Dental vs. Medicine

[the prodogy]

I'm currently a pre-med, but I have been considering changing to pre-dental, for many reasons. First of all, from what I've heard, doctors tend to have better hours. Also, I was wodering if they have to do residency after dental school. I was wondering if the pre-req classes are the same for both, that way, if they are, I can make my choice later down the road.

Thanks

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[Regmata]

20 seconds of research will answer those questions for you...

 

[dentaldentist]

I'm currently a pre-med, but I have been considering changing to pre-dental, for many reasons. First of all, from what I've heard, doctors tend to have better hours. Also, I was wodering if they have to do residency after dental school. I was wondering if the pre-req classes are the same for both, that way, if they are, I can make my choice later down the road.

Thanks

Yes, dentists tend to have better hours than doctors and a residency to be a general dentist is not required, except in New York where you need to do a one year residency. There are residencies though if you decide to specialize. Pre-reqs are generally the same - 2 semesters of biology, 2 semester of gen chem, 2 semester of organic, 2 semester of physics. Some schools have additional course requirements beyond these basic core classes though so you should check out individual school requirements. You can find the requirements on the websites of individual schools - here is a list of dental schools and their websites.

 

[vhh007]

sounds like you have a lot more researach to do. Make sure you reaaaally like being a dentist my observing a few because dentistry sure is a lot different from medicine

 

[reapply2007]

After you take the MCAT you should be able to prepare for the DAT without a lot of additional preparation. Since you'll have a committee letter, have a copy sent to AADSAS. Then you'll need at least 1 LOR from a dentist with a decent amount of shadow time. Then apply, pay the fees, do the secondaries, and hope for the best. Perhaps even go to the Case MD, DDS program. Good luck.

 

[IcemanDDS]

I wouldnt apply to dentistry if I were you, medicine is much better. I mean, people's mouths are so dirty, why would you want to deal with that everyday? I'd stick with medicine

 

[1992Corolla]

See what we have been doing during our first year at Temple University in Philly. I made a website for the purpose of educating yourself on the life of a dental student. Check it out at www.DMDstudent.com

I would also recommend shadowing a dentist and seeing what it is all about. As far as school work is concerned they are basically the same. Dentists take less psychology classes I think
Do you like to work with your hands?
Do you like to work in mouths?
Do you like to care for oral health?
Do you want great hours and to be your own boss?

ETC.

 

[fightingspirit]

See what we have been doing during our first year at Temple University in Philly. I made a website for the purpose of educating yourself on the life of a dental student. Check it out at www.DMDstudent.com

I would also recommend shadowing a dentist and seeing what it is all about. As far as school work is concerned they are basically the same. Dentists take less psychology classes I think
Do you like to work with your hands?
Do you like to work in mouths?
Do you like to care for oral health?
Do you want great hours and to be your own boss?

ETC.

awesome blog by the way

 

[Nasem]

I would be VERY carefull about taking MCAT / DAT and applying to one or both.....

Sometimes, If you take the MCAT and, lets say you scored poorly, THEN you go a head and take the DAT and apply to dental schools..... the Dental schools might look at you like "oh he can't be an MD / DO so he/she decided to go for dentistry....NEXT"

Make the choice BEFORE you take either exam... cause once you do, I really think you should stick with your choice

 

[Ething]

This won't be the case as you don't need to show dental schools your MCAT score.

 

[Toothguy80]

go to Dental School

Medicine is too much work, less pay, more lawsuits...more stress

Everything about Dentistry is more appealing to people.

if you become a doctor, you're always going to have a chip on your shoulder...everyone thinks the life of doctors is glamorous, becuz pre-med sounds so cool, but when you make it to Medical School, you'll see you're not so glamorous anymoooooooooooo

 

[SugarNaCl]

Don't forget about the part of medical school where you get to do the prostate exam Just kidding. It's no worse than finding a bad infection below the gum line and watching pus shoot across the room

Make your decision yet? Laid out like this, they both look quite glamorous...no?

 

[Nasem]

This won't be the case as you don't need to show dental schools your MCAT score.

there is a piece in the application that asks if you have taken any other standardized exams (like MCAT).... ur suggesting he lies ????!!?!?!

 

[INFNITE]

First of all, from what I've heard, doctors tend to have better hours.

since when?

 

[johntara04]

It all depends on what YOU want. Both are hard, both give you a great job at the end. Shadow both, read blogs (shameless plug for a classmate), and decide what you want from your career and go do it.

 

[armorshell]

since when?

He was talking about dentists.

 

[armorshell]

It all depends on what YOU want. Both are hard, both give you a great job at the end. Shadow both, read blogs (shameless plug for a classmate), and decide what you want from your career and go do it.

You should be shameless, www.dmdstudent.com is a great blog.

 

[hokie4life]

i know it might sound like we're ganging up on you but it's really good advice and the fact is that you REALLY need to do more research. It's the rest of your life you're talking about...be sure you're making an educated decision about what you choose...you're gonna be doing it for awhile so you should know what you're getting into and make sure you are passionate about it

good luck either way

 

[johntara04]

i know it might sound like we're ganging up on you but it's really good advice and the fact is that you REALLY need to do more research. It's the rest of your life you're talking about...be sure you're making an educated decision about what you choose...you're gonna be doing it for awhile so you should know what you're getting into and make sure you are passionate about it

good luck either way

Going with what hokie said, you don't want to end up like the guy in this thread:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=407991

As crazy as I think he is for leaving dentistry, you don't want to end up like him. Granted, you could end up in a worse place, but it is always better to have a well informed, educated idea of what you are getting into before you start.

 

[the prodogy]

Thanks for all the input guys. I'm definatly going to make my decision before I take the MCAT/DAT. I would really like doing both, but I think becoming a doctor will have a little more excitement. But with the ours they put in, I'm not sure if I'll like it. Hours of a dentist sounds a lot more appealing.

Additional questions: for DO school, when you retake a class, they replace the grade and the old grade won't account for your overall GPA, but for MD, both grades go towards GPA. For dentistry, does retaking a class replace the grade? Also, whats the Case MD, DDS program that person mentioned earlier?

 

[jswizdent]

Prodogy do some researching on both fields and then decide. Don't quit one and then change to the other. Once you decide just work hard and and don't give up. By the way dental is more challenging to get into, competition is geting more and more fierce.

 

[johntara04]

Thanks for all the input guys. I'm definatly going to make my decision before I take the MCAT/DAT. I would really like doing both, but I think becoming a doctor will have a little more excitement. But with the ours they put in, I'm not sure if I'll like it. Hours of a dentist sounds a lot more appealing.

Additional questions: for DO school, when you retake a class, they replace the grade and the old grade won't account for your overall GPA, but for MD, both grades go towards GPA. For dentistry, does retaking a class replace the grade? Also, whats the Case MD, DDS program that person mentioned earlier?

No, it is like MD. If you get a C, then retake and get an A, your gpa is a 3.0, not a 4.0.

 

[shabu2]

Don't forget about the part of medical school where you get to do the prostate exam Just kidding. It's no worse than finding a bad infection below the gum line and watching pus shoot across the room

Make your decision yet? Laid out like this, they both look quite glamorous...no?

About the same level of grossness, just different ends of the body.

 

[the prodogy]

I'm going to bother you guys with one last question. What are the average GPA requirement with dental schools? Both sci and non-sci. I wanted to compare the difference between pre-med and pre-dental.
Thanks again guys

 

[clickytop]

I'm currently a pre-med, but I have been considering changing to pre-dental, for many reasons. First of all, from what I've heard, doctors tend to have better hours. Also, I was wodering if they have to do residency after dental school. I was wondering if the pre-req classes are the same for both, that way, if they are, I can make my choice later down the road.

Thanks

Try this.

 

[Meatwad]

Dentists get the chicks and the fast cars. Doctors get the gray hair and high blood pressure. Take your pick.

(I'm pre-med. )

 

[vize]

Thanks for all the input guys. I'm definatly going to make my decision before I take the MCAT/DAT. I would really like doing both, but I think becoming a doctor will have a little more excitement. But with the ours they put in, I'm not sure if I'll like it. Hours of a dentist sounds a lot more appealing.

Additional questions: for DO school, when you retake a class, they replace the grade and the old grade won't account for your overall GPA, but for MD, both grades go towards GPA. For dentistry, does retaking a class replace the grade? Also, whats the Case MD, DDS program that person mentioned earlier?

one thing that really gets underneath my skin, and it's not your fault... but it's the fact that everyone seems to use the word "doctor" as if it only applies to physicians. i'm surprised that even people wanting to go into the healthcare arena still do this! the term you are looking for is PHYSICIAN, because doctor encompasses anyone with a PhD all the way to a MD. Let's not ever forget that dentists are doctors, and physicians are doctors. i guess what makes me the most upset about it is it seems like an unconscious/conscious attempt to dumb down the practice of dentistry. "oh you're just a dentist, you're not a doctor!"

 

[mterp45]

one thing that really gets underneath my skin, and it's not your fault... but it's the fact that everyone seems to use the word "doctor" as if it only applies to physicians. i'm surprised that even people wanting to go into the healthcare arena still do this! the term you are looking for is PHYSICIAN, because doctor encompasses anyone with a PhD all the way to a MD. Let's not ever forget that dentists are doctors, and physicians are doctors. i guess what makes me the most upset about it is it seems like an unconscious/conscious attempt to dumb down the practice of dentistry. "oh you're just a dentist, you're not a doctor!"

your anger seems to be an illustration of your insecurities, these terms are socially constructed relax.

 

[MacGyver]

one thing that really gets underneath my skin, and it's not your fault... but it's the fact that everyone seems to use the word "doctor" as if it only applies to physicians. i'm surprised that even people wanting to go into the healthcare arena still do this! the term you are looking for is PHYSICIAN, because doctor encompasses anyone with a PhD all the way to a MD. Let's not ever forget that dentists are doctors, and physicians are doctors. i guess what makes me the most upset about it is it seems like an unconscious/conscious attempt to dumb down the practice of dentistry. "oh you're just a dentist, you're not a doctor!"

If you went up to a random person in a restaurant and said "I'm a doctor" then you are being dishonest if you are in reality a dentist.

Yes I know its "not fair," yes I know that dentists have doctoral degrees, and yes I know that you cover some of the same material as physicians.

But for better or worse, the vernacular in our society has reserved the term "doctors" in the public setting to refer to physicians. Sorry, thats just the way it is.

 

[armorshell]

If you went up to a random person in a restaurant and said "I'm a doctor" then you are being dishonest if you are in reality a dentist.

Yes I know its "not fair," yes I know that dentists have doctoral degrees, and yes I know that you cover some of the same material as physicians.

But for better or worse, the vernacular in our society has reserved the term "doctors" in the public setting to refer to physicians. Sorry, thats just the way it is.

This is the most well-spoken post on this subject I've seen to date. I completely agree sir.

 

[Toadesque]

I'm in the same dilemma...

Medicine has always interested me. I'm a senior in high school but I want to be informed prior to all of it. The problem is that I just can't see myself being a physician. I have a friend who is in dental school right now. He wanted to be a doctor initially but after seeing how much stress his sister went through and is still going through, in the process of becoming a doctor he just said "hell no, there's no way I can do it if she is struggling when she's way smarter than me". And keep in mind my friend is really smart too. So if he doesn't think he can handle medicine, then I probably wouldn't either.

And my dad is a dentist. I have done some research and I am leaning towards dentistry. The pros definitely out weigh the cons, but for some reason I still am not completely 100% sold on dentistry. Is it true that it's harder to get into dental school than medical school? I'll ponder it some more....My parents want me to decide before I go into my UNDERGRAD for god's sake or they'll send me to a junior college.

 

[997GT3]

My parents want me to decide before I go into my UNDERGRAD for god's sake or they'll send me to a junior college.

Undergrad is for exploration. Many people change their majors at least twice. I can assure you that at least 80% of all biology majors are pre-med but change their minds down the road. I know several who have changed from chemistry to computer science and vice versa. I'd just tell your parents that you're certain about dentistry, then change your mind without telling them when you're enrolled. You don't need a parent's consent to change your major, or even to change your schedule to boot.