i need help, please. long post. all productive thoughts welcome.

[hopefultooth]

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hi everyone
so im new to sdn but ive been lurking for months and i decided to finally post bc i need guidance/help. This is going to be a long post, so please bear with me if you have the time.
im 22 years old and i just graduated undergrad in the spring. I submitted my app in late june and took my DAT in august. had started an informal postbac to raise my gpa this previous semester but i ended up dropping most of the classes (before the drop add period ended so it doesnt show up on my transcript) and taking only 2 courses because i was going through some seriously rough times. this may sound insane to most of you, but after my boyfriend brokeup with me right before the end of my senior year i lost it. I went into a severe depressive state where all i could think about was how he lied to me, etc. i wont get into details but i resented myself and hated myself for letting him do such things to me . It wasnt a depression just about him, it was everything that had happened in my life from my parents divorce, to other family problems that i was struggling with all bombarded at once.

I had to struggle to pull myself together and made myself study for the DAT all summer. I ended up gaining 15 pounds out of stress/sadness/studying all the time. I tried to get out of my rut of this forsaken breakup by trying to build my future, aka studying for the dat. i ended up getting a 21AA/21TS/and 18PAT. i was aiming for a 23+, unfortunatley that didnt happen. I wasn't too upset though because it was my first attempt at the DAT. i was still hopeful.
after this i started my informal postbac this past semester bc i want to raise my science gpa (2.8 from an ivy league, i dont think that matters though). I dropped a few courses as i mentioned because i was still struggling with my personal problems unfortunatley.
As of now, i havnt recieved any interviews and the 2 courses i did take i ended up with i have an A in.
I've come to realize i wont be accepted this cycle most probably but im trying so hard not to be down on myself. After all that ive suffered through this year, i was hoping so bad i would get out of my rut and sadness by getting a dental acceptance. That it would be the thing that would finally lift my spirits and it didnt happen. I take full responsiblity for whats happened and thats just the problem, i blame myself for not getting accepted and it makes me so upset with myself. I let myself down, i let my family down, and im so beyond dissapointed with myself.
i WANT SO BADLY TO GET OUT OF THIS STATE of dwelling/misery and make it to dental school and make something beneficial of myself.
with this, can anybody PLEASE help me/suggest to me what i could do? please i need help. Should i take the DAT again? how many more credits of postbac should i take? i just needs some words of wisdom. please can anybody help? thank you so much.

 

[doc toothache]

After a few doses of Prozac, you might want to consider an MS program.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602095

 

[lmaozedong1]

After a few doses of Prozac, you might want to consider an MS program.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602095

Dude, why would you say that? That's not cool.👎

 

[mohi]

After a few doses of Prozac, you might want to consider an MS program.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602095

Seriously, not cool AT ALL.
OP, you might get a lot of people making smart comments like this at you, but I think the fact that you mustered up enough courage to make this post on this website shows your willing to work on this and not dwell any further.
I can honestly say that at some point in my life, I was a somewhat of a similar situation as you, and it took me a long time to work my way up to where I am today. But what matters is that its possible to get out of your current state. It will take a lot of work and dedication, and it wont be as easy as taking a few classes and applying again next cycle and getting in.
You might have to dedicate a good two years of your life investing in a Masters program. You feel stronger now, and if you work at yourself, you will only get stronger.
You've got a good score, and re-taking the DAT wont do much now. You need to work towards recovering from your gpa. There are lots of post bac programs out there.
Do some research here and elsewhere, you will find something.
Dont give up, and def dont listen to ppl who say you need meds. 👎

 

[flower123]

Hey!! First of all you have a good DAT score so congrats!!!
There are ppl on this forum that have applied 4+ cycles and they did not give up until they attained their dream! So honestly don't give up hope..its wayy too early for you!! You are only 22 and you have so much time ahead of you..do masters and get a good GPA so you can be competitive enough to get those acceptances!! Study hard and keep your chin upp..everyone has their ups and downs but you can't let those downs get to you!! I am sure ppl who have had more expensive on this matter will respond with better suggestions. Good luck!

 

[peanutb123]

Post your q. again. Ignore doctoothace.

You will get more replies and you can see what you can do. Many people here were in the same situation as you were. So you might get many examples on how they made it. So i strongly suggest you post your q. back again no matter how long it is.

 

[hopefultooth]

thanks peanutb123 :-/

 

[dentalWorks]

After a few doses of Prozac, you might want to consider an MS program.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602095

lolz, the doc strikes again

hi everyone
so im new to sdn but ive been lurking for months and i decided to finally post bc i need guidance/help. This is going to be a long post, so please bear with me if you have the time.
im 22 years old and i just graduated undergrad in the spring. I submitted my app in late june and took my DAT in august. had started an informal postbac to raise my gpa this previous semester but i ended up dropping most of the classes (before the drop add period ended so it doesnt show up on my transcript) and taking only 2 courses because i was going through some seriously rough times. this may sound insane to most of you, but after my boyfriend brokeup with me right before the end of my senior year i lost it. I went into a severe depressive state where all i could think about was how he lied to me, made me look like a fool, etc. i wont get into details but i resented myself and hated myself for letting him do such things to me . It wasnt a depression just about him, it was everything that had happened in my life from my parents divorce, to my brothers surgery, to other family problems that i was struggling with all bombarded at once.

I had to struggle to pull myself together and made myself study for the DAT all summer. I ended up gaining 15 pounds out of stress/sadness/studying all the time. I tried to get out of my rut of this forsaken breakup by trying to build my future, aka studying for the dat. i ended up getting a 21AA/21TS/and 18PAT. i was aiming for a 23+, unfortunatley that didnt happen. I wasn't too upset though because it was my first attempt at the DAT. i was still hopeful.
after this i started my informal postbac this past semester bc i want to raise my science gpa (2.8 from an ivy league, i dont think that matters though). I dropped a few courses as i mentioned because i was still struggling with my personal problems unfortunatley.
As of now, i havnt recieved any interviews and the 2 courses i did take i ended up with i have an A in.
I've come to realize i wont be accepted this cycle most probably but im trying so hard not to be down on myself. After all that ive suffered through this year, i was hoping so bad i would get out of my rut and sadness by getting a dental acceptance. That it would be the thing that would finally lift my spirits and it didnt happen. I take full responsiblity for whats happened and thats just the problem, i blame myself for not getting accepted and it makes me so upset with myself. I let myself down, i let my family down, and im so beyond dissapointed with myself.
i WANT SO BADLY TO GET OUT OF THIS STATE of dwelling/misery and make it to dental school and make something beneficial of myself.
with this, can anybody PLEASE help me/suggest to me what i could do? please i need help. Should i take the DAT again? how many more credits of postbac should i take? i just needs some words of wisdom. please can anybody help? thank you so much.

Assuming the worst thing happens (you don't get in this cycle).... Start another post-bacc semester this january. Take more than 2 courses, you took 2 this time and aced them, and now, take 4 and DON'T drop any. I know 4 science courses are alot, especially if your looking to 4.0 all of them, but you said "i WANT SO BADLY..." so this is it.

As far as DAT goes, I think you did awesome, 21AA/21TS is strong. Your only flaw is that sGPA. This coming january, take those 4 science courses, see how you do in them, and the decision is yours if you want to reapply this coming June.

So your plan, for the timing being, stop worrying about your DAT, about your chances, about getting interviews this cycle or not, about when to re-apply again.... STOP WORRYING all together, and just put all your focus and energy into this coming semester. Thats your #1 priority

I feel bad for you, and for what happen to you (with the boyfriend and the 15 lbs and all) but... you can't say these things in your personal statement or during the interview. There are people in this world who have suffered wayyy more than you, and many of them made it into professional schools and are now practicing professionals....

 

[peanutb123]

Np.

If your RC. is >=18 then you are good at that part.

Here is what i would do, but you should get more suggestions and consults a pre-health adviser.

Ok so this is December. If there are many master program which are one year which you can start in spring sem. You should try to enroll in them. it would be 30 credits. so you will be done by next dec.

Here is the reason why i suggested master program: when your GPA sheet is generated it will have a separate |column| for masters GPA. Then it will combine it to Cumulative GPA. So if you get like >3.5 you can get your gpa to at-least 3.1 or 3.2. and w/ the dat score that you have received you could get in.

The only thing i can say is hang in there and dont give up. God has a plan for all of us. It might take you little longer to get there but you will get there. Hey who know you might meet even a better person. B/c the spring sem. is about to start in jan. I would start doing research on state schools and the program that they offer which you can finish in spring and taking some classes in summer so by the time you apply really early, you could have nice gpa.

But explore all your options first. Postbac VS. masters.

last thing is dont be hard on yourself(wont get you anywhere, Dont think you let anybody down. this is US and you can do anything you want in educational sense, its just gonna take a little long for you). And pray to god for peace of mind.

 

[hopefultooth]

thanks dentalworks for your thoughts, and yes i know i would never write about that stuff in my personal statement! I know my problems are trivial in the scope of the real world but it just tore me down personally.

& peanut, my RC was a 25 so i hope im good to go on that. I have looked into more postbaccs than masters, and im currently enrolled to take 4 upper level science courses this spring and ive been working in a dental clinic for underserved kids for the past couple of months as well (in addition to my undergrad work etc). However before i go forth with this, i will look into a masters as well and i definitley need to schedule an appointment with my advisor to see what she says as well. I have been keeping my frustration in but i guess talking to people, i could get better ideas than perhaps what i would come up with on my own. thanks again

 

[moodots914]

Dont give up, and def dont listen to ppl who say you need meds. 👎

After a few doses of Prozac, you might want to consider an MS program.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602095

Kinda OT, but I think part of the problem that keeps people from seeking help in these types of situations is all the negative stereotypes. I'm sure it could have been worded much better and more seriously, but sometimes professional help is the difference between life and death. I have gone down the same road myself before, and I can honestly say that counseling (and eventually some meds) saved my life.

So don't listen to the people who make light of it or who immediately dismiss it. I think it's very courageous of you to look for help here, and I think you should consider seeking help outside of this forum for your very real problems. I really admire your dedication and keep up the hard work!

 

[dentaldore]

Kinda OT, but I think part of the problem that keeps people from seeking help in these types of situations is all the negative stereotypes. I'm sure it could have been worded much better and more seriously, but sometimes professional help is the difference between life and death. I have gone down the same road myself before, and I can honestly say that counseling (and eventually some meds) saved my life.

So don't listen to the people who make light of it or who immediately dismiss it. I think it's very courageous of you to look for help here, and I think you should consider seeking help outside of this forum for your very real problems. I really admire your dedication and keep up the hard work!

👍 Well said.

 

[peanutb123]

thanks dentalworks for your thoughts, and yes i know i would never write about that stuff in my personal statement! I know my problems are trivial in the scope of the real world but it just tore me down personally.

& peanut, my RC was a 25 so i hope im good to go on that. I have looked into more postbaccs than masters, and im currently enrolled to take 4 upper level science courses this spring and ive been working in a dental clinic for underserved kids for the past couple of months as well (in addition to my undergrad work etc). However before i go forth with this, i will look into a masters as well and i definitley need to schedule an appointment with my advisor to see what she says as well. I have been keeping my frustration in but i guess talking to people, i could get better ideas than perhaps what i would come up with on my own. thanks again

Hey you know what else i found useful.

I am a non trad. And my life was in different field before this.

You should take an appointment w/ admissions dean in your state school and assess your situation. After all you pay taxes 🙂

I did this got some valuable info.

PS. Your rc you killed it. MANY SCHOOLS LOVE it. as long as you have 3.1 or 3.0 + you will be SET. perfect. 🙂

 

[FutureDent020]

I am going to give you some realistic advice. First your DAT scores are good and you have definite hopes of getting into dental school, eventually. Your main problem here is your attitude and it could hold you back in the future. The events you encountered were misfortunate, but not handled well. In my dental school class, we have already lost 3 students, 2 due to attitude. School can be VERY stressful and if you are not mentally tough, resilient, and confident you will probably not make it through. Interviewers know this and this is why they ask you questions like how do you handle adversity (give an example); what do you do when you are stressed; how do you handle failure; what is your weakness, etc. They can sense your confidence in your answers and they way you present yourself. Life's gonna knock you down over and over, don't knock yourself down. You haven't let anyone down. As for the family stuff, that is very unfortunate and I hope it works out for the best. It sounds like you are doing much better, but don't look back on your rut. You matured and now things will only go up. Be confident.

 

[lnngu]

I am going to give you some realistic advice. First your DAT scores are good and you have definite hopes of getting into dental school, eventually. Your main problem here is your attitude and it could hold you back in the future. The events you encountered were misfortunate, but not handled well. In my dental school class, we have already 3 students, 2 due to attitude. School can be VERY stressful and if you are not mentally tough, resilient, and confident you will probably not make it through. Interviewers know this and this is why they ask you questions like how do you handle adversity (give an example); what do you do when you are stressed; how do you handle failure; what is your weakness, etc. They can sense your confidence in your answers and they way you present yourself. Life's gonna knock you down over and over, don't knock yourself down. You haven't let anyone down. As for the family stuff, that is very unfortunate and I hope it works out for the best. It sounds like you are doing much better, but don't look back on your rut. You matured and now things will only go up. Be confident.

I second this post. Also as a non-traditional applicant who at one point walked in your shoes, hopeful tooth, I say that you're battling two separate things: poor performance, and personal adversity.

The first is fixable through hard work. Caustic comment aside, Dr. Toothache was right: a master's is your surest bet. Your DAT's great, but don't make the mistake of thinking it is enough. You need to show a long string of great grades.

The second is a matter of personal growth. And it has to stay just that: personal. While the adcoms may forgive that, at one point, you were immature enough to let your personal life interfere with your work, they'll need to know that you've changed, and that it will never happen again. It is not easy to "snap out of it", and there's no surefire method of doing it. Excessive navel gazing, at this point however, is counterproductive. Do whatever you have to to get better (even if it is a few doses of prozac 😛), or don't. Either way, get those grades fixed as your number one priority. I think you'll find that everything else will fall into place as you do that.

 

[hopefulDMD]

After a few doses of Prozac, you might want to consider an MS program.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602095

Dude, why would you say that? That's not cool.👎

i agree...that was an EXTREMELY insensitive comment...hopeful, I want to apologize about that comment. I think you getting two As in the classes you are still enrolled in is a wonderful start. those DAT scores are really good, but if you think you could restudy and get the 23+ that you had hope for, I think it would be great! 21AA is still really good. congrats on that.

Don't give up just yet, it's only still December and some schools still have post-dec interviews to give. it's smart that you're planning ahead in case of the worse happens ( you not getting in this cycle...which isn't all that bad since you're set on going to dental school and you AREN'T going to give up)

hang in there hopeful, it will come! a lot of us are still in limbo too with several rejections on our backs.

 

[hopefultooth]

thank you everybody for your input.
and yes, i agree i do need to learn to be more positive and learn to deal with adversity in a better manner. I feel like with this though, now that ive gotten through the difficult time for the most part, I have matured alot and i will know not to break down and cause these problems for myself next time (lesson learned, the hard way). You are right though, i should have been able to handle the situation differently/better but i guess i wasnt mature enough to do so. Now that ive seen the consequences and after some time, i feel like ive grown and i know i need to be more resilient and i think this past year and the year to come whatever i plan to do (if i dont get in this cycle, good chance) will make me more resilient and prepared for when i reapply. Thanks for the constructive criticism.

 

[dynococus]

As they say, when it feels like you hit rock bottom, there's nowhere to go but up! Instead of thinking about those rough times as painful memories or as a hole you have to dig yourself out of, try thinking of it as just one stage of your life that's done and gone, and motivate yourself to learn from it and move forward. Remember that the past will only hurt you if you let it.

After all that ive suffered through this year, i was hoping so bad i would get out of my rut and sadness by getting a dental acceptance. That it would be the thing that would finally lift my spirits and it didnt happen.

From this quote though, it seems like you see acceptance into a dental school as a potential end-all way to get out of your rut. Only YOU can do that, not dental school acceptances. The minute you believe that your happiness is determined by others is the moment you allow yourself to be stressed out indefinitely, because there are many tough times ahead of all of us that WILL be out of our control.

That said, you learned your lesson the hard way, but at least it was before and not actually during dental school!

 

[TexanGal]

Hey you.
I hope this isn’t too forward/weird, but I wanted you to know that I’m on your side.
Let me just give you a little background about myself. I’m 21 years old and I graduated last December with a BS in biology. My GPA was a 3.8 and I applied last cycle with a 18 DAT score. I got interviews at all three TX schools but did not receive an acceptance. It was an extremely extremely hard time for me. I gained over 20 pounds just waiting for any type of response, while also going through a LOT of personal problems with boys/family/friends. I can safely say that it was the lowest point in my life. I was so demoralized and upset. I felt like I let everybody down, especially myself. I’ve spent all of 2010 sulking. I barely went out with anybody, barely had any type of social life. It was extremely depressing. I went through it all feeling like I had nobody on my side which is one of the worst feelings in the world.
I want you to KNOW that it gets better. I know how ridiculous and redundant it gets to keep hearing that from people who are happy. I had friends tell me they’d wait for me “on the other side” because they believed I could get through it. That was the absolute last thing I believed… but it was so true.
There is so much more to you than just being a dental school hopeful. You are a person, a beautiful person who is capable of so much and who has been let down by somebody you trusted deeply. And it hurts. You are allowed to hurt because of it. Yes, people go through other problems which may be considered “worse.” But our problems? They are ours and they are important and they are real and we suffer, even if to other people the problems seem trivial.
If you threw your problems into a bucket along with everybody else – you would rather have yours. And they would rather have theirs. It’s personal. You are strong though, babe, and you will get through it.
So you have to apply again? Take that time to evolve into the person you want to be. Work out, read, listen to music, take up a hobby. Study. Continue with school, and make the best grades you can make.
You have so many options at this point and my hope for you is that you realize that. Do not sulk, be proactive.
I want you to know that if you need anything, I will be here with open arms/ears. I know what you’re going through and I promise you with everything I have that it will get better and you will look back at this time with a huge smile on your face.
Chin up kid <3

 

[TexanGal]

After a few doses of Prozac, you might want to consider an MS program.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602095

PS - your "badass" status on here is getting REALLY old. You need to learn some sensitivity and some class.

 

[doc toothache]

i, but after my boyfriend brokeup with me right before the end of my senior year i lost it. I went into a severe depressive state where all i could think about was how he lied to me, etc. i wont get into details but i resented myself and hated myself for letting him do such things to me . It wasnt a depression just about him, it was everything that had happened in my life from my parents divorce, to other family problems that i was struggling with all bombarded at once.

I had to struggle to pull myself together and made myself study for the DAT all summer. I ended up gaining 15 pounds out of stress/sadness/studying all the time. I tried to get out of my rut of this forsaken breakup by trying to build my future, aka studying for the dat. i ended up getting a 21AA/21TS/and 18PAT. i was aiming for a 23+, unfortunatley that didnt happen. . I dropped a few courses as i mentioned because i was still struggling with my personal problems unfortunatley.
I've come to realize i wont be accepted this cycle most probably but im trying so hard not to be down on myself. After all that ive suffered through this year, i was hoping so bad i would get out of my rut and sadness by getting a dental acceptance. That it would be the thing that would finally lift my spirits and it didnt happen. I take full responsiblity for whats happened and thats just the problem, i blame myself for not getting accepted and it makes me so upset with myself. I let myself down, i let my family down, and im so beyond dissapointed with myself.
i WANT SO BADLY TO GET OUT OF THIS STATE of dwelling/misery and make it to dental school and make something beneficial of myself.
with this, can anybody PLEASE help me/suggest to me what i could do? please i need help. Should i take the DAT again? how many more credits of postbac should i take? i just needs some words of wisdom. please can anybody help? thank you so much.

Dude, why would you say that? That's not cool.👎

Seriously, not cool AT ALL.
Dont give up, and def dont listen to ppl who say you need meds. 👎

Post your q. again. Ignore doctoothace.

i agree...that was an EXTREMELY insensitive comment...hopeful, I want to apologize about that comment.

lolz, the doc strikes again

i agree...that was an EXTREMELY insensitive comment...hopeful, I want to apologize about that comment.

PS - your "badass" status on here is getting REALLY old. You need to learn some sensitivity and some class.

Apparently some of you are more concerned with being "cool" than concentrating on the real problem. The post contains enough red flags to sail a battleship. Back slapping and permanent membership in the rah rah club are devoid of psychotherapeutic effects and are unlikely to take the place of antidepressants. The gpa, post bac , DAT scores and not having received an interview are the least of the problems. Depression is a serious condition and acceptance to ds will, at best, offer temporary euphoria. DS, professional and personal life may present us with an array of adverse condition and until we learn how to deal with them not much progress can be made.

 

[Munchy]

Well I am stuck somewhere in the middle. I don't like doc's over pessimistic approach nor the over optimistic approach of other members.

Don't give up and still try, but prepare for the worst. Regardless of what others are saying, the reality is, it is friggin hard to get in even with 3.1.

 

[Predent007]

Well I am stuck somewhere in the middle. I don't like doc's over pessimistic approach nor the over optimistic approach of other members.

Don't give up and still try, but prepare for the worst. Regardless of what others are saying, the reality is, it is friggin hard to get in even with 3.1.

What Doc was saying was to take care of your personal problems first, and that you should be prepared first and foremost mentally and emotionally before entering the gauntlet that is dental school admissions.

 

[peanutb123]

Apparently some of you are more concerned with being "cool" than concentrating on the real problem. The post contains enough red flags to sail a battleship. Back slapping and permanent membership in the rah rah club are devoid of psychotherapeutic effects and are unlikely to take the place of antidepressants. The gpa, post bac , DAT scores and not having received an interview are the least of the problems. Depression is a serious condition and acceptance to ds will, at best, offer temporary euphoria. DS, professional and personal life may present us with an array of adverse condition and until we learn how to deal with them not much progress can be made.

doc...

did you forget to take your meds today? you are hallucinating again, that you are adcom.

 

[lnngu]

doc...

did you forget to take your meds today? you are hallucinating again, that you are adcom.

Hmmm... I don't know, P. While his delivery could use less iron and more velvet, at times, it seems like the doc's pretty knowledgeable about these things. He's certainly not wrong in this case, yes?

 

[Munchy]

i smell a bloodbath

 

[darktruth]

I just wanted to say that you should focus on applying again next year and show determination. Dont' lose hope.

This is my second time applying, and it was much better than last years'.
Last year I applied to 16 schools - 1 interview, and then waitlisted.
I have a 3.4 gpa, 3.0 sci, 20 DAT, 22 PAT.

As soon as I saw that things weren't looking good, I planned for next year. I did well in my classes, graduated, took additional post-grad science classes, volunteered at a homeless shelter and a non-profit hospital. Then I reapplied.

This year, I applied to 8 schools, got 4 interviews, and one acceptance at my top school. So never give up.

 

[bonvivant07]

Hey OP, don't give up.

One more year is nothing. I used to have all my future planned out but now I have realized that 1-2 years behind your original plan isn't that big of a deal. We are still young and you need to just enjoy life a bit.

Go travel, teach English as a second language or volunteer in another country. It will put things in perspective that one or 2 years behind the norm is not a huge deal in terms of life.

 

[dentalWorks]

Apparently some of you are more concerned with being "cool" than concentrating on the real problem. The post contains enough red flags to sail a battleship. Back slapping and permanent membership in the rah rah club are devoid of psychotherapeutic effects and are unlikely to take the place of antidepressants. The gpa, post bac , DAT scores and not having received an interview are the least of the problems. Depression is a serious condition and acceptance to ds will, at best, offer temporary euphoria. DS, professional and personal life may present us with an array of adverse condition and until we learn how to deal with them not much progress can be made.

ahh come on doc, I was on your side 🙂
But I do agree with the above. And I am sure everyone around here agrees with me, your honest input (irrespective of how unpleasent it might be) is always appreciated

 

[UltimateHombre]

What Doc was saying was to take care of your personal problems first, and that you should be prepared first and foremost mentally and emotionally before entering the gauntlet that is dental school admissions.

What Predent and Doc are saying is completely true. You need to fix you before you can fix the ds admissions. If you truly are depressed all the "rah rah" in the world will not fix it. However, counseling and meds will... you need to seriously evaluate your situation and realize that for you to do well in a MS or Post bac, you can't be depressed.

With whatever you decide best of luck. I hope you get better, ace an MS, and get in ds in the next couple years!! 😀

 

[doc toothache]

doc...did you forget to take your meds today? you are hallucinating again, that you are adcom.

As if the post required the mindset of an adcom.

ahh come on doc, I was on your side 🙂
But I do agree with the above. And I am sure everyone around here agrees with me, your honest input (irrespective of how unpleasent it might be) is always appreciated

So noted. The qualifier should be "is always appreciated" by a few/some.

 

[yappy]

How did docs original sarcastic post turn into him advocating sincere concern for OP mental health?
Yeah... "concerned with being 'cool'"... I'll agree with that.

 

[aelian]

After a few doses of Prozac, you might want to consider an MS program.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602095

Come on, guys. I think a lot of us are being too sensitive about Doc being insensitive. Dental school is more likely than not going to be the most stressful time of our lives. They aren't going to care about baby momma/boyfriend drama or if your cat died. Take a joke. And, hey, Doc kinda helped with the stats. Let's not derail the topic with all this heroism.
@ OP-Having gone through similar problems, I beat myself up for a year. Lost sleep, lots of gained weight (but I owe this more to my love for donut cakes than depression). I can’t tell you to stop being depressed but…stop depressing. It is pretty useless and you’ll realize how much time you wasted hurting yourself. You can do a lot in a year and when you do get accepted, you’ll feel cleansed, like you’re drowning in the tears of baby Jesus.
I would say do 4 things. If you get rejected this semester, reapply. Non-degree seeker, whatever. Take 30 more hours of post-bacc, 1 hour of simple class for every 2 hours of upper levels. A couple of classes will not significantly affect your gpa. Also, retake the DAT. You've done well already. But a 21 isn't going to cut it, especially with the DATs rising. Aim for your 23 again during the summer. Also, get yourself a crapload of dental experience just to show your dedication. And, finally, this is if all fails next application cycle, go for the MS program like Doc said. You will have been continuing your education for at least two years and you'll do dentistry.

 

[doc toothache]

How did docs original sarcastic post turn into him advocating sincere concern for OP mental health?
Yeah... "concerned with being 'cool'"... I'll agree with that.

Some posts are sarcastic; others are not. You seem to be having difficulty telling one from the other.

 

[bracedoc]

I agree with doctoothache! DS is the least of the OP's concerns. What happens when times get rough in DS?!?! And I promise, there will be rough times times my friend. I ask one question: Do we post on SDN to be coddled or to hear the truth? Maybe he could have approached it differently; nonetheless, the advice is still the same!