Dental School Newbie- Please Help

[Cusp0fCarabelli]

Hi, I recently went back to school (no previous degree) in hopes of going to dental school. My GPA is pretty low from my past and it is difficult raising it due to the amount of credits I already have. Its barely moving even with decent-good grades. I'm planning to take my DATS this summer and my question is... What if I met the DAT requirements and have all the volunteering/shadowing hours needed, what more can I do? How else can I make myself stand out? How can I get them to hear my story before they just throw out my application by just looking at my GPA? I'm also a little old so I'm not considering to do a masters/post-bach (right now) but for now, I just want to know what else can I do first. Please Help.


Also, things to consider... I was in a dental hygiene program for a year and did exceptional well. I liked it so much I dropped out of it to finish my pre-reqs and apply to dental school instead. And this is where I stand at the moment. Also, I've been shadowing a dentist for the last year and a half so I know that this is exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[free99]

I think in general, there are three big topics you'll need to address.

1. Coursework/grades/degree

I speak from experience when I tell you that you've got an uphill battle here. Raising a low GPA takes several years of superior grades, grades that you may not have absolutely needed to get the first time around. But because this is your second stab at this, you need to treat everything like it's make or break. There's no room for "decent" grades, you must excel to stand out in an increasingly competitive applicant pool.

It sounds like you don't have a bachelors degree, you'll need one. Devote your efforts toward completing a degree with as close to a 4.0 as possible. Unfortunately B's don't do much to raise a GPA, you need to get A's.

Schools like upward trends. If you can put up 40-50 credits of solid grades in demanding courses, that'll be a big step in the right direction.

2. DAT

The next step would be studying for the DATs like it's your job, and I mean that literally. I might be toeing hot water here, but I don't think the DAT is all that difficult of an exam. It tests a lot of memory recall and simple problem solving, both of which can be learned. If you put in devoted time with the right materials and you're moderately intelligent, you can score very well on this exam. Everyone has a different approach to tackling the beast - head over to the DAT discussion forum for more on that.

3. Experiences

It sounds like you're on the right track here by shadowing a dentist and exposing yourself to the clinical side of things. Dropping out of the hygiene program, regardless of your reason, might come off as flighty. So you'll want to continue volunteering and shadowing to show devotion to the field.

Good luck, feel free to PM with any questions. I'm glad to help however I can.

 

[Cusp0fCarabelli]

I will be done with a bio degree by this upcoming summer then I can focus on the DATs. I just need to kill it in my classes until then.That was very informative, thank you!