Dental School Chances

[dental10122]

Hey Everyone! I need some serious help.
I really wanted to go to dental school. Currently, I am a junior with a 2.6 science gpa and a 3.13 overall. I have had really bad grades and there is no other explanation other than the fact that I don't know how to properly study and tended to procrastinate for exams. I have had to retake multiple classes and at this point, I don't care if I must do a post bacc or a masters before I have a chance to get into dental school. I just want to know if there is any hope for me even without having attempted the DAT. Here are my grades for science and math classes.


Gen Chem 1- B+
Gen Chem 2- C+, retake A
Gen Chem 1 lab- A
Gen Chem 2 lab- A-
Pre Calc - A- (took after 1st Calc 1 attempt)
Calc 1- D, retake B+ (after I took PreCalc to fix fundamentals)
Calc 2- F (took with orgo 2 and now I will retake this summer)
Bio 1- C+, retake C+ (both profs sucked)
Bio 2-B
Orgo 1- C
Orgo 2- D (currently retaking)
Orgo 1 lab- A-
Orgo 2 lab- A-
Primate Behavior (bio elective)- A

Other stuff about me.
1) I have over 1000 hours volunteering at a hospital since high school part of the transport services (push wheelchairs and stretchers) and I started volunteering at a local free clinic as an HIV tester. I am trying to go more dental shadowing this summer.
2) I am a resident assistant at my school and will be next year as well
3) I have been doing research for a year working on building a clone which will cause melanoma and zebrafish (im not that bad of a guy haha)
4) Will be published for a review article I worked with my Bio 2 lab professor on.

I am sure you will all tell me that I still have other classes to take and the DAT so I shouldn't give up, but is it worth spending the time and frustration or something that will never be? If any of you have been in my shoes and can share some successful stories, I would really appreciate it! Thank you!

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[aznriptide859]

We are not part of adcoms, so please, PLEASE, take our advice with a grain (or bag, or if you're a Pilgrim, a barrel) of salt.

Your orgo performance is slightly worrying. I don't know how adcoms perceive that course's performance in terms of your application, but being on the low end of the accepted grade spectrum won't benefit your app package very much (IIRC most schools don't accept below a C- grade).

Personally, a post-bacc vs. masters would depend on how many current credit hours you have in school. If it's well over 100 at time of writing, then doing more post-bacc classes for a year or so won't really improve your undergrad GPA (uGPA). Conversely, if you do want to complete a masters, do note you HAVE to do VERY well in it, preferably as close to a 4.0 as possible. My impression is that dental schools want to know that if you're doing a masters program, you can not only withstand the difficult curriculum but can also perform well, which technically should mirror your performance in dental school.

That said, different schools also value post-bacc and masters programs differently; I've heard on more than one occasion certain schools "liking" one over the other.

Ultimately it is up to you whether you want to pursue a career in dentistry. If you are motivated enough, then you should be willing to go through any hurdles to get there. I understand that many people have physical, social, or financial restrictions that may hinder their path to their goal, but you in the end should make the decision to whether or not going into dentistry is worth it or not.

 

[doc toothache]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/chance-me-a-statistical-perspective.1133457/