Going to dental school later in life

[Bulachka91]

Hello everyone,

I am 29, been a dental assistant since HS, about 11 years, I have my EFDA in PA so I've been placing fillings and have plenty of experience. I am also married and have a 2 year old. What advice does anyone have for dental school , balancing school/family life, study tips and that sort of thing? Very general question but I'm trying to figure out what to expect and hear of others experiences who went and had kids and a family at the same time. Thank you in advance.

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[HatInTheCat]

You’ll learn a lot about yourself when it comes to managing stress. I sure did. Being older, I’ll say that it’s important to stay neutral to all the drama that goes on in your class. Dental school is like high school. Faculty and students talk. A LOT! Learn from your mistakes, don’t take anything personal. You will notice everyone befriending each other very quickly. After the semester gets hard, things will blow up. But stay true to who you are.

It can be toxic sometimes. Stay close to your family. Vent to your friends who understand. But be careful about what’s important—time with kids, spouse, and yourself. It’s a big juggling act. Grades to me are minuscule. Learn what you need to learn and pass your courses. Hand skills take time to develop. Even for people who were in dentistry before as hygienists or EFDAs. Give yourself the time to develop that with PRACTICE.


When you get to clinic, you’ll need to manage your patients by letting them know your expectations up front. They cannot be late and they cannot cancel. Always be likable with your peers and faculty. Don’t be a brown noser but be able to be coached.

Dental school is a 24 hr rat race. Reach out to upperclassmen and peers on how to do stuff easier. Trust me. GET FEEDBACK before it’s too late from faculty who are graders. That helps a lot.

Congrats on your acceptance. Enjoy your time while you have it. Things will get rough but remember it’s all temporary.

Signed,

30+ year old senior dental student

 

[PerioDont]

Hello everyone,

I am 29, been a dental assistant since HS, about 11 years, I have my EFDA in PA so I've been placing fillings and have plenty of experience. I am also married and have a 2 year old. What advice does anyone have for dental school , balancing school/family life, study tips and that sort of thing? Very general question but I'm trying to figure out what to expect and hear of others experiences who went and had kids and a family at the same time. Thank you in advance.

What stage are you in the process? Have you taken any pre-reqs at this point? there were many people in my class that were in their 30s, some in their 40s as well.

the previous DAs or DHs or other long term dental employees seem to have done fairly well in dental school. The experience definitely helps - on the flipside it may be a little harder to get back into the studying grind. also some professors may be younger than you - gotta eat some humble pie for sure.

 

[Bulachka91]

You’ll learn a lot about yourself when it comes to managing stress. I sure did. Being older, I’ll say that it’s important to stay neutral to all the drama that goes on in your class. Dental school is like high school. Faculty and students talk. A LOT! Learn from your mistakes, don’t take anything personal. You will notice everyone befriending each other very quickly. After the semester gets hard, things will blow up. But stay true to who you are.

It can be toxic sometimes. Stay close to your family. Vent to your friends who understand. But be careful about what’s important—time with kids, spouse, and yourself. It’s a big juggling act. Grades to me are minuscule. Learn what you need to learn and pass your courses. Hand skills take time to develop. Even for people who were in dentistry before as hygienists or EFDAs. Give yourself the time to develop that with PRACTICE.


When you get to clinic, you’ll need to manage your patients by letting them know your expectations up front. They cannot be late and they cannot cancel. Always be likable with your peers and faculty. Don’t be a brown noser but be able to be coached.

Dental school is a 24 hr rat race. Reach out to upperclassmen and peers on how to do stuff easier. Trust me. GET FEEDBACK before it’s too late from faculty who are graders. That helps a lot.

Congrats on your acceptance. Enjoy your time while you have it. Things will get rough but remember it’s all temporary.

Signed,

30+ year old senior dental student

Thank you that’s good advice I appreciate you taking the time to write back. Hopefully all goes well with you !

 

[Bulachka91]

What stage are you in the process? Have you taken any pre-reqs at this point? there were many people in my class that were in their 30s, some in their 40s as well.

the previous DAs or DHs or other long term dental employees seem to have done fairly well in dental school. The experience definitely helps - on the flipside it may be a little harder to get back into the studying grind. also some professors may be younger than you - gotta eat some humble pie for sure.

I have 3 semesters to go, I got early acceptance so I’m guaranteed a spot as long as I keep my gpa up and DAT meets minimum. I have noticed that even finishing my undergrad the studying is a bit more difficult especially when I hear my toddler calling for me as I’m studying in the basement. I’m ok with getting humble, just want to finish the program it could be a genius 5 year old teaching it wouldn’t make difference to me lol. Thank you for your reply

 

[PerioDont]

I have 3 semesters to go, I got early acceptance so I’m guaranteed a spot as long as I keep my gpa up and DAT meets minimum. I have noticed that even finishing my undergrad the studying is a bit more difficult especially when I hear my toddler calling for me as I’m studying in the basement. I’m ok with getting humble, just want to finish the program it could be a genius 5 year old teaching it wouldn’t make difference to me lol. Thank you for your reply

for sure studying with kids can be challenging. But there were at least 10 people in my class that had kids, many had kids during school, and most of them did just fine. Maybe they weren't the top of the class, but that was true of many with no kids too lol.

you will be just fine! having that real life experience is super valuable. I am the youngest in my class and often times realize I don't have much 'real world' experience when dealing with pts and managing things. that being said I do have more energy and time so pros and cons for sure. best of luck to you on your journey!