Recently decided to change from business to dentistry. Do I have a chance?

[Garbanzo]

I am at my 4th semester at a local community college and recently decided to change my major from business to bio/dentistry. I really messed up my GPA during my first semester and ended with a 2.26 but have managed to raise it to a 3.2 over the past 2 semesters (this semester, I'm hoping to get a 4.0 to bump up my GPA a little more). As far as science classes, I've taken Biology 1 w/ lab (A), Psychology 1 (D), Sociology 1 (B), and Astronomy 20 (IP). I'm pretty sure none of them will count except for Biology 1. For math, the highest level I've completed is College Algebra with a B. As of right now, I have about 65 units as a business major but if I changed over to Bio, I would be at my CC for another year or so and transfer with around 75-80 units. I'm planning to transfer to CSUF or CSULB and get my BA in Bio, take a semester off to study/take the DAT and relax, and then apply to a 4-year dentistry program.

MY QUESTIONS ARE:
Is this a good plan or am I already too behind (due to grades, etc.) to even try to go to dentistry school?
Would it be worth it to change my major over to Bio or would I be able to keep my business major and do a minor in Bio?
Anything else I should be expecting

I already have a messed up GPA as it is from my first semester and I know that dentistry schools are becoming more and more competitive as time goes on so I come to the all knowing SDN for some answers. I've also downloaded a few PDF files from the ADA website regarding the DAT and have looked at www.predents.com just to see where I'm at regarding GPA.

Thanks in advanced,
Garbanzo

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[Vicviper]

As long as you're dedicated to it and you're willing to put the hard work in, it's a good plan. Also, one of the major GPA's that they look at is the Science GPA, and since you've gotten an A in what seems like one of the only science classes you may have taken, you've probably got above a 3.5 in that. I had a 3.04 Science GPA and a 3.35 overall GPA and I got in because I balanced my GPA out with good DAT scores and other things like lots of shadowing experience and Research. Also, dental schools LOVE to see improving trends in your grades!

As far as the degree, it really depends on what you want to do. Are you willing to do the upper dev business classes when you're doing the dental pre-reqs? Do you think you'll enjoy the business classes? At this point, you'll need to take another semester of bio with lab, a year of gchem, a year of ochem, a year of physics, and atleast 1 semester of calc for your dental school pre-reqs - so one way or another, it will be atleast another two years. So, I think you may be able to finish in 4 years if you do the Bio minor, but if you go the bio major, might be needing an extra year to be safe, but I did the CC route and took 5 years to finish and found it much less stressfull.

Also, if you're up for it, consider UCI! I went to Cypress College and then transfered, and I'm loving UCI. Also, UCI has a guaranteed transfer program into the school of Biology called TAG , if you have a 3.0 and get B's in your year of Gchem you're in - that's what I did and it worked out great ( I think UCLA might have a similar program). Also, UCI has amazing oppurtunities for research that you won't get at many other schools, especially the CSU's. Research can definetly make a big difference to some of the dental schools that focus on that.

Also, my girlfriend is at CSULB and she's having some issues with the bio program over there, especially classes that she needs filling before she can get into them, and bad advice from the academic advisors.

Just some things to think about, and I hope that helps!

Good luck, keep on keeping on, and if you work hard and try your best, you'll get into Dental school eventually!

 

[whateveryoulike]

just do the general AA at your community college while taking a couple of the prereq classes (bio1 bio2, chem1 and chem2) and then transfer into a bio program at the university. dental schools want to see the prereqs at universities and this will give you the chance to complete physics and orgo (the 2 hard ones) at the university after you transfer. either path you choose you are just fine. you dont have enough credit hours for your low (and it really isnt that low by the way) gpa to hurt you long term. thats why your recent academic performance has already had a big improvement on your gpa. just keep your head down (so your eyes can see the book!) and dont return to old poor habits.

 

[doc toothache]

MY QUESTIONS ARE:
Is this a good plan or am I already too behind (due to grades, etc.) to even try to go to dentistry school?
Would it be worth it to change my major over to Bio or would I be able to keep my business major and do a minor in Bio?
Anything else I should be expecting

If you have to ask, maybe your desire is just a fleeting fantasy.

 

[Garbanzo]

If you have to ask, maybe your desire is just a fleeting fantasy.

fantasies can turn into reality right? thanks for the input everyone. Any more would be greatly appreciated

 

[BillytheEchidna]

If you have to ask, maybe your desire is just a fleeting fantasy.

Y'know, some people just need a little encouragement. Not everyone thinks that s/he is the shizznit [with the accompanying overexaggerated sense of entitlement]. Some people really want to be dentists, more than anything, but don't think that they have what it takes. Or, they think it might be "too late." I think: where there's a will, there's a way. The more the odds are stacked against a person, the more encouragement s/he needs.

Go for it, Garbanzo! If being a dentist is what you really want to do, you will always regret it if you don't go for it, and you will probably find yourself taking classes with undergrads when you're 30 (like me). Don't worry if it takes you an extra year or two to finish up all your prerequisites. In the long-run, it will be an insignificant delay to dental school.

 

[doc toothache]

fantasies can turn into reality right? thanks for the input everyone. Any more would be greatly appreciated

Some fantasies do turn into reality but odds are not particularly favorable.

Y'know, some people just need a little encouragement. Not everyone thinks that s/he is the shizznit [with the accompanying overexaggerated sense of entitlement]. Some people really want to be dentists, more than anything, but don't think that they have what it takes. Or, they think it might be "too late." I think: where there's a will, there's a way. The more the odds are stacked against a person, the more encouragement s/he needs.
.

The best cheerleaders for those who are ambivalent about their desire to pursue a career are usually mom/dad, grandma/grandpa, brother/sister, aunt/uncle and an assortment of cousins. On the other hand members of the SDN forum are good for whatever encouragement is needed for the underdogs who are convinced of their desire to pursue a career in dentistry.

 

[Vicviper]

Something that I've always heard from many dentists and people in dental fields is that if you truly, honestly, want to be a dentist, and you want it badly enough, it will take a lot of hard work, and it won't happen overnight, it might take you much longer than you thought, but you can get into dental school eventually.

Dentists need to be truly inspired about what they do not just have a passing interest in it - otherwise if you're not inspired by the work, the pay won't be worth the struggles you'll have to go through to get there, and the repetitive nature of some of the work. You really need to find that inspiring moment for yourself - start shadowing some dentists or work as an assistant, that's when I had my moment of inspiration and knew that dentistry was the path that I wanted to set my life on.

 

[Vicviper]

Oops, double post.

 

[Garbanzo]

Some fantasies do turn into reality but odds are not particularly favorable.


I'll make sure I'm the exception to your statement.


The best cheerleaders for those who are ambivalent about their desire to pursue a career are usually mom/dad, grandma/grandpa, brother/sister, aunt/uncle and an assortment of cousins. On the other hand members of the SDN forum are good for whatever encouragement is needed for the underdogs who are convinced of their desire to pursue a career in dentistry.

Thanks for all the support and positive vibes doc...

 

[BillytheEchidna]

The best cheerleaders for those who are ambivalent about their desire to pursue a career are usually mom/dad, grandma/grandpa, brother/sister, aunt/uncle and an assortment of cousins. On the other hand members of the SDN forum are good for whatever encouragement is needed for the underdogs who are convinced of their desire to pursue a career in dentistry.

Good point, but he already sounded "convinced" to me. I guess I tend to chime in when I perceive that someone has the same self-doubts that I have. Someone who doesn't share those concerns might not see them as a plea for a little "go, team, go!"

Now MY mom and sister have actually tried to dissuade me from dentistry and encouraged me to pursue nursing instead. No thanks!! Everyone else has been encouraging but somehow expects free dental care when I'm finished.