For those of you who got in with low/lower grades: how is dental school going?

[thisismyacct]

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Asking because I read a thread where the OP faced the possibility of getting kicked out and it got me wondering if he had a low GPA in undergrad. Personally, I need to do a post-bacc then a masters before I have a chance of getting in (oh and there's that pesky DAT).

I'm also asking since it got me thinking "what if I get accepted and have to leave the program?", which would be (one of) my biggest nightmares.

 

[RuffDay]

Before dental school, I had always been taking twelve hours or less per semester. Even with those twelve hours, only one class or two I found difficult. Nonetheless, I still struggle throughout undergraduate.

I am on my 3rd year of dental school, and I still find the program tough but definitely manageable. If you put in time and effort, then I do not see why you would not pass all your classes. Depending on the program, you will only be forced to leave if you are failing multiple classes. Sometimes, you might have to put all your focus on the classes that you are failing.

Just don't give up and be on top of your work throughout dental school.

 

[Advance]

Asking because I read a thread where the OP faced the possibility of getting kicked out and it got me wondering if he had a low GPA in undergrad. Personally, I need to do a post-bacc then a masters before I have a chance of getting in (oh and there's that pesky DAT).

I'm also asking since it got me thinking "what if I get accepted and have to leave the program?", which would be (one of) my biggest nightmares.

My GPA wasn’t low but my DAT score was well below average. I was concerned about the same thing when I got accepted. I’m currently a D3. If you work hard passing is definitely doable.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN

 

[danchoi03]

Undergrad GPA has no correlation with your performance in dental school. I think work ethic has more correlation to your dental school performance than anything else. My undergrad GPA was 2.34 and now I am ranked top 15% in my dental school. To get where I am today, I have to spend many sleepless nights, stay focus, and work my butt off.

 

[thisismyacct]

Undergrad GPA has no correlation with your performance in dental school. I think work ethic has more correlation to your dental school performance than anything else. My undergrad GPA was 2.34 and now I am ranked top 15% in my dental school. To get where I am today, I have to spend many sleepless nights, stay focus, and work my butt off.

That's pretty comforting to hear, can I PM you with some questions?

 

[kstoothfairy]

I agree with the statement above about work ethic, and I’d add in maturity. My undergrad sGPA was 2.8, overall about 3.0. I got a 16 in O-Chem on my DAT. I also had to do a masters to get into dental school. I graduated from dental school first in my class last May.

 

[danchoi03]

That's pretty comforting to hear, can I PM you with some questions?

Feel free to message me any time.

 

[Greyangel6]

So I'm more or less on the other side of the spectrum. I was in top 10% of my undergrad major (Biomedical Science) and graduated with Cum Laude and a oGPA of 3.94. Now I'm at the bottom of my dental school class. lol. I'm a D4 and that doesn't really bother me. I realized that it doesn't make me any worse or better than the guy who's top of my class now. He's got many things lined up for him before clinic even starts lol (all the teeth were prepped by his senior associate, all he had to do was deliver the crowns, bridges, implant cr. etc.). Hence, his production is the highest in school. I know what I want out of the program and I don't have to try to be competitive when finding work, residencies (HPSP does have a lot to do with this). So take it as you will.

 

[deleted659902]

So I'm more or less on the other side of the spectrum. I was in top 10% of my undergrad major (Biomedical Science) and graduated with Cum Laude and a oGPA of 3.94. Now I'm at the bottom of my dental school class. lol. I'm a D4 and that doesn't really bother me. I realized that it doesn't make me any worse or better than the guy who's top of my class now. He's got many things lined up for him before clinic even starts lol (all the teeth were prepped by his senior associate, all he had to do was deliver the crowns, bridges, implant cr. etc.). Hence, his production is the highest in school. I know what I want out of the program and I don't have to try to be competitive when finding work, residencies (HPSP does have a lot to do with this). So take it as you will.

Relaying on this post, I'd just like to note that half of dental school GPA is subjective (ie connections/having upperclassman friends in the clinic, being liked by schedulers, and having reliable patients). When handskill courses that carry 7 or 8 units are graded by intructors that may or may not like you and the difference between A and B is within a 0.5mm discrepancy and "overtapering"/"undercuts," you wish you would have chosen a P/F school. Being in the right clique (often grouped by socioeconomic status of parents and race/religion) helps a lot too in terms of ranking high.

In undergrad, it was mostly about sitting down and hitting the books. Not much subjectivity in grading either especially if you were a science major. The bottom line is if you got in, then how high you rank in class depends more so on your ability to figure out the system and make friends than purely on your work ethic. In this regard, dental schools is akin to a workplace rather than an academic environment. I believe this is one reason why non-trads who have had work experiences or have been through grad school but with less than impressive undergrad academic prowess tend to rank highly at the end.

 

[weaselodeath]

Relaying on this post, I'd just like to note that half of dental school GPA is subjective (ie connections/having upperclassman friends in the clinic, being liked by schedulers, and having reliable patients). When handskill courses that carry 7 or 8 units are graded by intructors that may or may not like you and the difference between A and B is within a 0.5mm discrepancy and "overtapering"/"undercuts," you wish you would have chosen a P/F school. Being in the right clique (often grouped by socioeconomic status of parents and race/religion) helps a lot too in terms of ranking high.

In undergrad, it was mostly about sitting down and hitting the books. Not much subjectivity in grading either especially if you were a science major. The bottom line is if you got in, then how high you rank in class depends more so on your ability to figure out the system and make friends than purely on your work ethic. In this regard, dental schools is akin to a workplace rather than an academic environment. I believe this is one reason why non-trads who have had work experiences or have been through grad school but with less than impressive undergrad academic prowess tend to rank highly at the end.

I would absolutely agree with this so far. Office politics is definitely huge in preclinical and clinical. Your ability to act natural, take feedback well, and get people to like you is much more important than in undergrad and definitely reflects what it’s like in the working world.

I did spend time in the workplace and that has made it easier for me, but in true pre-health fashion I also read a book about it that I recommend: Thanks for the Feedback by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen. It really opened up my mindset when it came to being criticized or corrected.

 

[yappy]

Relaying on this post, I'd just like to note that half of dental school GPA is subjective (ie connections/having upperclassman friends in the clinic, being liked by schedulers, and having reliable patients). When handskill courses that carry 7 or 8 units are graded by intructors that may or may not like you and the difference between A and B is within a 0.5mm discrepancy and "overtapering"/"undercuts," you wish you would have chosen a P/F school. Being in the right clique (often grouped by socioeconomic status of parents and race/religion) helps a lot too in terms of ranking high.

In undergrad, it was mostly about sitting down and hitting the books. Not much subjectivity in grading either especially if you were a science major. The bottom line is if you got in, then how high you rank in class depends more so on your ability to figure out the system and make friends than purely on your work ethic. In this regard, dental schools is akin to a workplace rather than an academic environment. I believe this is one reason why non-trads who have had work experiences or have been through grad school but with less than impressive undergrad academic prowess tend to rank highly at the end.

I could not agree more. Academically, dental school was a huge let down for me after my undergraduate experience.
Too many instructors/professors in dental school were unprofessional, immature, and at times petty. Bottom line is do not approach them the way you would your undergraduate professors who have a love for teaching and learning. Not all professors are like this so cherish the ones that take the job seriously.

 

[hellopeople]

Asking because I read a thread where the OP faced the possibility of getting kicked out and it got me wondering if he had a low GPA in undergrad. Personally, I need to do a post-bacc then a masters before I have a chance of getting in (oh and there's that pesky DAT).

I'm also asking since it got me thinking "what if I get accepted and have to leave the program?", which would be (one of) my biggest nightmares.

There were quite a few people held back, though not kicked out usually, in each class at my school. One year there were multiple drop outs replaced by held back students in essentially a 1:1 ratio.
None of this seemed related to book work skills though.

I wouldn't worry too much about that.

 

[thisismyacct]

There were quite a few people held back, though not kicked out usually, in each class at my school. One year there were multiple drop outs replaced by held back students in essentially a 1:1 ratio.
None of this seemed related to book work skills though.

I wouldn't worry too much about that.

So it was for personal reasons? or was it because they didn't have the hand skills?

 

[hellopeople]

So it was for personal reasons? or was it because they didn't have the hand skills?

I suppose so. One guy was pretty quiet and sort of awkward, so I think he had difficulty getting patients on board. Im not really sure what the specific reason for his dismissal was though.
One pretty much refused to play the game, so to speak, and fell way behind in procedural points my school uses to gauge production. (Production was big at my school.)
It's all speculation or else second hand info though. It's a very personal thing, and they weren't people I was particularly close to.

 

[Dogtreats]

I had a 3.3 GPA and I got a 20 on the DAT. I didn’t get accepted my first time around, probably due to having a lower GPA. I’m about to finish my first semester of dental school and I’m doing great. Students aren’t ranked at my school, but I’ve only missed like 4 questions TOTAL on exams all year (I study a lot), and I’ve passed all of my hand skill assessments so far. I had horrible study habits in undergrad and I also graduated with a degree in biochemistry in 3.5 years while playing soccer (hence the low GPA). Not getting in to school the first time was crushing and there’s no way I was going to take getting into school for granted.

 

[Greyangel6]

Relaying on this post, I'd just like to note that half of dental school GPA is subjective (ie connections/having upperclassman friends in the clinic, being liked by schedulers, and having reliable patients). When handskill courses that carry 7 or 8 units are graded by intructors that may or may not like you and the difference between A and B is within a 0.5mm discrepancy and "overtapering"/"undercuts," you wish you would have chosen a P/F school. Being in the right clique (often grouped by socioeconomic status of parents and race/religion) helps a lot too in terms of ranking high.

In undergrad, it was mostly about sitting down and hitting the books. Not much subjectivity in grading either especially if you were a science major. The bottom line is if you got in, then how high you rank in class depends more so on your ability to figure out the system and make friends than purely on your work ethic. In this regard, dental schools is akin to a workplace rather than an academic environment. I believe this is one reason why non-trads who have had work experiences or have been through grad school but with less than impressive undergrad academic prowess tend to rank highly at the end.

You are correct, sir! My EQ was not where it should be. After going through 3.5 years of dental school, I've seen the changes to my EQ and it has made me a better person than I was. I realized that you have to play the politics and networking game even if you're in dental school, to get what you need done. I try to say what they want to hear and I listen more than I talk. Works pretty well for me xD

 

[Firik]

I had a 3.3 GPA and I got a 20 on the DAT. I didn’t get accepted my first time around, probably due to having a lower GPA. I’m about to finish my first semester of dental school and I’m doing great. Students aren’t ranked at my school, but I’ve only missed like 4 questions TOTAL on exams all year (I study a lot), and I’ve passed all of my hand skill assessments so far. I had horrible study habits in undergrad and I also graduated with a degree in biochemistry in 3.5 years while playing soccer (hence the low GPA). Not getting in to school the first time was crushing and there’s no way I was going to take getting into school for granted.

Do you study by yourself most of the time or surrounded by others (semi-group study)? How many hours per day on average do you sleep? I'm trying to figure out how much "I study a lot" compared to undergrad. Thanks

 

[Dogtreats]

Do you study by yourself most of the time or surrounded by others (semi-group study)? How many hours per day on average do you sleep? I'm trying to figure out how much "I study a lot" compared to undergrad. Thanks

I study best alone, I find studying with other people is too distracting and things always get off topic. A lot of people at my school prefer studying in groups and that’s all that work for them, so it definitely depends on the person. I make sure I get 8 hours of sleep a night, unless I’m close to a test and feel I need to study more. I don’t function well with less than 8 hours so I make it a priority. My study schedule depends on my class load at the time, but we just finished head and neck anatomy. I would study as soon as I got home from school until 9, taking a break to eat but that’s about it (4-7 hours of studying) and on the weekend I studied basically all day each day except for maybe ~4-5 hours of relaxing time/eating.

 

[Rubberpulp]

I had a 3.4 in undergrad, 3.0 in dental school ( i think) and now a dentist. Grades are all bull****. Just LEARN the material that matters. My roommate in DS graduated w/ 3.6 or whatever and he was clueless. Dude could just brain dumb on exams and then would forget it all. My best advise " ask for forgiveness not permission", do everything in clinic. Do not ever say no to a procedure because you are scared or uncomfortable. Make sure you have a lot of "oppps.... well I know not to do that again" or " Ohhhhh thats what that looks/feels like". If you like OS take out a **** load of teeth, if you like endo do a **** load of cases. Those two fields will help you land a job and keep patients happy that they dont need to go somewhere else. I was lucky and learned Endo well and did retreats, though crowns and dont refer out much, people like it.My best advise is if you get caught up with the grades nonsense in school it will take away your clinical experience and once you graduate that wont mean ****

 

[thisismyacct]

I had a 3.4 in undergrad, 3.0 in dental school ( i think) and now a dentist. Grades are all bull****. Just LEARN the material that matters. My roommate in DS graduated w/ 3.6 or whatever and he was clueless. Dude could just brain dumb on exams and then would forget it all. My best advise " ask for forgiveness not permission", do everything in clinic. Do not ever say no to a procedure because you are scared or uncomfortable. Make sure you have a lot of "oppps.... well I know not to do that again" or " Ohhhhh thats what that looks/feels like". If you like OS take out a **** load of teeth, if you like endo do a **** load of cases. Those two fields will help you land a job and keep patients happy that they dont need to go somewhere else. I was lucky and learned Endo well and did retreats, though crowns and dont refer out much, people like it.My best advise is if you get caught up with the grades nonsense in school it will take away your clinical experience and once you graduate that wont mean ****

Thank you for the advice, but I still have a ways to go before starting dental school haha

 

[rippedbx]

I'm a D4. My science undergrad science GPA was 2.75 and overall aadsas was a 3.05 if I remember right. My DAT was a 21. I only got an interview because my undergrad dental adviser fought for me.
In dental school I was at the top of my class in the classroom and above average in the clinic. I've felt really good about every board test I've taken. For me, dental school has been easier than undergrad. But it's also easier to work harder and be more focused. If you're really worried about it, consider Roseman. They give you every opportunity to pass every class and meet the minimum standard. A lot of faculty volunteer their time after hours too in clinic. I'm sure there are other schools that are like this but I'm only familiar with Roseman.

 

[thisismyacct]

I'm a D4. My science undergrad science GPA was 2.75 and overall aadsas was a 3.05 if I remember right. My DAT was a 21. I only got an interview because my undergrad dental adviser fought for me.
In dental school I was at the top of my class in the classroom and above average in the clinic. I've felt really good about every board test I've taken. For me, dental school has been easier than undergrad. But it's also easier to work harder and be more focused. If you're really worried about it, consider Roseman. They give you every opportunity to pass every class and meet the minimum standard. A lot of faculty volunteer their time after hours too in clinic. I'm sure there are other schools that are like this but I'm only familiar with Roseman.

I'll keep this in mind, thanks