Don't know what to do!!! Help please

[ssla12]

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Hey everyone!
So I'm stuck as to what to do to get into Dental School, here are my grades. The yellow triangles represent in progress. So ever since I was in eight grade, that was when I wanted to be a Dentist after doing a career project. As we all know things are easier said than done. I am currently a Health Science major. Ever since I started my undergrad I didn't push myself hard enough. I usually start my classes off well then get tired and lose all the motivation. I just feel like I have been on a roller coaster and I don't know what to do at this point anymore. I do want to go to Dental School and I know that I am capable. But I'm tired of continuously taking classes at my college. I was supposed to graduate last year May, but because of changing my majors so many times I had to stay an extra year. I am now confused as to what to do. I have taken the DAT, neither have I shadowed any dentists, I don't really have a lot of community service hours. I'm not sure if I should take a post bacc or masters program. I was leaning towards the post bacc but majority of the post bacc's require you to have taken majority of your prereqs. But I don't want to stay an extra year at my college. I'm also feeling pressure from my family to graduate this year. Since my cousins have graduated when they were supposed to. It's like I'm in a lingo. I'd love to hear some advice! I know this is a very long thread lol. I attached the file of my grades below just scroll down and you will see them.

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[ssla12]

I have done so much research to the point that I am just confused on what to do. I know the first step is to graduate but I don't know anymore.

 

[Mason91]

I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but you need a reality check.. you have so many D's and C's, not to mention so many withdrawals.. you've retaken some classes multiple times. What exactly is your GPA? You say you're capable but your grade says otherwise. If you can't handle undergraduate because you get tired easily, how are you going to succeed in dental school which is much more demanding?

If you're serious about dental school, show the adcoms that you really are. Bring up your GPA, do a post-bacc, do a master's program, study hard and keep your GPA high, take DAT and shoot for 24+. Start shadowing dentists and go volunteer.

Good luck!

 

[ssla12]

I don't mean to hurt your feelings, but you need a reality check.. you have so many D's and C's, not to mention so many withdrawals.. you've retaken some classes multiple times. What exactly is your GPA? You say you're capable but your grade says otherwise. If you can't handle undergraduate because you get tired easily, how are you going to succeed in dental school which is much more demanding?

If you're serious about dental school, show the adcoms that you really are. Bring up your GPA, do a post-bacc, do a master's program, study hard and keep your GPA high, take DAT and shoot for 24+. Start shadowing dentists and go volunteer.

Good luck!

Thank you so much, I do need a reality check at this point. My GPA currently is a 2.6.

 

[FutureDent020]

Your indecisiveness and poor performance in your pre-reqs are huge red flags. It’s going to be a tough mountain to climb. And you still haven’t even taken Orgo (1/2) or Physics (1/2) unless I missed something. You will be spending a lot of time and a lot of money taking more classes, pursuing more degrees, yet still have no guarantee of admissions. Follow your passion, but be smart about it. I’ve met plenty of proclaimed “pre-dents” who all have different yet successful careers now. It’s not in the cards for everyone.

 

[ab117]

This probably isn't what you want to hear. You mostly have D's in science classes. Even if your overall is a 2.6, your science GPA is probably a 1-point-something. You say you know you are capable, but your grades don't show it. Would a master's or post-bacc even accept you? They'll be reeeeally skeptical that you can get through the program unless you get A's in your science classes this year, even then they might still be skeptical from your earlier record. Before you could even apply for a masters, you have to finish the other pre-reqs, and Organic Chemistry is one of, if not the most difficult, course series for a lot of pre-health students. After that, if you didn't get a 3.9-4.0 in the master's, and even if you did get a 4.0, your undergrad record would still be a huge red flag. Do you feel like you could get a 4.0 in a master's program? What if you do, and then after all the time and effort you put into the next 2-3 years just to get to the point you can apply to dental school and you don't get in? The next year? The year after that? There are people with 21s on the DAT and ~3.5 GPAs that apply 3-4 times. Not many, but it happens. You have to admit to yourself that you're on the wrong end of the bell curve and you should be seriously considering other career options. You'll have to take on additional debt before even getting to the point that you can apply to dental school, and if you don't get in on your first try, you'll be spending at least another year not making real-world real-job money, not building up any significant savings or investments, and every year your Dental school graduation date gets pushed back, the more and more difficult it's going to get to be for you to dig yourself out of the financial hole as salary goes down and tuition goes up. Also, jumping back to your undergrad, most dental schools require C or above in prereqs, meaning that you already have to retake most of the science classes you've already taken.

I really don't want you to think I'm being mean, and I'm definitely not trying to say it's impossible, but you have to look at what's realistic and consider opportunity cost. I don't think that trying to go to dental school is anywhere near financially responsible for you, and it may not even be slightly realistically possible.

 

[REACHOn]

I'll chime in here. It's not something you want to hear but from what I see you should heed the advice of the other sdners. You knew from a long time that you wanted to be a dentist but from the looks of your grades it does not look like you are able to take the workload. When you go to dental school the workload can be 2x more than undergraduate. If you go through with the post-bacc you must completely rehaul the way you study. It will not be an easy journey. If I were in your situation I would have to look at something else but you are not me, so it's your choice 🙂

Keep positive and ReachOn

 

[AppalachianDentalBoy]

Have you considered becoming a high school biology teacher? Decent pay and you get the summers off.

 

[Faefly]

Can we discuss why did you have D's and withdrawal?
I mean I always thought Bio major had it hard, took some upper courses bio this semester and it was easy, to be honest, easy to get an A if you put effort and easy to get a B if you put half the effort!
So why D's
Did you have family issues
Mental problems
or gf/bf problems
or were you just busy partying?
Or were you involved in too many clubs and volunteering stuff!
Or you can't focus when you study bio?
Maybe your mind wanders, maybe you have ADD

What went wrong, address the problem and fix it!

Stop crying, crying won't help.
Listening to people who tell you there is no hope is also not a solution.

If I were you, I would declare another major and take all associate courses and spend 2 more years at school to get my gpa at least to 3
then take a master degree.

Declare a major in History or psychology to fix your GPA! I can see you are good in courses similar to history topics, so you'll do great in that major.
Stay away from Bio now.


There is hope. After you declare another major and graduate, try to find a Master degree program that accepts your low GPA after you fix it a little bit..

I noticed you said you want to graduate because your family is pressuring you, but you can't go anywhere with 2.6 GPA, so do not graduate now and you don't need to tell them every detail about your life.

 

[TheDentalSchoolCoach]

I am so sorry to hear about your circumstances. It looks like you had a lot of rough semesters during college. It happens to everyone, even to the best of us. So, I want to thank you for being brutally honest and sharing your grades in the forum. It takes a lot of self-reflection to do that.

That said, I don't think staying in college or finishing a postbac/masters is ideal for you AT THIS POINT IN TIME. You CAN certainly go to dental school; However, I feel that you are burnt out and won't do any better in postbac. I'd recommend taking some time off from academic requirements. Find a job for 1-2 years and then when you feel ready, go back to school and do a SMP.

Trust me, I have been there and taking time off is the best thing I have seen people do over and over. Rushing to go to dental school won't help and the more you will rush, the longer it will take you to go to dental school.

 

[bisnus]

Well seems like people let you know where you stand. They are totally right and honest. But I thought I wanted to give you little bit of hope although you don’t seem to be desperate to become a dentist. I’ve done little research for you and this path may get you to dental school.

1. Apply to VCU undergraduate health science post-bacc program. I hope you get in because their min gpa requirement is 2.5(undergraduate).

2. While in the program(if you get in). You need consistent dental experience. So, start calling dentists in Richmond VA area beginning of summer (even before starting post bacc program at fall) and ask if they need any volunteer dental assistant. During the summer work full time as volunteer assistant, some offices will train you from beginning just pay them back by working hard and I’m sure they will pay you hourly once you get well trained. This way you will know whether you really want to become a dentist or not before the post bacc program starts and you can save money if you decide to find different career.

3. When the post bacc program starts, work part time according to your schedule. I suggest you take 12 credit hours, make one of the 5 weekdays empty and working in dental office.

4. After 1.5 years(4 semesters including summer), schedule DAT, study DAT for 1-2 months. If you studied hard in class, most of thr materials will just be review so you won’t need much time memorizing new materials. Score above 20. DAT must be taken on Jan or latest Feb.

5. With your DAT score and courses taken, you can apply to VCU premedical science certificate program(CERT program). Deadline seems to be July but apply March. I think it’s 1 year program where you take higher level science courses with M1, D1, or P1. After a year if you have above 20 DAT and 3.5 gpa(just for cert program), you get guranteed early file review for VCU school of dentistry.

6. After 2yrs of undergrad post bacc program, apply to some of dental schools. If you make it, go there if not now you need to do VCU CERT program for a year. After CERT program (so now 3yrs had passed), apply broadly think of it as your last application cycle.

Additional comments: I’d say you should get atleast 3.8 gpa from now on. It’s okay to get tired but you need to find something (activities) to refresh your mind to keep working hard when you get tired. Idk what you do during your free time but you need to stay focused and spend more time studying. I’m sure there are lots of other schools with better programs other than VCU, I just gave VCU as an example because my best friend did this program and got into VCU and Tuft. Yes, he also performed badly in undergrad. Before you do anything, make sure you will not waste more time and money, just focus on getting into dental school. Research more by yourself and plan your future for dentistry if it really is something you want to do. I think it’s time to prove “capable” once you set up your mind. Hope I showed you little hope good luck.

 

[deleted767916]

Can we discuss why did you have D's and withdrawal?
I mean I always thought Bio major had it hard, took some upper courses bio this semester and it was easy, to be honest, easy to get an A if you put effort and easy to get a B if you put half the effort!
So why D's
Did you have family issues
Mental problems
or gf/bf problems
or were you just busy partying?
Or were you involved in too many clubs and volunteering stuff!
Or you can't focus when you study bio?
Maybe your mind wanders, maybe you have ADD

What went wrong, address the problem and fix it!

Stop crying, crying won't help.
Listening to people who tell you there is no hope is also not a solution.

If I were you, I would declare another major and take all associate courses and spend 2 more years at school to get my gpa at least to 3
then take a master degree.

Declare a major in History or psychology to fix your GPA! I can see you are good in courses similar to history topics, so you'll do great in that major.
Stay away from Bio now.


There is hope. After you declare another major and graduate, try to find a Master degree program that accepts your low GPA after you fix it a little bit..

I noticed you said you want to graduate because your family is pressuring you, but you can't go anywhere with 2.6 GPA, so do not graduate now and you don't need to tell them every detail about your life.

Do not choose a major just to boost your GPA; take a major because you genuinely enjoy and use in the future. I'm a double major in psych and many of my friends took psych just as an easy major and got burned because they still did poorly on their pre requisites. On the other hand, if you major in science you can make it up with upper level science courses.

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

I also hate to be a devil’s advocate here, OP, but even if you’re able to repair all this heavy damage to your application and get into dental school (which will take a whole lot of time, work, and money), it very likely will be to a very expensive school. People with below average stats tend to be accepted to schools with above average tuition. That’s just how it is. By the time you graduate dental school, given the way student debt is trending, it’s very likely you’ll owe $600,000+, not including loans from undergrad and a likely masters degree. That will be rough to pay back.

With $600,000 in student loans, your monthly payment will be around $4,500/month. That’s $55,000/year for 20 years! And like I’ve said before, you young people always forget about taxes. To come up with that $55,000 for your student loans, you’ll need to earn more than $70,000. How much do you figure you’ll make as a dentist? How much are life’s other expenses going to cost you?

Best of luck in your future.

Big Hoss

 

[Mcat__cat!!!]

Dentist is not the only career option. Take a step back and figure out something else you want to do in life.

 

[Saddleshoes]

I'm sorry you find yourself in this spot.
Did your college counselor know of your goal? If so, I think, somebody needs to have a beat down on your counselor.
You have been very badly advised in regard to your college planning! You should never have been able to repeat so many classes with the hope of DS admittance.

 

[doc toothache]

Hey everyone!
So I'm stuck as to what to do to get into Dental School, here are my grades. The yellow triangles represent in progress. So ever since I was in eight grade, that was when I wanted to be a Dentist after doing a career project. As we all know things are easier said than done. I am currently a Health Science major. Ever since I started my undergrad I didn't push myself hard enough. I usually start my classes off well then get tired and lose all the motivation. I just feel like I have been on a roller coaster and I don't know what to do at this point anymore. I do want to go to Dental School and I know that I am capable. But I'm tired of continuously taking classes at my college. I was supposed to graduate last year May, but because of changing my majors so many times I had to stay an extra year. I am now confused as to what to do. I have taken the DAT, neither have I shadowed any dentists, I don't really have a lot of community service hours. I'm not sure if I should take a post bacc or masters program. I was leaning towards the post bacc but majority of the post bacc's require you to have taken majority of your prereqs. But I don't want to stay an extra year at my college. I'm also feeling pressure from my family to graduate this year. Since my cousins have graduated when they were supposed to. It's like I'm in a lingo. I'd love to hear some advice! I know this is a very long thread lol. I attached the file of my grades below just scroll down and you will see them.

​

Looks like you are bucking to be the holder of the highest number of Ws. Since you aren't even at the half point mark in the pursuit of a dental career, you do not have the luxury of being "tired of continuously taking classes" at your college or any other college.

 

[ssla12]

Thank You guys very much I appreciate all the advice

 

[SoftGel]

There are many fulfilling careers besides dentistry. I have tried a few.

Finish out your undergrad degree taking classes you enjoy and that you can get A's in. Don't worry about the dental school pre-req classes anymore. If you can't get A's in the classes you enjoy, then it's game over for you, period.

After graduation spend a few years working, growing, saving, gaining perspective, "finding yourself," then re-evaluate. At this point you are too deep in it to see the writing on the wall. Dental school is not in the cards for you, and any advisor worth their weight would be telling you this.

 

[SmileyKris]

Hey! So I have been in a similar situation to you and just wanted to share it in case it helps at all.

I performed poorly as an undergrad. My science gpa was about a 2.5 and overall a 3.0. I took the DAT and got an 18. I applied to broad range of schools and didn’t get a single interview. Completed a masters degree in 2014 with a 3.7 and still no interview. Completed a second masters degree with same gpa and still not a single interview.

The first time I applied I had over 1000 shadowing and volunteering hours. When I applied with my masters degrees in biology and bioengineering I got a paper published on stem cells in dentistry and had tons of research experience.

I had to retake the DAT a couple times and this past summer did above average and finally got some interviews.

I have been passionate about being a dentist since I’m 9 years old, there has never been a backup because it’s the only thing I can see myself doing. I messed up in undergrad because I had one thing after the other happening with my family and couldn’t concentrate and became very depressed, but I never stopped wanting to be a dentist. And that’s why I stuck it out so long. I am on my 9th cycle of applying and to be honest I wish there were one other thing I would be happy doing for a career because it took a bunch of effort, money, and strength to get to where I am now. And I still don’t have an acceptance, just interviews.

If you’re passionate, which you didn’t really address then you can do it with years of energy and commitment. If you’re not passionate for dentistry then it’s going to be a long journey that you’ll want to give up on over and over again.

If you have any questions or anything, don’t hesitate to write me. I wish you luck in deciding.

 

[SoftGel]

Hey! So I have been in a similar situation to you and just wanted to share it in case it helps at all.

I performed poorly as an undergrad. My science gpa was about a 2.5 and overall a 3.0. I took the DAT and got an 18. I applied to broad range of schools and didn’t get a single interview. Completed a masters degree in 2014 with a 3.7 and still no interview. Completed a second masters degree with same gpa and still not a single interview.

The first time I applied I had over 1000 shadowing and volunteering hours. When I applied with my masters degrees in biology and bioengineering I got a paper published on stem cells in dentistry and had tons of research experience.

I had to retake the DAT a couple times and this past summer did above average and finally got some interviews.

I have been passionate about being a dentist since I’m 9 years old, there has never been a backup because it’s the only thing I can see myself doing. I messed up in undergrad because I had one thing after the other happening with my family and couldn’t concentrate and became very depressed, but I never stopped wanting to be a dentist. And that’s why I stuck it out so long. I am on my 9th cycle of applying and to be honest I wish there were one other thing I would be happy doing for a career because it took a bunch of effort, money, and strength to get to where I am now. And I still don’t have an acceptance, just interviews.

If you’re passionate, which you didn’t really address then you can do it with years of energy and commitment. If you’re not passionate for dentistry then it’s going to be a long journey that you’ll want to give up on over and over again.

If you have any questions or anything, don’t hesitate to write me. I wish you luck in deciding.

Holy ****, your story is epic. I really hope this cycle is the cycle for you

 

[SmileyKris]

Holy ****, your story is epic. I really hope this cycle is the cycle for you

Thanks so much, that really means a lot to me.

 

[ssla12]

Hey! So I have been in a similar situation to you and just wanted to share it in case it helps at all.

I performed poorly as an undergrad. My science gpa was about a 2.5 and overall a 3.0. I took the DAT and got an 18. I applied to broad range of schools and didn’t get a single interview. Completed a masters degree in 2014 with a 3.7 and still no interview. Completed a second masters degree with same gpa and still not a single interview.

The first time I applied I had over 1000 shadowing and volunteering hours. When I applied with my masters degrees in biology and bioengineering I got a paper published on stem cells in dentistry and had tons of research experience.

I had to retake the DAT a couple times and this past summer did above average and finally got some interviews.

I have been passionate about being a dentist since I’m 9 years old, there has never been a backup because it’s the only thing I can see myself doing. I messed up in undergrad because I had one thing after the other happening with my family and couldn’t concentrate and became very depressed, but I never stopped wanting to be a dentist. And that’s why I stuck it out so long. I am on my 9th cycle of applying and to be honest I wish there were one other thing I would be happy doing for a career because it took a bunch of effort, money, and strength to get to where I am now. And I still don’t have an acceptance, just interviews.

If you’re passionate, which you didn’t really address then you can do it with years of energy and commitment. If you’re not passionate for dentistry then it’s going to be a long journey that you’ll want to give up on over and over again.

If you have any questions or anything, don’t hesitate to write me. I wish you luck in deciding.

Thank you so much for this story! It really means a lot and yes ofcourse I am passionate about being a Dentist ever since I was in the eighth grade. You are right I just have to keep pushing and put in the hard work. Thank you I wish you the best in your journey as well and I pray that God opens that door of you getting into dental school very soon for you! Wish you the best!

 

[iluvnetters]

This is pretty scary because my GPA is about the same as yours and I have many D's and C's, and a couple of F's. I have two years left of undergrad to really change my study habits. Even then I'll probably have to do a master's.

Start getting all As, low 20s on your DAT, and get ready for a masters. Dental school isnt easy and they wont take somebody who doesnt work hard and prove that you want to be there.

 

[ssla12]

I am so sorry to hear about your circumstances. It looks like you had a lot of rough semesters during college. It happens to everyone, even to the best of us. So, I want to thank you for being brutally honest and sharing your grades in the forum. It takes a lot of self-reflection to do that.

That said, I don't think staying in college or finishing a postbac/masters is ideal for you AT THIS POINT IN TIME. You CAN certainly go to dental school; However, I feel that you are burnt out and won't do any better in postbac. I'd recommend taking some time off from academic requirements. Find a job for 1-2 years and then when you feel ready, go back to school and do a SMP.

Trust me, I have been there and taking time off is the best thing I have seen people do over and over. Rushing to go to dental school won't help and the more you will rush, the longer it will take you to go to dental school.

Thank you so much for this