No Science background...where should I apply?

[Celeste Brown]

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I have a BFA in theater. I am a DANB certified dental assistant and I just finished my Masters degree in Organizational Leadership....I finally fiqured out that I want to be a dentist. The only science I have is what I needed for undergrad which was Basic Bio. I plan on studying and getting tutors to help me study for the DAT. If I receive an 18 or better in all sections with a cumulative GPA of 3.4...can/should I apply to dental schools? Or will I HAVE to take those sciences to even be considered? Please help! I don't want to waste my time.

 

[ICUrunning]

I have a BFA in theater. I am a DANB certified dental assistant and I just finished my Masters degree in Organizational Leadership....I finally fiqured out that I want to be a dentist. The only science I have is what I needed for undergrad which was Basic Bio. I plan on studying and getting tutors to help me study for the DAT. If I receive an 18 or better in all sections with a cumulative GPA of 3.4...can/should I apply to dental schools? Or will I HAVE to take those sciences to even be considered? Please help! I don't want to waste my time.

No, you must also take prerequisite courses first. Schools require 1 year EACH of bio, chem, ochem, english. Check with individual schools as some require physics, anatomy, physiology, and microbiology.

Don't worry about taking the DAT now. Because you have not taken any prereq courses besides biology, you wouldn't be able to apply.

 

[sgv]

you have like two years to do the minimum to apply to dental school...consider postbacc or special master's program...average accepted DAT score is around 20...unfortunately you can't take gen chem and orgo simultaneously. you have to complete both gen chem first before you can take orgo. you also need to take orgo before you can take biochem so this process will likely take two years

 

[HaverfoodsDDS]

They're called prerequisites for a reason......

 

[dbd]

Dentistry is sorta heavily science based... Hope that didn't surprise you.

 

[Celeste Brown]

Dentistry is sorta heavily science based... Hope that didn't surprise you.

I did dental assisting and took my boards with no problem. Looking at post bacc schools. I'm gonna be 37 by the I finish dental school is that too old? Ladies, when do I have kids. This really changes things. Wish I hadn't waited so long to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up 🙁

 

[HaverfoodsDDS]

I did dental assisting and took my boards with no problem. Looking at post bacc schools. I'm gonna be 37 by the I finish dental school is that too old? Ladies, when do I have kids. This really changes things. Wish I hadn't waited so long to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up 🙁

Aren't dental assisting boards more about sterilization and radiation protocols?

 

[dbd]

As a fellow dental assistant, gonna put it pretty plain and simple. The "science" required for dental assisting isn't even on the same plane as the pre-reqs, let alone the actual anatomy and physiology stuff that you'll learn in dental school.

 

[DentalDoge]

There is absolutely no leniency for the prereq's because without those you will not be able to understand a thing in dental school.

 

[Celeste Brown]

I ment with the dental assisting that I studied and did well. And there are chair side portions to that test. You wouldn't believe how many people do not pass it. So my path is post bacc to cram in all the sciences I didn't take. Luckily it will be fresh for the DAT.

 

[ModifiedBass]

You wouldn't believe how many people don't pass orgo as well.. Also, your post-bac is probably going to take 2 years and you would take your DAT after that, so it should be pretty fresh.

 

[mario0923]

it it not the matter of wasting time or not, you have to take those prerequisite classes (gen bio, gen chem, orgo, physiology, microbio, anatomy, biochem). As HaverfoodsDDS said those are called prerequisite for a reason. You have to meet the minimum requirement to be at least considered as a candidate.
You are a dental assistant, and that should be a plus, but only when you have completed all the requirements.
You are worried because you are too old? well the average entering age is around 26 ish. This means there are people to start dental school in their 30s too. Being late is always better than not doing at all. There is no shortcut in life, and everything pays off at the end.
Hope you take all the prerequisite courses and take the DAT and apply!

 

[ktran17]

You cannot self-teach yourself 2 years worth of prereqs and just take the DAT. People get weeded out of prereq classes all the time, even when they have help from instructors and tutors..

 

[doc toothache]

Woke up one morning and decided to go to ds; by afternoon, ready to press the submit button.

 

[BrazilianRider]

Woke up one morning and decided to go to ds; by afternoon, ready to press the submit button.

Lmfao... OP, good luck!