Should I get started?

[lex1489]

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Some background on me:
I just started my junior year at UW-Madison. I'm an econ major and my GPA is a 3.41 (should go up a little after this semester). I took an accelerated gen chem course freshman year and got an AB (3.5). Turns out that was a dumb choice because I probably could've aced the 2-semester courses, and now I believe I have to take another semester of chemistry so I have the required 2 semesters of chemistry under my belt. The school pre-dent/med track says to take Analytical Chem, but I've seen that some dental schools want some inorganic chem, should I take that?

I took 2 semesters of Bio and got an AB and a B (3.5, 3.0 respectively). I got an A in first semester O-Chem and a BC (2.5)in second semester. I took the O-chem lab at Rutgers over the summer and got an A and a B+. Is that BC ok or should I retake it? Lastly, I took Biochem and got a B.

I'm taking the first semester of physics right now. I know most people take the DATs spring of their junior year, but should I take it earlier since I finished O-chem last semester? I could start studying now and take it spring after 6-8 months of studying (probably starting out as weekly studying and progressing to daily), or I could cram harder for a few months and take it at the end of the semester.

What do you recommend? Is 6 months of studying too much? Will I run out of practice tests at some point and end up forgetting information? Any advice would be greatly appreciated concerning my entire situation. Thank you very much.


P.S. I have about 20-25 shadowing hours atm from this summer. I shadowed an orthodontist and a couple oral surgeons at an oral surgery group. I plan on continuing to shadow this year.

 

[alexamasan]

Some background on me:
I just started my junior year at UW-Madison. I'm an econ major and my GPA is a 3.41 (should go up a little after this semester). I took an accelerated gen chem course freshman year and got an AB (3.5). Turns out that was a dumb choice because I probably could've aced the 2-semester courses, and now I believe I have to take another semester of chemistry so I have the required 2 semesters of chemistry under my belt. The school pre-dent/med track says to take Analytical Chem, but I've seen that some dental schools want some inorganic chem, should I take that?

I took 2 semesters of Bio and got an AB and a B (3.5, 3.0 respectively). I got an A in first semester O-Chem and a BC (2.5)in second semester. I took the O-chem lab at Rutgers over the summer and got an A and a B+. Is that BC ok or should I retake it? Lastly, I took Biochem and got a B.

I'm taking the first semester of physics right now. I know most people take the DATs spring of their junior year, but should I take it earlier since I finished O-chem last semester? I could start studying now and take it spring after 6-8 months of studying (probably starting out as weekly studying and progressing to daily), or I could cram harder for a few months and take it at the end of the semester.

What do you recommend? Is 6 months of studying too much? Will I run out of practice tests at some point and end up forgetting information? Any advice would be greatly appreciated concerning my entire situation. Thank you very much.


P.S. I have about 20-25 shadowing hours atm from this summer. I shadowed an orthodontist and a couple oral surgeons at an oral surgery group. I plan on continuing to shadow this year.

It seems to me you're doing okay in terms of grades so far, that 2.5 in the second Ochem is completely fine, you shouldn't need to retake it. As several schools I see requires 2 semesters of inorganic chemistry, you should definitely take inorganic chemistry.

However though, it seems you currently have only the minimal requirements in terms of classes. Dental schools want you to take some advanced biology courses, recommended ones tend to be:
microbiology, histology, human anatomy and physiology....basically things related to microbes and the human body. As you are a junior, if you haven't taken any recommended upper level biology classes, that's a lot you'll have to do in a short period of time since you'll be applying at the end of your junior year.

You can take your DAT whenever you have time to study in my opinion. I just started my Junior year as well and I have already taken the DAT last summer. It seems a lot of people on the DAT discussion forum spend about 2 months studying for their DAT. I personally spent about a month of studying, but found out my methods weren't very successful, and spent the next 2 weeks studying with different methods all day long for the entire 2 weeks. It's really up to you. I just did it last summer so that would be one less thing to worry about next summer.

In terms of shadowing, 30 hours is usually the recommended minimum, but 100 is a preferred amount. Also, dental schools as I see it, tend to value experience with general dentists rather than specialists as dental schools teach you to become general dentists, not specialists. So good luck with everything and hope you do well.