Can you drop out of hygiene school for dental school?

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hookemlonghorn

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I am currently a college graduate, working as a dental assistant and taking upper division biology courses to improve my GPA. This is my second time applying for dental schools in Texas and I am worried that I will not receive an interview this cycle. I really want to become a dentist, but I hate the fact of waiting another year to apply again and what if I do not get accepted my third time around?

I am applying for dental hygiene school at the same time and hypothetically, what happens if I do get accepted? Can I still apply for dental school next cycle during my first year of dental hygiene school? I was not sure if there have ever been cases where a student drops out of hygiene school once he/she got accepted to dental school. I would love to do that in the case that I don't get accepted my third try and haven't wasted a year not being in hygiene school.

What do you guys think? Does dropping out of hygiene school look that bad if you got accepted to dental school?

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^Agreed. The admissions committee wouldn't want someone dropping out of a hygiene program. They see it as you taking up a spot that somebody else (who actually wants to be a hygienist) could have gotten. And if you drop out, that's money they are losing.

Applying after hygiene school is different, but IMO, whether you do hygiene or not, you still need the grades/scores/extracurriculars to get into dental school, so don't go into hygiene school just to improve your odds of getting into dental school.
 
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^Agreed. The admissions committee wouldn't want someone dropping out of a hygiene program. They see it as you taking up a spot that somebody else (who actually wants to be a hygienist) could have gotten. And if you drop out, that's money they are losing.

Applying after hygiene school is different, but IMO, whether you do hygiene or not, you still need the grades/scores/extracurriculars to get into dental school, so don't go into hygiene school just to improve your odds of getting into dental school.

I agree with you on still needing the grades & extracurriculars and not wanting to take the spot from someone who really wants to be a hygienist. Its just nerve-wrecking thinking that what if I didn't get in that third time, then at least I could become a hygienist if I applied the 4th time because I would have finished the hygiene program and the courses I took would help me in dental school if it took that many tries.

I guess the bottom line is that if I somehow didn't end up in dental school, then at least I didn't waste a year trying when I could have been in hygiene school already.
 
I am currently a college graduate, working as a dental assistant and taking upper division biology courses to improve my GPA. This is my second time applying for dental schools in Texas and I am worried that I will not receive an interview this cycle. I really want to become a dentist, but I hate the fact of waiting another year to apply again and what if I do not get accepted my third time around?

I am applying for dental hygiene school at the same time and hypothetically, what happens if I do get accepted? Can I still apply for dental school next cycle during my first year of dental hygiene school? I was not sure if there have ever been cases where a student drops out of hygiene school once he/she got accepted to dental school. I would love to do that in the case that I don't get accepted my third try and haven't wasted a year not being in hygiene school.

What do you guys think? Does dropping out of hygiene school look that bad if you got accepted to dental school?

How would you answer the following question from an interviewer:

"Oh, I see you are currently halfway through Hygiene school....if we accept you, are you saying you will drop out of that program?"
 
You can absolutely drop out of hygiene school if you were accepted into a dental program. If a dental school interviews and accepts you then it means they would not care. I doubt that a dental school would think that much about it. I also doubt that you would be asked the above question but if you were you could answer something along the lines of "My goal is to be a dentist and I have been pursuing hygiene as a means to ultimately become a dentist. My passion is dentistry and the reason I started hygiene was to get as much exposure to the field as possible until I can start dental school."
 
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"My goal is to be a dentist and I have been pursuing hygiene as a means to ultimately become a dentist. My passion is dentistry and the reason I started hygiene was to get as much exposure to the field as possible until I can start dental school."

I'm going to admit you to our dental program! Beautiful response.
 
If I were in your shoes I would solely focus on dental school and not attend dental hygiene school. The reason for this is that if becoming a dentist is your professional goal then dental hygiene will be an unnecessary detour. More practically, you will either drop out, due to an acceptance, or not be able to recover the funds you've spent to go to hygiene school should you be admitted to a dental program post graduation. I don't see how either situation is advantageous for you.

Consider improving on what is keeping you out of dental school rather than doing non-productive work; increase your GPA, improve your DAT, and polish your interview skills.

What is your GPA and what is your DAT? How many credit hours do you have? Have you done sufficient extra-curricular activities?
 
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You can absolutely drop out of hygiene school if you were accepted into a dental program. If a dental school interviews and accepts you then it means they would not care. I doubt that a dental school would think that much about it. I also doubt that you would be asked the above question but if you were you could answer something along the lines of "My goal is to be a dentist and I have been pursuing hygiene as a means to ultimately become a dentist. My passion is dentistry and the reason I started hygiene was to get as much exposure to the field as possible until I can start dental school."
Does dental school know if students drop out of dental hygiene program , if you don’t submit transcript from dental hygiene program, just undergrad transcript only?
 
I am currently a college graduate, working as a dental assistant and taking upper division biology courses to improve my GPA. This is my second time applying for dental schools in Texas and I am worried that I will not receive an interview this cycle. I really want to become a dentist, but I hate the fact of waiting another year to apply again and what if I do not get accepted my third time around?

I am applying for dental hygiene school at the same time and hypothetically, what happens if I do get accepted? Can I still apply for dental school next cycle during my first year of dental hygiene school? I was not sure if there have ever been cases where a student drops out of hygiene school once he/she got accepted to dental school. I would love to do that in the case that I don't get accepted my third try and haven't wasted a year not being in hygiene school.

What do you guys think? Does dropping out of hygiene school look that bad if you got accepted to dental school?
Bump

How did it turn out OP?
 
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