Masters or Reapply?

[lilac922]

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So I recently graduated with a bachelors . My overall GPA is 3.136. I have C's in classes like organic, genetics, and a several other courses. My major was so hard it sent my gpa down the toilet. I took the DAT last summer and didn't score well at all (AA 17). I don't know if I should apply for a masters or focus on retaking the DAT and reapply. And if I do apply for a masters, what should I choose?
Would really appreciate your response!!

 

[jdye]

I would do both - a masters in something like oral health. I know BU has a masters program that basically lets you take a few classes with dental school students and helps you apply. You're definitely going to have to take the DAT over again too, an AA of 19 or higher would put you in the competitive range.

 

[Glimmer1991]

A DAT retake is a definite must.

What "hard" major did you have that tanked your GPA? I'd say that most applicants have hard science majors... was yours engineering or something?

Unless you knock your DAT out of the park (I'd say 23+ AA and no section below a 19), some sort of future coursework is going to be needed to raise your GPA. You'll need to be taking upper-level sciences and doing very well in them.

 

[lilac922]

A DAT retake is a definite must.

What "hard" major did you have that tanked your GPA? I'd say that most applicants have hard science majors... was yours engineering or something?

Unless you knock your DAT out of the park (I'd say 23+ AA and no section below a 19), some sort of future coursework is going to be needed to raise your GPA. You'll need to be taking upper-level sciences and doing very well in them.

Forensic Science Concentration in Biology. What kind of future coursework would you recommend?

 

[lilac922]

I would do both - a masters in something like oral health. I know BU has a masters program that basically lets you take a few classes with dental school students and helps you apply. You're definitely going to have to take the DAT over again too, an AA of 19 or higher would put you in the competitive range.

What masters programs are they? If i could do that, it would be great.

 

[DMDDSdreams]

Contact the schools you want to apply to and ask what kind of master's program they like to see students in. The majority of schools prefer that you do a master's in biomedical science because it is basically the same classes that you would be taking as a first year med/dental student so it gives dental schools good insight into how you would perform as a D1. MidwesternU and BarryU have programs that are pretty popular.

 

[jdye]

What masters programs are they? If i could do that, it would be great.

I don't know too much about the program or how competitive it is, but here's the website (Oral Health Sciences). http://www.bumc.bu.edu/gms/oral-health-masters/

I'm pretty sure the classes you take will count towards your first year at BU, so if you take biochem/physiology and then attend BU dental, I don't think you have to take those classes again during D1 which opens up a lot of free time and stress.

I took one class from this program because I am a BU employee and can take a free class (figured it looked good for dental schools apps). It's a smallish program (40?) so everyone was really close and they were all super friendly. Even though I'm not in the program, the director helped me in a mock interview and basically told me what interviewers at BU Dental school looked for.

Also, most if not all the students are applying to dental school so it's really geared towards dental school applicants. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to e-mail the director (Dr. Davies). She's amazingly helpful and always seems to be full of energy, haha.

 

[lmr9y]

I would suggest doing a Masters (in Biomedical Sciences ideally) AND re-taking your DAT. I'm sure if you search on SDN, you can find a list of Biomed Sciences programs. A few off the top of my head are Rutgers (I went to there and recently finished), BU, Tufts, Barry, Midwestern, University of South Florida. You can complete these programs within a year if you want but just make sure you make as close to a 4.0 as possible. I did mine in a year and half and spent the summer before re-taking my DAT. Just gotta buckle down, take yourself seriously, and prove to admissions you really want it. Believe me, it does pay off!

 

[lilac922]

I don't know too much about the program or how competitive it is, but here's the website (Oral Health Sciences). http://www.bumc.bu.edu/gms/oral-health-masters/

I'm pretty sure the classes you take will count towards your first year at BU, so if you take biochem/physiology and then attend BU dental, I don't think you have to take those classes again during D1 which opens up a lot of free time and stress.

I took one class from this program because I am a BU employee and can take a free class (figured it looked good for dental schools apps). It's a smallish program (40?) so everyone was really close and they were all super friendly. Even though I'm not in the program, the director helped me in a mock interview and basically told me what interviewers at BU Dental school looked for.

Also, most if not all the students are applying to dental school so it's really geared towards dental school applicants. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to e-mail the director (Dr. Davies). She's amazingly helpful and always seems to be full of energy, haha.

This is really helpful. I'm already looking into it. It says i can finish it in a year or two years. Just wondering if i should finish it in 12 months? Would the work load be too much because i don't want to risk another low GPA?

 

[lilac922]

I would suggest doing a Masters (in Biomedical Sciences ideally) AND re-taking your DAT. I'm sure if you search on SDN, you can find a list of Biomed Sciences programs. A few off the top of my head are Rutgers (I went to there and recently finished), BU, Tufts, Barry, Midwestern, University of South Florida. You can complete these programs within a year if you want but just make sure you make as close to a 4.0 as possible. I did mine in a year and half and spent the summer before re-taking my DAT. Just gotta buckle down, take yourself seriously, and prove to admissions you really want it. Believe me, it does pay off!

I'm willing to work my ass off because i really do want to get in. However, I'm worried about the time it takes. Should i take my time and finish it in 2 years? i don't know much about masters and how crazy the work load is. I just don't want a low GPA again.

 

[jdye]

This is really helpful. I'm already looking into it. It says i can finish it in a year or two years. Just wondering if i should finish it in 12 months? Would the work load be too much because i don't want to risk another low GPA?

Most students I've talked to do 1 year. They seem to be very supportive of each other so even if the work load is too much, people will help you out. I met a few people doing a 2nd year because they decided to do a thesis. I assume that's code for they didn't get in on their re-apps, but it's always possible they genuinely wanted to do a thesis. I think most of the class does well - there also seem to be a few "buffer classes" built into the schedule, like the one I ended up taking. Literally put a total of less than 10 hours of work into the entire semester and got an A. The lowest grade in that class was a B+. I believe the masters program is doable, but take what I say with a grain of salt. These conclusions were based off of my observations of other students.