Need some general advice

[Sbofet]

Hey all, I'm kind of in a dilemma right now and I would appreciate some general advice going forward.

I am currently a sophomore majoring in CS who just recently decided to start the pre-dental route after shadowing my dentist over winter break.

Obviously my goal for the summer before that was to find a CS internship. However, now that I am doing pre-dentistry, my thought are that instead of wasting time applying to internships and preparing for the technical interviews, I can use that time to do well in my classes and focus on extracurricular activities and volunteering since I'm a little late to the game (also my school doesn't have a pre-dental club so I'm thinking of starting one). That would then leave me with nothing planned for the summer.

Also my courses are now planned in a way such that I will finish my prereqs end of senior year, meaning I would have to take a gap year. Summer classes seem ideal, but are really expensive at my university.

What do you think would be the best way to use my summer? Research? Take summer classes?

Thanks!

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[Symphonies]

Shadowing and volunteering are good options to take. If you've never done research, I'd also suggest trying that this summer although a lot of SURP program deadlines are closing soon so you may have some trouble getting one-- I'm sure if you look around you'll find a few that close in March though. Worst case, I'd suggest just doing research with a professor that's not under a program.

 

[deleted696582]

Hey all, I'm kind of in a dilemma right now and I would appreciate some general advice going forward.

I am currently a sophomore majoring in CS who just recently decided to start the pre-dental route after shadowing my dentist over winter break.

Obviously my goal for the summer before that was to find a CS internship. However, now that I am doing pre-dentistry, my thought are that instead of wasting time applying to internships and preparing for the technical interviews, I can use that time to do well in my classes and focus on extracurricular activities and volunteering since I'm a little late to the game (also my school doesn't have a pre-dental club so I'm thinking of starting one). That would then leave me with nothing planned for the summer.

Also my courses are now planned in a way such that I will finish my prereqs end of senior year, meaning I would have to take a gap year. Summer classes seem ideal, but are really expensive at my university.

What do you think would be the best way to use my summer? Research? Take summer classes?

Thanks!

You only have to finish pre-reqs before dental school starts, although schools like to see how you do in important classes like biochem and organic chem. So you might not have to take a gap year. Summer classes would be a good idea if you can't get those important pre-reqs done before applying, and you want to avoid the gap year. That would be a whole year you delay your potential career.

Since you know that you want to go the pre-dental route for sure, go all in on it with shadowing, volunteering, and DAT studying. Find a meaningful volunteer experience and stick with it. Just make sure you don't regret getting experience in the CS field.

 

[Sbofet]

You only have to finish pre-reqs before dental school starts, although schools like to see how you do in important classes like biochem and organic chem. So you might not have to take a gap year. Summer classes would be a good idea if you can't get those important pre-reqs done before applying, and you want to avoid the gap year. That would be a whole year you delay your potential career.

Since you know that you want to go the pre-dental route for sure, go all in on it with shadowing, volunteering, and DAT studying. Find a meaningful volunteer experience and stick with it. Just make sure you don't regret getting experience in the CS field.

Thank you for your input. I'm all for my CS degree, though I do understand that it is more difficult to fit in classes while doing so. Is a gap year really that looked down upon? It'll be pretty difficult for me to fit in organic chemistry even if I take summer courses as one of the prereqs was unfortunately not offered this semester.

 

[WheatLom]

pre-reqs don't need to be complete until you matriculate. I am finishing 3 pre-reqs in my last year. I was just told when accepted to finish my pre-reqs. I would find an assisting job if you can. It is a good hands on experience than plain shadowing. With assisting you get to be apart of the procedures and daily practice management.

I would try and get all the DAT classes done by end of Junior year and then you will be good to go and may not need a gap year. Some schools may allow you to matriculate without a bachelors degree.

 

[deleted696582]

Thank you for your input. I'm all for my CS degree, though I do understand that it is more difficult to fit in classes while doing so. Is a gap year really that looked down upon? It'll be pretty difficult for me to fit in organic chemistry even if I take summer courses as one of the prereqs was unfortunately not offered this semester.

Gap years aren't looked down upon at all. In fact, I've heard from some dental students that they are good for "finding yourself" and getting real-world experience. Plus you can save up some money by working.

 

[Sbofet]

Gap years aren't looked down upon at all. In fact, I've heard from some dental students that they are good for "finding yourself" and getting real-world experience. Plus you can save up some money by working.

Oh I misunderstood then; that's probably the route I'm going to have to end up taking. Summer classes (my only other option) would definitely eliminate the need for a gap year but the tuition fee per credit hour at my university is freakin ridiculous (nearly $1k per credit hour) .

 

[schmoob]

Oh I misunderstood then; that's probably the route I'm going to have to end up taking. Summer classes (my only other option) would definitely eliminate the need for a gap year but the tuition fee per credit hour at my university is freakin ridiculous (nearly $1k per credit hour) .

Dude, you asked for advice but you're not listening. A number of people have already told you that finishing prereqs is not a requirement to apply to dental school. If you finish them in your senior year like you say you will, then you are perfectly on track to apply soon. Prepare yourself for the DAT, because THAT is the best way to utilize your summer.
Do not admit defeat before the battle even begins.

 

[Sbofet]

Dude, you asked for advice but you're not listening. A number of people have already told you that finishing prereqs is not a requirement to apply to dental school. If you finish them in your senior year like you say you will, then you are perfectly on track to apply soon. Prepare yourself for the DAT, because THAT is the best way to utilize your summer.
Do not admit defeat before the battle even begins.

Thanks for your honest criticism. I apologize for sounding ignorant; I'm not ignoring the good advice given and the option of studying for the DAT during the summer, but I'm really not sure how well that will go. Giving a little bit more context as I should have earlier:

My pre-health adviser strongly suggesting a gap year because my courses are scheduled in a way that I will be taking organic chemistry 1 and 2 and biochem my senior year.

Do you suggest studying for the DAT and taking it without taking orgo 1 or orgo 2 prior? Would dental schools care a lot about me not having taken orgo 1 and 2 assuming that I can do well on the test?

It seems that summer school looks to be more and more of a worthy investment to get all the DAT courses in before the DAT

 

[dr.d00m]

I am currently a sophomore majoring in CS who just recently decided to start the pre-dental route after shadowing my dentist over winter break.

Think long and hard, is this what you really want to do, or are you just wanting to do it out of an impulse? If I could go back in time to freshman year, I would have been a CS major. Nothing against dentistry (I love it), but with the way things are headed in regards to tuition and job outlooks for future graduates (not to mention stifling debt from ridiculous student loans), getting a great job with a starting salary of ~$70k straight out of undergrad seems very appealing

 

[schmoob]

Thanks for your honest criticism. I apologize for sounding ignorant; I'm not ignoring the good advice given and the option of studying for the DAT during the summer, but I'm really not sure how well that will go. Giving a little bit more context as I should have earlier:

My pre-health adviser strongly suggesting a gap year because my courses are scheduled in a way that I will be taking organic chemistry 1 and 2 and biochem my senior year.

Do you suggest studying for the DAT and taking it without taking orgo 1 or orgo 2 prior? Would dental schools care a lot about me not having taken orgo 1 and 2 assuming that I can do well on the test?

It seems that summer school looks to be more and more of a worthy investment to get all the DAT courses in before the DAT

I understand, no worries.
I would be wary of pre-health advisors; Although it's their job, I have encountered many scenarios where they give advice that may not be in the student's best interest or align with their goals. It's not malicious on their end, they just may not be as well-versed as they believe.
I recommend using your summers for classes then. Coursework is #1, it comes before volunteering, shadowing, etc.
Is it possible for you to do general chemistry this coming summer? That would allow you to take orgo your junior year, along with bio. Also, keep in mind that there is an academic update period during the application cycle. This way you can provide an update on your application regarding your progress during your senior year with your remaining coursework, like physics.
If I were you, I would work my butt off to get those pre-reqs knocked out, just for the sake of time and $$$. You are still in a good position to avoid a gap year.

 

[kittycat090198]

[deleted]

 

[Sbofet]

Thanks for all the advice help! It seems that summer school may be the best option to get gen chem 1 and 2 out of the way for orgo, and I would preferably want to do that at my state university to save on tuition cost.

If I were to take gen chem 1 and 2 at a state school, would the classes still affect my sGPA when applying to dental school as it won't affect my current university's GPA?

 

[schmoob]

Thanks for all the advice help! It seems that summer school may be the best option to get gen chem 1 and 2 out of the way for orgo, and I would preferably want to do that at my state university to save on tuition cost.

If I were to take gen chem 1 and 2 at a state school, would the classes still affect my sGPA when applying to dental school as it won't affect my current university's GPA?

Yes. It will be factored into your AADSAS GPA calculation.

 

[LFA20]

Think long and hard, is this what you really want to do, or are you just wanting to do it out of an impulse? If I could go back in time to freshman year, I would have been a CS major. Nothing against dentistry (I love it), but with the way things are headed in regards to tuition and job outlooks for future graduates (not to mention stifling debt from ridiculous student loans), getting a great job with a starting salary of ~$70k straight out of undergrad seems very appealing

Agree
Not to mention the crazy amount of stress and anxiety during dental school(to pass or to specialize). A lot of my friends (top 5 in class) said if they could go back they'd rather do something else (i.e engineering)

 

[Sbofet]

Think long and hard, is this what you really want to do, or are you just wanting to do it out of an impulse? If I could go back in time to freshman year, I would have been a CS major. Nothing against dentistry (I love it), but with the way things are headed in regards to tuition and job outlooks for future graduates (not to mention stifling debt from ridiculous student loans), getting a great job with a starting salary of ~$70k straight out of undergrad seems very appealing

Agree
Not to mention the crazy amount of stress and anxiety during dental school(to pass or to specialize). A lot of my friends (top 5 in class) said if they could go back they'd rather do something else (i.e engineering)

I didn't see your post until AVB2104 quoted it, sorry!

I'll be honest, at first it was definitely an impulse; I couldn't see myself really pursuing a career in the software engineering field (as lucrative as it is, I'm turned off by the fact that you have to work on the computer for several hours with little to no human interaction trying to figure out why your code won't run/work) and I needed something else to quickly fill in the gap of self-doubt and anxiety. Like most people, I was attracted to the job security and general balance of life and work dentistry offered. Granted, this was before I learned more about the ridiculous amount of student loans, which really left me thinking whether this was the right choice/investment. I used my winter break time as a self-evaluation, went over financial concerns with my parents, shadowed a dentist, and made my final decision then. As cliche as it sounds, I value helping and interacting with lots of different people more than a job that's definitely a better overall financial investment but not as fulfilling.

Granted I could be totally wrong in my reasonings, but right now I know for sure this is the path I am taking!

Thanks for bringing it up!

 

[dr.d00m]

I didn't see your post until AVB2104 quoted it, sorry!

I'll be honest, at first it was definitely an impulse; I couldn't see myself really pursuing a career in the software engineering field (as lucrative as it is, I'm turned off by the fact that you have to work on the computer for several hours with little to no human interaction trying to figure out why your code won't run/work) and I needed something else to quickly fill in the gap of self-doubt and anxiety. Like most people, I was attracted to the job security and general balance of life and work dentistry offered. Granted, this was before I learned more about the ridiculous amount of student loans, which really left me thinking whether this was the right choice/investment. I used my winter break time as a self-evaluation, went over financial concerns with my parents, shadowed a dentist, and made my final decision then. As cliche as it sounds, I value helping and interacting with lots of different people more than a job that's definitely a better overall financial investment but not as fulfilling.

Granted I could be totally wrong in my reasonings, but right now I know for sure this is the path I am taking!

Thanks for bringing it up!

Dentistry is still a pretty good career option, it's just that a lot of people are misinformed and have a view of the field that isn't quite aligned with reality. But from what you said it seems like you've done your research and thought it through, so I think you'll be alright

 

[DOC YANKEM]

I didn't see your post until AVB2104 quoted it, sorry!

I'll be honest, at first it was definitely an impulse; I couldn't see myself really pursuing a career in the software engineering field (as lucrative as it is, I'm turned off by the fact that you have to work on the computer for several hours with little to no human interaction trying to figure out why your code won't run/work) and I needed something else to quickly fill in the gap of self-doubt and anxiety. Like most people, I was attracted to the job security and general balance of life and work dentistry offered. Granted, this was before I learned more about the ridiculous amount of student loans, which really left me thinking whether this was the right choice/investment. I used my winter break time as a self-evaluation, went over financial concerns with my parents, shadowed a dentist, and made my final decision then. As cliche as it sounds, I value helping and interacting with lots of different people more than a job that's definitely a better overall financial investment but not as fulfilling.

Granted I could be totally wrong in my reasonings, but right now I know for sure this is the path I am taking!

Thanks for bringing it up!

Most applicants have a science major, but don't let that deter you from applying or pursuing dentistry. I have a few friends who majored in art and took the pre-reqs before they matriculated. In my opinion, applying with a non-science major makes you stand out from rest of the applicants. If you can prove that you are capable of doing well in higher level science courses, then you would have better chances of applying. It's perfectly okay to be practical when it comes to money, but you have to understand there are options such as borrowing from family/relatives at 0% interest, applying for the Dental Corps, or living with your parents until you pay off the debt. I am currently borrowing 400k+ from relatives and living with my parents. Whatever the interest rates for dental school loans are at the moment (probably 7% and will go up because the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates this and next year), I wouldn't be surprised if the interest payments add up to the principal loan.