Maybe they changed recently? I was intrigued and just googled it and it looks like it’s now a one-year program. Or maybe I’m looking at a different program than you were?
It’s a four semester program…starts in the summer…goes through one academic year, and has a summer component the second summer…at least that’s the way I’m reading it.
So…that’s $69,000 or so…for a full year…not including any personal expenses, books, health insurance, room and board, commuting costs if commuting, etc.
But it claims that 90% of grads get accepted to dental school afterward.
Thanks for the clarification!
Well…like I said…that’s how I’m reading this! I could very well be wrong!
@BenKlesc So maybe look into a program like the one at BU, if you can afford it?
Here are the admissions criteria:
How to Apply | Graduate Medical Sciences (bu.edu)
It would keep you in Boston for a year (which is where you’ve said you want to be) and it would give you a good sense as to whether Dental School is a possibility for you. If their claim of 90% placement is correct then that may be the boost you are looking for/need.
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Take note….you will need to take the DAT (Dental admissions test) and submit results.
Perhaps reach out to an advisor there for additional information…like application deadlines.
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@MMRose That’s the same program I linked in the post immediately above yours.
The program can be completed in 1 year, 1.5 years or 2 years depending on how a student chooses to schedule themselves.
The one year program (12 month) requires a student to take an increased academic load and concurrently engage in thesis research.
The 1.5 year program (18 months) allows for the normal courseload and gives 1 semester plus 1 summer for research completion.
The 2 year program has a normal courseload and has the student complete their research thesis during the fall-winter terms.
Because the dental school application cycle starts early (May) and dental school classes typically start in July/early August, the 18 month program does not finish in time for the student to be able to apply for the next cycle of dental school admissions.
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Honestly it does sound like I may want to look into it…
Now the question becomes, what are the chances BU accepts someone like me into that program? It sounds really competitive. Yes though, that would be a perfect transition for me, if it’s like it sounds. I would have to think about what I would be interested in researching.
So SNHU is different. Each semester at SNHU only lasts around 3 months. Shorter courses than at a regular college. Only problem, I would need more prereqs to get into dental, but maybe the masters program would offer them.
I will look into these “GPA enhancing” research programs. I would not want BU to look at my resume and think “Oh, he went to SNHU. That’s not a real college. REJECT”
So I’m still on the fence on whether I will switch to UMASS or not. If I did switch, it would take a lot longer to finish the current degree I’m almost done taking at SNHU. I’ve been taking online classes for over a year.
OP- do not do a THING until you have actually shadowed a dentist or gotten a job in a dental clinic, and do not do a THING before you sit down with the transfer office at U Mass.
And to address the elephant in the room- do not do a THING until you have thoroughly explored all the “hands on” jobs you will be qualified for with your degree from SNHU. Your recent interest in oral surgery is starting to feel like an avoidance technique-- how many jobs in your field have you applied for? how many have you interviewed for? Without putting the pedal to the metal on your current field, you are just pushing off the inevitable.
My dentist spends TONS of time on desk work. Probably more hours than his patient hours. He is still running an independently owned practice so he’s hiring and firing and giving feedback to the office staff, arranging for a temp when the receptionist calls in sick, working with the billing team on changes in coding for insurance (which is the difference between getting paid or not), meeting with vendors selling everything from high end imaging equipment down to the PPE the hygienists wear, meeting with building management on parking, security, custodial services, and then reading- tons and tons of reading. Articles in clinical journals, articles from the CDC on best practices in infection control, articles on cost containment and tax changes for professional services firms… the reading is never ending.
So get yourself educated before you make ANY changes to your educational plan. Turn down three jobs in environmental remediation/protection because the fit isn’t there- and then figuring out plan B is a great next step. But to jump to the next exciting thing before you’ve even explored your current field? Sounds scary.
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Have you looked at the admission requirements for BU’s dental school? (And by extension for the Oral Health Science program which is run by the dental school and where OHS students take all their classes)
The school does not accept community college credits for any science pre-reqs. Credits from an accredited four-year U.S./Canadian college or university should match or exceed the prerequisite requirement in biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry and physics.
Advanced Placement credit is not accepted toward the science prerequisites. Applicants who received college credit and/or placed out of prerequisite courses because of AP credits must either retake those courses at an accredited four-year United States or Canadian institution or take an equal number of credits in upper-level coursework in the same discipline at a four-year institution.
https://www.bu.edu/dental/admissions/dmd/req/
This is why it’s very, very important to check the admission webpages of every dental school (or pre-dental) program you are interested in attending.
You should email or better yet phone the admission office for the Goldman School and ask if they will accept credits/a degree from a 100% online program. I suspect they won’t because they’re so strict about where you take your science classes.
I agree I should definitely plan on doing that, but I have to make a decision quickly if I want to pursue this, because the longer I stay at my current college, the more damage it can cause. I feel this Summer I should make a decision.
Again I’m not even sure if I would like dentistry like you said, so within the next few weeks, I plan on speaking to my general dentist to ask about shadowing positions this Summer.
Alright, then I should speak to BU directly before I drop out, and before I talk with UMASS. I had assumed that dental schools won’t care about your undergrad if you have a masters. Maybe I’m incorrect, but looks like I would be able to transfer to a masters in oral biology. I really have not spoken to anyone so I’m guessing at this point. I should get to it.
Two separate goals…
1.) Find out how I can qualify
2.) Find out if I would even like it
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Right. See if you can make an appointment to speak to someone with the BU program. Take ALL of your transcripts with you. You don’t want to ask if you are going to be accepted. That is way out of line. What you want to know is which of your completed courses they will and won’t accept for their program.
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Good advice, and I before I shadow 100 hours, I need to find out if it would even be possible for me to qualify, and if I’m willing to do what it takes to be accepted into their program. That should be the first step. Once I have a pathway, then I will begin volunteer work.
You have been [color=blue]repeatedly[/color] advised on this thread and on the other closed thread to speak to a career counselor. @Thumper has wisely advised you to bring your transcripts with you. Over and over again, you’ve been ignoring the solid advice, and keep coming up with different goals.
This pattern of jumping from one thing to another is a significant issue for a student. Focusing on more than one thing at a time is significantly impacting your ability to remain focused. How are you managing your ADHD?
Why are you reluctant to seek out advice? Why don’t you want to speak to someone? What is your fear about speaking with a college counselor?
My dentist’s assistant was making small talk while I was having an X-ray set up. I asked him, “how often have you been bitten?” He said, “too many times to count!” Have you thought about that? That’s a very small part of the job.
@blossom described my dental office perfectly. My dentist is awesome, but he also has to be a businessman and manager. Lots of paperwork, insurance forms to sign, continuing education upkeep, etc. It’s not just patient care. It’s everything that supports patients and that usually involves a LOT of paperwork. He has one day dedicated to tackling the paperwork and managing the practice.
[color=blue]Edited to add: Your post in June of 2021 shows the same circuituous cycle and pattern of not listening to advice posted there. I would hate to see you here, still, in 5 years trying to figure out your life.[/color]
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It’s not really a transfer situation. It’s a post-graduate program. You have to have your bachelor’s first.
They also list their requirements. You should familiarize yourself with them first m, too.
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Refereeing the post from last year. I received my associates in 2017 from a community college. I had a 2.5 GPA. Later in life I was interested in pursuing a STEM degree and wanted to return to college, but I did not want to take calculus seeing my past history.
UMASS Lowell required calculus courses for a bachelors, and SNHU was one of the schools that did not. After speaking with SNHU I decided to start classes last year. They took all of my credits, and did not take my GPA into account unlike UMASS.
Suffice to say I will be speaking to a career counselor about this. The advice I have received in the past, was that STEM fields would not be a good fit for me only because of my past history. I really want to know if dental would work well in my position because it looks interesting.
After taking environmental classes for a year I enjoy it a lot. I can still pursue wetlands which was my focus. I just felt that medical school would be a more solid career choice in terms of opportunities, and it’s also something I think I would enjoy. I don’t want to look back and regret not trying something that may be a great career for me.
Right now I have no idea if this would even be possible, I don’t know if I would like it, but I definitely plan on talking to various colleges and want to meet in person with advisors who could point me in the right direction. I understand what you’re saying.
Thank you for all of your help. At least I now have a plan.
You are putting the cart before the horse. You have said…you have never shadowed a dentist. You haven’t had a conversation with a dentist about their job, education, career trajectory, etc. IOW, you yourself have admitted you know little to nothing about this job (except what you know from being a patient…which is VERY different from what the whole dentist job is)
So before you make a decision to pursue yet another career you know nothing about (as it seems you didn’t really know where your current major would lead you…and I’m not sure you fully understand that even now), you need to find out more by actually spending some time with a dentist…and finding out what the job really entails.
My opinion.
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I agree… but wouldn’t want to waste time shadowing if I have no chance at even getting into dental school. So first, I want to determine if I even have a feasible pathway.