Newbie needs help! Applying with an Engineering Degree!

[mtabibian]

Hi All,

I just registered today! I found the forums very helpful. !I have some questions. What are my chances?

I got my BS in Electrical Engineering (Telecomm.) in Iran. Then I moved to US for my master's. I earned my Masters in Electrical Engineering/Systems from USC. Now I am working in a telecommunications company in DC Area as a team lead software developer. Recently I have become interested in changing my career and becoming a dentist ! (Both my parents are dentists. so I think why shouldn't I be )

Anyway, I have taken BIO 101 and BIO 102 for this summer in a college in my area (Northern Virginia Comm College).

Here are my questions:
1- Has anyone here applied for dentistry from a similar educational background. (Eng/Comp Sci)? If yes what are your advises?
2- Is there any chance for me to be accepted for Fall 05?
3- I learned that I have to pass at least 8 crd of Bio, 8 crds of Chem and 8 crds of Org Chem. I think i might be able to pull em off by next year this time. (taking BIOs this summer, Chems in Fall, and Org Chems in Spring!)
Is this over ambitious?

IN THE END, HELP I AM TOTALLY CONFUSED!

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[accidental]

I have a similar background as you and I am applying this cycle. I started my prereqs last spring and just finished last semester. You also have to take two semesters of physics - you may have already completed this with your engineering degree. I think the chances of finishing all of those classes in one year are slim but it might be possible.

From what you wrote it sounded like you were planning on taking gen chem I and II in the same semester and this isn't usually possible with most schools. But what you might be able to do (I knew one person who did this) is take gen chem I, o chem I, physics I in the fall. And then in the spring take gen chem II, o chem II, and physics II. Or take physics I and II the summer before you would start dental school since physics is not included on the DAT. The only problem then is you have to take the DAT - I think by October of this year.

Hopefully that will work!

 

[eric275]

Hi All,

I just registered today! I found the forums very helpful. !I have some questions. What are my chances?

I got my BS in Electrical Engineering (Telecomm.) in Iran. Then I moved to US for my master's. I earned my Masters in Electrical Engineering/Systems from USC. Now I am working in a telecommunications company in DC Area as a team lead software developer. Recently I have become interested in changing my career and becoming a dentist ! (Both my parents are dentists. so I think why shouldn't I be )

Anyway, I have taken BIO 101 and BIO 102 for this summer in a college in my area (Northern Virginia Comm College).

Here are my questions:
1- Has anyone here applied for dentistry from a similar educational background. (Eng/Comp Sci)? If yes what are your advises?
2- Is there any chance for me to be accepted for Fall 05?
3- I learned that I have to pass at least 8 crd of Bio, 8 crds of Chem and 8 crds of Org Chem. I think i might be able to pull em off by next year this time. (taking BIOs this summer, Chems in Fall, and Org Chems in Spring!)
Is this over ambitious?

IN THE END, HELP I AM TOTALLY CONFUSED!

You want to be careful on which Bio classes your taking, you stated your taking Bio 101/102 this summer. The dean at my state school said they will not accept 100 level bio and chem classes to fill their pre-req's if the 200 level classes are also offered at the college you are attending. He said that the other schools he communicates with on a regular basis will also not accept the 100 level classes.

It might just be that your school calls them 101/102 but are the same as the 200 level classes, in that case you should be fine. A friend of mine took the 100 level bio at his community college instead of the 200 level that was also offered. When he started his undergrad he didn't really know what he wanted to shoot for as a career. Well this year he is applying to dental school and was informed that he needs to take the 200 level bio sequence to meet the pre-req's So this year he is re-taking the whole bio sequence to meet pre-req's.

To get a definate answer I would contact some dental schools in your area and see what the class you are taking transfers as, in the form of a pre-req class.

 

[mtabibian]

Thanks Eric for the info. I just checked the biology courses offered in my college:

BIO 101-102 - General Biology I-II (The ones I am taking)
BIO 110 - General Botany

BIO 120 - General Zoology

BIO 141-142 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I-II

BIO 146 - Human Heredity

BIO 205 - General Microbiology

BIO 206 - Cell Biology

BIO 210 - Media and Materials Preparation

BIO 231-232 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I-II

BIO 256 - General Genetics

BIO 270 - General Ecology

I guess the only Biology course they have is Biology101 and 102.

What do you think? Are these enough?

 

[eric275]

Dang, looking at those course numbers I'm not sure, it could be the BIO 110-120 that you need. Since there is a such a variation in the course numbering between colleges, I would call an admissions department at a dental school or a 4 year university in your state.

I'm pretty sure that the courses you take typically have to be transferable towards a four year degree in order to use them for pre-req's. My university has a website that tells you what community college classes transfer and which ones don't towards a four year degree. I would call someone and get a definate answer, preferably from a dental school in your state since they will be the deciding factor if they will accept it or not. Also they are probably more familiar with the course numbering system for community colleges in your state, as opposed to out of state dental schools.

The courses you are taking may be the right ones, but I would hate to see you having to take the BIO sequence over again, like my friend, and losing a year towards dental school if not. Better to make a couple phone calls and find out for sure.

The number for the admissions dept. at the Virginia Commonweatlh University School of Dentistry in Richmond, Va. is (802)828-9196. Good luck

 

[llchen]

I have the similar backgroup as you. I got BS of CS from CUNY in New York. I have 1 year of Physics, Calculas, Gen Chem. I don't have 1 year of BIO and 1 year of O Chem.
I have called the SUNY-Stony Brook University. The administrator told me that they don't really care if I have the pre-req or not. As long as I pass the DAT, I could get in the dental school. I don't know if it is true or not. Anyway, I just bought the Schaum's outlines to study on my own instead of going to school. I don't know if I passed the DAT, the school will accept me or not. Even if I get in, the science courses would be much harder for me, I think. I have no idea.
And I have tried to register as no-degree student of Stony Brook U to finished up the pre-req but they keep sending me back to the dental school of Stony Brook. Since I have took these classes when I was in High school in China. I will try to study the outline first, I guess.

Any good suggestion from anyone? Thanks,

 

[llchen]

I guess nobody could answer me on my previous post.
Here is another question. Hope someone could help me out here.
I just get the post-bac application today from Stony Brook University and I checked out the schedule of BIO and O CHEM. They don't have evening and weekend classes available. How did you work these out? Did all of you who already took the classes just quit your work?

 

[sdnmember]

I'm also applhying with a cse degree from stony brook univerisity. It's quite a killer curriculumn compared to other majors, which leads one to think that gpa should matter very little but that's another thread. I took bio I and II, chem II, their respective labs, english and a comp sci databse 300 level course just last term. They summed up to a lil over 25 hours of classes a week. Stony Brook is known for having a hard science curric and i managed a 3.6 this term. Of course I studied ALL DAY. My advice is to go to an EASY university for those courses. All in all, my cse degree means as mcuh as a piece of toilet paper. What a waste really. One of my few saviors is dentristy, always puts a smile on my face when i think about becoming a dentist and i feel sorry for all the cse people who are unemployed or working medicore jobs.

Anyway, you can't take chem i AND ii in one semster since chem ii requires chem 1 as a prerequisite. Likewise for Ochem I and II. and Gen Chem is a prereq for Org chem.

As for applying for 05, probably not since the earliest you can finish organic chem ii is the end of this spring (provided u take general chem during summer(). If not u can take organic chem over NEXT summer. Which means the earlist for you is Fall 2006.

BTW how old are you?

 

[sdnmember]

I guess nobody could answer me on my previous post.
Here is another question. Hope someone could help me out here.
I just get the post-bac application today from Stony Brook University and I checked out the schedule of BIO and O CHEM. They don't have evening and weekend classes available. How did you work these out? Did all of you who already took the classes just quit your work?

I go to stony brook. There are no evening classes for popular courses, EVER. I think they cancelled all weekend classes. This summer, the geniuses there managed to schedule ochem to conflict with practically every toher science class, also.

 

[llchen]

sdnmember,
Thank you for your reply! I am looking for the other university's class schedule now. Hopefully, I will find one university which has evening/weekend class. Actually, I only need one year of BIO and one year of O-chem. I tried to finish them in one year if I could. I am planning to apply the dental school for the Fall of 2006 anyway.
Same as you when I thought of I will become a dentist, I puts on my face too.
Anyway, the IT world is very tough now.
Any suggestion on the "easy" school? -thanks

 

[wowo]

Just like you, I got MS from SC and worked in high tech..

I did well on DAT but received many rejection letters... don't take core science classes from community or city colleges!!!

it hurts your damn chance to get in... my experience.... They (interviewer) keep squeezing you Why .... community college?

I am supporting family and doing whatever I can to take classes..... it does not matter... if you can go to post-bac at George Washington.. or well known state school..... In my case, I should have taken all of pre-req... at UC... UC rules in Cal...

Anyway got accepted to few ..... private schools... can't go too expensive or
I do not see myself paying back loan for 20 years... about half million dollars

moving to Alaska.. live in the wild ... I wish.

 

[llchen]

WOWO,
Thank you so much for your post!
I was going to go to the suffolk community college today for my BIO classes because the Stony Brook University doesn't have evening and weekend class for BIO; only for O chem. Anyway, I have to find a way to walk around this.
I got one question on the DAT, I know they have another thread for this. Just a quick one. what do you think the PAT section? I just did one pratice test on PAT yesterday. Except the hole punching and angle ranking, others are very hard to solve for me. It is matter of practice or I just 3-dimentional blind person.
Thanks,

 

[llchen]

WOWO, Congradulation!
Sorry, I forgot to congradulate you. Anyway, the good news is at least you could get start it. I know the private school is kind of expensive. I have never been in one yet. Hopefully never. Good Luck

 

[Calculus1]

Just like you, I got MS from SC and worked in high tech..

I did well on DAT but received many rejection letters... don't take core science classes from community or city colleges!!!

it hurts your damn chance to get in... my experience.... They (interviewer) keep squeezing you Why .... community college?

I am supporting family and doing whatever I can to take classes..... it does not matter... if you can go to post-bac at George Washington.. or well known state school..... In my case, I should have taken all of pre-req... at UC... UC rules in Cal...

Anyway got accepted to few ..... private schools... can't go too expensive or
I do not see myself paying back loan for 20 years... about half million dollars

moving to Alaska.. live in the wild ... I wish.

I took two years at a CC before I went to a University and got in to all three TX schools. They never asked me once about attending a CC. If they do ask you just answer, "to save money" and they will completely understand.

 

[wowo]

Hi ilChen... If you could take a drawing class, please take it before a real DAT. It really help me to see in 3D.. Otherwise, try to find old PAT test somehow and practice it with all your heart....

Kaplan PAT does not help much Don't waste your money..


Dear UT,

I am not saying CC or JC education is far less than 4 year schools. My background is not biological science. Adcom heavily weights or favors biological science majors.... What is your major from UT... biochem..

In that case, CC or JC doesn't matter much since you have completed upper division science courses at a well known school.

For non-traditional and engineering major students, most ADCOM want to see
4 year school records .... They want to make sure we can survive Dental School...

I know some of JC classes are way harder than UC or UT..


By the way, what is your stat since you got accepted to all three Texas schools? I may move to Texas in the summer instead of going up to Alaska.

Cheers...

 

[sdnmember]

Even teh most expensive school does not cost a half million dollars. 200k is hardly half a million. I would accept the private school if i were you. I would graduate earlier, and make money earlier, instead of spending a thousand dollars each year trying to get into one.

 

[sdnmember]

WOWO,
Thank you so much for your post!
I was going to go to the suffolk community college today for my BIO classes because the Stony Brook University doesn't have evening and weekend class for BIO; only for O chem. Anyway, I have to find a way to walk around this.
I got one question on the DAT, I know they have another thread for this. Just a quick one. what do you think the PAT section? I just did one pratice test on PAT yesterday. Except the hole punching and angle ranking, others are very hard to solve for me. It is matter of practice or I just 3-dimentional blind person.
Thanks,

Ochem isn't at night or weekend either. I'mt aking Ochem this summer, it's MWF at 9:30AM. Stony Brook doesn't offer weekend classes and their night classes are limited to 'non essential' classes. The way around the PAT is to practice i presume, like any other part of the DAT

 

[djsux]

I was a BSEE, came out worked a few years as a consultant and did some business stuff, software programming, etc., then applied and just finished my first year. So it's possible!

I personally think that you should take the pre-reqs from a 4-year, but it seems like ppl have had success either way. Taking from CC might hurt when you're studying for your DATs, as CC classes tend to be easier and less rigorous, but it's something that can be overcome. I think the cost and timing issue for CC classes are certainly very good reasons for taking pre-reqs there.

I took the bare bones courses for my pre-reqs - I might have taken an extra higher level bio course. Once you get in, you'll find that a lot of your classmates have taken all these courses before, so they will be at some advantage, but it's nothing that can't be overcome by an engineer. You'll have the most difficulty getting adjusted to straight up memorization as opposed to learning concepts and applying them. That's the hardest part of dental school coming from an engineering background. Memorize mundane facts and regurgitate - glamourous, neh?

And as often stated, you don't have to finish your pre-reqs before applying, just before you enter d-school. So get on that app and get those LORs in.

Cheers & gl with the app process...

 

[llchen]

Thanks for everybody's input. I have to work full time. So, I only could go to the school which offer the evening and weekend classes. I probably have to go to two schools to finish my pre-req courses -BIO and O chem.
I just got my transicript from my college. I got two questions. Does Computer Science courses count as Science or only math, chem, phys, biology? And I have to take a course which is physics for computer science. Does this course count as BCP?
I am out of school for so long. I don't know if I should go back to my old college and ask the professor for the LOR. They probably already forget who I am. Anyway, I could get the letters from the professors which I will take their courses at this fall.
Regarding the application; am I too early to fill up the application for 2006? on the AASDAS web site, they only have the application up to 2005.
Thanks,

 

[djsux]

I think that I counted by EE courses in as science, but I'm not sure on that one. I applied to TX schools, so there was information on how to calc those GPA's thru their application service.

As far as the LOR goes, check what the AASDAS rules say. For the TX app, there were specific requirements for LORs if you were currently working full-time. I had to get one from my supervisor, and then one from a prof.

cheers & good luck...

 

[mtabibian]

Thanks everybody for the feedback.

I am glad to see other people tried the same path before.

djsux,

I have taken physic and English classes for my EE degree. Is that enough to only take BIO 1 & 2, Chem 1 & 2 and Org Chem 1 & 2?

Thanks

 

[llchen]

Does anyone of you go to school already?
Tomorrow night is my first class - BIO 1. I am kind of nervous. I don't know if I will like it; if I could make it. It is a very long road for me.

 

[luder98]

Graduated in 2000. Started taking Bio and OC last year. I'm 31 and applying for this cycle. The last time I learned Bio was in high school in my language. I felt as if I had been in a foreign language class during the first week. I was totally lost. But I survived. In fact, I did pretty well in that class. Engineering is not the most difficult major, but IMO if you survive, you'll be fine in other fields. You've been through training

 

[Dr.SpongeBobDDS]

I didn't read the entire thread so if this has been answered already I apologize.

Dental schools aren't terribly hung up over whether your biology pre-reqs are 100 or 200 level courses. What they are looking for is that you are taking the Bio 1 and 2 courses intended for bio majors and not the bio for humanities majors (This is a cell. Color the inside of the cell blue. Color the outside pink. ) Usually the bio for majors is a 200 level course but not always.

Ask your advisor what bio courses the pre-meds and bio majors take. That is the one you want.

 

[sidewalkman]

Look at the link below to determine if your engineering/comp sci classes count toward science and/or BCP:

http://aadsas.adea.org/html-bin/INS_courses.htm

** = Science and BCP
* = Science only