UC Berkeley vs University of the Pacific 2+3 Accelerated Dental Program

[asumikkognap]

Hi everyone! I know making this account and being on this website may be a little too ahead of my age (since I'm a senior in high school), but I wanted some feedback and opinions on whether I should attend UC Berkeley College of Chemistry or University of the Pacific 2+3 Accelerated Dental Program in the fall. Since sophomore year, I have dreamed of going to BOTH universities and I never thought I would be so forutuante to be accepted into both schools! There are many pros and cons to consider and I AM CURRENTLY VERY CONFLICTED. Please let me know your thoughts and opinions!

UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC:
I for sure know I want to pursue a career in the field of dentistry, which is the main reason why I want to attend UOP for their 2+3 program. In this program, I am guaranteed and interview with Dugoni if I meet DAT and GPA requirements etc.

Pros:
-basically guaranteed a dds in 5 years if i maintain gpa + meet the dat requirements
-fast and easy way than the traditional 8+ route
-pre-dental advisors and counselors
-most of my peers will be pre-dent/pharm so it's nice to have a close knit group of people who all want to achieve the same goals etc. we all can motivate each other
-small private school
-i want to become a gp general dentist and from what ive read, dugoni is excellent for preparing their students with clinical work
-ive visited dugoni AND I LOVE THE FACILITY. state of the art technology; a newly renovated school.
-do not have to take any "fluff" classes in my 2 years before dental school. just the pre-dental requirements (hate history fluff classes so im happy i won't be taking those)
-like the class sizes. a typical chem class at cal will be around 500 students whereas at uop it's not
-CONNECTIONS; uop is known for their pre-dent/pharm programs and the faculty (i heard) discuss with the faculty at dugoni

Cons:
-stockton
-need to take ochem over the summer
-taking/studying for the dat literally next year around this time vs at cal i have 3-4 years before the dat chaos
-might have to decelerate to the 3+3 or 4+3 if it's too intense
-not a "big name" school (don't really care but still)
-since i plan on doing the 2+3 program i will not be getting a BS or BA (just DDS)
-very very expensive


UC Berkeley:
I've grown to be scared of the cutthroat environment at Cal and how dead it is. I feel like I will not have the greatest experience especially with it being such a large public school, but with Cal being in such a big area I feel like this environment will better me for the real world. I was admitted into the College of Chemistry which has around 200 students per class, so it has a private school feel. Cal's Chemistry department is ranked #1/2 up with MIT. I heard it's easy to find research to do with professors since it's our area of interest.

Pros:
-graduating with a BS from Cal CoC is rewarding and very prestigious/is looked highly upon in grad school admissions
-one of the best chem departments in the nation; i will getting a very good chemistry education
-i think chem/ochem concepts with dentistry will be easier in dent school if i attend cal since i will be getting such a good education in CoC. at uop, it's so fast paced and i heard most students aren't as successful
-ITS BERKELEY
-instate tuition yay

Cons:
-dont even know if i like chem that much to study it that intensely
-what if i lose track at cal? most people go into these huge schools thinking they will be a doctor or dentist but the percent of students actually matriculating into these professional grad schools is very low
-don't really care about the bs as much.. just the dds (not sure if it's worth wasting my time at cal when i can go to uop and finish in 5 years)
-very cutthroat.......
-hard to get classes so might graduate in 5 years (equating to 2+3 uop... id already have my dds) i do not have that many ap credits so it's going to be a long time before i will graduate
-"fluff classes" like language, history etc
-such a big public school; heard students feel like they are just a number
-don't have pre-dental advisors and a close community of pre-dents like at uop. so no support group or anything
-8+ years till i finish dental school

Please leave any opinions, thoughts, or suggestions!! There's so many more factors that play into my decision but I cannot think of them right now lol. Thank you to everyone taking time to read this!! I really appreciate it!! If I am vague about certain things please reply; I would love to talk and hear your thoughts! Thank you all again!!

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[asumikkognap]

bump please reply lol im a conflicted senior desperate for any help

 

[UCD Aggie Predent]

When I was 17 I was accepted to UOP's 2+3 prepharm program and was tempted to pick that over one of the UC's. Looking back at it, I was just a kid at the time, but I thought I knew what I had wanted to do. In reality, I needed much more time to evaluate what I wanted in life and needless to say I'm very glad I kept my options open 17 (I would have wasted a lot of time and money). My advice to you is unless you absolutely know you want to be a dentist and you've known this for a loooong time, going to UCB would be an amazing experience that is likely a once in a lifetime opportunity you would want to look back on when you're older. If you find yourself still looking to go into dentistry after 3 years, then you could always apply then. Have you shadowed a dentist before and can imagine yourself doing what he does day after day? That's an important question to ask yourself because you definitely do not want to commit blindly to a program as expensive as UOP's without knowing a good amount about the field. In the end, though, follow what your heart tells you and I'm sure everything will work out.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

What are the DAT and GPA requirements?

 

[asumikkognap]

When I was 17 I was accepted to UOP's 2+3 prepharm program and was tempted to pick that over one of the UC's. Looking back at it, I was just a kid at the time, but I thought I knew what I had wanted to do. In reality, I needed much more time to evaluate what I wanted in life and needless to say I'm very glad I kept my options open 17 (I would have wasted a lot of time and money). My advice to you is unless you absolutely know you want to be a dentist and you've known this for a loooong time, going to UCB would be an amazing experience that is likely a once in a lifetime opportunity you would want to look back on when you're older. If you find yourself still looking to go into dentistry after 3 years, then you could always apply then. Have you shadowed a dentist before and can imagine yourself doing what he does day after day? That's an important question to ask yourself because you definitely do not want to commit blindly to a program as expensive as UOP's without knowing a good amount about the field. In the end, though, follow what your heart tells you and I'm sure everything will work out.

Hi! Thank you so much for responding!
I forgot to mention this in the original post but my grandmother, father, and aunt were/are dentists and I have been inspired by the work they do. Many people think my parents are forcing me to pursue dentistry but actually my parents are not pressuring at all and have even told me to chase after other dreams of mine. In the end of the day, I like the artistry and science of dentistry so I for sure know I want to become a dentist . I have attended WesternU's dental camp twice and was even more drawn after the second time I went.
Yes, it is a big investment to attend UOP but it is five years and after that I can earn my money and repay it (hopefully lol). I don't want to look back and regret my decision ahhh especially with such an awesome school like Cal!

Thank you SOOOO much for replying! Good luck with your future endeavors as well!

 

[asumikkognap]

What are the DAT and GPA requirements?

"Successful completion of this or an alternate program determined by your advisor with at least a 3.25 GPA (no grade lower than a C-) along with earning scores of 18 or higher on all sections of the DAT will guarantee an admission interview with University of the Pacific's School of Dentistry." (from the UOP website Pre-Dental Advantage Program 5-year (2+3) Curriculum)

Thanks for your response!

 

[Incis0r]

How much is the combined 2+3 year program total?

 

[asumikkognap]

How much is the combined 2+3 year program total?

UOP: For the first 2years (considered "Undergrad") it is around 40K. The next 3years at Dugoni I will be paying the normal tuition amount, around 300K i believe including housing... very expensive but I think it is worth it especially since its a 5year program

CAL: Did not receive scholarships but I haven't heard back from FAFSA Financial Aid yet. I am an instate student so it will be a lot less than UOP. However, the 4 years at Cal including future dental school costs will even out if I attend UOP.

 

[Incis0r]

UOP: For the first 2years (considered "Undergrad") it is around 40K. The next 3years at Dugoni I will be paying the normal tuition amount, around 300K i believe including housing... very expensive but I think it is worth it especially since its a 5year program

CAL: Did not receive scholarships but I haven't heard back from FAFSA Financial Aid yet. I am an instate student so it will be a lot less than UOP. However, the 4 years at Cal including future dental school costs will even out if I attend UOP.

I'd take the Cal option.

UoP is $40K for 2 yrs of UG + $460K for 3 yrs of dental education (check out their website) = $500K.

But here's the thing...it's $460K for dental right now. It will be more by the time you get there, and after interest, you'll end up paying around $600K.

And since you don't get a Bachelor's degree for a 2-year undergrad, you won't qualify for the HPSP military scholarship (if you decide to go that route; commissioned officers must have a Bachelor's degree).

UC-Berkley is $137K for 4 yrs of UG. Try to get some scholarship $$ from them (merit, etc.) to drive that cost down further.

Do that, kill it in UG, and make yourself competitive for a) a military or NHSC scholarship (FREE dental education + living stipend) or b) a state school (you've got two fantastic in-state dental schools with UCSF and UCLA that are much cheaper than UoP).

 

[Alpha Centauri]

"Successful completion of this or an alternate program determined by your advisor with at least a 3.25 GPA (no grade lower than a C-) along with earning scores of 18 or higher on all sections of the DAT will guarantee an admission interview with University of the Pacific's School of Dentistry." (from the UOP website Pre-Dental Advantage Program 5-year (2+3) Curriculum)

Thanks for your response!

Those are very lax requirements. The program I was in wanted a 19 DAT and a 3.3 at the time but has since increased. I would pick UOP if it were me. Five years start to finish is an amazing gig. Look into HPSP from now so you are informed

 

[FlowerGirll35]

Hi everyone! I know making this account and being on this website may be a little too ahead of my age (since I'm a senior in high school), but I wanted some feedback and opinions on whether I should attend UC Berkeley College of Chemistry or University of the Pacific 2+3 Accelerated Dental Program in the fall. Since sophomore year, I have dreamed of going to BOTH universities and I never thought I would be so forutuante to be accepted into both schools! There are many pros and cons to consider and I AM CURRENTLY VERY CONFLICTED. Please let me know your thoughts and opinions!

UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC:
I for sure know I want to pursue a career in the field of dentistry, which is the main reason why I want to attend UOP for their 2+3 program. In this program, I am guaranteed and interview with Dugoni if I meet DAT and GPA requirements etc.

Pros:
-basically guaranteed a dds in 5 years if i maintain gpa + meet the dat requirements
-fast and easy way than the traditional 8+ route
-pre-dental advisors and counselors
-most of my peers will be pre-dent/pharm so it's nice to have a close knit group of people who all want to achieve the same goals etc. we all can motivate each other
-small private school
-i want to become a gp general dentist and from what ive read, dugoni is excellent for preparing their students with clinical work
-ive visited dugoni AND I LOVE THE FACILITY. state of the art technology; a newly renovated school.
-do not have to take any "fluff" classes in my 2 years before dental school. just the pre-dental requirements (hate history fluff classes so im happy i won't be taking those)
-like the class sizes. a typical chem class at cal will be around 500 students whereas at uop it's not
-CONNECTIONS; uop is known for their pre-dent/pharm programs and the faculty (i heard) discuss with the faculty at dugoni

Cons:
-stockton
-need to take ochem over the summer
-taking/studying for the dat literally next year around this time vs at cal i have 3-4 years before the dat chaos
-might have to decelerate to the 3+3 or 4+3 if it's too intense
-not a "big name" school (don't really care but still)
-since i plan on doing the 2+3 program i will not be getting a BS or BA (just DDS)
-very very expensive


UC Berkeley:
I've grown to be scared of the cutthroat environment at Cal and how dead it is. I feel like I will not have the greatest experience especially with it being such a large public school, but with Cal being in such a big area I feel like this environment will better me for the real world. I was admitted into the College of Chemistry which has around 200 students per class, so it has a private school feel. Cal's Chemistry department is ranked #1/2 up with MIT. I heard it's easy to find research to do with professors since it's our area of interest.

Pros:
-graduating with a BS from Cal CoC is rewarding and very prestigious/is looked highly upon in grad school admissions
-one of the best chem departments in the nation; i will getting a very good chemistry education
-i think chem/ochem concepts with dentistry will be easier in dent school if i attend cal since i will be getting such a good education in CoC. at uop, it's so fast paced and i heard most students aren't as successful
-ITS BERKELEY
-instate tuition yay

Cons:
-dont even know if i like chem that much to study it that intensely
-what if i lose track at cal? most people go into these huge schools thinking they will be a doctor or dentist but the percent of students actually matriculating into these professional grad schools is very low
-don't really care about the bs as much.. just the dds (not sure if it's worth wasting my time at cal when i can go to uop and finish in 5 years)
-very cutthroat.......
-hard to get classes so might graduate in 5 years (equating to 2+3 uop... id already have my dds) i do not have that many ap credits so it's going to be a long time before i will graduate
-"fluff classes" like language, history etc
-such a big public school; heard students feel like they are just a number
-don't have pre-dental advisors and a close community of pre-dents like at uop. so no support group or anything
-8+ years till i finish dental school

Please leave any opinions, thoughts, or suggestions!! There's so many more factors that play into my decision but I cannot think of them right now lol. Thank you to everyone taking time to read this!! I really appreciate it!! If I am vague about certain things please reply; I would love to talk and hear your thoughts! Thank you all again!!

What is your obsession with chem????

 

[asumikkognap]

When I was 17 I was accepted to UOP's 2+3 prepharm program and was tempted to pick that over one of the UC's. Looking back at it, I was just a kid at the time, but I thought I knew what I had wanted to do. In reality, I needed much more time to evaluate what I wanted in life and needless to say I'm very glad I kept my options open 17 (I would have wasted a lot of time and money). My advice to you is unless you absolutely know you want to be a dentist and you've known this for a loooong time, going to UCB would be an amazing experience that is likely a once in a lifetime opportunity you would want to look back on when you're older. If you find yourself still looking to go into dentistry after 3 years, then you could always apply then. Have you shadowed a dentist before and can imagine yourself doing what he does day after day? That's an important question to ask yourself because you definitely do not want to commit blindly to a program as expensive as UOP's without knowing a good amount about the field. In the end, though, follow what your heart tells you and I'm sure everything will work out.

What is your obsession with chem????

NOT OBSESSED WITH CHEM AT ALL... currently taking ap chem right now and it is extremely hard. i love the concepts tho and one of the reasons why i do like it tho is because of my teacher who is extremely dedicated and inspiring he has made chem more bearable i guess? i applied to Cal CoC because the DAT has a lot of chem and i thought with a good chem background the DAT wont be as terrible! also i prefer chem over bio haah

 

[FlowerGirll35]

You're basically ready for dental school now, why bother with undergrad?

 

[orgojo22]

You're basically ready for dental school now, why bother with undergrad?

jesus christ you're back again?

 

[asumikkognap]

You're basically ready for dental school now, why bother with undergrad?

L O V I N G the sarcasm

 

[FlowerGirll35]

 

[asumikkognap]

You can do very well on the DAT without having a chemistry degree from Cal. The College of Chemistry actually has one of the toughest grading system amongst all the colleges. Back when I was an undergrad there, I believe only 15-20% of students on a curve get A's. You'll be responsible for learning the content mostly on your own, and exams will be application-style questions similar to the MCAT. Most students (pre-health kids) end up transferring out to the College of Letters & Science and going into MCB or IB with a slightly more generous grading curve. You'll still have to take a semester of chem for any science degree, and that one semester of chem 1A will cover more than what you need to know for the DAT.

Do you think the upper division Chem/Bio classes help with the curriculum of dental school (besides the physiology and anatomy stuff)?

 

[caloc]

Cal alumni here. I'd do UOP.

 

[schmoob]

UoP. You would be finishing at around the age many people begin dental school. This is huge. You would have a massive head start on your career. The opportunity cost of those 3 years outweigh the additional tuition IMO.

 

[golden_blue]

Hi everyone! I know making this account and being on this website may be a little too ahead of my age (since I'm a senior in high school), but I wanted some feedback and opinions on whether I should attend UC Berkeley College of Chemistry or University of the Pacific 2+3 Accelerated Dental Program in the fall. Since sophomore year, I have dreamed of going to BOTH universities and I never thought I would be so forutuante to be accepted into both schools! There are many pros and cons to consider and I AM CURRENTLY VERY CONFLICTED. Please let me know your thoughts and opinions!

UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC:
I for sure know I want to pursue a career in the field of dentistry, which is the main reason why I want to attend UOP for their 2+3 program. In this program, I am guaranteed and interview with Dugoni if I meet DAT and GPA requirements etc.

Pros:
-basically guaranteed a dds in 5 years if i maintain gpa + meet the dat requirements
-fast and easy way than the traditional 8+ route
-pre-dental advisors and counselors
-most of my peers will be pre-dent/pharm so it's nice to have a close knit group of people who all want to achieve the same goals etc. we all can motivate each other
-small private school
-i want to become a gp general dentist and from what ive read, dugoni is excellent for preparing their students with clinical work
-ive visited dugoni AND I LOVE THE FACILITY. state of the art technology; a newly renovated school.
-do not have to take any "fluff" classes in my 2 years before dental school. just the pre-dental requirements (hate history fluff classes so im happy i won't be taking those)
-like the class sizes. a typical chem class at cal will be around 500 students whereas at uop it's not
-CONNECTIONS; uop is known for their pre-dent/pharm programs and the faculty (i heard) discuss with the faculty at dugoni

Cons:
-stockton
-need to take ochem over the summer
-taking/studying for the dat literally next year around this time vs at cal i have 3-4 years before the dat chaos
-might have to decelerate to the 3+3 or 4+3 if it's too intense
-not a "big name" school (don't really care but still)
-since i plan on doing the 2+3 program i will not be getting a BS or BA (just DDS)
-very very expensive


UC Berkeley:
I've grown to be scared of the cutthroat environment at Cal and how dead it is. I feel like I will not have the greatest experience especially with it being such a large public school, but with Cal being in such a big area I feel like this environment will better me for the real world. I was admitted into the College of Chemistry which has around 200 students per class, so it has a private school feel. Cal's Chemistry department is ranked #1/2 up with MIT. I heard it's easy to find research to do with professors since it's our area of interest.

Pros:
-graduating with a BS from Cal CoC is rewarding and very prestigious/is looked highly upon in grad school admissions
-one of the best chem departments in the nation; i will getting a very good chemistry education
-i think chem/ochem concepts with dentistry will be easier in dent school if i attend cal since i will be getting such a good education in CoC. at uop, it's so fast paced and i heard most students aren't as successful
-ITS BERKELEY
-instate tuition yay

Cons:
-dont even know if i like chem that much to study it that intensely
-what if i lose track at cal? most people go into these huge schools thinking they will be a doctor or dentist but the percent of students actually matriculating into these professional grad schools is very low
-don't really care about the bs as much.. just the dds (not sure if it's worth wasting my time at cal when i can go to uop and finish in 5 years)
-very cutthroat.......
-hard to get classes so might graduate in 5 years (equating to 2+3 uop... id already have my dds) i do not have that many ap credits so it's going to be a long time before i will graduate
-"fluff classes" like language, history etc
-such a big public school; heard students feel like they are just a number
-don't have pre-dental advisors and a close community of pre-dents like at uop. so no support group or anything
-8+ years till i finish dental school

Please leave any opinions, thoughts, or suggestions!! There's so many more factors that play into my decision but I cannot think of them right now lol. Thank you to everyone taking time to read this!! I really appreciate it!! If I am vague about certain things please reply; I would love to talk and hear your thoughts! Thank you all again!!

Coc alum here. I think if you're so sure you wanna be a dentist, go to UOP! It's 3 years less in time/money and you don't have to spend soooo much time on hard upper level chemistry courses, especially pchem!!! But, if you're really interested in chemistry, then go to Cal! What makes the Chemistry major high ranking is the famous profs and their research, so if you do research with the big names in the field, it's much easier for you to get into a top PhD program. As for the chemistry education part, I don't think the big-name profs will make a huge difference, because most of the time you'll get help from the GSIs (TAs), and I'd say they are pretty smart and helpful!! For DAT, I think it tests on pretty basic chemistry knowledge, and it depends more on how well yourself know the concepts and practice. For grading, I don't think it's that horrible, I think as long as you work hard and know your stuff, you'll be fine. Most classes' curve avg is B or B+, and profs will give practice exams before midterms, so I'd say it's a fair game. Personally, I like Coc classes more than MCB classes. If you really want to experience college life, then I'd say go to Cal. As a large public university, you can experience so much and meet so many different people, which is a precious life experience. Above just my 2 cents, you can PM me for more info. Go bears!

 

[Buck-E-Badger]

When I was 17 I was accepted to UOP's 2+3 prepharm program and was tempted to pick that over one of the UC's. Looking back at it, I was just a kid at the time, but I thought I knew what I had wanted to do. In reality, I needed much more time to evaluate what I wanted in life and needless to say I'm very glad I kept my options open 17 (I would have wasted a lot of time and money). My advice to you is unless you absolutely know you want to be a dentist and you've known this for a loooong time, going to UCB would be an amazing experience that is likely a once in a lifetime opportunity you would want to look back on when you're older. If you find yourself still looking to go into dentistry after 3 years, then you could always apply then. Have you shadowed a dentist before and can imagine yourself doing what he does day after day? That's an important question to ask yourself because you definitely do not want to commit blindly to a program as expensive as UOP's without knowing a good amount about the field. In the end, though, follow what your heart tells you and I'm sure everything will work out.

Can't second this enough, go to Berkeley. You have the unique opportunity to pursue your intellectual curiosities at one of the top universities in the country and there is something about the college experience (especially a liberal arts program) that shapes your philosophy and perspective on life. As you mature over the next four - five years you will become a radically different person than you are now (sorry for the clichè) and your interests will likely change. For example, I came into college thinking I wanted to study environmental law, that quickly switched to the health sciences (specifically pharmacy) and this past year I decided to make the switch to dentistry. Like you I came into college with the mindset that my philosophy/religion/liberal arts courses were fluff, however I quickly found these courses to be more simulating than many of my bio & chem courses. Rather than lock your future in place, run with this opportunity to learn more about yourself and the world; maintain a solid academic record and doors will open left and right no matter what you choose to pursue.

 

[Typical Average Student]

If you're 100% dead set on dentistry, go UOP 2+3.
A bachelors degree is the literally the most useless thing in the world unless it's in engineering or business.

 

[asumikkognap]

If you're 100% dead set on dentistry, go UOP 2+3.
A bachelors degree is the literally the most useless thing in the world unless it's in engineering or business.

Can't second this enough, go to Berkeley. You have the unique opportunity to pursue your intellectual curiosities at one of the top universities in the country and there is something about the college experience (especially a liberal arts program) that shapes your philosophy and perspective on life. As you mature over the next four - five years you will become a radically different person than you are now (sorry for the clichè) and your interests will likely change. For example, I came into college thinking I wanted to study environmental law, that quickly switched to the health sciences (specifically pharmacy) and this past year I decided to make the switch to dentistry. Like you I came into college with the mindset that my philosophy/religion/liberal arts courses were fluff, however I quickly found these courses to be more simulating than many of my bio & chem courses. Rather than lock your future in place, run with this opportunity to learn more about yourself and the world; maintain a solid academic record and doors will open left and right no matter what you choose to pursue.

Coc alum here. I think if you're so sure you wanna be a dentist, go to UOP! It's 3 years less in time/money and you don't have to spend soooo much time on hard upper level chemistry courses, especially pchem!!! But, if you're really interested in chemistry, then go to Cal! What makes the Chemistry major high ranking is the famous profs and their research, so if you do research with the big names in the field, it's much easier for you to get into a top PhD program. As for the chemistry education part, I don't think the big-name profs will make a huge difference, because most of the time you'll get help from the GSIs (TAs), and I'd say they are pretty smart and helpful!! For DAT, I think it tests on pretty basic chemistry knowledge, and it depends more on how well yourself know the concepts and practice. For grading, I don't think it's that horrible, I think as long as you work hard and know your stuff, you'll be fine. Most classes' curve avg is B or B+, and profs will give practice exams before midterms, so I'd say it's a fair game. Personally, I like Coc classes more than MCB classes. If you really want to experience college life, then I'd say go to Cal. As a large public university, you can experience so much and meet so many different people, which is a precious life experience. Above just my 2 cents, you can PM me for more info. Go bears!

UoP. You would be finishing at around the age many people begin dental school. This is huge. You would have a massive head start on your career. The opportunity cost of those 3 years outweigh the additional tuition IMO.

Thanks for all the replies everyone! Do you think studying for the DAT in about one year is possible... being in the 2+3 means I will have to take the DAT between 2018 spring and fall

 

[Typical Average Student]

Thanks for all the replies everyone! Do you think studying for the DAT in about one year is possible... being in the 2+3 means I will have to take the DAT between 2018 spring and fall

I read up on the curriculum of UoP's program, it says that most students take orgo and study for the DAT at the same time during the summer. This is very inefficient since orgo is a difficult subject to grasp right away.... or at least for the majority of people I know... I took orgo in the summer and it was very difficult to study and work full time, so if you're committed to this, make sure you are 100% committed and don't have very many other obligations that might hold you back.
I would probably try to take the DAT after taking orgo 1 at least... If you're really efficient with planning, you shouldn't have a problem studying for the DAT in under a month.

 

[asumikkognap]

I read up on the curriculum of UoP's program, it says that most students take orgo and study for the DAT at the same time during the summer. This is very inefficient since orgo is a difficult subject to grasp right away.... or at least for the majority of people I know... I took orgo in the summer and it was very difficult to study and work full time, so if you're committed to this, make sure you are 100% committed and don't have very many other obligations that might hold you back.
I would probably try to take the DAT after taking orgo 1 at least... If you're really efficient with planning, you shouldn't have a problem studying for the DAT in under a month.

Do you have any opinions/thoughts on UOP Dugoni overall? Thank you for being so responsive!

 

[schmoob]

Thanks for all the replies everyone! Do you think studying for the DAT in about one year is possible... being in the 2+3 means I will have to take the DAT between 2018 spring and fall

I'm not that smart.
I was able to take coursework and prepare for the DAT while having other life demands that were VERY demanding. I was able to get into dental school just fine.
You have amazing opportunity, you can be a doctor in 5 years. This will be tough and take work. But get into the right mindset - the work starts NOW. Time to start hustling.

 

[Scumbag_Steve]

.

 

[Frank Kennedy]

I can not even imagine being a doctor at 22 lol.

 

[crumps]

Current Berk student. Everyone's hit the mark on Cal but I noticed one of your cons at Cal was that there was no pre dent community. That's where you're dead wrong, there ARE pre dental communities at Cal you just gotta look for it and trust me we have hella resources when it comes to supporting our members whether it be in classes or the DAT. Hit me up and maybe we'll see you at Cal Day

 

[Scumbag_Steve]

.

 

[Frank Kennedy]

I know right? I can't take myself seriously idk how anyone else is supposed to

Seriously lol.. I thought I was going to be young graduating at 25

 

[Alpha Centauri]

As a side note, the UOP accelerated program may not be binding. I ended up leaving Nova after being in their accelerated curriculum

 

[Incis0r]

First off, congratulations for working hard enough to be in the situation you're currently in. Most people in dental school right now were not that accomplished as seniors in high school, myself included.

If I had been in your situation as a 17/18 year old, I would've taken the 2+3 deal and ran with it. Knowing what I know now as a D1 at 22, I really, really think that the best move for you would be to go to UC Berkeley. The decision at the end of the day is a very big and personal one, but I just wanted to advocate a little bit for the Berkeley decision.

When I was your age, and still to a lesser extent now, I was in a rush to get where I wanted to go in life as quickly as possible. I viewed undergrad as a means to an end, just something I needed to power through in order to get to dental school. So I chose to graduate in 3 years, which is btw something you could certainly do at Berkeley if you were so inclined. It wasn't until my last year in undergrad that I realized how much I was really missing out on by cutting the experience short. I had already made lifelong friends and gotten involved in a bunch of stuff outside dentistry, but I wasn't going to spend as much time cultivating my interests and friendships because I was leaving early. However, I am glad I left early because while it was tough cutting the experience short, I took a gap year where I moved to the middle of nowhere, got out of my comfort zone, and learned more about myself/life in general than I had during the previous 21 years of my life. Sometimes I wonder if I would've been better off not taking the gap year, application/resume aside, and I always come to the conclusion that I would've been much worse off had I done so. In the grand scheme of things, what does it matter that I'm graduating at 26 vs 25?

You have the chance to graduate at 23, or at 25/26. Think about the 2-3 year difference in the grand scheme of things. What difference does it make if you retire at 70 vs 72? 73 vs 75? 56 vs 59? These 2-3 years of your life will be absolutely negligible to you later on in life, but think about what they could mean to you if you utilize them at this point in your life.

If you choose the Berkeley route, you have the benefit of a large state school but with a smaller, closeknit community with the CoC. I had a similar experience with the smaller Honors Program within my larger state school undergrad, and it was honestly the perfect example of having the best of both worlds. At Berkeley, you'll have it even better. Living away from home in a college town is the best thing that will ever happen to your social life, and a lot of people who managed to matriculate to professional school will tell you they regret not cultivating their friendships and relationships more in undergrad. Let's go through your list of "cons" about Berkeley.

-dont even know if i like chem that much to study it that intensely

Who is to say you would not be free to switch out of the CoC and pursue something that interests you more? As long as you take the necessary pre-reqs for dental school, you can study absolutely whatever the **** you want, and UC Berkeley is one of the best places in the world to do so

-what if i lose track at cal? most people go into these huge schools thinking they will be a doctor or dentist but the percent of students actually matriculating into these professional grad schools is very low

If you stay in the CoC, you will have personal relationships with professors and access to great LORs if you put effort into them. I went to a school of about 20,000, which is definitely smaller than Berkeley, but plenty of kids from big schools manage to do just fine. Th reason that the percentage of students actually matriculating is low is because a lot of them were pampered wusses their whole lives and never developed the necessary perseverance to bounce back from things not going their way, and just gave up. Or they were undisciplined and let their grades slipped. If you want to matriculate, you will. It really is as simple as that.

-don't really care about the bs as much.. just the dds (not sure if it's worth wasting my time at cal when i can go to uop and finish in 5 years)

While the BS is not that important, it's the experiences you'll have while while getting it that matter. It will NOT be a waste of time.

-very cutthroat.......

A part of life is learning who are good people to surround yourself with. You can easily not interact with people who are insecure tools, and instead surround yourself with interesting, intelligent, and kind people. Also, I can't imagine a state school, even one like UC Berkeley, being less laid back than a program full of kids that are trying to graduate from dental school at 23, but I'm just speculating here and can't speak from experience.

-hard to get classes so might graduate in 5 years (equating to 2+3 uop... id already have my dds) i do not have that many ap credits so it's going to be a long time before i will graduate
-"fluff classes" like language, history etc

"fluff" is in the eye of the beholder, as is the perception of pretty much everything in life. If you go into anything with the mindset that you might get something out of it, you will. If you assume things will be usesless, they will be. Also, you will manage to graduate in 4 years with no problems, especially if you're diligent about staying on top of class registration and making plans for multiple scenarios in case your ideal sequence of classes gets altered through full registration.

-such a big public school; heard students feel like they are just a number

CoC being small and closeknit will alleviate this somewhat. Also, it is good for your personal development to feel like you're just a number: nobody will be holding your hand and you'll have to take the intiative to succeed. I really think that this had a huge positive effect on my motivation when I entered undergrad, knowing that nobody would shed any tears if I didn't get to where I wanted to be and I was the only one responsible for my future.

-don't have pre-dental advisors and a close community of pre-dents like at uop. so no support group or anything

Simply not true that there is not pre-dent community at UC Berkeley: uc-berkeley
Can't really speak about advisors or anything like that, but I would be willing to bet a lot of money that there are pre-health ad visors at a school like that.

I'm not trying to say that the UoP route would be a bad decison. It wouldn't be; either option is great. Just count me as a strong proponent of Cal. If you have any questions about my reasoning or if you need me to explain anything, please don't hesitate to ask. Again, congrats, and please let us all know if you want any more advice! This site can be filled with some wackjobs but it also has a lot of people willing to help.

Ah, the traditional well-thought out, reasoned @Scumbag_Steve post. Lucky OP.

 

[Chip Otle]

Hi there,

Current 4th Year Cal Student here planning to apply this cycle. I was in a similar kind of stage as you senior year of high school. I got into UOP's accelerate program, without really knowing I wanted to go into dentistry, I was leaning more towards a career in medicine at the time. My uncertainty about dentistry ultimately led me to choose Cal over UOP cause ALOT can change when you are in undergrad. Yes, Cal is tough, but you can definitely do well if you are driven. The courses at Cal will prepare you well for the DAT, and Cal's Pre-Dental Society offers great resources from study materials to providing a network of local dentists to shadow.

One of the biggest drawbacks I hear about UOP's accelerated program from current dental student friends from other schools, is that the students may not be as mature because they are entering dental school as such a young age at around 19 or 20. I would take that with a grain of salt though, since obviously every student is different. Another HUGE thing I had to consider was tuition price. Even the 1% hesitation I had with the nightmarish fear of finding out dentistry is not for me, say in the first or second year into the UOP program, was enough for me to take the route that would allow me the flexibility to really explore my options which is another big reason I chose Cal.

I would also add, that Cal's PDS is pretty unique in that everyone in the club, especially the officers are super helpful in terms of giving advice on classes, scheduling, etc. If you are 100% set on dentistry, with the experience to really back up your inclination towards dentistry, you definitely can't go wrong with either school. But, if you still want that flexibility, Cal is definitely the place to go. Lmk if you have any other questions if my response wasn't too late.

 

[eh15]

Hello! I am a 4th year Cal student interested in uop's accelerated dentist program. I was wondering if you could give me some insight.

 

[Krentist_72]

Hello! I am a 4th year Cal student interested in uop's accelerated dentist program. I was wondering if you could give me some insight.

The accelerated program is for incoming freshmen, it replaces undergrad with basically 5 years of dental school... as a senior in college you missed the boat for the 2+3 program, but can still apply to UoP's regular 3 yr dental program

 

[steph557]

I'm not that smart.
I was able to take coursework and prepare for the DAT while having other life demands that were VERY demanding. I was able to get into dental school just fine.
You have amazing opportunity, you can be a doctor in 5 years. This will be tough and take work. But get into the right mindset - the work starts NOW. Time to start hustling.

Thanks for all the replies everyone! Do you think studying for the DAT in about one year is possible... being in the 2+3 means I will have to take the DAT between 2018 spring and fall

It is definitely possible to study for the DAT in 1 year. My friend studies for 2 months and got a perfect score in almost every category. I studied for 2 months (badly, like 5 hours a day, on and off and not every day) over the summer while taking Ochem, filling out my dental school apps, and applying for the Navy HPSP. Got a 22 AA. I know this is an old thread but for anyone out there reading this, it is definitely possible! UOP also has a lot of resources, including your peers in the pre-dental program who are super supportive.