What can I start doing now?

[DearSky]

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Kind of like in High School where there are things you "wish you would've known/done before applying to college" but for dental school.

- Anything you wish you would've known prior to the time of applying to dental school?
- As a freshman in college this fall, what can I start doing to help my application? Is it the same: extracurricular, volunteer hours, internship? - on top of the good grades?

I'm a proposed Biology major.

 

[aelian]

Kind of like in High School where there are things you "wish you would've known/done before applying to college" but for dental school.

- Anything you wish you would've known prior to the time of applying to dental school?
- As a freshman in college this fall, what can I start doing to help my application? Is it the same: extracurricular, volunteer hours, internship? - on top of the good grades?

I'm a proposed Biology major.

Ooooh. I have a lot being that I sucked at life for the majority of my undergraduate life (I still suck but not as much).
First of all, do good. I know a lot of people have that intention going in but a lot of people don't follow through. Don't say, hey, I'm just starting. No need to overkill. I'll start studying next week. That next week becomes a month later, the day before the exam. Start overkill from day 3. If you can maintain a 4.0 or even a 3.5 for your underclassmen years, you will thank yourself so much because if you can do that, then acing your upper levels should be no problem. It is my belief that it always takes a couple of semesters to get used to the studying of college as opposed to high school. You study much less but you have to study much more efficiently. Find your optimal method by the first semester.
Get to know your pre-health advisors. They will tell you a lot about what you can do (community opportunities, internships, scholarships).
Second point, get involved with your pre-dental/pre-health club by your freshman year. This will help you a great deal, especially if you have a good society. This also opens the door for leadership opportunities (run for a lower position for your junior year, and possibly take the president position by senior).
Try and find an undergrad research position by your sophomore year. There are plenty of positions. Get to know a prof and this will open the door for more positions. It is much harder to start researching your senior year.
Don't be SHY!!! Your ability to put yourself out there is very important. Plus it might help you land a hottie (just joking, focus on your studies!!!😀).
Find a reliable, friendly dentist who enjoys teaching. Get to know them well. You don't have to do it freshman year, but you don't want to wait until senior year to find a dentist who may or may not be suitable for you.
Ummm...what else did I screw up in. OH, yes, this is a BIG point, and by big, I mean don't gain 40 pounds from stressing so much. Believe me, it isn't fun gaining as much weight as a pregnant woman, followed by having to lose it. Not fun at all. Eat healthy, if possible.

 

[erk005]

Shoot for a 4.0 and if you miss you will still have a good GPA. Volunteer in the dental community.

 

[beatsdre]

Rate your professor is your best friend.

 

[sweetdaises2000]

I agree with pretty much everything Aelian said. Hit the ground running from the very beginning. My first, less than perfect quiz in Chem 1, pushed me to be buddy buddy with the T.A, who was more than willing to explain concepts from then on out. I even went back to her for Ochem help. So never be afraid to ask for help.
I found that I was one of the few students willing to go to T.A help sessions/prof. office hours, but others wanted to hear what information I got from those sessions
Um, don't party too much. Have fun with your friends, but trust me, knowing your GPA is high will keep you at ease when application season comes around. Would you rather apply to 16 schools or apply to 8? Chances are, if you have a 3.0 you may be the one applying to 16..and that's money...
Summer Research-Do it!! Even if its not paid, do it!! If they can even give you your own research project, even better. I simply helped contribute to a project at my school's dental school and was told that as long as I was involved, it counted..
Volunteer-Wish I had done more of this..Community, church,etc
Major in what you like. It's easier to do better. If you find that bio is not as great as you thought it was, or you want more variety, do a minor in politics or something. I just think its nice to spice things up a bit. It makes adcoms interested in you as a person too when they see your transcript..
I'm sure you're off to a great start!

 

[SeattleRDH]

Write your personal statement now, and in six months, and in a year, and so on... I wrote my personal statement 6 or 7 times before I decided on the final version. Also, writing your P.S. gradually over the next four years will help you self-reflect (and motivate) on why you're doing what you're doing.

You need to answer this question: "Why do you want to be a dentist?"

Things to leave out of your answer:

-because dentists make good money
-because I like to help people (don't say this, but show it in a story)
-because medical school takes longer
-because my dad is a dentist
-because I don't want to work on the weekends or in a hospital

Adcoms want to hear what has inspired you to work so hard to get into dental school. If you don't have your inspiration for being a dentist yet then start getting involved with volunteering in dental clinics.

 

[redhawk11]

All of these posts are true and super helpful, but I'll add my two cents as well.

Make a really good, detailed resume now and update it at the end of every semester. That way it will be ready to go when you ask for letters of recommendation before you apply. It will also help you fill out your AADSAS because you won't have to worry about whether or not you remembered everything you did in college. Also, keep track of the hours you commit to things if at all possible because AADSAS quantifies everything by hours. I kept hours for some of my activities in an excel file and that helped alot later.

GPA is huge, as all other posts have said, so work hard and study! That being said, have some fun too, you're only in college once and dental schools want to see nice, outgoing, normal, balanced students. Realize that with the path you are taking you can't go out every single night, but your Friday and Saturday nights should be for you to unwind and have fun, with the occasional week night here and there. This was the balance I struck, but it's different for everyone.

A student one year older than me also suggested that I take the DAT early, and if you are ready to do so, it saves a lot of stress and headache. I got in the classes that would be pertinent to the DAT during my freshman and sophomore years. Then during the fall of my junior year I studied for the DAT and took it in January. This was nice because I was able to enjoy my spring semester and I still had a safety net in case I needed to retake the test.

Oh, and another thing, if there is a notoriously difficult science class at your school that you have to take but is not necessary for the DAT, wait to take it until after you have applied. For example, at my school comparative anatomy is an extremely time consuming class and one of the hardest by reputation. Therefore, most students do not take it until senior year when they have more time to devote to it and do not run the risk of it bringing down their GPA.

Hope all that helps, good luck with everything!

 

[Seahawk]

Could you please explain AADSAS to me?

I am not really sure how it works or what they do. I looked at an application for one school and it had blanks where you could enter your EC's/Leadership activities etc...

But now I see you're saying you have to enter all that stuff to AADSAS?


Maybe it's like the thing for college where you can enter all of your info in one thing, then send it out to a lot of different schools?

 

[SeattleRDH]

Could you please explain AADSAS to me?

I am not really sure how it works or what they do. I looked at an application for one school and it had blanks where you could enter your EC's/Leadership activities etc...

But now I see you're saying you have to enter all that stuff to AADSAS?


Maybe it's like the thing for college where you can enter all of your info in one thing, then send it out to a lot of different schools?

go to www.ada.org. Many of your questions will be answered there.

 

[DearSky]

To be honest, I am shy. And since it's a small city, I'm worried I won't find a dentist in a nearby location to shadow/intern/volunteer for! Looks like I need to step it up a notch!

Would it look bad if I just major in Biology? I've enjoyed AP Biology and the sciences in general in High School, so I just decided to stick to it rather than remaining undecided.. but I wouldn't want to look like an ant in a colony lol. 😳

Write your personal statement now, and in six months, and in a year, and so on... I wrote my personal statement 6 or 7 times before I decided on the final version. Also, writing your P.S. gradually over the next four years will help you self-reflect (and motivate) on why you're doing what you're doing.

You need to answer this question: "Why do you want to be a dentist?"

Things to leave out of your answer: ...

Oh! >.< Some of those 'because..' is what my answers would be. I'll definitely start to work on that the first year! And the resume idea is wonderful, I'll definitely apply that knowledge!

Thanks everyone! 🙂 👍

 

[ItalianPrincess]

Ooooh. I have a lot being that I sucked at life for the majority of my undergraduate life (I still suck but not as much).
First of all, do good. I know a lot of people have that intention going in but a lot of people don't follow through. Don't say, hey, I'm just starting. No need to overkill. I'll start studying next week. That next week becomes a month later, the day before the exam. Start overkill from day 3. If you can maintain a 4.0 or even a 3.5 for your underclassmen years, you will thank yourself so much because if you can do that, then acing your upper levels should be no problem. It is my belief that it always takes a couple of semesters to get used to the studying of college as opposed to high school. You study much less but you have to study much more efficiently. Find your optimal method by the first semester.
Get to know your pre-health advisors. They will tell you a lot about what you can do (community opportunities, internships, scholarships).
Second point, get involved with your pre-dental/pre-health club by your freshman year. This will help you a great deal, especially if you have a good society. This also opens the door for leadership opportunities (run for a lower position for your junior year, and possibly take the president position by senior).
Try and find an undergrad research position by your sophomore year. There are plenty of positions. Get to know a prof and this will open the door for more positions. It is much harder to start researching your senior year.
Don't be SHY!!! Your ability to put yourself out there is very important. Plus it might help you land a hottie (just joking, focus on your studies!!!😀).
Find a reliable, friendly dentist who enjoys teaching. Get to know them well. You don't have to do it freshman year, but you don't want to wait until senior year to find a dentist who may or may not be suitable for you.
Ummm...what else did I screw up in. OH, yes, this is a BIG point, and by big, I mean don't gain 40 pounds from stressing so much. Believe me, it isn't fun gaining as much weight as a pregnant woman, followed by having to lose it. Not fun at all. Eat healthy, if possible.

👍👍👍 this is the best advice ever!! Aelian, i did the same thing with weight except i gained 20 pounds but on my 5'4 frame it may as well have been 50....you start college one day bright eyed and hopeful and the next your grades suck and you've downed so many beers, pizza logs, and cream/sugar filled coffees you're looking at a second ass

 

[map142]

Rate your professor is your best friend.

truest of all truths

 

[pinhi]

👍👍👍 this is the best advice ever!! Aelian, i did the same thing with weight except i gained 20 pounds but on my 5'4 frame it may as well have been 50....you start college one day bright eyed and hopeful and the next your grades suck and you've downed so many beers, pizza logs, and cream/sugar filled coffees you're looking at a second ass

hahhaha! this is hilarious and super true!!

 

[aelian]

👍👍👍 this is the best advice ever!! Aelian, i did the same thing with weight except i gained 20 pounds but on my 5'4 frame it may as well have been 50....you start college one day bright eyed and hopeful and the next your grades suck and you've downed so many beers, pizza logs, and cream/sugar filled coffees you're looking at a second ass

And you gain a great appreciation for stretchy pants. It really sucks when all your skinny clothes no longer fit so you buy fat clothes and then the fat clothes no longer fit. 🙁
I did the weight gain thing twice. I came to college, gained 35 pounds. Lost 40 pounds. Gained 40 pounds. And I've just lost the 40 pounds again. To the OP, remember, a donut today is a couple of miles to run tomorrow. Is it worth it? YES. Definitely yes.

 

[sfoksn]

I agree with pretty much everything Aelian said. Hit the ground running from the very beginning. My first, less than perfect quiz in Chem 1, pushed me to be buddy buddy with the T.A, who was more than willing to explain concepts from then on out. I even went back to her for Ochem help. So never be afraid to ask for help.
I found that I was one of the few students willing to go to T.A help sessions/prof. office hours, but others wanted to hear what information I got from those sessions
Um, don't party too much. Have fun with your friends, but trust me, knowing your GPA is high will keep you at ease when application season comes around. Would you rather apply to 16 schools or apply to 8? Chances are, if you have a 3.0 you may be the one applying to 16..and that's money...
Summer Research-Do it!! Even if its not paid, do it!! If they can even give you your own research project, even better. I simply helped contribute to a project at my school's dental school and was told that as long as I was involved, it counted..
Volunteer-Wish I had done more of this..Community, church,etc
Major in what you like. It's easier to do better. If you find that bio is not as great as you thought it was, or you want more variety, do a minor in politics or something. I just think its nice to spice things up a bit. It makes adcoms interested in you as a person too when they see your transcript..
I'm sure you're off to a great start!

You are lucky to be going to such a non-competitive college. I bet you have near perfect GPA 🙂

I envy you so much, haha.

 

[ItalianPrincess]

And you gain a great appreciation for stretchy pants. It really sucks when all your skinny clothes no longer fit so you buy fat clothes and then the fat clothes no longer fit. 🙁
I did the weight gain thing twice. I came to college, gained 35 pounds. Lost 40 pounds. Gained 40 pounds. And I've just lost the 40 pounds again. To the OP, remember, a donut today is a couple of miles to run tomorrow. Is it worth it? YES. Definitely yes.

soo true! i think without sweatpants i would be so broke i couldnt apply to as many dental schools as i did 😛 and yea i forced myself to get addicted to exercise as stress relief so i can have my chocolate and not be a future candidate on the Biggest Loser

ps, OP try not to stress too much-remember every minute you spend panicking is a minute spent not studying hence increasing the vicious cycle of panic

You are lucky to be going to such a non-competitive college. I bet you have near perfect GPA 🙂

I envy you so much, haha.

yea omg...at my college office hours and TA sessions are so packed often there's no room for people to sit in desks and people end up sitting on the floor on in the hallway scrambling for notes! and i remember an incident in orgo when my TA was so swamped he took my hw since i was done with it and started reading off my answers to the room filled with 80+ kids needless to say that **** did not fly and i left

 

[ah1989]

*Go to your prof's office hours/talk to them after class - they will be useful to you when you need good letters of recommendation. Figure these out/get them early... it gets stressful when you're down to the last minute and your apps are pending because of them!

Research!

Make sure you check the pre-reqs for all the schools you think you might apply to (they differ, and sometimes you could have gotten one out of the way with a diff requirement had you known)

Join your school's pre-dent club.. and other non-dental related clubs (well-roundedness)

Start shadowing early to bank up hours at different offices/you can get good letters of rec from the dentist as well

 

[AmpedUp]

Here's a "cliff's note" on what you should plan to do below

1) Shoot for a GPA greater than 3.5 - this could easily be achieved if you don't procrastinate, communicate with instructors/other students, attend all classes, do problems/read books, and taking a REASONABLE course load (don't take anything ridiculous like 20 credits per semester - take what you can handle, even if it's only 12 credits which is the minimum for full-time at most schools).

2) Shadow and volunteer (in anything) during the semester/quarter and summers. Join the pre-med or pre-dental or pre-health club of your school (at my school our pre-med club somewhat encompasses all fields in healthcare except allied health). Research would help too.

3) Visit dental schools of interest during sophomore year. Familiarize yourself with administration - but don't suck up to them 😉. See if you can shadow in their clinic.

Aside from that, here's my 2 cents...

If you're not sure dentistry is for you, explore the other health fields to see what else is out there. I know when I initially started college, I had more interest in becoming a physician (and a little interest in dentistry), but as the years flew by I found that dentistry is what I wanted all along. Therefore, be honest to yourself and follow your heart during college. That's what I wish I could've known earlier - would've saved me time of frustration and confusion. Be open-minded.

Good luck on your future journey!!

But right now, try to enjoy life...learn to take initiative if it's in your capacity. You referred to being a shy person...so I guess if it's a huge problem, don't let things prevent you from following your dreams. I still describe myself as shy but I've learned to moderate that over the years - I just don't let it distract me in things I want to perform well on.

 

[DearSky]

Haha, thank you for sharing your experience & for the tips!! 🙂

I was actually very interested in Medicine (Surgery, Pediatrics, etc) but realized Dentistry would better fit my personality and desires as a career--i.e. scheduling, how I can still help others, etc. I'm just worried about how competitive it is! I still need to do quite a bit of research about getting into Dental School; the DAT for instance, and when I should start preparing for it.

Again, thank you everyone! 😍

 

[Destiny11]

I would go to a school or transfer to a school that offers a BS in Dental Hygiene...that way you can finish your pre-reqs, take a few upper div. science classes, and gain very valuable clinical experience.

 

[PaulieGualtieri]

-Ratemyprofessor.com
-freshman year put yourself out there and attend a lot of social gatherings so you make a ton of friends
-study a little bit every day that way you'll retain the information and make the DAT easier
-enjoy yourself!! and find out who you are

 

[riro2]

Pick a major that you would enjoy studying.
By doing well in ur classes, you can give yourself opportunities to tutor those classes----->this is a great way develop communication skills, interact with professors etc.
Select extracurricular activities that you enjoy participating in, that way you can express yourself when the personal statement roles around.