Applying to both dental and medical school. Need input!

[nickname236]

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So I applied for the 2010 cycle to all three of the texas dental schools. I had three interviews pre-december and recently got rejected to Houston and baylor. I am still waiting on UTHSCSA respone. My gpa is a 3.65 both science and overall and my DAT scores are a 19 AA and 20 TS. I plan on retaking the DAT this June.

A couple of months ago I decided to get a job with my uncle in the emergency room as a scribe. The job is exciting! The nurses and doctors are cool and the job stimulates my mind. I don't ever feel like it is a hassle to go to work even when I am scheduled to work an 8pm to 6am shift. Being a physician seems outrought fun to me. Honestly, over this last month I have really fallen in love with this job. On the other hand, I see the long hours and weird schedule, and I look into the future and picture the implication this might have on family life. My father is a dentist, and he has always had the time to spend time with me and the rest of our family. That is something that was important to him and important to me. Honestly, that is why I feel dentistry better suites me. It is my happy medium between being having a mind stimulating job and having time to spend with my family.

To sum it up, I could really see myself happy doing either dentistry or medicine. Call me unfocused on a goal, but, I kind of just want to apply to both and see where life takes me. lol. I know it sounds crazy. That is why I am afraid to apply to both, it might significantly hurt my chances for both and I am afraid the adcom would not understand how I feel.

Here are some other questions:
1) Should I apply to texas dental schools and OOS medical schools next year? will this hurt my chances?
2) what are you thoughts on what I should do? If I should apply to only dental or medical school what do you feel is most important in choosing?
Side note: I don't wana do dual md dds.

 

[FutureDent020]

To sum it up, I could really see myself happy doing either dentistry or medicine. Call me unfocused on a goal, but, I kind of just want to apply to both and see where life takes me. lol. I know it sounds crazy.

1) Not a good idea to apply to both. AADSAS asks if you are applying to other professional institutions. Why would a dental school want to accept you if you may choose medical school instead and vice vera.
2) Take some time to figure out what you want. Wishful thinking to think you can apply to medical school and dental school and then just see what happens.
3) Applying to medical school is also a very intense process and arguably more competitive than dental school. Have you taken the MCAT and properly prepared a strong medical school application.You realize you may have to get separate LOR's for each application.
4) You were not a strong enough applicant this past cycle to gain acceptance. I know you are retaking the DAT, but applying to medical school doesn't necessarily show you've gained an appreciation for dentistry.

 

[solstice]

Here are some other questions:
1) Should I apply to texas dental schools and OOS medical schools next year? will this hurt my chances? They will ask you in both application if you have applied to any other health care field? They will not look at it positively when they learn about it, unless if you do not want to enclose the info and take a dishonest route and if they learn (simply by looking to see if there is any MCAT score listed under your social), then you find yourself in a very bad situation.

2) what are you thoughts on what I should do? If I should apply to only dental or medical school what do you feel is most important in choosing?
Side note: I don't wana do dual md dds. This is what you have to figure out. many of us have gone this route before we arrive here. BTW! so you think dentistry is not stimulating? It is not a bad idea to volunteer in a hospital and see what's REALLY going on and see if you can live it.

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[cybermech]

First of all, if you're serious about either med or dental school, you will apply to some out-of-state private schools as well because the Texas schools are very competitive. Secondly, if you apply to med this year, don't expect to ever get into dentistry because the last thing dental schools want are med school rejects. They would prefer students who have made up their minds.

My advice: make up your mind or don't apply. And if you apply, apply to a decent number of schools and make a strong showing.

 

[doc toothache]

Looks like TX ds made the right decision on your application. The last thing they need is ambivalence on the choice of a career.

 

[del Sol DOHC]

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