Non-traditional Military CA Applicant

[SSAH1999]

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[artist2022]

Hello! I just finished my DAT about an hour ago. Super ecstatic about my score. I won't be applying this cycle but most likely in two cycles due to other priorities right now(flight school for the army).

My DAT will be hitting close to the 2-3 year mark since I'll be applying in 2023 right when it opens, which worries me a bit but this was the best time for me to take it right now.

Currently a Medical Services Corps National Guard 2nd Lieutenant.

Date of submission: 2023 Applying
Overall GPA: 3.645
Science GPA: 3.563

DAT score (include AA and all sections):
PAT: 17 (Yea I kinda messed up here, I hate the PAT)
QR: 20
RC: 27
BIO: 23
GC: 22
OC: 21
TS: 22
AA: 23
State of Residence: California

Undergrad Attended: Top 50 US ranked.
Major: Biology
Minor:
Minority? No, Low income Cal Grant & Pell Grant if it counts
Reapplicant? No
Nontrad? Yes

Shadowing Experience:
Dental Assistant: 160
Volunteering Experience:

Employment:
Manufacturing Engineering Intern for Radiosurgery Company: 400
Research:
Wet Lab Gastro Research: 126
Clinical Hospital PTSD Psychiatry, administered psychophysiology test: 600
Other Extracurriculars:
Choir: 80
Scoutmaster, teach kids: 180
Soup Kitchen/Food Banks/Health Fairs: 400
Reserve Officer Training Corps: 4000
Gymnastics: 120

Relevant Honors or Awards:
National Army ROTC Award
AMVETs ROTC award

LOR type and strength:
Physics Professor: Strong
Molecular biology Professor: ???
Lieutenant Colonel Professor Of Military Science: Strong
General Dentist: Strong

Misc Info/Things not stated elsewhere/Red Flags:
EMT Licensed

Prioritizing flight school with the army to become a 67J an Aeromedical Evacuations Officer(Flying Black Hawk helicopters for medical) if all goes well and according to plan I would have two years of training for this and another year of work experience in the National Guard for CA.

I also make watches. Like I buy the pieces, repair, disassemble, and build them, for the dexterity section.

My mom is a dental assistant.

Fluent in Vietnamese, with basic Spanish.

Potential Health Professions Scholarship Program Army: Depends if I want to add more years to my already long service contract, if I do choose to take this route cost doesn't matter anymore but would prefer not to.

I have some gap time before flight school, I was considering working as an EMT during that time. However, if I need more DA hours I'll go for that.

School list: Would prefer to stay in CA due to the NG CA obligations:
UCLA
UOP
UCSF
USC
Western
Loma Linda
UNLV
Rutgers
Touro
Stony Brook
Tufts
NYU
LECOM

App and school list both look good but why are you applying to dental school? (Is what dental schools will definitely ask, since you're even delaying your app to do flight school first instead, so make sure your PS is compelling). Your DAT should be fine for schools that accept scores within a 3 year period (like UCLA) but not for schools that require it be within 2 years, so double check if any of the schools on your list have this requirement (call and/or email them).

Good luck!

 

[SSAH1999]

App and school list both look good but why are you applying to dental school? (Is what dental schools will definitely ask, since you're even delaying your app to do flight school first instead, so make sure your PS is compelling). Your DAT should be fine for schools that accept scores within a 3 year period (like UCLA) but not for schools that require it be within 2 years, so double check if any of the schools on your list have this requirement (call and/or email them).

Good luck!

The end goal for me would be to do dentistry on the weekdays and fly on the weekends every couple weekends. I really enjoy both. Both are my life goals and I want to not compromise picking just one. Since dentistry allows for flexible hours and I would only be in the reserves component I would hope to maintain both of the rest of my life.

A quick write up on why dentistry just off the top of my head:

I really saw a lot of growth during undergraduate in my change in thinking and understanding along with the DAT, I realized I love higher education. I enjoy being challenged and learning immensely and would like to continue that in pursuit of a doctorate degree because I honestly cannot see my life as complete without learning more and getting to that level of education. I truly love the sciences and applying them daily they're super fun and enjoyable to me despite all the academic struggles. At the same time dentistry to what it seems to me is a very fluid profession with a flexible work schedule, good pay, good hours as a side benefit to an amazing challenge. I really enjoy working with small parts and tools so the dental procedures to me seem like an incredibly fun challenge, along with learning, mastering, and understanding the science behind them is an ideal life style for me. This also comes with the added benefit of helping people/my community and being able to enact procedures and change basically on the spot.

Thank you! My top choices are USC, UCLA, and Western and I'm super glad they have that 3 year time period.