How hard is it to become an orthodontist?

[idkwhattodowithmylife2]

Hi, I am currently a sophomore in college and am deciding between being pre-med and pre-dental. I would love to become an orthodontist but don't think I would enjoy or be happy being a dentist. How difficult is it to get into a residency to become an orthodontist? Is it true that only the very top dental students can become one, and is it too risky for me to go to dental school for the slight chance of getting into an orthodontist residency?

Thank you for your time!

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[princeafrica]

I would not go to dental school if you would not be content being a general dentist if things do not work out. Ortho is one of the hardest dental residency to get into

 

[LFA20]

Hi, I am currently a sophomore in college and am deciding between being pre-med and pre-dental. I would love to become an orthodontist but don't think I would enjoy or be happy being a dentist. How difficult is it to get into a residency to become an orthodontist? Is it true that only the very top dental students can become one, and is it too risky for me to go to dental school for the slight chance of getting into an orthodontist residency?

Thank you for your time!

Generally speaking.. very difficult.

 

[axiumgod]

One of the most competitive dental specialties. But probably less difficult than becoming one of the top medical specialties.

 

[cbudz]

I would not go to dental school if you would not be content being a general dentist if things do not work out. Ortho is one of the hardest dental residency to get into

Is it difficult if you go to a P/F school such as Columbia, Harvard, UConn? What are some ways to increase chances if you attend one of those schools, especially if unranked?

 

[princeafrica]

Is it difficult if you go to a P/F school such as Columbia, Harvard, UConn? What are some ways to increase chances if you attend one of those schools, especially if unranked?

You still need to put in the work whether you go to P/F or not. The only benefit of P/F is you might not lose a night sleep if you get a B one exam.

IMO, a common misconception here is that going to those schools dramatically increases your chances. It's not the school. It's the student. Students that are accepted to these schools (Columbia, Harvard, UConn, Penn, UCSF etc) are generally top students that could specialize out of any school. I have classmates that turned down those schools due to cost that matched this year to OS (military), Endo, Perio (more to come this month with OS and Peds).

I think for Ortho you need to take the GRE so you need a good score. You also will need to excel in other areas (Research, extracurriculars, Externships, Shadowing, Community service, Ortho related activities, etc) since you won't have a rank. Even if you were ranked you need to excel in all areas of your resume.

 

[Big Time Hoosier]

I would love to become an orthodontist but don't think I would enjoy or be happy being a dentist.

Absolutely do not go to dental school if you can’t see yourself as a general dentist. Full stop.

Big Hoss

 

[2TH MVR]

I'll echo what everyone else said. Going to dental school means you are accepting that you are a DENTIST 1st and an Orthodontist 2nd (assuming you are accepted to a residency).

Can't do one and not the other.

If you have any reservations about being a dentist .... then maybe medicine would be your best option.

 

[FutureDent020]

IMO, a common misconception here is that going to those schools dramatically increases your chances. It's not the school. It's the student. Students that are accepted to these schools (Columbia, Harvard, UConn, Penn, UCSF etc) are generally top students that could specialize out of any school. I have classmates that turned down those schools due to cost that matched this year to OS (military), Endo, Perio (more to come this month with OS and Peds).

This is an excellent point. If Columbia, Penn, etc have more students specializing, it’s not because the schools are leveraging them, it’s because highly motivated and qualified students are attending those schools.

 

[New_Vegas]

I would not go to dental school if you would not be content being a general dentist if things do not work out. Ortho is one of the hardest dental residency to get into

Generally this is good advice. But, this is what I did. I really did not want to be a general dentist at all, and I ended up getting into an ortho residency. I think the fact that I really didn't want to do general dentistry was what really propelled me and motivated me to achieve. Anything is possible if you set your mind to it. I'd get get home at around 5 and study till 2 AM or so on most days for the first few years. I pulled a bunch of all-nighters before tests. I was the first one in clinic, the last to leave the last two years. I was able to be at the top of my class that way.

Two of my good friends from dental school also had zero interest whatsoever in becoming general dentists. They became oral surgeons. We would help each other out and sit by each other in classes and stuff.

Anything's possible if you are willing to work twice as hard as the person next to you.

 

[bracketbuster68]

Generally this is good advice. But, this is what I did. I really did not want to be a general dentist at all, and I ended up getting into an ortho residency. I think the fact that I really didn't want to do general dentistry was what really propelled me and motivated me to achieve. Anything is possible if you set your mind to it. I'd get get home at around 5 and study till 2 AM or so on most days for the first few years. I pulled a bunch of all-nighters before tests. I was the first one in clinic, the last to leave the last two years. I was able to be at the top of my class that way.

Two of my good friends from dental school also had zero interest whatsoever in becoming general dentists. They became oral surgeons. We would help each other out and sit by each other in classes and stuff.

Anything's possible if you are willing to work twice as hard as the person next to you.

I was the same way. I wanted to do ortho since I decided to apply for dental school. Once I started drilling, it motivated me even more.