Hello everyone! My name is Mahsa and I am an incoming D1 at the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry!
Application season is coming up so I wanted to share some advice to all the pre-dental students out there preparing to apply in future cycles.
1. Set Long-Term Goals
1. Try to keep your grades up, but don’t forget about shadowing, volunteering, research, and other extracurriculars! That doesn’t mean don’t focus on the course you’re struggling in, but rather make long-term goals that allow you to set aside time to get a certain amount of volunteering done or other activities. Being well-rounded will do you better than just having academic achievements and nothing else. Most schools even require a minimum number of volunteer hours and 100 seems to be a good amount to aim for.
2. Prepare Early
Start preparing early! Ask for Rec letters a few months in advance of your app if not immediately during your courses so faculty/mentors have time to write a quality letter that truly captures who they know you as. If you didn’t have a chance to get close to professors, offer a CV or draft of your personal statement so they have something to go off of. Also, look at SDN for the last cycle’s application and interview questions to prepare for different schools! It truly helps to get started early and distribute your time evenly for each application activity. You can also schedule a practice interview with Pre-Dental Advice by clicking here!
3. You are Unique
3. Don’t compare yourself to others. We each have our own paths to dentistry and it’s important to understand that. Everyone has their own story and struggles so do not feel less capable or deserving than other students. Students get into dental school every year with lower GPAs or DATs or longer gap years, etc. You must continue to persevere and only focus on your own drive to become a dentist.
4. Enjoy Life
4. RELAX. It’s stressful (trust me I know) but don’t neglect your mental health. You can’t care for others without caring for yourself. Whether you’re still completing undergrad, preparing your app, studying for the DAT, or getting ready to start dental school, don’t forget to breathe and enjoy life!
If anyone has any more questions please Follow and DM @flosswithmahs
What tip did you find most helpful from Mahsa? What are you doing now to prepare for dental school? Let us know in the comments below!
Support our page by checking out our Amazon Store! Know we may earn a commission on purchases made. This helps us to continue to develop our page! :)