Because of a scheduling conflict last year, I had to postpone taking Organic Chem I and II until next year (my senior year). Should I try to take the DAT this July and apply to start dental school in Fall 2009, or should I wait until next May/June, take the DAT, and apply early to enter dental school in Fall 2010? I could take some extra science classes (biochem, etc.) after I receive my BS in Bio for the year in between undergrad and dental school. My GPA is decent--3.75, but will my chances of getting in decline because of the year "break" I would be taking??
DAT Without Orgo?!?
- Thread starter jrh179
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Anything but O-chem. I wouldn't want to imagine having to take O-chem section in DAT without doing all the work that I did in class. I would say wait a year, but thats just me.
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You should probably ask this to someone who has gone through the admissions process.
I can't really tell you which would be better admissions-wise (or for your career), but I could tell you about the ochem.
Ochem I gives you all the basics and is most of the exam. It takes a while to learn the material at first, but is probably the easiest material to bring back.
Ochem II is the same reaction mech over and over (it's called nucleophilic addition/substitution if you want to look it up, someone correct that if it's wrong), plus they teach you spectroscopy if they didn't teach you it in the first course. That reaction mech has a TON of variations, but they are all very similar. If you could teach yourself it, you would probably be prepared.
Just keep in mind that study guides like destroyer would probably be less effective because they talk to you like you have already learned the basics well.
I think that if you have confidence and motivation it's possible, but at my school only about half of an ochem class actually makes it to the end. Half of them actually know what they're doing.
I can't really tell you which would be better admissions-wise (or for your career), but I could tell you about the ochem.
Ochem I gives you all the basics and is most of the exam. It takes a while to learn the material at first, but is probably the easiest material to bring back.
Ochem II is the same reaction mech over and over (it's called nucleophilic addition/substitution if you want to look it up, someone correct that if it's wrong), plus they teach you spectroscopy if they didn't teach you it in the first course. That reaction mech has a TON of variations, but they are all very similar. If you could teach yourself it, you would probably be prepared.
Just keep in mind that study guides like destroyer would probably be less effective because they talk to you like you have already learned the basics well.
I think that if you have confidence and motivation it's possible, but at my school only about half of an ochem class actually makes it to the end. Half of them actually know what they're doing.
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Just to play devils advocate, there are plenty of people who haven't taken ochem, studied on their own, and pulled off a decent score. If you can study productively, I don't see why you have to wait an extra year just for one class.
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i would say wait to take the DATs til after you take orgo. Its a lot of information to try to understand by yourself. Also, I don't think your chances of getting into dental school will decline if you take time off. Like you said, take extra classes, that could only help you in the end and look even better to have done more work than required. I think it shows motivation.
