Will I ever get into dental school? Should I even bother? I need advice.

[Dr Smee]

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This is a bit long, so bear with me please.🙂

Let me just say that I really, really want to be a dentist. I've thought about it long and hard and I've made up my mind. It's the ideal lifestyle, with the opportunity to help others, have an active homelife, live comfortably, and contribute to public health. I want to do everything I can to become one.

I have a problem though. My GPA is atrocious (2.5). To make a long story short, I've apparently had ADHD my entire life (now 27) and didn't know it. This explains sooooooo many things. I'm a dizzying flurry of ups and downs, and I'm so academically inconsistent. I made a 36 on my ACT but an 1100 on my SAT, for example. Everyone has always told I was very smart but lacked focus. I never bought into the being smart part because my grades were always so terrible. In classes I enjoyed I'd make A's guaranteed... it was always a focus/interest/concentration thing, and if I liked the subject I'd ace it without trying. If I didn't like it or wasn't interested I was guaranteed to struggle, usually ending up with D's and F's. With such consistently poor performance over the years, I eventually convinced myself I was just lazy and incapable of ever amounting to anything. Enter closet depression.

One year ago, having gone almost a decade without graduating with my bachelor's, my fiance convinced me to go get tested for a learning disability. I went, and lo and behold I have hardcore ADHD. I got put on the strongest Adderall they make (30mg XR) and it was like a light switch turned on and everything went quiet in my head. No constant distractions when I try to think, no absent-mindedly putting off something I don't want to do because it isn't fun (such as studying), no inability to formulate and recite a cogent sentence without stumbling over my words because I keep wandering off... now I can actually look people in the eyes and talk to them without anxiously glancing away. I feel like a new man and I'm pissed I spent most of my 20's being a nothing, when had I known all along I had ADHD and medicated myself for it I could possibly be a dentist by now.

I swear it's like a magic pill. For the first time in my life I sat down and studied for something... a genetics exam... having been to class only once in 6 weeks. I made an A on it. Suddenly I'm filled with excitement and hope and so I start wondering if maybe I can turn my life around. Is it too late? Am I too old? I don't think I'm too old, but I'm not so sure about the other part.

My gpa is a sour 2.5. My academic record is riddled with F's, dropped courses, A's, and several D's. I've been in school since 2001 working on a psychology degree and I finally graduate this semester (thank you fiance for suggesting I get tested). Now that I know what I'm capable of, and that my crippling learning disability can be kept in check, I want to go pursue my dream to be a dentist. I've gathered that dental schools are every competitive though, and I'm not so sure I can get in. I'm not even sure how long it would take to fix a GPA like that.

I'm planning on retaking all my science courses over the next year, and I plan on getting A's in all of them. How high can 8+ A's bring up a 2.5 gpa? It's so easy for your GPA to plummet, but it seems likes it's 10x harder to push it back up. Am I going to have to practically ace the DAT to get in? Should I bother spending another year or two working on upping my grades in the hope I'll be accepted to dental school? I see the stats some you guys have, and the figures on how many people apply and get accepted (11k apply/4k accepted) and I get depressed. I don't want to waste my time if I can find some other way to support my family. When an admissions board sees my GPA, even with the string of A's towards the end, will it matter? I want to be competitive but I don't want to even get off the ground if it's a waste of time. I believe in pursuing your dreams at all costs, but we're thinking of having a baby soon and I'm still out of work... I can't afford to spend a year or two trying to get into dental school if I'll ultimately be unable to.

The other problem that I worry about is I have absolutely no study skills. I've never sat down for any length of time to really study... just a little here and there when I had to. However, I understand dental school is as hardcore as it gets and I'm not even sure I'll be able to handle it. Some of you guys have great study skills and lots of practice, but I have basically zilch.

I know I'm probably being dramatic, but the more I think about it the more scared I get. I've never done anything like dental school before, and I don't have any real world experience with hard academics so I've got nothing to go on to measure if I can handle it or not.

Ramble ramble, what do you guys think?? I'm gonna grab a Newcastle and relax... I've never wanted something so bad and been so unsure if I could achieve it.

tl;dr 27, grades suck, waaaah, dunno if i can get into school, going to get drunk.

 

[Destiny11]

This is a bit long, so bear with me please.🙂

Let me just say that I really, really want to be a dentist. I've thought about it long and hard and I've made up my mind. It's the ideal lifestyle, with the opportunity to help others, have an active homelife, live comfortably, and contribute to public health. I want to do everything I can to become one.

I have a problem though. My GPA is atrocious (2.5). To make a long story short, I've apparently had ADHD my entire life (now 27) and didn't know it. This explains sooooooo many things. I'm a dizzying flurry of ups and downs, and I'm so academically inconsistent. I made a 36 on my ACT but an 1100 on my SAT, for example. Everyone has always told I was very smart but lacked focus. I never bought into the being smart part because my grades were always so terrible. In classes I enjoyed I'd make A's guaranteed... it was always a focus/interest/concentration thing, and if I liked the subject I'd ace it without trying. If I didn't like it or wasn't interested I was guaranteed to struggle, usually ending up with D's and F's. With such consistently poor performance over the years, I eventually convinced myself I was just lazy and incapable of ever amounting to anything. Enter closet depression.

One year ago, having gone almost a decade without graduating with my bachelor's, my fiance convinced me to go get tested for a learning disability. I went, and lo and behold I have hardcore ADHD. I got put on the strongest Adderall they make (30mg XR) and it was like a light switch turned on and everything went quiet in my head. No constant distractions when I try to think, no absent-mindedly putting off something I don't want to do because it isn't fun (such as studying), no inability to formulate and recite a cogent sentence without stumbling over my words because I keep wandering off... now I can actually look people in the eyes and talk to them without anxiously glancing away. I feel like a new man and I'm pissed I spent most of my 20's being a nothing, when had I known all along I had ADHD and medicated myself for it I could possibly be a dentist by now.

I swear it's like a magic pill. For the first time in my life I sat down and studied for something... a genetics exam... having been to class only once in 6 weeks. I made an A on it. Suddenly I'm filled with excitement and hope and so I start wondering if maybe I can turn my life around. Is it too late? Am I too old? I don't think I'm too old, but I'm not so sure about the other part.

My gpa is a sour 2.5. My academic record is riddled with F's, dropped courses, A's, and several D's. I've been in school since 2001 working on a psychology degree and I finally graduate this semester (thank you fiance for suggesting I get tested). Now that I know what I'm capable of, and that my crippling learning disability can be kept in check, I want to go pursue my dream to be a dentist. I've gathered that dental schools are every competitive though, and I'm not so sure I can get in. I'm not even sure how long it would take to fix a GPA like that.

I'm planning on retaking all my science courses over the next year, and I plan on getting A's in all of them. How high can 8+ A's bring up a 2.5 gpa? It's so easy for your GPA to plummet, but it seems likes it's 10x harder to push it back up. Am I going to have to practically ace the DAT to get in? Should I bother spending another year or two working on upping my grades in the hope I'll be accepted to dental school? I see the stats some you guys have, and the figures on how many people apply and get accepted (11k apply/4k accepted) and I get depressed. I don't want to waste my time if I can find some other way to support my family. When an admissions board sees my GPA, even with the string of A's towards the end, will it matter? I want to be competitive but I don't want to even get off the ground if it's a waste of time. I believe in pursuing your dreams at all costs, but we're thinking of having a baby soon and I'm still out of work... I can't afford to spend a year or two trying to get into dental school if I'll ultimately be unable to.

The other problem that I worry about is I have absolutely no study skills. I've never sat down for any length of time to really study... just a little here and there when I had to. However, I understand dental school is as hardcore as it gets and I'm not even sure I'll be able to handle it. Some of you guys have great study skills and lots of practice, but I have basically zilch.

I know I'm probably being dramatic, but the more I think about it the more scared I get. I've never done anything like dental school before, and I don't have any real world experience with hard academics so I've got nothing to go on to measure if I can handle it or not.

Ramble ramble, what do you guys think?? I'm gonna grab a Newcastle and relax... I've never wanted something so bad and been so unsure if I could achieve it.

tl;dr 27, grades suck, waaaah, dunno if i can get into school, going to get drunk.

You can never be too old to decide to be a dentist. I think a post-bacc program for career changers is for you (programs where you can take undergrad pre-reqs). Once you get your undergrad GPA to a decent level to avoid the automatic cutoffs, then you can take more upper div. science classes or do a special master's program in a science (especially one that has strong lineage with a dental school). Meanwhile, start shadowing/volunteering at a dental office/clinic, and ace the DAT when you are ready to apply. All this will take 2-3 years of hardwork, but it can be done! You can also contact each dental school to see what is the best solution for you.

 

[Saggese]

This is a bit long, so bear with me please.🙂

Let me just say that I really, really want to be a dentist. I've thought about it long and hard and I've made up my mind. It's the ideal lifestyle, with the opportunity to help others, have an active homelife, live comfortably, and contribute to public health. I want to do everything I can to become one.

I have a problem though. My GPA is atrocious (2.5). To make a long story short, I've apparently had ADHD my entire life (now 27) and didn't know it. This explains sooooooo many things. I'm a dizzying flurry of ups and downs, and I'm so academically inconsistent. I made a 36 on my ACT but an 1100 on my SAT, for example. Everyone has always told I was very smart but lacked focus. I never bought into the being smart part because my grades were always so terrible. In classes I enjoyed I'd make A's guaranteed... it was always a focus/interest/concentration thing, and if I liked the subject I'd ace it without trying. If I didn't like it or wasn't interested I was guaranteed to struggle, usually ending up with D's and F's. With such consistently poor performance over the years, I eventually convinced myself I was just lazy and incapable of ever amounting to anything. Enter closet depression.

One year ago, having gone almost a decade without graduating with my bachelor's, my fiance convinced me to go get tested for a learning disability. I went, and lo and behold I have hardcore ADHD. I got put on the strongest Adderall they make (30mg XR) and it was like a light switch turned on and everything went quiet in my head. No constant distractions when I try to think, no absent-mindedly putting off something I don't want to do because it isn't fun (such as studying), no inability to formulate and recite a cogent sentence without stumbling over my words because I keep wandering off... now I can actually look people in the eyes and talk to them without anxiously glancing away. I feel like a new man and I'm pissed I spent most of my 20's being a nothing, when had I known all along I had ADHD and medicated myself for it I could possibly be a dentist by now.

I swear it's like a magic pill. For the first time in my life I sat down and studied for something... a genetics exam... having been to class only once in 6 weeks. I made an A on it. Suddenly I'm filled with excitement and hope and so I start wondering if maybe I can turn my life around. Is it too late? Am I too old? I don't think I'm too old, but I'm not so sure about the other part.

My gpa is a sour 2.5. My academic record is riddled with F's, dropped courses, A's, and several D's. I've been in school since 2001 working on a psychology degree and I finally graduate this semester (thank you fiance for suggesting I get tested). Now that I know what I'm capable of, and that my crippling learning disability can be kept in check, I want to go pursue my dream to be a dentist. I've gathered that dental schools are every competitive though, and I'm not so sure I can get in. I'm not even sure how long it would take to fix a GPA like that.

I'm planning on retaking all my science courses over the next year, and I plan on getting A's in all of them. How high can 8+ A's bring up a 2.5 gpa? It's so easy for your GPA to plummet, but it seems likes it's 10x harder to push it back up. Am I going to have to practically ace the DAT to get in? Should I bother spending another year or two working on upping my grades in the hope I'll be accepted to dental school? I see the stats some you guys have, and the figures on how many people apply and get accepted (11k apply/4k accepted) and I get depressed. I don't want to waste my time if I can find some other way to support my family. When an admissions board sees my GPA, even with the string of A's towards the end, will it matter? I want to be competitive but I don't want to even get off the ground if it's a waste of time. I believe in pursuing your dreams at all costs, but we're thinking of having a baby soon and I'm still out of work... I can't afford to spend a year or two trying to get into dental school if I'll ultimately be unable to.

The other problem that I worry about is I have absolutely no study skills. I've never sat down for any length of time to really study... just a little here and there when I had to. However, I understand dental school is as hardcore as it gets and I'm not even sure I'll be able to handle it. Some of you guys have great study skills and lots of practice, but I have basically zilch.

I know I'm probably being dramatic, but the more I think about it the more scared I get. I've never done anything like dental school before, and I don't have any real world experience with hard academics so I've got nothing to go on to measure if I can handle it or not.

Ramble ramble, what do you guys think?? I'm gonna grab a Newcastle and relax... I've never wanted something so bad and been so unsure if I could achieve it.

tl;dr 27, grades suck, waaaah, dunno if i can get into school, going to get drunk.

1) have self-confidence; if you got an A on your Genetics exam, there should be no reason for your low self-esteem and to not be able to handle the other science exams and looks like you found your weakness. 2) dont bother retaking all those classes, just the pre-reqs lower than a C and at least shadow a dentist for 100h. 3) get your bachelors as quickly as possible and go to a special masters program (i.e. masters in biomedical sciences) ;there usually one year. 4) ace the DAT and apply

 

[dentalWorks]

This is a bit long, so bear with me please.🙂

Let me just say that I really, really want to be a dentist. I've thought about it long and hard and I've made up my mind. It's the ideal lifestyle, with the opportunity to help others, have an active homelife, live comfortably, and contribute to public health. I want to do everything I can to become one.

I have a problem though. My GPA is atrocious (2.5). To make a long story short, I've apparently had ADHD my entire life (now 27) and didn't know it. This explains sooooooo many things. I'm a dizzying flurry of ups and downs, and I'm so academically inconsistent. I made a 36 on my ACT but an 1100 on my SAT, for example. Everyone has always told I was very smart but lacked focus. I never bought into the being smart part because my grades were always so terrible. In classes I enjoyed I'd make A's guaranteed... it was always a focus/interest/concentration thing, and if I liked the subject I'd ace it without trying. If I didn't like it or wasn't interested I was guaranteed to struggle, usually ending up with D's and F's. With such consistently poor performance over the years, I eventually convinced myself I was just lazy and incapable of ever amounting to anything. Enter closet depression.

One year ago, having gone almost a decade without graduating with my bachelor's, my fiance convinced me to go get tested for a learning disability. I went, and lo and behold I have hardcore ADHD. I got put on the strongest Adderall they make (30mg XR) and it was like a light switch turned on and everything went quiet in my head. No constant distractions when I try to think, no absent-mindedly putting off something I don't want to do because it isn't fun (such as studying), no inability to formulate and recite a cogent sentence without stumbling over my words because I keep wandering off... now I can actually look people in the eyes and talk to them without anxiously glancing away. I feel like a new man and I'm pissed I spent most of my 20's being a nothing, when had I known all along I had ADHD and medicated myself for it I could possibly be a dentist by now.

I swear it's like a magic pill. For the first time in my life I sat down and studied for something... a genetics exam... having been to class only once in 6 weeks. I made an A on it. Suddenly I'm filled with excitement and hope and so I start wondering if maybe I can turn my life around. Is it too late? Am I too old? I don't think I'm too old, but I'm not so sure about the other part.

My gpa is a sour 2.5. My academic record is riddled with F's, dropped courses, A's, and several D's. I've been in school since 2001 working on a psychology degree and I finally graduate this semester (thank you fiance for suggesting I get tested). Now that I know what I'm capable of, and that my crippling learning disability can be kept in check, I want to go pursue my dream to be a dentist. I've gathered that dental schools are every competitive though, and I'm not so sure I can get in. I'm not even sure how long it would take to fix a GPA like that.

I'm planning on retaking all my science courses over the next year, and I plan on getting A's in all of them. How high can 8+ A's bring up a 2.5 gpa? It's so easy for your GPA to plummet, but it seems likes it's 10x harder to push it back up. Am I going to have to practically ace the DAT to get in? Should I bother spending another year or two working on upping my grades in the hope I'll be accepted to dental school? I see the stats some you guys have, and the figures on how many people apply and get accepted (11k apply/4k accepted) and I get depressed. I don't want to waste my time if I can find some other way to support my family. When an admissions board sees my GPA, even with the string of A's towards the end, will it matter? I want to be competitive but I don't want to even get off the ground if it's a waste of time. I believe in pursuing your dreams at all costs, but we're thinking of having a baby soon and I'm still out of work... I can't afford to spend a year or two trying to get into dental school if I'll ultimately be unable to.

The other problem that I worry about is I have absolutely no study skills. I've never sat down for any length of time to really study... just a little here and there when I had to. However, I understand dental school is as hardcore as it gets and I'm not even sure I'll be able to handle it. Some of you guys have great study skills and lots of practice, but I have basically zilch.

I know I'm probably being dramatic, but the more I think about it the more scared I get. I've never done anything like dental school before, and I don't have any real world experience with hard academics so I've got nothing to go on to measure if I can handle it or not.

Ramble ramble, what do you guys think?? I'm gonna grab a Newcastle and relax... I've never wanted something so bad and been so unsure if I could achieve it.

tl;dr 27, grades suck, waaaah, dunno if i can get into school, going to get drunk.

You can't blame your problems on ADHD. Many doctors and dentists and pharmacists have the condition (me = one of them) whom never took any sort of medication and still did awesome in their undergrad studies. So I am sorry to tell you friend, but your condition is just one of those excuses that literally "force" the person to being lazy..... If you can sit on SDN and type up your 1000 word essay about how bad you want to be a dentist, trust me, you don't lack focus AT THE THINGS YOU WANT TO HAVE.

Now about your situation, your 27, so what, big deal, I am turning 29 in a week and I just applied for the first time to 18 dental schools 2 months ago..... so age = not an issue.

Now about your GPA, yeh, that 2.5 is going to be a tough obstacle to overcome. My only suggestion to you is to call up some dental schools that you are interested in, and tell them about your situation (leave out the ADHD part) just tell them you were younger and lacked motivation, but now that your older and have a better work ethic..... See what kind of advice they will give you.

As far as options go (in regards to fixing your GPA)... there are only 2. Both are expensive and will require a HUGE amount of time:
Option (1) you do a post-bacc (preferably informal) cause your going to need to take ALOT of undergrad level sciences and ace them, when I say ace them, I mean practically 4.0 everything. Cause you need all 4.0s you can get to bump that 2.5.
Option (2) is to do a masters in some biological science department. Ace this here and it will also help your chances.

 

[oae]

First off: Its never too late to set out for a goal no matter how difficult it may seem. Working hard for the things you want is a part of life no matter the circumstances.

Second: You could take 4 years worth of classes and your GPA will still never be competitive. Its just hard to make a dent in a bad GPA.

MY GAME PLAN for you:

1. Start a post-bacc program (not a master's... research thesis & ADD dont go together--- Im speaking from first-hand experience)

2. Get excellent grades in the program.

3. Kill the DAT exam

4. After 1-3 years, apply to dental school, and explain your life story (ie. I had ADD, I was immature before, I was not sure what I wanted to do with my life, Ive grown now, etc, blah, blah) And also hint at your recent UPWARD trend of getting awesome grades as a testament to your newfound ability to be an excellent student/dentist.


Schools look for motivation and SECURITY... As long as a recent track record of dramtic turnaround can prove that you wont be a financial/academic risk for them, then they have no reason not to consider you .

 

[rnbaxter]

Didn't read the essay. Only read the ADHD part and provided my opinion on that. If you want dentistry as your career, you need to develop a sequence of events that show your dedication to the field along with boosting your GPA. And my prior thought on the ADHD remains lol.

O yeah, and "I have no study skills" is why you have the gpa that you do. If the US pop got tested for ADHD, 90% or more would fail. I would stay clear from using this as an excuse. Especially, at the time when you have boosted your GPA and luckily land an interview.

 

[youknowthedrill]

Personally, I view this as: I would never go to a dentist that has a disability to pay attention. Let alone go to a dentist who is on methamphetamine derivatives lol.

My advice to you is to ignore people like the previous post. You obviously have the intelligence to succeed, now you have a tool that will help you reach your goal. If you want to go to dental school and are willing to put in the extra years to get there, go for it.

If it makes you feel any better, my GPA was way below a 2.5 and I had well over 100 credits when I re-entered school a year ago at the age of 37. I now have 40 hours of A's and I haven't quite reached a 2.5 gpa. I plan on 3 more years of undergrad and I will only be around a 3.0 at that time.

I strongly suggest you contact one or two dental schools. My state school was willing to schedule an appointment to review my situation and create a plan for the future. I'm meeting with them later this month, because I wanted to prove to myself and others that I was able to get the grades.

At some point in our lives we all have demons to battle. I'm glad that you found a way to overcome your learning disability. Don't spend time focusing on what you lost during all of those years, it will only hurt you. Instead focus on the gift you have been given and make the most of it.

 

[UltimateHombre]

Like so many others have said here.... it will take a long time to repair that 2.5 GPA. If you took 2 years worth of full time post bacc classes and 4.0 everything... you might be able to bring it up close to a 3.0. Then you will need to crush the DAT... like 22+ would be ideal, 90+ percentile. A special masters program would be good, but you need to get your undergrad GPA up to make cut offs.

You just need to look yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if it will be worth it? Do you want to invest a solid 3+ years worth of time, money, and tears into trying to become a competitive applicant? If the answer is yes, then go for it and never look back!!

Also i don't mean to start a flame war here... but before i decided on dentistry i looked a lot into pharm and optometry school. To be honest pharm school is still pretty competitive, but opto on the other hand not so much. For example Midwestern University 2800 dental applicants, 280 opto applicants, each program has 100 seats. People getting in with sub 3.0 grades are not that uncommon. Just saying if dental doesn't work out, you might consider these other professional schools and still make 100K a yr.

Also... are you a URM? If you are this changes things... And look up "3.0 and under club" here on SDN, it will help motivate and inspire you!!

 

[AmpedUp]

It begins in the mind. If you think you can do it, YOU CAN!!! I think only you can determine if it is possible or not. Thumbs up on OAE's gameplan. That's where I'd start if I were you. 👍

I wish you all the luck in the world! Dreams do come true if you want them to...From reading your post, I believe you're capable of anything you put your mind to. Just find a way to put it together.

 

[Jibergoob]

chill out, just enjoy life

 

[Hordel]

To be honest I think you REALLY have a chance! Not to say that you don't have work ahead of you before you reach your goal, but I think you can get there! I agree that you need to do something to bring up your grades, post-bac might be the way to go! I think if you can prove that you know how to study and if you can do well on the DAT I think you should have a great chance! When you do apply make sure to use the ADHD as part of it to explain some things!