Low GPA and canadian

[dentang2009]

hi.please give me some advise. I am already graduated from school 3 years, and in the past few years, I screwed up my life. I was partying all the wayz through my undergrad. worked in a bank for a year and went back to college for a business diploma. Until recently, I found that I wanna be in dental field. AM I too late. My undergrad gpa is very low like 60%. with lots of D, F, C and W. major in mathe. I didn't do any biology before and by the way I am canadian. I was thinking to take 2nd degree to pull up my average. However since I already have 130+ , it's hard for me just do a year to pull it up. If i applied for 2 nd degree, do you guys think i will just use my high school mark so that my record in usa university is clear. after 3 years when i complete my undergrad i could just use the clear record to apply for dent school? Anyother option?. I was thinking to do a mster and retake all pre-req?? or maybe going oversea to do dental in poland for 5 yeras and come back for 2 years for international program. I really want to become a dentist and I just realize it right now. I know I couldn't change anything happened in the past, but I really want to know what can I do to help me get into a dental school. Please reply and give me some advise. Thank you so much

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[choiorg]

I too have low GPA and I am now a fifth year.

I dont have a lot of D's and F's but I got lots of C's and that is bad enough for me. Since you were in the business field before I think that maybe you should consider post bach programs.

I am applying to post bach programs and maybe thinking about masters.

 

[SugarNaCl]

That is so hard. Especially being Canadian since they have so few schools, I know that they are even more competitive than the US dental schools (which have about an average of 3.5 these days). It is going to be REALLY hard to pull up that GPA and it is going to take a LONG time. If you understand that going in, I think this is still an attainable goal. I'm not sure how things are in Canada so I can only speak of the US here.

A masters degree will NOT count toward your undergrad GPA. It is completely separate. The post bacc is what you have to use to bring up your undergrad GPA. Are you allowed to retake courses you did poorly in? THat may be a way to go.

Here in the states, if you get a foreign dental degree, most aren't accepted. This too may be different in Canada, but in our class (2nd year dental), we have 2 fully trained foreign dentists (Iraq and Korea) that have been practicing for years and ended up coming to the states for work and needing to repeat 3 years of US dental school.

I guess I'm just saying before you decide to read up VERY carefully on all of your options. Get in touch with some schools so that they can follow (and appreciate) your story over the years it will likely take to get to a point where you have a decent chance. Good luck.

 

[pbrooks]

Hey there fellow Canadian,
you seem to have put yourself in a bit of a tight spot. Unless you want to live in Poland for the rest of your life, dont count on doing the international route, it is ridiculously hard to get in to the foreign trained dentists program and they look through all of your records (and will see your 60% average). I suggest going back to school for a year or two (you cant just go to the states and start over, you have to disclose all educational info) and redo your prerequisite courses, also volunteer in a lab (schools like research experience), and shadow dentists. then apply to the states. if it doesnt happen then try to use your research experience to get yourself into a masters program in science.
it will be pretty tough, especially because you dug yourself a hole before, but if you are willing to put the effort and time into it you will get into dental school (likely in the US).
hope this helps

 

[oreoson]

You must be talking about the 5 yr program at Poznan Poland. I considered that route too, since my two yr service in the military fubarred my gpa, and my wife is from poland too. But trust me, you dont wanna study in poland. My suggestion is, go back to undergrad for extra two years, and apply to UWO. They only look at best two years, and reading secion in DAT. Good luck.

 

[Northside]

"My suggestion is, go back to undergrad for extra two years, and apply to UWO. They only look at best two years, and reading secion in DAT. Good luck."

I second that.

 

[dentang2009]

Hey there fellow Canadian,
you seem to have put yourself in a bit of a tight spot. Unless you want to live in Poland for the rest of your life, dont count on doing the international route, it is ridiculously hard to get in to the foreign trained dentists program and they look through all of your records (and will see your 60% average). I suggest going back to school for a year or two (you cant just go to the states and start over, you have to disclose all educational info) and redo your prerequisite courses, also volunteer in a lab (schools like research experience), and shadow dentists. then apply to the states. if it doesnt happen then try to use your research experience to get yourself into a masters program in science.
it will be pretty tough, especially because you dug yourself a hole before, but if you are willing to put the effort and time into it you will get into dental school (likely in the US).
hope this helps

Thank you so much for your advise. I feel so upset for the last couple months becoz i know I am the one who screwed up everythin. I was thinking the best way to solve the problem. I think I am goin to spend at least two years in to take all pre-req courses and some upper years biology courses. If that still can't get me into dental school, then i think I will get into smp. I am planning to shadow a dentist. Actually, I already apply for U of Pacific a undergrad program, but just dun't know they will let me in and a 2nd degree or not. Do you think I should do a 2 nd degree in usa or canada? p.s I didn't have all the pre-req, all my science credits are mathe.

 

[dentang2009]

You must be talking about the 5 yr program at Poznan Poland. I considered that route too, since my two yr service in the military fubarred my gpa, and my wife is from poland too. But trust me, you dont wanna study in poland. My suggestion is, go back to undergrad for extra two years, and apply to UWO. They only look at best two years, and reading secion in DAT. Good luck.

Yup..i know UWO only look at two most recent years' gpa. nonetheless, I am not living in ontario. so i think for out of province residences, they only take 10% which is around 4 people and their gpa is very very competitive.like last year, it's around 89% average. which i believe is 4.0.