HR to Dentistry

[socandrewcer]

Hey All!

I've been a lurker for almost a year and have recently joined since I finally started my Pre-Dental journey. I wanted to give my background and see if you could offer any tips and/or answers to my unanswered questions. I've always thought since I was too dumb and a first generation college student that I could never do anything with dentistry. My confidence has been built and I know I can do it now.

I graduated from BYU-Hawaii February 2016 with a BS in Business Management-HR and OB with a 3.7GPA. Currently I work doing HR and Recruiting (Will get letter of recommendation from boss who is VP-HR) and just started attending Weber State. I turn 26 in February.

Currently here's my plan:

Winter 2018: Chem 1 and Bio 1
Summer 2018: Chem 2
Fall 2018: O-Chem 1 and Bio 2
Winter 2019: O-Chem 2 and study for DAT
June 1st 2019: Apply!
I read on these forums that I don't need to take physics until after getting accepted.

Q's:

How many volunteer hours are recommended? Does it matter if it's in dentistry? How do you prove it?

How many hours should I shadow a dentist?

I'm interested in specializing in Endo. Anything I need to do to prepare for that or do I not worry about it until dental school?

What should I shoot for on the DAT?

You think it's worth it keeping my current job?

How do you get a science teacher's letter of recommendation with not much time to get to know them?

Any other recommendations/suggestions are welcome. I know I may not get in the first year I apply but I want to give it my best shot! Hit me hard!

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[digzthis]

I think most people will suggest 100 hrs for shadowing and volunteering. I don't think you need to go over 100 on shadowing but going above and beyond on the volunteering is another way to stand out especially if you come up with a sub par dat. Doesn't have to be dental related...I volunteered a fews a week over the last few years at a clinic for the underserved and accumulated almost 600 hrs.. easy to do since its only time. You should shoot for a 30 on the dat so when you come up short and get a 22 you'll be in good shape. Nothing for endo. Keep your job, those classes shouldn't take too much time and shows you can multi-task. A semester will be more than enough time to create a relationship with a professor..go to their office hours, show genuine interest, be kind, do well..it'll be easy. My suggestion would be to find something to make yourself unique. Whether it's interesting hobbies, experiences, etc..anything to make yourself stand out against the thousands of applications the adcoms see..long process but worth it when you achieve your goal, good luck!!

 

[predent2151]

Hey All!

I've been a lurker for almost a year and have recently joined since I finally started my Pre-Dental journey. I wanted to give my background and see if you could offer any tips and/or answers to my unanswered questions. I've always thought since I was too dumb and a first generation college student that I could never do anything with dentistry. My confidence has been built and I know I can do it now.

I graduated from BYU-Hawaii February 2016 with a BS in Business Management-HR and OB with a 3.7GPA. Currently I work doing HR and Recruiting (Will get letter of recommendation from boss who is VP-HR) and just started attending Weber State. I turn 26 in February.

Currently here's my plan:

Winter 2018: Chem 1 and Bio 1
Summer 2018: Chem 2
Fall 2018: O-Chem 1 and Bio 2
Winter 2019: O-Chem 2 and study for DAT
June 1st 2019: Apply!
I read on these forums that I don't need to take physics until after getting accepted.

Q's:

How many volunteer hours are recommended? Does it matter if it's in dentistry? How do you prove it?

How many hours should I shadow a dentist?

I'm interested in specializing in Endo. Anything I need to do to prepare for that or do I not worry about it until dental school?

What should I shoot for on the DAT?

You think it's worth it keeping my current job?

How do you get a science teacher's letter of recommendation with not much time to get to know them?

Any other recommendations/suggestions are welcome. I know I may not get in the first year I apply but I want to give it my best shot! Hit me hard!

I would recommend taking physics along with your other classes, it shows that you can handle a course load. 8 credit hours doesn’t really prove much. Most of the people that put physics off until after they apply have a lot of upper level science classes which you won’t have. Physics 1, Gen chem 1, and bio 1 with the associated labs is really not a bad semester at all. Adcoms could very well look at it as lazy.

 

[doc toothache]

2017 Job Shadowing Requirements/Recommendations
2015 Prerequisites

 

[socandrewcer]

I think most people will suggest 100 hrs for shadowing and volunteering. I don't think you need to go over 100 on shadowing but going above and beyond on the volunteering is another way to stand out especially if you come up with a sub par dat. Doesn't have to be dental related...I volunteered a fews a week over the last few years at a clinic for the underserved and accumulated almost 600 hrs.. easy to do since its only time. You should shoot for a 30 on the dat so when you come up short and get a 22 you'll be in good shape. Nothing for endo. Keep your job, those classes shouldn't take too much time and shows you can multi-task. A semester will be more than enough time to create a relationship with a professor..go to their office hours, show genuine interest, be kind, do well..it'll be easy. My suggestion would be to find something to make yourself unique. Whether it's interesting hobbies, experiences, etc..anything to make yourself stand out against the thousands of applications the adcoms see..long process but worth it when you achieve your goal, good luck!!

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm hoping the following semesters will be easier because this is the first time in my life taking any chemistry class so everything is so new to me while I feel my peers have a general knowledge of things.

I would recommend taking physics along with your other classes, it shows that you can handle a course load. 8 credit hours doesn’t really prove much. Most of the people that put physics off until after they apply have a lot of upper level science classes which you won’t have. Physics 1, Gen chem 1, and bio 1 with the associated labs is really not a bad semester at all. Adcoms could very well look at it as lazy.

Do you think I should add on other science classes like microbio, anatomy, physiology, etc instead of Physics since it's not on the DAT? Or you think taking physics first is better?

2017 Job Shadowing Requirements/Recommendations
2015 Prerequisites

Have prereqs changed much since 2015?

 

[predent2151]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm hoping the following semesters will be easier because this is the first time in my life taking any chemistry class so everything is so new to me while I feel my peers have a general knowledge of things.



Do you think I should add on other science classes like microbio, anatomy, physiology, etc instead of Physics since it's not on the DAT? Or you think taking physics first is better?



Have prereqs changed much since 2015?

Prerequisite have not changed much. Most of your classes will have freshmen in them that have never taken college courses before. You’ll actually be at an advantage if anything because you’ve experienced college expectations. If I were you I would do the following schedule:

Chem 1/L Phys 1/L and Bio 1/L for winter
Chem 2/L biol 2/L for summer
Orgo 1/L phys2/L and cell bio
Orgo 2/L and physiology

 

[digzthis]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm hoping the following semesters will be easier because this is the first time in my life taking any chemistry class so everything is so new to me while I feel my peers have a general knowledge of things.



Do you think I should add on other science classes like microbio, anatomy, physiology, etc instead of Physics since it's not on the DAT? Or you think taking physics first is better?



Have prereqs changed much since 2015?

You need to just ease in to the sciences that first semester, if you've never taken a science class you're gonna get in trouble doing chem/phys/bio.. you will get some slack with the whole course load thing since you are employed full time. See how you do with two and then you can flex your guns later if you want its not going to hold your timeline back. Most important thing is get a's and be prepared to study as much as you need to get the concepts down.