Calling All Pre-Med 2 Pre-Dent

[FIFASoccer]

Hello.
I was wondering if anyone here was a former Pre-Med who turned to a Pre-Dent.. I'm currently applying to Medical School.. got a 30 on my MCAT.. 3.3 GPA.. but am starting to wonder if Dentist might have a slightly easier lifestyle than a doctor..

When I first thought of doctor, I was thinking that I would work a lot, do research, etc.. but now with age and maturity, I have come to realize that I want to raise a family and have lots of times for hobbies such as sailing or coaching a future son's soccer team.. etc..

After visiting my dentist, he said he loves his life, gets 100K+ yr, is off after 4:30pm.. takes numerous vacations per year with his kids and wife.. etc..

I know dentist and doctor are very different but could the people that made the switch give me some feedback on how their choice ended up?

P.S. When are dental school application accepted, whats their deadline, will they accept MCAT, and do I need tons of shadowing of dentists or can a couple sessions be good?

Thanks!

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[ISU_Steve]

How about only posting your question once....If I'm not mistaken you started an identical thread in the predent forum.

My advice:
-Check with the schools you want to apply to about the shadowing requirements. It varies from school to school- some don't require any, some require a lot of hours.
-MCAT won't work. You have to take the DAT.
-Have a damn good reason for changing your mind. You will be asked about this if you get an interview.

 

[Rezdawg]

he said he loves his life, gets 100K+ yr, is off after 4:30pm..

I think you'd be happy to know that many more dentists make more than 100K a year.

To answer your questions, I was premed, graduated college premed, and then switched. My options were to go to St. Georges or reapply. A family friend, who happens to be a dentist, asked me to go to work with her so I could check out denistry. I did. I never considered medicine again. Its as simple as that. I realized that everything I wanted to do in medicine (surgical procedures, work with hands, help others), I could do in denistry. However, dentistry allows you to have a life outside your profession, which is absolutely crucial for me. My dad is a physician, age 72, and works 70+ hour weeks to this day. His life sucks compared to a dentist and he knows it. He says Im very lucky for not sticking with medicine because the profession is not nearly as fulfilling as it was years ago.

You dont need tons of shadowing experience...even if its 20 hours, thats good enough. As far as the DAT, you will still need to take it, but given your MCAT score, you shouldnt have a problem dominating that test.

 

[Dentalist]

FIFASoccer,

Although I started out as a pre-dent in college, I had considered other related health professions including medicine and pharmacy. I knew I wanted to become a dentist after shadowing my dentist in high school, but I also wanted to check out other professions as well. So I took a clinical research job in which I got to interact with physicians and patients directly. After 2 years of working, I've come to realize how a reality of everyday medicine is so different from our society and media's portrayal of medicine. Those life-saving, exciting moments from the ER or other TV shows do not reflect of what physicians do everyday. Another factor that drove me to medicine was a sense of honor, achievement and prestige. I had always thought that I would gain self-fulfillment, respect and honor by going to a prestigious medical school and becoming a physician, which I thought were something not anyone could do. So my passion in medicine came from more of boosting my self-ego, rather than enjoying taking care of patients etc. Now, I realize that respect from people really comes from listening, understanding and taking care of others with compassion, sincerity and honesty, not from having a prestigious educational background. I also believe that all human beings have unlimited capability to do anything in life, but it is a matter of putting their priorities straight.

As far as lifestyle goes, I really think that it is a matter of choice. You can become a physician and still have a good lifestyle to take care of your family and etc. So my suggestion to you is to see what dentists and physicians actually do everyday, and find out which profession better suits your passion, interest and need. I understand that without actually doing meidicine or dentistry, you really cannot know what you truly enjoy. However, following physicians and doctors and observing what they do everyday will give you a general idea of whether or not you will love it.

Regards,

Dentalist