Non-trad Needing advise on pre-req sequence (while working full time-ish)

[CareerNumTwo]

Hey everyone,

Can someone please take a look at my plan for classes and tell me what you think? The pre-health advisors at my school are less than helpful - I wish they had told me to take Chem 1 before Bio 1... :/

I recognize classes from school to school vary (and prof to prof for that matter) but I don't want to overload myself. I need A's to overcome my undergrad performance from nine years ago, so that's my #1 goal. I also work full-time (really easy job that affords me time to study for a few hours here and there "on the clock" so to speak). I have a four year old and a husband that need/want my attention.

Fall 2015 (Light schedule; new to my job & just getting my feet wet on classes. Looking like A's so far)
1) Gen Chem I + lab
2) Bio I + lab

Winter 2015 (mini semester)
1) Algebra I (Taking it as a way to boost my science GPA. Plus, I was told it would be a nice refresher for the DAT. Is that true?)

Spring 2016 (this is my most worrisome semester - what do you think?)
1) Gen Chem II + lab
2) Microbiology (no lab): the prof rates extremely high on ratemyprofessor for being interesting & easy. plus I read doing micro before the DAT is useful - is that true?
3) an upper-div english course (in order to hit the two course req)
4) Biology II + lab (Taking at a local comm college b/c my work schedule doesn't fit the course at my four year)
5) undergrad TA for Bio Lab (worth 3 credits - easy A for my BCP GPA. just time consuming.)

Summer 2016
1) Basic statistics (Online through my U. Taking because I've heard the DAT may incorporate statistics soon. Plus, I want another science GPA A)
2) Upper-div nutrition course (online through my U to boost my science GPA & because I'm interested in nutrition)
3) Intro A&P (four credit online course from a comm college - not a prereq but it would boost my BCP GPA as well as prepare me to succeed in A&P)
4) Intro physics (four credit online course from a comm college - same reason as above: BCP GPA boost and to prep me for actual physics)
*Although I don't think I "need" the pre-A&P/pre-physics courses, they should be easy-ish. I just hope admissions committees don't assume it's a fluff course since it has truly been a long time since I've even thought about physics - let alone studied it...

Fall 2016
1) Orgo I
2) Anatomy & Physiology I
3) undergrad TA for Bio Lab (another 3 credit easy A for my BCP GPA)

Winter 2016 (mini semester)
1) Either a psych or sociology course (a couple of the schools on my wish list req it)

Spring 2017
1) Orgo II
2) Anatomy & Physiology II
3) undergrad TA for Gen Chem (3 credit easy A for BCP, assuming I'm selected)

Summer 2017
- Study for and take the DAT
- Apply to D school

Fall 2017
1) Physics I
2) Biochem I
3) something else...

Winter 2017
1) Either a psych or sociology course

Spring 2018
1) Physics II
2) Biochem II
3) Histology through the med school

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[TraumaBlonde]

You shld only take one or two courses over the summer bc they're condensed and you'll drown if you overload yourself

 

[BeaverLover]

I second the post above

 

[BetaHelix]

OP i sent you a pm

 

[Cello]

Winter 2015 (mini semester)
1) Algebra I (Taking it as a way to boost my science GPA. Plus, I was told it would be a nice refresher for the DAT. Is that true?)

No need, the DAT prep materials is sufficient and this will just waste your time and money. Furthermore, sGPA is less important to dental schools than BCP, as opposed to med school which looks at BCPM.

Spring 2016 (this is my most worrisome semester - what do you think?)
1) Gen Chem II + lab
2) Microbiology (no lab): the prof rates extremely high on ratemyprofessor for being interesting & easy. plus I read doing micro before the DAT is useful - is that true?
3) an upper-div english course (in order to hit the two course req)
4) Biology II + lab (Taking at a local comm college b/c my work schedule doesn't fit the course at my four year)
5) undergrad TA for Bio Lab (worth 3 credits - easy A for my BCP GPA. just time consuming.)

I did not take microbio before my DAT and scored a 28 on Bio. You don't need it, the DAT prep materials mentioned on these forums are plenty. I am planning to take micro the semester before I enter school.

Summer 2016
1) Basic statistics (Online through my U. Taking because I've heard the DAT may incorporate statistics soon. Plus, I want another science GPA A)
2) Upper-div nutrition course (online through my U to boost my science GPA & because I'm interested in nutrition)
3) Intro A&P (four credit online course from a comm college - not a prereq but it would boost my BCP GPA as well as prepare me to succeed in A&P)
4) Intro physics (four credit online course from a comm college - same reason as above: BCP GPA boost and to prep me for actual physics)
*Although I don't think I "need" the pre-A&P/pre-physics courses, they should be easy-ish. I just hope admissions committees don't assume it's a fluff course since it has truly been a long time since I've even thought about physics - let alone studied it...

My DAT had some stats on it.

Fall 2016
1) Orgo I
2) Anatomy & Physiology I
3) undergrad TA for Bio Lab (another 3 credit easy A for my BCP GPA)

Winter 2016 (mini semester)
1) Either a psych or sociology course (a couple of the schools on my wish list req it)

Spring 2017
1) Orgo II
2) Anatomy & Physiology II
3) undergrad TA for Gen Chem (3 credit easy A for BCP, assuming I'm selected)

Summer 2017
- Study for and take the DAT
- Apply to D school

Fall 2017
1) Physics I
2) Biochem I
3) something else...

Winter 2017
1) Either a psych or sociology course

Spring 2018
1) Physics II
2) Biochem II
3) Histology through the med school

I don't think you need to fill space with extra classes, just take what you need and save the time / money.

 

[CareerNumTwo]

You shld only take one or two courses over the summer bc they're condensed and you'll drown if you overload yourself

What if the pre-A&P and the pre-physics courses are spread across the whole summer? They last 14 weeks so I don't think they'll be that hard. I really hope I'm not underestimating them, otherwise I agree that I'll start drowning...

The online nutrition courses offered through my school are notoriously easy. The only class I actually think I'll have to work hard (and fast) for is the online statistics course because that will be a true condensed class (ie a 6 week semester)...

 

[CareerNumTwo]

No need, the DAT prep materials is sufficient and this will just waste your time and money. Furthermore, sGPA is less important to dental schools than BCP, as opposed to med school which looks at BCPM. I did not take microbio before my DAT and scored a 28 on Bio. You don't need it, the DAT prep materials mentioned on these forums are plenty. I am planning to take micro the semester before I enter school. My DAT had some stats on it. I don't think you need to fill space with extra classes, just take what you need and save the time / money.

Thanks for your detailed response! I understand that BCP is weighed much more heavily than sGPA, but my cumulative GPA (from my undergrad years) is so weak that any class I take now helps to counteract that GPA - each four credit A I earn bumps it up by only 0.015. I feel like I have to take as many classes as possible to try to dig myself out of this huge hold I'm in... I just don't want to take so many that I overdo it and end up not getting an A in something. Fortunately, I don't have to worry about the money to pay for all of it - I work at the four year university where I take classes so I attend for practically nothing each semester (I recognize how lucky I am for this).

 

[Cello]

Thanks for your detailed response! I understand that BCP is weighed much more heavily than sGPA, but my cumulative GPA (from my undergrad years) is so weak that any class I take now helps to counteract that GPA - each four credit A I earn bumps it up by only 0.015. I feel like I have to take as many classes as possible to try to dig myself out of this huge hold I'm in... I just don't want to take so many that I overdo it and end up not getting an A in something. Fortunately, I don't have to worry about the money to pay for all of it - I work at the four year university where I take classes so I attend for practically nothing each semester (I recognize how lucky I am for this).

What is your oGPA? Mine was in the 3.2 range when I went back to school and is only a hair over a 3.3 now because I graduated with 160 creds. But, a lot of schools weigh your last credits more heavily, and a good BCP is often more relevant to adcoms than your oGPA.

 

[CareerNumTwo]

What is your oGPA? Mine was in the 3.2 range when I went back to school and is only a hair over a 3.3 now because I graduated with 160 creds. But, a lot of schools weigh your last credits more heavily, and a good BCP is often more relevant to adcoms than your oGPA.

Hopefully, this posts the way I want it to. Coming out of undergrad my stats were awful (143 credits worth of awful, so I know where you're coming from). However, I've made a lot of improvement in a very short time (just two semesters of 4.0s). The "when I apply" refers to where I will be if I continue on the trend of very high grades. My stats are still pretty low when you look at it all together, but my GPA has been incredibly high since my initial undergrad. I earned a Masters in Engineering Management a couple years ago with a 3.8 GPA (unfortunately, it was management based so no help to the sGPA). I'm hoping that once I make it through the 3.0 cutoff for the schools I apply to that they'll look and see the huge improvement/overhaul like you said. I know knocking the DAT out of the park will be critical for me...

oGPA - sGPA - BCP
Before: 2.5 2.2 1.6 (from my BS earned in 2007)
Now: 2.9 2.5 2.4
When I apply in 2017: 3.1 3.1 3.4 (the large change in BCP is b/c I only took a handful of BCP classes during my initial undergrad).

 

[Cello]

Hopefully, this posts the way I want it to. Coming out of undergrad my stats were awful (143 credits worth of awful, so I know where you're coming from). However, I've made a lot of improvement in a very short time (just two semesters of 4.0s). The "when I apply" refers to where I will be if I continue on the trend of very high grades. My stats are still pretty low when you look at it all together, but my GPA has been incredibly high since my initial undergrad. I earned a Masters in Engineering Management a couple years ago with a 3.8 GPA (unfortunately, it was management based so no help to the sGPA). I'm hoping that once I make it through the 3.0 cutoff for the schools I apply to that they'll look and see the huge improvement/overhaul like you said. I know knocking the DAT out of the park will be critical for me...

oGPA - sGPA - BCP
Before: 2.5 2.2 1.6 (from my BS earned in 2007)
Now: 2.9 2.5 2.4
When I apply in 2017: 3.1 3.1 3.4 (the large change in BCP is b/c I only took a handful of BCP classes during my initial undergrad).

If you continue on like you are, you will be fine. Adcoms really are focused on your whole story, and they take their time to understand you through your achievements, not just your numbers. Coming back from a low GPA is difficult, and it takes grit. Most adcoms will look at that as a sign of determination and perseverance. You will be just fine if you continue to work hard!

 

[CareerNumTwo]

If you continue on like you are, you will be fine. Adcoms really are focused on your whole story, and they take their time to understand you through your achievements, not just your numbers. Coming back from a low GPA is difficult, and it takes grit. Most adcoms will look at that as a sign of determination and perseverance. You will be just fine if you continue to work hard!

I hope you're right! thanks!