Do you have to finish your master before you start Dental school?

[pishi1361]

Hi everybody, I hope you all had a great thanksgiving. Currently I am getting my masters in biochemistry, I am expecting to finish in June, July, and I will do my best to finish my Thesis and finish my masters, that’s my goal, but in case something went wrong and I could not finish it, if I get into dental schools do I have to finish my masters? (I applied to UCLA, UCSF, LLU and USC, got interview from UCSF and LLU so far). I really appreciate your feedbacks,,, Thanks

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[LJGDDSII]

As long as all of your pre reqs are completed before you start dental school, completion of the Master's is not required. I am in the same boat. But I know I will not have my master's done. They way I look at it is do I need a master's to be a dentist? No I don't, if I get that acceptance letter, I am actually going to drop some classes next semester and take it easy. I have been in school for the last 8 years with no summer breaks. So I want some time off so I am fresh for dental school, instead of pushing to finish the master's. I don't want to be burned out before I start.

 

[pishi1361]

I really hope that this is true, I have heard from people that some schools require you to finish it, but I don't want to call the dental schools I am applying to and aks them, in case they ask my name and AADSAS ID and look at my application and think I am going to drop the master!!!! ( I know this sound stupid, but I want this too bad to risk it!) and I really want to finish my master because I've been putting a lot of time into it, but I still have a lot of research left and I am afraid I won't be able to finish it ontime...

 

[LJGDDSII]

My ex husband was waitlisted for med school and he was working on his master's he got accepted around may and did not finish his master's and he went to med school without it. I don't know how they can require you to finish a master's if you have finished all of the pre req's. A master's is not required to attend dental school. So I would not stress over it.

 

[PChemGrad]

some schools do require you to finish the degree program you are in before you can enter the class. One of my room mates was in a masters program was accepted to several dental schools, and a few were on the condition that he finish his masters degree. Others schools it didn't matter. So it depends on the school, your grades, and if they see if you are just doing the masters to get in, and not really advance your education.

I finished my masters 1 month before entering dental school, and I am glad I did.

 

[lemoncurry]

My understanding is that while they may not require it, it doesn't look good to start a masters program and not finish it. At least that is what my advisors have been saying.

 

[pishi1361]

Thanks a lot everybody for the respond. Do you think it will look bad on my application if I call the schools I am applying and ask them if they require that or not? I really prefer to be anonymous when I call the schools! Since I don't want to bring this matter to their attention for my application.

 

[harjay]

Some schools (don't remember which) don't even require you to get a Bachelor's degree after you planned to before matriculation. The school said that if you can't or won't be finishing the degree, just notify the school.

That being said, I don't see any harm in calling the schools... I doubt they would leave any comment on your application because you asked if you have to finish your degree

 

[I-Baby]

Some schoools say it on their websites so if you are really nervous about calling, look there first. If not then you just have to go ahead and give them a call.

 

[berg1373]

I have a friend who is getting a masters and applying to dental school and he asked this question to a number of schools. Some of them said that if he were accepted he would be accepted CONTINGENT upon completing his masters. Having a masters degree was what made him more competitive than others and some schools told him he had to finish if that was one of the reasons they chose him over someone else.

 

[diane07]

If you did a Masters in order to become competitive, and that Masters was a factor in why the school selected you - then it's understandable why the school might make an acceptance contingent on finishing the program.

Check with the schools before you drop out of your Masters program. Schools may differ in their opinion on this, and it's better to be on the safe side.

 

[bigstix808]

i'm currently gettin my masters in biochem, and i'm not sure how the dschools would take it if one were to not finish, but if you really wanted to, i know my school will take the first year of a professional school and count it as your final credit to receive your masters. so for example, if i needed two more grad classes to receive my MS from my school, and i were to get into dschool and didn't want to take those last two classes here, they would take my first semester in dschool and allow those a couple of those classes to fulfil my requirements for my MS. thus, i could go to dschool without finishing my MS, but could get it after one semester of dschool. kind of a cool idea if you ask me...if your MS means that much to ya - and for me it does

 

[pishi1361]

Thank you for the response. I have to call the schools I am applying. I am really planing to finish it, I am done with my classes already, it is just because I am getting my MS and I have to finish my thesis, and my reseach is still not finished. But thank you all for your help and guidance.
Good luck all.

 

[swtcatastrophe]

i'm currently gettin my masters in biochem, and i'm not sure how the dschools would take it if one were to not finish, but if you really wanted to, i know my school will take the first year of a professional school and count it as your final credit to receive your masters. so for example, if i needed two more grad classes to receive my MS from my school, and i were to get into dschool and didn't want to take those last two classes here, they would take my first semester in dschool and allow those a couple of those classes to fulfil my requirements for my MS. thus, i could go to dschool without finishing my MS, but could get it after one semester of dschool. kind of a cool idea if you ask me...if your MS means that much to ya - and for me it does

i may be considering a masters program if i don't get in this cycle. if the program is traditionally two years, would you recommend waiting until you're done with one year of the program to reapply then? (thus, meaning that you would be done with the program by the time you started d-school.)

 

[Ehhhh]

I know for a fact that USC requires it... and i think most other California schools do as well but yeah calling to find out for sure it a good idea.

Goodluck