Having Non-Science Undergrad Degree and mediocre GPA. Helpp!

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being a non-science major is NOT a disadvantage, whoever told you that was either on crack on didn't know what they were talking about. As matter of fact, many dental schools (if you visit their websites) they encourage undergrad students to obtain a degree in a major that they enjoy (math, science, english, history, etc etc). It does not have to be science based.

As far as your GPA goes, 3.25 is not a low base to start your post-bacc studies. After you take your pre-dent requirements (and do well) you can bring that 3.25 to 3.4 (or even 3.5) which is very respectable.

Trust me, I was in your shoes 3 years ago when I started my post-bacc. I had zero pre-dental requirements and my overall GPA was 3.0. Now, after 54 credits of post-bacc on a solid 4.0 run, my overall GPA is 3.3, so my point is that IT IS possible to bring up your GPA, it just takes time and effort

Work hard in your pre-reqs and you'll succeed, I don't see anything wrong with your future application
 
I was a Marketing major in under grad. I finished with a 3.26 (Even after a sub-2.0 freshman year). I had to go back for post bac because I had NO science credits. Full time for 2 years got me to a 3.4x and into dental school!

I didn't get straight As, but I had something like a 3.8 and 1 B. It was funny how mad I was about a B too!

You'll be fine. Just work hard. You're really starting in a good position, and good grades in a science-heavy post bac looks great on the dental application and shows an upward trend.
 
dentalWorks said:
being a non-science major is NOT a disadvantage, whoever told you that was either on crack on didn't know what they were talking about.
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i've never seen you be so direct...i like it

OP- ace your classes, get some good LOR's from those professors, kill the DAT, shadow a dentist, get some dental related EC's, and apply broadly/early...you should be in good shape

best of luck!
 
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just stick with science courses. Take as many as you think you can realistically handle. Doing well is important; if it takes you a little bit longer to get all your prereqs in order, so be it. Don't rush into it and screw up your chances. Good luck

and i believe he means to say dental related extracurriculars
 
2 things:

1. Do well in those science pre-reqs, because if you can't excel in something that barely touches the surface of D-school difficulty, you won't survive the real deal.

2. Kick ass on the DAT. I suggest studying for a long period of time, since some the the sections, aka Bio, require a deep and somewhat innate understanding of the concepts, which takes time.

Good luck
 
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asdfray said:
Like i mentioned earlier, I'm currently volunteering at my local hospital's dental department. I'm trying to rack up over 1000 hrs, since I still got 2 years before I can even apply. Do you think I need to intern/shadow at a private dental clinic as well? I'm basically doing that at the dental department at the hospital. Is there anything else I can do? find a research assistant position? Join clubs? :laugh:
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You would be better served by "rack(ing) up over 1000 hours"studying for your core course/DAT. The atmosphere in a dental clinic may be quite different from that in private practice.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=527523
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=640363
 
asdfray said:
However, because the classes are prerequisites for each other, each semester I will be only taking 1 or 2 of the core sciences classes required - which makes me a parttime student (need chem 1, for chem 2, need chem 2 for organ 1, etc..) Should I take other science courses if my university offers it? (mircobio, anatomy, physiology, etc..) I heard somewhere that if you could balance a load of work within a semester and manage to do very well, It'll make me stand out more. Or I could take other courses nonrelated to sciences to boost my current gpa?
I'm afraid if i do this, i wont get as high a grade as I want on the core sciences. Thanks again for the help!
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Here's what I did, and it worked pretty well:

I took Chem 1/2 and Calc 1/2 over 1 year and a summer while I was still working full time just to get my feet wet and see what I was in for.

Then I was able to start Organic and physics, so I took Bio 1/2, organic 1/2 and physics 1/2 over the next year.

With these classes, biochem 1/2, Anat and phys 1/2, micro and all of their labs I was pretty busy with full time loads.

I definitely recommend the upper level classes, especially A&P. It really helped on the DAT and the labs will hopefully help me with recall when in anatomy classes in d-school. Plus I LOVED IT, but I'm a weirdo. Also, biochem is a requirement at a lot of schools.
 
^ Can someone evaluate to see if my plan is good? thanks! :laugh:
 
ahh!! I am in the exact position as you right now. I am currently a senior undergrad at UCLA in a non-science major (International Development Studies to be exact). I am in confusion of what step I should take after I graduate in June. Do I just apply for a community college and take my pre-req there?? I am so confused. Someone give me some advice & direction ya?

By taking Pre-req courses for Dental school, does that mean I do not necessary need to pursue any degree at all? Is community college ok to take pre-req? Or do I need to apply for university again??

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=724313

this is the new thread I made earlier today.. I didnt know someone in here is actually in my position.
 
OP-
Any way you can do Chem I/II this summer and jump into Phys, Bio, and OChem all through next year? Take DAT in the Summer of 2011 and apply for the 2012 cycle? That is do-able, though you might not want to try and hold down a job that year.
While you're waiting to apply, then take Biochem (Fall 2011). I think you could also hold off on Physics until that year, too, if you wanted. But I would advise finding a school that offers Chem I/II this summer, taking your OChem next year, that way you can take your DAT next summer.
 
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asdfray said:
Hi everyone, hope everyone is having a wonderful new year! 😉

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update on what I've been up to:

-Finished half of the core requirements and currently ranging all A's. (along with anatomy)
-Continuing to volunteer at my hospital's dental clinic (approx. 150 hrs so far), about to find a private clinic to do more shadowing
-Taking part in more extracurricular activities and hopefully obtain a leadership role in the bio-med society.
-Tutoring several of the core classes - just to make some money and it's a great way to reabsorb what I already learned.
-Starting to study for my DAT, during my one month break.

Next semester, I'll be taking Chem2, Physics2, and Genetics - which leaves orgo 1 and 2 left. I'm considering taking orgo 1 in the summer and orgo 2 in the fall after that, with biochem. Is that a bad idea? Should i take orgo 1 in the fall instead? and orgo 2 in the spring of 2012? (I'm planning to take the DAT in the spring of 2012). The reason I dont want to take orgo 2 in the spring of 2012 is because it's extremely close to the time I'll be taking the DAT. What's the better approach? (orgo 1 in summer or in the fall?):scared:

Also, I'm thinking of picking up a upper level math course, just b/c I did so badly in math in my first degree (due to the fact that I was a freshmen and was still in the phase of not caring - got C's in them) is that a good idea? or just pick up more upper science courses and do well in them?

Also, is there anything else I can do to boost my chances of getting in? Since I still have more than a year before I apply for dental school, I'm open to options. :xf:

Thanks for the feedback in advance. :laugh:

Also sorry, cheeseburguesa - I havent checked this post since I posted it. I volunteer at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn. I hope this still helps. sorry again!
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Good job 👍

As for your questions, I would do the orgo 1 in the summer. Its best to get all your pre-DAT classes out of the way before you start preparing for it.

And about the math. Don't do it, forget any math course lol, its not related to dentistry whatsoever.... Which upper level math course are you talking about? Numerical Analysis was the worst upper level math I had ever taken in my life
 
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asdfray said:
Thanks for responding dentalworks, 😀

I haven't looked into it yet, but something above calculus, since I did take that course before. Do you think I should pick up another upper science course instead of taking math?

Also, while I wrote this post, I thought of an alternative to how I might schedule my future classes, please let me know if it's a good idea, or do you think my first plan was better? (orgo 1 in summer, and orgo 2 in fall)

Summer: Take an upper bio course, along with doing what I'm currently doing (tutoring, studying for DAT, etc)

Fall - Take orgo 1 along with 2 other upper bio courses and try to prep for DAT as much as possible

Spring - Take ONLY orgo 2, leaving the rest of the time to study for DAT

Take DAT in june.
(Also, if I want to submit my application sometime in june, can I take the DAT sometime after that I submit everything and won't delay my application? If so, what's the timeframe?)

Your feedback is much appreciated. 😍
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I would not do any math course as a post-bacc. Its a waste of time, money, and effort. Focus 100% of your energy into your upper level biologies. They are far more important than any math course.

As far as your planning goes, so you are planning to study for the DAT this coming summer? but you woun't take the test until June of the following year? I am not sure if this is a good idea, most of the stuff you learn for the DAT will be forgotten in 1-2 months lol. I wouldn't do this, stick to your original plan (Orgo 1 in summer, Orgo 2 in fall)
 
I don't remember where I read it, but I've been under the impression that having a non-traditional degree can actually be beneficial, so long as you do well with your pre-reqs. It shows you're well-balanced; turn it into an advantage! I have a degree in music and that's what I'm hoping to do. 🙂

Doing well in all of your pre-reqs now will show progress from your undergrad GPA and when you apply to schools, which is always a good thing. And definitely take all your courses for the DAT early; I didn't time mine out well and am cutting it really close with bio, which is making me a little nervous. Good luck!
 
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asdfray said:
hmm when I say study for my DAT, i didn't mean actual hardcore studying, just review some stuff from the previous courses I took and such. I'll spend most of my time studying for the DAT a couple of months prior to the exam date, along with orgo 2 (I hope that works out). Is it true that orgo 2 is somewhat a repeat of stuff from orgo 1? if so, you think I can handle orgo 2 in the spring, while studying for DAT and take it in may/june?
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Orgo 2 is NOT a repeat of Orgo 1. Orgo 2 is basically a whole bunch of reactions you'll have to have memorized cold, most of them were not talked about in Orgo 1..... Orgo 1 gives you the foundation of how to understand carbon chemistry, Orgo 2 is where you actually start learning most of the Carbon reactions (AKA the different "groups")

As far as being able to handle Orgo 2 in spring WHILE also studying for the DAT is....... doable, but the most ideal situation is to take all your pre-DAT sciences before you start studying. There are 2 stories I've heard about this Orgo1/Orgo2 business, some say that most of their DAT was from Orgo1, others say it was a combination of Orgo1 and Orgo2.

asdfray said:
I kinda stirring away from the first plan b/c I dont think I can absorb as much as I want from taking orgo 1 in the summer. Though I really want to finish my prerequisites before taking the DAT. Also, never taken orgo before, I dont know what I will be getting myself into and if I'll be able to handle it. I dont know what to do.. I'll def. take what you're saying into consideration dentalwork. Thanks 👍
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I am not sure why you think this. Orgo 1 in the summer will be very condensed (6-8 weeks) instead of the usual 14 week semesters. But if you have a good work ethic (and it seems to me you do), then you'll have no problem taking Orgo 1 in the summer AND mastering the material the same way as if you were taking the normal 14-week semester....This is ESPECIALLY true if Orgo 1 is the only summer course your taking.

Don't fall into the stigma that orgo classes are sooo hard lol. It is NOT a difficult course if you study. If your the kind of person who ignores all the material until the day before the test, yeh you'll have a bad time with orgo (or any upper level biology course, this I almost guarantee you, unless of course you have a naturally gifted I.Q)

asdfray said:
This bring me to another question:
I looked at my unofficial transcript today, and I see that for some reason, for all the prerequisites I've taken, lab isn't included on my transcript. (lab grade is incorporated into lecture grade in my school) Though I did take lab for each of these classes, will this cause a problem when I submit my application? I don't want the dental schools to turn down my application just because they think I didn't take labs with any of these courses, which i did. What should I do? It is possible to submit a letter along with my application to the aadsas? If so, can I get a letter from the department chair stating that each of these courses came with lab, and submit my application with it? Please help!! I'm freaking outt
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My basic biology 1 and 2 (the 100-level stuffs) was exactly like this. There was no "lab" course, the lab was an additional 3 hours per week we had to do and it was incorporated into our class grade. I didn't have a problem about this, no one even brought it up..... So, I dunno, maybe you can contact the schools and ask them about it.

I REALLY don't believe you should be freaking out over labs.... theyr just labs for crying out loud lolz
 
asdfray said:
hmm when I say study for my DAT, i didn't mean actual hardcore studying, just review some stuff from the previous courses I took and such. I'll spend most of my time studying for the DAT a couple of months prior to the exam date, along with orgo 2 (I hope that works out). Is it true that orgo 2 is somewhat a repeat of stuff from orgo 1? if so, you think I can handle orgo 2 in the spring, while studying for DAT and take it in may/june?

I kinda stirring away from the first plan b/c I dont think I can absorb as much as I want from taking orgo 1 in the summer. Though I really want to finish my prerequisites before taking the DAT. Also, never taken orgo before, I dont know what I will be getting myself into and if I'll be able to handle it. I dont know what to do.. I'll def. take what you're saying into consideration dentalwork. Thanks 👍

This bring me to another question:
I looked at my unofficial transcript today, and I see that for some reason, for all the prerequisites I've taken, lab isn't included on my transcript. (lab grade is incorporated into lecture grade in my school) Though I did take lab for each of these classes, will this cause a problem when I submit my application? I don't want the dental schools to turn down my application just because they think I didn't take labs with any of these courses, which i did. What should I do? It is possible to submit a letter along with my application to the aadsas? If so, can I get a letter from the department chair stating that each of these courses came with lab, and submit my application with it? Please help!! I'm freaking outt
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At my school the lab grade is incorporated with the lecture, I highly doubt it would ever be a problem. General bio and chem are all 4 credit classes with a lecture and lab component, but if a student fails the lab they automatically fail lecture.
 
asdfray said:
Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum and was looking through a lot of information and feedbacks posted on here. After going through thread after thread, it really got me nervous and 2nd doubting my abilities. :scared:

I recently graduated with a Finance undergraduate degree from CUNY Baruch in NYC with a overall gpa of 3.25. (really messed up my freshmen yr - but grades got better every yr since then) Now I'm currently going back and working towards the pre-requisites needed to for dental school. (Bio, Chem, Org Chem, and Phy) I was wondering if I am in trouble? Not only am I not a science major, which i believe is a disadvantage, but also my gpa is pretty low compared to the other applicants.
Did anyone else go through what I'm going through? (Non related undergrad degree to Dental?)

I'm confident that I'll get decent grades on the upcoming core science classes I am going to take, but even if i do, will I be as competitive as the other applicants? (for example a science gpa of 3.7-3.8)

I understand that the DAT plays a major part in this process as well. What do think I need to score to say at the very least competitive to those applying to the private colleges such as NYU? (this is a hard question, I know.. but i would just like to hear your think 🙂) How many times do you recommend taking it?

I'm planning to apply for the incoming class of 2013 and I'm already doing all I can to make myself stand out. I'm currently volunteering at my local hospital's dental department. (which i plan to stay til I start applying in 2012) I'm also interning/shadowing at a private clinic (same deal, I'm staying til 2012). I'm Vietnamese, speak 4 languages, and currently learning 1 more. Is there anything else I can do to help me stand out?

Not trying to beating around the bush, I really just want to know one thing - will I be as competitive as the other applicants if i stick to my plan?

Sorry if I come off a little desperate. I have a passion for this field and I'm going to try to do all I can to get me to where I want to be in my future.
Your feedback will really help me. Thanks! 👍
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holy cow. 4 languages? remember to put that on ur application lol. I'm vietnamese too. I only speak 3. Hey you should be good. Just do really well on your prerequisites and if you can "do research and get publish).

Other than that if you can get your sciGPA in the 3.7 that's real good. I suggest taking DAT right after you finish orgo cause studying for orgo all over again was a pain for me.. a real real pain . study hard and take your DAT once and do real well.
 
waiitt soo ADcoms don't care if you take pre-reqs over the summer??? for some reason ive been hearing that they did...please tell me im wrong because i was thinking of doing exactly what the OP was doing..
 
Nicekid23 said:
waiitt soo ADcoms don't care if you take pre-reqs over the summer??? for some reason ive been hearing that they did...please tell me im wrong because i was thinking of doing exactly what the OP was doing..
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you are wrong
 
asdfray said:
Thanks for responding dentalworks, 😀

I haven't looked into it yet, but something above calculus, since I did take that course before. Do you think I should pick up another upper science course instead of taking math?

Also, while I wrote this post, I thought of an alternative to how I might schedule my future classes, please let me know if it's a good idea, or do you think my first plan was better? (orgo 1 in summer, and orgo 2 in fall)

Summer: Take an upper bio course, along with doing what I'm currently doing (tutoring, studying for DAT, etc)

Fall - Take orgo 1 along with 2 other upper bio courses and try to prep for DAT as much as possible

Spring - Take ONLY orgo 2, leaving the rest of the time to study for DAT

Take DAT in june.
(Also, if I want to submit my application sometime in june, can I take the DAT sometime after that I submit everything and won't delay my application? If so, what's the timeframe?)

Your feedback is much appreciated. 😍
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Chao Em, It takes approximately 6-8 weeks after you esubmit your aadsas application for the schools to get it. It takes around 2-4 weeks after you take the DAT for the schools to get it. If you can plan so that the DAT arrives around the time your aadsas app will. Some schools (probably most - correct me if necessary) don't even look at your app until the DAT arrives. I am sure that UW does this. Hope all this helps. By the way you seem very motivated and I am sure you will make it in. Good luck with your journey!
 
To the OP:

Don't let having a non-science undergrad degree or low GPA stop you...I was in your shoes 3 years ago and just got into my dream school today!!!

I had a 3.3 GPA after undergrad (Business and Econ degrees) so I knew I had to kick ass in my classes and on the DAT, as well as be active in EC's (volunteering, research, shadowing)...I was eventually able to raise my GPA to a 3.51, which is still pretty mediocre, but the fact that I didnt take many science classes in undergrad actually helped me because I could start with a clean slate...I aced all my postbacc classes and ended up with a 3.82 science gpa and a 4.0 BCP...

On a side note, most adcoms actually love nontraditional backgrounds... they get thousands of applications from people who are in school with a science major like biology or chemistry...so any kind of work experience in a different field will help you stand out from the crowd...

work hard, stay focused, anything is achievable!
 
Was the business based physics class under the physics department or the business department? if under physics i think it goes into your BCP...btw what is business based physics haha, never heard of that before...
 
I'm beginning to think taking classes at a CC isn't a bad thing. My friend spent 4 years at a CC to complete his pre-reqs and earning an AA. He didn't want to transfer to a university because of the high cost tuition. He just found out this morning that he got into LECOM's School of Pharmacy. I guess it really depends...
 
hyn said:
I'm beginning to think taking classes at a CC isn't a bad thing. My friend spent 4 years at a CC to complete his pre-reqs and earning an AA. He didn't want to transfer to a university because of the high cost tuition. He just found out this morning that he got into LECOM's School of Pharmacy. I guess it really depends...
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Pharmacy school admissions are very different from dental school admissions - pharmacy schools don't care nearly as much about where you do your pre-reqs. On top of that, LECOM pharmacy's standards are unusually low.
 
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can anyone pls provide me with some advice. Thanks in advance!😀
 
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asdfray said:
@bdarvish33

Of course my passion lies with dentistry, which is why I'm worried whether the research position at NYU might make the adcom think otherwise.
(this also goes for the leadership position btw the biomed club and the operation smiles club)
I really want to show them that I'm dedicated to dentistry and my ultimate goal is to get into dental school.
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what you have to do is to use the research that you are doing now and somehow tie it into dentistry. For example, I was working on a clinical research project in hospital in san diego. I was asked about it, and I told them that i did it becasue there are soo many dental issues that can be caused by diabetes....
you get the idea.

i hope this helps.
 
asdfray said:
Hey guys,

Another semester have passed, which means I'm one step closer to my goal of getting into dental school. Just wanted to update you guys on what I've been up to and wanted feedback on whether of not I'm doing the right things.. Here goes: 😛

- So this past semester I took chem 2, physics 2, and principle of genetics and after those long nights of studying and many cups of coffee :scared:, I managed to get A's in all the classes! :laugh: In the fall, I'm taking orgo 1, microbiology, and endocrinology.

- This past semester I tutored Bio and Chem, and will continue to do so until I apply for dental school. (just to make some money) My professor also offered me a TA position during the summer where she'll be teaching High school students genetics (Also a paid position)

- This past April, I picked up a research position at NYU school of medicine (Not really towards dental, but It was the only thing available at that time - This won't hurt me will it?) Also, I'll be starting another research position (microbiology research) in a week with my professor. Should I not the one at NYU and pick up another one? My chemistry professor also asked me to work on his research..

- NEED ADVICE* I've been elected as the VP for my college's Biomed society for the next year. In addition, my friend, who started Operation Smiles club this past year (didnt know he did it), asked me to take over as president..However, this was after I made a commitment to become VP of the Biomed society and I don't want to make a bad impression if I just quit the position to become the president of Operations smiles (even though I'm very interested in doing so) If I quit as VP, I think it'll make me look bad to the whole science department (need to be in good terms with professors and staff, since I will need LOR soon) What should I do? 😕I CAN be VP of Biomed and Treasurer of operation smiles at the same time though, which is the best of both worlds - but I might be stretching myself too thin.. since I'll be doing research and taking them sciences all at once.

- Still shadowing at the local hospital in the dental medicine department, and this summer, I found a private clinic to shadow starting this summer.


Sorry for the rabbling, but yeah, please let me know what you think. Feedback is much appreciated :laugh:

-Ray
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I've highlighted why you shouldn't quit the VP thing.
 
asdfray said:
@bdarvish33

Of course my passion lies with dentistry, which is why I'm worried whether the research position at NYU might make the adcom think otherwise.
(this also goes for the leadership position btw the biomed club and the operation smiles club)
I really want to show them that I'm dedicated to dentistry and my ultimate goal is to get into dental school.
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there is no down side to doing ANY kind of research (whether it be on the medical side or sociology or environmental science). But I also believe there isn't much advantage to it either (unless your aiming for the research-heavy dental schools)
 
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