Post Bac Experiences

[mangoagogo]

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Hi All,

I am graduating this year and I am looking at Dental Post Bac schools. I was overwhelmed by the number of programs available. If you are currently attending a dental school after a post bac school, or currently at a post bac program, and are satisfied with the program at your school, please answer some of my questions below:

1. Which school and which program did you attend?
2. Is there a linkage between your post bac and a dental school?
3. How long did it take/will it take for you to complete the program?
4. What was the matriculation rate of getting into a dental school?
5. Was the counseling, prep to dental school (DAT/Application) helpful?
6. What was your GPA at your post bac school (if you don't mind sharing)?
7. How was the overall experience at the post bac school you attended and would you recommend it to me?

I live in California but will consider going anywhere if the program is right for me. I just want all the people who have been there/done that to share your experiences at the post bac school you attended (formal or informal post bac).

Thank you guys/girls.

 

[travisdotn]

Hi- I am a post-bac student. I will finish my "informal" program after winter term. I will have taken just over 90 credits(quarter-system) as a post bac. I am taking pre-reqs and other upper division courses to prepare me for DS. I am simply earning a second degree(biology) while focusing on dental school prep.

I am from Oregon, where there is only 1 dental school, so for me it was easy to decide where to attend. The school I chose has no formal connection with the dental school, but being that they are located very close to each other there are opportunities such as an "dental explorers". A 1 credit course offered through my uni that is taken at the DS.

I don't know what the matriculation rate is, but this school is the largest feeder school. This was a major bonus for this school, and a major reason I chose this school for a post-bac uni.

There are pre-health advisors that can answer all your questions and will prepare committee letters for your application.

My post-bac GPA is 3.63.


My advice is to find out which schools are major feeder schools to some of the dental schools that you are interested in. If they are, they must have the resources and reputation to prepare pre-dental students for successful matriculation to DS.

Goodluck.

 

[mangoagogo]

Hey Travis,

Thanks for your reply. The degree I am going for in Undergrad is Biology, I just need to find a good Post bac school to brush up my grades and is helpful for my application process the following year. What is the name of the school you are in right now?

 

[mangoagogo]

Anyone else with good post bac experiences please share it here. Thanks 🙂

 

[mangoagogo]

dctim, thanks for your reply. I sent you a PM to ask you more about your experience.

 

[dctim211]

Anyone else with good post bac experiences please share it here. Thanks 🙂

Graduated undergrad as a bio major with a sub-3.0 gpa. Took 1 summer session and 3 semesters at UCI and a Cal State (all full-time with all upper division bio classes save for 1 microeconomics course). Reapplied this cycle and got interviews and acceptances for the first time. There's really no need to go out of state (in my opinion). Just do an Open University program (informal post-bacc) at a Cal State, take classes full-time w/ all being upper division 300 & 400 level bio classes, and get a 4.0 or damn close and you'll be ok. I think it's best to do this for as close to 2 years as you can get so you can show that you're able to handle a heavy courseload for more than just 1 or 2 semesters. Another thing that helps is to get a committee letter from the pre-health advising office at the school you end up going to. If you want more specifics, feel free to PM me.

 

[mangoagogo]

Bump

 

[HeelsFan]

Hey - I did post-bacc work between Tufts and the Harvard Extension School. Feel free to PM me for the gory details of my experience(s).

 

[srb711]

Have you applied to dental school at all yet?

I ask because I did the Creighton post bacc program, but didn't want to bore you with all the details if you haven't actually been through an app cycle because this is a requirement of the program.

 

[amalgamgrillz]

Dunno if you've checked out the Post-bacc forum. It has a great feedback sticky thread.

 

[vwantihero]

1. Which school and which program did you attend?
2. Is there a linkage between your post bac and a dental school?
3. How long did it take/will it take for you to complete the program?
4. What was the matriculation rate of getting into a dental school?
5. Was the counseling, prep to dental school (DAT/Application) helpful?
6. What was your GPA at your post bac school (if you don't mind sharing)?
7. How was the overall experience at the post bac school you attended and would you recommend it to me?

1. Currently attending Boston University MAMS oral health.
2. Yes, Classes are taken with the dental students and you basically are taking the first year of classes you would be taking if you got into BU dental. While you aren't guaranteed a spot it looks great for you and they reserve 15 spots for the graduate students as a formality. The Dental School admissions works with you and likes to meet with the graduate students to gauge how they are doing in the program and see if you are the material for them. The admissions head meets with you and if he sees that you are doing well he gives you the go ahead to submit your application. Otherwise he will ask that you continue the program.
3. The program is offered as a 2 years masters degree. While it is a 2 year program, one can opt to finish it in one by doing a library thesis instead of a lab thesis if you are confident in gaining acceptance on the upcoming year. so you will be finished by the end of summer if you decide on the 1 year track.
4. while all is hearsay, the website for the program boasts that an impressive 96% of students have been accepted. "60 students have completed the Program and 58 have been accepted to the following dental schools: Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine; Tufts University School of Dental Medicine; University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry; University of Washington School of Dentistry; Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine;Creighton University School of Dentistry; Marquette University School of Dentistry; and University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry." BU website
5. All the counselors, especially the GMS counselors are extremely helpful and will help you in any aspect of the program, application, DAT that you require. While there isn't official DAT tutoring offered by the program their is a Tutoring service available that they recommend.
6. Program isn't complete and I only have a grade from Biochem=B+ and the classes leak into the second semester so the grades aren't available.
7. I really am enjoying it. My class(the people) is great, everyone is friendly and we go out together all the time. The dental students are cool(except for a couple D-Bags that think they are gods gift to the world). All the teachers are really helpful and make the lectures entertaining. The only difficulty about the whole thing(besides the courses) is getting situated to the city and not having a car. otherwise its great and I recommend applying.

 

[johnwestres]

LOL

i wonder who those dbags are

 

[vwantihero]

LOL

i wonder who those dbags are

oh you know... lol

 

[Curioustooth]

I was wondering..
would it be better to just graduate late? so it can be added up to ug gpa instead..
my gpa is not so great and my advisor told me about post bacc program.

Then what would be the difference in graduating late and doing post bacc??