PostBacc vs Dental Hygiene?

[SkinnyT]

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Hey Folks! So its about that time of the year when we wait anxiously on dental school decisions.

I wanted to get your suggestions. I just graduated with a B.S. and ADSAAS did no justice to my gpas! I went to three different colleges and my GPAs are the following (according to ADSAAS):

Mount Aloysius College (Criminal Justice Major) in 2006 - 2.4overall (2.7 on transcript)

Eastern University in 2007 - 2.83overall (3.1 on transcript)

UCONN 2007 to 2012 - 2.94overall (3.2 on transcript)

Overal ADSAAS calculation: 🙁
BCP - 2.6
Sci - 2.65
Non-sci - 3.25
Total - 2.88

DAT:
18PA, 18QR, 17BIO, 14 QR, 18GC, 16OC: 17 TS & 17 AA 🙁

Having said all, Ive applied to 12 schools (Tufts, BU, NYU, UCONN, Meharry, Howard, Arizona, New England, Temple, etc.).

Lots of extra curriculars, church musician, community service, shadowing, etc..

I know my chances are super low, and I wasnt able to get into a Masters in Molecular and Cell Bio that starts this August, so I am looking to apply to a Post Bacc program offered a CCSU (Central Connecticut State University) or either apply for Dental hygiene and do that while I try getting into dental school.

One problem is deciding which program, since CCSU has two programs:

1) Pre-health Science Certificate program (which will have me take every single pre-requisite again as a graduate student: so idk how repeating every single pre-req would do me any good other than just raising my GPA).

2) A Molecular & Cell Bio post-bacc which will have science classes with research

(Both start in January 2013)


I know i need to improve my GPA, but other than what I said, what do you guys recommend i do?? I just applied in early/mid July but I don't think I'm gonna get in because of my stats, and I don't want to sit around for a year. Also, if anyone know of any post bacc programs that i could start in Jan 2013, let me know!

Nonetheless, what do you guys think I should do? Should I just apply for dental Hygiene in case i dont get into Dental school for 2013? I know I will reapply for dental school, but perhaps while I reapply I could be doing Dental Hygiene?

Also, since I already have a B.S., will the dental hygiene take me less amount of time to complete than the normal amount of time? Anyone gone from B.S. to Dental hygiene, please share! Thanks in advance 🙂

 

[baby tooth]

How does it happen that the GPA's on the transcript are so different from the AADSAS calculated ones?

It's pretty easy to calculate GPA's...I don't understand how the GPA on one's transcript could really differ from the AADSAS calculated GPA, so if anyone knows, please tell me because this just doesn't make sense to me at all.

 

[baby tooth]

One problem is deciding which program, since CCSU has two programs:

1) Pre-health Science Certificate program (which will have me take every single pre-requisite again as a graduate student: so idk how repeating every single pre-req would do me any good other than just raising my GPA).

2) A Molecular & Cell Bio post-bacc which will have science classes with research

(Both start in January 2013)

Do program #2. There's no use in repeating prerequisites unless you have a C- or lower in them. You need to show schools that you can handle new material. Make sure to get those A's!

I know i need to improve my GPA, but other than what I said, what do you guys recommend i do?? I just applied in early/mid July but I don't think I'm gonna get in because of my stats, and I don't want to sit around for a year. Also, if anyone know of any post bacc programs that i could start in Jan 2013, let me know!

Nonetheless, what do you guys think I should do? Should I just apply for dental Hygiene in case i dont get into Dental school for 2013? I know I will reapply for dental school, but perhaps while I reapply I could be doing Dental Hygiene?

Also, since I already have a B.S., will the dental hygiene take me less amount of time to complete than the normal amount of time? Anyone gone from B.S. to Dental hygiene, please share! Thanks in advance 🙂

If you don't get in, either continue taking classes and raising those GPA's or get a job doing research or in healthcare. I think this would be more beneficial than going for dental hygiene. Then again, dental hygiene counts as "other science" on AADSAS so it'd help you raise your science GPA, just not your BCP. Not sure what to tell you.

 

[SkinnyT]

Then again, dental hygiene counts as "other science" on AADSAS so it'd help you raise your science GPA, just not your BCP. Not sure what to tell you.

Why is Dental Hygiene considered "Other science" and not "Science"? And how would i help me raise my BCP? Thanks! 👍

 

[baby tooth]

Why is Dental Hygiene considered "Other science" and not "Science"? And how would i help me raise my BCP? Thanks! 👍

Here: http://www.adea.org/dental_educatio.../ADEA AADSAS General Instructions Booklet.pdf

On page 27 you can see how courses are classified. It goes English, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Other Science (Sciences other than biology-chemistry-physics), or Non Science. Therefore, since dental hygiene classes are science classes but they're not biology, chemistry, or physics classes so they're considered "other science." It still goes into your science GPA, just not your Biology/Chemistry/Physics (BCP) GPA. If you wanted to raise your BCP, you would have to take classes that are under the categories of Biology, Chemistry, or Physics on the list of the link that I provided.

Now will you tell me how it turned out that your calculated GPA's on your transcripts were so different from the ones that AADSAS calculated? That seems so strange to me.

 

[dentalWorks]

One problem is deciding which program, since CCSU has two programs:

1) Pre-health Science Certificate program (which will have me take every single pre-requisite again as a graduate student: so idk how repeating every single pre-req would do me any good other than just raising my GPA).

2) A Molecular & Cell Bio post-bacc which will have science classes with research

Statistically speaking, you will have a very hard time getting with those numbers (even if AADSAS had the transcript GPAs ~ which aren't all that different, I mean ~ 2.8 vs 3.1 are in the same neighborhood ESPECIALLY with that low DAT).

I wouldn't touch any masters program even if it was offered to me for free. At this point, ur #1 priority is raising the undergrad GPA (or at least, show strong upward trend with 35+ credits).

I could sit here and talk about retaking DAT, but thats a talk for another time, right now, its all about GPA.

I would take the option that raises undergrad GPA

 

[baby tooth]

...even if AADSAS had the transcript GPAs ~ which aren't all that different, I mean ~ 2.8 vs 3.1 are in the same neighborhood

I disagree. Sure a 2.8 and a 3.1 are both low GPA's for entering dental school, but they are significantly different. People actually stand a chance with a 3.1, but they don't with a 2.8.

That's like saying a 3.5 and a 3.2 or a 3.4 and a 3.1 aren't that different, IMO. It is a significant difference in AADSAS GPA vs the transcript, which I cannot understand.

 

[dentalWorks]

I disagree. Sure a 2.8 and a 3.1 are both low GPA's for entering dental school, but they are significantly different. People actually stand a chance with a 3.1, but they don't with a 2.8.

That's like saying a 3.5 and a 3.2 or a 3.4 and a 3.1 aren't that different, IMO. It is a significant difference in AADSAS GPA vs the transcript, which I cannot understand.

you didn't finish my quote... let me help you out:

"even if AADSAS had the transcript GPAs ~ which aren't all that different, I mean ~ 2.8 vs 3.1 are in the same neighborhood ESPECIALLY with that low DAT"

 

[baby tooth]

you didn't finish my quote... let me help you out:

"even if AADSAS had the transcript GPAs ~ which aren't all that different, I mean ~ 2.8 vs 3.1 are in the same neighborhood ESPECIALLY with that low DAT"

That's because to me the DAT doesn't change the fact that those GPA's differ significantly. OP could retake the DAT, get a 25, but with a 2.8 he still doesn't stand a chance, whereas with a 3.1 he would.

That's my point.