Pre-dental: To continue or not to continue?

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JMdental

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Here is my dental story:

I started dental assisting when I was 17 (had all my certifications). I've been dental assisting ever since (7 years) and have had several tremendous bosses (dentists) who encouraged me to pursue dental school even when I first started in the dental field. They say I'm smart, have the heart and personality for the job and without sounding arrogant, I believe I would be a great dentist but I feel anything but smart considering my academic situation.

What sealed my decision to pursue dentistry was my first trip to Africa with a dental team...I started doing extractions and administered anesthetic and was in love with helping people by helping their teeth. I have been to 6 different countries with dentists who have trained me in what they know. I have volunteer hours out the wazoo and have assisted for the WREB exam for several dental students the last few years. I'm apart of the pre-dental student organization at my school.

Bottom line. I love dentistry, and I want to be a dentist so badly.

My big dilemma:

my GPA is (2.95) and doesn't reflect my sincere desire to be a dentist and willingness to put effort into my work. I am a junior at a university getting my general science degree. I have completed all but these prereqs: physics and biochem, which I will be taking starting fall of 2010. I got straight C's in general chemistry, a D+ in ochem 1, a C in ochem 2, and right now I am having to withdraw from Ochem 3 because I can't take another C on my transcript and that's where it's headed. I had a D in biology which I re-took and got a B. I am scheduled to take a Kaplan course starting in June and then my DAT in early September, so I have the entire summer to study for it. Believe me, I am fully aware I will have to re-take Gen chem and Ochem.

A few options I've been thinking about, what would you recommend?

Because I would love to be able to apply to dental school asap, once my act is together...should I:

-Wait until next year to take the DAT, and retake ochem during the summer this year to get it out of the way?

-Should I take the DAT this summer and study my heart out to do excellent?

-Is it not a good idea to re-take all these classes, but instead eventually do a masters program once I graduate next year? If I re-take these classes with A grades, will I be in better standing for acceptance or am I too far gone?

Success stories, honestly and HELP please!

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I think you should really try hard to pump out A+'s from now on... If you suddenly start getting A+'s and show super uptrend it should be fine.

If you don't mind me asking, what made you get such low grades consistently like that?

I have no negative intentions, I am just curious. If there is a valid reason, then you should definitely tell the schools about them.

You seem to have a great passion in dentistry, and I don't see how you could end up with low grades throughout your college career of 3 years.

As far as I know, you must have over C for all the pre requisites for dental school, so retake classes if necessary...

You should try your best to kill the DAT, aim for 25AA!

Good luck.
 
If you don't mind me asking, what made you get such low grades consistently like that?

I have no negative intentions, I am just curious. If there is a valid reason, then you should definitely tell the schools about them.

I'm in a similar situation as the OP (unfortuantely, but that's life).
I have roughly 5 C's in bio/chem, and even a D- in Physics and one bio class.

My excuse is that... I don't have one.
I seriously have been only studying probably the day before all of my exams up until now, and my study habits were just the worst possible.

The material of the classes is not that difficult!
It's just that it's hard to cram all of it at once. I just have to let go of my cramming habits (like in high school, which worked fine), and really truly study at least a week beforehand. (and focus less on ECs).
This showed when I got an A on the first orgo test when I studied at least a day in advance. Unfortunately, I fell back to my bad habits.

I know that, like the OP here, I will have to sacrifice at least an extra year or two of A's to increase my GPA (2.9ish) in masters or postbacc.
But I believe that it is definitely worth the money and learning.
Even if by chance my GPA was above the 3.5 range and got accepted automatically to some dental school, I would not enroll until I have fixed my bad studying habits for good. There is absolutely no room for this kind of behavior in dental school, as it is definitely more demanding than undergrad.

Oops, looks like I mumbled too much here sorry.
But I just wanted to answer your question since I was in a similar situation.

By actually typing my errors right now, I am sad, but glad that I can recognize my (simple) problem, and have been taking the necessary steps to fix my habits.

If the OP has received his/her GPA because of similar reasons as mine, I hope that he/she can fix his/her ways and succeed as will I.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!! :)

(Now that I'm rereading my post, it seems like a ridiculously stupid post. But I'll post it anyway)
 
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A few options I've been thinking about, what would you recommend?

Because I would love to be able to apply to dental school asap, once my act is together...should I:

-Wait until next year to take the DAT, and retake ochem during the summer this year to get it out of the way?

-Should I take the DAT this summer and study my heart out to do excellent?

-Is it not a good idea to re-take all these classes, but instead eventually do a masters program once I graduate next year? If I re-take these classes with A grades, will I be in better standing for acceptance or am I too far gone?

Success stories, honestly and HELP please!

Hey OP.
If you read my previous post, you can see that I am in a very similar position as you are (I even went on a mission trip like yourself, and became more inspired).

These are just my suggestions that I would like to share with you:
~Retake the classes in which you did a C- or worse.
Dental school will not accept lower than a C typically, and when applicants like ourselves have more than one, we really need to show them that we are capable of getting A's and understanding the material very well.
~Taking the DAT next year is a good idea. I myself am going to study the DAT this summer, as well as study for my Fall 2010 classes ahead of time just because I can. You should only take the DAT when you truly feel that you are ready for it, as you can only take it 3 times in your lifetime (w/o petition for a 4th time). Make time to study the DAT over the summer, a little bit everyday.
A high DAT score (23+) is our best bet at being accepted more quickly.
It measures our aptitude for succeeding in dental school.
A few students with ~3.0 GPA's got in without a masters with exceptionally high DAT's, so it is definitely possible.
~If you feel that retaking Ochem during your fall semester will weigh down your schedule too much, take it over the summer.
But when I took it over the summer, the progress of the course was very fast, so please to not fall behind. Just do many practice problems until you're comfortable with them.
~Getting A's in retakes is CRUCIAL. If you get anything below, let's say an A- even after relearning the material a second time around, it shows that you are still not capable of knowing the material.
The A's will show that you have matured from your C's and have fixed your mistakes. It also boosts your GPA, which is great.
Remember, dental admissions LOVE upward trends in your academic career.
It shows them that you have conquered your mistakes and risen from the ****hole.


It will probably take at least 1-2 years of fixing our pasts, but if you're dedicated and are truly passionate about pursuing a career in dentistry, then it will show in your grades.

I wish you luck in the future. :D

Peace,
DCalypso
 
you guys rock, wish if i knew you guys in real life and could meet you. lol
good luck.
 
I know it's a bit hokey to post on here, but here's one of my favorites:

"Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." -Churchill 1941

If Churchill can have this mentality staring down the barrel of the greatest war machine since the Roman Empire, surely you can have this mentality as well. If dentistry is truly a dream, go get it.
 
Work hard. Turn those grades around.

Frankly, with the way admissions are going you *may* need to get a masters. If you destroy the DAT next year and get a 23+ you will be golden tho!

You have alot of drive. Use it to get better grades and become the dentist you want to be.

Goodluck
 
I'm in a similar situation as the OP (unfortuantely, but that's life).
I have roughly 5 C's in bio/chem, and even a D- in Physics and one bio class.

My excuse is that... I don't have one.
I seriously have been only studying probably the day before all of my exams up until now, and my study habits were just the worst possible.

The material of the classes is not that difficult!
It's just that it's hard to cram all of it at once. I just have to let go of my cramming habits (like in high school, which worked fine), and really truly study at least a week beforehand. (and focus less on ECs).
This showed when I got an A on the first orgo test when I studied at least a day in advance. Unfortunately, I fell back to my bad habits.

I know that, like the OP here, I will have to sacrifice at least an extra year or two of A's to increase my GPA (2.9ish) in masters or postbacc.
But I believe that it is definitely worth the money and learning.
Even if by chance my GPA was above the 3.5 range and got accepted automatically to some dental school, I would not enroll until I have fixed my bad studying habits for good. There is absolutely no room for this kind of behavior in dental school, as it is definitely more demanding than undergrad.

Oops, looks like I mumbled too much here sorry.
But I just wanted to answer your question since I was in a similar situation.

By actually typing my errors right now, I am sad, but glad that I can recognize my (simple) problem, and have been taking the necessary steps to fix my habits.

If the OP has received his/her GPA because of similar reasons as mine, I hope that he/she can fix his/her ways and succeed as will I.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!!! :)

(Now that I'm rereading my post, it seems like a ridiculously stupid post. But I'll post it anyway)

It seems like you just had some sort of breakthrough! Or a ah-ha moment lol. Dont worry I am trying to overcome the same problems.
 
my GPA is (2.95) and doesn't reflect my sincere desire to be a dentist and willingness to put effort into my work. I got straight C's in general chemistry, a D+ in ochem 1, a C in ochem 2, and right now I am having to withdraw from Ochem 3 because I can't take another C on my transcript and that's where it's headed.

If your sincere desire is to be a dentist, your work right now is learning ochem reaction mechanisms and functional groups, not doing extractions and fillings.
 
In answer to your questions-

Concerning the DAT: Your strategy should be to absolutely destroy it the FIRST time you take it. Whether you do that this year or next is up to you.

Concerning retaking classes: You will need to retake any prereq class that you got a C- or below in.
 
I started dental assisting when I was 17 (had all my certifications). I've been dental assisting ever since and have had several tremendous bosses (dentists) who encouraged me to pursue dental school even when I first started in the dental field. They say I'm smart, have the heart and personality for the job and without sounding arrogant, I believe I would be a great dentist but I feel anything but smart considering my academic situation.

What sealed my decision to pursue dentistry was my first trip to Africa with a dental team...I started doing extractions and administered anesthetic and was in love with helping people by helping their teeth. I have been to 6 different countries with dentists who have trained me in what they know.
Bottom line. I love dentistry, and I want to be a dentist so badly.

My big dilemma:

my GPA is (2.95) and doesn't reflect my sincere desire to be a dentist and willingness to put effort into my work. I am a junior at a university getting my general science degree. I have completed all but these prereqs: physics and biochem, which I will be taking starting fall of 2010. I got straight C's in general chemistry, a D+ in ochem 1, a C in ochem 2, and right now I am having to withdraw from Ochem 3 because I can't take another C on my transcript and that's where it's headed. I had a D in biology which I re-took and got a B. I am scheduled to take a Kaplan course starting in June and then my DAT in early September, so I have the entire summer to study for it. Believe me, I am fully aware I will have to re-take Gen chem and Ochem.


You have been assisting for gazillion years but it took a fateful trip to Africa to finally realize dentistry is what you truly loved? Your bravado with the extractions and anesthesia may not be looked upon too kindly considering the fact playing the role of a dentist without credentials is irresponsible not to mention illegal. An academic record peppered with with Cs and especially D's does not exactly inspire confidence in the ability to perform in ds.
 
What sealed my decision to pursue dentistry was my first trip to Africa with a dental team...I started doing extractions and administered anesthetic and was in love with helping people by helping their teeth. I have been to 6 different countries with dentists who have trained me in what they know. I have volunteer hours out the wazoo and have assisted for the WREB exam for several dental students the last few years. I'm apart of the pre-dental student organization at my school.

am I reading this right:eek: Unless you have a dental degree from some country, I would HIGHLY suggest you never mention this in your dental application.

Bottom line. I love dentistry, and I want to be a dentist so badly.
This should be your drive right there.

my GPA is (2.95) and doesn't reflect my sincere desire to be a dentist and willingness to put effort into my work. I am a junior at a university getting my general science degree. I have completed all but these prereqs: physics and biochem, which I will be taking starting fall of 2010. I got straight C's in general chemistry, a D+ in ochem 1, a C in ochem 2, and right now I am having to withdraw from Ochem 3 because I can't take another C on my transcript and that's where it's headed. I had a D in biology which I re-took and got a B. I am scheduled to take a Kaplan course starting in June and then my DAT in early September, so I have the entire summer to study for it. Believe me, I am fully aware I will have to re-take Gen chem and Ochem.

A few options I've been thinking about, what would you recommend?

Because I would love to be able to apply to dental school asap, once my act is together...should I:

-Wait until next year to take the DAT, and retake ochem during the summer this year to get it out of the way?

-Should I take the DAT this summer and study my heart out to do excellent?

-Is it not a good idea to re-take all these classes, but instead eventually do a masters program once I graduate next year? If I re-take these classes with A grades, will I be in better standing for acceptance or am I too far gone?

Success stories, honestly and HELP please!

I wanna suggest for you to take some upper level sciences and try to boost your GPA but the problem is, if your unable to do well in the basic sciences, how are you going to handle the higher sciences, cause those classes are alot harder.

For someone who has such desire for this field, you should try to work harder in school. C's and D's are not representative of that passion you speak of. However, I don't think your THAT bad off. I mean a 2.95 GPA is low, but I think with better effort from this point forward and maybe adding a 1-year of stellar post-bacc performance should not only save your GPA but also prevent you from doing a masters.

As far as studying for the DAT goes, it doesn't matter what we tell you, its all about when YOU can study for it. Most logical choice of timeline is to study for it after you've completed all your science pre-reqs
 
If your sincere desire is to be a dentist, your work right now is learning ochem reaction mechanisms and functional groups, not doing extractions and fillings.

What I meant when I said that was, my performance does not reflect my desire to be a dentist. I was by no means saying that I don't consider reaction mechanisms and functional groups to be my work right now--because I do consider it to be my full time job and critical to moving forward which is why I submitted this post in the first place...because I care about excelling in my work.
 
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You have been assisting for gazillion years but it took a fateful trip to Africa to finally realize dentistry is what you truly loved? Your bravado with the extractions and anesthesia may not be looked upon too kindly considering the fact playing the role of a dentist without credentials is irresponsible not to mention illegal. An academic record peppered with with Cs and especially D's does not exactly inspire confidence in the ability to perform in ds.

Not everyone jumps into a job at the age of 17 knowing exactly what they want to do for the rest of their life, so it's not a bad thing that it took a trip overseas to "seal the deal" for me... (sealed the deal...meaning I had been considering the pre-dental path for sometime.) And I took my first trip to Africa only two years since I began dental assisting, so cut me some slack!

I would NEVER mention in my application, interviews or with any faculty what I mentioned on here, but if you've ever done dentistry in remote places and there's a line of 300 people waiting all day to get their teeth fixed, and you had 3 dental assistants helping you...I bed you'd be tempted to hand a few forceps to them to lend you a hand.
It's quite interesting that the last dentist I went with was a professor at a dental school and he was the one handing the tools over.

But I see where you're coming from and do appreciate your thoughts.
 
am I reading this right:eek: Unless you have a dental degree from some country, I would HIGHLY suggest you never mention this in your dental application.

No worries, I would never in a million years mention this on any application or any interview or with faculty. And I don't go around spouting this piece of information with anyone other than the dentist's I work for and they think it's pretty funny anyway :). What happens in Africa, stays in Africa.

Thanks for all your advice...much appreciated.
 
And I took my first trip to Africa only two years since I began dental assisting, so cut me some slack!
I would NEVER mention in my application, interviews or with any faculty what I mentioned on here, but if you've ever done dentistry in remote places and there's a line of 300 people waiting all day to get their teeth fixed, and you had 3 dental assistants helping you...I bed you'd be tempted to hand a few forceps to them to lend you a hand.
It's quite interesting that the last dentist I went with was a professor at a dental school and he was the one handing the tools over.

Sounds like your professor needs a refresher course in ethics and jurisprudence. Incidentally, teaching at a dental schools doesn't make one automatically a professor. Maybe your professor should have handed a few dozen forceps to some locals to speed up the line.
 
Sounds like your professor needs a refresher course in ethics and jurisprudence. Incidentally, teaching at a dental schools doesn't make one automatically a professor. Maybe your professor should have handed a few dozen forceps to some locals to speed up the line.

Are you sitting at your desk in between patient exams right now? You should consider booking a flight overseas and get those clean hands of yours a little dirty and help trim down the line of patients that are waiting...that way lowly dental assistants don't have to do the job for you.
 
Wow, I appauld you for going to unprivilaged countries and helping the less fortunate & I hope you continue doing that when you have that DDS/DMD in your hand as well!

You need to bring your gpa up! Retake your pre-reqs that you did bad in and get A's! Also take upper division science classes and do really well. After you got those in order and you know what cycle you will apply for take the DATs, do really well on them. Keep up the EC's and you should be fine.
 
Are you sitting at your desk in between patient exams right now? You should consider booking a flight overseas and get those clean hands of yours a little dirty and help trim down the line of patients that are waiting...that way lowly dental assistants don't have to do the job for you.

While on the subject of advice, you might have been better off spending more time studying than pretending to be a "doctor".
 
While on the subject of advice, you might have been better off spending more time studying than pretending to be a "doctor".

Hey, sorry to interrupt, but cut JMDental some slack, will ya? What they did is noble and very respectable, and I really wish I had an opportunity to do the same type of volunteering. Instead of ridiculing them about their supposed faults, why not continue to offer more helpful advice? We're all here to help each other. This person came to you for your advice, not your judgments. For someone like myself who is in a similar academic situation, I feel for them. I think Dental Schools will be very impressed with their vast volunteering experience, as long as they don't include whatever is considered "illegal" and whatnot. Not everyone's been to Africa to do such work! Let's just be nice and civil here, shall we? Thanks.
 
Hey, sorry to interrupt, but cut JMDental some slack, will ya? What they did is noble and very respectable, and I really wish I had an opportunity to do the same type of volunteering. Instead of ridiculing them about their supposed faults, why not continue to offer more helpful advice? We're all here to help each other. This person came to you for your advice, not your judgments. For someone like myself who is in a similar academic situation, I feel for them. I think Dental Schools will be very impressed with their vast volunteering experience, as long as they don't include whatever is considered "illegal" and whatnot. Not everyone's been to Africa to do such work! Let's just be nice and civil here, shall we? Thanks.

Before you give such advice you might wish to read the entire thread. JMDental gave a much more insulting comment toward Doc Toothache than the other way around. He assumed things that he knows nothing about. On the other hand, Doc merely stated the facts, albeit in a somewhat harsh tone.
 
Before you give such advice you might wish to read the entire thread. JMDental gave a much more insulting comment toward Doc Toothache than the other way around. He assumed things that he knows nothing about. On the other hand, Doc merely stated the facts, albeit in a somewhat harsh tone.


Hmm, okay I see what you're saying. Now that I read it, I understand. But idk, it just seemed weird seeing such an altercation on a forum like this! haha. Sorry about that. Maybe we all need to learn a few manners then ;)
 
Before you give such advice you might wish to read the entire thread. JMDental gave a much more insulting comment toward Doc Toothache than the other way around. He assumed things that he knows nothing about. On the other hand, Doc merely stated the facts, albeit in a somewhat harsh tone.

I do appreciate you pointing out both Doc toothache and myself bad-mouthing on this forum...to be honest I had never heard of this forum until last week and decided to ask for some kind, yet honest advice considering the situation I am in with school. I was shocked by the condescending response to my post from Doc toothache and the rude "welcome" to this forum when really I was simply saying, 'I enjoy dentistry and helping people and want my academics to reflect that so can anyone lend their advice?'
 
While on the subject of advice, you might have been better off spending more time studying than pretending to be a "doctor".

Your "advice" is more condescending than beneficial, and it's a trend I've noticed in your forum threads on other member's posts.

Before you jump to conclusions that I play "doctor", please take note that any trips I've taken overseas or even in my community, I've forked out the money on my own, using vacation time to stand in the heat and drip sweat for 8 hours while helping people who have nothing. That is my passion and you're right, I'll spend more time studying so I don't have to "pretend" anymore, but have the plaque on the wall that gives me legal right to do what I love.
 
Hmm, okay I see what you're saying. Now that I read it, I understand. But idk, it just seemed weird seeing such an altercation on a forum like this! haha. Sorry about that. Maybe we all need to learn a few manners then ;)

Thanks for your comments! my original intentions of this forum post were never to lash-out at someone, so I apologize and actually since I am brand new to studentdoctor I wondered if this kind of "advice/dialogue" was typical for this forum and if so it is a big waste of time and not very helpful. However, I'm learning a lot more from other people's posts where there's nicer, honest talk :).

You have a good heart and you'll make a great dentist one day.
 
Wow, I appauld you for going to unprivilaged countries and helping the less fortunate & I hope you continue doing that when you have that DDS/DMD in your hand as well!

You need to bring your gpa up! Retake your pre-reqs that you did bad in and get A's! Also take upper division science classes and do really well. After you got those in order and you know what cycle you will apply for take the DATs, do really well on them. Keep up the EC's and you should be fine.

Thanks for your nuggets of wisdom! Will do!
 
Seriously, SDN people sugarcoats a lot of things. You probably came on here thinking people will praise you for your volunteer experience, etc..etc... and cheer you on. Well, in reality some will and some won't. The best advice on here was from Doc Toothache telling you to stop pretending to a doctor and actually focus more on studying.

Just because someone handed you some forceps and needles doesn't give you the right to do surgery on another human being. You could have done more harm to the person. Do you know all about the different type of injections, the anatomy of where all the nerves, blood vessels? Does the person have any complications? Do you know the different tooth morphology, etc...etc...I could go on and on....

I praise you for having the drive to help people, but to be a good doctor you must be a smart doctor first. Dentistry is more than just drilling, filling and extracting. Focus more on school. You are half way there.
 
To the OP.... Man i really admire your determination to be a dentist... if your really as passionate as you say you are then you will be a dentist someday. You will have to retake all your classes that you got a C- or lower on, kill the dat, and do well in a post bac program. As you will see posted a lot on here... Amazing EC's will never make up for sub par GPA/DAT.

On a side note... i have been following this forum almost daily for the last year, but just decided recently i felt comfortable/knowledgeable enough to get involved. I agree with the previous poster, you would be wise to follow the suggestions of Doc Toothache... he is brutally honest, but IMO he is probably one of the most valuable members to this forum. These threads of his might help you out in your situation.


..
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602095
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602109

.Good luck my friend... hopefully you can post on here with a DDS after your name some day. :D.
 
Seriously, SDN people sugarcoats a lot of things. You probably came on here thinking people will praise you for your volunteer experience, etc..etc... and cheer you on. Well, in reality some will and some won't. The best advice on here was from Doc Toothache telling you to stop pretending to a doctor and actually focus more on studying.

Just because someone handed you some forceps and needles doesn't give you the right to do surgery on another human being. You could have done more harm to the person. Do you know all about the different type of injections, the anatomy of where all the nerves, blood vessels? Does the person have any complications? Do you know the different tooth morphology, etc...etc...I could go on and on....

I praise you for having the drive to help people, but to be a good doctor you must be a smart doctor first. Dentistry is more than just drilling, filling and extracting. Focus more on school. You are half way there.

lol, my question was not asking anyone's opinion of whether or not they think it's ethical for dentists to hand tools over to the uneducated or for the uneducated to perform such procedures. I am least concerned with what any SDN member thinks of that and find it unnecessary to continue discussing the matter.

Although volunteering (i.e. pretending to be a doctor) takes about 2-4 weeks total, out of a 12 month period and doesn't consume any study time, I'll still be sure to hit the books more so I can become a smart doctor.
 
this is getting outta control lol

bottom line:
-OP has some amazing ECs, come on guys, we all wish we went to africa and showed that stuff on our application (minus the ethical stuff of course)

-OP needs some serious readjusting of his studying habits, I think he understands that, and hopefully for his sake he applies himself more

-To OP: From this point forward, try to ace all your classes. Any pre-dental course you've taken so far with a grade less than C- HAS to be retaken (this is a pretty general rule for most dental schools) there is no way around it. Forget every low score you've obtained up to this point, focus on the future as it is the only way for you to get into dental school.

Good luck to ya
 
To the OP.... Man i really admire your determination to be a dentist... if your really as passionate as you say you are then you will be a dentist someday. You will have to retake all your classes that you got a C- or lower on, kill the dat, and do well in a post bac program. As you will see posted a lot on here... Amazing EC's will never make up for sub par GPA/DAT.

On a side note... i have been following this forum almost daily for the last year, but just decided recently i felt comfortable/knowledgeable enough to get involved. I agree with the previous poster, you would be wise to follow the suggestions of Doc Toothache... he is brutally honest, but IMO he is probably one of the most valuable members to this forum. These threads of his might help you out in your situation.




http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602095
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602109

.Good luck my friend... hopefully you can post on here with a DDS after your name some day. :D.

Thanks for your thoughts...you don't sugarcoat yet you lend advice in a respectable manner. And there's a difference between brutal honesty and condescending remarks.
 
If I were in your situation, do your best to finish your major at the university. Do well in those classes. If you have time in undergrad, start re-taking any C- or lower classes. With any C classes, see if you have the time to retake it if the semester allows it. If not, continue to do well with the post-bac or master's.

I had mediocre grades towards the beginning of my college, and I realized that a grade in a class does say a bit about how much you retained the information. When I compare the knowledge that I've learned from the classes that I did poorly on, versus the classes that I did well on, how much I remember from the subject is pretty correlated, whether it was from not understanding or poor studying habits at the time.

Therefore, what I suggest is.. if you're debating whether to take the DAT over the summer or not, test yourself to a 1 or 2 full complete tests and see if how much you remember the information. If your retention of the material is not so bad, taking the DAT might be an okay option.

However, if I were in your situation, I would probably wait a year to take the DAT. Also if you are considering doing a post-bac/master's, I heard something about DAT scores expiring after 2 years(???). So make sure to take that into account.


IN THE END, IF YOU TRULY HAVE THE PASSION FOR DENTISTRY,
DON'T GIVE UP!!!!

"The race is long, but in the end, it's only with yourself." :) You'll get there if you want it enough.
 
lol, my question was not asking anyone's opinion of whether or not they think it's ethical for dentists to hand tools over to the uneducated or for the uneducated to perform such procedures. I am least concerned with what any SDN member thinks of that and find it unnecessary to continue discussing the matter.

Although volunteering (i.e. pretending to be a doctor) takes about 2-4 weeks total, out of a 12 month period and doesn't consume any study time, I'll still be sure to hit the books more so I can become a smart doctor.

No one said volunteering and pretending to be a doctor was the same thing. You misinterpreted everyone's comment.

Also, if volunteering 2-4 weeks out of the year doesn't consume any study time then why are your grades so horrible? YOU WANT TO BE A DOCTOR, but you can't understand basic sciences? How would you understand higher level sciences?

"my GPA is (2.95) and doesn't reflect my sincere desire to be a dentist and willingness to put effort into my work" - JMDental

if your GPA doesn't reflect your sincere desire to be a dentist and willingness to put effort into work then what does? anyone can pull teeth and inject people with needles, but it takes a REAL DOCTOR to understand the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, etc...behind all of it.

everyone on here has been saying the same crap over and over. START STUDYING HARDER. period.

if you don't want to take advice from a dentist or dental students, then who would you take advice from?
 
whats all this talk about "doctor" :rolleyes:

we are dentist-wanna bes.... not doctors
 
No one said volunteering and pretending to be a doctor was the same thing. You misinterpreted everyone's comment.

Also, if volunteering 2-4 weeks out of the year doesn't consume any study time then why are your grades so horrible? YOU WANT TO BE A DOCTOR, but you can't understand basic sciences? How would you understand higher level sciences?

"my GPA is (2.95) and doesn't reflect my sincere desire to be a dentist and willingness to put effort into my work" - JMDental

if your GPA doesn't reflect your sincere desire to be a dentist and willingness to put effort into work then what does? anyone can pull teeth and inject people with needles, but it takes a REAL DOCTOR to understand the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, etc...behind all of it.

everyone on here has been saying the same crap over and over. START STUDYING HARDER. period.

if you don't want to take advice from a dentist or dental students, then who would you take advice from?

You must have missed when I stated that I'll get right to the studying.

and to clarify what you misread, I said, "I am least concerned with what any SDN member thinks of that and find it unnecessary to continue discussing the matter." That was pertaining to ethical issues in dentistry.

What's with the attitude man?
 
whats all this talk about "doctor" :rolleyes:

we are dentist-wanna bes.... not doctors

...Doctor's are not the be-all-end-all anyway :). It's life and we're all learning! And as seen in my very first forum post, sometimes, it's harder for some than others ;), but that's ok, I'll pick myself up from my bootstraps and start running harder!
 
this is getting outta control lol

bottom line:
-OP has some amazing ECs, come on guys, we all wish we went to africa and showed that stuff on our application (minus the ethical stuff of course)

-OP needs some serious readjusting of his studying habits, I think he understands that, and hopefully for his sake he applies himself more

-To OP: From this point forward, try to ace all your classes. Any pre-dental course you've taken so far with a grade less than C- HAS to be retaken (this is a pretty general rule for most dental schools) there is no way around it. Forget every low score you've obtained up to this point, focus on the future as it is the only way for you to get into dental school.

Good luck to ya

I agree with you, I am definitely trying to figure out the error in my study habits...because I attend every class session, submit all my work on time and work the homework problems...but clearly not enough to perform well. It's incredibly frustrating to be honest because I have the drive to study, but I'm finding it's the way I go about it that is making me unsuccessful. by the way, I'm a "she" :)
Your insight is helpful, thanks!
 
Thanks for your comments! my original intentions of this forum post were never to lash-out at someone, so I apologize and actually since I am brand new to studentdoctor I wondered if this kind of "advice/dialogue" was typical for this forum and if so it is a big waste of time and not very helpful. However, I'm learning a lot more from other people's posts where there's nicer, honest talk :).

You have a good heart and you'll make a great dentist one day.

:) Thanks, that really means a lot. And yeah, I know. You sounded a little lost in your first post, so I felt a bit sorry for you when I saw Doc Toothache's remarks...and it kind of hit me because I'm also really struggling with my studies right now but still have that burning desire in me to get into Dental School, though my current grades do me no justice. I guess it all just comes down to how bad we really want it lol. And you've clearly shown it in all your volunteer work, so bravo on that! Just keep working on your schooling now, think of it as the rest of the deal. You've already got a great EC list going. So top it off with stellar grades from here on out, and you'll be heading to Dental School in no time :)

Let's just drop all this ethical-legal/illegal mumbo jumbo for a moment and just look at the big picture. We're all here because we either want advice and guidance on Dental School. And we're all here because we want to eventually become Dentists. If we put our minds to it, there's nothing we can't do.....so let's go for the gold! Best of luck to you, and thanks again for your kind comment.
 
No worries, I would never in a million years mention this on any application or any interview or with faculty. And I don't go around spouting this piece of information with anyone other than the dentist's I work for and they think it's pretty funny anyway :). What happens in Africa, stays in Africa.

Apparently not since you brought it to the SDN forum.

Are you sitting at your desk in between patient exams right now? You should consider booking a flight overseas and get those clean hands of yours a little dirty and help trim down the line of patients that are waiting...that way lowly dental assistants don't have to do the job for you.

It is hard to take advice from a da let alone someone who, after a trip to Africa, was exposed to the ego virus and has some serious delusions of grandeur. If ds is not in the cards, teaching organic/bio for Kaplan/Princeton Review might be an option and/or a dental consultant for WHO.
 
Apparently not since you brought it to the SDN forum.



It is hard to take advice from a da let alone someone who, after a trip to Africa, was exposed to the ego virus and has some serious delusions of grandeur. If ds is not in the cards, teaching organic/bio for Kaplan/Princeton Review might be an option and/or a dental consultant for WHO.


I trust that you are a highly respected man in your field according to your depth of knowledge in response to these various SDN forums. You probably have a few honorable titles which you deserve for hard work, experience and excellence in academics. However, I am finding it hard to receive any of your remarks because they exploit weakness instead of calling me higher. I would actually enjoy meeting you instead of having such an unpleasant conversation online and I am also confident that you would think entirely different of me if you had the opportunity to get to know who I am.
I desire that my character be honorable and respectful to those in authority over me, which is why I believe I have experienced favor in my relationship with the dentists I have worked for (in private practice and abroad), dental students I have worked with and various people who have crossed my path.

I am secure enough in who I am to know that my gpa, my extra curricular work, my experience in the dental field, whether I go to dental school or whether I don't, my career, my title or my failures do not make me who I am. So even if I never achieve what I desire the most--I rest knowing that I gave it my all in my pursuits and respected and honored those along the way which is really all that matters to me.

Unless you have respectful things to say, your comments do not phase me so don't waste your time.
 
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:) Thanks, that really means a lot. And yeah, I know. You sounded a little lost in your first post, so I felt a bit sorry for you when I saw Doc Toothache's remarks...and it kind of hit me because I'm also really struggling with my studies right now but still have that burning desire in me to get into Dental School, though my current grades do me no justice. I guess it all just comes down to how bad we really want it lol. And you've clearly shown it in all your volunteer work, so bravo on that! Just keep working on your schooling now, think of it as the rest of the deal. You've already got a great EC list going. So top it off with stellar grades from here on out, and you'll be heading to Dental School in no time :)

Let's just drop all this ethical-legal/illegal mumbo jumbo for a moment and just look at the big picture. We're all here because we either want advice and guidance on Dental School. And we're all here because we want to eventually become Dentists. If we put our minds to it, there's nothing we can't do.....so let's go for the gold! Best of luck to you, and thanks again for your kind comment.

I like your "can do" attitude!...and also your recommendation to drop the ethical-legal/illegal mumbo jumbo because it was NEVER my intention to be the main discussion on this forum, or else I would have never even mentioned that aspect of my extra curricular work.
Best of luck to you too and if you haven't done it already, I would highly recommend joining a dental team locally or internationally to "kill two birds with one stone"--helping the poor and gaining some experience in the dental field...and nope I'm not saying you have to pull teeth to do so, but just stand and watch. It will change your life and give you greater motivation in your pursuit of dental school. :) We're in this together my friend!
and by the way...this guy is a freaking stud! Read all the comments underneath:
http://www.43things.com/entries/view/828816
 
wow....3 third try getting into dental school. It's not really that hard. You have to be pretty stupid not to get above a 3.5... but 3 times is just sad.
 
I like your "can do" attitude!...and also your recommendation to drop the ethical-legal/illegal mumbo jumbo because it was NEVER my intention to be the main discussion on this forum, or else I would have never even mentioned that aspect of my extra curricular work.
Best of luck to you too and if you haven't done it already, I would highly recommend joining a dental team locally or internationally to "kill two birds with one stone"--helping the poor and gaining some experience in the dental field...and nope I'm not saying you have to pull teeth to do so, but just stand and watch. It will change your life and give you greater motivation in your pursuit of dental school. :) We're in this together my friend!
and by the way...this guy is a freaking stud! Read all the comments underneath:
http://www.43things.com/entries/view/828816

Yeah, I'd definitely wanna try that when possible!! I can imagine what a fulfilling experience it must be. And wow! Good for him...just hope I get in the first time though! haha. But that's a great inspirational story, I respect him for that! Thanks for the link!
 
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