Career Change

[ElViejo]

I graduated from college about 18 years ago. Back then, I took all the pre-dental classes except the second half of O-Chem and the year of physics. I was so burnt out that I ended up just graduating and starting a career, with the thought of applying the next year (I went two years straight with no breaks and 17-18 credit semesters of almost all science courses, along with a full load during summer). I had a 3.2 overall GPA and a 2.9 science GPA. My GPA had a negative trend due to the amount of courses I was trying to shove into the schedule. Essentially, I shot myself in the foot over and over again, and I was tired and lost confidence.

Fast forward 18 years, I've had a decent career in HR, received a master's and doctorate in the field, making mid 100s, but it's soul-sucking. My dream was to become a dentist, and I gave that up due to poor planning. If I decided to retake my prereqs, would you recommend a special master's program or just going back to the local university and taking all the courses with the undergrads over again, sort of a DIY post bacc?

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[Ryxndek]

SMP might be a better way to go because doing a post-bacc again will just add onto the GPA you already have and that won't move the needle much. An SMP is a graduate GPA that will be calculated separately. Keep in mind though that an SMP is a double-edged sword, do poorly and you'll have to say goodbye to dentistry, do well and your chances are pretty good if you can do well on the DAT too.

SMP's are similar to medical school/Dental school in their curriculum. You're going to be taking A LOT of heavy science courses and a lot of credits. So just keep that in mind, you could be pushing 20+ credits in a semester in an SMP if it's like medical/Dental school.

But if this is what you want, keep going at it. I have a few classmates who are on the older side who changed careers to be in dentistry. So it'd definitely possible. Just also be aware of the costs of school and how dentistry can be taxing on the body. You want to make sure you can get 15-20 years at least out of your investment if your body permits.

I wish you good luck!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Eventually, you may need an SMP, but being away from a classroom... a lot has changed in 18 years. Like a TON. So I would consider going back with a DIY for retaking some prerequisites. Get used to things like a Learning Management System which did not exist when you were in school.

It might be worthwhile to first SHADOW and talk to dentists about your motives to go back to dental school and whether it really makes financial sense to you.

Second, you should go back to a classroom with people 18 years younger than you freaking out about life as a 20 year old and what dance they should post next on their TikTok and whether they can enhance their features with the latest filters because... I want to see if that experience will also be as soul-sucking because once you hit dental school... you will likely be as old as the professors and preceptors. Heck, you have the Ph.D. and you need to be willing to throw that cred away as a lowly D1.

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

Some schools have a limit on how old a prerequisite can be. You might have to retake them just to be able to apply. Also, if it’s been nearly two decades since you’ve seen the undergrad science material, you very well may struggle in an SMP.

At this point, you’re going to be what 45 when you possibly start dental school? So almost 50 when you graduate? Think about the years of lost opportunity cost. Think about the $600,000+ you’ll likely spend on dental school tuition. I definitely would not recommend pursuing dentistry. I think your ship has sailed.

Big Hoss

 

[ElViejo]

Some schools have a limit on how old a prerequisite can be. You might have to retake them just to be able to apply. Also, if it’s been nearly two decades since you’ve seen the undergrad science material, you very well may struggle in an SMP.

At this point, you’re going to be what 45 when you possibly start dental school? So almost 50 when you graduate? Think about the years of lost opportunity cost. Think about the $600,000+ you’ll likely spend on dental school tuition. I definitely would not recommend pursuing dentistry. I think your ship has sailed.

Big Hoss

You're right, Big Hoss. I think the ship has sailed. I had a moment of mid-life crisis and came on here looking for a ray of hope. But the reality is I already have a plethora of hope, it's just not in the form that I wish it was in certain moments. Alas, let me leave the forum with the wise words of a long-gone poet:

I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.

Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone."

Gone where?

Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.

Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.

And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"

And that is dying...