Considering switching from pre dental to pre med

[Kayak_Croc]

I hope this is in the right place if it's not I'm sorry!
I have been pre dental for a while I have taken the DAT, and was planning to apply this next cycle. I got a great score (27AA/30TS) and have a good gpa, research, letters, shadowing the works all ready to go. But I just feel in my gut I'd be happier in medical school. I kinda want to switch but I'm not sure if I'm just jittery (I'm in the predental presidency of my college, I've worked under an oral surgeon for about a year, etc) and I'd hate to throw away a great application (if I can toot my own horn). I've read probably every dental vs medical post on this site but does anyone have any more insight or advice?

Also, part of why I'm nervous about dentistry is I already have back problems and I've heard dentistry is horrific on your back.

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[PerioPlease]

Shadow! You sound as if you already have - but so much of picking a field is dependent on what you most enjoy. Since it seems you have most of your dental requirements met, take time a do a bunch of medical shadowing in a variety of fields. You'll need to get started on shadowing hours ASAP if you switch anyways. Ask the physicians about their schooling experience, job outlook, etc. You'll be swamped in schoolwork for years and then go to daily work for decades - so be sure you enjoy whatever field you chose. I was the exact opposite - was totally set for med school, then shadowed a dentist and it changed everything. And it's never "too late" to think about changing, it's better to do it now before you spend a lot on applications/tuition!

 

[2TH MVR]

Your post screams medicine. Oral surgery and general dentistry are totally different, but I'm sure you already know that.

 

[luisfigo]

In medicine you just have to be smart and work hard, dental school you have to be smart and work hard in other ways, not everyone is born with the hand skills and some people's are just terrible, requiring a lot of work outside of lab. You seem smart enough to specialize in medicine, but it's a guaranteed very long difficult/tiresome road(so is oral surgery). Don't forget there's also oral pathology, radiology, forensics, etc that are more like medicine. You've got to at least be happy with being a general dentist if you go to dental school, a lot of people go into dental school with specialty on their mind and that changes pretty rapidly. This is why going to a harvard/columbia/ucsf is appealing because you don't have to work as hard to specialize, because almost everyone does.

 

[LizzyM]

Shadow a ENT as well as a doc in family practice and/or general internal medicine and/or general pediatrics.

You can make a good case for changing horses midstream if you can illustrate that you've thoughtfully considered both careers after gathering information and you have a good understanding of both and specific reasons why you've made the choice you have.