in high school

[msx3suzz]

its my 1st time but my ? is...


what classes should i take in high school if i want to be a dentist?
and what clubs/outside activities should i do?

thanks

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[INFNITE]

some sort of ceramic or sculpturing class (if available) will help a bit in terms of practicing hand skills. Join a music class if you know how to play an instrument since you can always put that on an application. As far as activities, maybe local community service and hospital volunteering. There really isn't much you can do since most of the preparation is done while you're in college. First things first, getting into an undergrad school should be your priority at this moment.

 

[LIer2010]

WOW ... there are high school students wanting to be a dentist??!!



I thought people don't consider dentistry as a career until they're deep into college years ... or even beyond.

 

[RockstarDMD]

Relax and enjoy high school. Worry about the rest when you are in college.

 

[djeffreyt]

WOW ... there are high school students wanting to be a dentist??!!



I thought people don't consider dentistry as a career until they're deep into college years ... or even beyond.

I remember being at a lecture given by an admissions officer from UOP and he asked "so when did all of you decide you wanted to become dentists?" Lots of people talked about being in high school or middle school and having a good experience with their orthodontist. Then one girl said, "I've known since I was 7 years old." We all knew she was just sucking a$$, but that day I did realize people wanted to be dentists at really early ages. Hopefully they think things through a little more since not all dentists become orthodontists.

 

[dexadental]

Slack off as much as you can in high school, go to a community college and save money, transfer to a really good 4 year school, and do very well. You'll be all set!
editing...
Just don't tell anyone you ever did community college!

 

[wigglytooth]

its my 1st time but my ? is...


what classes should i take in high school if i want to be a dentist?
and what clubs/outside activities should i do?

thanks

I agree that you should worry about getting into college first. But if you can, take AP chem/bio/physics to either place out or at least get a feel for college science. You'll want to ace your college science courses to get into dental school and these should help you. Even taking a community college science course summer may be good to get a flavor for it, but not all dental schools will take your CC credits to complete prereq's.

As for activities... being involved in community service and learning to appreciate it so you seek it out when you're in college is probably a good start. Volunteering at a hospital is also good. I'm inclined to tell you to start shadowing, but you might have a really rough time finding a dentist if you're only a freshman/sophomore or even junior in high school. Definately speak to your dentist, though, and see if you can at least interview him to get a feel for what dentistry involves. If you keep showing interest to him, you may have a better chance of shadowing or even working for him later down the road.

I think above all, you should seek activities/classes that YOU'RE really interested in (rather than what "looks good"), so that you actually enjoy your life and will become a more interesting person.

 

[philicity]

If you're still in high school, you can consider applying to Pacific's dental program which basically grants you admission to their dental school if you keep up your grades at their undergrad college and score a bit above average (>=18) on the DAT's. The good thing is that you only have to do two or three years of undergrad depending on your high school scores. the bad thing is.....you have to go to their undergrad and live in Stockton, CA.

 

[714guy]

If you're still in high school, you can consider applying to Pacific's dental program which basically grants you admission to their dental school if you keep up your grades at their undergrad college and score a bit above average (>=18) on the DAT's. The good thing is that you only have to do two or three years of undergrad depending on your high school scores. the bad thing is.....you have to go to their undergrad and live in Stockton, CA.

Yeah, Thats a great program it you have the brains and grades to get accepted. when i visited UOP there was a student graduating at 22. 2 years of undergrad in stockton then 3 years in SF.

 

[rchuloholla]

LOL i thought u said 22.2 years old.. i was like damn...so precise lol

 

[rchuloholla]

or is it accurate.. w/e

 

[SayitIsntSO]

wow, high school?! i wish i was that intense. i would recommend getting a relatively easy major and then taking the sciences (bio, chem, physics). that way you can have a great cumulative gpa and wont be bogged down by your other classes to have a good science gpa. theres so many times that i think "i wish i had been more focused my freshman year (college)" and this kid is still in high school, more power to you.

 

[Fariba]

First of all I have to give you a thumbs up for joining this forum and seeking out help while others your age are probably at the beach enjoying their summer break. You should give yourself a lot of credit.

Its great that you are asking questions from people who can give you the best advice (those who have been through the process and know what to do and what NOT to do)

Me and probably half of all pre-dents wish they could go back to their high school years and make some changes. Luckily, you can learn from all our mistakes

I wouldnt worry about what classes to take now, because Dental Schools wont even care to see what classes you took in high school. Instead, start planning for your college curriculum.

I agree with SayitIsntSO in that you should major in something simple. I wish I could go back and choose a major that didnt require about 40 science courses. I did well in some, and not so great in others... and in the end nobody cares if I took classes with graduate medical students with one of the most prestigous professors, blah blah blah...

I have taken over 30 advanced science courses and have not gotten accepted anywhere, whereas student X with a degree in Marketing gets accepted by having taken only the required amount. (Its really unnerving, but I can only blame myself)

Currently, and in the years to come... its going to be more and more of a numbers game. So dont put pressure on yourself to take advanced science courses thinking it will impress the dental schools - it doesnt. They will be more impressed with a 4.0 science GPA

You only really need to take about 12 science classes (including the required BCP courses - Biology, Chemistry, Physics) Get nothing less than an A- and you're straight!

Oh, and please make sure you understand everything in organic chemistry, general chemistry, and biology because it will be a blessing in disguise for when the time comes and you have to take your DAT. All the answers for the DAT exam will be given to you during those first few semesters when you take those courses. SO PAY ATTENTION!

Thats the one side of it...

Next, I would highly recommend volunteering at a dental office. Dont wait till your sophmore or junior year... start now. (Schools will believe it when you say you have wanted to be a dentist since high school, because they will have seen the effort you put in it) And also, you will have had the exposure to the field to know whether or not this is REALLY what you want to do.

Third,

More and more schools like to see that you have participated in research. Like volunteering, you can never do too much. Find something that is remotely interesting and try it out. This is something you will probably find more about in your sophmore year.

Finally,

Make connections with all your science professors. Even if you completely understand all the topics covered, go to your professors office hours and ask them ANYTHING!!! Get comfortable with them and even mention that you have an interest in dentistry. Stay close and keep in touch... cause you will need them later for letters of recommendation and I can GUARENTEE that dental schools will be impressed if they hear from your professor that you have maintained a repoir with them throughout your college years.

I have (as usual) lots more to say but one, I am getting sleepy and two, I dont want to make this the never ending post. Sorry this was so long, but there is nothing I love more than giving people advice. (I really should stop) I hope I helped. Feel free to PM me. Good luck!

 

[pmoney]

Well, I was in your same boat a couple of years ago. People think you are crazy but the more focus you have the easier it is for you.

In HS, I'd recommend taking the following APs - Calculus, chem, physics, stats, maybe us history, econ, etc.

The Calc can get you through both semesters in college so you never have to take a math class again after highschool! Same with physics, physics b will be just fine. As far as the chem AP, don't take the credit in colelge but it helps you enormously vs the kids taking a college level chem class for the first time. English APs are kind of useless unless a local college will give you good credit for them. My state college only gave one semester of an easy freshman writing seminar's credit.

Choose a good undergrad school. Don't pick the most expensive private college you get into. You can even go to a CC and jump to a regular school in 2 years. My reccomendation is to go to a state school with good relations with the local state dental school. Your GPA is critical, the school you came from not so much. I am in a small liberal arts college in NYS that has recently been producing insane amounts of dental, medical, and vet students for our size.

Look into 7 year programs. This allows you to shave an extra year off the process and save the hassle of applying to dental school and doing the interviews. They still interview you, but expect a lot less serious answers from a hs senior than a college junior.

And have fun. My 7 year program requires me to have # shadowing hours, certain GPA, and DAT and thats it. I don't really do too many ECs in college, just enjoy life. Drink, lift, and enjoy the endless coed fun is basically what I do here.

 

[reapply2007]

The 7 year program. Apply to them, get in, and go. You won't be sorry. I cannot say this enough. If you are absolutely certain you want to be a dentist get into a 7 year program. You can always opt out of a 7 year program and get your B.A in Religious Studies. However, the only time you can get in is straight out of high school.

 

[msx3suzz]

thanks!

 

[jsk11]

hey guys..ive been reading into this thread and i was wondering if anyone can help me make a list of 7 yr dental program by telling me if they have heard of any.

so far, i know about tufts, stevens, bu, nyu, lehigh, u conn, and pennstate.

Also, has anyone applied to them? How hard are they to get into, and which are the best programs? Are any easier than others to get accepted into?

Thank you for your help!

 

[DividedByZero]

you could add Pacific to your list as well.

and i agree to just relax and enjoy high school, just take the courses offered like you normally would. dental schools dont normally look at the classes you take in high school. just take up some hobbies to beef up your manual dexterity when you do apply (i.e. model building, sculpting, jewel crafting, etc.) and definitely look into those 7-year programs if you're absolutely sure.

good luck!

 

[54807]

I would do one thing only. Lots of shadowing so you are 100% committed to becoming a dentist.

Hopefully that'll keep you going during those boring classes you've got ahead of you. Now that I work in an office and really see how much I like it I am soooo much more motivated. It's great.

 

[fancymylotus]

My sister is in the process of applying to combined BS/DDS-DMD programs now. She did the AP Sciences thing,but also did alot of community/fundraising work that many kids in her class didnt. She also did get her experience/shadowing hours in throughout highschool, and did one or two summer internships in the sciences, plays an instrument,student govt(the norm).



On an aside, I dont know where youre from,but my ex was in the Adelphi-Tufts program(he just graduated d-school this year). Its NOT a 7 yr anymore,its an 8 yr now,but still a really nice program if you want to look into it.