New to this

[paulslad]

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I just joined this forum, and I have so many questions. I've wanted to be a dentist for a while now, and now that I'm in college (ISU studying pre-dental and chemical engineering) I am wondering what I'm to expect and start doing. I am planning on taking the DAT this spring and am fairly certain I can obtain at least a 20 on it in all of the sections. But for a dental school to accept me, do I have to obtain my bachelors degree? Or can I just start applying to schools right away?
I plan on going to University of Iowa or Creighton for General Dentistry or Orthodontistry, to avoid student loans I plan on doing a military program. Any help or advice or just any general opinions would be awesome! Right now I am a junior, I've only been in college for a year but have been doing summer classes and taking a larger workload each semester to shave off a year. 🙂

 

[jgdg]

check your pm!

 

[paulslad]

Just saw it about the advanced search options, I just joined so I didn't even have the chance to look yet! Thanks! But don't let that discourage anybody from wanting to share their experience or advice with me. Personal stories or the experience of others is a great way to learn.

 

[jgdg]

hmm, i thought I sent you a personal message? Maybe not. Have you looked into the pre-dental club at your school?

 

[bluesprite13]

Btw, Creighton doesn't have any specialty programs, but they prepare you very well if you want to apply to another school's specialty program 🙂

 

[paulslad]

This is actually going to be my first year at Iowa State, I was at a community college for the first year (all credits are transferable) but while I was there, I couldn't get enough people interested in a pre-dental club...so I started a Club-Red instead (American Red Cross club). But upon starting ISU in 3 weeks I will join the pre-dental club hopefully! I know they have one.

And that's interesting to know about Creighton, thanks for that! Definitely helps me decide between there and University of Iowa! (Not to mention I would save a ton with the in-state for U of I)

 

[jgdg]

check your personal message okay? If for some reason you don't get one then let me know on this thread

 

[paulslad]

Thanks for all of the advice! It was really informative and answered all of my questions! I really wish that my high school counselor would have told me about SMDEP!! That would have been an amazing program! But now I have Junior Classification, so I am not eligible.
It's good to know that I should join clubs and keep my GPA as high as possible. I don't suppose you guys have any helpful advice for the DAT? I'm going to have gen chem 2 done, bio done, and organic chem 1 done. So I think I should be capable of getting the "average score of a 17/18".

 

[Momof2tobeDDS]

Lots of schools won't take community college credits for prereqs. Creighton is one of them I believe.

 

[voager]

for DAT help check the DAT discussion forum http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=70 loads of help and resource guide there plus you can ask any questions you have difficulty with while preparing...and it will change your mind to accept 18-19 score (great motivation to achieve higher)

 

[paulslad]

Thanks for all of the help! And I didn't know that you had to have a bachelors to get accepted into dental school, I thought that you just had to have the good GPA and a lot of chemistry classes...as well as a good DAT score.

As for the DAT, a 19 is the lowest score I would settle for, I am hoping to get a mid to high 20's score. That would just make my year, but I'm not taking it till this spring. Is the DAT destroyer a good program? That came up a lot in the forums. All I am really concerned with is the Organic chemistry part. (because I will only have organic chem 1 done, but I will have gen chem 1,2 and bio done as well)

 

[goffdent]

you don't necessarily have to have a bachelor's.. for all schools. Iowa doesn't, or at least didn't require it. my class has i believe 2 students with no bachelor's. but it's hard to get in without it. they didn't think they would get in, but decided to apply anyway.