WAMC - Reapply or SMP?

[mr.waters]

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Date of submission: 10/02/2025
Overall GPA: 3.50 (3.46 without +/-)
Science GPA: 3.25 (3.19 without +/-)
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.18 (3.10 without +/-)
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 2nd set of numbers are retake
AA: 410 -- 400
PAT: 390 -- 370
QR: 400 -- 380
RC: 450 -- 440
Bio: 390 -- 370
GC: 380 -- 410
OC: 430 -- 400
TS: 400 -- 390
State of Residence: FL


Major: Biomedical Sciences
Minor: Psychology
Minority? Yes
Reapplicant? Yes (Applied for 2026, got waitlist with no interviews/rejections)
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 150 hours: 130 general, 10 Ortho, 10 Endo
Volunteering Experience: ~230 hours: 20 Dental assisting, 70 animal shelter, 40 feeding homeless, 104 w/ church
Employment: LPN, Home Health Nurse: 3000+ hours, 1400 w pediatrics
Research: None
Other Extracurriculars: 300 hours: Molecular Science Diversity Committee, Black student union, Korean Student Union, esports club/team.
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? no
Relevant Honors or Awards:
LOR type and strength: 1 dentist, 1 Professor, 1 work related Clinical Director
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags:
* 2nd DAT was taken while working 36-48 hour weeks in nursing. I am considering retaking again and taking 4 - 6 weeks off to study properly.
Should I retake DAT and apply again earlier this year or go through with a one year SMP and apply next year?
I genuinely want some advice about how I should proceed, thank you !

 

[macsak]

Date of submission: 10/02/2025
Overall GPA: 3.50 (3.46 without +/-)
Science GPA: 3.25 (3.19 without +/-)
Bio-Chem-Physics GPA: 3.18 (3.10 without +/-)
DAT score (include AA and all sections): 2nd set of numbers are retake
AA: 410 -- 400
PAT: 390 -- 370
QR: 400 -- 380
RC: 450 -- 440
Bio: 390 -- 370
GC: 380 -- 410
OC: 430 -- 400
TS: 400 -- 390
State of Residence: FL


Major: Biomedical Sciences
Minor: Psychology
Minority? Yes
Reapplicant? Yes (Applied for 2026, got waitlist with no interviews/rejections)
Nontrad? No

Shadowing Experience: 150 hours: 130 general, 10 Ortho, 10 Endo
Volunteering Experience: ~230 hours: 20 Dental assisting, 70 animal shelter, 40 feeding homeless, 104 w/ church
Employment: LPN, Home Health Nurse: 3000+ hours, 1400 w pediatrics
Research: None
Other Extracurriculars: 300 hours: Molecular Science Diversity Committee, Black student union, Korean Student Union, esports club/team.
Have you volunteered/shadowed/attended events at any dental schools? no
Relevant Honors or Awards:
LOR type and strength: 1 dentist, 1 Professor, 1 work related Clinical Director
Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags:
* 2nd DAT was taken while working 36-48 hour weeks in nursing. I am considering retaking again and taking 4 - 6 weeks off to study properly.
Should I retake DAT and apply again earlier this year or go through with a one year SMP and apply next year?
I genuinely want some advice about how I should proceed, thank you !

you'd need a huge DAT improvement to make up for the low sGPA and BCP GPA
you sure 4-6 weeks is gonna be enough?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

OP: May I surmise you are making a career transition from LPN to dentistry? Did you attend any recruitment fairs or events at dental schools? Where did you send applications last cycle?

I don't think you have enough dental experience hours to persuade me that you are ready for dental school. You seem to have issues with time: you submitted an AADSAS application in October (late) and you have 170 total hours of dental vs. 104 with church, 300 extracurriculars, and 4000+ hours as an LPN. Putting your efforts into your DAT seems misguided compared to raising your GPA a bit more (we don't have a transcript to confirm). Who has been helping you with preparing an application?

 

[mr.waters]

you'd need a huge DAT improvement to make up for the low sGPA and BCP GPA
you sure 4-6 weeks is gonna be enough?

I’m not opposed to spending longer at all. Do you think 8 weeks would be enough of full time studying? It would be difficult to not work for more than 10 weeks for me so that’s about my limit.

 

[mr.waters]

OP: May I surmise you are making a career transition from LPN to dentistry? Did you attend any recruitment fairs or events at dental schools? Where did you send applications last cycle?

I don't think you have enough dental experience hours to persuade me that you are ready for dental school. You seem to have issues with time: you submitted an AADSAS application in October (late) and you have 170 total hours of dental vs. 104 with church, 300 extracurriculars, and 4000+ hours as an LPN. Putting your efforts into your DAT seems misguided compared to raising your GPA a bit more (we don't have a transcript to confirm). Who has been helping you with preparing an application?

LPN was never my focus, I just got lucky with and was chosen in my sophomore yr for a specialized high school LPN program and got my license at 18 right after graduation. I enrolled as a Biomedical major and was always on a pre-med/ pre-dental track and I just worked part-time on breaks through college as an LPN to help support myself. Roughly 3,000 are from the last 2 years and are post grad with the rest being spread out through my 3.5 years while in school.

Sad to say I did not attend any recruitment events. My list: UF, Nova, LECOM, Marquette, Rutgers, Touro, MWU, Temple, ATSU (Arizona and Missouri). — NYU and Creighton (however did not complete secondary due to change of mind).

I understand your concern over my gpa. So you’d say I should put my effort into raising my gpa with an SMP then?
I was open to Nova‘s master but with the development of the BBB, it would easier with an SMP at one of my state schools

I have no help with my application really other than forums and YouTube. I was advised by a friend in medical school to get off of Reddit and use student doctor as it proved extremely beneficial for their own application process. So here I am!

 

[macsak]

I’m not opposed to spending longer at all. Do you think 8 weeks would be enough of full time studying? It would be difficult to not work for more than 10 weeks for me so that’s about my limit.

i phrased it in the form of the question because no one can answer it but you...

 

[mr.waters]

i phrased it in the form of the question because no one can answer it but you...

You are definitely correct. 4 is not enough, 8-10 is a lot more doable for an improvement for my case. Thank you for your input!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I understand your concern over my gpa. So you’d say I should put my effort into raising my gpa with an SMP then?
I was open to Nova‘s master but with the development of the BBB, it would easier with an SMP at one of my state schools

Have you asked any of those program directors (for those public university-housed SMP's you speak of) about what they think you need for a stronger application profile for dentistry? First, not all SMP's have a strong track record with dental school admissions. (Barry Univ for sure is one that does have a strong track record.) I don't know what biomedical science courses you have completed, but that would give me an idea whether an SMP is necessary.

We have some experts on the DAT subforum if you want feedback about your DAT prep plan.

 

[mr.waters]

Have you asked any of those program directors (for those public university-housed SMP's you speak of) about what they think you need for a stronger application profile for dentistry? First, not all SMP's have a strong track record with dental school admissions. (Barry Univ for sure is one that does have a strong track record.) I don't know what biomedical science courses you have completed, but that would give me an idea whether an SMP is necessary.

We have some experts on the DAT subforum if you want feedback about your DAT prep plan.

I have taken all usual pre-reqs, Anatomy 1 & 2, Bio 1 & 2, GC 1 & 2, OC 1 & 2, Phys 1 & 2 -- Microbio, Cell Bio, Genetics, Biochem, Advanced Biochem, Immunology, and med. botany.

I was planning on reaching out to the directors of USF MSP3 (top choice) as well as Lecom SMP. Also considering the FIU post-bacc certificate and FAU biomed masters.

I will have to check out the barry program too perhaps.