How Difficult is Dental School?

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doc toothache

doc toothache

Full Member
15+ Year Member
The topic on the difficulty of the dental school curriculum has been the subject of many posts on SDN. The degree of difficulty is discussed in DS Degree of Difficulty. A comparison of ds and undergraduate (Document 1) and dental school curricula (Document 2 for DS #1, Document 3 for DS #2, and Document 4 for DS #3) is available.
 

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So 1.5X the class load and having to stay on campus 3.5X longer (or 3.5X less time in the day to invest studying).

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Hmm. I took 45 credits of all upper division science courses this year (cramming to graduate in spring rather than summer). My courses are tough and many are taught at the graduate level but it's completely manageable. I'm sure dental school courses are more difficult but not out of the realm of my imagination. I also suppose that many students that complain about the dental school course load are whiny babies who aren't used to working hard and just didn't push themselves in undergrad. I've heard many dental students say it's not as bad as people often make it seem. I guess only time will tell for me. Just my 2 cents 😛.
 
wcombs said:
Hmm. I took 45 credits of all upper division science courses this year (cramming to graduate in spring rather than summer). My courses are tough and many are taught at the graduate level but it's completely manageable. I'm sure dental school courses are more difficult but not out of the realm of my imagination. I also suppose that many students that complain about the dental school course load are whiny babies who aren't used to working hard and just didn't push themselves in undergrad. I've heard many dental students say it's not as bad as people often make it seem. I guess only time will tell for me. Just my 2 cents 😛.
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Kudos to you for the "45 credits". It would be even more impressive if there was also a claim of 500 hours of lab. In either case, it is not exactly the undergraduate norm. As for your conjecture about the "whiny babies", real or imaginary, for some, if not most dental students, it is just a matter of c'est la vie. Moreover, one could suggest that there might be a tad of a difference between a one year grind and four years of carbon copies.
 
doc toothache said:
Kudos to you for the "45 credits". It would be even more impressive if there was also a claim of 500 hours of lab. In either case, it is not exactly the undergraduate norm. As for your conjecture about the "whiny babies", real or imaginary, for some, if not most dental students, it is just a matter of c'est la vie. Moreover, one could suggest that there might be a tad of a difference between a one year grind and four years of carbon copies.
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Well said! I agree 100% 👍
 
Thank you Doc Toothache, I don't post often, I'm more of a search function user and site:studentdoctor.net Google browser, but every time I view one of your threads I learn a lot. 👍👍👍
 
Cello said:
Thank you Doc Toothache, I don't post often, I'm more of a search function user and site:studentdoctor.net Google browser, but every time I view one of your threads I learn a lot. 👍👍👍
Click to expand...

Very wise. That's where treasurers are found.

It's difficult to compare load. But this is a nice snapshot. Thanks, again.
 
wcombs said:
Hmm. I took 45 credits of all upper division science courses this year (cramming to graduate in spring rather than summer). My courses are tough and many are taught at the graduate level but it's completely manageable. I'm sure dental school courses are more difficult but not out of the realm of my imagination. I also suppose that many students that complain about the dental school course load are whiny babies who aren't used to working hard and just didn't push themselves in undergrad. I've heard many dental students say it's not as bad as people often make it seem. I guess only time will tell for me. Just my 2 cents 😛.
Click to expand...

I just want to quickly note something here.
Right now, its pretty obvious that you think your a very good student.Further, that dental school will be challenging but not that difficult for you.
I want to let you know that when you get to the top dental schools, EVERY single student is a top student.
Your going to met students who learn information faster and better than you.
I have always been a good student and I have classmates who sometime make think to myself "wow, where the hell did you come from?"
These kids are the best of the best.
So before you go stating that kids are whiny and aren't use to hard work, just remember this fact, at top schools, every student is unique and probably the best student at some point before coming there.
In other words, wake up my friend.
 
Baker2010 said:
I just want to quickly note something here.
Right now, its pretty obvious that you think your a very good student.Further, that dental school will be challenging but not that difficult for you.
I want to let you know that when you get to the top dental schools, EVERY single student is a top student.
Your going to met students who learn information faster and better than you.
I have always been a good student and I have classmates who sometime make think to myself "wow, where the hell did you come from?"
These kids are the best of the best.
So before you go stating that kids are whiny and aren't use to hard work, just remember this fact, at top schools, every student is unique and probably the best student at some point before coming there.
In other words, wake up my friend.
Click to expand...

And boom goes the dynamite.
 
Baker2010 said:
I just want to quickly note something here.
Right now, its pretty obvious that you think your a very good student.Further, that dental school will be challenging but not that difficult for you.
I want to let you know that when you get to the top dental schools, EVERY single student is a top student.
Your going to met students who learn information faster and better than you.
I have always been a good student and I have classmates who sometime make think to myself "wow, where the hell did you come from?"
These kids are the best of the best.
So before you go stating that kids are whiny and aren't use to hard work, just remember this fact, at top schools, every student is unique and probably the best student at some point before coming there.
In other words, wake up my friend.
Click to expand...

Kind of like being a star NCAA basketball player to being mediocre in the NBA?
 
Baker2010 said:
I just want to quickly note something here.
Right now, its pretty obvious that you think your a very good student.Further, that dental school will be challenging but not that difficult for you.
I want to let you know that when you get to the top dental schools, EVERY single student is a top student.
Your going to met students who learn information faster and better than you.
I have always been a good student and I have classmates who sometime make think to myself "wow, where the hell did you come from?"
These kids are the best of the best.
So before you go stating that kids are whiny and aren't use to hard work, just remember this fact, at top schools, every student is unique and probably the best student at some point before coming there.
In other words, wake up my friend.
Click to expand...
I think you completely missed what I was saying but thanks for the words of wisdom 👍
 
Baker2010 said:
I just want to quickly note something here.
Right now, its pretty obvious that you think your a very good student.Further, that dental school will be challenging but not that difficult for you.
I want to let you know that when you get to the top dental schools, EVERY single student is a top student.
Your going to met students who learn information faster and better than you.
I have always been a good student and I have classmates who sometime make think to myself "wow, where the hell did you come from?"
These kids are the best of the best.
So before you go stating that kids are whiny and aren't use to hard work, just remember this fact, at top schools, every student is unique and probably the best student at some point before coming there.
In other words, wake up my friend.
Click to expand...

I am assuming you were a "good student" up until fourth grade when they taught the difference between "your" and "you're." Wake up, my friend.
 
Baker2010 said:
I just want to quickly note something here.
Right now, its pretty obvious that you think your a very good student.Further, that dental school will be challenging but not that difficult for you.
I want to let you know that when you get to the top dental schools, EVERY single student is a top student.
Your going to met students who learn information faster and better than you.
I have always been a good student and I have classmates who sometime make think to myself "wow, where the hell did you come from?"
These kids are the best of the best.
So before you go stating that kids are whiny and aren't use to hard work, just remember this fact, at top schools, every student is unique and probably the best student at some point before coming there.
In other words, wake up my friend.
Click to expand...

Pretty sure this is going to be me:


Simple-Jack-Tropic-Thunder+(1).jpg
 
pointynose said:
I am assuming you were a "good student" up until fourth grade when they taught the difference between "your" and "you're." Wake up, my friend.
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"Its" and "it's" was slaughtered too.

And I hope UCSF doesn't take his 50k scholarship away, like someone suggested they should.
 
it doesn't matter how difficult dental school is...

what matter is the statistics. How many people get accepted and how many are actually kicked out because they couldn't hack it.... If you search this data, you'll learn that about 95%+ will eventually pass... the system is designed to allow the student alot of wiggle room to adjust (ALOT OF wiggle room). Almost everyone adjusts and passes. The trouble and hardships come in when your trying to rank in the top 10%. Take it from me, that one requires about 3x more effort than just passing. Yes, ranking high = makes the dental school experience very challenging.

I don't like to use the term "difficult"... but I like to think of dental school as "very busy".... but honestly guys, I am having the best time of my life... I'll never forget my years as a dental student. I've only been in school for about 2 years now and I already so many good memories.
 
dentalWorks said:
it doesn't matter how difficult dental school is...

what matter is the statistics. How many people get accepted and how many are actually kicked out because they couldn't hack it.... If you search this data, you'll learn that about 95%+ will eventually pass... the system is designed to allow the student alot of wiggle room to adjust (ALOT OF wiggle room). Almost everyone adjusts and passes. The trouble and hardships come in when you're trying to rank in the top 10%. Take it from me, that one requires about 3x more effort than just passing. Yes, ranking high = makes the dental school experience very challenging.

I don't like to use the term "difficult"... but I like to think of dental school as "very busy".... but honestly guys, I am having the best time of my life... I'll never forget my years as a dental student. I've only been in school for about 2 years now and I already so many good memories.
Click to expand...

All true.
 
dentalWorks said:
it doesn't matter how difficult dental school is...

what matter is the statistics. How many people get accepted and how many are actually kicked out because they couldn't hack it.... If you search this data, you'll learn that about 95%+ will eventually pass... the system is designed to allow the student alot of wiggle room to adjust (ALOT OF wiggle room). Almost everyone adjusts and passes. The trouble and hardships come in when your trying to rank in the top 10%. Take it from me, that one requires about 3x more effort than just passing. Yes, ranking high = makes the dental school experience very challenging.

I don't like to use the term "difficult"... but I like to think of dental school as "very busy".... but honestly guys, I am having the best time of my life... I'll never forget my years as a dental student. I've only been in school for about 2 years now and I already so many good memories.
Click to expand...
You are right. I think theres a little bit of variation though. For example at my school, we have only finished 1 quarter and 3 students are gone already :-/
 
iralex801 said:
👍

Someone's got to be the best of the best. He might not need to grow up if he is that person lol. Time will tell.
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Haha, I'm definitely not that guy as much as I wish I was. I'm actually very average in terms of intelligence, I just work hard and enjoy what I do! My point was that I just think some people don't mentally prepare themselves for the workload and then go into shock. Dental school will be harder than anything I've ever done, but I'm going into it positively. I'm excited for the challenge 😀
 
dentalWorks said:
it doesn't matter how difficult dental school is...

what matter is the statistics. How many people get accepted and how many are actually kicked out because they couldn't hack it.... If you search this data, you'll learn that about 95%+ will eventually pass... the system is designed to allow the student alot of wiggle room to adjust (ALOT OF wiggle room). Almost everyone adjusts and passes. The trouble and hardships come in when your trying to rank in the top 10%. Take it from me, that one requires about 3x more effort than just passing. Yes, ranking high = makes the dental school experience very challenging.

I don't like to use the term "difficult"... but I like to think of dental school as "very busy".... but honestly guys, I am having the best time of my life... I'll never forget my years as a dental student. I've only been in school for about 2 years now and I already so many good memories.
Click to expand...

dentalworks has it correct, it is not difficult, but the effort has to be there. I am in school some days for 10 hours. During exams all of my time is devoted to sleep and study with few breaks, but honestly outside of exam periods i have tons of time to go out, visit home. granted, my procrastination habits from undergrad never left but it is not impossible to do well in dental school. I am currently pulling a 3.7 at UDM and still maintain a life with only a few hours cramming every few days or so for quizzes and then mass cramming during exams.
btw dentalworks who are you lol
 
wzhu said:
dentalworks has it correct, it is not difficult, but the effort has to be there. I am in school some days for 10 hours. During exams all of my time is devoted to sleep and study with few breaks, but honestly outside of exam periods i have tons of time to go out, visit home. granted, my procrastination habits from undergrad never left but it is not impossible to do well in dental school. I am currently pulling a 3.7 at UDM and still maintain a life with only a few hours cramming every few days or so for quizzes and then mass cramming during exams.
btw dentalworks who are you lol
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Awesome. Only 10 hours per day, huh? I've been pulling 8-12 hours (sometimes 15) for the past 13 years in my bioengineering career, so I'm hoping (if I get in for 2014) that, besides refreshing for the DAT this summer, dental school will just be another "busy job" and nothing changes.

I can see, though, how an undergrad would be overwhelmed. Heck, undergrads that enter the "real world" working environment are typically and equally overwhelmed because work starts at 8 and goes until 5, and there is no skipping class or sleeping in, and you are damned busy right from the start, at least in the medical device engineering career field. You're getting paid, and you're expected to be around, especially as a "newbie".

Thanks for the info. It pretty much tells me that the toughest part of my later-in-life goal of becoming a dentist is going to be prepping for and taking the DAT and dealing with the entire admissions process. If I'm accepted, school sounds like a mirror image of what I've already been doing for 13 years, time and intensity-wise!

Bring it on!
 
acoburn73 said:
Thanks for the info. It pretty much tells me that the toughest part of my later-in-life goal of becoming a dentist is going to be prepping for and taking the DAT and dealing with the entire admissions process. If I'm accepted, school sounds like a mirror image of what I've already been doing for 13 years, time and intensity-wise! Bring it on!
Click to expand...

Let's summarize:
1. 100 courses in ds- no biggie
2. 190 credit hours- ditto
3. 5000 hours of classroom/lab/clinic- piece of cake
4. 142 exams/practicals-walk in the park
5. 60 finals-ditto
6. NBDE I, II; Boards/licensing- as easy as a trip to the DMV.

But, Holy Smokes!!!
1. studying for four subjects-6 sections for the DAT
2. spending 4 hours and 15 minutes answering answering 280 questions

Now that is daunting! "Bring it on"? Is this a case of having watched too many cheerleading movies?
 
doc toothache said:
Let's summarize:
1. 100 courses in ds- no biggie
2. 190 credit hours- ditto
3. 5000 hours of classroom/lab/clinic- piece of cake
4. 142 exams/practicals-walk in the park
5. 60 finals-ditto
6. NBDE I, II; Boards/licensing- as easy as a trip to the DMV.

But, Holy Smokes!!!
1. studying for four subjects-6 sections for the DAT
2. spending 4 hours and 15 minutes answering answering 280 questions

Now that is daunting! "Bring it on"? Is this a case of having watched too many cheerleading movies?
Click to expand...


Sorry, I wasn't meaning to insult anyone having gone through the misery of dental college after the horrors of a biology or chemistry degree while playing sports, tinkering with fraternity boys, and doing a few hours of community service. That's daunting!


Your comparison (albeit highly sarcastic) is duly noted. However, during the construction of your straw man argument, you forgot an important piece of quantified information:

1) 13 years of 10-hour days of engineering work designing cardiac and neurovascular implants to treat nearly-dead patients.

50 hours per week x 50 weeks per year (2 weeks vacation) x 13 years = 32,500 hours of commitment

2) The 5 years of Bioengineering college I endured (15-18 credit hours each semester plus summer) while working a regular 40-hour job and being married to a bag of a wife (no, she wasn't a cheerleader) who then divorced me because I was never around.

Avg 16 fall/spring CRs x 10 semesters = 160 CRs
Avg 10 summer CRs x 4 summers = 40 CRs
40 hours of working x 50 weeks x 5 years = 10,000 hrs of work commitment while attending school

3) In #2, the sheer load of core engineering courses with no multiple choice questions (unlike that little biology degree many dentists attain).

40 exams, multiple quizzes

Yes, I know that dental schools aren't easy. They are indeed harder than your average undergrad degree simply because of the load (someone here compared it to drinking water from a fire hydrant). They're probably even more difficult and stressful than attaining an engineering degree based on sheer volume of time dedication. But when I spoke of comparing dental college to what I've already experienced during the past 18 years - yeah, it does look like a piece of cake, especially when you properly quantify the efforts in the comparison...
 
acoburn73 said:
Sorry, I wasn't meaning to insult anyone having gone through the misery of dental college after the horrors of a biology or chemistry degree while playing sports, tinkering with fraternity boys, and doing a few hours of community service. That's daunting!


Your comparison (albeit highly sarcastic) is duly noted. However, during the construction of your straw man argument, you forgot an important piece of quantified information:

1) 13 years of 10-hour days of engineering work designing cardiac and neurovascular implants to treat nearly-dead patients.

50 hours per week x 50 weeks per year (2 weeks vacation) x 13 years = 32,500 hours of commitment

2) The 5 years of Bioengineering college I endured (15-18 credit hours each semester plus summer) while working a regular 40-hour job and being married to a bag of a wife (no, she wasn't a cheerleader) who then divorced me because I was never around.

Avg 16 fall/spring CRs x 10 semesters = 160 CRs
Avg 10 summer CRs x 4 summers = 40 CRs
40 hours of working x 50 weeks x 5 years = 10,000 hrs of work commitment while attending school

3) In #2, the sheer load of core engineering courses with no multiple choice questions (unlike that little biology degree many dentists attain).

40 exams, multiple quizzes

Yes, I know that dental schools aren't easy. They are indeed harder than your average undergrad degree simply because of the load (someone here compared it to drinking water from a fire hydrant). They're probably even more difficult and stressful than attaining an engineering degree based on sheer volume of time dedication. But when I spoke of comparing dental college to what I've already experienced during the past 18 years - yeah, it does look like a piece of cake, especially when you properly quantify the efforts in the comparison...
Click to expand...

Having a holier than thou attitude toward your future classmates and colleagues (or at least you hope, there is still that business of getting into dschool) is sure to earn you many friends. Especially since you know nothing of how difficult my undergrad course was vs yours or how many frat boys I've tinkered let alone any other adversities faced.

Honestly if you think so little of your future classmates on colleagues do you really want to go to 4 years of intense school where at least to some degree you will likely need their help at one point or another?
 
mid said:
Having a holier than thou attitude toward your future classmates and colleagues (or at least you hope, there is still that business of getting into dschool) is sure to earn you many friends. Especially since you know nothing of how difficult my undergrad course was vs yours or how many frat boys I've tinkered let alone any other adversities faced.

Honestly if you think so little of your future classmates on colleagues do you really want to go to 4 years of intense school where at least to some degree you will likely need their help at one point or another?
Click to expand...

I suppose the dentist that sarcastically responded to my post is off the hook with a holier-than-thou response? Sounds like he's taking the approach that the work he has gone through is much "holier" than anything else anyone could ever do. That's how I read it.

Regarding my response - it was an honest post - based on the quantification that the OP did, dental school genuinely appears to me to be much easier than what I have done and what I'm currently doing. If I'm wrong, then I'll find out out on my own. Why resort to a ss hattery sarcasm? Just say that I might be a bit optimistic and leave it at that.
 
mid said:
Having a holier than thou attitude toward your future classmates and colleagues (or at least you hope, there is still that business of getting into dschool) is sure to earn you many friends. Especially since you know nothing of how difficult my undergrad course was vs yours or how many frat boys I've tinkered let alone any other adversities faced.

Honestly if you think so little of your future classmates on colleagues do you really want to go to 4 years of intense school where at least to some degree you will likely need their help at one point or another?
Click to expand...

Took the words right out of my mouth! 😱
 
Easy guys.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

I'm a first year dental student and I don't find dental school that difficult compared to my undergrad. It doesn't mean I'm shietting on all of my classmates' faces. That's quite a slippery slope people are making. I do have respect for them, and even help them when they ask. Believe it or not, I have many friends in dental school.

People come from different backgrounds. Those who took 2 sciences classes along with 3 bird class each semester will find it more difficult than those who took 5 science classes their entire undergrad (which is what I did). Most also don't have the 60-80 hour work weeks that some people in industry are used to.
 
acoburn73 said:
Sorry, I wasn't meaning to insult anyone having gone through the misery of dental college after the horrors of a biology or chemistry degree while playing sports, tinkering with fraternity boys, and doing a few hours of community service. That's daunting!


Your comparison (albeit highly sarcastic) is duly noted. However, during the construction of your straw man argument, you forgot an important piece of quantified information:

1) 13 years of 10-hour days of engineering work designing cardiac and neurovascular implants to treat nearly-dead patients.

50 hours per week x 50 weeks per year (2 weeks vacation) x 13 years = 32,500 hours of commitment

2) The 5 years of Bioengineering college I endured (15-18 credit hours each semester plus summer) while working a regular 40-hour job and being married to a bag of a wife (no, she wasn't a cheerleader) who then divorced me because I was never around.

Avg 16 fall/spring CRs x 10 semesters = 160 CRs
Avg 10 summer CRs x 4 summers = 40 CRs
40 hours of working x 50 weeks x 5 years = 10,000 hrs of work commitment while attending school

3) In #2, the sheer load of core engineering courses with no multiple choice questions (unlike that little biology degree many dentists attain).

40 exams, multiple quizzes

Yes, I know that dental schools aren't easy. They are indeed harder than your average undergrad degree simply because of the load (someone here compared it to drinking water from a fire hydrant). They're probably even more difficult and stressful than attaining an engineering degree based on sheer volume of time dedication. But when I spoke of comparing dental college to what I've already experienced during the past 18 years - yeah, it does look like a piece of cake, especially when you properly quantify the efforts in the comparison...
Click to expand...

Note that Doc toothache replied ONLY to the following statement:

acoburn73 said:
It pretty much tells me that the toughest part of my later-in-life goal of becoming a dentist is going to be prepping for and taking the DAT and dealing with the entire admissions process.
Click to expand...

As such, his argument was hardly a logical fallacy. He never brought up nor commented on anything except that the DAT is not comparable to Dental School in any way shape or form. Ironically, it was your response to his post that was guilty of using the straw man fallacy.

Your statements make even less sense when you consider your post as whole. How exactly did you rationalize that 13 years of 8-12 hour days would make Dental School "just another busy job" but also conclude that the DAT coupled w/ the admissions process (I guess the waiting would be the difficult part?😕) would be the most difficult time in your life? By your own account, the DAT / admissions would actually be the easiest time of your life.

Perhaps you should work on your reading comprehension skills before you take the DAT! :laugh:
 
Shazzam said:
Note that Doc toothache replied ONLY to the following statement:



As such, his argument was hardly a logical fallacy. He never brought up nor commented on anything except that the DAT is not comparable to Dental School in any way shape or form. Ironically, it was your response to his post that was guilty of using the straw man fallacy.

Your statements make even less sense when you consider your post as whole. How exactly did you rationalize that 13 years of 8-12 hour days would make Dental School "just another busy job" but also conclude that the DAT coupled w/ the admissions process (I guess the waiting would be the difficult part?😕) would be the most difficult time in your life? By your own account, the DAT / admissions would actually be the easiest time of your life.

Perhaps you should work on your reading comprehension skills before you take the DAT! :laugh:
Click to expand...

Aren't you cool.
 
Working 10 hour days on something you've already mastered is completely different than 10 hour days of learning something you know nothing about.
 
acoburn73 said:
Awesome. Only 10 hours per day, huh? I've been pulling 8-12 hours (sometimes 15) for the past 13 years in my bioengineering career, so I'm hoping (if I get in for 2014) that, besides refreshing for the DAT this summer, dental school will just be another "busy job" and nothing changes.

I can see, though, how an undergrad would be overwhelmed. Heck, undergrads that enter the "real world" working environment are typically and equally overwhelmed because work starts at 8 and goes until 5, and there is no skipping class or sleeping in, and you are damned busy right from the start, at least in the medical device engineering career field. You're getting paid, and you're expected to be around, especially as a "newbie".

Thanks for the info. It pretty much tells me that the toughest part of my later-in-life goal of becoming a dentist is going to be prepping for and taking the DAT and dealing with the entire admissions process. If I'm accepted, school sounds like a mirror image of what I've already been doing for 13 years, time and intensity-wise!

Bring it on!
Click to expand...

I am someone whos walked/walking both routes.... Worked in I.T for about 5 years before dental school.... Sure what you posted above will come in handy during dental school, but it isn't something that would prepare you. However, the things you pick'd up during ur career (such as staying organized, learning to communicate with ur peers and stubborn professors, etc etc) will come a alongggg way. You have no idea how important it is to stay calm when talking with professors (such as those critiquing sim-lab projects). This is something I notice some of the younger folks don't handle as well lol.

The "bring it on" attitude is fine, but again, not necessary, your not going to war lol.... Matter of fact, if you want me to "quantify" dental school difficulty...... Obtaining a passing 2.0 to 2.5 GPA in dental school is the equivalent of a 3.5+ undergrad Science GPA from a hard major.
 
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