hey Im pre-dental and going to start school in a few weeks. I want to give myself the best chance to get into Dental school. Wha should I be doing during freshamn year besides get good grades? Should I do lots of volunteer/extra curriculars right away? When would I shadow a dentist? Thanks please add any other tips too.
freshman year
- Thread starter jigga5
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well i would try to get involved in school with various clubs and organizations. if that means joining a frat go for it (its not for some). hit up that extracurricular while u have the time. volunteer work can be done more in the summers. i say while u are in school do well, hit the extra cirriculars, and maybe shadow a dentist. above all have your head on straight during the entire experience and things will work out fine.
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I dont know about a frat - I would try to surround yourself w/ as many people as you can who have the same goals and drive as yourself. And *warning* - not everyone you meet who says they are pre-dent/pre-med has the motivation to make it. Find the people who will encourage you to skip the party and hit the library the week of the test and be friends w/ them.
Make the grades - they say alot about you as a person. Consistently good grades show an amount of determination that can't be faked by a week in the kaplan course and buying the DAT destroyer.
Contact your pre-dental advisor and talk to them about what activities are going on for the pre-dents (clubs, special events, etc). That will be your best bet for things that are relevant to your situation. If there is nothing going on at your school, contact the nearest dental schools and see if they need some help - sometimes they do charitable type work and need people to do various things for them and would really appreciate the help. Just keep your ears open to anyone who needs help and say 'yes.'
Make the grades - they say alot about you as a person. Consistently good grades show an amount of determination that can't be faked by a week in the kaplan course and buying the DAT destroyer.
Contact your pre-dental advisor and talk to them about what activities are going on for the pre-dents (clubs, special events, etc). That will be your best bet for things that are relevant to your situation. If there is nothing going on at your school, contact the nearest dental schools and see if they need some help - sometimes they do charitable type work and need people to do various things for them and would really appreciate the help. Just keep your ears open to anyone who needs help and say 'yes.'
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i would say mainly focus on grades because that i the first thing that the adcoms are going to see once you have a year under your belt with a solid GPA then you can start worrying about community service, shadowing, DAT, etc.
thanks for the advice guys. I have one concern though, I dont have a great background in chem right now as I didnt take it much in high school. Would it be a bad thing if I took a basic chem course in college before i moved into the chems required by dental schools( chem 1 and 2, org chem etc..)??? thanks guys.
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Don't take Gchem if you're not ready. That grade will never go away. If you plan on getting your degree b/f d-school (recommended), you'll have plenty of time to complete the prereqs. Take the chem-prep class and then get an A in Gchem. I just filled out a supplemetal app. that asked me to list out my prereq courses w/ grades, etc. It woulda been nice if I could have filled that up w/ all A's. Instead I have some B's and a couple sketchy C's in there. That goes for physics too; take a physics-prep class if you need it.
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I too will be starting my freshman year shortly. I was wondering for areas that I have some difficulty in if it would be a good idea to take it at a CC over the summer, but then take the actual course when you go back to school? Thanks!
Thanks man, thats what I was hoping to do but then i thought that maybe it would slow me down/back track me. But the last thing I need is a bad grade in gchem. I wouldnt need a prep class for calc or phys cuz i took those in high school. thanks for your help though and ill take the prep class.
Another question, I was planning on gettin B.S. Degree in Exercise Science from minnesota state, honestly am I at any disadvantage what so ever by not majoring in Biology or Biochem or anything of that sort? If thats the case im willing to go that route ( the most common route that is). But it shouldnt make a difference if I get all my pre reqs and score well on the DAT right? I just hope that this major wont hold me back at all cuz im focused on D schoool.
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I've heard it said that dental applicants who majored in something other than Bio or Chem or Biochem are often looked at favorably for the fact that they have a broader range of interests or something like that.
Getting good grades should be your goal, always. Don't be wasting your money or your parents' money by doing badly. On the flip side of that coin, college is a time for many to grow and discover who they are and what they want from life. Some people need to take those chances and experiment with different crowds and even do badly in a course or two before they realize a few things about themselves. The important thing is that you use this college time wisely, which means you try your best in class, and you expand your horizons, discover yourself and mature. Don't let 4 years of undergrad be a blur of libraries and study sessions, but don't let it be a blur because of too many keggers. Strike a healthy balance. Allow yourself time to live but enough time to study. Finally, learn from your mistakes and try to rebound if you do crash. How you handle adversity is also something that is noticed by adcoms.
Best of luck to you as you embark on this new phase of your adult life.
Getting good grades should be your goal, always. Don't be wasting your money or your parents' money by doing badly. On the flip side of that coin, college is a time for many to grow and discover who they are and what they want from life. Some people need to take those chances and experiment with different crowds and even do badly in a course or two before they realize a few things about themselves. The important thing is that you use this college time wisely, which means you try your best in class, and you expand your horizons, discover yourself and mature. Don't let 4 years of undergrad be a blur of libraries and study sessions, but don't let it be a blur because of too many keggers. Strike a healthy balance. Allow yourself time to live but enough time to study. Finally, learn from your mistakes and try to rebound if you do crash. How you handle adversity is also something that is noticed by adcoms.
Best of luck to you as you embark on this new phase of your adult life.
great advice, thanks.
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if it is what you want to do, then do it. Make sure you kick butt on your prereqs and of course score well on the DAT. I don't think it will hurt you as long as you get good grades.
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major in physical education. study for your required science classes, do well on your dat, and have fun. you will get in. i wish i would've done that.
