (6 courses) - 3.8 GPA - Florida State School

I would like advice as to whether you think it will be feasible for me to get into dental school. I understand I will have to take the pre-reqs. More specifically, I have the below questions:

1) How long do you think that will take me to take the pre-reqs?
2) How do dental schools calculate overall GPA (is based on your major only, or every single class that you have taken in history)?
3) How hard is the DAT?
4) Is the math section difficult on the DAT? How about the perceptual section?
5) Overall, do you think it will be realistic for me to get into Dental school somewhere? Would you do it, if you were in my shoes?

Thanks! I really do appreciate your advice in advance!

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Hi Everyone!

Would you please give me some advice? Here's my situation:

I am 26, and I'm thinking of a career change into Dentistry. I am currently working as a Senior Financial Analyst at a large hospital making $61k per year. But lately I have realized that this career path really isn't for me. I dislike working at a desk all day working on budgets, analysis, and other spreadsheets, and also sitting in meetings trying to solve problems for a business that I don't own. Also, opportunities aren't that great in terms of earnings, and availability of jobs. So, I am considering going to dentistry since you get to interact with people, help people, and can also have a much higher earning potential that I'll ever probably have in my current career path.

I have the below education & grades:

a) AA - (don't remember my GPA, but it wasn't great) - Community College
b) BSBA in Finance - 3.0 GPA - Florida State School
c) MBA in Finance - 3.9 GPA - Stetson University (Private & respectful FL school)
d) CPA pre-requisites - Essentially all of an Accounting major pre-reqs (6 courses) - 3.8 GPA - Florida State School

I would like advice as to whether you think it will be feasible for me to get into dental school. I understand I will have to take the pre-reqs. More specifically, I have the below questions:

1) How long do you think that will take me to take the pre-reqs?
2) How do dental schools calculate overall GPA (is based on your major only, or every single class that you have taken in history)?
3) How hard is the DAT?
4) Is the math section difficult on the DAT? How about the perceptual section?
5) Overall, do you think it will be realistic for me to get into Dental school somewhere? Would you do it, if you were in my shoes?

Thanks! I really do appreciate your advice in advance!

If you enroll full time you should be able to get them done in a year or so. The GPA is calculated as cumulative BCP (biology, chem, physics), science, non-science and overall. And is separated into undergrad, grad, and overall. The DAT is hard but after you get your prereqs done and with two months of solid studying (4-8 hours a day) you should do pretty well on it. The math section is hard because nobody remembers any of it and the pat is difficult at first as well, but that is what two months of studying will prepare you for. With practice and technique, the PAT is easy (can't be said for all) and the math section can be mastered.

I totally think it is realistic for you to get into dental school as long as you do well in your science classes. I think if you get at least a 3.5 you will most certainly be accepted. I would totally do it if I was in your shoes. I am 27 now and a few years ago at 25 I had been through three application cycles with no acceptances, I went to a masters program to boost my GPA at 26 and now I'm going to be in dental school! I can't imagine myself doing anything but dentistry so I did whatever it took to get there, and I know if you really want it you will do the same.
 
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It's great that you want to become a dentist! I'm just a mere pre-dental in college but I feel like most of the questions you asked can be found somewhere on this forum or you can just quickly google it. As for how realistic it is for you to get in somewhere, I think that if you're passionate enough you can do anything. Also, for all the schooling and amazing grades that you have gotten shows that you are smart and will be able to handle dental school as long you put effort into it. I can briefly answer your questions.

1.) pre-reqs include general biology (1 year), physics (1 year in most dental schools), general chem (1 year), organic chem (1 year), English ( 1 year). It depends on how you would wanna spread these classes out but they will take awhile to complete.

2.) From what I've researched they look a overall gpa, a bcp gpa (including all bio classes, chemistry, and physics) and a science gpa (all science and math courses)

3.) DAT is hard... you should spend atleast a few months prepping for it.

4.) I believe in the math section there's no calculus, it's has algebra and trig. the perceptual sections requires lots of practice. How hard each section is depends on your abilities, no one can really answer that for you.

Anyways, good luck! if you put your mind to it, you can do it!
 
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Thanks to everyone who has responded...this really helps, and I'm looking forwared to hearing more opinions.

Also, another question, do you think that it's feasible to work part-time while taking full load of the pre-reqs? (I want to work part time to keep my debt levels down, or at least not deplete my savings)

Thanks again!
 
Thanks to everyone who has responded...this really helps, and I'm looking forwared to hearing more opinions.

Also, another question, do you think that it's feasible to work part-time while taking full load of the pre-reqs? (I want to work part time to keep my debt levels down, or at least not deplete my savings)

Thanks again!

It's feasible but I wouldn't recommend it, I think the trade off of having more debt with a better GPA is worth it, but that's my opinion. Science classes aren't too difficult, it's getting all A's that's the hard part. Do yourself a favor and get a 4.0 and you will sleep better after you submit your ap (just not during school!)
 
I agree 100 % with Hawkteeth. If I were you, I would just focus all my energy on those classes, beast the DAT & do some volunteering/ shadowing.
 
hey1234,

Great, taking the first step into a new career, which is thinking. Everyone has made great recommendations, and from there you could probably see what your schedule would be like. I think you have the right mindset to make the career change as well. I'm speaking from personal experience, I was once at about your age doing the same thing only just a short few years ago..

However, before switching careers, have you taken any science courses before? It looks like your degrees were in business/finance and science courses are quite different. Did you take any science courses while you were pursuing your AA? If you haven't taken any science courses, I would enroll in one or two courses at night while keeping your job, if feasible, to gauge your interest and aptitude. Once you get an understanding for the material, you'll have more information about whether science is a good fit for you.

In addition to what people have suggested, don't forget about shadowing/volunteering/interning at a dentist's office and getting those hours of community service. To make your application superb, it takes some time. Some it may take a year or two. Some may take more time.

Just about any dental school has information on what they'd like to see in an application. The school website should have this information. A good opportunity to connect with schools is at the end of this month. A dental school virtual fair will be hosted by the ADEA to allow prospective applicants ask questions to current dental students and staff. That may be a good opportunity to find more information about the entire process (application, lifestyle, finances, etc.).

http://info.adea.org/DEP/Highlights/2013_ADEA_Dental_School_Virtual_Fair/
 
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it's going to take at least 1.5 to 2 years to take all your pre reqs. even if you take full loads (which will be plenty tough), you can't take ochem until you finish gchem... i understand you can do summer/winter semesters as well, but realistically, i would think of it as a 2 year plan... stuff happens... you can't get into some classses you need/time conflicts, etc. also it will be very beneficial to take upper division science courses at a university through their extension program or a post bacc program (which can take about a year). this was the case with me.. it took roughly 3 years to take all the prereqs, do a post bacc program, and study/take the DAT.

trust me, it's all doable. i did it while working about 3 days a week part time and volunteering/shadowing. i'm not trying to boast. just telling you like it is. good luck!

oh, also biochem is usually a prereq as well... and anatomy/physiology looks good on your transcript.
 
Okay thanks for the replies.

I'm still contemplating the topic. I really don't want to quit my job, and then end up not getting into Dental school. That would be horrible! And I'm not sure how employers would view me as I attempt to re-enter the workforce.

Also, I probably need to calculate my finances, and see what makes the most sense as a career path for me. Are there any websites that show how much a general dentist makes over time? I have seen averages on the some sites, but those don't have it by it by years of experience.

Thanks!
 
Okay thanks for the replies.

I'm still contemplating the topic. I really don't want to quit my job, and then end up not getting into Dental school. That would be horrible! And I'm not sure how employers would view me as I attempt to re-enter the workforce.

Also, I probably need to calculate my finances, and see what makes the most sense as a career path for me. Are there any websites that show how much a general dentist makes over time? I have seen averages on the some sites, but those don't have it by it by years of experience.

Thanks!
 
Okay thanks for the replies.

I'm still contemplating the topic. I really don't want to quit my job, and then end up not getting into Dental school. That would be horrible! And I'm not sure how employers would view me as I attempt to re-enter the workforce.

Also, I probably need to calculate my finances, and see what makes the most sense as a career path for me. Are there any websites that show how much a general dentist makes over time? I have seen averages on the some sites, but those don't have it by it by years of experience.

Thanks!

I'm pretty much in the same situation so just curious- what did you end up deciding to do?
 
I am in a very similar situation as well. I resigned from my job, and will be starting prereqs this summer. Trying to decide if I can make this happen without at least a part time job. I'd also like to hear how the OP made out.

thebusiness: glad to know someone is in a similar situation to me haha. It's tough making a career change!
 
It is a very difficult situation. I have a comfortable life and it's a big risk to quit and start toward dentistry. Mainly because I'm not sure if I'll get in and I lose my certification in my current job after not working for a year. But sounds like you made up your mind to do it which is great. I've yet to make a decision but I feel like I need to go after it. Good luck to you!
 
Yep I also had a comfortable life. Very risky and tough decision. I was starting to lose the passion and drive though for my career so I knew it was time. I won't look back. Good luck to you as well!

MultiSportD: thanks for the info about the virtual fair! I was not aware of that, but it should be very helpful. Here is the link for the 2014 virtual fair if anyone is interested: http://www.adea.org/PredentalVirtualFair/
 
I started down the path to dentistry at 27. My initial plan was to do my pre-reqs and apply within 2 years (age 29). Be prepared though, because it's easy to underestimate time commitments as I did. I have since decided to take an extra year to complete my research papers as well as a project I'm working on for my lab and university. I also want to make sure that I take care of my leadership / volunteering / shadowing / ECs as possible before applying. That with the gap year I'll inevitably be left with from the time of applying to actually attending my first day of class and well, I'll be 31 when I start dental school if I'm lucky enough to make it in on my first application cycle. I was initially full-time and would have completed my pre-reqs in 2 years (I had virtually no pre-reqs as my degree was in the fine arts) but don't forget about all of the other things you'll want to do to make you as well rounded an applicant as possible. It's better to take less classes while fulfilling all of your other commitments and ensure getting good grades than to do everything simultaneously but poorly.

The gap year isn't inevitable if you plan accordingly, but remember that you don't want to be studying for the DAT while you're taking difficult courses.
 
Cello: thanks for your advice. Where are you at in the process now? Have you been accepted yet? Or are you still taking prereqs?
 
Had a very lucrative career (close to $90k) but didn't find it fulfilling so I came up with a plan and quit my job at the age of 29. I started my prereqs summer of 2012 with a very low UG GPA (2.23) although I had very little science classes under my belt. Took all of them in a year, shadowed during my first semester, and did Kaplan my second semester. Got a committee letter from my informal pre-health program. Took the DATs a month after classes ended in June 2013 and then applied broadly. Took a full load of science classes during my application cycle. See below:

Summer 2012: Gen Chem. I & II
Fall 2012: Bio I, Physics I, Orgo I, & Shadowing
Spring 2013: Bio II, Physics II, Orgo II, & Kaplan
Summer 2013: DATs (6/24/13) & Applications (received by schools on 7/21/13)
Fall 2013: Biochem, Cell Bio, A&P I, English
Spring 2013: Immunology, A&P II, Precalculus

Got 2 waitlists and 1 acceptance.

Post Bacc GPA: 4.1 (57 credits) & 12 credits pending
DAT: 22/22/23

It was very frustrating and at times it seemed like it wasn't going to happen. I didn't get an acceptance until recently, I was on the waitlist at three different schools. You have to brace yourself for whatever is to come. But it is possible. Make sure you just do as well as you can and try not to take the DATs more than once. It is the only thing you can do to ensure you don't have to reapply. It's easy for me to say, just do it and don't look back but everyone has their own personal situations. I was lucky enough to live with my parents and use the money I had saved up, plus I had a gf who was working.

Before quitting my job and doing this, I asked myself one question: Will I regret it if I don't do it?
I knew the answer was I'd regret it forever.

Goodluck with whatever you decide to do. Hope that helped!
 
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Had a very lucrative career (close to $90k) but didn't find it fulfilling so I came up with a plan and quit my job at the age of 29. I started my prereqs summer of 2012 with a very low UG GPA (2.23) although I had very little science classes under my belt. Took all of them in a year, shadowed during my first semester, and did Kaplan my second semester. Got a committee letter from my informal pre-health program. Took the DATs a month after classes ended in June 2013 and then applied broadly. Took a full load of science classes during my application cycle. See below:

Summer 2012: Gen Chem. I & II
Fall 2012: Bio I, Physics I, Orgo I, & Shadowing
Spring 2013: Bio II, Physics II, Orgo II, & Kaplan
Summer 2013: DATs (6/24/13) & Applications (received by schools on 7/21/13)
Fall 2013: Biochem, Cell Bio, A&P I, English
Spring 2013: Immunology, A&P II, Precalculus

Got 2 waitlists and 1 acceptance.

Post Bacc GPA: 4.1 (57 credits) & 12 credits pending
DAT: 22/22/23

It was very frustrating and at times it seemed like it wasn't going to happen. I didn't get an acceptance until recently, I was on the waitlist at three different schools. You have to brace yourself for whatever is to come. But it is possible. Make sure you just do as well as you can and try not to take the DATs more than once. It is the only thing you can do to ensure you don't have to reapply. It's easy for me to say, just do it and don't look back but everyone has their own personal situations. I was lucky enough to live with my parents and use the money I had saved up, plus I had a gf who was working.

Before quitting my job and doing this, I asked myself one question: Will I regret it if I don't do it?
I knew the answer was I'd regret it forever.

Goodluck with whatever you decide to do. Hope that helped!
Oh I also tutored (4th-highschoolers, SAT math, SAT IIs) my second year during the application cycle to make side cash. Just a suggestion in case you were worried about money. If I can give one more piece of advice, apply the first day you can or as early as possible. I finished filing my application in July through AADSAS and then they didn't send out for another two weeks. Aim for sometime in June, the sooner the better.
 
Thanks for the inspiring stories haha keeps me motivated!
 
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