WAMC 2023 cycle - Post Bacc while dental assisting vs SMP?

[Pre Dental Rev]

Date of submission:
Overall GPA: 3.2
Science GPA: 3.0
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 2.85
DAT score (include AA and all sections): Planning on taking the DAT in July.
State of Residence: Georgia

Undergrad Attended:
Major: Biology
Minor:
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 120 hours at a dental clinic
Volunteering Experience: 30 hours from a volunteer summer camp at church and 10 hours from health fairs
Employment: ~2,500 hours dental assistant (half the hours from a 1 year break from school during Covid, and half the hours from gap year)
Research: 150 hours about health access difficulties in the community.
Other Extracurriculars: No notable leadership positions.
Relevant Honors or Awards: none
LOR type and strength: 1 strong dentist LOR,1 good science professor LOR, one neutral science professor LOR
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags:
School list:
Augusta University (1st pick)
University of Michigan (very long shot)
Nova Southeastern University
Boston University
Rutgers
New York University
Tufts University
Midwestern
Temple University
LECOM
Case Western
University of New England
Marquette University
Roseman University

Just finished taking a gap year with my mind off of school and working as a dental assistant. Will be applying this cycle but I don't have much hope of making it even if I get a very good DAT score. I just want to know if I should do a SMP or Post Bacc. If I did a SMP, I was thinking about joining the new SMP program Augusta University is hosting since Augusta is my first pick. My other option is to do a DIY Post Bacc at my local university with a somewhat light course load while maintaining my dental assistant job. I was originally set on joining a SMP, but I'm starting to have second guesses on if I want to put all my eggs in one basket. Maybe do a Post Bacc first for a year and raise my sGPA before doing a SMP. What do you guys think?

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[macsak]

Date of submission:
Overall GPA: 3.2
Science GPA: 3.0
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 2.85
DAT score (include AA and all sections): Planning on taking the DAT in July.
State of Residence: Georgia

Undergrad Attended:
Major: Biology
Minor:
Minority? No
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 120 hours at a dental clinic
Volunteering Experience: 30 hours from a volunteer summer camp at church and 10 hours from health fairs
Employment: ~2,500 hours dental assistant (half the hours from a 1 year break from school during Covid, and half the hours from gap year)
Research: 150 hours about health access difficulties in the community.
Other Extracurriculars: No notable leadership positions.
Relevant Honors or Awards: none
LOR type and strength: 1 strong dentist LOR,1 good science professor LOR, one neutral science professor LOR
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags:
School list:
Augusta University (1st pick)
University of Michigan (very long shot)
Nova Southeastern University
Boston University
Rutgers
New York University
Tufts University
Midwestern
Temple University
LECOM
Case Western
University of New England
Marquette University
Roseman University

Just finished taking a gap year with my mind off of school and working as a dental assistant. Will be applying this cycle but I don't have much hope of making it even if I get a very good DAT score. I just want to know if I should do a SMP or Post Bacc. If I did a SMP, I was thinking about joining the new SMP program Augusta University is hosting since Augusta is my first pick. My other option is to do a DIY Post Bacc at my local university with a somewhat light course load while maintaining my dental assistant job. I was originally set on joining a SMP, but I'm starting to have second guesses on if I want to put all my eggs in one basket. Maybe do a Post Bacc first for a year and raise my sGPA before doing a SMP. What do you guys think?

are SMP programs still interviewing/accepting people when it's almost may?

 

[Ryxndek]

are SMP programs still interviewing/accepting people when it's almost may?

Most likely no, but you never know. DIY post bacc may be enough since you’re above 3.0 overall and at 3.0 for science which is essentially the cut off.

You will have to do extremely well on the DAT so keep studying and grinding.

I would aim to have more volunteer work if you can. 40 hours isn’t a whole lot.

What do you plan on saying for manual dexterity?

 

[Pre Dental Rev]

Most likely no, but you never know. DIY post bacc may be enough since you’re above 3.0 overall and at 3.0 for science which is essentially the cut off.

You will have to do extremely well on the DAT so keep studying and grinding.

I would aim to have more volunteer work if you can. 40 hours isn’t a whole lot.

What do you plan on saying for manual dexterity?

Yeah, SMPs may have most of the students they want by now by I'll be apply regardless just to see.

For manual dexterity I plan on talking about playing violin since I was a kid and how I've been learning guitar for the past 5 years. I'll also be talking about how I've been in charge of orthodontic patients as a dental assistant, adjusting their braces myself, so I have hands on experience with the patients. Just haven't found a way to describe this nicely yet.

 

[Ryxndek]

Yeah, SMPs may have most of the students they want by now by I'll be apply regardless just to see.

For manual dexterity I plan on talking about playing violin since I was a kid and how I've been learning guitar for the past 5 years. I'll also be talking about how I've been in charge of orthodontic patients as a dental assistant, adjusting their braces myself, so I have hands on experience with the patients. Just haven't found a way to describe this nicely yet.

seems like good experience. I would try to write something down and work on flushing out how you want to write it. You don't get a ton of space to describe how, fair warning.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I'd ask Augusta since they are a new postbac/SMP program.

That said, SMPs are always recruiting and looking to fill seats. People drop their postbac seats if they got waitlists elsewhere. I have known some SMPs that were still interviewing up to the week of the first official day of class!

At some point, you have to bet on yourself. I hope you take the chance if it is really your calling.

 

[Pre Dental Rev]

I'd ask Augusta since they are a new postbac/SMP program.

That said, SMPs are always recruiting and looking to fill seats. People drop their postbac seats if they got waitlists elsewhere. I have known some SMPs that were still interviewing up to the week of the first official day of class!

At some point, you have to bet on yourself. I hope you take the chance if it is really your calling.

Thanks for the advice, I decided to focus on crushing the DAT this summer. I then plan on doing a DIY post bacc in Fall and Spring while maintaining my job as a dental assistant. If it doesn't work out this cycle, I'll apply to SMPs early next year.