Going for Dentistry at 23

[DoctorSaab]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Alright you guys. I have this friend who is a college drop out. He completed 1 and a half years of university studies. He took all his chemistries and bios and stuff. However, at the time, the guy decided to go overseas to do some things. He is around 23 now and back in country. He doesn't have any degree. He wants to become a dentist. How would you advise him? Should he go back to school, get a degree, take his pre-dental reqs, and then basically go through the process that we are going through right now?

Will all that take him the usual 4 years? Or is there a faster way for him?

Please help out. Thanks.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I don't really know of any other way to do it!

The givens: He must complete 90 credits, and he must complete the pre-reqs, and he must take the DAT.

Nothing in that says it has to take 4 years or even 3 years. All of that could be done in 2.5 years if he/she works like crazy.

Bottom line though, is that by the time he matriculates he will probably be the average age of most DS1 students.

 

[Supernumerary]

He's got to go the same route the rest of us took. I didn't start university until I was 22. 23 is hardly middle age. If he wants to do this, he still has plenty of time. Plus he has some life experience which will look good to the adcomms. Tell him to go back and get a degree. 🙂

 

[UBTom]

to Saab:

I think it might look better for your friend to finish the degree. Dental schools want candidates who are willing to stick through the program, and as a dropout your friend will have to prove to the adcoms that he can hack it and won't just quit when the load in dental school starts to get heavy (which would be about a week after freshman orientation. 😀 ).

Tell your friend to finish is bachelors, and do it with a good GPA (3.0+, both cumulative and science) and get good DAT scores. Dental school will be within his reach then.

 

[croco]

I know some people who are 35 and have started dental school this year. Your liaison must complete the 90 hrs with a leet GPA because I believe if he is returning to school, then he has to show the admission directors that this is something that he "wants" to undertake in his life. Usually those that come back to school have difficult times getting into graduate programs.