I need real advice: delay application or post baccalaureate?

[DentalAssistant12]

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I have been unsuccessful in getting any advice from professors or advisors, so I need the help of the people.

Currently, I am pre-dentistry and I have a sad GPA. of 2.7. I don't graduate my undergrad until May 2015 (roughly) and I am supposed to be applying to dental school in July. However, I don't think I will because of my GPA.

Here's my situation. I have an AAS degree in Dental Assisting and graduated #2 in my class. I'm licensed as a dental assistant by the Minnesota board of Dentistry, and I am DANB certified (national certification) both since 2011. I've been employed at a large group practice as a "flex" Dental assistant for over a year and a half. (Flex means I assist different dentists that may not have an assistant for the day. I go to any of the 53 locations and assist where I am needed). I regularly volunteer my skills during February's "Give Kids a Smile" and another organization called TeamSmile which also is an outreach for children. I don't shadow dentists, however, I've worked about 780 hours this year, and have experience in all specialties.

So, I have really good experience and continue to volunteer. I have a second job as a Microprep assistant in the Biology department. I prepare labs and media for the microbiology courses and upper level biology labs at my university. I have published research with an abstract online involving "Green Chemistry". Currently, I am retaking Organic Chemistry 1 (previous grade C-, current grade B) and retaking Organic 2 next semester (previous grade was a D). I have one other C- on my transcript in Cell Biology which is no longer offered at my school, but offered at a nearby university where I am allowed to take courses at because they are associated. any course I retake, the new grade is recalculated into my GPA and the old grade is taken out. My transcript still says I retook the course, but doesn't count.

So, based on my current situation, I don't know if I should just retake the courses that I mentioned, extend my grad date, or do a post baccalaureate program? I have yet to take my DAT. I have taken practice tests and have scored AA 24 PAT 22, however that is practice tests. I need advice on what I should do. I have never wanted something as much as becoming a dentist. I have a great personal statement that explains the shortcomings I've experienced that have contributed to my low GPA. I was previously in an abusive relationship, and lost a child during my undergrad. Not excuses, it's simply just the situation.

Any advice would be helpful.

Please and thank you.

 

[prehealthstudent69]

I haven't even applied to dental school yet so I dont know how valuable my words are, but from what I've been gathering from the past weeks is that dental schools look at GPA and DAT over everything, even with your amazing EC's and everything else, I think unless you can raise your grade and get a good score on the DAT it'll be hard to get in.

 

[Connauton]

Definitely do the post-bacc! GPA/DAT is definitely the biggest deciding factor, ECs definitely help... but the GPA/DAT have to give them a reason to look at your ECs.

Just my 2 cents, wishing you luck!

 

[Dent35]

First of all, I am really sorry about you losing a child during undergrad, I cannot imagine what you had to go through, But you need to realize that adcoms probably get so many crazy stories in peoples' personal statements so they've seen/heard it all. What they really need to see is that you can get through dental school, which is a lot more challenging than undergrad and having a low GPA doesn't really help you. If I were you I would retake some of the classes or do post-bacc and show an upward trend so that would help you get your GPA up to at least a 3.0. Now the other thing you need to do is do really well on the DAT. If you have an amazing DAT score, that will stand out, your unique story will stand out, and your ECs, so those will overshadow your GPA, which remember has to be a 3.0 or higher.

Best of luck