Need your help...What are my chances?

[Tabstar]

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Hi everyone,
I've been lurking this forum for a while now and I needed to get an experienced opinion regarding what are my chances to get into dental school. I am a postbaccalaureate student that studied mechanical engineering at UT Austin. I plan to apply to all three dental schools and a few private dental schools outside of Texas.

I need to take my Chem II, Org I, II, Bio I, Bio II courses. I am applying to attend a Med Tech baccalaureate program the year prior to entering Dental school so there will be additional GPA undergrad hours .

Anyhow so far my GPA is following:

Overall (undergrad courses + prereq): 2.96
Science 2.81

That overall GPA includes my postbaccalaureate work. From what I understand the undergrad courses get collectively added under the Overall Undergrad GPA.

While studying my undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering, the most important objective was to secure yourself a job and good salary after graduating (which I did). An insanely high GPA (i.e. 3.5 and higher) was not really possible for me in engineering. I wish now I had studied natural sciences or social sciences as those are easier for me. Anyhow I worked for 6 years in industry and am ready to go back and pursue my dream.

I have been volunteering at charity clinics and also observing local dentists. I have tons of other volunteer experience. I also know several dentists who have been urging me to pursue dental school instead of putting it off. After working for several years, I am finally ready to do it. I feel I have matured significantly but unfortunately my dumb GPA seems to haunt me. My post baccalaureate GPA has been phenomenally good. They are not enough however to bring up my overall GPA.

I really need advice and anyone out there who has been able to get accepted to dental school, please write me. I need moral support and encouragement to keep going.
🙂

Thanks everybody,
Tabstar

 

[jes1ca]

Hey Tabstar,

I would suggest checking out the "Under 3.0 Club" Thread. http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=28491

Honestly, it sounds like you still have a little more work to gain acceptance to dental school, but if you can up your GPA a little and get a solid DAT score, you'll have no problem getting in. Stick with it and you'll get in.

🙂 Jessica

 

[Tabstar]

Thanks for the link. I want to bring up my GPA but it gets harder by the time you have 185 credit hours. It seems to raise very slightly with every class I take. But by the time I apply I hope to have a 3.1 Overall GPA and 3.0 Science GPA. If I do well I the DAT, which is REALLY a must then I have a fighting chance. But otherwise I plan to finish up a second baccalaureate in Medical Technology which will hopefully raise my GPA and increase my chances.

I hope I am on the right track. Has anyone here majored in Med Tech???

 

[UMDeeMan]

i started out as a Med Tech at UW-madison before transferring into kinesiology and transferring to U of Minn altogether. what got you thinking of being a med tech? i'm just curious as a former med tech student. some of those classes are pretty cool though. i went through 3 of them i think.

 

[jes1ca]

Hey Tabstar,

I know it's rough. I had a couple of semesters with like a 2.6 or 2.9. One good thing to keep in mind is that the report that AADSAS sends to schools lists BOTH your sci/overall GPA AND the courses you took each semester and your GPA for that very semester in chronological order. So it showed that I had like 3.7/3.1/2.6/2.9/3.0/3.2/3.4/3.5 GPA each semester over the course of my college career. Even if you feel like good grades at the end don't affect overall, showing improvement is something that schools like better than consistently lower grades. Good luck!
Jessica

 

[Tabstar]

I met a dental student from UT Houston Dental School that double majored and she studied Med Tech. That kind of got me thinking. I want to study Med Tech so that I can prepare myself for the heavy natural science course load. I also want practical experience in using more of my hands. If there is a baccalaureate course for Predental then I am also interested.
Also, in case I have to reapply for the next year, I'd like to work part time as a Med Tech and then apply to Dental School for the next application cycle. I sent in my application for Med Tech and hope to enter for Fall 2005 and then apply to dental school to enter Fall 2006. I have to take about 48 hours of courses before finishing Med Tech. It is a one year course.

Also, typically med tech program accepts students that have 2.75 to above gpa's. It seems like a good alternative to biology. Remember I already have a baccalaureate degree in mechanical engineering with a minor in biomedical engineering. It was a very tough curriculum but i believe that only prepares you better for a rougher road ahead.

 

[Tabstar]

Anyone here considered studying a B.S. in Dental Hygiene?
I am looking into it now though it is a 2 year program...But I think it would be excellent preparation for Dental School...

Well any thoughts or experience on this? Or your comments regarding my chances to get into Dental School are appreciated...

Thanks y'all...and Howdy from Texas!!

 

[UMDeeMan]

whatever you want to do....... do. i see how you are looking at things though. but if you are just looking for a major with no particular interests being accounted for, be chemistry or biology major. you will get so much instruction on these key components that studying for the DAT should be no problem for you.

 

[Tabstar]

Well I am still working full time and am going to resign to go back to school full time for Fall 2004. i am planning to apply for the 2006 cycle. These are my stats

2.98 Overall GPA
2.84 Science GPA
Major: Mechanical Engineer
Preferred Dental School: Anywhere in Texas
Other interesting facts: My husband is also applying for the same cycle. He has a 3.40 GPA/3.5 Science GPA. He is also a minority and a mechanical engineering major.

Now I have done extensive volunteer experience. I am planning to go to school for the next two years: Fall 04 - Spring 05 to bring up my GPA and finish my prereqs and Summer 05 to take Kaplan then DAT.

Then in Fall 2005 to start a Dental Assisting Certification Course for one year at the local community college. It is 34 hours worth.

By summer 2006 I will have completed about 65 additional hours to my current 184 hours that I already have. I wasn't planning to do a masters or an additional bachelors.

I also of course have 7 years of industry (mechanical engineering experience). I want to switch to dentistry for various reasons.

Well I need to know what you think my chances are. I think I can def raise my overall GPA above 3.0. but I am not sure about the science GPA. What is the cutoff time period that a school admits for accepting grades. Do they wait to get your Spring grades.

I know this is a complex profile. But anyone out there with a little bit of advice will be appreciated.

Thanks so much.