How to prepare?

[hardwork2009]

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This semester I'll be a Junior as ASU. I know that I want to go to dental school and am majoring in biological sciences, but I'm not really sure on everything that I need to do to ensure that I have a good chance of getting accepted into a dental school. I do have the Kaplan DAT study book that I have started looking at and I did some shadowing last summer, but thats about it. I plan to take the DAT next spring and starting my applications in the early summer. As far as which dental school, I would like to go to Memphis because it's close, but I am willing to travel anywhere. I just feel kinda lost on what else I should be doing to help prepare myself for getting accepted...Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Andrew324]

Join the Pre-Dental Club and attend the meetings. They will be very helpful.

 

[hardwork2009]

Thanks but, my school doen't offer a pre-dental club. Any other suggestions?

 

[Andrew324]

Arkansas State University huh

Start a club

 

[hardwork2009]

That sounds like a really good idea..how do I start a club?

 

[smurf528]

I don't know how you could start up a club. But you should do some more shadowing and/or volunteering to get yourself comfortable in that atmosphere. And spend a lot of time on SDN. I have been reading a lot of great advice. good luck!

 

[hardwork2009]

Thanks, one other thing, do you think that I should try to do an independent study or research in a lab

 

[lhtran07]

Keep your GPA up! Memphis seems to weigh GPA a lot more than they do the DAT. Also do some more shadowing so you get a good exposure to the dental field. I only shadowed for 50 hrs. but I was also volunteering and working full-time (graduated in 2007)...so as long as you're in school full-time and volunteer or shadow some more you'll be fine. Doing that shows them that you're capable of balancing a full academic load with other responsibilities.

Pre-dent extracurriculars...I didn't have any. So I'm assuming they don't put much weight on that either. However, they do take into account your letters of recommendation. That seems to be an important factor in their decisions as well, so keep in touch with the professors whose class you did well in and who you think know you well enough to write you good letters.

Research is a good idea if you're interested in it, but don't do it just because you think it might boost your application. UT isn't a "research" school...they're more clinical and want their d-school grads to be practicing. Although UT College of Dentisty is getting a new dean this year who's supposed to be bringing more research opportunities, so who knows.

If you have a professor in mind thats got a research project that really interests you...I say go for it. That way you're doing something fun and in the end you'll be working really close with the professor and he'll most likely write you a good letter of rec.

Forgot to add about the letters of recommendation....UT prefers a pre-professional committee letter, but if your school doesn't have that then you can get 3 letters from science professors I think.