Waiting last minute to shadow a Dentist/volunteer?

[LCRUF]

Hello all!
Here is my current situation: I will be starting my Senior year at the University of Florida in the Fall and I plan on applying to UF's College of Dentistry, as well as other colleges(I will more than likely be taking a Gap Year, I also need advice on this). My current Overall GPA is a 3.2. I haven't participated in any shadowing at all due to work and a rigorous school schedule. As far as volunteering goes, I don't have that many hours piled up either (probably around 20 hrs since I started college). I have become somewhat unmotivated because I feel like I've fallen so far behind as far as shadowing and volunteering. I haven't taken my DAT yet either and I'm pretty sure I have no choice but to take a gap year, right? My question is, how concerned should I be when it's time for my interview at any dental school? Are they going to question why I waited last minute to shadow/volunteer?
Any suggestions/advice is greatly appreciated!
Thank you

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Hnl7]

You can’t change the past - only thing you can do is start shadowing and volunteering now. Call up a few dentists and get in there! Most are pretty friendly and you could probably get in there as soon as Tuesday of next week. It isn’t only a great idea to get started now from an application perspective, it’s a good idea so that you know that this profession is what you really want to pursue.

Call up a few places and start volunteering! There’s always places looking for help. You could be in a soup kitchen volunteering as soon as next week.

If you want to avoid a gap year, what are you doing this summer? If you are working full time or taking summer courses then your options are limited to squeezing what studying/shadowing/volunteering you can fit into your schedule.

If you are off - you have a couple of months!
Shadow twice a week, volunteer once a week, and study every day! You can still make it happen if it’s what you really want to do.

Good luck!

 

[LCRUF]

You can’t change the past - only thing you can do is start shadowing and volunteering now. Call up a few dentists and get in there! Most are pretty friendly and you could probably get in there as soon as Tuesday of next week. It isn’t only a great idea to get started now from an application perspective, it’s a good idea so that you know that this profession is what you really want to pursue.

Call up a few places and start volunteering! There’s always places looking for help. You could be in a soup kitchen volunteering as soon as next week.

If you want to avoid a gap year, what are you doing this summer? If you are working full time or taking summer courses then your options are limited to squeezing what studying/shadowing/volunteering you can fit into your schedule.

If you are off - you have a couple of months!
Shadow twice a week, volunteer once a week, and study every day! You can still make it happen if it’s what you really want to do.

Good luck!

Thank you so much for your response and advice! I really appreciate it I'm taking 3 summer classes now: Organic Chemistry 2 Lecture, Organic Chemistry 2 Lab, and Personal Finance, but I definitely plan on contacting a dental office so that I can start shadowing soon!

 

[baigern]

Thank you so much for your response and advice! I really appreciate it I'm taking 3 summer classes now: Organic Chemistry 2 Lecture, Organic Chemistry 2 Lab, and Personal Finance, but I definitely plan on contacting a dental office so that I can start shadowing soon!

Organic 2 over the summer? It takes a tough mental fortitude to accomplish such a feat. Kudos to you!

 

[dent_wannabe]

Definitely start shadowing and volunteering now. Note that many schools require a certain number of shadowing hours in order to even have your application considered, and unlike prerequisite courses, these must be completed prior to submitting your application.

Like others said, you cannot change the past, so just focus on getting started on those activities now. Demonstrate a reasonable commitment. If you are a senior right now, then by taking a gap year, you would be able to devote two years.

There is nothing wrong with taking a gap year (assuming I am successful this application cycle, I will have taken 3), as long as you are doing something productive during that time. It is certainly better than wasting thousands of dollars to apply unprepared. In your gap year, you can continue to do your dental related activities, and maybe also work to save up for your living costs for when you actually go to dental school.

 

[MrBoneless]

Average age at my school is 27. Don’t stress about a gap year.

 

[LCRUF]

Definitely start shadowing and volunteering now. Note that many schools require a certain number of shadowing hours in order to even have your application considered, and unlike prerequisite courses, these must be completed prior to submitting your application.

Like others said, you cannot change the past, so just focus on getting started on those activities now. Demonstrate a reasonable commitment. If you are a senior right now, then by taking a gap year, you would be able to devote two years.

There is nothing wrong with taking a gap year (assuming I am successful this application cycle, I will have taken 3), as long as you are doing something productive during that time. It is certainly better than wasting thousands of dollars to apply unprepared. In your gap year, you can continue to do your dental related activities, and maybe also work to save up for your living costs for when you actually go to dental school.

Thank you for your advice! I just feel that if I get an interview they're going to ask why I waited so long to shadow/volunteer :/ Also, I have to retake Physics 2 lecture because I received a C- in it and I withdrew from Organic Chemistry 1 the first time I took it, received a C the second time I took it. Any suggestions on what I should do? I was thinking about a Post-Bacc but I don't really understand how that works. Can I just retake the classes I want to? Thanks in advance!

 

[LCRUF]

Average age at my school is 27. Don’t stress about a gap year.

Thanks! I'm 23 about to graduate with my undergrad in the Spring of 2019 so I've always worried about being older when applying to dental school so thats a relief

 

[dent_wannabe]

Thank you for your advice! I just feel that if I get an interview they're going to ask why I waited so long to shadow/volunteer :/ Also, I have to retake Physics 2 lecture because I received a C- in it and I withdrew from Organic Chemistry 1 the first time I took it, received a C the second time I took it. Any suggestions on what I should do? I was thinking about a Post-Bacc but I don't really understand how that works. Can I just retake the classes I want to? Thanks in advance!

Well, you obviously have to retake Physics 2, because C- or below is not acceptable. If you already passed a course with a C or above, then you will not impress anybody by retaking the course for a higher grade, so no use in retaking ochem 1. Post-bacc can just mean taking courses after graduation, and it does not necessarily need to be a formal program. You can just enroll at a university as a non-degree student and whatever courses you wish. If you need to demonstrate potential to succeed in dental school despite your GPA, then you should be taking a science heavy load as a post-bacc.

Another option would be a master's degree. You can do a traditional master's degree, or a special master's degree. If you do a traditional master's degree, you should do one with a science heavy curriculum, if you need to demonstrate potential to succeed in dental schools. Special master's programs make you take the pre-clinical courses that a typical health professional student would take (e.g., anatomy, physiology). In some schools, you may be taking those courses with actual medical, dental, etc. students. Those programs can be thought of as your "audition" for dental school - you are proving to dental schools that you can handle courses that you would take as a dental student. If you succeed in the program, you can receive favorable review by dental school adcoms. However, if you struggle, then you will have wasted a large amount of money on a degree that is not very marketable.

 

[LCRUF]

Well, you obviously have to retake Physics 2, because C- or below is not acceptable. If you already passed a course with a C or above, then you will not impress anybody by retaking the course for a higher grade, so no use in retaking ochem 1. Post-bacc can just mean taking courses after graduation, and it does not necessarily need to be a formal program. You can just enroll at a university as a non-degree student and whatever courses you wish. If you need to demonstrate potential to succeed in dental school despite your GPA, then you should be taking a science heavy load as a post-bacc.

Another option would be a master's degree. You can do a traditional master's degree, or a special master's degree. If you do a traditional master's degree, you should do one with a science heavy curriculum, if you need to demonstrate potential to succeed in dental schools. Special master's programs make you take the pre-clinical courses that a typical health professional student would take (e.g., anatomy, physiology). In some schools, you may be taking those courses with actual medical, dental, etc. students. Those programs can be thought of as your "audition" for dental school - you are proving to dental schools that you can handle courses that you would take as a dental student. If you succeed in the program, you can receive favorable review by dental school adcoms. However, if you struggle, then you will have wasted a large amount of money on a degree that is not very marketable.

Thank you so much for clarifying this for me!! I think I will just retake Physics 2 lecture next summer.

 

[doc toothache]

Once you start shadowing, you could decide that all that blood/gore is not for you.