Non-trad chances?

[AntTheDad]

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First of all, I know there is a thread for "what are my chances" however, I feel my situation is a bit different. I am seriously considering becoming a dentist but my situation causes me to hesitate. As the title states, I am definitely a non-trad. I feel that anything is possible with hard work and dedication, but I want to be realistic with myself. I am hoping some of you have some insight on if this is just a dream or something that can actually happen. Here is a little background on me:

I am 22 years old- no high school diploma but I do have GED- no college credits- currently working a sales/customer service job at a fortune 500 company for the last 4 years - worked fast food chain3 years before that-2 kids 1 4ys old 1 1yr old - 1 soon to be wife ....

Long story short, found out my gf at the time(soon to be wife mentioned above) was pregnant during my sophomore year in hs. I know I know idiot right? Anyway, got kicked out of the house and was on my own at 16. Immediately dropped out of school and started fast food job. I did that for 3 years while gf finished hs. Started working for large company and in between had child #2. I have been promoted a couple timed and now live a semi comfortable life but I'm not satisfied. I dread waking up and going to work. I want to provide a service, make a difference in peoples lives.

I know its impossible to say or even make an educated guess as to whether or not I can get to dental school. My plan is to attend local CC program (30 credits) then transfer to state college for bachelors in business. Heres the kicker, it will be 100% online, except for labs that are required in person. I will take pre req classes during these 4 years .

Assuming I can maintain a 3.5 gpa or higher, how will this effect me? I feel like I have an interesting life story and can provide a different component than say, someone straight out of college. Although it can be seen as as bad thing I suppose. Does having a family become a negative? Does the CC credits have a negative impact?

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I appreciate any tips/help.

 

[Likkriue]

I would encourage you NOT to take online courses. Like you, I had a GED, but I was 19 at the time. CC credits for pre-reqs will disqualify you for some schools(like 3 so doesnt matter), but as electives you would be fine.
CC nor family will have a negative impact. Im no expert on online courses, but Im sure you will get a better education being able to interact with professors and at an actual physical college.
Professors will be the folks writing your LOR when you need them. An online professor wont do squat, they probably never see you. Lecture and lab professors can easily be different.
You will miss out on being able to interact with students. You know, making connections?
You will miss out on interacting with professors face to face which can land you some sweet gigs (lab/research).
I highly advise you to not do online courses for all of undergrad(theres tons of shady ones out there trying to milk you for your money).

The other issue IMO is that you will have to dedicate a LARGE amount of time to academics along with trying to be there for your children. Don't assume you can maintain a high GPA, you NEED to maintain a higher GPA.
I wish you the best of luck and if you have any more questions, you can respond back or inbox me.

 

[PreDentTechySon]

I would check with a couple of the dental schools you'd be considering applying to about if they accept online courses for your main science classes. As for your other pre-reqs (writing, math etc.) as long as they're from an accredited university (or CC) you'll be fine w/ online classes. There's typically a limit on the number of courses you can take at a CC, it's usually around 50 hours or so (Id check with the school you're thinking about applying to). But it would be a great way to get your easy pre-reqs out of the way.

Have you done some shadowing or volunteering in dentistry? What made you want to look at dentistry?

 

[fogorvostan]

Other than recommending that you not take online classes, you do have a thought-out plan and a serious shot here. Having a family is definitely not a negative for your application, but finding the time to balance school and family life may be challenging. I'm sure you've discussed with your significant other regarding your career goals.

Take a look at this website if you haven't already and go from there: http://www.adea.org/GoDental/Non-traditional_Applicants/Career_changers.aspx

As a general tip, do well in your pre-reqs, study efficiently for the Dental Admission Test, and be involved with volunteer work that interests you.

Great link!

Just echoing pretty much everything that has been said.

Also, I would like to mention that you need to consider if you really want the business degree. If you decide to get a business degree, remember that you will have to do your prereqs on top of that. In general, that's another 30 or more credit hours:

• Gen chem 1 and 2 + labs: 8
• Bio 1 and 2 + labs: 8
• Orgo 1 and 2 + labs: 10
• Biochem: 4
• Optional: anatomy 1 and 2 (8), microbiology (4)
• All of these credit hours are what my undergrad used for our classes - your schools may vary

I also don't know your finances, but also having to pay for business classes and paying for your prereqs will start to add up. Also, you need to take into consideration if that will cause you to take longer than standard 4 years to achieve. I'm assuming that with two kids and wife, you probably won't be wanting to take 18 credit hour semesters + summers to get it done in 4 years.

Just some extra things to think about. It's true that you can major in anything you want to get into dental school, so if you really want the business degree, then go for it!

 

[schmoob]

Call the schools and talk to adcoms. Your situation is different. I took lots of online classes and got in.
Be warned though, online classes are hard. You won't learn anything from them. You will be paying money to teach yourself the material. I actually find brick and mortar classes easier. The only thing you get from online is flexibility.
My opinion is do brick and mortar as much as you can. You are looking at a LONG road ahead, but screw it. Do it right the first time. I will be starting dental school in the fall, in my 30's with kids as well. If a dummy like me can do it, so can you.
🙂

 

[AntTheDad]

All,

Thanks for the great advise! My situation has changed a bit. I lost my job, so fiance and I have decided to attend school full time! In Arizona our county has a Transfer program to guarantees acceptance to in state universities! Our plan is,

Attend local CC (about 35 credits) then transfer to Univ and attend physically. I thought I wanted to pursue a business degree for backup/just in case plan, but my heart is in biology as i'm truly intrigued and find it fascinating. I'm still on the fence, I have about a year to shadow/volunteer to make a final decision. Yes this will be financially straining, however we will be living with her parents which should be a big help. Yes we will both be attending school simultaneously. The difference is she will be online full time. We have thought about military as on option, we are both unsure.

We understand this will be a LONG journey but we are prepared! I think one of the most difficult aspects is making the decision to actually do it. Hopefully you will see me in 2024 class . Also, I though about starting a blog/timeline so others can see our progress and hopefully one day use it as inspiration. I don't know if I will have the time to do that, just a thought. Anyway, thank you all for your honest opinions.

 

[Polkadotfan]

Hey good luck!
I did online CC because of family/military stuff. I agree with @schmoob. They can be a lot harder since you are teaching yourself.
You can do it. I felt like it was taking me forever, but here I am applying this cycle! Good luck!!