First post (high school senior)

[TheConfused]

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Since most of you guys here are in college and preparing to turn in your Dental School applications, I'll just make a new thread and introduce myself. I'll be attending UC Davis in the fall and will graduate in 2018. Right now, I am seriously considering becoming a dentist because of the job prospects and how I admired how dentists (my dentist specifically) work with patients and tools.

Anyways the main point is, what can I do now? I know getting into dental school is difficult and the GPA and test scores it takes to get in are competitive but there's also "extracurriculars" involved. Is there anything I can do this summer to get me an advantage? Also, do you guys think I can job shadow a dentist without being enrolled in college? Again, I'm still a high school senior.

 

[CleverThought]

You should be able to shadow a dentist the summer before school starts! I would call up a dentist (or even your dentist) and shadow as much as possible. Go to different practices to see how they run things, shadow some specialists. You could also volunteer for them and see if they need any help with filing or cleaning up - that way you will be exposed to dentistry, but also getting volunteer hours.

As far as when you start school, don't jump in too fast! Make your studies the priority! Once you see how well you handle the load, then dabble into clubs and research opportunities. If there is a pre dental club, join that! At the one I went to we got to "drill and fill" model teeth and have free practice DAT's and have dental speakers. It was awesome to get the hands on experience, but also the networking is great too.

My biggest advice: get a notebook and write down everything you do and the dates and hours. That way when it comes to filling out AADSAS you will have it all in front of you. I ended up having to estimate how many hours I spent doing activities and I wish I had it all written down!

 

[doc toothache]

For now, stick to your plans for the prom.

 

[Cello]

Since most of you guys here are in college and preparing to turn in your Dental School applications, I'll just make a new thread and introduce myself. I'll be attending UC Davis in the fall and will graduate in 2018. Right now, I am seriously considering becoming a dentist because of the job prospects and how I admired how dentists (my dentist specifically) work with patients and tools.

Anyways the main point is, what can I do now? I know getting into dental school is difficult and the GPA and test scores it takes to get in are competitive but there's also "extracurriculars" involved. Is there anything I can do this summer to get me an advantage? Also, do you guys think I can job shadow a dentist without being enrolled in college? Again, I'm still a high school senior.

The earlier you start, the more you can spread things out, but don't overwhelm yourself. The most important thing by far is that you get good grades your first year as that will undoubtedly be one of the hardest of your undergraduate career. Whatever you do, don't let other things get in the way of a good GPA. You have four years to get your ECs, volunteering, shadowing, etc.

I have no idea what research opportunities may be in your area, but you might consider getting involved in research your second year. I say second year, because nearly all of the freshman that have come through our lab or neighboring labs haven't worked out. Your first year of college is a huge transition, which is something a lot of freshman underestimate. You don't want to burn any bridges, so ease into things and make the focus of your first year be your GPA. The same goes for volunteering. People who stop showing up to volunteer don't get the best letters of recommendation, so whatever you do, make sure that you have time to balance everything. This will almost certainly require you to get used to a college schedule and the rigors of college level science courses your freshman year.

This summer, you should take doc toothache's advice and enjoy yourself before starting college.