NEWBEE need much help fromVEGAS

[sumozmom]

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Hello All- I am New-

I am still 1.5 yrs away from even starting the App process. Im in Vegas taking pre recs. I have a BS in Accounting and am a single mom w/twins- I think i have gone insane to do this! do U think so.
I'm taking pre calc-chem-phys-org chem-and bio-chem. I'm trying to get into UNLV b/c my kids DAD is here.
How can I fing out if UNVL is a good school ( Well i'm not even sure I can get in).
How can I finish all these pre-recs and work at the same time- Should I just QUIT work so early in the game?( I need some $$$)
Is there a rating and ranking guid to the schools.?
I hear Harvard was more of a research school -how do you find out these things about other schools?


PLEASE HELP ME 🙂 😱 😕

 

[SuperC]

I think I have gone insane to do this! Do U think so.
-No I do not, it has been my experience that people who go back to school generally do better than those who are still in it for the first time. People like you tend to take it more seriously. Furthermore, being a dentist may allow you to provide a better life for your children, which is ultimately the bottom line, isn't it?

How can I find out if UNVL is a good school?
-UNLV is a good school... If you want to know about specific schools a good way to judge quality is by boards pass rate, this is generally a good indicator of school quality. But, if you work hard passing your boards won't be an issue where ever you go.

How can I finish all these pre-recs and work at the same time- Should I just QUIT work so early in the game?
- It looks as if you are taking a pretty heavy load, if you can I would NOT work, but this is not a viable option for everyone. If your grades are good, and you really feel like this is something you can do, you can loan it. You definitely should be taking out federal loans (as you know) interest rates are so low, it is essentially free money. You can also do private loans that can give you (I think) up to 20K a year, but again, I would only do this if I knew I was capable of getting good enough grades to get in.
Working can certainly be done, I have had friends that have worked 30+ hrs a week and taken 18+ hours, but these kids were damn smart.


Is there a rating and ranking guide to the schools?
-NO. Schools are NOT ranked....

I hear Harvard was more of a research school -how do you find out these things about other schools?
-You can buy guides, but whether a school is researched based or not can be inferred (in many cases) by there program. Big schools like Harvard or UF are research driven because it pays to. In general I would say that smaller, private colleges are NOT research driven.

Good Luck with your endeavors!
-C

 

[sumozmom]

I think I have gone insane to do this! Do U think so.
-No I do not, it has been my experience that people who go back to school generally do better than those who are still in it for the first time. People like you tend to take it more seriously. Furthermore, being a dentist may allow you to provide a better life for your children, which is ultimately the bottom line, isn't it?

How can I find out if UNVL is a good school?
-UNLV is a good school... If you want to know about specific schools a good way to judge quality is by boards pass rate, this is generally a good indicator of school quality. But, if you work hard passing your boards won't be an issue where ever you go.

How can I finish all these pre-recs and work at the same time- Should I just QUIT work so early in the game?
- It looks as if you are taking a pretty heavy load, if you can I would NOT work, but this is not a viable option for everyone. If your grades are good, and you really feel like this is something you can do, you can loan it. You definitely should be taking out federal loans (as you know) interest rates are so low, it is essentially free money. You can also do private loans that can give you (I think) up to 20K a year, but again, I would only do this if I knew I was capable of getting good enough grades to get in.
Working can certainly be done, I have had friends that have worked 30+ hrs a week and taken 18+ hours, but these kids were damn smart.


Is there a rating and ranking guide to the schools?
-NO. Schools are NOT ranked....

I hear Harvard was more of a research school -how do you find out these things about other schools?
-You can buy guides, but whether a school is researched based or not can be inferred (in many cases) by there program. Big schools like Harvard or UF are research driven because it pays to. In general I would say that smaller, private colleges are NOT research driven.

Good Luck with your endeavors!
-C

wow ur awsome -thnx for the advise- My gpa sucks. I was told that I need to get Straight A's in all me pre recs and a smashing DAT score. I wanted to quit and get loans but WHAT if I don't get in to UNLV or any scholl 😱

 

[Generallee]

Hey sumozmom,

Welcome to SDN! I don't think you're going insane. I think you are ambitious and are embarking on a wonderful career. (I'm no dentist but from what I researched and seen during my working in a dental office I know the career is great!).

First off, I could argue that UNLV is a good school because ALL dental school's are good, IMHO. They all prepare you for the basics of becoming a competent dentist or else they wouldn't be accredited. How good of a dentist you become ultimately is up to you and how hard you work.

If you are serious about getting into dental school, your first priority (academically speaking...) is to make sure you pull 4.0's. If you can pull 4.0's while working, great...but if you can't, then I would consider not working (if that's a viable option for you). What I did is I quit my "career" job and worked in a dental office for about 15 hours per week to get me exposure and some extra cash. When I was finished with my most important pre-reqs (Bio, OChm, and Chm) I stopped working in the dental office and concentrated soley on the DAT. My motto has been "It's better to be safe than sorry". So, for me, in order to be "safe" meant that I pulled as much 4.0's as I possibly could. If that meant quiting work and taking out more loans (which I did) than that's what I had to do. I didn't want to take the risk of my grades suffering because of work. It's was a hard choice to make for me but once I really realized my passion for Dentistry....the choice was very easy.

I found that the "43rd Edition of The Official Guide to Dental Schools" published by ADEA is a very helpful guide book to anyone interested in Dentistry. Here's the link:

https://www2.adea.org/members/cgi-b...cart_id=8487854_1148&search_request_button=13

The way I find out things like Harvard being a research school is by reading SDN... You might be able to find out in the guide book mentioned above.

Hope this helps! 🙂

 

[sumozmom]

Hey sumozmom,

Welcome to SDN! I don't think you're going insane. I think you are ambitious and are embarking on a wonderful career. (I'm no dentist but from what I researched and seen during my working in a dental office I know the career is great!).

First off, I could argue that UNLV is a good school because ALL dental school's are good, IMHO. They all prepare you for the basics of becoming a competent dentist or else they wouldn't be accredited. How good of a dentist you become ultimately is up to you and how hard you work.

If you are serious about getting into dental school, your first priority (academically speaking...) is to make sure you pull 4.0's. If you can pull 4.0's while working, great...but if you can't, then I would consider not working (if that's a viable option for you). What I did is I quit my "career" job and worked in a dental office for about 15 hours per week to get me exposure and some extra cash. When I was finished with my most important pre-reqs (Bio, OChm, and Chm) I stopped working in the dental office and concentrated soley on the DAT. My motto has been "It's better to be safe than sorry". So, for me, in order to be "safe" meant that I pulled as much 4.0's as I possibly could. If that meant quiting work and taking out more loans (which I did) than that's what I had to do. I didn't want to take the risk of my grades suffering because of work. It's was a hard choice to make for me but once I really realized my passion for Dentistry....the choice was very easy.

I found that the "43rd Edition of The Official Guide to Dental Schools" published by ADEA is a very helpful guide book to anyone interested in Dentistry. Here's the link:

https://www2.adea.org/members/cgi-b...cart_id=8487854_1148&search_request_button=13

The way I find out things like Harvard being a research school is by reading SDN... You might be able to find out in the guide book mentioned above.

Hope this helps! 🙂

Again GREAT info- Did u take loans out while u studied? I just filled out the app to loin the ADEA. I will be getting that book SOOOON!

I'm so scared to quit my job- Also what do i tel a dental office I want to do.?

I have an accounting deg and work as a Network Engineer .

 

[Generallee]

Again GREAT info- Did u take loans out while u studied? I just filled out the app to loin the ADEA. I will be getting that book SOOOON!

I'm so scared to quit my job- Also what do i tel a dental office I want to do.?

I have an accounting deg and work as a Network Engineer .

Yes, I did take out loans while I studied... To be more specific...at the University that I currently attend, I can get very little "subsidized" federal loans because I am a post-bach and I've already exhausted all my "subsidized" loans in my first degree (Business Management) but I am elibible for "$10,000" of "unsubsidized" federal loans per year which is enough to cover my tuition and books and then some... In addition, (I was very hesitant at first) I took out a private loan to cover living expenses to hold me up when I was taking Bio and Ochem. I absolutely wanted to make sure I aced Biology, Chemistry, and especially OChemistry. I heard that a lot of schools put heavy weight on the OChem grade. I don't know how true that is but again....better to be safe than sorry, right! 🙂

As far as telling a dental office what you would like to do.... What I did was...I looked in the classified ads and called up every single office that had an ad either for front desk or dental assistant. I introduced myself as a pre-dental student that would love the opportunity to work in their office. I offered the option to volunteer there for a month or so before they make a decision to hire me because I had no experience. If they liked me, great, I had a job.... If they didn't, great, then I just got a month of volunteering in a dental office! 🙂 Fortunately, the doctor I called was very very nice and offered me a job! You never know what kind of responses you will get unless you are proactive and try...

I understand how you feel only to a degree since I don't have kids.... I too was scared, but very excited to change my career. The only reason my fear left was because I was 100% sure that I wanted to become a dentist and I knew in the long run it would pay off. Choosing to pursue Dentistry is definitely an investment and with any investment...naturally there is fear...I believe this is normal and I wouldn't be surprised if everyone who applied to dental school hasn't had some element of fear. So, know that you're not alone.

With encouragement...best wishes to you! 🙂

 

[sumozmom]

How long did it take u to take pre-rec since first first degree was Business Management.
What dental school are u going to now?

 

[Generallee]

How long did it take u to take pre-rec since first first degree was Business Management.
What dental school are u going to now?

Oh.....*sigh*... don't I wish I was in dental school right now! 🙄 🙄

I'm in the process of finishing my pre-reqs right now. It will take me 2 years total to finish. I started in 2003 and I'll be done after next semester! 🙂 Right now I'm taking Physics I and A&P I. Next semester I'll be taking Physics II, Biochem, and Microbiology. Then, hopefully I'll be going to dental school in the Fall 2006!

 

[sumozmom]

Oh.....*sigh*... don't I wish I was in dental school right now! 🙄 🙄

I'm in the process of finishing my pre-reqs right now. It will take me 2 years total to finish. I started in 2003 and I'll be done after next semester! 🙂 Right now I'm taking Physics I and A&P I. Next semester I'll be taking Physics II, Biochem, and Microbiology. Then, hopefully I'll be going to dental school in the Fall 2006!

So you are not working than- how many classes did u take?
Have u taken your DAT?

What school have u applied to - which one do u REALLY want togo to.?

 

[ElMudo]

Hey Sumozmom
I agree that you need to get good grades and do well on the DAT. Yet, relax a little. Look at the science GPA's of what you would consider a top applicant on this forum...do they have a 4.0? You can afford to get B's. I am in the same boat as you. I am returning to school to take the prereqs. My GPA is not stellar by any means, yet I have had 3 interviews and have another one scheduled. I have a good friend who was on the admission committee at Temple and he has told me that the Ad com is looking to see if you can handle the load of Dschool. If you are working 30+ hrs/wk and maintaining a decent GPA they notice! So, don't worry so much and just keep plugging away... If you really want to go to Dschool you will go!