Doubts and Anxiety :(

[Longcatislong]

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Hi all,

I guess I'm what can be called a non-trad. I'm 24, graduated w/ a non-science BA two years ago and have since been attending a post-bacc program to do prereqs for dental school. I'm nearly done with my program and will be taking the DAT and applying to dental school in 2013! How exciting! And also...HOW SCARY!

I'm starting to have doubts creep into my head as to whether I'm good enough to get in, and if i get in, if I'm good enough to succeed in dental school..and then...If I'll even be able to find a comfortable job as a dentist and be able to pay back my massive loans. Which brings to to another thing, I'm already $16K in debt from my undergrad and post-bacc combined, and the thought of the easily $300K i'll take on in D-school is so overwhelming, considering money is so tight for me right now, and I'm looking at spending thousands JUST TO APPLY to schools, without any guarantee of getting in. What if I'm just wasting my time and money? lol, I've even considered straying from my pre-dds path and just applying to hygiene school instead, which would only cost around 10K around here...

Does anyone else here ever think about what you're doing, your debt, etc and just get so scared? How do you deal with any doubts or anxieties that come about from the career paths you've chosen? I'd love to hear I'm not alone in this.

 

[ShoTyme]

Does anyone else here ever think about what you're doing, your debt, etc and just get so scared? How do you deal with any doubts or anxieties that come about from the career paths you've chosen? I'd love to hear I'm not alone in this.

Sure I have anxiety about this. I'm scared whenever I think about the enormity of the task ahead of me. Certainly my future debt load would be enough to purchase a nice home and two cars. Beer helps a lot. 🙂 But seriously, I try to just put one foot in front of the other. Take one day at a time. That's the only way I can survive. Good luck.

 

[MedPR]

I have anxiety about this too (currently applying to medical schools). I think it's normal, and it's more important to control your anxiety/stress level in order to keep being productive and have a successful application season. I just keep telling myself to control what I can control now, and let the other stuff fall where it may.

 

[WellWornLad]

It would be very short-sighted to train as a dental hygienist just because the upfront costs are lower. You will make far more money as a general dentist in the long run, even with those loans.

Medicine is a more complicated situation due to the heavy influence of medicare on future reimbursement and mandatory residency for 3-8 years with low pay and accrual/capitalization of loan interest, but I'd still say it's a good deal overall. Dentistry is still a straight-shot/slam dunk financial win.

 

[Longcatislong]

It would be very short-sighted to train as a dental hygienist just because the upfront costs are lower. You will make far more money as a general dentist in the long run, even with those loans.

Medicine is a more complicated situation due to the heavy influence of medicare on future reimbursement and mandatory residency for 3-8 years with low pay and accrual/capitalization of loan interest, but I'd still say it's a good deal overall. Dentistry is still a straight-shot/slam dunk financial win.

Yes, completely realize that, which one of the many reasons I keep going toward pursuing the DDS. I would certainly be more financially secure in the long run as a dentist, I wouldn't say it's a slam dunk financial win. Many areas are over-saturated with dentist, and with several new schools opening up, the problem will only get worse in the coming years. that's not say that dental hygiensits don't have their own employment problems to deal with, I hear that's a tough market as well.

Also, sometimes, I just feel so burnt out on school. The idea of just having a stable, well-paying job that allows me free time to just, oh i don't know, read a book for pleasure, do more yoga, come home and not have to lock myself in a room and study, see my friends and family more often sounds so wonderful. Sometimes (like now, when I'm in the middle of summer midterms season, studying my butt off) wonder if I can muster the energy to do this for much longer. It's a terrible thought to have, I know.

 

[Courtjester8]

Apparently once you get into dental school or med school, money stress tends to fade. I've been told professional school loans are sizable and there are plenty of schools who offer nice sized grants and hold some debt for you as well. Just bull doze through and get there.

 

[QofQuimica]

OP, the number of guarantees in life is exactly one. I'm not counting taxes, because some people do manage to evade those. But no one evades dying. So, once you accept the fact that nothing you do in life comes with a money-back guarantee, you can hopefully put your time and energy toward maximizing your chances of reaching your goals.

It is not random that some people get into dental school while others don't, and it is also not random that some people have successful practices while others don't. My advice is to make use of the resource you have here in SDN to avoid having to reinvent the wheel. I've never applied to dental school, so I can't give you specific advice on how to improve your odds, but other successful people on this site can. And they will, if you ask for it. So get the info you need to give yourself the best possible chance of success, and take a calculated risk when the time comes.

Also, don't be penny wise and pound foolish. It's worth spending extra money on apps if that's what it will take to get you an acceptance. It's worth spending extra money on high quality DAT prep materials so that you have a competitive exam score. In general, don't skimp on the things that are high yield for improving your chances of success.

Best of luck. 🙂

 

[Longcatislong]

I appreciate the support and wise words. Thank you!