Advice would be appreciated!!

[lauraashley]

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Currently I am a student at the University of Minnesota. I am scheduled to graduate in Fall of 2011 with a bachelor's in Health & Wellness (for pre-professional degrees) if everything goes as planned.
I have been doing tons of research about becoming a Physician Assistant.
Before I knew about Physician Assistant programs I always considered becoming a dentist, specifically an orthodontist. The classes I would need to take as a pre-PA are very similar to the pre-Dental classes.
As of now I feel totally helpless and do not know who to talk to about the pros and cons of both. I understand that PA school is shorter (although it wouldn't be for me as I was planning on doing a 2 year program in Respiratory Therapy for health care experience and then working a year or two) and I really like the fact that you can specialize in whatever you want. It's also cheaper than dentistry school.
However, I'm only 19 and I feel like I have the world at my feet because I'm so young (I obtained my associate's degree while in high school). Dentistry seems like a rewarding profession..especially orthodontics or Oral-Maxillofacial surgery. It would be nice as a dentist to not have to be an assistant to somebody.
I just need to figure out soon if I should do the Respiratory Therapy program for PA school or do the dental assistant program for dental school!!

I will contact dentists tomorrow to shadow for sure.

Can anyone lead me to some place that could give me more info? I tried contacting the local PA program for an advisor but they said they couldn't do that. I tried going to my advisor at my school but he couldn't help me because he said he doesn't know anything about either major.
😕😕😕

 

[ashes2ashes]

Currently I am a student at the University of Minnesota. I am scheduled to graduate in Fall of 2011 with a bachelor's in Health & Wellness (for pre-professional degrees) if everything goes as planned.
I have been doing tons of research about becoming a Physician Assistant.
Before I knew about Physician Assistant programs I always considered becoming a dentist, specifically an orthodontist. The classes I would need to take as a pre-PA are very similar to the pre-Dental classes.
As of now I feel totally helpless and do not know who to talk to about the pros and cons of both. I understand that PA school is shorter (although it wouldn't be for me as I was planning on doing a 2 year program in Respiratory Therapy for health care experience and then working a year or two) and I really like the fact that you can specialize in whatever you want. It's also cheaper than dentistry school.
However, I'm only 19 and I feel like I have the world at my feet because I'm so young (I obtained my associate's degree while in high school). Dentistry seems like a rewarding profession..especially orthodontics or Oral-Maxillofacial surgery. It would be nice as a dentist to not have to be an assistant to somebody.
I just need to figure out soon if I should do the Respiratory Therapy program for PA school or do the dental assistant program for dental school!!

I will contact dentists tomorrow to shadow for sure.

Can anyone lead me to some place that could give me more info? I tried contacting the local PA program for an advisor but they said they couldn't do that. I tried going to my advisor at my school but he couldn't help me because he said he doesn't know anything about either major.
😕😕😕

I guess the best place to start is by shadowing both, and observing both professions. Another question I have is why haven't you considered medicine?

 

[khangreen]

You shouldn't go into dentistry solely in the hopes of becoming an orthodontist or an oral surgeon. Those are the two most competitive fields of specialization. If you feel you can be top 2 or so % of your class though, go for it. Generally though, you shouldn't go into dentistry unless you'd also be happy being a general practitioner.

Anyways, as you've researched being a PA, you'd probably know more about it than most of us on the pre-dental forum (or at least more than I would for sure), and so I won't be able to compare, so I'll speak strictly from a dental point of view (my personal view at least). Dental school does cost a lot and it's another 4 years of school after undergraduate (3 if you go to Arthur A. Dugoni (UoP)). Specialization on top of that is usually 3-4 years for orthodontistry and 4-6 years for oral surgery I believe. The price is quite hefty, so it'd be a big decision and you'd have to make a commitment to your choice unless you're okay with losing a massive sum of money.

Aside from tuition, dentists don't get as much respect as doctors because doctors are thought to treat everything while dentists are popularly believed to be aesthetic doctors. There are people that appreciate dentistry for what it really is though. Also, patients generally don't like visits to the dentist, so you'd have to be okay with having problem patients at least once every so often.

At least you'll have contact with your patients though. Better than being a mortician (unless you'd rather be alone often). Once you can build up a reputation, it'll be easier to get along with your patients and it'll also be easier to build up your clientèle. Dentists also don't have to deal with insurance issues as much as doctors. It's also generally more of an on your own profession. Unless you decide to work under another person or a company (and even then) many decisions are left up to you. Whether or not you like this kind of responsibility is another story though. Dentistry is a medical profession and it is no laughing matter to make a wrong decision in any medical profession.

There are probably other pros and cons, but this feels like I'm dragging on and on now, so I'll stop there. Again this is my personal opinion (or expectation rather) of the field. Hope you make the right choice!

 

[lauraashley]

You shouldn't go into dentistry solely in the hopes of becoming an orthodontist or an oral surgeon. Those are the two most competitive fields of specialization. If you feel you can be top 2 or so % of your class though, go for it. Generally though, you shouldn't go into dentistry unless you'd also be happy being a general practitioner.

Anyways, as you've researched being a PA, you'd probably know more about it than most of us on the pre-dental forum (or at least more than I would for sure), and so I won't be able to compare, so I'll speak strictly from a dental point of view (my personal view at least). Dental school does cost a lot and it's another 4 years of school after undergraduate (3 if you go to Arthur A. Dugoni (UoP)). Specialization on top of that is usually 3-4 years for orthodontistry and 4-6 years for oral surgery I believe. The price is quite hefty, so it'd be a big decision and you'd have to make a commitment to your choice unless you're okay with losing a massive sum of money.

Aside from tuition, dentists don't get as much respect as doctors because doctors are thought to treat everything while dentists are popularly believed to be aesthetic doctors. There are people that appreciate dentistry for what it really is though. Also, patients generally don't like visits to the dentist, so you'd have to be okay with having problem patients at least once every so often.

At least you'll have contact with your patients though. Better than being a mortician (unless you'd rather be alone often). Once you can build up a reputation, it'll be easier to get along with your patients and it'll also be easier to build up your clientèle. Dentists also don't have to deal with insurance issues as much as doctors. It's also generally more of an on your own profession. Unless you decide to work under another person or a company (and even then) many decisions are left up to you. Whether or not you like this kind of responsibility is another story though. Dentistry is a medical profession and it is no laughing matter to make a wrong decision in any medical profession.

There are probably other pros and cons, but this feels like I'm dragging on and on now, so I'll stop there. Again this is my personal opinion (or expectation rather) of the field. Hope you make the right choice!

Thanks for your honest opinion! It''s really helpful!
I really like the insurance issues part. I also like the fact that I can choose whether I want to work under somebody or not.
The fact that orthodontics is such a competitive field does scare me, though.
If I were to become a general practitioner and work for a few years would I be able to go back and specialize?

 

[lauraashley]

also, can anyone tell me when to apply?

this fall i'm taking:
Human Physiology
Chemistry 1
Physics 1
maybe a math class..

Spring 2011:
Chemistry 2
Physics 2
Anatomy & Lab

Summer 2011:
O-chem 1

Fall 2011:
O-Chem 2 & O chem lab
Human Growth & Development

Spring 2012:
Biochem
Microbio

maybe that's too spaced out..
I'm also volunteering for Big Brothers/Big Sisters and doing a Science buddies program..as well as volunteering at a hospital and doing another service trip during my spring break (did one last year).
I have a 3.53 right now.
Should I do the dental assistant program to strengthen my app??
When do I take the DAT??

 

[khangreen]

You should apply the summer an entire year before you want to get into dental school. For example, if you want to get in Fall 2011, you'd apply now. If you wanted to get in Fall 2012, you'd apply sometime next summer (AADSAS generally opens first few days of June).

Also, I'm pretty sure you can always work as a general practitioner to gain experience and then specialize at a later time. Some schools might actually like it if you do that I heard.

 

[lauraashley]

You should apply the summer an entire year before you want to get into dental school. For example, if you want to get in Fall 2011, you'd apply now. If you wanted to get in Fall 2012, you'd apply sometime next summer (AADSAS generally opens first few days of June).

Also, I'm pretty sure you can always work as a general practitioner to gain experience and then specialize at a later time. Some schools might actually like it if you do that I heard.

Thanks so much!
Looks like I'll be applying next summer if this is the route I choose.
I'm reading a lot about the career and it's very interesting. I'm going to shadow a dentist soon.

 

[slm266]

Thanks so much!
Looks like I'll be applying next summer if this is the route I choose.
I'm reading a lot about the career and it's very interesting. I'm going to shadow a dentist soon.

You have to take the DAT before or at the time that you apply, and I'd strongly recommend taking ochem II before taking the DAT, which you aren't scheduled to take until next fall. You may be 2 yrs away from applying, unless you take chem 2 and ochem 1 concurrently (which is doable).

 

[lauraashley]

You have to take the DAT before or at the time that you apply, and I'd strongly recommend taking ochem II before taking the DAT, which you aren't scheduled to take until next fall. You may be 2 yrs away from applying, unless you take chem 2 and ochem 1 concurrently (which is doable).

Alright, thanks for the info. At my school you can't take the 2 concurrently. Oh well, I'll see how I feel about taking the DAT after my 1st O-Chem. I can always apply again the next year, too..even though it does cost money.

 

[slm266]

Alright, thanks for the info. At my school you can't take the 2 concurrently. Oh well, I'll see how I feel about taking the DAT after my 1st O-Chem. I can always apply again the next year, too..even though it does cost money.

I'd recommend against it then. Even if you did teach yourself ochem2 after taking ochem1 in the summer, it will be late by that time. Chances are that you will end up with a mediocre score late in the application cycle. Those are 2 things lead to dental school rejection. You can always retake the dat, but it's just better to take it once and nail it.

I wish I had planned my classes better, but by the time I finished my ochem it was late in last yrs cycle so now I'm applying this cycle. That only means that you will have taken more upper division classes by the time you take the dat, so you'll end up with a slight advantage.

 

[lauraashley]

I'd recommend against it then. Even if you did teach yourself ochem2 after taking ochem1 in the summer, it will be late by that time. Chances are that you will end up with a mediocre score late in the application cycle. Those are 2 things lead to dental school rejection. You can always retake the dat, but it's just better to take it once and nail it.

I wish I had planned my classes better, but by the time I finished my ochem it was late in last yrs cycle so now I'm applying this cycle. That only means that you will have taken more upper division classes by the time you take the dat, so you'll end up with a slight advantage.

That is a smart decision. Makes sense. I guess I could take the DAT after I take OChem 2 (so Spring of 2012) and apply for Fall of 2013. I could use that year to take more upper division classes as well.

 

[slm266]

Ps, I took an advanced human physiology class before taking anatomy, and kinda wished I'd done it the other way around.

 

[nze82]

Currently I am a student at the University of Minnesota. I am scheduled to graduate in Fall of 2011 with a bachelor's in Health & Wellness (for pre-professional degrees) if everything goes as planned.
I have been doing tons of research about becoming a Physician Assistant.
Before I knew about Physician Assistant programs I always considered becoming a dentist, specifically an orthodontist. The classes I would need to take as a pre-PA are very similar to the pre-Dental classes.
As of now I feel totally helpless and do not know who to talk to about the pros and cons of both. I understand that PA school is shorter (although it wouldn't be for me as I was planning on doing a 2 year program in Respiratory Therapy for health care experience and then working a year or two) and I really like the fact that you can specialize in whatever you want. It's also cheaper than dentistry school.
However, I'm only 19 and I feel like I have the world at my feet because I'm so young (I obtained my associate's degree while in high school). Dentistry seems like a rewarding profession..especially orthodontics or Oral-Maxillofacial surgery. It would be nice as a dentist to not have to be an assistant to somebody.
I just need to figure out soon if I should do the Respiratory Therapy program for PA school or do the dental assistant program for dental school!!

I will contact dentists tomorrow to shadow for sure.

Can anyone lead me to some place that could give me more info? I tried contacting the local PA program for an advisor but they said they couldn't do that. I tried going to my advisor at my school but he couldn't help me because he said he doesn't know anything about either major.
😕😕😕

Think of it as an investment.
The more you invest now, the more you will harvest tomorrow!
Dental school is not going to be easy, cheap, or short! It takes a lot to get in and even more to survive through dental school. If you think you're determined enough to live through that and if you think you could enjoy it, then go for it.
If you don't think you're made for that kind of challenge or if you simply don't want to live the next 4 years of your life studying then DS is not for you.
Remember, specialties such as OS do indeed prepare you for a rewarding career, but they're not easy. And that's usually true about all the good things in life. They don't come cheap!

 

[lauraashley]

Ps, I took an advanced human physiology class before taking anatomy, and kinda wished I'd done it the other way around.

My school only offers Anatomy in the spring therefore my assumption is that they want you to complete Phys before. I'll take that into consideration though, because I don't need to take Phys this coming semester.

 

[lauraashley]

Think of it as an investment.
The more you invest now, the more you will harvest tomorrow!
Dental school is not going to be easy, cheap, or short! It takes a lot to get in and even more to survive through dental school. If you think you're determined enough to live through that and if you think you could enjoy it, then go for it.
If you don't think you're made for that kind of challenge or if you simply don't want to live the next 4 years of your life studying then DS is not for you.
Remember, specialties such as OS do indeed prepare you for a rewarding career, but they're not easy. And that's usually true about all the good things in life. They don't come cheap!

For sure. I never thought for a moment that dental school would be easy, at all. I'm not looking for an easy way out. That's why I feel like I'm selling myself short with Physician Assistant. (Physician Assistant school is not easy at all, though) In ten years I'd probably look back and wonder why I didn't do Dental school.

 

[allover]

the simple fact you even brought up "would be nice not to be an assistant" tells me one thing, dental school. im sooooo jelous. ur so young. good luck.🙂

 

[threeblindmice]

I can tell you are ambitious and have some big goals. I noticed you have a 3.5 gpa based mostly on concurrent enrollment classes while you were getting your associates. Taking a lot of science classes especially during the same semester as you are planning to do is pretty difficult, especially if you will be taking additional classes towards a science degree of some kind. I came in at a major university thinking it would be like the concurrent enrollment classes that I'd taken and with ambitious goals I signed up for every hard class I could thinking I'd get it over with. I did horrible that semester and I've been digging myself out of that hole for four years now. I would suggest taking your time there is absolutely no rush and its easier to do it right the first time than to fix a bad gpa afterward. I only tell you this because I wish somebody would've told me that when I started. (you might think I was dumb in high school so with lots of concurrent enrollment classes and AP classes etc. my gpa was 3.98 and even then I wasn't prepared)

 

[lauraashley]

I can tell you are ambitious and have some big goals. I noticed you have a 3.5 gpa based mostly on concurrent enrollment classes while you were getting your associates. Taking a lot of science classes especially during the same semester as you are planning to do is pretty difficult, especially if you will be taking additional classes towards a science degree of some kind. I came in at a major university thinking it would be like the concurrent enrollment classes that I'd taken and with ambitious goals I signed up for every hard class I could thinking I'd get it over with. I did horrible that semester and I've been digging myself out of that hole for four years now. I would suggest taking your time there is absolutely no rush and its easier to do it right the first time than to fix a bad gpa afterward. I only tell you this because I wish somebody would've told me that when I started. (you might think I was dumb in high school so with lots of concurrent enrollment classes and AP classes etc. my gpa was 3.98 and even then I wasn't prepared)

That is something I was worried about. I met with an advisor and changed my schedule so that I'll graduate a year later, but I'll be more relaxed taking 15 credit semesters with one science a semester instead of 18-19 credit semesters with multiple sciences.
Thanks for the advice. I really appreciate it!

 

[lauraashley]

Quick question..

I know it depends on the school, but I was wondering if my English pre-req would need to be taken at a 4 year..
I took a year of English at a community college and was wondering if I should redo them at the 4 year I'm at.
Thanks

 

[allover]

Quick question..

I know it depends on the school, but I was wondering if my English pre-req would need to be taken at a 4 year..
I took a year of English at a community college and was wondering if I should redo them at the 4 year I'm at.
Thanks

no. dental schools do not care where you too your English pre reqs.

 

[lauraashley]

no. dental schools do not care where you too your English pre reqs.

Alright. Thanks! That helps.

Is it useful to become a dental assistant after graduating with a bachelor's? Will it strengthen my app? Or would volunteering at a dental office suffice?