get into dental school

i’m intent on making this happen. no matter how hard the pre-reqs may be

Took me a LONG time to decide on pre-dental, but I am very excited about my decision! One of the few I’ve made in my life. Hopefully as I learn more about dentistry, I won’t change my mind. But it seems kinda perfect for me right now.

Been looking at stuff online and I think I want to go to UCLA but it will be a reach to get in. I’ll have to take a year off where ever I go, but thats ok with me. I should probably get a job anyways.

This summer I need to:
-finish my bio lab with the best grade I can
-buy a DAT review book
-volunteer

This year:
-join pre-dental society
-sign up for/take DAT
-take calculus class
-take intro psych class

I have decided to set out on my life long dream. It would be wrong not to. I owe it to myself.
I first stumbled into the world of dentistry when I was only 15 years old, barely a sophomore in my all-girls catholic high school. One day on my daily walk to the school library, I happened to look at the bulletin board outside the library that had job postings. Hoping to find a way to make some extra moola and get out of the house, I saw a job posting for a dental assistant. A Dr. was looking for a student to train and work part time for him. I figured, I’ll give it a shot I guess.
I went to his office and went on to get 3 interviews with him. At the end, I got the job. For me, I saw it as just a job… my first day at work, he said, “I hope you don’t mind the sight of blood.” I was not prepared for the blood that was gushing out the patient’s blood as they were having a tooth extracted. But much to my surprise, it was nothing I couldn’t handle.
That dental office in time became my second home. In fact, sometimes it was better than home. At home, my family had issues. Having grown up with an alcoholic father all my life, home wasn’t always the happiest place on earth. On those days, I had Dr. Y’s office. And sometimes I couldn’t have been happier.
Throughout the years, my skill in dentistry grew bigger than I could ever have imagined. I started out being completely lost (all those instruments looked the same to me!) to being a top notch assistant, from simple cleanings to bonded restorations to long root canals, I could do it all with my steady hands.
It wasn’t just chairside assisting that I grew familiar with, I learned it all. Opening and closing the office, scheduling appointments, filing insurance claims, vacuuming at the end of the night, sterilizing instruments, and even scrubbing the toilet on occasion.
My time with Dr. Y became a time that I have never since forgotten. Those 4 years of my life taught me a lot about dentistry and a lot about life. I recently tried my hand at dental hygiene school, but it was there that I realized that I was short changing myself. I only live once and if I don’t reach for my dreams, what kind of life is that?
I am doing it Dr. Y. You once said I would make an excellent dentist, and you were right, because inside of me, I already was.

I want to make teeths prosthesis… lets see if I can enter!!!

send me a message…this site is awesome

I am working on a secondary for University of Michigan. I will finish it today. I just finished my UCLA secondary (which is the longest secondary after UNC )and will be mailing it tomorrow after a final edit. I have my first interview coming up a few days after Christmas, so I am excited and praying for more interviews ! God is good…
lpkitten, THANK YOU FOR MY VERY FIRST CHEER ON THIS GOAL !

I’m going into my 3rd year of applying to dental school – yikes! I simply cannot get accepted. This time I’m applying early and re-taking the DAT to improve my score (of which I did pretty well the first time) to see if that’s the ticket. We’ll see :)

Wish me luck!

UPDATE: July 2009

Lots of people have asked for my advice of how to get into dental school. I am thankful for your interest. You will find 99 percent of your answers through my various, DETAILED responses below.

In an effort NOT to repeat myself answering the same or similar questions, PLEASE read the entries below FIRST. Many thanks and good luck!