Help

[SHDS]

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First off.....hello everyone 🙂

I had a couple of quick questions I was hoping someone would be able to help me with.

I graduated two yrs ago from a UC with a Bio degree. For the past two yrs, I have been helping out the family business and now find myself ready to pursue dental school.

My college GPA was 2.6 (oveall) which I understand to be VERY low in comparison to other applicants. I was looking for ways to bring it up/improve them somehow. I don't intent to apply this yr....but have targeted 2006 which gives me a full yr to improve my application.

First off, what can I do to improve my qualifications? I was thinking of taking additional Bio classes at a local JC. Other than that....maybe get a job at a dental office?

I understand I am not a very strong candidate at the momment and would appericiate any help or advise from you guys 🙂

Thanks everyone

 

[eddiescott]

First off.....hello everyone 🙂

I had a couple of quick questions I was hoping someone would be able to help me with.

I graduated two yrs ago from a UC with a Bio degree. For the past two yrs, I have been helping out the family business and now find myself ready to pursue dental school.

My college GPA was 2.6 (oveall) which I understand to be VERY low in comparison to other applicants. I was looking for ways to bring it up/improve them somehow. I don't intent to apply this yr....but have targeted 2006 which gives me a full yr to improve my application.

First off, what can I do to improve my qualifications? I was thinking of taking additional Bio classes at a local JC. Other than that....maybe get a job at a dental office?

I understand I am not a very strong candidate at the momment and would appericiate any help or advise from you guys 🙂

Thanks everyone

Let me be the first to give you the correct advice on this topic.

First of all, you currently just dont have good enough grades to compete with the others who are applying to medical and dental schools.

Thats just a fact.

Now if your science grades are low then you need to take upper level science classes and get A's in them. Also, you need to take a weighted semester and really hit the books to show that you are serious. I would recommend at least 4 science classes with labs and one business class.

This probably wont budge your overall much but it will show improvement.

Second, you need to get one heck of a remarakble DAT score which is prob going to be a 24 or better. Before I wasted my time and money in school I would prob study like a champ and take the DAT to see where I stacked up.
If low then I would give up. Its been my experience that medical and dental schools are very unforgiving when you have a low GPA.

HOWEVER, you do have hope, D.O. medical schools allow you to retake a class and keep the higher grade. That may be exactly what you need to do if you want to become a physician.

As far as volunteering or working with a dentist, thats really not an option for you. they arent going to care if you have shadowed a dentist for 10 years if you have bad grades. nor will they care if you adopted 10 orphans from the Tsunami incident.

Its a shame but that just seems to be the schools attitude. See the people you are competing with are outstanding and there are hundreds of them applying to each school for less than 100 spots.

For expl. in my state there were 700 applicants for 37 spots and the average GPA was 3.5.

So, you need to hit the books, dont work, dont do anything else. Take the DAT and get in the 99 percentile then load up on classes and work work work to prove you have changed.

hope that helps. i feel that this is what u will need to do.

ERS2

 

[eddiescott]

First off.....hello everyone 🙂

I had a couple of quick questions I was hoping someone would be able to help me with.

I graduated two yrs ago from a UC with a Bio degree. For the past two yrs, I have been helping out the family business and now find myself ready to pursue dental school.

My college GPA was 2.6 (oveall) which I understand to be VERY low in comparison to other applicants. I was looking for ways to bring it up/improve them somehow. I don't intent to apply this yr....but have targeted 2006 which gives me a full yr to improve my application.

First off, what can I do to improve my qualifications? I was thinking of taking additional Bio classes at a local JC. Other than that....maybe get a job at a dental office?

I understand I am not a very strong candidate at the momment and would appericiate any help or advise from you guys 🙂

Thanks everyone

wow sorry to sound so mean in the last e-mail!!!

But heres some more info. I think that you should at least attempt to raise your GPA up to a 3.0 to get an interview. Shoot for that and write one heck of an essay!

 

[aceking]

First off.....hello everyone 🙂

I had a couple of quick questions I was hoping someone would be able to help me with.

I graduated two yrs ago from a UC with a Bio degree. For the past two yrs, I have been helping out the family business and now find myself ready to pursue dental school.

My college GPA was 2.6 (oveall) which I understand to be VERY low in comparison to other applicants. I was looking for ways to bring it up/improve them somehow. I don't intent to apply this yr....but have targeted 2006 which gives me a full yr to improve my application.

First off, what can I do to improve my qualifications? I was thinking of taking additional Bio classes at a local JC. Other than that....maybe get a job at a dental office?

I understand I am not a very strong candidate at the momment and would appericiate any help or advise from you guys 🙂

Thanks everyone

if your gpa is 2.6 overall, i have a feeling that your sci gpa is even lower. Also no background in dentistry. honestly, it does not look good. sorry for being so discouraging. However, i think that it is not about applying to dentistry, i see it more like you need to change something in your personal life to have a great come back. i am sure ur family buss is important but you got to do your thing otherwise just take over what your family. Honestly, i think that your family can hire someone to replace you in order for you to build more one the career that you want to pursuit.
it is going to be difficult but it is possible. dont give up if you really want to be a dentist.
if i were you i would take like 20 to 25 units per quarter or semester and just study like mad. if they dont allow you to take some many units slip it into 2 colleges. clinical experience: definetely is like minimum requirement no doubt.
diligence is key
good luck

 

[eddiescott]

if your gpa is 2.6 overall, i have a feeling that your sci gpa is even lower. Also no background in dentistry. honestly, it does not look good. sorry for being so discouraging. However, i think that it is not about applying to dentistry, i see it more like you need to change something in your personal life to have a great come back. i am sure ur family buss is important but you got to do your thing otherwise just take over what your family. Honestly, i think that your family can hire someone to replace you in order for you to build more one the career that you want to pursuit.
it is going to be difficult but it is possible. dont give up if you really want to be a dentist.
if i were you i would take like 20 to 25 units per quarter or semester and just study like mad. if they dont allow you to take some many units slip it into 2 colleges. clinical experience: definetely is like minimum requirement no doubt.
diligence is key
good luck

good reply to him.

man I sounded like a real azzhole!! But thats just how it is. Its extremely hard to get into medical school. Thats why I am taking it so serious. I was sweating bullets last semester b/c I was scared I was going to get a B in organic Chem 1. Ended up with an A. thats how much it matters to me!

This guy just needs to make a decision.

One great opportunity for him like I said is a DO school. They are so forgiving!
The AACOMAS site that you apply to DO schools even lets you take the higher grade in determining GPA. So thats prob his ticket if he wants to pursue professional school. Either that or law school. Dental may be too out there at this point for him!

My science GPA is now 4.0 and I am a CPA and have masters degree and am still worried I may not get in.

Its just tough.

 

[SHDS]

First off, I really appericiate the honest replies....Thanks.

I understand my GPA is EXTREMELY low and that what I have in front of me is a very steep hill to climb. However, I am finally in position to be able to pursue it full time and I intend to do whatever it will take.

As for taking classes, I am currently enrolled in a few classes (course that I didnt do well in college) at a junior college. However, should I be taking courses at a Universtiy instead? If so, would I need to enrol into a graduate program? I understand having graduated, my undergrad GPA is already sealed. So if I were to return to a UC and take additional upper division bio classes....would it still factor into/improve my undergrad GPA?

I really want to keep busy and give it my best effort over the course of the upcoming yr so that I can give it a shot and apply come next june.
So besides doing EXTREMELY WELL on the DAT....where would you suggest I enrol and take classes at (Junior college, graduate program, return to UC for additional bio courses).

Again, I really appericiate the candid replies....Thanks

 

[SHDS]

good reply to him.

man I sounded like a real azzhole!! But thats just how it is. Its extremely hard to get into medical school. Thats why I am taking it so serious. I was sweating bullets last semester b/c I was scared I was going to get a B in organic Chem 1. Ended up with an A. thats how much it matters to me!

This guy just needs to make a decision.

One great opportunity for him like I said is a DO school. They are so forgiving!
The AACOMAS site that you apply to DO schools even lets you take the higher grade in determining GPA. So thats prob his ticket if he wants to pursue professional school. Either that or law school. Dental may be too out there at this point for him!

My science GPA is now 4.0 and I am a CPA and have masters degree and am still worried I may not get in.

Its just tough.

No you are absolutely right in that acceptance is both extremely difficult and competitive.

Yea...I've heard DO schools are easier to get accepted into. The graduates I believe do quite well on the east coast as well. Unfortunately, I am not interested in attending a medical school.

 

[aceking]

First off, I really appericiate the honest replies....Thanks.

I understand my GPA is EXTREMELY low and that what I have in front of me is a very steep hill to climb. However, I am finally in position to be able to pursue it full time and I intend to do whatever it will take.

As for taking classes, I am currently enrolled in a few classes (course that I didnt do well in college) at a junior college. However, should I be taking courses at a Universtiy instead? If so, would I need to enrol into a graduate program? I understand having graduated, my undergrad GPA is already sealed. So if I were to return to a UC and take additional upper division bio classes....would it still factor into/improve my undergrad GPA?

I really want to keep busy and give it my best effort over the course of the upcoming yr so that I can give it a shot and apply come next june.
So besides doing EXTREMELY WELL on the DAT....where would you suggest I enrol and take classes at (Junior college, graduate program, return to UC for additional bio courses).

Again, I really appericiate the candid replies....Thanks

if you already graduated from a UC, i dont think they would let you in again. All you can do it is to take extension classes. Maybe you can get into some postback program, i dont know much about it though. I am pretty sure that you have so many units and got your diploma they wont let you be a UC student to my knowledge.

 

[SHDS]

if you already graduated from a UC, i dont think they would let you in again. All you can do it is to take extension classes. Maybe you can get into some postback program, i dont know much about it though. I am pretty sure that you have so many units and got your diploma they wont let you be a UC student to my knowledge.

Yea....I would have to take classes through extension. That is the reason why I have been taking classes at a local Junior college. I just was not sure if I was wasting my time taking course at a JC as I understand the Dental schools consider classes to be "easier." Any thoughts?

I know I've got to do something to at least show improvements in my GPA through taking additional classes. I am just not sure as to which classes I should take and where.

 

[bouncy_ball]

Yea....I would have to take classes through extension. That is the reason why I have been taking classes at a local Junior college. I just was not sure if I was wasting my time taking course at a JC as I understand the Dental schools consider classes to be "easier." Any thoughts?

I know I've got to do something to at least show improvements in my GPA through taking additional classes. I am just not sure as to which classes I should take and where.

Can u calculate and tell us your science gpa? Or you BCP gpa (Gen Chem, OChem, Physics, Bio)? I think a popular alternative would be to enroll in a masters program. What about a CSU? I don't know if it's very hard to get in. Go to grad school, get a 4.0. Score insanely on the DAT. I think that your grad school classes would be averaged in your gpa, so it wouldn't boost it that much, but it still would be a tremendous show of your ability. I think if you did all that and applied to enough schools (Private schools: Marquette, Howard, NYU, BU, Temple, Tufts, UOP), you'd get in somewhere.

None of us can know how strong your desire to go to D-school is. I think it's possible for you to eventually get into d-school, but are you willing to do what it takes to get in?

PM me if you'd like. I had a low gpa (albeit not that low) from a UC and have gotten in to school. Plus you ought to check out the under 3.0 thread. It's been a great resource. Good luck to you.