Am I too old?!

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ajroth19

ajroth19

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Hello everyone!
I have been taking pre-req classes for dental hygiene school for almost 7 quarters now. I am highly motivated and have a 3.9 GPA while working as a dental assistant for a pedo office for 4 years. I am about ready to apply but I've been having this nagging feeling that "why shouldn't I just go all the way!" I am 24 and will have about another 1.5 years before I would satisfy the pre-reqs for dental school. Would it still be worth it for me (loan and money wise) I am not in a hurry for a family either. Any others a little on the older side of their dental classes?


:confused:
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I'm fairly sure 24 is the average age of the starting dental student, so you're not that old compared to others, and remember that's an average, so there must be older as well.

Don't stress, and keep on keeping on!
 
Vicviper said:
I'm fairly sure 24 is the average age of the starting dental student, so you're not that old compared to others, and remember that's an average, so there must be older as well.

Don't stress, and keep on keeping on!
Click to expand...

Do you realize your initials'd be MDDMDMD, not DMDMDMD?
 
hey I honestly think u r worrying about nothing. I myself am 26 years old and I'm applying to dental school for the first time this year. I'm always 2~3 more years behind than most other students at my grade. The biggest reason for this is that I was a landed immigrant, and I needed some time to learn English and etc...

Despite the fact I am a few years behind, it never really bothered me at all. Everyone is in a different situation, and not everyone makes his/her way to dental school at first try anyway.

I'm not in hurry for family either. Personally I think there is no problem as long as I become a dentist at early-thirty and get settled.

In the end, age is not a big issue as long as you make it happen. I mean... ,of course, I will try to stop u if you are now 45 or something...

Don't let it bother you, and if you always wanted to go all the way, then just make it happen.

Plus, I don't think you have any problem with getting into Dental school with your grade and experiences...I think you are number 1 candidate.

Cheer up, and stop worrying about nothing.
 
Of course I do not think I'm old as far as life span goes! My Boss just mentioned that by the time I get over with Dental school it might not be worth the amount I would owe in loans. Plus I've been in dentistry for almost 5 years and know how a smooth and productive practice should run. I was just trying to connect with people who have been in the same situation.
Thanks!
 
24 years old? Forget about dentistry, you need to prepare for retirement.
 
Don't listen to these nay sayers.
I'm about to graduate dental school this May, and my class runs the gammit of age discrepancies.

Ages ranged from (in my freshman year) 20 --> 38.
The 38 year-old was a woman.
I began when I was 28 and I'll have my DMD at 32.
In my particular class, a large majority of the clinically skilled students were the older ones too.

As far as the cost of school, there is no difference now that what it was 5-10 years ago. The cost of tuition depends on which school you go to.
The privates will certainly be more expensive, and the states will be less.
Personally, there isn't any bigger advantage paying double the tuition at a big name Ivy school with a hefty tuition, than going to a good clinically strong state school where the tution is 20G's as opposed to 70G's.

Hope this helps
 
I think Okazaki has got the point! ?And next time you post something, please be more specific with your topic title. I was writing at 2AM to cheer you up...Haha

Best of Luck!!
 
I think Okazaki has got the point! And next time you post something, please be more specific with your topic title. I was writing at 2AM to cheer you up...Haha

Best of Luck!!
 
I think Okazaki has got the point! And next time you post something, please be more specific with your topic title. I was writing at 2AM to cheer you up...Haha

Best of Luck!!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I think Okazaki has got the point! And next time you post something, please be more specific with your topic title. I was writing at 2AM to cheer you up...Haha

Best of Luck!!
 
I think Okazaki has got the point! And next time you post something, please be more specific with your topic title. I was writing at 2AM to cheer you up...Haha

Best of Luck!!
 
I'm 29 and am starting d. school in August. That puts me at 33 when I finish. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. I don't, and I'm 29 with a wife and kid.

Best of luck.
 
24?!?! my class has a 40 year old and another hygenist who is in her late 30s...and they are some of the best classmates ever! also, my class average age was 24. if you are going to be 25.5 or 26 when you matriculate, you are just evening out the 21 year olds that get in. hahah. no big deal, my roomates are 27 and 23....I myself am 25.
 
Thanks everyone for the great replies! I know hygiene classes often range in age I was just trying to get an idea if Dental is the same.
Thanks again for the replies
 
Vicviper said:
Welllll, depends on how you say it! If I got that, I'd prefer to say it "The Doctor of Medical Dentistry and Medical Doctor , Mike D. ;p
Click to expand...

Sounds more like it depends on whether you say it correctly.
 
ajroth19 said:
Thanks everyone for the great replies! I know hygiene classes often range in age I was just trying to get an idea if Dental is the same.
Thanks again for the replies
Click to expand...

Are you a dude doing hygiene?:thumbdown:
 
clockwork said:
24?!?! my class has a 40 year old and another hygenist who is in her late 30s...and they are some of the best classmates ever! also, my class average age was 24. if you are going to be 25.5 or 26 when you matriculate, you are just evening out the 21 year olds that get in. hahah. no big deal, my roomates are 27 and 23....I myself am 25.
Click to expand...

I'm 33, married with 4 kids, and probably not getting accepted this year. Dean's tell me I need to either re-take undergrad science courses to prove i can hack the tough schedule or get into a MS Program for the same effect. BTW- DAT I got all 19's so they say I'm good to go there. I'll have to quit my job and enter full time school - all just for the chance of getting accepted. Sell our house - hopefully - rent something small and out of the way for many years, wife to go back to teaching full time for the insurance, and kids probably will have to go to day care. Loans from parents are a certainty.

I try to think when my kids get older and they can look to me and their mom as role models in making sacrifices to achieve your goals.

If I had to do it over again, i wouldn't have waited this long however this is the hand I've been dealt and we're making the best of it.

Good Luck.
 
Rmartinez said:
I'm 33, married with 4 kids, and probably not getting accepted this year. Dean's tell me I need to either re-take undergrad science courses to prove i can hack the tough schedule or get into a MS Program for the same effect. BTW- DAT I got all 19's so they say I'm good to go there. I'll have to quit my job and enter full time school - all just for the chance of getting accepted. Sell our house - hopefully - rent something small and out of the way for many years, wife to go back to teaching full time for the insurance, and kids probably will have to go to day care. Loans from parents are a certainty.

I try to think when my kids get older and they can look to me and their mom as role models in making sacrifices to achieve your goals.

If I had to do it over again, i wouldn't have waited this long however this is the hand I've been dealt and we're making the best of it.

Good Luck.
Click to expand...

:thumbup:
 
You are NO WHERE near being old. I've had 36 yr old and also a 49 yr old in my interview groups this cycle. If dentistry is what you want to do then don't let age stop you. Especially if you're only going to about 26 - 27 when you apply.
 
Too old? I guess I figure that out myself hopefully pretty soon. I'll be 37 in August, received an MBA number of years ago - never had to have the sciences. So I'll finish these up fall of 2010... earliest admission to D school for me would be 2011 - when Im 39.

I'm not worried about it though. There is some D school out there somewhere that will accept me... at least that's what I am banking on.

Sold real estate of about 10 years, sold stocks before that. Never wanted to do either, always wanted to do something medical-related. Parents pushed me the B school route.

I dont want to be 50 before I get into practice - so I've decided against medical doctor, and one of my best friends from college has been a dentist for many years. Told me he had 2 people in his D-school class in their early 40s.

I work full-time as well, have a young child... it's tough right now, but I'm looking forward to it. So all this said... you are not too old... not even close. Now if you or I were pushing 50, that might be a different story.
 
At 24 you are not old at all. Cheer up :D
 
If you have the heart then go ahead and finish up your school. Honestly, I understand the age thing, most students are in their early 20s in D-school. So when u are attending u would be in ur late 20s but a few years is not a great difference. My mom's friend who is in his late 30s is in dental school with a family, I sure its harder but also manageable.
 
You should definitely go for it! You are still very young. Keep your grades up at that level and you will be accepted, no problem!

I am 30 and didn't decide to go back to school until I was 27. Before I started, I was thinking that I should just do hygiene because I was already so 'advanced in years.' But then I had a "why not go all the way?" moment like you did! I have been taking prerequisites since 2006. I didn't get in this year, but I hope to next year -- if I do, I will be 35 when I graduate from dental school. Hopefully, with a few years of fertility left.
 
For all of the older, non-traditional folks on here: How did you get letters of recommendation? I keep reading that admissions personnel want something from a professor that has known you during your academic career, but clearly you've been out of school for a while - does that get in the way?
 
rekesk said:
For all of the older, non-traditional folks on here: How did you get letters of recommendation? I keep reading that admissions personnel want something from a professor that has known you during your academic career, but clearly you've been out of school for a while - does that get in the way?
Click to expand...

Well, many schools consider credit "outdated" if it is more than five years old, so a lot of us have gone back to school to take and retake classes. My letters came from professors from my 2006-2009 academic stint, not from 1997-2001. Hope that helps!
 
No you're not too old! Why was this thread started by a 24 year old? This is a legitimate question for older applicants though.
 
For the older, non-traditional folks: Did you work in a non-dental field before making a switch to dentistry? Were you able to use your experience in another field to help you during interviews, essays or with your application?

Additionally, what type of volunteering activities or exposure to dentistry did you get? Did this exposure help you become grounded and gain a conviction/dedication to the field?
 
Last edited:
Yes I'm 24 but i wouldn't be at least 27 or older until I start to apply
 
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