considering dental school.. not the smartest person in the world...?

Question

After having years and years of bad teeth, having to visit a dentist for major repairs each year, and being with an orthodontist for six years.. I recently (about two years) developed a passion for a career as a dentist. I'm 19, junior in college, and....really... not the person in the world. I'm aware that the DAT is extremely difficult. I'm not the type of person who can read something and memorize it right at that moment. I use to get Ds and Fs till middle school and high school really brought me to reality. I hit my first all As and graduated with a 3.8 GPA. Now.. I'm struggling again in college with about a 3.4 GPA. I want to be a dentist..My uncle told me that he was a realistic person and that I could never be a dentist. Do you think so....?

Answer 1

I'm a first year Dental student. It is difficult to get accepted into the programs, but if you keep your GPA up (try not to go below 3.4), it's not unrealistic to get accepted. The DAT is a hard exam, but if you score around 20 or higher, you should have a good shot. I used the Kaplan DAT Study Guide when I was studying for it. There are also courses offered, but they are kind of expensive, and I didn't think the cost would be worth the benefits offered. You should also try to do some research or community service work to make your application look even better. Try to shadow a dentist if you have the opportunity. They are usually pretty good about welcoming in pre-dental students that want to see what it's like to operate a dental practice. If there's a pre-dental society at your university, you should probably join it. They will typically take tours of local dental schools and you can start to get some face time with the admissions people at the schools. Other good skills you can have are hand skills. If you play an instrument or build things with your hands, that is always a plus. There are many ways to get in...it's not necessarily the smartest or the person with best grades, but a lot of the time they are looking for people that are well rounded and have a genuine desire to enter the field other than simply the amount of money they want to make once they graduate. For example, a person with a 4.0 GPA and no people skills would probably get passed over for someone with a 3.4 that is good with people and has a lot of different activities listed on his application. From your story it sounds like you have a general desire to enter the field and help people with dental problems like the ones that you experienced in the past. Don't get discouraged by what your uncle tells you. Unless he's on the admissions board for a dental school, I doubt that he has any basis to pass judgement on your credentials. Good luck!

Answer 2

I have heard that going to Dentistry school is great for hands on tecniques and the equipment is amazing. I'd ask a college advisor to review your options. Investigating different schools and maybe asking your dentist about it would help. Good luck!

Answer 3

I'M CONSIDERING THE SAME FIELD, and i think if you are passionate about it, you just go for it, don't hesitate, it's your future, and don't let your uncle's judgement let you down, consider it as a challenge you have to go through, and rememeber the most important thing is to do the right thing, not just your best, good luck.

Answer 4

if its ur passion and u work really hard for it, i think u could. u clearly arent stupid if u had a 3.8 GPA, its just gonna be really hard. good luck

Answer 5

Do your best where there a will there a way and your grade look great

Answer 6

idk