Does an MD help with dental school?

[bones111]

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Hello all. I was hoping that someone may have some info regarding attending dental school after having completed multiple years of a medical residency. I am interested in multiple dental specialties, including os and ortho, and was wondering how much the MD degree could help me in achieving a specialty such as the ones listed (although I do understand an MD is required for os).

I was also hoping that someone might be able to give me average salaries of general dentistry as well as the specialties, not because I am looking for the highest paying salary (the field of medicine I am in can be quite lucrative) but because I just want to get a baseline of what I am possibly getting into regarding more loans, etc. And while the current resdiency I am in might not be the best choice for me, I am unsure I would want to go through another medical residency.

I would apreciate any help/

 

[Mila]

I'm fairly sure that you'd have to start dental school all over again, which unfortunately for you, means you'd be repeating a lot of the same classes you've already taken in medical school. The MD would help you in that hopefully these science classes would just be reivew for you. Otherwise, it doesn't really do that much for you. If you're going into OMFS, then you would do a 4-year residency (instead of the 6-year residency where you also get an MD).
I know that there are something like 7-8 MD's currently in Columbia's School of Dentistry. It might not be a bad idea to call Columbia and find out what their policy is.

The specialties recognized by the ADA are:
Endodontics
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology
Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology
Orthodontics
Pediatric Dentistry
Prosthetics
Public Health Dentistry

Unfortunately I don't have average salaries, but you could easily look that up online, or even by doing a search on this site - I know I've seen them posted before. Hope this helps you decide.

 

[SuperC]

I wondering how much the MD degree could help me in achieving a specialty such as the ones listed

1. Yes an MD will help you not only get into dental school, but surely give you an edge into getting into your desired specialty. Do a search on SDN, there have been other posts on this subject, dental schools may give you credit for some classes you have taken in med school (assuming it was a US school)
You will still have to take many of the "dental" courses, but you may be able to squeak out of some basic sciences like biochem, gross, micro, ect

I do understand an MD is required for os.

2. A MD is NOT required for OMFS, there are 4 and 6 year programs. The 4 year program does not require the MD. You would need to speak with directors of said program in order to determine how already having the MD will affect you progression through the program. If you did the MD I am sure you would still have to do your residency. You may want to contact Dr. Dolwick, the director of OS at UFCD

I was also hoping that someone might be able to give me average salaries of general dentistry as well as the specialties, not because I am looking for the highest paying salary (the field of medicine I am in can be quite lucrative) but because I just want to get a baseline of what I am possibly getting into regarding more loans, etc. And while the current resdiency I am in might not be the best choice for me, I am unsure I would want to go through another medical residency.

3. A quick search on the net should reveal average salaries.

 

[Dr.Millisevert]

A MD is NOT required for OMFS, there are 4 and 6 year programs. The 4 year program does not require the MD.

A dental degree however is required to apply for OMFS.

 

[Meatwad]

Do a search about this. Baylor, Michigan, and maybe a couple of other schools will take MDs and put them in a special 6 year DDS/OMFS track (as opposed to a 6 year MD/OMFS track for dental grads). That would certainly be the shortest route for you, especially if you were sold on OMFS.

 

[asedds]

Not sure exactly what you want to accomplish, but I know of a woman who became an oral surgeon after getting her MD. As far as I know, she did not attend a dental school, except as a grad student /resident for OS. So she is an MD who specializes in oral and maxillofacial surgery. This is significantly different than the combo DMD/MD programs, which traditionally don't prepare you to practice medicine.

 

[toofshucker]

Not sure exactly what you want to accomplish, but I know of a woman who became an oral surgeon after getting her MD. As far as I know, she did not attend a dental school, except as a grad student /resident for OS. So she is an MD who specializes in oral and maxillofacial surgery. This is significantly different than the combo DMD/MD programs, which traditionally don't prepare you to practice medicine.

I am pretty sure you have to have a DMD/DDS to be an OMFS.

 

[Meatwad]

There is no way anyone in this country is an oral surgeon without a DDS or DMD. It's a dental specialty; the requirements are a dental degree, the medical degree is just gravy.

 

[toofache32]

Not sure exactly what you want to accomplish, but I know of a woman who became an oral surgeon after getting her MD. As far as I know, she did not attend a dental school, except as a grad student /resident for OS. So she is an MD who specializes in oral and maxillofacial surgery. This is significantly different than the combo DMD/MD programs, which traditionally don't prepare you to practice medicine.

And therefore she is not eligible to sit for the board exams of the ABOMS.

 

[Dr.Millisevert]

this is probably a case of a dual degree oms only listing the med degree. Some hospitals do this accidentally when they list providers on their websites.

 

[ItsGavinC]

1. Yes an MD will help you not only get into dental school, but surely give you an edge into getting into your desired specialty.

1) Won't help with getting into dental school
2) Won't give an edge with getting into a specialty.