A way to get into dental school.

[Thuong Pham]

Hi everyone,
I'm currently a high school senior and discovered myself passionate about becoming an orthodontist. There are two routes that I planned for the steps before getting into dental school.

Option 1:
- get a bachelor in biology (which includes courses that prepared me for the DAT and meet the prerequisite requirements by most dental schools
- do shadows/interns at offices
- take the DAT

Option 2:
- take prerequisite requirement courses for dental hygiene (1 year)
- get a bachelor in dental hygiene (only an associate needed to be a certified dental hygienist)
- start working(right after being certified) get experience in the field, and earn savings for dental school
- take extra courses (during the 4 years of bachelor) required by the dental school and to prepare for the DAT
- take the DAT

I need to know if the second route works. (I'm pretty certain that option 1 is what most dentists chose) Even though it is more complicated, I do prefer the second way. Since my final goal is to become an orthodontist, I want to make sure that the route I'm taking will lead me to the final destination without wasting time.
Sorry if this is confusing. Just leave a comment if you need any clarification. I will consider any advice.

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[bracketbuster68]

Go do option 1. Option 2 is a waste of your time and money.

 

[clark5013]

both routes work. the second route is unnecessary long. If you're doing the bachelor in hygiene route, you're looking at least 6 years of school. And long/how much do you expect to save to cover your dental school tuition?

anyways, the first route is the most common, the second route can work, but its the far lesser taken route

 

[S_Diamond_DDS]

Option 1 100%. I took a route similar to option 2, and it was scary because life gets in the way, and I was afraid that I’d never get in. Also, you may even consider a different major than biology, if you are confident you can maintain a higher gpa in another major. Then you would just have to take the prereqs.

 

[PerioDont]

Option 1 100%. I took a route similar to option 2, and it was scary because life gets in the way, and I was afraid that I’d never get in. Also, you may even consider a different major than biology, if you are confident you can maintain a higher gpa in another major. Then you would just have to take the prereqs.

I agree with this. Unless you really are interested in biology, do another major. It will make you more interesting as an applicant, and you will likely enjoy your undergrad more.

I ended up doing Nutrition, really was interested in the topic. figure out something you are actually interested in and major in it. keep a high GPA is most important

 

[2thDoc11]

I agree with this. Unless you really are interested in biology, do another major. It will make you more interesting as an applicant, and you will likely enjoy your undergrad more.

I ended up doing Nutrition, really was interested in the topic. figure out something you are actually interested in and major in it. keep a high GPA is most important

Agreed, I did kinesiology but I think it would have been interesting to take more nutrition courses or even try to double major but too late now lol

 

[MG14]

I hate to be that guy, but this is just my opinion. I’m currently a 2nd year in dental school. I remember in high school was the time I started exploring possibly going into dentistry. That was 8-10 years ago. Knowing what I know now, if any high school student asks me if I they should go into dentistry, I would practically tell them no. And if they do decide to do it, on some very strict conditions. 1) tuition. High school seniors have never even probably seen $10k. Let alone $400k, $500k, 600k+. That means nothing to them since they don’t know how relative and the issues surrounding that much debt is. Cost of attendance for dental school is becoming a life long debt sentence. It’s not what it used to be. getting into a dental school is tough alone, but that’s not good enough. You have to get into probably one of the 5-7 cheapest schools to even make it somewhat worth it, and even then those are getting expensive. And I was very fortunate to get into an “affordable” (relative) school.
2) if you get a military or public health scholarship. And those alone are competitive and comes with conditions.

3) you have some VERY wealthy family members who will pay for it.

Dentistry is a good profession. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy it and consider myself very lucky to be in the position I am. But it’s not the case for most. The amount of work, hurdles, game playing, brown nosing, politics, ‘formal education’ and crap in general that you have to go through just to get INTO school, let alone dental school itself thereafter, to be trapped into debt for 25+ years isn’t worth it. There are sooo many other jobs out there can provide a decent income, without all the headache and hoops to jump through that bring a similar sense of gratification.
I know the numbers and financials don’t make much sense and all the dentist around you seem to have it made and are very wealthy. But the path to get there is now become a slippery one, and the process is pretty corrupt. Heed the warning and keep all your options open, and keep exploring.
That being said, first option would be best. Given, I would change it if you don’t get into one of those ‘cheap’ schools

 

[Blueshirts]

To add onto what MG14 said, I started coming onto this forum sometime around 2014-2015 when I decided I wanted to pursue dentistry. At the time the general concern was whether dental school would be worth 300k; the average debt for many schools was approaching this number at this point in time, many people argued that anywhere from 250k-300k was the absolute TOP dollar amount (surpassing the 1:2 income to debt ratio for practicing dentist). By 2019 (4 years later), this debt number was 400k+ for private schools and many public schools without scholarship. In another 4 years, it is likely we will be seeing that number approach 500k for many private school grads and likely 400k for public.
Please keep in mind this is the number for the grad year, not the year you enter dental school. So for someone in high school right now, you would be prospectively looking at a grad year of 2029? (2021 + 8). Meaning that if the longstanding trend continues, you could be looking at 600k+ for a private education, 500kish for public.

 

[doc toothache]

DH may not be adequately prepare an applicant in the basic sciences.

2014 Majors and DS Admission Trend 2005-2013

The ADEA appears to be still tweaking the list of majors. It has dropped the designation of "No Major" and added "Other". The relative high percentage in the "Other" category might indicate a significant change in the definition of the listed majors and might explain the 4 % drop in the Health...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Dental Hygiene to DS

Here are some comments on the transition from DH to DS.

forums.studentdoctor.net

Between now and crunch time, one can change his/her mind about choosing dentistry every day of the week and twice on Sunday.

 

[charlestweed]

Since the pathway to become an orthodontist is very long and expensive, you should set for yourself a clear goal right at the beginning:

1. Go to a cheap local college/university and live with your parents to save money. Listen to your parents. Pick Bio as your undergrad major. With this declared major, you should have easier time to add bio and other science classes than the non-science major folks.

2. Try to complete all the prerequisite classes for dentistry (ie Gen chem, O chem, Physics, Calculus, Bio etc) as soon as possible. These classes should be very helpful for the DAT test. You can start apply for dental school on your 2nd year (if you already passed a lot of AP exams in HS) and save yourself a year or two. Some dental schools don't require a BS degree. You should owe less money by finishing school early.

3. When you start dental school, find a professor and start doing research right away. Many ortho program directors prefer the research experience over class rank.

4. Stay focused. Don't take any gap year. The younger and healthier you are, the more years you can work to pay back the student loans and the sooner you can reach the goal of being financially independent....hopefully before you are in your mid 30s.

Dentistry/ortho is a wonderful profession. There aren't a lot of better alternative options out there. Don't waste your time and money on non-science majors....you can't pay bills with those useless degrees. If you are a goal oriented person, you are guaranteed to have a successful career in dentistry. Good luck!

 

[PerioDont]

Since the pathway to become an orthodontist is very long and expensive, you should set for yourself a clear goal right at the beginning:

1. Go to a cheap local college/university and live with your parents to save money. Listen to your parents. Pick Bio as your undergrad major. With this declared major, you should have easier time to add bio and other science classes than the non-science major folks.

2. Try to complete all the prerequisite classes for dentistry (ie Gen chem, O chem, Physics, Calculus, Bio etc) as soon as possible. These classes should be very helpful for the DAT test. You can start apply for dental school on your 2nd year (if you already passed a lot of AP exams in HS) and save yourself a year or two. Some dental schools don't require a BS degree. You should owe less money by finishing school early.

3. When you start dental school, find a professor and start doing research right away. Many ortho program directors prefer the research experience over class rank.

4. Stay focused. Don't take any gap year. The younger and healthier you are, the more years you can work to pay back the student loans and the sooner you can reach the goal of being financially independent....hopefully before you are in your mid 30s.

Dentistry/ortho is a wonderful profession. There aren't a lot of better alternative options out there. Don't waste your time and money on non-science majors....you can't pay bills with those useless degrees. If you are a goal oriented person, you are guaranteed to have a successful career in dentistry. Good luck!

I did almost this exact pathway as mentioned by charlestweed. went to a cheap state uni and got a full ride, lived at home for free. Took all my pre-reqs in first 1.5 yr and applied as a sophomore, got into dental school at 19.

Did a lot of ECs, activities and research in dental school and did well enough. I honestly also enjoyed a large part of school (I know thats blasphemous to say, but I really did.)
I'm now a fourth year dental student and matched into perio.

I will be a millionaire in my 30s just a few years from now. (assuming no catastrophic events ofc)

It was a long path, along the way many told me I should be partying or doing x/y thing instead of studying and working and now I am literally a decade ahead of most people in life as the youngest d student and now youngest resident.

It is crazy to even type this but I will be in the top 1% of income and education on the planet very, very soon. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it and have vision and hard work. I decided to pursue this path in 10th grade and gave it my 100%, and the payoff is coming very soon. Best of luck to you OP!!

 

[charlestweed]

That's pretty inconsiderate. what's your definition of "useless"? Bio degree is pretty useless too unless you go to a professional school. I wouldn't say such things about other people's majors...

One big difference is most people, who pick bio as their major, don’t usually stop after they earn their BS because like you said, the degree is useless. Most of them plan to use their Bio degree to apply for medical, dental, pharmacy, optometry schools etc.

According to this link, 50% Of Millennials Are Moving Back Home With Their Parents After College, more than 50% of the college graduates move back to live with their parents. And student loan debt is ruining their future. I think my office manager, who only has a HS diploma, is in a much better financial shape many of these college graduates. She has zero student loan debt. She makes more than $20 an hour + bonuses + 401k. My son’s private lesson tennis coach has a MS in Psychology. He teaches tennis because his main job doesn’t pay him enough….and he is getting old….not sure how long more he can teach tennis

 

[DDS0105]

What

I did almost this exact pathway as mentioned by charlestweed. went to a cheap state uni and got a full ride, lived at home for free. Took all my pre-reqs in first 1.5 yr and applied as a sophomore, got into dental school at 19.

Did a lot of ECs, activities and research in dental school and did well enough. I honestly also enjoyed a large part of school (I know thats blasphemous to say, but I really did.)
I'm now a fourth year dental student and matched into perio.

I will be a millionaire in my early 30s just a few years from now. (assuming no catastrophic events ofc)

It was a long path, along the way most of my 'friends' and classmates mocked me and told me I should be partying or doing x/y thing instead of studying and working and now I am literally a decade ahead of most people in life as the youngest d student and now youngest resident.

It is crazy to even type this but I will be in the top 1% of income and education on the planet very, very soon. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it and have vision and hard work. I decided to pursue this path in 10th grade and gave it my 100%. Best of luck to you OP

What were the prereq requirements ? Is anatomy and physiology a required pre-req?

 

[doc toothache]

One big difference is most people, who pick bio as their major, don’t usually stop after they earn their BS because like you said, the degree is useless. Most of them plan to use their Bio degree to apply for medical, dental, pharmacy, optometry schools etc.

According to this link, 50% Of Millennials Are Moving Back Home With Their Parents After College, more than 50% of the college graduates move back to live with their parents. And student loan debt is ruining their future. I think my office manager, who only has a HS diploma, is in a much better financial shape many of these college graduates. She has zero student loan debt. She makes more than $20 an hour + bonuses + 401k. My son’s private lesson tennis coach has a MS in Psychology. He teaches tennis because his main job doesn’t pay him enough….and he is getting old….not sure how long more he can teach tennis

Most is not a quantifiable number. Roughly 25% of biology majors are in the health professions fields.

Biology | Data USA

The most common degree awarded to students studying Biology is a N/A.

datausa.io

 

[PerioDont]

What

What were the prereq requirements ? Is anatomy and physiology a required pre-req?

Yes it is. you can look up prereqs for each school you are interested in. there are different requirements but usually physics, biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, statistics and anatomy and physio is a good general starting point

 

[FeralisExtremum]

I'm now a fourth year dental student and matched into perio.

I will be a millionaire in my early 30s just a few years from now. (assuming no catastrophic events ofc)

I'm a little curious how you'll be a millionaire by your early 30's - if you got into dental school at 19, let's say you started at 20, finished at 24. Add another 2-3 years for perio residency and you're out by 26-27. Even with minimal dental school debt, it's hard to see how you could become a millionaire by your early 30s once you account for taxes, paying back the loans, living expenses like rent/mortgage, the cost of setting up a practice if you're really aiming to maximize income, etc. My math might be rough but it seems like it takes a little longer than that even if you do manage to make a good perio salary right out of school.

 

[PerioDont]

I'm a little curious how you'll be a millionaire by your early 30's - if you got into dental school at 19, let's say you started at 20, finished at 24. Add another 2-3 years for perio residency and you're out by 26-27. Even with minimal dental school debt, it's hard to see how you could become a millionaire by your early 30s once you account for taxes, paying back the loans, living expenses like rent/mortgage, the cost of setting up a practice if you're really aiming to maximize income, etc. My math might be rough but it seems like it takes a little longer than that even if you do manage to make a good perio salary right out of school.

This is based on a very aggressive timeline and definitely rough estimates still for sure but finishing up perio at 26. paid residency, state d school relatively low cost. I also plan to moonlight in my residency as a GP.

most grads from my program I've spoken to seem to make 3-400k as a traveling perio first year out dependent on your hustle and location- lets lowball and call it 200k after taxes. I would like to do a lean startup with cash for 150-200k or so about 1-1.5yr out of residency, lets say I'm 28 at that point. 150-200k may seem like a low number to some but I've spoken to many on DT and others that have done this before with much lower numbers (though for GP offices). key to success in referral based specialty seems to be location and your willingness to help out and network with GPs.

I have seen perio practice owners doing anywhere from 500-1mil+, even some doing 2. it takes some time to build your referral source, so I would still be working as a traveling specialist. lets say 2-3 years for building up practice referrals and getting to 500k/year - putting me at 31.

I would likely put the vast majority of my money in a mutual fund and just let it sit and grow. Putting in half my income to investments for a few years would definitely get me to a million dollar net worth. I certainly may in the future but currently have no plans to buy a house or real estate. I grew up in an apartment and still live in one. Maybe I'll put my money in real estate and try to generate rental income later on but I would rather spend my time doing implants and working on my existing business is my thought process now.

this is all theoretical at this point but I don't really see why any of this can't be done. heck even assuming everything I wrote is impossible and incorrect or everything goes wrong and we extend the timeline 15 years to my late 40s that is still a really good gig IMO and puts you ahead of the vast majority of people on the planet and in the US - giving you the ability to create generational wealth.

My point is simply that it is possible, not that it is easy of course. requires good planning, ambition and lots of hard work but you can still do very well in dentistry as many are doing. key is low debt and living below your means imo. I've been reading white coat investor, and blogs like physician on fire since high school. these guys are all doing well, see no reason why I and anyone else on here can't. I also currently work and run a business that has contributed to having minimal d school debt. I don't want to hijack the OP's thread but open to hearing any opinions on this as well

 

[charlestweed]

Most is not a quantifiable number. Roughly 25% of biology majors are in the health professions fields.

Biology | Data USA

The most common degree awarded to students studying Biology is a N/A.

datausa.io

Most plan to apply for professional schools but it doesn't mean that most will get in. If I remember correctly, only 19% of the bio students at my undergrad college got accepted to med schools. And I wasn't among this top 19% group because I did poorly on the MCAT and my GPA wasn't very high. I had to go for an easier route....dentistry.

Because of the limited number of seats and competitiveness in healthcare field, I've always encouraged the pre-med, pre-dent students to stay focused in school....no partying, no traveling with borrowed money, no gap year etc. If I knew dentistry was what I wanted to do right after HS, I would have taken only the prereq classes for dentistry....applied for dental schools 2 years later.....and I would not have wasted 4 years for a Bio degree, which my dental school didn't require. Since the pathway to become a dentist is a long and expensive one, you should try to save as many years (ie taking only prereq classes, passing a lot of AP exams in HS) in college as possible.

 

[charlestweed]

What

What were the prereq requirements ? Is anatomy and physiology a required pre-req?

Most dental school websites give you the list of the prereq classes. None of the 2 classes that you listed was a prereq class for dentistry during the year that I applied. If I were you, I wouldn't take those 2 classes because there is a chance that you might get Bs on them and your GPA will be affected. Just focus on doing well on the prereq classes.

 

[natemckeown2]

Hi everyone,
I'm currently a high school senior and discovered myself passionate about becoming an orthodontist. There are two routes that I planned for the steps before getting into dental school.

Option 1:
- get a bachelor in biology (which includes courses that prepared me for the DAT and meet the prerequisite requirements by most dental schools
- do shadows/interns at offices
- take the DAT

Option 2:
- take prerequisite requirement courses for dental hygiene (1 year)
- get a bachelor in dental hygiene (only an associate needed to be a certified dental hygienist)
- start working(right after being certified) get experience in the field, and earn savings for dental school
- take extra courses (during the 4 years of bachelor) required by the dental school and to prepare for the DAT
- take the DAT

I need to know if the second route works. (I'm pretty certain that option 1 is what most dentists chose) Even though it is more complicated, I do prefer the second way. Since my final goal is to become an orthodontist, I want to make sure that the route I'm taking will lead me to the final destination without wasting time.
Sorry if this is confusing. Just leave a comment if you need any clarification. I will consider any advice.

1. Go to a cheap in state public university and take the necessary pre reqs.
2. Marry a nurse.
3. Make sure the nurse graduates the same time you do.
4. Take DAT, get into dental school.
5. Live off nurse income and throw everything you can at tuition to limit debt.
6. Graduate dental school < 150k debt.
7. Start dental career or residency, live on rice and beans, pay down debt as quickly as possible.
8. Live your dreams.

Lots of nurses out there folks

 

[2thDoc11]

1. Go to a cheap in state public university and take the necessary pre reqs.
2. Marry a nurse.
3. Make sure the nurse graduates the same time you do.
4. Take DAT, get into dental school.
5. Live off nurse income and throw everything you can at tuition to limit debt.
6. Graduate dental school < 150k debt.
7. Start dental career or residency, live on rice and beans, pay down debt as quickly as possible.
8. Live your dreams.

Lots of nurses out there folks

I’m still looking for my nurse

 

[doc toothache]

Most plan to apply for professional schools but it doesn't mean that most will get in. If I remember correctly, only 19% of the bio students at my undergrad college got accepted to med schools. And I wasn't among this top 19% group because I did poorly on the MCAT and my GPA wasn't very high. I had to go for an easier route....dentistry.

Because of the limited number of seats and competitiveness in healthcare field, I've always encouraged the pre-med, pre-dent students to stay focused in school....no partying, no traveling with borrowed money, no gap year etc. If I knew dentistry was what I wanted to do right after HS, I would have taken only the prereq classes for dentistry....applied for dental schools 2 years later.....and I would not have wasted 4 years for a Bio degree, which my dental school didn't require. Since the pathway to become a dentist is a long and expensive one, you should try to save as many years (ie taking only prereq classes, passing a lot of AP exams in HS) in college as possible.

Out of roughly 160K biology graduates, about 1/3 apply to professional schools; ~31K (out of 53K) medical school, (13K out of 22K enrollees)~3k for dental school. The contribution from other health professions (vet ~3k, pharmacy 14K, chiro 2.5 K, optometry <2K, podiatry <1K) is not overwhelming. The acceptance rate for biology majors hovers around 60%; med school 12, 845 (out of 22, 239 for 2020-2021), 51% for dental school.
The "limited number of seats" has no relevance to the "competitiveness in the healthcare field". The metric that is relevant is the ratio of applicants to enrollees. For 2021 there were 1006 applicants who applied to at least one (suggesting that the number of applicants is less than 1000) of the nine podiatry schools in the US. Of those, 679 matriculated. For 2019, the science gpa was 3.1 and overall was 3.4. Even with such a limited number of seats, it is difficult to suggest that entrance was competitive when 67% of applicants gained admission. Likewise, it is difficult to claim that medical and dental admission is competitive when roughly one out two applicants gains admission.
Few schools in the US (USC. Michigan, Nebraska, Case) have a minimum of 2 years of dental education and barely over a handful require a bs degree (Illinois, Midwestern Illinois, Boston, Tufts, NYU, NC, Utah, Howard). The balance require minimum 3 or 4 years.

Applicants, Enrollees and Graduates

www.adea.org

https://www.aacpm.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-2019_CIB_FINAL_FOR-WEB-1.pdf

2013- The MS Advantage-Pre Dent Ed of 1st Yr Enrollees 07-12

About 87% of the enrollees in 2012 have a bachelor's degree. If we throw in those with a master's and a Ph.D. it brings us to 98%. There were 3 MDs on the list.Those with a master's now account for about 9% (495 enrollees). Six dental schools require a bachelor's degree: Howard Illinois...

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Medicine, Dntistry, Vet- The quest for Top Dog Status

Every year the question of who is Top Dog comes up. Here's a discussion on the subject.

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[2thDoc11]

Out of roughly 160K biology graduates, about 1/3 apply to professional schools; ~31K (out of 53K) medical school, (13K out of 22K enrollees)~3k for dental school. The contribution from other health professions (vet ~3k, pharmacy 14K, chiro 2.5 K, optometry <2K, podiatry <1K) is not overwhelming. The acceptance rate for biology majors hovers around 60%; med school 12, 845 (out of 22, 239 for 2020-2021), 51% for dental school.
The "limited number of seats" has no relevance to the "competitiveness in the healthcare field". The metric that is relevant is the ratio of applicants to enrollees. For 2021 there were 1006 applicants who applied to at least one (suggesting that the number of applicants is less than 1000) of the nine podiatry schools in the US. Of those, 679 matriculated. For 2019, the science gpa was 3.1 and overall was 3.4. Even with such a limited number of seats, it is difficult to suggest that entrance was competitive when 67% of applicants gained admission. Likewise, it is difficult to claim that medical and dental admission is competitive when roughly one out two applicants gains admission.
Few schools in the US (USC. Michigan, Nebraska, Case) have a minimum of 2 years of dental education and barely over a handful require a bs degree (Illinois, Midwestern Illinois, Boston, Tufts, NYU, NC, Utah, Howard). The balance require minimum 3 or 4 years.

Applicants, Enrollees and Graduates

www.adea.org

https://www.aacpm.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-2019_CIB_FINAL_FOR-WEB-1.pdf

2013- The MS Advantage-Pre Dent Ed of 1st Yr Enrollees 07-12

About 87% of the enrollees in 2012 have a bachelor's degree. If we throw in those with a master's and a Ph.D. it brings us to 98%. There were 3 MDs on the list.Those with a master's now account for about 9% (495 enrollees). Six dental schools require a bachelor's degree: Howard Illinois...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Medicine, Dntistry, Vet- The quest for Top Dog Status

Every year the question of who is Top Dog comes up. Here's a discussion on the subject.

forums.studentdoctor.net

What are you referring to when you say a handful of programs require a min. of 2 years of dental education (USC,Michigan,Nebraska and case)?

 

[doc toothache]

What are you referring to when you say a handful of programs require a min. of 2 years of dental education (USC,Michigan,Nebraska and case)?

Number of of years of predental education required for admission to dental schools.

 

[charlestweed]

Out of roughly 160K biology graduates, about 1/3 apply to professional schools; ~31K (out of 53K) medical school, (13K out of 22K enrollees)~3k for dental school. The contribution from other health professions (vet ~3k, pharmacy 14K, chiro 2.5 K, optometry <2K, podiatry <1K) is not overwhelming. The acceptance rate for biology majors hovers around 60%; med school 12, 845 (out of 22, 239 for 2020-2021), 51% for dental school.
The "limited number of seats" has no relevance to the "competitiveness in the healthcare field". The metric that is relevant is the ratio of applicants to enrollees. For 2021 there were 1006 applicants who applied to at least one (suggesting that the number of applicants is less than 1000) of the nine podiatry schools in the US. Of those, 679 matriculated. For 2019, the science gpa was 3.1 and overall was 3.4. Even with such a limited number of seats, it is difficult to suggest that entrance was competitive when 67% of applicants gained admission. Likewise, it is difficult to claim that medical and dental admission is competitive when roughly one out two applicants gains admission.
Few schools in the US (USC. Michigan, Nebraska, Case) have a minimum of 2 years of dental education and barely over a handful require a bs degree (Illinois, Midwestern Illinois, Boston, Tufts, NYU, NC, Utah, Howard). The balance require minimum 3 or 4 years.

Applicants, Enrollees and Graduates

www.adea.org

https://www.aacpm.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-2019_CIB_FINAL_FOR-WEB-1.pdf

2013- The MS Advantage-Pre Dent Ed of 1st Yr Enrollees 07-12

About 87% of the enrollees in 2012 have a bachelor's degree. If we throw in those with a master's and a Ph.D. it brings us to 98%. There were 3 MDs on the list.Those with a master's now account for about 9% (495 enrollees). Six dental schools require a bachelor's degree: Howard Illinois...

forums.studentdoctor.net

Medicine, Dntistry, Vet- The quest for Top Dog Status

Every year the question of who is Top Dog comes up. Here's a discussion on the subject.

forums.studentdoctor.net

The point I tried to make was not every bio student has the determination and the qualification to go to professional schools. There are a lot of distractions and temptations out there. Many simply gave up schools. Many didn't even bother applying for professional schools due to low academic stats, which were beyond repair. Many didn't apply because they didn't like the idea of more additional years of schooling and enormous amount of student loan debt. Many changed their mind. Many got married, have kids, and started working. It's not a very high percentage when only 1 out of 2 applicants who could get in. Professional schools only accept people who are strong-willed, have goals, and are not afraid of hard work. This is why doctors and dentists have earned the respect they deserve.

It doesn't hurt to apply early with fewer years of undergrad study. If you get in, you save yourself a year or two. If you don't get in, you can re-apply the following year and you will still graduate on time. My nephew didn't do well on the DAT. He planned to retake it and reapply the following year. But my wife and I told him to go ahead and apply this current cycle. He listened to us and got in. He is now a D1 at a dental school in the east coast.

 

[2thDoc11]

Number

Number of of years of predental education required for admission to dental schools.

Oh you mean where most students would apply after their junior year, those schools allow for them to apply after the second year.. I thought maybe you meant education specific to dentistry so I was confused

 

[65nectaria]

I did almost this exact pathway as mentioned by charlestweed. went to a cheap state uni and got a full ride, lived at home for free. Took all my pre-reqs in first 1.5 yr and applied as a sophomore, got into dental school at 19.

Did a lot of ECs, activities and research in dental school and did well enough. I honestly also enjoyed a large part of school (I know thats blasphemous to say, but I really did.)
I'm now a fourth year dental student and matched into perio.

I will be a millionaire in my early 30s just a few years from now. (assuming no catastrophic events ofc)

It was a long path, along the way most of my 'friends' and classmates mocked me and told me I should be partying or doing x/y thing instead of studying and working and now I am literally a decade ahead of most people in life as the youngest d student and now youngest resident.

It is crazy to even type this but I will be in the top 1% of income and education on the planet very, very soon. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it and have vision and hard work. I decided to pursue this path in 10th grade and gave it my 100%. Best of luck to you OP

Wow!!!!! Omg. I decided I wanted to be an orthodontist since 8th grade and I am a freshmen in college right now. How can I speed up the process? Any advice?

 

[PerioDont]

Wow!!!!! Omg. I decided I wanted to be an orthodontist since 8th grade and I am a freshmen in college right now. How can I speed up the process? Any advice?

The most important thing right now as a freshmen is really try to ace all your classes! set yourself up for strong academic success right out of the gate and try to really push it this first year.

I know mathematically each year's GPA is equivalent, but for me psychologically I felt like my GPA was good freshmen year and all I had to do was maintain it. It is much harder to fix a screwed up GPA and much more expensive than just to have an excellent one from the beginning. You can do it and good luck!

 

[rectangle]

I remember back when I was a high school senior, I noticed that a lot of scholarships catered to that demographic. Apply to them like crazy - 1 hour writing an essay for even $500 is worth it. Dental school is not cheap and scholarships are a lot harder to come by, since everyone else is also smart, accomplished, and may have a keener sense on finances then. Being able to have your undergrad financial costs taken care of can really lessen the debt burden.