NO HOPE. feeling depressed

[FLdentist]

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i tried not to be , but guess I had to be like another pessimist in this forum.

so, it was my second time applying to dschool. last year i applied to 15 schools all oos, and didnt get a single interview.
i somewhat expected that result because I wasnt confident with my number (both gpa 3.0, DAT 19/19/21 (ts/aa/pat)).
i graduated in december last year, and until june this year i studied so much to take the DAT for the third time. for 6 months, you can say i was in major depression. I felt devastated after my third dat because it only went up to 1 point and pat went down (20/20/17). my problem is i got 16 on reading, and most schools would reject me for my low gpa and reading section.

This year i applied to 20 (mostly oos), and started a 1 year master's program in biomedical science. I have gotten 2 rejections so far, and 1 interview to loma linda (i believe mainly because of my religion, not because of my stat) but havent gotten any notification yet.

I am pretty sure schools are waiting for my fall grades, my another problem is that I was taking 3 classes, and for with two classes i received zeroes. i will end up getting an I (incomplete) in the program with a doctor's note saying that i was under stress because of family issues.

I dont know what to do now. I was thinking about withdrawing from the program and take upper level science classes at the local college for next semester. or I dont know if I should continue doing the master's program. If I sent my transcript, im worried that adcom might think that I have a psychological problem.
Also, I dont know if i should waste money again next semester to continue on the graduate studies.
Either way, i know i wouldnt have much chance this year.....I was so sure that dentistry is what i really wanted to, and also know that perseverance is the key. but after so many failures, my selfesteem and confident level are reaching negative. im trying to stay hopeful that I will be in ds oneday. but i need to repeat prereq courses if I reapply next year and i dont know what i should do..
any advice will be appreciated.
sorry for the depressing post. if you got into a dschool really congratulations!

 

[shmendrick]

Hey dont be down and dont be depressed, your grades are fine and your DAT scores are good enough. I dont know your exact situation and I don't know when you applied but maybe if you applied late that could have been a factor which affected your admissions. I have also taken the DAT 3 times and still have not received an interview invite (probably due to my late November mailing date). In addition, this is also my second time applying. If dentistry is something you really want to do, then dont give up on your goal. Who cares so you'll reapply again next cycle, early this time, and you'll get in. I don't mean to sound cliche' but Abraham Lincoln failed in seven elections and was clinically depressed and look at how successful he was. History has showed us that failing only makes us stronger. Don't give up and keep a positive attitude because who knows youll probably get into Loma Linda anyways. Stay up and good luck 😉

 

[mikedavidson]

Do not get depressed at any position in your life as the day comes after a dark night.Fight the world,accept your challenges and go ahead.I am sure you would succeed.

 

[321931]

i tried not to be , but guess I had to be like another pessimist in this forum.

so, it was my second time applying to dschool. last year i applied to 15 schools all oos, and didnt get a single interview.
i somewhat expected that result because I wasnt confident with my number (both gpa 3.0, DAT 19/19/21 (ts/aa/pat)).
i graduated in december last year, and until june this year i studied so much to take the DAT for the third time. for 6 months, you can say i was in major depression. I felt devastated after my third dat because it only went up to 1 point and pat went down (20/20/17). my problem is i got 16 on reading, and most schools would reject me for my low gpa and reading section.

This year i applied to 20 (mostly oos), and started a 1 year master's program in biomedical science. I have gotten 2 rejections so far, and 1 interview to loma linda (i believe mainly because of my religion, not because of my stat) but havent gotten any notification yet.

I am pretty sure schools are waiting for my fall grades, my another problem is that I was taking 3 classes, and for with two classes i received zeroes. i will end up getting an I (incomplete) in the program with a doctor's note saying that i was under stress because of family issues.

I dont know what to do now. I was thinking about withdrawing from the program and take upper level science classes at the local college for next semester. or I dont know if I should continue doing the master's program. If I sent my transcript, im worried that adcom might think that I have a psychological problem.
Also, I dont know if i should waste money again next semester to continue on the graduate studies.
Either way, i know i wouldnt have much chance this year.....I was so sure that dentistry is what i really wanted to, and also know that perseverance is the key. but after so many failures, my selfesteem and confident level are reaching negative. im trying to stay hopeful that I will be in ds oneday. but i need to repeat prereq courses if I reapply next year and i dont know what i should do..
any advice will be appreciated.
sorry for the depressing post. if you got into a dschool really congratulations!

I live and die by this quote: "When your back is against the wall, you will know your true self." When I was in the same position as you, I challenged myself even more than if my back wasn't against the wall. I knew I was capable of more. I knew I was hardworking, and could achieve those A's. I knew it, and now when all was lost, I had to prove to myself that the me...who I say I am...is truly me. If you give up now, you are nothing of what you say you are. I don't care if you say you are hardworking, and capable, because if you give up when the times get tough, you were never those qualities. Never. Now is the time to show and prove to yourself who you truly are.

That's what brought me out of my depression. I had a huge major slump in my junior year with a 1.7 junior gpa which destroyed my cgpa/scgpa. What did I do? I lived and died by that quote. Took 55 units (ended with 3.9 in those units, and raised gpa from 3.1-3.5) during my senior year, and did well on the DAT (22). Where did I end up? In dental school.

But most importantly, what did I end up with? I ended up with knowing who I truely am. When my back was against the wall, I rose to the occasion. Thats what you need to do now.

 

[imjonk]

I'd say that if you know that dentistry is ABSOLUTELY what YOU want to do then there's no reason to stop trying until you know you've fought the good fight and given it your all. Be practical and weigh your options.

What you've said shows some dangerous warning signs to admissions committees though. There's a fine line between showing them how you would cope with the potential stresses of dental school from past experiences and showing them that you can't cope with the academic rigors of dental school. For example, you mention that 1 year master's program, but to adcoms if you can't finish that then what will lead them to seeing you as someone who can finish 4 years of professional school? i know it sounds harsh, but they'll be as unbiased and direct as possible based on what they see on paper because that's really all they've got to go on prior to interviews.

I sincerely wish you the best though. I have quite a few friends that are waiting to hear back from schools and the key is to just stay positive and hoping and praying for the best while preparing for the worst.

 

[AZ Dent]

It is not unusual to apply to dental school three years in a row without getting anything. I have classmates that were on their third or fourth try.

The key is figuring out what to do differently. If you aren't accepted anywhere this year (Loma Linda is a great school, by the way, if that works out), see if you can get feedback from the schools that rejected you. Maybe you need more practical experience? More volunteer? I'd agree that dropping out of a masters science program won't look great- maybe your focus now should be on rallying your efforts there and doing the best you possibly can.

Don't give up- again, people do apply multiple years in a row and then get accepted. Good luck!

 

[dentallover]

FLDentist I recommend you to call the director of admissions of each school you are really interested in and let them know your interest for the school, the profession and your persistance in applying again. They will ask you some questions over the phone and hopefully they invite you for an interview. Wishing you the best.

 

[hoylematt]

I don't know if this is information that you already knew, but Loma Linda is being much more strict on the reading comprehension score of the DAT then they have been in recent years. Supposedly the format for the 2nd boards have changed and it is much more reading intensive. I guess a handful of their Korean students that were accepted with super high science scores, yet subpar reading scores, had to retake the boards. Thus the reason for the tiny dip in this last years Board pass rates for LLU.

That being said I must advise you not to throw in the towel. I have felt the same way multiple times in my life. After I transferred to a 4-year from the community college I was attending I had just over a 3.0 GPA. I realized that I would have to dramatically change my strategy and focus on school to be competitive for Dschool. I made studying a priority in my life. I quit playing video games, I quit procrastinating, I seriously did a 180 and guess what? I was able to 4.0 my last 4 semesters. I never thought it could be possible to do it. We really do not give ourselves credit for what we have the potential to do.

Either way, it is up to you how much you want this. I was prepared to try as many cycles as possible to achieve this goal. I already had my informal 1 year post-bacc lined up for the next 2 semesters. If that didn't work I was going to the Biotech master's program here at my school. The road is painful, but the reward is so worth it.

 

[AmpedUp]

We can definitely relate. However, I have 2 schools left to place all my hope at this point. Maybe some good news just before christmas?

 

[FLdentist]

I live and die by this quote: "When your back is against the wall, you will know your true self." When I was in the same position as you, I challenged myself even more than if my back wasn't against the wall. I knew I was capable of more. I knew I was hardworking, and could achieve those A's. I knew it, and now when all was lost, I had to prove to myself that the me...who I say I am...is truly me. If you give up now, you are nothing of what you say you are. I don't care if you say you are hardworking, and capable, because if you give up when the times get tough, you were never those qualities. Never. Now is the time to show and prove to yourself who you truly are.

That's what brought me out of my depression. I had a huge major slump in my junior year with a 1.7 junior gpa which destroyed my cgpa/scgpa. What did I do? I lived and died by that quote. Took 55 units (ended with 3.9 in those units, and raised gpa from 3.1-3.5) during my senior year, and did well on the DAT (22). Where did I end up? In dental school.

But most importantly, what did I end up with? I ended up with knowing who I truely am. When my back was against the wall, I rose to the occasion. Thats what you need to do now.

Thank you everyone for the encouragements. it really means so much and i tell you now i won't quit. thank you so much
my concern at this point is if i should take upper science level classes in local college with funding or finish the masters program next semester.
any thoughts?

 

[dentalpath]

Finish the masters program...shows both hardwork and persistence as well as your ability to handle tough sciences..

 

[Hordel]

To be honest I felt the EXACT same way two three years ago when I had interviews and DID NOT get accepted whenI thought I would. I was so depressed that I think my family was really worried for a while, and x-mas that year was VERY gloomy! YET, a little later that year (late spring) I finally got accepted after waiting. I would say if you have interviewed at Loma Linda and haven't heard anything then call them asap. Let them know you want into dental school and will do anything to get in. Besides that just try and hang in there. DO NOT EVER give up if this is what you want. You may have to finish your masters first and then try again next year. Also call/email some of the schools and ask what you need to do to be a better canidate! Good luck and keep your head up! I believe you WILL get there if you keep at it!!!!!

 

[FLdentist]

my appeal did not work so it is official that I got a D, C, (with a zero in each class) and A in my classes. this means i have a 2.5 graduate GPA.
so, it is most likely that I would not get into any dental school this year, and even though I wouldnt want to think about it, I should have a plan B.
for about a week, it's been bothering me, and im hoping to have any advice on my option.

option 1: continue on master's program next semester
With the assumption that I get good grades from now, I will complete my master's degree with ~3.3 GPA at the end of this summer. im not sure it's worthy investing ~$10k.

option 2: take upper level science classes (3000&4000) at local college
It's MUCH cheaper, and if i can probably can have 3.5 overall undergraduate GPA(with 3.06 i already have) next year I apply

option 3: do research for a semester and start new master's program next year.

for both option 2&3, i will be withdrawing from my current master's program..i am so stressed at this point.
there are 14 schools waiting for my fall grades.....but I dont have no fall grades to present them. Ive been trying to have my hopes, but also i need to be realistic.

any advice will be appreciated. hope you have a wonderful weekend!

 

[oreoson]

my appeal did not work so it is official that I got a D, C, (with a zero in each class) and A in my classes. this means i have a 2.5 graduate GPA.
so, it is most likely that I would not get into any dental school this year, and even though I wouldnt want to think about it, I should have a plan B.
for about a week, it's been bothering me, and im hoping to have any advice on my option.

option 1: continue on master's program next semester
With the assumption that I get good grades from now, I will complete my master's degree with ~3.3 GPA at the end of this summer. im not sure it's worthy investing ~$10k.

option 2: take upper level science classes (3000&4000) at local college
It's MUCH cheaper, and if i can probably can have 3.5 overall undergraduate GPA(with 3.06 i already have) next year I apply

option 3: do research for a semester and start new master's program next year.

for both option 2&3, i will be withdrawing from my current master's program..i am so stressed at this point.
there are 14 schools waiting for my fall grades.....but I dont have no fall grades to present them. Ive been trying to have my hopes, but also i need to be realistic.

any advice will be appreciated. hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Even if you were accepted in this cycle, your acceptance would be conditional upon successful completion of your MSc program. So, I suspect that schools want you to finish what you started. If I were you, I would opt for continuing your MSc program and doing graduate research at the same time.