stinky stats... do i have a chance?

[3aliyah]

Howdy people

I've been mulling over my GPA and at the moment I'm feeling like I've doomed myself with my undergrad grades. Texas has a Fresh Start law and so I plan to use that definitely - grades 10 years old and older can be excluded.

So far (with my tons of undergrad grades) I have a cumulative GPA of 2.9 (don't laugh!) My science GPA is 3.22, and my Master's GPA is 3.75. I have a year of research under my belt and I'm hoping to publish. I am also trying to find out if I can shadow a dentist. (by the way - does it matter what type of vol. work you do - like dental or non-dental????)

I suppose I will have to get a 20 or 21 on my DAT and a 20 or 21 on my DAT-PAT, eh ??

Input would be greatly appreciated!!

Aaliyah

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[Buckyball]

Hi 3aliyah,

Your GPA is pretty good actually... especially your Master's GPA. It matters that you've done better in a graduate program than in undergrad.

If you can shadow a dentist, that would be good. I don't think it matters on what you observe, just that you've been out of the chair and are looking through the eyes of the doctor.

It would only help if you got a high DAT score... actually, getting a low score could hurt you, as schools do place a lot of emphasis on the DAT scores, since that's the one true way to measure everyone using a standard.

Good luck,

Bucky

 

[10040]

I think you can get in. Just put some effort on it. Good luck!

 

[smile_doctor]

3aliyah:

I think that your numbers look fine. Dental schools place heavy emphasis on the science GPA, and some schools weigh it more heavily than the overall GPA because they use it to predict your likelihood of success in the biomedical science courses that you'll be taking during your first two years of dental school.

What are you getting your masters degree in?

Good luck,

Smile_doc :wink:

 

[vixen]

3aliyah,

I thought you were pre-med? I hope that dentistry isn't your backup

 

[3aliyah]

I just got my Master's in Biology (concentrating in neurobiology) in December of 2001. I'm happy to be done with it.

Simseema - yes I was trying to decide which profession I wanted to do. I love medicine and I also love dentistry (i'm one of those ppl fanatic about good teeth!). I finally had to make a decision and I made it based on my baby girl who is 9 1/2 months. 4-6 years of dentistry would allow me to see her to grow up versus the 10 years of hardcore medicine I would go after. I want to have a family life also and this is how I can have my cake and eat it too. I have the best of both worlds.

 

[vixen]

I'm just curious...do you mean to say that you think the 4yrs of dental school won't be so stressful or demanding? I would think that both med and dental schools are stressful and demanding, so it wouldn't make much difference. There are a lot of people on SDN who have kids and are in med school. I guess I'm just saying, if you prefer medicine, then you should go for that and leave the dental spots for people who really want to be dentists

 

[Blue Tooth]

Hey 3aliyah, I understand what your saying. After the first two years, you're in clinic most of the time you can keep a semi-normal schedule. Plus residency won't have you keeping the 120 hour work weeks that most MDs are doing. I too was attracted to dentistry in part because of the lifestyle. Don't let other people dog your decision. Sure you could be happy doing a lot of things, but the trick in life is working at a job that is worthy of your time and effort, and allows you to do the other things you value (in your case, that's clearly your family). Best of luck to you.

 

[vixen]

I'm not trying to "dog" anyone. I just found it curious that I don't ever remember 3aliyah posting on the predental forum, but I saw her posts numerous times on the premed forum. If you are actually interested in dentistry, great...and good luck. If you are trying to convince yourself that dentistry is for you because of a non-successful attempt at medicine, then I would suggest reapplying to med schools. I'm sorry if I want to voice my opinions, but I just don't like it when people who get rejected from med schools start applying to dental schools...I think everyone should strive to achieve their goal. If that means reapplying, etc, then so be it.

 

[groundhog]

When simseema17 gains a bit more maturity she will come to realize that life tends to be a dynamic phenomena which often forces us to optimize rather than maximize our situations.

 

[Beagle]

I agree with simseema. I also hate it when people give up on medical school and opt for dental school. What I also hate is how people put down dentistry and say it is so much easier than medical school. The people who apply to dental school because they did not make it into medical school shoudl not be applying because there are plenty of other people who would LOVE to be a dentist and would willingly take their spot!
By the way seemsa---why did you go to so many colleges for undergrad?

 

[groundhog]

Add Beagle to the list of intelligent but naive.

 

[vixen]

I'm sorry groundhog but I have to disagree with you here. I have always wanted to do dentistry, and since I am in the position of reapplying, I too thought of some other schools/programs that I should apply to. People have "dogged" me because of this and the advice I always seem to get is "try your hardest to get what you want...if you don't get in, try again, you don't want to settle for another job"...So from what I take of this, I am going to apply to dental school again and if I get rejected again, then I will look at something else (MPH, podiatry). I was considering to apply to podiatry schools at the same time and people "dogged" me on the podiatry forum saying I shouldn't apply if I want to do dentistry. I am still considering them because I am trying to be realistic. Although I think I have a better chance of being accepted this time to dental school, I don't want to be stuck again with nothing. I know that people use their backup schools/programs all the time, I guess I was just questioning her interest as others have questioned me. I was also curious on what her reasons were to be interested in both fields, because it seems as though many pre-med people are totally uninterested in dentistry. Anyway, I didn't mean to come off in a rude way. If I did, I apologize

Beagle: I went to BostonU for two years, transferred to SUNY Binghamton and now I am doing a one year postbacc at Hunter College to improve my science gpa and get some more clinical experience

 

[3aliyah]

Simseema

I wasn't implying that dental school was any easier than med school - in fact both are just as hard and share similar curriculums up until clinicals of course. In fact I don't have to reapply because I have never applied to begin with. Also, just because you've seen me post on the pre med board and not on this one does that give you the right to assume that I am not interested in dentistry?? I have NEVER questioned anyone about where their priorities lie and so when someone does it to me I don't especially like it. I said I love both med AND dent. I also want to see my children grow up, and being of the Islamic faith I have a bigger challenge raising a child here in the USA because, as you've noticed lately, Muslims aren't very popular. I will be studying hard for the 4 years of dental school and when I get out I will have a fellowship maybe or I will head into a job of 40 hours per week. As an MD I would be working around 100 hours per week for about 5 years after medical school and then finally when I get to private practice my kids would be grown and there wouldn't be a need for me to go part-time. My child is my life and I have decided to make the sacrifice for her and for her only. I'm going to become a dentist because I love the field and I find it challenging. I want to make people feel good about themselves and I want to take the pain away and the fear along with it. So...I'm not going to "give up my spot for somone who really needs it" because I need it!

'Nuff said.

Aaliyah

 

[crop_circles]

simseema17 , i left you a private message. A long time reader, but first time poster

 

[vixen]

good luck 3aliyah :wink:

 

[vixen]

crop circles, I left you a PM. I'll have to write another one though cause I have some questions...thanks

 

[Thebeyonder]

Hi,
I think you should be applying to whatever you want, as long as you research the field and are sure that you will be able to be happy and not be a depressed individual. If you don't get into dental school it is acceptable, in my opinion, to apply to DO, MD, DPM, or whatever school you would like.
If I wanted to really be a pizza delivery driver, yet couldn't get a job as a driver, I would apply to be a waiter instead, if I thought that it would be right for me and I thought it would be comprable. It is good to switch interests in order to pay your bills. I feel it is totally selfish to put other people's lives on hold, if you have a family, just because your first love was to be a pizza delivery driver. Become a waiter if you have to. Nothing wrong with it. To sit around and wait and reapply constantly to become a pizza delivery driver is not smart if you have bills to be paid. Sure you may eventually become a pizza delivery driver, but at what cost, and what if waiters were really needed, you could have filled the waiter spot.
I am having a hard time understanding people's obsessions with sticking with a career that is not panning out, it seems like an overly romanticized ideal, that there is a perfect job, that your life will not be the same without this perfect job. Simseema I commend you on realizing that there is no real perfect job for practically anyone, most of the time if you research a career field and find it suits some of your interests you will find it enjoyable, perhaps even more enjoyable than your first job that you liked. Simseema I really am pulling for you to get into dental school, but at the same time I really hope you want be too upset if you don't get in. I have been rejected from M.D. programs, all of the schools that I applied to, in 1999. I know the pain of rejection and having to reevaluate life and career. I am now applying to D.M.D. and D.O. schools this year, I may not get in again this year, so my wife and I have to once again reevaluate our plans. It is a hard process to be rejected, you have to stand strong, change career goals if you have to and realize that you will eventually move forward with your life. Good luck.

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But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must first believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

 

[vixen]

thebeyonder,

I'm glad we can see eye to eye on something Thanks for rooting for me, and good luck to you. Will you be attending school this fall? Anyway, good luck to you and your family