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Feeling Lost & Unmotivated
- Thread starter DrBigTooth
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I never worked in a dental office or what's so ever.
You just need these things:
Good DAT
Good GPA
100-200 hours volunteering( I have hours in muesums, or dog shelters, and some at hospitals and red-cross, none is dental related!)
100-200 hours shadowing dentists ( mostly general dentists, but some other specilities are encourged too)
I joined 2 clubs 1 at school and 1 meet up groups ( fun groups, I was just a member, nothing related to dentistry! that was my extra curricular activites.)
I tutored science courses for some time and this was the only work experience I had.
Your gpa is good.
So If I were you, I would look for a dentist to shadow this summer and also a place to volunteer
at the same time I would prepare to do very well for the DAT.
and when senior year starts, join 2 clubs at your schools
FYI: most of my volunteering/shadowing occurred in my senior year and some at my junior year. and some even in my gap year.
You will be fine, it's ok to identify the problem, but it's not ok to be passive and do nothing about it. Being lost and confused over this is not worth it, what's worth it is to act fast and improve your application.
Start looking for volunteering and shadowing opportunities ASAP.
One last thing, do whatever you can but don't destroy your GPA just so you have extra curricular activities, just please don't do that.
Always shadow/volunteer in your free time, not during your studying time.
You just need these things:
Good DAT
Good GPA
100-200 hours volunteering( I have hours in muesums, or dog shelters, and some at hospitals and red-cross, none is dental related!)
100-200 hours shadowing dentists ( mostly general dentists, but some other specilities are encourged too)
I joined 2 clubs 1 at school and 1 meet up groups ( fun groups, I was just a member, nothing related to dentistry! that was my extra curricular activites.)
I tutored science courses for some time and this was the only work experience I had.
Your gpa is good.
So If I were you, I would look for a dentist to shadow this summer and also a place to volunteer
at the same time I would prepare to do very well for the DAT.
and when senior year starts, join 2 clubs at your schools
FYI: most of my volunteering/shadowing occurred in my senior year and some at my junior year. and some even in my gap year.
You will be fine, it's ok to identify the problem, but it's not ok to be passive and do nothing about it. Being lost and confused over this is not worth it, what's worth it is to act fast and improve your application.
Start looking for volunteering and shadowing opportunities ASAP.
One last thing, do whatever you can but don't destroy your GPA just so you have extra curricular activities, just please don't do that.
Always shadow/volunteer in your free time, not during your studying time.
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- Joined
- Nov 28, 2017
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It's never to late. You still have plenty time. Just use your year wisely if you want to start dental school right after your senior year!
Start shadowing and get atleast a 100 hours minimum. If you go to UB, you should have a good chance to get in or atleast an interview with your solid GPA and DAT. Just focus on acing the DAT over the summer as well. Network a bit with some of the dentists in your area & shadow in a few clinics (not just in one clinic). Also, to make your application stand out, do something others may not do, like volunteering in a cardiac clinic (I've seen cases where dental problems were affecting patient's health and were still at risk of severe cardiovascular diseases simply because of poor oral hygeine). You have to put yourself out there. Keep on being persistant. Don't give up if one office says they will think about it or say no...
Not sure if this is helpful but you can also take the DANB exams (dental assisting basic exams) as well (take the ICE-RHS sections of exams since they don't require any pre-reqs and you can work your way to the last part and become certified as a DA if you want). Those are pretty easy and you should be able to prep for them with your knowledge you learned in uni and some online resources or practice in a week or two. It can be costly though. These exams aren't cheap but its another way to make your app stand out a bit and show your dedication to dentistry and boost your EC's a bit. Also, I know UB used to host a few events where prospective students can participate in to gain more knowledge about their program. Seek those out if you can, not just at UB but for any school your interested in and live close to.
If your in UB, PM me if you want more details. I can help you out cause I was in your exact same shoes last year not knowing what the heck to do.
Oh and take faefly's advice as well. Solid advice.
Start shadowing and get atleast a 100 hours minimum. If you go to UB, you should have a good chance to get in or atleast an interview with your solid GPA and DAT. Just focus on acing the DAT over the summer as well. Network a bit with some of the dentists in your area & shadow in a few clinics (not just in one clinic). Also, to make your application stand out, do something others may not do, like volunteering in a cardiac clinic (I've seen cases where dental problems were affecting patient's health and were still at risk of severe cardiovascular diseases simply because of poor oral hygeine). You have to put yourself out there. Keep on being persistant. Don't give up if one office says they will think about it or say no...
Not sure if this is helpful but you can also take the DANB exams (dental assisting basic exams) as well (take the ICE-RHS sections of exams since they don't require any pre-reqs and you can work your way to the last part and become certified as a DA if you want). Those are pretty easy and you should be able to prep for them with your knowledge you learned in uni and some online resources or practice in a week or two. It can be costly though. These exams aren't cheap but its another way to make your app stand out a bit and show your dedication to dentistry and boost your EC's a bit. Also, I know UB used to host a few events where prospective students can participate in to gain more knowledge about their program. Seek those out if you can, not just at UB but for any school your interested in and live close to.
If your in UB, PM me if you want more details. I can help you out cause I was in your exact same shoes last year not knowing what the heck to do.
Oh and take faefly's advice as well. Solid advice.
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- Apr 11, 2018
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It sounds like a lot to do, but you could easily apply next year! I was in a similar boat as you around this time a couple years ago. While I was still in school with a full load (around April 2017), I just called local dental offices and asked if it was okay to come shadow the dentist....some said yes others said no. Once I shadowed a particular dentist once, they always told me to come back whenever I wanted to. Whenever I had a half day free, I would just pop over and shadow. It didnt take long to knock off 100 hours. During this time, I also just signed up for some clubs and looked for opportunities to volunteer through the summer holidays. Come January of 2018 I was done with my shadowing hours, I purposely made a light schedule and dedicated the next 3 months to study for the DAT/preparing for the application. I also was nervous about asking professors for LOR, I dont think any of them knew my name haha. BUT the professors that I liked/did well in their class, I visited in their office. Explained how much I appreciated them, and enjoyed their class. I also made it sound like I was CHOOSING them to write my letter, (during this time it would be good to have a rough raft of your personal statement to give them to read so they can make the LOR a little more personal). All 3 of them were more than happy to write them! Took the DAT in April, did well! Took the last month or so to have everyone read my PS and get some more volunteer hours in, and applied the first day the cycle was open! I had a much lower gpa than you (3.2) but scored 21 AA/TS and ended up getting several interviews.
I know it seems overwhelming, but with a 3.7 gpa you are in a GREAT place right now! A great gpa and dat will easily make up for low volunteer hours or an average PS. Keep working hard this next year and you will be golden. Best of luck my friend!
I know it seems overwhelming, but with a 3.7 gpa you are in a GREAT place right now! A great gpa and dat will easily make up for low volunteer hours or an average PS. Keep working hard this next year and you will be golden. Best of luck my friend!
- Joined
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Assuming you are absolutely certain about pursuing dentistry and not MD/PhD/academics:
1) Get letters of rec (ideally before faculty forget who you are... totally not projecting)
2) Finish your bachelor's degree
[this is the cutoff point in which you have to start committing to dentistry over other health professions]
3) Take the DAT
4) Write personal statement & start shadowing
5) Apply to dental school while continuing to shadow
The two most important qualifiers for dental school are the DAT and your GPA. That being said, maintaining a high undergrad GPA is objectively more important than scoring high on the DAT because:
- You can retake the DAT.
- The DAT is magnitudes less expensive than your bachelor's degree.
- Nobody outside dental school cares about your high DAT score.
In my unqualified opinion, it's mmore important to have your application ready by June as opposed to applying and then skirmishing to get something completed. In other words, gap years are totally okay (assuming you can feed yourself somehow).
Don't forget: if all else fails, ~just b urself~
1) Get letters of rec (ideally before faculty forget who you are... totally not projecting)
2) Finish your bachelor's degree
[this is the cutoff point in which you have to start committing to dentistry over other health professions]
3) Take the DAT
4) Write personal statement & start shadowing
5) Apply to dental school while continuing to shadow
The two most important qualifiers for dental school are the DAT and your GPA. That being said, maintaining a high undergrad GPA is objectively more important than scoring high on the DAT because:
- You can retake the DAT.
- The DAT is magnitudes less expensive than your bachelor's degree.
- Nobody outside dental school cares about your high DAT score.
In my unqualified opinion, it's mmore important to have your application ready by June as opposed to applying and then skirmishing to get something completed. In other words, gap years are totally okay (assuming you can feed yourself somehow).
Don't forget: if all else fails, ~just b urself~
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