My Chances!?

[BBear008]

Hi everyone. I know this type of thread has been posted over and over again, but I need some serious advice. Here is my situation:

I applied to medical school ( i think because i grew up in a house full of physicians) and was rejected. I really want to apply to dental school because after shadowing, I feel that this is the work that I want to do. I enjoy the health field and working with my hands. My science gpa is around a 3.32 and my overall is a 3.43.

I will be taking the DATs in July.

My question is whether dental schools are going to frown upon my applying to medical school so much so that I have a very slim chance of getting into any dental program? Also, is my gpa far too low for most programs?

Any advice would be extremely helpful!!

Thank you!!

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[Dental156]

I think your GPA is pretty good but, in my opinion, it really depends on the dental schools impression of your undergrad program and how competitive it is among other programs.

I don't think it looks good that you applied to a med program got rejected so now you are applying to dental school. You are going to need very valid reasons on why being a dentist is right for you and why you were unable to see this a year ago. In your personal statement as well as interviews you are going to have to be very convincing. Don't get discouraged though. If this is what you really want they should be able to see it.

 

[Bruinlove]

I guess OP graduated from Berkeley this year. (BBear008)

3.4/3.3 from Berkeley is good enough, but this is just a year after you got rejected from Med school.

I'm not sure what adcom people at dental schools would think, but it seems to me that you recently found dentistry as your back up plan.

 

[jigabodo]

Hi everyone. I know this type of thread has been posted over and over again, but I need some serious advice. Here is my situation:

I applied to medical school ( i think because i grew up in a house full of physicians) and was rejected. I really want to apply to dental school because after shadowing, I feel that this is the work that I want to do. I enjoy the health field and working with my hands. My science gpa is around a 3.32 and my overall is a 3.43.

I will be taking the DATs in July.

My question is whether dental schools are going to frown upon my applying to medical school so much so that I have a very slim chance of getting into any dental program? Also, is my gpa far too low for most programs?

Any advice would be extremely helpful!!

Thank you!!

It will be frowned upon if they find out that you previously applied to med school.

 

[SugarNaCl]

You sure you want to be a dentist? If you can't get into an MD program, DO programs are often easier than dental schools to get into. Also, your GPA looks OK considering average is just over 3.5 now, but then again... many MD programs on mdapplicants.com look as though they have your stats as well. That makes me wonder why you were rejected. It seems as though your GPA would be good enough for med or dent.

 

[yorkiepoo]

I know someone who applied to medical school 2x and got rejected 2x... then decided that she'd like dentistry.. applied... got in... i guess adcoms didn't look down on her....

I don't see why they would look down on you. I think your gpa is good enough, and if you do well on the DAT then I don't think that adcoms will look at you badly or differently than other applicants. you'll be fine! gl

I'd also recommend shadowing/volunteering in a dental office in order the make sure that is the right fit for you, but very importantly, to show adcoms that you researched the field and decided that it is what you want.

 

[trixie2126]

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[doc3232]

The reason why they'd look down on you is because it looks like you just used dental school as a backup (I'm not saying you did, but thats how it's going to look to them), and they may think you don't like it for it, and upon entering dental school, will not like it and drop out, which is expensive for them. Therefore, they want somebody that they know really likes dentistry and is oriented towards it, so they wont be wasting their time/money or taking the spot from someone else who really wants to be a dentist.

What I would do is take a year off, and really get involved in dentistry (volunteering, shadowing, doing research in the field, or anything related to dentistry) to truly show that you know what dentistry is about, and that you realized that this is the field for you. If you do this, then I'm pretty sure they won't look down on you, because people do make mistakes!

Well maybe you aren't, but many of us are. The truth is that if they think you will become a dentist if they accept you, then you are in.
Just don't forget numbers are numbers, do good on the DAT and your set.

 

[trixie2126]

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[IDoWhatIWant]

yes numbers are numbers, but other factors are also at play. That is why people with good GPAs and DATs will still get rejected.

you know.. i've seen some of my friends get in while other gets rejected. i feel like it's such a crap shoot. man i'm hungry for dental school.... good night folks.