I would like to get some insights from practicing dentists, who may have entered dentistry at an older age and/or have switched to dentistry from another career.
I am 31, and work in public accounting. I have an undergraduate degree in accounting, GPA 3.25, and an MBA, GPA 3.8, and I think I have a total of 195 academic credit hours. I am taking the last part of my CPA exam, and hopefully will become certified by the end of summer. I have been exposed to various aspects of the accounting career, and unfortunately cannot convince myself to like any of them, and I do not see myself doing this for the rest of my life.
When I was completing my MBA program 2 years ago I decided to drop the master’s program, enroll in a post baccalaureate program, take the DAT, and apply to dental schools; however, the pre-health advisor that I met with discouraged me so much, and told me that no dental school will accept me with so many credit hours and a low GPA. As a result, I put my thoughts about dentistry aside, completed my MBA, and continued the accounting career.
After my wife was accepted to a dental school this year I decided to give it another try, and I shadowed and assisted a dentist, applied to a post bacc program at a private university, where my wife is going to dental school, and I have been accepted for the fall 2014 semester.
There are many aspects of dentistry that are attractive to me – to name a few – I am very social and I enjoy meeting and getting to know people; I love service activities, and community service is a big part of my life; I enjoy hands on work – I paint, draw, and I am also object oriented – I design and create woodcrafts; I am highly active, and cannot sit behind a desk all day long, and I like to be challenged at work.
My concerns that I need insights about:
Although my wife and the dentist that I have shadowed encourage me to follow my passion I am still hesitant based on what I was told by the advisor two years ago, my age, and the cost of attending dental school.
1. I am wondering if anyone with similar degrees, GPAs, and credit hours has been accepted to a dental school?
2. If everything goes as planned I will become dentist at age of 37 or 38. My concern is the cost of attending dental school, and I am wondering if I will be able to pay off the student loans that I accrue by the age of 50 so I can save money for retirement if I become a dentist at that age (considering to work either in New York or Washington DC)?
I am 31, and work in public accounting. I have an undergraduate degree in accounting, GPA 3.25, and an MBA, GPA 3.8, and I think I have a total of 195 academic credit hours. I am taking the last part of my CPA exam, and hopefully will become certified by the end of summer. I have been exposed to various aspects of the accounting career, and unfortunately cannot convince myself to like any of them, and I do not see myself doing this for the rest of my life.
When I was completing my MBA program 2 years ago I decided to drop the master’s program, enroll in a post baccalaureate program, take the DAT, and apply to dental schools; however, the pre-health advisor that I met with discouraged me so much, and told me that no dental school will accept me with so many credit hours and a low GPA. As a result, I put my thoughts about dentistry aside, completed my MBA, and continued the accounting career.
After my wife was accepted to a dental school this year I decided to give it another try, and I shadowed and assisted a dentist, applied to a post bacc program at a private university, where my wife is going to dental school, and I have been accepted for the fall 2014 semester.
There are many aspects of dentistry that are attractive to me – to name a few – I am very social and I enjoy meeting and getting to know people; I love service activities, and community service is a big part of my life; I enjoy hands on work – I paint, draw, and I am also object oriented – I design and create woodcrafts; I am highly active, and cannot sit behind a desk all day long, and I like to be challenged at work.
My concerns that I need insights about:
Although my wife and the dentist that I have shadowed encourage me to follow my passion I am still hesitant based on what I was told by the advisor two years ago, my age, and the cost of attending dental school.
1. I am wondering if anyone with similar degrees, GPAs, and credit hours has been accepted to a dental school?
2. If everything goes as planned I will become dentist at age of 37 or 38. My concern is the cost of attending dental school, and I am wondering if I will be able to pay off the student loans that I accrue by the age of 50 so I can save money for retirement if I become a dentist at that age (considering to work either in New York or Washington DC)?
