Destined for Failure ? Being Naive? Or just Ignorant towards Reality?

[rpsb16]

Ok. long story short. Im a Canadian in 2nd year university, currently trying to offset 4 C+'s , 1 C , 1 D+ from first year . In second year now , i got 2 B+'s, and 4 A's so far. NOW, I calculated my maximum gpa and i can only get a 7.8/9 scale (which is 3.8). I know all of the Cutoffs in canada are far above this. I am so confused in life , since I was really optimistic because i've always wanted to pursue dentistry, but am i just being stupid thinking I will actually get in (even assuming i get all A's , 3.8 is the maximum). So instead of offering me advice , i hope someone can tell me if im realistic as to what my 'alternatives' are :

1) Apply to american schools - even then i dont even meet the cutoffs, and im most likely not competitive. I've heard that schools in the US appreciate upward trends, but my situation is just unacceptable in this cause.

2) Australian schools - still not competitive enough (i've done extensive research on this too)

3) Canadian schools drop the worst year --- i did not take a full course load in my first year (long, story), so that option doesn't apply to me.

4) Apply for a masters - Canadian schools dont heavily weigh the masters as a 'plus point' over undergrad, so theres no point.

5) High Dat scores and Good EC/Shadowing -- didn't take the dat yet, but im sure this cant possibly offset my gpa. and i have good amount of EC/shadowing (dont know if it matters)

6) Retake courses - I can retake the one i got a D+ in (calc 2) , but i dont know if that'll even make a big difference.

7) Switch majors -- i have no interest in doing anything else, i cant imagine myself doing anything other than dentistry.


Should i dropout, or just finish my degree (even though i know i wont get into what i want to do). I really love studying science, and love the field of dentistry, and I cant imagine going into any other field.
This is a conflict which has been keeping me up at nights, and I just needed some help on some realistic approaches to this situation. I dont know why, but every option i try to take just reverts back to how my low gpa is imprinted into my life.i just feel bad because of a bad first year, this totally demolished my life-long dreams. i dont know if my depressing attitude is distorting my view on life, on what i need to do to conquer my dreams, but I hope someone who knows what steps I need to take next can help me out. I'd appreciate all the advice i can get.


thanks

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[REACHOn]

There's too many factors to judge you with the information presented. To tell you if you're being realistic about your alternatives is useless because it's not like you have 0% of getting in. The stats (DAT, GPA) and volunteers hours etc all affect your chances of getting in. Different schools put emphasis on different stats and just remember the people looking at you are people too and can have drastically different opinions about you and your stats. The only thing that can prevent you from even having a chance at going to a dental school is if you don't meet the minimum for certain dental schools in your GPA, shadowing hours or DAT scores (check America's dental school individual sites). There's always the person with borderline grades or DAT scores and still get into school but lets be clear, no one wants to put themselves in that position. Be realistic with where you're going with your studies. Ask yourself are you maturing, are you learning how to study better? Are you managing your time better? Identify your weaknesses and turn them into something decent Be true to yourself because it all catches up if you pretend because It only gets harder in Dental school, so you got to prepare yourself. I do not know much about other systems other than how the US works, but anything above a 3.4 with decent DAT scores + good interview skills seems to be comfortable. If you're below that you can still get in but don't be surprise if it takes a couple attempts. Being aware of your situation is good but don't let it become something that sends you down in a spiral but rather makes you want to work harder. Rewarding careers in term of prestige and income require riskier investment and some people don't have the heart to continue. It took me several tries to get accepted even with a solid 21 on my DAT and a decent GPA (apply to many schools and research the schools you are applying too, especially what they are looking for, who they favor (OS, IS) and their class profile) while I know of friends that got accepted with 19's on their DAT and the minimum GPA. I just took it as it wasn't my time and kept trying. Some people have thicker heads than others Take a break recharge and come back even more motivated to make your dreams a reality.

Sidenote: A career in dentistry requires much more work than previous generations. If you look at the dental school tuition and how much new grads are making, it is very depressing. Look at the threads on dental school debt. I just want to make sure you are aware of this before you continue on your journey.

Keep smiling and stay positive.

 

[rpsb16]

There's too many factors to judge you with the information presented. To tell you if you're being realistic about your alternatives is useless because it's not like you have 0% of getting in. The stats (DAT, GPA) and volunteers hours etc all affect your chances of getting in. Different schools put emphasis on different stats and just remember the people looking at you are people too and can have drastically different opinions about you and your stats. The only thing that can prevent you from even having a chance at going to a dental school is if you don't meet the minimum for certain dental schools in your GPA, shadowing hours or DAT scores (check America's dental school individual sites). There's always the person with borderline grades or DAT scores and still get into school but lets be clear, no one wants to put themselves in that position. Be realistic with where you're going with your studies. Ask yourself are you maturing, are you learning how to study better? Are you managing your time better? Identify your weaknesses and turn them into something decent Be true to yourself because it all catches up if you pretend because It only gets harder in Dental school, so you got to prepare yourself. I do not know much about other systems other than how the US works, but anything above a 3.4 with decent DAT scores + good interview skills seems to be comfortable. If you're below that you can still get in but don't be surprise if it takes a couple attempts. Being aware of your situation is good but don't let it become something that sends you down in a spiral but rather makes you want to work harder. Rewarding careers in term of prestige and income require riskier investment and some people don't have the heart to continue. It took me several tries to get accepted even with a solid 21 on my DAT and a decent GPA (apply to many schools and research the schools you are applying too, especially what they are looking for, who they favor (OS, IS) and their class profile) while I know of friends that got accepted with 19's on their DAT and the minimum GPA. I just took it as it wasn't my time and kept trying. Some people have thicker heads than others Take a break recharge and come back even more motivated to make your dreams a reality.

Sidenote: A career in dentistry requires much more work than previous generations. If you look at the dental school tuition and how much new grads are making, it is very depressing. Look at the threads on dental school debt. I just want to make sure you are aware of this before you continue on your journey.

Keep smiling and stay positive.

Hey, thanks for the reply. totally appreciate it. i guess what ur implying would be to consider US schools (maybe even aus) and start focusing on other parts of my application. Its depressing, but ur right , i have accepted my situation in which i cant get a competitive gpa and have to take on debt of 300-500K or so, by applying to outside canada. And another fact is that Im going to have a lower chance of getting in since im an international student, so thats another barrier in my way :/ . But nonetheless Im going to try and change my attitude even though I am fighting an uphill, maybe even close to impossible battle, haha. Thank you again.

 

[Faefly]

When there is a will, there is a way.
Stop stressing on things you can't change and keep on working hard and you will get into a dental school somehow, someday.

 

[rpsb16]

When there is a will, there is a way.
Stop stressing on things you can't change and keep on working hard and you will get into a dental school somehow, someday.

thank you for the kind words. i was just shocked as to how i completely demolished my potential gpa by doing horrible in first year, however i will remember this quote when working hard, and possibly find another way to get there!

 

[REACHOn]

That's the attitude. You will have your up and down moments but as long as you surround yourself with the right kind of motivation you can get through this. Going uphill is the only way to get stronger and become a better version of yourself. I can relate and empathize with you because I myself constantly doubted myself but I had a great group of friends and family. Call it being stubborn or being persistent but it got me to where I am today. Rough start means you have to put in more work that's all. Come Aug. when I start school I've been preparing myself mentally I was always the student with satisfactory and average GPA since middle school, but look at me now Haul ass from here on out.

Wish you the best of luck.