Does it look bad to get a simple degree???

[i cant tell you]

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Hey folks,

Recently, ive been planning to transfer to university this coming fall term, and need to decide what degree i want to do.

I know i want to do a degree in the biology field, BUT, im not sure what specific bio degree i should work towards. One of the reasons i dont want to do a degree in biochem, cell biology and genetics, and other such specific biology degrees is because i want to ensure my gpa doesnt get screwed up in return. You see, i dont have any fancy for any degree...i REALLY want to be a dentist...thats it...i want to get to dentistry because thats all that interests me. So i wanna ensure i get there and dont get my gpa screwed up.

So im planning to either do General Biology degree or Animal Biology degree. Now these degrees arent very focused on a particular field of biology, and is pretty general.

So my question to you guys is:
1) Does it look bad to get a degree in General Bio/Animal Bio when i apply to dental school. Will they see "oh look, he got a pretty general degree, compared to this other applicant who did a specific focused degree". Plus, i am planning to apply to CANADIAN dental schools and US dental schools, so is a there difference in how they look at this situation?

2) For the people who have done a degree in General Bio or Animal Biology, please let me know if it affected you guys in getting into dental school??? For people who got a specific focused biology degree (for ex, cellular biology), could you please tell me about ur experiences in getting the degree. How hard was it, etc.

I appologize for asking such questions that may be a pain in the ass and perhaps obvious to many of you guys. But i really need advice on this because my passion is dentistry and cant wait to get to dental school (even though it will be so much work) 😍

Thanks again to you all...it is very very veryyyy appreciated!!!!!!

 

[BallDontLie]

.

I know i want to do a degree in the biology field, BUT, im not sure what specific bio degree i should work towards. One of the reasons i dont want to do a degree in biochem, cell biology and genetics, and other such specific biology degrees is because i want to ensure my gpa doesnt get screwed up in return. You see, i dont have any fancy for any degree...i REALLY want to be a dentist...thats it...i want to get to dentistry because thats all that interests me. So i wanna ensure i get there and dont get my gpa screwed up.

Don't worry about that too much. A lot of these classes will overlap majors - like at my school, i think any type of bio major needs genetics and biochem. Check your school for more detail on that. Besides, the more you challenge yourself now, the better off youre gonna be in dental school. So if it really interests you, go for that biochem, cell bio major. If you whimp out now, how are you ever gonna make it in dental school.

 

[tinman831]

a lot of people who apply have general biology degrees. don't worry about it. 🙂

 

[arash]

I have B.S in Biology now, but if I I could do it all over again, I would major in Arts, take the requirements for dental school plus a couple of upper level science cources, like, Biochemistry, Histology, Immunology, and anatomy and physiology. All you need to do is keep your GPA above 3.6 (which is easier with an arts major) and do really well in the few science classes that you took. That's it, Do awesome on DAT, get involved in your school, and do shadowing in summers after sophmore and junior year. You are the perfect dental school candidate, without majoring in Biochemistry.

 

[fightingspirit]

you need to read the posts by ARASH and nrlee. they pretty much summed up what i feel about the issue. YES, ANY BIO MAJOR WILL REQUIRE YOU TO TAKE MOLECULAR GENETICS AND BIOCHEM, AND PROBABLY SOMETHING ABOUT CANCER. if i had do it all over again, i would def. major in philosophy and take the required classes for dental school.

 

[Sprgrover]

No, your general biology will not be looked down upon. In fact, your major is not as major as some pre-dents make it out to be and you don't have to major in the traditional sciences at all to be competitive. There are plenty of individuals, myself included, that earned degrees at the opposite end of the academic spectrum. No matter which one you decide on, the key is develop a good study/work ethic. Not only will this pull you through those tough classes but it will serve you well in dental school. Best of luck!

 

[aphistis]

My B.A. is in ordinary, boring ol' biology. It got the job done. 🙂

 

[Truedat]

Well I majored in spanish, definitely not a science major but I got in. Honestly it's not what you major in, but if you do well in the major. And, of course, if you do well in the Predental requirements. Science is not a necessary major, I had a couple of schools react very positively with the major that I had. One school said it was refreshing to see someone that chose a foreign language and did something other than science. Schools like variety, that would be boring if we all came from the same cookie cutter.

 

[johntara04]

I majored in Behavioral Science and Health. It was the degree that I could get the quickest and has been boringly easy. I got plenty of interviews and got into where I wanted to. Don't worry about the degree, just about your science G.P.A. and DAT scores. The rest will take care of itself.

 

[i cant tell you]

Thanks so much for the reply folks.

Ok to "nrlee"...the reason im asking this is because i need to ensure i get to dental school....i know i can them...but see the difference i see is that once im in dental school, i dont have to worry about keeping my gpa really high like i do now. I can do a biochem or cell bio or genetics degree...i know i can do them...its just that i need to make sure i keep a high gpa. But dont take this as a defensive reply to ur post...i really appreciate it.

To "arash", i was thinking of doing an arts major, but i decided not to because im not very good in essays and stuff like that. Plus, i find myself being good at biology and its interesting once i understand what im reading...but when learning something new in bio, i HATE it cause it gives me a headache and sleepy...lol...so bio is my choice because i just click with it and do well in them (ive done intro to bio 1 and 2, ecology, and cell bio to date).

To "fightingspirit", i agree that i have to take those cell bio, genetics and all the rest of those courses in any bio degree i do...i just dont like some of the other courses UBC requires of biochem degree and stuff (such as calc 3).

To all the rest of you thanks to all of ur replies too...really feels good to get some feedback on my questions cause the university advisors are not very helpful with this stuff.

Thanks to all, and keep the posts coming please.

Cheers!

 

[beredsox2]

Biology major here as well.

 

[berryfremont]

A general biology major is probably more well rounded in all of the areas of biology than someone that only focuses on one area. Focusing (majoring) on one area of biology means that you will have to go further into that area and learn things that might be harder than a normal intro into that area of biology. However, in doing this, some people miss out on taking all of the other areas of biology that you will need in dental school. I think that a general biology degree is easier since it is basically a whole bunch of intro classes into specific areas of biology and I think it will prepare you just as much if not more than someone who majors in a specific area. Yeah, you don't need to major in biology, but if you are interested in majoring in it I would go with normal Biology. I majored in Biology and it got me in. Other people have majored in more specific areas of biology and it got them in, too. Ultimately, Do what you want.

 

[gryffindor]

BS in Biology

Like you, I had little interest in learning about Biology, I just wanted to get to dental school and learn about teeth. I've forgotten most of what I learned in that Bio degree, and I'm on my way to forgetting lots of what I learned in dental school as well.

Whatever major you choose, just make sure you can get a high GPA. Don't go with the more difficult major just because "If you are more interested in the material, you will naturally do better in those classes." That's just stupid. Doing well in classes is all about how well you can memorize the info that will be on the test. I did stellar in many classes where I had zero interest in the subject both in college and dental school. Dental schools seem to sweat more about the high GPA and less about the major.

 

[082004]

Well I majored in spanish, definitely not a science major but I got in. Honestly it's not what you major in, but if you do well in the major. And, of course, if you do well in the Predental requirements. Science is not a necessary major, I had a couple of schools react very positively with the major that I had. One school said it was refreshing to see someone that chose a foreign language and did something other than science. Schools like variety, that would be boring if we all came from the same cookie cutter.

I majored in Spanish and had a lot of traveling abroad experiences and dental missions trip to Ecuador. I also interpreted Spanish at many hopsitals and clinics. They loved it! The Spanish classes definitely helped me keep my GPA up. My GPA in my major was 3.9/4.0 and my overall was 3.6/4.0. When it comes down to it, it is all about the numbers. Have a good GPA and do well on the DAT. As long as you've taken the pre-reqs, it doesn't matter what your major is.