How do you know if you really have the skills to be a dentist

[ucizotzot]

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how do you know if you really have the skills to be a dentist? meaning, dentistry is a very skilled profession, and you probably will not really figure out if you can be good at it until you actually start. for example, i know i could never be an engineer because i hate math (even though I got B+ in Calc I and II). but i don't know if i can or cannot be a dentist simply based on what i already know about myself...

for those of you who are in the profession/d-school, can you tell me how you figured out you could do dentistry. and maybe if you thought you were going to suck at it, what you did to make yourself into a dentist. thanks!

 

[fishindr]

how do you know if you really have the skills to be a dentist? meaning, dentistry is a very skilled profession, and you probably will not really figure out if you can be good at it until you actually start. for example, i know i could never be an engineer because i hate math (even though I got B+ in Calc I and II). but i don't know if i can or cannot be a dentist simply based on what i already know about myself...

for those of you who are in the profession/d-school, can you tell me how you figured out you could do dentistry. and maybe if you thought you were going to suck at it, what you did to make yourself into a dentist. thanks!

Dentistry IS a skilled profession, but skills are learned. I think a lot of people forget that, myself being one. Just think about any skill you have, you were probably horrible at first, then you practiced, got better, and now your good at it. I asked the same question to my dentist when I first started thinking about going this route, he said, "Just get the grades to get in, dental school will take care of the rest. What do you think you're paying a quarter million dollars for?" Makes sense to me.

There will ALWAYS be people out there that things just come naturally, but I think they are a small minority of students. As for the rest of us, we just spend extra time in the lab.

 

[USUaggie]

True, it's a learned skill. If you've learned other skills (catching a football, riding a bike, eating with chopsticks, spinning quarters on a table) you should do just fine. If you have no skills, maybe look into another profession that requires no skills.

There's a gang just up the road from me in Preston, ID, that keeps trying to get me to join them because of my skills with a bo staff.

 

[torque]

I also think that volunteering in a dental setting, such as dentist office etc. will definitely help you figure out whether you are the man for the job or not.
Shadow a dentist for at least a month and see if what he does is what you want to do for at least twenty years ahead.

-edit-
by the way, I go to UCI too.

 

[dentwannabe]

PLEASE STOP THE NAPOLEON DYNAMITE JOKES..

its played out...

 

[USUaggie]

wo, sorry man, didn't mean to set you off like that. I probably should have warned everyone that I'm kind of a dork.

 

[dental poopie]

I also think that volunteering in a dental setting, such as dentist office etc. will definitely help you figure out whether you are the man for the job or not.
Shadow a dentist for at least a month and see if what he does is what you want to do for at least twenty years ahead.

-edit-
by the way, I go to UCI too.

good luck finding a dentist to let you shadow him for a month !!!!

I had a hard time with 2 days.

 

[USUaggie]

good luck finding a dentist to let you shadow him for a month !!!!

I had a hard time with 2 days.

How hard did you try? I only asked 3 dentists and they all let me shadow all I wanted.
Maybe a tip would be to ask them for a job and then when they turn you down they usually say "but you can come in and shadow me if you want"

 

[dexadental]

haha...napoleon dynamite, the worst possible movie ever. Terrible.

 

[USUaggie]

I disagree, but maybe it's just 'cause I'm going to school near there. My ex-girlfriends house is actually in the background of the final scene (with the tetherball). That's USUaggie's claim to fame.

 

[netsn06]

I disagree, but maybe it's just 'cause I'm going to school near there. My ex-girlfriends house is actually in the background of the final scene (with the tetherball). That's USUaggie's claim to fame.

napoleon dynamite rocks the big one.

awesome flick.

 

[Aero047]

wo, sorry man, didn't mean to set you off like that. I probably should have warned everyone that I'm kind of a dork.

Dorks are cool 🙂

 

[budge311]

Dentistry IS a skilled profession, but skills are learned. I think a lot of people forget that, myself being one. Just think about any skill you have, you were probably horrible at first, then you practiced, got better, and now your good at it. I asked the same question to my dentist when I first started thinking about going this route, he said, "Just get the grades to get in, dental school will take care of the rest. What do you think you're paying a quarter million dollars for?" Makes sense to me.

There will ALWAYS be people out there that things just come naturally, but I think they are a small minority of students. As for the rest of us, we just spend extra time in the lab.

Well said!!!

 

[ucizotzot]

Dentistry IS a skilled profession, but skills are learned. I think a lot of people forget that, myself being one. Just think about any skill you have, you were probably horrible at first, then you practiced, got better, and now your good at it. I asked the same question to my dentist when I first started thinking about going this route, he said, "Just get the grades to get in, dental school will take care of the rest. What do you think you're paying a quarter million dollars for?" Makes sense to me.

There will ALWAYS be people out there that things just come naturally, but I think they are a small minority of students. As for the rest of us, we just spend extra time in the lab.

thanks for your opinion and encouragement. after talking to a few dentists and a dental student, they told me the same thing. good luck! GO ANTEATERS!

 

[ucizotzot]

-edit-
by the way, I go to UCI too.

cool, what year/major. i'm a 4th year Bio.