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While I appreciate your comprehensiveness, it will be easier if you formatted your information according to the template:Hi! I apologize if this post is too long. I need some help on deciding how I should proceed.
I graduated from college last year and planned on going to law school. I've been working at a legal aid AmeriCorps program for my gap year and have found myself dissatisfied with the work (I enjoy helping people, but dislike sitting in front of a computer for much of the day). I got accepted into a few schools, but I no longer feel the passion for the field that I previously did after working in the field for a bit.
In December, January, and February; I started shadowing a couple of dentists and really enjoyed it. The prospect of being able to work with my hands and being able to relatively quickly/efficiently solve my patient's oral problems is heavily enticing. In the legal world, you can only promise your client so much (for many cases there is only so much an attorney can do). I also greatly miss being involved in the sciences.
These are some of my stats/facts:
Major - Biology (planned on doing environmental/agricultural policy)
aaGPA: 3.59, sGPA: 3.40
I had a rough time with a lot of the science courses from Freshman to Junior year, but from spring semester of Junior year to spring semesters, I was able to get A-/As in all classes except for a B+ in animal physiology.
Current shadowing hours: 30 (plan to do way more)
DAT: TBD
Research: Ecology research for 2 semesters. A summer internship in Microbiology
Volunteering: Americorps Legal Aid Program (1800 hours- it is paid though). Local hospital for about 1.5 years in Sophomore/Junior Year (~100 hours, not exact)
Work: Youth Center currently (part-time), Teaching Assistant in Senior Year, Pizza Place/Retail (part-time Freshman/Sophomore/Junior Year).
Achievements: Just dean's list Senior Year and two scholarships.
In addition, here is an overview on my performance in my science classes. I did poorly/below average in most classes and am afraid that they will reflect poorly on a dental admissions committee. I really did not do well until Senior Year of College and even then I failed to get an A in Animal Physiology.
B+ Gen Bio 1 A- Gen Chem 1, A- Ecology Plant Phys A Microbiology A A- Gen Bio 2 B+ Gen Chem 2 B+ Genetics Animal Phys B+ Immunology A B- Physics 1 (Summer class) C+ Orgo 1 B Biochem Ecophysiology A Statistics A A- Physics 2 B+ Orgo 2 B- Cell Bio Bioinformatics A
With all of this being said, this is my plan:
-Now to May: Brush up on chem, bio, and practice the perceptual questions. Americorps position ends in May
- June to August: I will study for the DAT full time and shadow dentists. Shadowing may have to be delayed due to the pandemic.
- September to December: I will take Anatomy/Physiology I at my local college. Continue to shadow. Work part-time
- December: Take DAT again if I bomb it in August.
- From January to April, I will take Anatomy/Physiology II. Continue to shadow and work part-time.
- May/June/July: Apply to schools.
-After summer 2021: Continue to work, maybe get in, maybe I do not.
Here are my concerns:
I am concerned that taking just A&P 1 and 2 over the course of two semesters would not be enough to convince an admissions committee that I am adept at the sciences. I just have far too many Bs and Cs. A&P at my small local college is just listed as a 100 level course as well.
Finally, these are some questions that I have for you healthcare professionals out there.
1.) Would you suggest doing a post bacc program or a masters rather than follow through with my current plan? Do you believe that one of those programs are necessary in my situation?
2.) Should I try to take other upper level science courses (not sure there are many left that are offered at the school near me that I haven't already yet taken)?
3.) Do you have any further advice on what I should do?
Lastly, thank you for reading through all this
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How to format your WAMC thread: Suggested information to include when creating a WAMC thread are as follows: Date of submission: Overall GPA: Science GPA: Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: DAT score (include AA and all sections): It is very hard for people to give you feedback without a score. State of...
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1) Change from law to dentistry... what long-time hobbies have you been involved that require fine manual dexterity and/or spatial manipulation?
2) Good for you at least for getting 30 shadowing hours... what type of dental clinics were these? Private/community/academic, general/specialty, solo/group/franchise? Technologies used? Patient demographics? Yes, at this point due to COVID-19, only emergencies have the green light, so this may be an opportunity to network to find an oral surgeon to shadow, but I would help conserve precious PPE and sterilization resources and not pursue it.
3) You may be better served talking with program directors in charge of postbac programs or SMPs given that you have upper-level biology coursework in-hand. Your science GPA in upper-level biomedical coursework looks promising to me, and based on what you have provided, I'd lean a little more on SMP because your DIY postbac options are limited (no retakes because all are A's or B's) and may not give me enough proof you can handle a rigorous dent/med school-like schedule. Some programs may include DAT prep, others may require you to have taken it. You'll have to figure this out, but whatever you do, you need to be sure you take the DAT once, and that you score 20's across the board or better. Go in confident that you won't need to retake the DAT... once is enough.
4) I would hold off taking A&P until I get answers from the postbac/SMP directors and from admissions recruiters about your situation. I also warn you that you should make sure A&P is not "nursing school" appropriate. You need science-major/premed-appropriate level courses, and often A&P courses offered at 100 level are not rigorous enough.
