Dismissed from Dental School - future career options? Please help!

[mockinggene12]

I was a D2 student at a dental school on the east coast but was dismissed due to poor academic performance, due to a few medical issues I was facing (severe anxiety and panic attacks, a pre-existing metabolic disorder, and resurfacing of rape trauma due to a sexual assault case in my apartment building). I've worked hard on my medical issues and I'm doing much better now thanks to therapy and other measures I needed to take to heal. However, the damage it has done to my career is still there. I've appealed to my school to reconsider their dismissal and I'm still waiting for their decision. I'm really hoping that I get reinstated soon and given a chance to repeat D2 year. However, in case it doesn't work out, and my dismissal is final, what other career choices do I have? I was considering an MPH or PA school because I already run a healthcare non-profit in a 3rd world country and I'm very passionate about global health especially among the underprivileged. Getting an MPH would really help me in that. That was my primary reason to become a dentist too so that I could start a dental wing there, which is not that common in the country that I work in. But before I apply, how would my dental school dismissal look on my application for MPH/PA? Can someone please help me out as to how I can tackle this? I'm very confused and nervous since my entire career is falling apart at the moment and I could really use some guidance. TIA!

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[Mr. Thirsty]

If you are set on dentistry, consider getting a lawyer involved. There was a person in my class that was going through the process of dismissal. He had a lawyer contact them and almost the next day everything was dropped and he was allowed to retake the pre-clinical lab practicals.

I'm not saying that its right or wrong, just suggesting it as an option if you don't want to give up on dentistry. The school is likely to take the path of least resistance, and fighting a lawsuit because they were not sensitive to your medical issues at the time is something that they probably do not want to do. This was the case for my school anyway.

 

[Osminog]

At my medical school, a dismissed student who suffered from depression tried suing the school. The main issues in court were the extent to which the administrators were aware of the student's psychiatric disability, how much notice the student gave to the school after his problems began and prior to his dismissal, and whether the administrators offered reasonable accommodations given what they knew about the nature of the problem. The dismissed student ended up losing because he didn't give the school enough notice and because he had declined some of the school's accommodations.

In court, you would have to prove that the school was fully aware of your health-related situation and was given enough notice to accommodate it, and if you are able to do so, the school has to prove that it offered reasonable accommodations for you. I don't think it's an easy case to win, and lawyering up may very well prove to be fruitless—though perhaps it's still worth a shot.

An MPH should be in reach, given your experience running a non-profit. The PA path would be tougher; you'd likely have to take a a couple of years to accumulate healthcare experience, take post-bacc classes, and reinvent yourself.

 

[deleted659902]

Nursing is prob ur best bet

Accelerated BSN or MSN -> nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist may not be a shabby route.

 

[Saddleshoes]

There is money to be made in the dental sales world for somebody with your schooling.

 

[mockinggene12]

Thank you so much for your responses! I feel like all I can do at this point is wait it out and see what the school has to say and then take it from there. 🙁

 

[mockinggene12]

Nursing is prob ur best bet

Accelerated BSN or MSN -> nurse practitioner or nurse anesthetist may not be a shabby route.

I was thinking the same. That’s probably the only route, considering that a PA takes a lot of prior clinical experience to start.

 

[sb.tnh]

There is money to be made in the dental sales world for somebody with your schooling.

Would you mind elaborating on that? How would 2 years of dental school help someone in a dental sale job?

 

[mockinggene12]

Same qs actually!

 

[frozenicecreamDMD]

Would you mind elaborating on that? How would 2 years of dental school help someone in a dental sale job?

dental sales rep come from any background. half of them memorize brochures and spit them at you with "discounted" price every time. Some of them come from used car sale background. So someone with this schooling may actually sound intelligent and know what he/she is talking about so the potential buyer (dentist) is more likely to make a purchase.

Just my guess.

 

[deleted480308]

You were running a side business while failing out of dental school?

Whatever you do next it might be worth editing your activities so you can focus on the more immediate tasks at hand

 

[mockinggene12]

You were running a side business while failing out of dental school?

Whatever you do next it might be worth editing your activities so you can focus on the more immediate tasks at hand

Side business?

 

[deleted480308]

Side business?

You said you already run a healthcare nonprofit.....my point is that you should eliminate distractions if you cannot pass school

 

[setdoc7]

dental sales rep come from any background. half of them memorize brochures and spit them at you with "discounted" price every time. Some of them come from used car sale background. So someone with this schooling may actually sound intelligent and know what he/she is talking about so the potential buyer (dentist) is more likely to make a purchase.

Just my guess.

Dental sales, just like medical device or pharma, has little to do with knowledge and mostly to do with ability to sell and numbers for the company. Clinical specialist for device companies generally have some sort of healthcare degree or training, but are involved with sales as well, so are always under the microscope to produce sales numbers. As someone who is involved in a medical non profit, the OP does not sound like a realistic candidate.

 

[zgrf510]

Instead of bashing at her/him please be considerate and help! They are asking for advise in this tough situation and everyone leaves a rude comment!

 

[mockinggene12]

I really appreciate your comment! The comments here were quite brutal and brought me down so I unfollowed the post. I've appealed to the school now and I'm hoping to hear back from them by middle of July. Hoping for the best!

 

[hi10]

I was a D2 student at a dental school on the east coast but was dismissed due to poor academic performance, due to a few medical issues I was facing (severe anxiety and panic attacks, a pre-existing metabolic disorder, and resurfacing of rape trauma due to a sexual assault case in my apartment building). I've worked hard on my medical issues and I'm doing much better now thanks to therapy and other measures I needed to take to heal. However, the damage it has done to my career is still there. I've appealed to my school to reconsider their dismissal and I'm still waiting for their decision. I'm really hoping that I get reinstated soon and given a chance to repeat D2 year. However, in case it doesn't work out, and my dismissal is final, what other career choices do I have? I was considering an MPH or PA school because I already run a healthcare non-profit in a 3rd world country and I'm very passionate about global health especially among the underprivileged. Getting an MPH would really help me in that. That was my primary reason to become a dentist too so that I could start a dental wing there, which is not that common in the country that I work in. But before I apply, how would my dental school dismissal look on my application for MPH/PA? Can someone please help me out as to how I can tackle this? I'm very confused and nervous since my entire career is falling apart at the moment and I could really use some guidance. TIA!

Apply to Midwestern Arizona Dental School — someone at my school got dismissed for something much worst and got admitted there. There’s hope!

 

[zgrf510]

Apply to Midwestern Arizona Dental School — someone at my school got dismissed for something much worst and got admitted there. There’s hope!

They applied again and started D1 all over or were able to transfer?