How do I get started?

[zackzeal]

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I've been mulling over trying to do dental school, since economics just doesn't seem to suit me. Currently with a quantitative econ major and chinese minor, my gpa is 2.81. I've taken two science courses, one semester of Chem, and one semester of Bio. I got a C+ in Chem, and a B- in Bio. With grades like that, I thought I wouldn't even bother trying to get into dental school, so I opted to concentrate on economics. Now however I find that I really want to do dentistry. I have to wait to do a post bac however.

Here're my main concerns:
1. Are Dental post bacs different from Med post bacs?
2. How hard is it to get into a post bac program that's worth something?
3. How difficult are post bac classes relative to undergrad science classes?
4. How long does a post bac take, and is there a minimum number of classes one must take?

I realize that a lot of these may be "stupid questions" but I'm really confused about the post bac process.

Any comments and pieces of advice are very welcome.

Thank you so much!

 

[indmajor]

Hi ZZ,

I hear ya. I got my BA in business when I was an international student, so my grades really sucked because my English was quite poor. After working a bit, I started taking science classes at a local community college. I did not get a post bac degree because it was unnecessary. I did have to work extra hard this time around tho, to even out my low GPAs from my undergrad days. These days I'm going through the interview process and hopefully will land an acceptance soon. I'll share with you what I know, which is somewhat limited because I had very limited coaching from the advisor of the community college I went to.

1. Are Dental post bacs different from Med post bacs?
The only difference between predent and premed pre-reqs I know is that you need a credit of calculus for premed.

2. How hard is it to get into a post bac program that's worth something?
Again, you don't need to have a post bac degree or certification. However, some dental schools prefer that you take some of the pre-reqs from a 4-yr university. To play it safe, of course you can do all your pre-reqs in a 4-yr university, it'll just be a bit pricier. Dental schools like to see some variety in their student body, so what your degrees are before entering dental school isn't that important. That being said, if I were to do it all over again, I'd probably get a degree in bio or chem, cuz it would have made taking the DAT much easier... lol

Sorry that I don't have answers to your other two questions. Work hard and never give up.

Good luck!

PS -- if I could do it all over again, I'd take the chems and get it down cold before I take the bios. Chem helps making bio make sense, which will make everything make sense and therefore stick with you better and longer.

 

[DROCKINDAHOUSE]

I realize that a lot of these may be "stupid questions" but I'm really confused about the post bac process.

The only "stupid" questions are the ones that you never ask. This forum is a very useful resource so use it to find the answers to ALL your questions.