can you be both a dentist and a doctor?

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DasHylen

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Hi! Don't know where to post this, But can i become a surgeon (Neurosurgery/ cardiothoracic, etc Non-dental surgery) after becoming a dentist? Does anyone have experience on this?

  1. How long does becoming a neurosurgeon take, is it longer than other fields of surgery?
  2. Does being a surgeon intervene with being a dentist?
  3. Is it realistic to become both before 30 years of age?
  4. How much harder is Medical school than dental school and vice versa
  5. Can i expect Medical school to be the same routine as dental schools? I mean classes and practical practice
  6. is it easier to become an oral surgeon or a general surgeon (by general I mean all fields, Not the abdomen)
Obviously i mean no disrespect for either dentistry or any other medical field, Medicine is medicine wherever it resides, I simply wish to be a surgeon, in an OR, something i don't see often in dentistry.

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Hi! Don't know where to post this, But can i become a surgeon (Neurosurgery/ cardiothoracic, etc Non-dental surgery) after becoming a dentist? Does anyone have experience on this?

  1. How long does becoming a neurosurgeon take, is it longer than other fields of surgery?
  2. Does being a surgeon intervene with being a dentist?
  3. Is it realistic to become both before 30 years of age?
  4. How much harder is Medical school than dental school and vice versa
  5. Can i expect Medical school to be the same routine as dental schools? I mean classes and practical practice
  6. is it easier to become an oral surgeon or a general surgeon (by general I mean all fields, Not the abdomen)
Obviously i mean no disrespect for either dentistry or any other medical field, Medicine is medicine wherever it resides, I simply wish to be a surgeon, in an OR, something i don't see often in dentistry.
I’m confused.. if you want to be a ct or neurosurgeon why are you discussing dental school?

dentistry and medicine are two completely separate career tracks. Don’t worry about which is more difficult and decide which field you want to pursue
 
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Probably feeding the troll here, but w/e.

There is nothing that is stopping you from this, although I think a lot of medical schools would be leery of a dental school graduate, especially if they didn't practice for a while first.

1. Neurosurgery requires 4 years of medical school, 7 years of residency (occasionally with an 8th research year), and then 1+ years for fellowships if you choose to do them.
2. ???
3. It is almost impossible to become a neurosurgeon before 30. You'd have to enter med school at 19.
4. Can't answer, have never taken a dental school class.
5. See above.
6. Probably oral surgeon by the numbers? But it's harder to get into medical school than dental school, so maybe overall equivalent.
 
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I’m confused.. if you want to be a ct or neurosurgeon why are you discussing dental school?

dentistry and medicine are two completely separate career tracks. Don’t worry about which is more difficult and decide which field you want to pursue

I've already been accepted into dental school, and I'm going to become a dentist (Hopefully) - I was just seeing if i could also be a surgeon when i'm done with my dental education.

Probably feeding the troll here, but w/e.

Not trolling, What makes you think so?

a lot of medical schools would be weary of a dental school graduate

What do you mean? are dental graduates less likely to be accepted? or?
 
I've already been accepted into dental school, and I'm going to become a dentist (Hopefully) - I was just seeing if i could also be a surgeon when i'm done with my dental education.
So just to clarify, your plan is to go to dental school, complete it then apply to medical school, enter a neurosurgery or cardiothoracic surgery residency and then finish that before you are 30? Unless you have a time machine or are currently in your early teens it’s not happening.

even if it all goes as planned, the sheer amount of debt youd be in is scary just to think about
 
What do you mean? are dental graduates less likely to be accepted? or?

If you went through dental school and then immediately apply to medical school, it looks like you're immature and don't really know what you want. If you went to dental school, practiced as a dentist for 5+ years, and then decide to apply to medical school, that would probably be a plus on an application as long as you had good and clear reasoning for why you were unsatisfied with dentistry and how medicine would satisfy you more.
 
You seem to be very confused as to how the entire process works...
Are you based in the United States?
 
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This is the most confusing thread I have ever read! Who’s I first? I’m not even going to try and answer these questions.

... then why... why even reply then? If you aren't going to help the least you could do is not intervene. People that don't contribute and are just sitting there mocking are awful, i hope you stop this act as it's pretty much a waste of both your and my time, with nothing being gained.

currently in your early teens it’s not happening

Yes, I'm 17, I am going into dental school at 17 that's why i wish for before 30.


You seem to be very confused as to how the entire process works...
Are you based in the United States?

No.

and What am i confused about? I wanted to know the possibility to become both a dentist and a surgeon.

If you went through dental school and then immediately apply to medical school, it looks like you're immature and don't really know what you want. If you went to dental school, practiced as a dentist for 5+ years, and then decide to apply to medical school, that would probably be a plus on an application as long as you had good and clear reasoning for why you were unsatisfied with dentistry and how medicine would satisfy you more.

makes sense i guess. I wanted to practice for at least 2 Years before going to medical school.
 
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Yes, I'm 17, I am going into dental school at 17 that's why i wish for before 30.
I assume you have an academic advisor or if not, a dentist/physician that you’ve shadowed. You should talk to them because it seems like you’re fairly uncertain of what field you hope to enter as well as the difference in scope of practice between a dentist and an md/do

Attempting to follow your train of thought is making my head spin so I’ll just leave you with this: both dental and medical schools are typically terminal degrees, as in you earn one of these and then pursue a career in the respective field.Planning to attend both is, for so many reasons not just limited to being an immense waste of time and money, ridiculous
 
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Now it makes a lot more sense...17. Well, you are wasting everyone’s time by asking questions that are not rational and/or can easily be searched on something called “google.”

OP should Google "opportunity cost"
 
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You indicate that you are a dental student. What dental school and year?
 
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Yes, go to dental school then medical school for OMFS residency. You can be both, good luck.
 
Hi! Don't know where to post this, But can i become a surgeon (Neurosurgery/ cardiothoracic, etc Non-dental surgery) after becoming a dentist? Does anyone have experience on this?

  1. How long does becoming a neurosurgeon take, is it longer than other fields of surgery?
  2. Does being a surgeon intervene with being a dentist?
  3. Is it realistic to become both before 30 years of age?
  4. How much harder is Medical school than dental school and vice versa
  5. Can i expect Medical school to be the same routine as dental schools? I mean classes and practical practice
  6. is it easier to become an oral surgeon or a general surgeon (by general I mean all fields, Not the abdomen)
Obviously i mean no disrespect for either dentistry or any other medical field, Medicine is medicine wherever it resides, I simply wish to be a surgeon, in an OR, something i don't see often in dentistry.
DDS>OMFS combined program that grants MD>neurosurgery

Congrats, you've become a neurosurgeon and it would only take... 16 years start-to-finish
 
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OP is not in the US. The education systems vary greatly in different parts of the world. Where I am from, you can enter dental school at the age of 18 and become a dentist after earning a 6-year BDS degree. Same for medicine. I knew a few dentists in my country who jumped ship and became an ENT or plastic after dental school. Not common, but certainly can be done in some countries.
 
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You definitely can be a surgeon after you become a dentist, by doing another medical school (which is different from your dental school, with different entrance exam, board exam and licensing application).

It is NOT possible to do this before the age of 30. You would call yourself lucky if you can get a dental school and a medical school (+residency+fellowship) done before 40.

Some school does provide dual degree program (DO/DMD at Nova Southeastern for example). Do a research on that. I don't see a point why this kind of program even exists. Maybe for people who cannot make up their minds? but what a waste of money, time, and resources. Because one person can only be a medical doctor OR a dentist. He/she can't be both at the same time.
 
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One of the adcoms at UMN med school is a DDS MD. He did facial plastic surgery though, not neurosurgery.
 
  1. How long does becoming a neurosurgeon take, is it longer than other fields of surgery?
    You go to 4 years of medical school, then 7 years of neurosurgery residency. Longest residency in medicine. You can google up "Medical residency lengths" to see how long other residencies are. Many people do fellowships afterwards, so you can add that to the length of training.

  2. Does being a surgeon intervene with being a dentist?
    It's your time, and you can choose to spend it however you want. You can do both surgery and dentistry if your heart desires.

  3. Is it realistic to become both before 30 years of age?
    Not in the US. Maybe in your country. What country are you from?

  4. How much harder is Medical school than dental school and vice versa
    They are both hard in their own ways. Didactic education is more intense in medical school, but then you don't have to worry about all the hand skills stuff in dental school. So they are hard in their own ways.

  5. Can i expect Medical school to be the same routine as dental schools? I mean classes and practical practice
    There are a lot of subjects medical schools and dental schools take together, especially the basic sciences in the first 2 years, but the final 2 years cannot be more different.

  6. is it easier to become an oral surgeon or a general surgeon (by general I mean all fields, Not the abdomen)
    I guess it would be easier to become an oral surgeon if you go to dental school. And would be easier to become a general surgeon if you went to med school. So, it depends.... What are you trying to aim for? The harder one or the easier one?
 
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If you do a 6 year combined degree program (BA-DDS) , graduate at 24, then do a 6 year OMFS program (MD) you are a MD-DDS by 30 yo.
 
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This man is in dental school at age 17, I'm pretty sure he's international, because he doesn't seem bright enough to skip 5 grades in the US lmao
 
This man is in dental school at age 17, I'm pretty sure he's international, because he doesn't seem bright enough to skip 5 grades in the US lmao
Why insult the person's intelligence? Y'all keyboard warriors do way too much with the protection of anonymity and a screen in front of you. You want to be a practitioner in one of the most "people person" jobs there is yet you're calling people stupid online for no reason. I feel bad for your future patients.
 
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I don't see any reason why a dentist couldn't be a doctor, to be honest.
 
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