Quick check on my post bac plan please!

[Nontradpredent]

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Hello all, I've been lurking on these forums for some time and am amazed at how helpful everyone is and how much useful info is on here! Thanks for any and all input!

Anyways, after doing my own research reading old posts for awhile, this is my story and plan; please advise:

-Graduated two years ago with a BS in Biology, 3.55o/3.69s GPA (City college transfer to a large 4 year university).
-These past few months have developed a strong interest in dentistry through shadowing, and want to start the process of making it into dental school. Currently I'm working part time, shadowing, and will be starting to do some volunteering.

My plan:
DIY post-bac for 1 yr at my local state university, with a full course load of upper-level science classes to gain recent LORs and to show adcoms I can handle the workload. I'll try to be taking physio, cell bio, micro, molecular bio, etc.

I feel this is the most advisable path, but I'd like to just check up with you guys before starting. Thanks so much!

 

[LaughingGas]

Hello all, I've been lurking on these forums for some time and am amazed at how helpful everyone is and how much useful info is on here! Thanks for any and all input!

Anyways, after doing my own research reading old posts for awhile, this is my story and plan; please advise:

-Graduated two years ago with a BS in Biology, 3.55o/3.69s GPA (City college transfer to a large 4 year university).
-These past few months have developed a strong interest in dentistry through shadowing, and want to start the process of making it into dental school. Currently I'm working part time, shadowing, and will be starting to do some volunteering.

My plan:
DIY post-bac for 1 yr at my local state university, with a full course load of upper-level science classes to gain recent LORs and to show adcoms I can handle the workload. I'll try to be taking physio, cell bio, micro, molecular bio, etc.

I feel this is the most advisable path, but I'd like to just check up with you guys before starting. Thanks so much!

This is just my 2 cents:
1) With your GPA, IMHO I feel it's really useless to do a postbac. You have good GPA, which questions me why would you do a postbac.
2) What classes did you take as an undergrad for BS BIO? It seems just strange to me that a bio major would need to take physio, cell bio, micro, molecular bio, etc as additional courses.

If it's for the LORs only, maybe, but looking at your GPA, it seems like a waste of $$.

 

[Nontradpredent]

Wow thanks for the quick responses guys!

OutRun, yes I hope to get a consistent schedule with some hours volunteering and shadowing every week for the year until application time. That's a good question about when to take the DAT haha. Not sure as I feel rusty on the prereqs having been out for a few years; I'm planning on trying to refresh sometime soon to see how good (or likely bad) my memory is on prereq content haha. But off the top of my head I'll try to study a little on the side along with the post-bac courses, and take it in the summer before applying?

LaughingGas,

1) yeah I know the GPA is decent, but I feel two years off from school could mean adcoms might question whether I can still handle going back straight to a full-time student again.
2) Since then I've matured, but as an undergrad I was an undecisive kid and took other-biology related classes (which still fulfilled my degree which was "General" biology) such as Animal Behavior/communication, Evolution, Animal Physiology and looking back at my transcript I realize I actually did take the first half of Physiology (labeled "Mammalian physiology I" at my alma mater). I'm not sure if I took Physiology at my state college during post-bac that would count as retaking the class? Never took microbio, cell bio, immunology/histology/etc. though.

But yeah LaughingGas, I didn't really make connections with my profs at my alma mater so I don't have many (or really any, aside from my dentist I'm shadowing and possible volunteer supervisors) sources for LORs.

I think the lack of LOR sources is a big reason for the postbac, but also to show adcoms I can handle a full schedule with more difficult courses? (Animal Communication/Evolution type classes I took where much easier than the other hard sciences I took as an undergrad, e.g. Biochem.)

Yeah it's a lot of $$, but I don't know how else to fulfill the LOR requirement without shotgun-approaching all my old profs that don't remember me. My mistake in not doing that in undergrad. But I figure this is really what I can see myself enjoying doing for a living, and so am willing to pay the dues for my mistake. Way I see it, the $$ will likely be a drop in the bucket compared to dental school tuition anyways. If there's another path you could recommend, I'm all ears man! haha.

 

[DarlingDDS]

It's definitely not a waste to take additional classes because a lot of schools are expanding the class requirements. If you haven't already, check the websites of the schools you are applying to to make sure you will fulfill their required courses. To be absolutely sure, give these schools a call to resolve your concerns with where classes were taken and when. Don't retake classes just for kicks - most schools advise not to retake classes, but to get a masters if you are trying to improve your GPA, which you aren't.

Your GPA is fine, I got in with something similar - I'm also a postbac with an undergrad major in economics. My postbac was largely taking classes for the first time except for some gen chem and bio. I felt like I relearned it sufficiently (7 years later) with DAT destroyer, etc. I'm sure you can relearn any subject for the DAT without having to retake a class by devoting the time (8-12 hours a day for several weeks, for reals).

Even if you don't have a full workload, if you are working while taking classes I think that also says something about your ability to handle a workload. Get in your volunteering hours! Don't focus as much on the number of hours as the quality of work. Anyone can stand in a corner and observe a dentist. Try to find a mission that has a dental clinic or some other organization that has a clinic for those in need. Your chances of being able to assist and see severe dental cases are much higher. This came in handy for me for my personal statement and my interviews.

Lastly, ask for LORs early. Like not a week before Spring quarter is over. There will be lots of students asking for these and many professors have a cap on how many they will write, especially if they are in high demand.

Good luck!