Predicament on when I should apply

[prehealthstudent69]

Okay so I'm currently a senior planning on applying next year. My current GPA isn't that great (3.05) but I am hoping to get at least a 3.7 and above for this semester and next. I do not have much shadowing experience, but I am going to be doing that next semester and also in the summer. Do you guys think it's better to apply early (around may - june) with a few months of shadowing experience, or at the end of summer (august) with the experience I gain during that time?

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[Illfavor]

Okay so I'm currently a senior planning on applying next year. My current GPA isn't that great (3.05) but I am hoping to get at least a 3.7 and above for this semester and next. I do not have much shadowing experience, but I am going to be doing that next semester and also in the summer. Do you guys think it's better to apply early (around may - june) with a few months of shadowing experience, or at the end of summer (august) with the experience I gain during that time?

You don't have 4hrs/week to shadow for the next 6 months?

 

[gentlerwave]

Okay so I'm currently a senior planning on applying next year. My current GPA isn't that great (3.05) but I am hoping to get at least a 3.7 and above for this semester and next. I do not have much shadowing experience, but I am going to be doing that next semester and also in the summer. Do you guys think it's better to apply early (around may - june) with a few months of shadowing experience, or at the end of summer (august) with the experience I gain during that time?

Regardless, you need around 100+ hours of shadowing before you submit your AADSAS to be considered competitive for most schools.

 

[doc toothache]

After shadowing, you could well decide dentistry is for the birds.

 

[prehealthstudent69]

Regardless, you need around 100+ hours of shadowing before you submit your AADSAS to be considered competitive for most schools.

What I did not know this... this is a requirement?

 

[Illfavor]

What I did not know this... this is a requirement?

Do the schools you're interested in not have shadowing requirements?

 

[jdye]

What I did not know this... this is a requirement?

At some schools it's recommended, I think most schools require 40 hours. I shadowed 2nd semester senior year, applied the summer after (July) without further shadowing experience. You should be fine because interviews don't usually come around until october anyways. I think as long as you've shadowed enough to pull from the experience, you should be fine. If the doc and patients lets you, try chair assisting a little too.

Have you taken the DAT's yet?

 

[prehealthstudent69]

At some schools it's recommended, I think most schools require 40 hours. I shadowed 2nd semester senior year, applied the summer after (July) without further shadowing experience. You should be fine because interviews don't usually come around until october anyways. I think as long as you've shadowed enough to pull from the experience, you should be fine. If the doc and patients lets you, try chair assisting a little too.

Have you taken the DAT's yet?

Nope I am planning on studying for the next few months and take it sometime in April

 

[jdye]

I'd say let your DAT results make your decision then. If they go well, apply, if not, take time to retake then apply.

The DAT's will play a much larger role in your application than shadowing time.