Age of dental school applicants.

[Ronny]

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I will be 26 when applying to dental schools down the road and would start at 27 if admitted. Would being an older student hurt my chances when competing against all the 22 year olds? Just curious.

 

[nycdoc]

nope. I'm starting d-school at 25.
It'll help you during interviews.....I was asked about my job experiences after college and treated like an adult for the most part.
an older student=more mature=likely to do well.

 

[smile_doctor]

I am currently 27 and, if admitted for the entering class of 2003, will be 28 when I start dental school. I think that maturity and life experience gives us an added advantage in managing some of the stress posed by dental school. When you've been totally financially independent of your parents and have had the responsibility of supporting yourself, and in some cases, a family, you tend to be better organized and adept at handling change.

 

[RSXer]

...and applying for class of 2003. I don't think its a disadvantage at all for applying to dental school:
1) more experience (assuming you used your time well after undergrad)
2) more maturity
3) will be taken more seriously since you are willing to make a career change after so many years

The disadvantage comes when you are already IN dental school. If accepted, I'm sure I'm gonna have to study a little bit more than fresh undergrad'ers:
1) been a few years since I took hardcore science
2) after working full-time, you have to relearn your study techniques
3) all-niters. I'm an old man. I sleep at 11 at night

 

[vixen]

RSXer, what kind of work did you do before applying to dental school?

 

[RSXer]

Check my sig.

dental assisting 6 months
epidemiologist 1.5 years - current work


I also did medical assisting for a year, although that may actually hurt me in my application. After undergrad I had to do some career exploration before arriving at dentistry as my career goal

 

[ItsGavinC]

Being older can be a huge benefit, especially if it is coupled with lots of work/life experience.

Here at BYU, the average age of applicants is nearly 25, and it poses no problems with admissions/matriculation. If anything, it's viewed as a plus by adcoms.

 

[groundhog]

RSXer,
Don't worry. The only reason the young have to do all nighters is because they waste so many nights exorcising the party demons out of their lives.

 

[RSXer]

lol....

word. I shouldn't worry about that. I mean, I shouldn't even have to DO all-nighters.....assuming I don't procrastinate

 

[DesiDentist]

Hey quit picking on the young people!!
The average age of a dental school applicant is 24. It certainly doesn't hurt you if you are old, as long as your desire and passion and enthusiasm is the same as us youngin's

Good luck everyone. I can't wait to hear stories of the "good 'ol days" from my peers.

DesiDentist

 

[Ronny]

Thanks. I'm very glad to hear this.

 

[sjdent]

I totally agree with you guys. Being older is a definite advantage. Where I'm going this fall, their stats always show the average to be 24-25. These schools LIKE older applicants. (I'm 22, by the way)