Sacrifices made to receive the coveted DDS

[Sags2riches]

I think any of us who are serious about going into Dentistry, Medicine, Pharmacy and the like have at some point had to make a sacrfiice for the sake of achieving that DDS or MD. This is just a very demanding line of study. But, nevertheless those of us who are passionate about this line of work trudge on. We all know of the exorbitant costs of tuition and the many years spent learning the trade, but is there anything else that you feel you have sacrificed for reaching that DDS? If you have already graduated, was it worth it? I'm curious and just a little confused with a bunch that's going on right now. I think a discussion with like minded individuals trying to achieve the same goal might be beneficial.

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[dentaldreams2021]

I'd like to hear anecdotes too

 

[DMDDDSHopeful]

The biggest sacrifice is time and youth that you will never get back.

You can make money your whole life, but you can't make time.

 

[wengerout]

The biggest sacrifice is time and youth that you will never get back.

You can make money your whole life, but you can't make time.

This, we are giving up prime years in our 20's for our career. From what I've heard if you come into dental school single good luck dating anyone not in a professional program.


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[Mr. Krebs]

I gave up living my dream of playing college football. After I stopped playing my grades have shot up and it has definitely been worth it.


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[Brocuspid]

From what I've heard if you come into dental school single good luck dating anyone not in a professional program.

Challenge accepted.

 

[toothdoctor123]

The biggest sacrifice is time and youth that you will never get back.

You can make money your whole life, but you can't make time.

Eh, it's not that bad! I can take weekends off if I work hard during the week. Plus I have time to browse SDN in the evenings...haha. Look at it this way: if my classmates can raise small children while in dental school, then surely you can carve out time for fun if you're unmarried and childless.

 

[super frank]

I sacrificed my hairline.

 

[Incis0r]

This, we are giving up prime years in our 20's for our career

Live like no-one else right now, so that you can live like no-one else later. This is a wonderful profession* and you won't regret this!

*Depending on your financial situation. If you have $500,000+ in loans, then replace "wonderful" with "stressful."

 

[Flemish]

I think about sacrificing my twenties a lot. But in truth, I'll never again have the energy and drive that I do now--which is terrifying--so I think it's best I put in the work now so I can relax later on. Plus, whether or not those many years feel like a loss is entirely up to the student.


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[wengerout]

Challenge accepted.

Haha more power to you!


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[wengerout]

Live like no-one else right now, so that you can live like no-one else later. This is a wonderful profession* and you won't regret this!

*Depending on your financial situation. If you have $500,000+ in loans, then replace "wonderful" with "stressful."

Oh don't get me wrong, I have no regrets making this sacrifice. At this point I don't see myself doing anything else but dentistry haha


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[Incis0r]

Oh don't get me wrong, I have no regrets making this sacrifice. At this point I don't see myself doing anything else but dentistry haha

You hit the nail on the head 100%. Working in terrible conditions for small wages really makes me appreciate what a wonderful profession dentistry is even more. Looking forward to the day I can leave employment and enter dental school.

 

[socal6]

Time and youth, as others have mentioned. I am also nearing my 6 year anniversary with the boyfriend and have spent most of our relationship long distance. He's in medicine, so it's a necessary sacrifice for the both of us.

 

[8_man]

This, we are giving up prime years in our 20's for our career. From what I've heard if you come into dental school single good luck dating anyone not in a professional program.


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If and when I make it into dental school, I'll be hosting girlfriend auditions with my female classmates.

 

[wengerout]

If and when I make it into dental school, I'll be hosting girlfriend auditions with my female classmates.

From what I've heard most wouldn't recommend dating someone in your year unless they are in a different program (for example dating a medical student).


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[8_man]

From what I've heard most wouldn't recommend dating someone in your year unless they are in a different program (for example dating a medical student).


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Nothin' wrong with older women, I ain't picky.

(or maybe I'm just ugly)

 

[Cello]

The biggest sacrifice is time and youth that you will never get back.

You can make money your whole life, but you can't make time.

Bah, time spent being poor in your 20s is overrated. I would go back in time and start dental school sooner if I could.

 

[Panis et Circenses]

I just had to sacrifice time. I remember my friends were out partying it seemed almost every night, I had to stay home and study and turn them down a lot.

 

[1070752]

This, we are giving up prime years in our 20's for our career. From what I've heard if you come into dental school single good luck dating anyone not in a professional program.


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Tbh, I rather date someone in a professional program lol.

 

[htdt]

From what I've heard most wouldn't recommend dating someone in your year unless they are in a different program (for example dating a medical student).


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Out of curiosity, how do we meet medical students? Most schools that I interviewed at separate the dental from the medical program. As a woman, if I can't date my classmates then I would definitely be interested in the med students.

 

[Panis et Circenses]

Out of curiosity, how do we meet medical students? Most schools that I interviewed at separate the dental from the medical program. As a woman, if I can't date my classmates then I would definitely be interested in the med students.

In that situation it may be hard to meet them.

 

[wengerout]

Tbh, I rather date someone in a professional program lol.

I mean same but cant guarantee anything


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[wengerout]

Out of curiosity, how do we meet medical students? Most schools that I interviewed at separate the dental from the medical program. As a woman, if I can't date my classmates then I would definitely be interested in the med students.

A lot of schools have inter-disciplinary courses with med students. Midwestern-AZ and Columbia are examples that pop off the top of my head. Additionally a lot of schools have clubs that are shared between the two programs, just depends on the school.


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[htdt]

A lot of schools have inter-disciplinary courses with med students. Midwestern-AZ and Columbia are examples that pop off the top of my head. Additionally a lot of schools have clubs that are shared between the two programs, just depends on the school.


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I interviewed at MWU-AZ last week and if I remember correctly, dental students take all the basic science courses with optometry students, not med students. And no prejudiced, but med students at MWU-AZ are DO, which is...

 

[Typical Average Student]

There's always hygiene students

 

[Brocuspid]

Out of curiosity, how do we meet medical students? Most schools that I interviewed at separate the dental from the medical program. As a woman, if I can't date my classmates then I would definitely be interested in the med students.

I've also seen that some schools do formal events between the dental school and other professional schools. Nebraska for sure has one with the dental school and law school.

 

[deebog01]

Once you enter the field, you realize that the decision itself was a sacrifice. With $300,000 in debt, you are committed to dentistry for pretty much the rest of your career. And with monthly student loan payments, there are times I wonder now if I could have actually been making more with an MBA as an entrepreneur, or even as a business administrator running a DSO dental chain... Hehe... but I'm lucky because even if I was making more, I wouldn't enjoy my job like I do dentistry. So I guess the take home is that if you're doing it for money... then you're sacrificing the spice of life and should reconsider. But if you're doing it because the field really does appeal to you, then there's no sacrifice at all. Join a dental frat like ZIPS and enjoy your weekends. Go tubing in the summers and keep a social life. Dental school was actually a lot of fun for me. Definitely stressful at times... but overall, a really great experience.

 

[Hi Im Dent]

This, we are giving up prime years in our 20's for our career. From what I've heard if you come into dental school single good luck dating anyone not in a professional program.


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I'm a D1 so I wouldn't say I'm at the point where dental school is super busy yet (that's typically D2 at my school) but I have friends who are dating outside professional programs too. Online matches and dating is a big trend now and even though my school has other professional programs (DO, OD, etc...) I don't think my classmates feel limited to just professional students.

And so far I don't feel like I'm wasting my 20's, I think I have a pretty good social life right now which to be honest feels like college part 2. Don't get me wrong, each school is and class is different but I feel very fortunate to be in a class where we have the same goals but still know how to have fun outside of school. I think I might have gone out more weekends in dental school than I did in my post-bacc.

The other thing is all of my classmates know and understand the loans we have taken out but we still know what we want in the end. It's better to have sacrifices for the sake of moving forward rather than stay in the same place and not achieve your goals.

 

[wengerout]

I'm a D1 so I wouldn't say I'm at the point where dental school is super busy yet (that's typically D2 at my school) but I have friends who are dating outside professional programs too. Online matches and dating is a big trend now and even though my school has other professional programs (DO, OD, etc...) I don't think my classmates feel limited to just professional students.

And so far I don't feel like I'm wasting my 20's, I think I have a pretty good social life right now which to be honest feels like college part 2. Don't get me wrong, each school is and class is different but I feel very fortunate to be in a class where we have the same goals but still know how to have fun outside of school. I think I might have gone out more weekends in dental school than I did in my post-bacc.

The other thing is all of my classmates know and understand the loans we have taken out but we still know what we want in the end. It's better to have sacrifices for the sake of moving forward rather than stay in the same place and not achieve your goals.

That's good to know! What school do you go to?


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[fogorvostan]

I interviewed at MWU-AZ last week and if I remember correctly, dental students take all the basic science courses with optometry students, not med students. And no prejudiced, but med students at MWU-AZ are DO, which is...

This is correct. We have BASI with opt students. However, BASI is optional attendance and maybe 50-70 go (between both programs). I can definitely say I have never talked to a single opt student in this class (and I go to all of the classes).

 

[Cello]

I wonder now if I could have actually been making more with an MBA as an entrepreneur, or even as a business administrator running a DSO dental chain...

You could have possibly. You probably wouldn't.

This is correct. We have BASI with opt students. However, BASI is optional attendance and maybe 50-70 go (between both programs). I can definitely say I have never talked to a single opt student in this class (and I go to all of the classes).

@fogorvostan and Cello are 2 of 50 in BASI right now and we are both posting on SDN.

BTW, both programs together is over 200 students!

Out of curiosity, how do we meet medical students? Most schools that I interviewed at separate the dental from the medical program. As a woman, if I can't date my classmates then I would definitely be interested in the med students.

I dated several med students and a dental student via OKCupid. I also dated a couple doctors there (one is now my fiancee). I found that my strongest matches (90%+) tended to be professional women. I imagine that they would probably say the same thing about the guys they match up with.

 

[wengerout]

This is correct. We have BASI with opt students. However, BASI is optional attendance and maybe 50-70 go (between both programs). I can definitely say I have never talked to a single opt student in this class (and I go to all of the classes).

Wasn't there a course where you have small groups where you team up with an pharmacy student, an opt student, a PA etc. and work ok a case study and present? I could be confusing interviews but I thought it was MWU that mentioned this.


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[toothdoctor123]

Out of curiosity, how do we meet medical students? Most schools that I interviewed at separate the dental from the medical program. As a woman, if I can't date my classmates then I would definitely be interested in the med students.

Just date your classmates. Dating in school is less awkward when your colleagues are mature adults. Besides, one of the first things I noticed when I was interviewing at different places was that most dental students these days are pretty good lookin'.

 

[Cello]

Wasn't there a course where you have small groups where you team up with an pharmacy student, an opt student, a PA etc. and work ok a case study and present? I could be confusing interviews but I thought it was MWU that mentioned this.


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Yes, the course is called interprofessional healthcare. We haven't done much with that this first quarter except to meet people from the other health professions. The school has opto, pharm, DO, veterinary, dental, CRNA, occupational therapy, clinical psychology, a few others I am probably leaving out.

 

[fogorvostan]

You could have possibly. You probably wouldn't.



@fogorvostan and Cello are 2 of 50 in BASI right now and we are both posting on SDN.

BTW, both programs together is over 200 students!



I dated several med students and a dental student via OKCupid. I also dated a couple doctors there (one is now my fiancee). I found that my strongest matches (90%+) tended to be professional women. I imagine that they would probably say the same thing about the guys they match up with.

I just spent the last 20 minutes shopping online for eyeshadow palettes while looking up every time he says "you need to know this".

Side note, most of the D2s+ have told me "don't s*** where you eat" when it comes to dating. Seems like relatively safe advice.

 

[Hi Im Dent]

That's good to know! What school do you go to?


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I attend WesternU.

Just date your classmates. Dating in school is less awkward when your colleagues are mature adults. Besides, one of the first things I noticed when I was interviewing at different places was that most dental students these days are pretty good lookin'.

If you're in a smaller class it might be really awkward if you break up and you still have another 3 years taking classes and being around that person.

 

[htdt]

I dated several med students and a dental student via OKCupid. I also dated a couple doctors there (one is now my fiancee). I found that my strongest matches (90%+) tended to be professional women. I imagine that they would probably say the same thing about the guys they match up with.

OKCupid sounds awesome. My friends who successfully found their SO's on that site keep telling me to try it out, but as a woman in my early 20s I still hesitate because of the so-called stigma of online dating. Well, maybe I'll give it a shot.

 

[wengerout]

OKCupid sounds awesome. My friends who successfully found their SO's on that site keep telling me to try it out, but as a woman in my early 20s I still hesitate because of the so-called stigma of online dating. Well, maybe I'll give it a shot.

I've messed with it a bit (Don't have any dating apps currently). It's head and shoulders over Tinder but it takes a lot of initial investment. Also as a girl since anyone can message you expect unsolicited messages from older men. For guys depending on your looks might have to have some perseverance before you find a girl whose interested (in more than your wallet).

Coffee meets bagel is another good one I hear.


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[Incis0r]

Join a dental frat like ZIPS and enjoy your weekends. Go tubing in the summers and keep a social life.

Is there a readily accessible way to find out which schools have a chapter of this frat? This sounds amazing.

 

[Cello]

I've messed with it a bit (Don't have any dating apps currently). It's head and shoulders over Tinder but it takes a lot of initial investment. Also as a girl since anyone can message you expect unsolicited messages from older men. For guys depending on your looks might have to have some perseverance before you find a girl whose interested (in more than your wallet).

Coffee meets bagel is another good one I hear.


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I had a few requests from married women whose husbands "were okay with it"... That was about the worst part of it. Some of the younger ladies were pretty flakey, but that is probably to be expected. Whatever happens, try not to take it personally and you will be better off.

 

[deebog01]

Is there a readily accessible way to find out which schools have a chapter of this frat? This sounds amazing.

This wasn't very helpful... but maybe you can start up a chapter wherever you go to school.
http://www.xipsiphi.org/about-the-zips/college-chapters/

 

[Scumbag_Steve]

.

 

[Scumbag_Steve]

.

 

[wengerout]

I had a few requests from married women whose husbands "were okay with it"... That was about the worst part of it. Some of the younger ladies were pretty flakey, but that is probably to be expected. Whatever happens, try not to take it personally and you will be better off.

For sure, I'll probs give it another shot in dental school


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[deleted696582]

I've sacrificed my bank account for applications and travel costs.

 

[smallmediumbig]

I've sacrificed my bank account for applications and travel costs.

This! I spent this past summer working really hard to pay for applications and travel while my friends were going on all kinds of vacations. My family was never able to afford traveling much so I haven't been to so many places I'm dying to go to. I had frequent thoughts this past summer about wanting to start working and just starting my life and being able to make money, but I know in the end it will be worth it. My biggest thing though is that I want to be able to travel when I'm young and don't have any real commitments, but with having to pay off loans right out of dental school I just don't see this happening.

 

[deleted696582]

This! I spent this past summer working really hard to pay for applications and travel while my friends were going on all kinds of vacations. My family was never able to afford traveling much so I haven't been to so many places I'm dying to go to. I had frequent thoughts this past summer about wanting to start working and just starting my life and being able to make money, but I know in the end it will be worth it. My biggest thing though is that I want to be able to travel when I'm young and don't have any real commitments, but with having to pay off loans right out of dental school I just don't see this happening.

One day you'll have more money to work with. That's what I tell myself anyway. I'm sure there will be time for vacations once we're dentists. Just have to budget well.

 

[Sags2riches]

One day you'll have more money to work with. That's what I tell myself anyway. I'm sure there will be time for vacations once we're dentists. Just have to budget well.

This gets me to ask this question. With the rise of corporate dentistry and saturation of dentists in major urban areas, will this industry still be as profitable in say 10 years? Also, I am kind of a novice when it comes to understanding health care reform and its effects on health care workers. I just know that many in the medical field look at Obamacare with disdain. In my case I have always solely wanted to be a dentist, but I know many of those who once were looking at med are now looking at dent as a career.

My belief is, however, that since people in the medical and dental fields go through so much adversity and training early on, they should be compensated as such once they are in the workforce.

 

[Michael_Scott]

I sacrificed my first born like