Giving up on Dentistry

[OMFSWanna]

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I can't get into dentistry. Their stats are near those of md programs and above those of do schools. I hear this past year the ave GPA of accepted persons was over 3.5. 🙁 I have a GPA of 3.3 and have been rejected 3 times from dental school with a DAT score of 19/19/19. Tell me positive things about podiatry because I am considering it. I had dental schools tell me that my stats were just too low. It seems like a good profession, not sure about feet but I don't think I would mind too much. Anyone have any input. I'm very desperate. Can my stats even get me in? Thanks.

 

[dpmPOD]

I can't get into dentistry. Their stats are near those of md programs and above those of do schools. I hear this past year the ave GPA of accepted persons was over 3.5. 🙁 I have a GPA of 3.3 and have been rejected 3 times from dental school with a DAT score of 19/19/19. Tell me positive things about podiatry because I am considering it. I had dental schools tell me that my stats were just too low. It seems like a good profession, not sure about feet but I don't think I would mind too much. Anyone have any input. I'm very desperate. Can my stats even get me in? Thanks.

Go shadow a podiatrist. Don't flock to podiatry as a last resort in some desperate move that you might later regret. Make sure it is for you and if it's not work on your dental application some more and try again later--or find another career.

 

[spo01]

*slapping OP in back of head* Get ahold of yourself man! Calm down now....

These are questions more suited for the dentistry forum but I can try to help. There's so many factors when it comes to being rejected/accepted: did you apply early? (VERY important), your education, your extracurriculars, etc. The dental school said your stats were too low...your DAT score is average so one problem lies in your gpa. I have had many friends successfully do post bac programs to get into allopathic schools. Have you exercised your options here? These are all rhetorical questions please don't post your resume.

With dentistry and podiatry you are comparing apples and oranges. There was a time I tried to convince myself to go into dentistry because it seemed to be the ideal field to go into, but I just couldn't. I couldn't stand the job of drilling on teeth, nerves, and squeezing my hands into someones mouth all day. First time I youtubed a root canal I never considered dentistry again. Podiatry is very concrete as well, but it's another type of concrete: muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments, and bone....which I like a LOT more. My advice: SHADOW several podiatrists if you are genuinely interested in the field and see if you get a reaction like mine towards dentistry. But it doesn't sound like you are. Even youtube procedures and see how it appeals to you. But don't give up on dentistry if you prefer that. The most miserable podiatry students/residents I've talked to are the ones who used it as a back up and have no real interest in the field.

 

[165007]

podiatry as a backup? NO



Get into a smp, and apply again.

 

[MaseratiGT]

I can't get into dentistry. Their stats are near those of md programs and above those of do schools. I hear this past year the ave GPA of accepted persons was over 3.5. 🙁 I have a GPA of 3.3 and have been rejected 3 times from dental school with a DAT score of 19/19/19. Tell me positive things about podiatry because I am considering it. I had dental schools tell me that my stats were just too low. It seems like a good profession, not sure about feet but I don't think I would mind too much. Anyone have any input. I'm very desperate. Can my stats even get me in? Thanks.

Ha! I happen to think that the mouth is far nastier than the foot. 😀

Everyone here is going to give you the exact same advice; Don't go to podiatry school unless you really want to.

Additionally, if you do shadow podiatrists, don't over-hype it for yourself because you want to get into a graduate program. You may feel like it's fantastic while your shadowing, but you need to sit and think if podiatry is a profession you can do EVERYDAY.

 

[krabmas]

I've been thinking about this a little.

While it is true that mostly the unhappy pods are the ones that chose it as a back-up, think about how many unhappy people there would be in medicine if every specialty was chosen before starting med school.

How many people do you think go into med school thinking "I want to be a colo-rectal surgeon, and do rectal exams on all my patients that still have rectums. And I want to I&D perianal abscesses in the middle of the night in the ED!"?

How many say "I want to be a gyn w/out the OB b/c mal practice is too high."? or "I want to be an OB/GYN so I can perform abortions for all the teenagers having unprotected sex"?

How many say "I want to be an orthopedic hand surgeon so that when I am on call for gen ortho I get called to the ED to reduce a 90 yo F's hip dislocation"?

How many say "I want to be an ER doc so I can be too many uninsured people's primary care doc at 3 am"?

I could go on and on...

The point is that there are bad, gross, unbearable things about medicine. No specialty in medicine is exempt from the grossness. If podiatry was part of the MD match and MD students had an elective in podiatry more people would choose it, I think.

Part of the problem is that you have to pick the specialty before you have an appreciation for it medically. Whereas most other medical specialties are chosen after learning lots about them.

 

[OMFSWanna]

Thank you for the responses. Dentistry I knew would afford me a very nice lifestyle (of course the average podiatrist only makes about 20-30K less) but money isn't the largest factor. I want to make people look better, give them self esteem. With fluoride and better products, oral status is better than ever. The focus now is on cosmetics which I love. On the foot, I guess the thing that bothers me is that you are restoring comfort as well (just like the mouth) but you don't actually get to improve self esteem etc unless you help someone walk a little better. My first love will ALWAYS be dentistry, but they don't want me. Maybe soon ave stats will go down but it seems unlikely by much anymore. Podiatry WOULD be a back up, but a GOOD back up. I like what you guys do too... I just like teeth better 😉 Would a 3.3 even get me into podiatry school? I have no clue how competitive they are. How competitive are they compared to >3.5 ave dental school stats? Thanks

 

[Buspar]

Why don't you just spend a year improving your weak areas and apply early next year???

 

[cool_vkb]

My first love will ALWAYS be dentistry, but they don't want me. Maybe soon ave stats will go down but it seems unlikely by much anymore. Podiatry WOULD be a back up, but a GOOD back up. I like what you guys do too... I just like teeth better 😉

You think LIFE IS A JOKE? If you like dentistry then do dentistry, if not here then go to Australia or Europe and do it. but dont just come to podiatry you will not be happy. May be not now but god forbid in 3rd yr pod school you get disgruntled or may be after you graduate you dont like it anymore and then decide to apply to dental school think how much loan you wud be accomodating. And seriously the courses you take, the curriculum,etc might not appeal to you or make sense to you unless you really like podiatry. If i were you, i would rather go abroad and do my dentistry rather than changing field as a backup.

 

[Paulywog]

You were in the same situation I was in last year. I had almost the exact same stats but my Science GPA was lower. After 23 dental school rejections I was looking into doing a masters program to be more competitive with my GPA.
The thought of doing two more years of school without a gaurantee of an acceptance bothered me. So I decided to look at other health professions that might interest me. I had decided since freshman year that I wanted to be a dentist because I knew many successful people in the field, I had friends doing it, and I enjoyed shadowing. How do you actually know you want to be a dentist day in and day out when you haven't even performed any of the procedures yet. This is what went through my mind. I came accross podiatry. I never knew any podiatrists or had any foot problems. It is a pretty sweet profession. I realized there were many things in dentistry that I don't like any more. After much research and shadowing, I am sure I will enjoy being a podiatrist for many years. If a dental school were to offer me an acceptance right now, I would still be going to podiatry school without any hesitation. This is just me. It might not be you. Podiatry does not feel like a backup to me. I only discovered it after applying to dentistry. I also enjoy conversing with people rather than talking to the patient in a yes or no format...
Do your research...shadow all of the health professions to see what else is out there. Honestly, don't worry about the salary so much. I know dentist and podiatrists that make a little and I now know dentists and podiatrists that make a ton. If you are the best you can be, the money will follow.
I think your stats are pretty competitive for podiatry school. If you decide on podiatry, then you better hurry and apply because the stats for entering POD school are rising and they will be as competitive as the other health professions.

 

[PJAG]

Thank you for the responses. Dentistry I knew would afford me a very nice lifestyle (of course the average podiatrist only makes about 20-30K less) but money isn't the largest factor. I want to make people look better, give them self esteem. With fluoride and better products, oral status is better than ever. The focus now is on cosmetics which I love. On the foot, I guess the thing that bothers me is that you are restoring comfort as well (just like the mouth) but you don't actually get to improve self esteem etc unless you help someone walk a little better. My first love will ALWAYS be dentistry, but they don't want me. Maybe soon ave stats will go down but it seems unlikely by much anymore. Podiatry WOULD be a back up, but a GOOD back up. I like what you guys do too... I just like teeth better 😉 Would a 3.3 even get me into podiatry school? I have no clue how competitive they are. How competitive are they compared to >3.5 ave dental school stats? Thanks

Quite honestly, it sounds like you really like teeth. Definitely take a look into podiatry but if dentistry is your dream then you shouldn't just quit it. I would try to take at least another year of classes to raise up my gpa and then apply to dental schools. Do whatever it takes to improve on your deficiencies and make yourself a better candidate. Podiatry is a great field but as you stated previously it "would be a GOOD back up" in relation to your career goals. I think your selling yourself short; you don't want to ruin your life getting into a specialty that you just hate. I think a year of classes would not only raise your GPA but it may provide you some reassurance of your decision on a career. Good luck on your decision(whether being Podiatry or Dentistry) and try to get some answers from the Dentistry forums.

 

[TheBee]

I think this is a really sad demonstration of the flaws of the application process. We have here a guy/gal who is obviously extremely passionate and dedicated to dentistry, but who can't get their foot in the door. That sucks!

We will all tell you that we think podiatry is a great field, but definitely come to that conclusion on your own before you decide to apply. Podiatry school on average costs about $40k per year with living expenses, etc. included. If you were to attend a podiatry school and decide after the first year it wasn't for you, you'll already be $40k in the hole. I don't know about you, but that's way more zeros than I'd want to be responsible for right after I dropped out of my career path!

It's a big decision, not just for the money sake of things, but for your happiness as well. There are dozens of careers in medicine and healthcare that you would be qualified for. Isolate the things about dentistry that draw you to the field and try to find those same things elsewhere. You've already stated you like the idea of raising someone's self esteem, so what about being a counselor for adolescents with eating disorders? In that role you'd have a great opportunity to raise other's self esteem, and deal with medical issues as well. That's one example of many, but you see what I mean. Think outside the box! If after all that you decide on podiatry, that's great! Not because you chose podiatry, but because you've found a field you can get behind 100%.

 

[OMFSWanna]

Becoming a psychologist or something would allow me to boost others self esteem, but take home little to no pay. It isn't worth it to me. General dentists when everything is accounted for often make more than general MDs and dental specialists often make the same amount as specialist MDs (with the exception of things like neurosurgery etc). Podiatrists only make about 20-30K less than a general DDS or MD. Money isn't the end all and be all, but I don't want to go from potential 120K as a general dentist to 35K as a psychologist. I'd rather go from 120 K (ADA says it's actually 175K) to 100K being a podiatrist. You know what I'm saying? And I would still get to help patients immensely.

 

[TheBee]

You keep saying that money isn't that important, but you sure do talk about it a lot. Have you thought about getting your MRS degree?

 

[Paulywog]

Could you list the good and bad qualities about dentistry that do not include money? This will allow us to help you a little in giving some advice. Stop going off of average salary pages to decide your future. Salaries reported do not include benefits, profits from owning the practice, and so on. Go sell medical devices if you mainly care about making money. You would not have $200,000 in debt and can make great money from the get go. Tell us why you want dentistry or what qualities are most important to you (besides $).

 

[PJAG]

Becoming a psychologist or something would allow me to boost others self esteem, but take home little to no pay. It isn't worth it to me. General dentists when everything is accounted for often make more than general MDs and dental specialists often make the same amount as specialist MDs (with the exception of things like neurosurgery etc). Podiatrists only make about 20-30K less than a general DDS or MD. Money isn't the end all and be all, but I don't want to go from potential 120K as a general dentist to 35K as a psychologist. I'd rather go from 120 K (ADA says it's actually 175K) to 100K being a podiatrist. You know what I'm saying? And I would still get to help patients immensely.

First off, I have skimmed through some of you past posts from other forums. And it seems that either you are graduating from a dental school or have already graduated. Correct me if I am wrong, but what is the real dilemma? I don't want to be harsh but your posts are highly confusing.😕

 

[podoc123]

Nice research PJAG, someone has some explaining to do? Please help us understand omfswanna

 

[OMFSWanna]

First off, I have skimmed through some of you past posts from other forums. And it seems that either you are graduating from a dental school or have already graduated. Correct me if I am wrong, but what is the real dilemma? I don't want to be harsh but your posts are highly confusing.😕

Sorry, posting on my sister's account. I won't be here long so I didn't see the point in creating my own account. She is living MY dream!

 

[PJAG]

Sorry, posting on my sister's account. I won't be here long so I didn't see the point in creating my own account. She is living MY dream!

Well then…..reanalyzing your previous posts within this thread I have gathered 3 main topics about you: 1.) Have a low gpa and can’t get into dental school. 2.) You really love dentistry. 3.) You want to make some $$$$..........On a side note, I also think spo01 stated it best of what you should do.

My advice: You really need to do some soul-searching for what type of life you want. Keep in mind, that your career decision now will affect you for the rest of your life. Don’t focus your attention primarily on making $$$$....I understand that you see an incredible amount of potential in yourself. But you need to focus your attention on what will make you happy. Let me remind you that have stated that your sister “is living MY dream”. If that is the case then I believe the answer to your question is very plain & simple. Follow your dream! And if by some chance, your “dream” starts turning into a nightmare then consider other options. Podiatry is a great field, but you gotta make sure it will fill the void of your dream/nightmare.

****I really do feel like that all of this has been said before though.

 

[lightfoot]

Becoming a psychologist or something would allow me to boost others self esteem, but take home little to no pay. It isn't worth it to me. General dentists when everything is accounted for often make more than general MDs and dental specialists often make the same amount as specialist MDs (with the exception of things like neurosurgery etc). Podiatrists only make about 20-30K less than a general DDS or MD. Money isn't the end all and be all, but I don't want to go from potential 120K as a general dentist to 35K as a psychologist. I'd rather go from 120 K (ADA says it's actually 175K) to 100K being a podiatrist. You know what I'm saying? And I would still get to help patients immensely.

You keep going back to the money thing. Please don't let the money issue be the driving force behind your decision. If you'd rather be a psycologist than a podiatrist, be a podiatrist. However, since you keep mentioning it, I've seen quite a few statistics that show pods making 20-30k more a year than dentists.It all depends on where you practice and how you choose to practice. As far as making a difference and helping people, this is what attracted me to podiatry. Shadowing was an eye opener. One of the patients that came in told me that his podiatrist truly had saved his life when he saved his foot. I see podiatry as a very rewarding career, but it sounds like your heart is set on dentistry. And unfortunately, you are right, it is a difficult field to break into. My best friend got into dental school this year, and his dental school averages a 3.8 undergrad gpa. If this is really really what you want, I find it hard to believe that podiatry will satisfy you! As mentioned before, look again at your stats, personal statement and see what needs improvement. If there are classes that you can retake to boost your GPA, retake them if dentistry means this much to you. Best of luck to you!