Need Advice! Will this help me?

[tylerxxlovex3]

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I want to go to dental school but i am in cc and have horrid grades. I am smart and am planning on getting as close to all a's as I can but i want to do as much as I can to make up for my early years. any advice? I was thinking of going to technical school and becoming a dental assistant while going to school, is that even worth it? What about hygienist, just a complete waste?

 

[doc toothache]

You answered your own questions.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=527335
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602095
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=698800

 

[tylerxxlovex3]

ok fair enough, and thanks for the links I tried searching but your links helped a lot, but I'm still not sure about the dental assistant thing. I get that hygiene may be a waste but the assisting can help me see the profession/shadow... is it worth the money and time?

 

[adizzle87]

ok fair enough, and thanks for the links I tried searching but your links helped a lot, but I'm still not sure about the dental assistant thing. I get that hygiene may be a waste but the assisting can help me see the profession/shadow... is it worth the money and time?

Dental schools expect competitive applicants to take some upper div classes before applying. You would eventually have to transfer to a 4-year school so I think doing that right now is the best option. You're going to have to change your study habits and priorities to get better grades because generally speaking 4-year college courses are a bit more challenging than JC courses. Good luck on whichever route you decide.

 

[DrRoyal Pains]

Dental schools usually do not accept science classes from a CC. So like Adizzle said, your best bet is to transfer to a University. I called a few dental schools to ask them a few questions regarding transcripts and such. I told them I am taking a cermics class at a CC (even though I did not have to take the class). They said thats fine as long as its not a science class.

 

[tylerxxlovex3]

i probably should have said that i was planning to transfer as soon as i can, thanks

 

[FreeFallin]

ok fair enough, and thanks for the links I tried searching but your links helped a lot, but I'm still not sure about the dental assistant thing. I get that hygiene may be a waste but the assisting can help me see the profession/shadow... is it worth the money and time?

Wow, how on earth did you "get" that hygiene is a waste?? It is probably one the greatest things I've ever done. It has opened my eyes to how wonderful dentistry is. As a hygienist, I have FIRST HAND experience with patient care. Plus, hygienists actually do quite well in the financial standpoint. Please don't hastily just say something is a waste without having any experience with it. There are lots of RDHs out there who are applying to dental school. About the dental assisting "thing," as you call it, make your own call on what you want to do. But, again, dental hygiene and dental assisting are great careers that shouldn't be thought of as "wastes".

 

[pinhi]

Wow, how on earth did you "get" that hygiene is a waste?? It is probably one the greatest things I've ever done. It has opened my eyes to how wonderful dentistry is. As a hygienist, I have FIRST HAND experience with patient care. Plus, hygienists actually do quite well in the financial standpoint. Please don't hastily just say something is a waste without having any experience with it. There are lots of RDHs out there who are applying to dental school. About the dental assisting "thing," as you call it, make your own call on what you want to do. But, again, dental hygiene and dental assisting are great careers that shouldn't be thought of as "wastes".

You are right......however....getting into hygiene school is just as hard....if not harder to get into than dental school......you have to have a 4.0 and 5000 hours of assisting experience...then u will be on a waiting list for up to seven years in some areas....

 

[SeattleRDH]

You are right......however....getting into hygiene school is just as hard....if not harder to get into than dental school......you have to have a 4.0 and 5000 hours of assisting experience...then u will be on a waiting list for up to seven years in some areas....

That largely depends on where the DH school is located. OP, where do you live?

I think the major difference between dental hygiene school admissions and dental school admissions is that DH school puts a large emphasis on dental assisting experience whereas dental school just requires some shadowing. There were only a few students in my DH class that were not assistants before we applied and we all had previous bachelor's degrees with 3.6+ GPAs.

So, if a person is "smart enough" to be a dentist then they can get into hygiene school without experience but if that person really wants to be a dentist then why waste time (and money) in hygiene school if they can just go straight to dental school?

Of course, if you don't have the grades or test scores (or determination) to get into dental school then you should consider dental assisting because then you might get into a hygiene program. And being a hygienist is a good career.

 

[pinhi]

That largely depends on where the DH school is located. OP, where do you live?

I think the major difference between dental hygiene school admissions and dental school admissions is that DH school puts a large emphasis on dental assisting experience whereas dental school just requires some shadowing. There were only a few students in my DH class that were not assistants before we applied and we all had previous bachelor's degrees with 3.6+ GPAs.

So, if a person is "smart enough" to be a dentist then they can get into hygiene school without experience but if that person really wants to be a dentist then why waste time (and money) in hygiene school if they can just go straight to dental school?

Of course, if you don't have the grades or test scores (or determination) to get into dental school then you should consider dental assisting because then you might get into a hygiene program. And being a hygienist is a good career.

I live in Az and there is a 7 year wait for hygiene school......I applied a couple of times to a CC hygiene program and had a 3.9 in dental school prereqs.....i did have a C+ in phych from many years ago tho......instead i was admitted into a very competitive masters program instead (strange?)

 

[tylerxxlovex3]

I'm not saying it is a waste of a career, I am asking if it is a waste of time and resources if I already know I want to go to dental school. I live in CA and was thinking of doing a dental assisting program as I get my grades up and then apply to dental school

 

[jj007]

My suggestion is not to get a dental assistant certificate at a tech school but to transfer to a 4 years college and to start getting good grades. It's one thing to say that you are smart and will get all A's, but it is another thing to actually do it. The best way for you to convince the adcom that you will be able to handle dental school is to go to any university and get good grades.