What are my chances? Please help!

[Frogfish101]

Hello all!

Please help me out here, what do y'all think my chances are? I'm pretty nervous because of my low GPA. Below is a concise 'resume'...if you need more info just ask I am a junior at Duke, so my science GPA is my projected GPA for the end of this semester, presumed that I keep the same grades I have now.

science GPA: 3.34 (Overall: 3.41), with an intended Major in Biomedical Engineering and an already completed Minor in Biology at Duke University. I really screwed up freshman year, but got a 3.4 spring semester freshman year and have been extremely trending upwards in GPA.

DAT: 23AA 23 TS 22 PA

Extracurriculars: Leadership positions in 2 major school clubs (1 club sport), worked 7000+ hours in 2 labs (1 clinical, 1 biochemistry) since high school, published as author on 3 journal articles ( 1 in Nature). 200+ hours clinical volunteering, shadowed 2 physicians for 120+ hours. 30+ hours and counting shadowing a DDS this semester. My summers were spent working full time in labs, volunteering and shadowing.

Michigan resident, Asian background


I have a feeling my GPA will come back to haunt me.

What should I do more of to improve my chances, besides raising my GPA? I was originally pre-med, but decided to apply to dental school too. Do I need clinical volunteering experience in a Dentistry clinic? I hope to compile 80+ of shadowing the DDS. I also plan on doing non-medical related community service (which I lack). Thanks

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[rickblas]

Hello all!

Please help me out here, what do y'all think my chances are? I'm pretty nervous because of my low GPA. Below is a concise 'resume'...if you need more info just ask I am a junior at Duke, so my science GPA is my projected GPA for the end of this semester, presumed that I keep the same grades I have now.

science GPA: 3.34 (Overall: 3.41), with an intended Major in Biomedical Engineering and an already completed Minor in Biology at Duke University. I really screwed up freshman year, but got a 3.4 spring semester freshman year and have been extremely trending upwards in GPA.

DAT: 23AA 23 TS 22 PA

Extracurriculars: Leadership positions in 2 major school clubs (1 club sport), worked 7000+ hours in 2 labs (1 clinical, 1 biochemistry) since high school, published as author on 3 journal articles ( 1 in Nature). 200+ hours clinical volunteering, shadowed 2 physicians for 120+ hours. 30+ hours and counting shadowing a DDS this semester. My summers were spent working full time in labs, volunteering and shadowing.

Michigan resident, Asian background


I have a feeling my GPA will come back to haunt me.

What should I do more of to improve my chances, besides raising my GPA? I was originally pre-med, but decided to apply to dental school too. Do I need clinical volunteering experience in a Dentistry clinic? I hope to compile 80+ of shadowing the DDS. I also plan on doing non-medical related community service (which I lack). Thanks

I think your fine EXCEPT "but decided to apply to dental school too." You're applying to both? I think your first course of action would be to get more dental experience (decide if it is for you and that you want to switch from med to dent) and then decide medicine or dental...not both??

 

[FreeFallin]

I agree with Rick on this. There are people here who 150% want dentistry. Do you? You really should get some dental observation and then decide.

 

[Maygyver]

Same as the above posters. Did you actually apply to both medical and dental schools? If you haven't yet, think it over and apply to one next year. If you did, I'm not sure what to say.

 

[Frogfish101]

Thanks for your input guys. I haven't applied to either yet...that will be this upcoming spring. I am in the process of shadowing a DDS right now, so we'll see where it goes. So far I like it.

 

[4thMolar]

Your GPA isn't really that bad and your DAT scores are excellent. Since you still have this semester and next semester to pull up your grades before you apply, I think you'll be in pretty good shape. Just make sure to have consistent grades and make sure dentistry is something you can see yourself doing. I would not apply to both medical and dental school at the same time. You will have to indicate on your AADSAS application if you're applying to another health profession school, and I'm sure you'll be asked about it in your interviews why you're also applying to med school, if you do that.

 

[Frogfish101]

Your GPA isn't really that bad and your DAT scores are excellent. Since you still have this semester and next semester to pull up your grades before you apply, I think you'll be in pretty good shape. Just make sure to have consistent grades and make sure dentistry is something you can see yourself doing. I would not apply to both medical and dental school at the same time. You will have to indicate on your AADSAS application if you're applying to another health profession school, and I'm sure you'll be asked about it in your interviews why you're also applying to med school, if you do that.

Thanks for the input! I will certainly keep that in mind. I will have to make a decision come application time.

How competitive do you think I would be for a top med school? I know my GPA is low, but will my EC's and DAT help offset that?

 

[7 Iron]

Thanks for the input! I will certainly keep that in mind. I will have to make a decision come application time.

How competitive do you think I would be for a top med school? I know my GPA is low, but will my EC's and DAT help offset that?

If you're still considering med school, the DAT isn't a valid set of scores. You'll need to take the MCAT. However if you have similar performance on the MCAT as you did on the DAT, you should probably have some good scores. As for the GPA for med schools, I'm not quite sure, but I think the GPA at a "top med school" is higher than what you have... I would guess 3.7 or 3.8?

 

[Maygyver]

I think the best advice anyone can give you currently is to figure out whether you want to do dentistry or medicine. Once you figure that out, I'm sure we can give you more guidance. Take this winter break to shadow both professions. (You shouldn't base your career on whether you if you can get into a 'top' program; pick your career based on what you want to do for 40 years of your life.)

 

[Jsizzle]

hmm...you have a NATURE publication and youre worrried about getting into dental school? youre trippin. your GPA isnt the best but its still acceptable and your DAT is good. you'll be fine.

 

[TK2006]

hmm...you have a NATURE publication and youre worrried about getting into dental school? youre trippin. your GPA isnt the best but its still acceptable and your DAT is good. you'll be fine.

Nature has one of the highest impact factor scores - if not the highest. Are you the 1st author, or did you just contribute to the paper by doing benchwork/cellwork/etc? If you are the 1st author, then nothing can stop you now if you want to dive into academics.

You should look into MD/PhD programs if you are this good at research.

Anyway, decide what you want to do: DMD/DDS or MD/DO or PhD. Go from there.

1st author Nature publication is crazy, though... it's unheard of as an undergrad... unless it's not 1st author...

 

[BlueWolv]

Applying to med and dental school at the same time would be application suicide. Schools are looking for people committed to dentistry. Applying for another health profession at the same time shows that you are not committed. They would gladly give an acceptance to someone with lower stats who is "150%" committed to dentistry. With how competitive it is, they will probably toss your app right after they read that you are applying to med school, regardless of your stats. Pick one or the other, you won't get in to D school if you apply to both.

 

[Frogfish101]

Thanks for the input guys! I will heed your advice and decide on one.

And yeah, it was not first author. You are right, I have never heard of an undergrad as a first author on Nature or Science. I was put as second author, as it was my project which I was working on for 7 months before publication. During the course of those 7 months, it slowly picked up steam and more and more members of my lab became involved.

 

[Frogfish101]

If you're still considering med school, the DAT isn't a valid set of scores. You'll need to take the MCAT. However if you have similar performance on the MCAT as you did on the DAT, you should probably have some good scores. As for the GPA for med schools, I'm not quite sure, but I think the GPA at a "top med school" is higher than what you have... I would guess 3.7 or 3.8?

Oops, I meant Dental school. Sorry....my mind has been everywhere as of late.

Maybe it was a freudian slip...

 

[yappy]

for DO school I think your 3.2-3.4 would be competitive if you scored ~ 30 on the Mcat.