I will be 29 when I start dental school! Is it too old. Please share your feedback

[One Piece]

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Hello everyone ,
I hope you guys are doing fine and on your way to achieve your goal and getting to dental school and becoming a great dentist eventually.

I am 27 years old now and I am going to apply for dental schools next year cycle.
About me, I have a associate degree in biology and received my bachelor degree in Biology with 3.5GPA in 2013 from George Mason University in Virginia

I also had the opportunity to shadow a dentist and have a good amount of shadowing hours. I have been volunteering in emergency room and have accumulated a good amount of hours. I have also done community service in free clinic. I have met all the Prerequisite course for dental school except for the DAT. I have not got the chance to take the DAT.
Due to family matters, I will not be able to take the DAT this summer . Therefore, I have decided to apply for dental school next cycle.

My only concern, is quite frankly is the AGE. I will be 28 when i apply next and If i gt accepted, I will be 29 in 2016.
Is that too old for dental school?
I have heard that Dental school is extremely hard and you wont have time to sleep, Will I be able to keep up with heavy loads of studying?
Are there any anyone around my age still able to go dental school,since the average age is around 23-24 now?

I am from Northern Virginia and I am planning to go to VCU dental school and pursue my dream.
Kindly share your thoughts and advice.
Respectfully

 

[gn4]

we get a bunch of these types of questions all the time. You will not be too old. Met one of my future classmates and she will be 37 when we start in August.

 

[One Piece]

we get a bunch of these types of questions all the time. You will not be too old. Met one of my future classmates and she will be 37 when we start in August.

Thanks for the feedback. glad to hear that im not the only one

 

[Cello]

I will be 31. The way I see it, that gives me a solid 30 years to practice. I think 30 years is plenty of time to do anything.

EDIT: I'm more worried about having a family and kids than I am about being old when I attend dental school!

 

[sjv]

Above the average/median but still not too old, you'll be fine.

 

[Blake1e]

Def not too old to start D school. But your ability to keep up with all the work might be impeded due to age, meaning youll probably feel like youre working harder than the younger classmates to attain more or less the same grades. You can mitigate or even eliminate this issue by staying fit with 4 or 5 weekly workouts (if you dont sweat it doesnt count) and a healthy diet.

If you have plans to start a family your gender will influence the degree of stress and difficultly youll experience.

 

[ziggy1104]

Agree with everyone. I'm 26, applying this cycle, and will be 27 upon entrance if I get in this go around. If not, though, I will be at it again next cycle. Especially since you're already finished with your BS and have a good GPA, you're already ahead of some career changers 🙂

 

[Godspeedyou]

I'll be 24-25 when I start. I heard if you don't graduate before 30 then you can't specialize since you are classified as being senile

 

[Cello]

Lol! ^^^

While I'm sure you're joking, I know a guy who is OMFS that didn't graduate until 32. 🙂

 

[jmcunnin]

I'm about to be 28 and I just finished my MBA. I'd like to think I kept up with the young guns, and got along with all of them. I'll be starting prereqs soon, and if I'm lucky I'll be around 30 when I start. Yes I have people who told me I'm crazy for making a career change and going back to school even after my MBA. It only motivates me more!

 

[bgriff]

Def not too old to start D school. But your ability to keep up with all the work might be impeded due to age, meaning youll probably feel like youre working harder than the younger classmates to attain more or less the same grades. You can mitigate or even eliminate this issue by staying fit with 4 or 5 weekly workouts (if you dont sweat it doesnt count) and a healthy diet.

If you have plans to start a family your gender will influence the degree of stress and difficultly youll experience.

I disagree with this wholeheartedly. There was a recent article that came out showing that your brain isn't fully mature until 25. Kids that come in without a gap year are 22-23. We're not comparing someone who is 50 to a 25 year old. These are 5 year gaps guys. It's nothing, especially at this time frame. Even IF there was a moderate gap in ability to absorb information, I would hope that you took these graying years to gain life experience and maturity, allowing you to better manage your time. Further still, I am far more "settled" at 28 than I was at 22. Whereas some of my younger classmates get too high or too low following tests and finals, I tend to stay more even keeled. I like to think it's because I better understand that it's a marathon and that we'll all end up OK in the end, but that's probably just me keeping myself going. If anything, I feel like I do less work than my younger classmates to attain the same grades.

Also, if you so choose, you can "revert" to the younger maturity level by feeding off the younger classmates. Maybe they can give you more energy at 2am as you struggle to stay awake. Maybe you can plan out the study sessions so everyone isn't just looking at FB/IS.

It's what you make of it. If you wanna be a young kid, you can. If you wanna be old, you can do that too. If you want to get a mix, it's right there. If you manage to get yourself to dental school, I'm pretty sure you'll be ok.

 

[doc toothache]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/age-and-ds-admission.649117/

 

[Dentalguy8621]

Hello everyone ,
I hope you guys are doing fine and on your way to achieve your goal and getting to dental school and becoming a great dentist eventually.

I am 27 years old now and I am going to apply for dental schools next year cycle.
About me, I have a associate degree in biology and received my bachelor degree in Biology with 3.5GPA in 2013 from George Mason University in Virginia

I also had the opportunity to shadow a dentist and have a good amount of shadowing hours. I have been volunteering in emergency room and have accumulated a good amount of hours. I have also done community service in free clinic. I have met all the Prerequisite course for dental school except for the DAT. I have not got the chance to take the DAT.
Due to family matters, I will not be able to take the DAT this summer . Therefore, I have decided to apply for dental school next cycle.

My only concern, is quite frankly is the AGE. I will be 28 when i apply next and If i gt accepted, I will be 29 in 2016.
Is that too old for dental school?
I have heard that Dental school is extremely hard and you wont have time to sleep, Will I be able to keep up with heavy loads of studying?
Are there any anyone around my age still able to go dental school,since the average age is around 23-24 now?

I am from Northern Virginia and I am planning to go to VCU dental school and pursue my dream.
Kindly share your thoughts and advice.
Respectfully

You should probably just not even go..lol jk! That's not old at all. Enjoy Dental School and don't let that bother you one bit.

 

[Blake1e]

I disagree with this wholeheartedly. There was a recent article that came out showing that your brain isn't fully mature until 25. Kids that come in without a gap year are 22-23. We're not comparing someone who is 50 to a 25 year old. These are 5 year gaps guys. It's nothing, especially at this time frame. Even IF there was a moderate gap in ability to absorb information, I would hope that you took these graying years to gain life experience and maturity, allowing you to better manage your time. Further still, I am far more "settled" at 28 than I was at 22. Whereas some of my younger classmates get too high or too low following tests and finals, I tend to stay more even keeled. I like to think it's because I better understand that it's a marathon and that we'll all end up OK in the end, but that's probably just me keeping myself going. If anything, I feel like I do less work than my younger classmates to attain the same grades.

Also, if you so choose, you can "revert" to the younger maturity level by feeding off the younger classmates. Maybe they can give you more energy at 2am as you struggle to stay awake. Maybe you can plan out the study sessions so everyone isn't just looking at FB/IS.

It's what you make of it. If you wanna be a young kid, you can. If you wanna be old, you can do that too. If you want to get a mix, it's right there. If you manage to get yourself to dental school, I'm pretty sure you'll be ok.

I think you may have misinterpreted me or I wasnt clear enough with what I trying to say. At 30, the brain is obviously still in great working condition. However, energy levels usually begin their slow decline at little before age 30. Thats a biological fact, at about that age men (Im assuming OP is one) begin to slow down. Why? testosterone begins to decrease, as well as metabolic rate and quality of sleep (look it up if youre interested in more info). All of these play notable parts in energy, focus, and motivation.

You, @bgriff, at 28 are still young. Youve just begun the decline as evident in your post. My point has more to do with someone thats 30 or over. OP will be starting D school at 29 so he'll be there until 33. D school is demanding and for someone 30-33 itll be apparent to them that age is not just a number. Theyll have to exert themselves a slight bit more than younger folk.

Anyways, I didnt mean to make anyone get defensive. Only pointing out what I thought everyone already knew. Maintain your health (you dont need to be a health freak) youll age elegantly, in other words dont get too fat and youll be fine. The age thing will probably feel like youre always wearing 1lb wrist weights; youll get used to it then forget about, and carry on business as usual. All this should in no way make you doubt yourself about going to D school, just b/c youre past your youthful peak doesnt mean you should crawl into a coffin. If youre intent on it the effects of aging is readily surmountable. Fyi, if I get in next cycle, Ill also be entering D school older than the class avg.

 

[Godspeedyou]

I think you may have misinterpreted me or I wasnt clear enough with what I trying to say. At 30, the brain is obviously still in great working condition. However, energy levels usually begin their slow decline at little before age 30. Thats a biological fact, at about that age men (Im assuming OP is one) begin to slow down. Why? testosterone begins to decrease, as well as metabolic rate and quality of sleep (look it up if youre interested in more info). All of these play notable parts in energy, focus, and motivation.

28 are still young. Youve just begun the decline as evident in your post. My point has more to do with someone thats 30 or over. OP will be starting D school at 29 so he'll be there until 33. D school is demanding and for someone 30-33 itll be apparent to them that age is not just a number. Theyll have to exert themselves a slight bit more than younger folk.

What the in the actual ****? No one who is in my family has shown any sort of physical or mental decline at 30. I don't know what 30 year olds you are hanging out with but if your sample size is your local Walmart after 12am then I guess this all makes sense.


Men age like fine wine and we aren't at risk for any decline until our late 40s and even at that point it's nothing that a little testosterone replacement therapy won't fix and make us feel like we are 18 again.

Maybe you won't be as quick as you were when you were 12 but I'll bet on there not being a noticeable difference... Lmao just lmao @ declining at 30. I'm not declining until I'm 75 with all the synthetic testosterone that will be flowing through my body.

 

[Dentalguy8621]

I think you may have misinterpreted me or I wasnt clear enough with what I trying to say. At 30, the brain is obviously still in great working condition. However, energy levels usually begin their slow decline at little before age 30. Thats a biological fact, at about that age men (Im assuming OP is one) begin to slow down. Why? testosterone begins to decrease, as well as metabolic rate and quality of sleep (look it up if youre interested in more info). All of these play notable parts in energy, focus, and motivation.

You, @bgriff, at 28 are still young. Youve just begun the decline as evident in your post. My point has more to do with someone thats 30 or over. OP will be starting D school at 29 so he'll be there until 33. D school is demanding and for someone 30-33 itll be apparent to them that age is not just a number. Theyll have to exert themselves a slight bit more than younger folk.

Anyways, I didnt mean to make anyone get defensive. Only pointing out what I thought everyone already knew. Maintain your health (you dont need to be a health freak) youll age elegantly, in other words dont get too fat and youll be fine. The age thing will probably feel like youre always wearing 1lb wrist weights; youll get used to it then forget about, and carry on business as usual. All this should in no way make you doubt yourself about going to D school, just b/c youre past your youthful peak doesnt mean you should crawl into a coffin. If youre intent on it the effects of aging is readily surmountable. Fyi, if I get in next cycle, Ill also be entering D school older than the class avg.

Lol.

 

[Blake1e]

eh whatever im beat

 

[bgriff]

eh whatever im beat

But you're a youngin. You should be good to go all the time. 😛

From the way you're writing about it, I think you're grossly overstating the testosterone drop and its possible effects on performing the rigors of Dschool. A whole crapload of med residents are 30+. Residency frequently goes on well past 30. Since the average age of dental admittance is ~24 (right? Not too sure about that one in my advanced age. Darn this decline. Senility take me.), and OMFS can be a 6 year specialty, you have a lot of students who don't even start OMFS until 28, and aren't finished until 34. Since OMFS is a truncated MD degree within it, these are students in their late 20s and early 30s going through med school AFTER having done Dschool. Are you really suggesting that these students are experiencing a noticeable drop off in mental performance and endurance?

It sounds like you mean well, but I think you're taking some results and blowing them out of proportion.

 

[Godspeedyou]

But you're a youngin. You should be good to go all the time. 😛

From the way you're writing about it, I think you're grossly overstating the testosterone drop and its possible effects on performing the rigors of Dschool. A whole crapload of med residents are 30+. Residency frequently goes on well past 30. Since the average age of dental admittance is ~24 (right? Not too sure about that one in my advanced age. Darn this decline. Senility take me.), and OMFS can be a 6 year specialty, you have a lot of students who don't even start OMFS until 28, and aren't finished until 34. Since OMFS is a truncated MD degree within it, these are students in their late 20s and early 30s going through med school AFTER having done Dschool. Are you really suggesting that these students are experiencing a noticeable drop off in mental performance and endurance?

It sounds like you mean well, but I think you're taking some results and blowing them out of proportion.

Exactly. It's equivalent to saying Usain Bolt when he is 30 won't be fast as hell because he isn't in his 20s anymore. Even if he gets slower he still will be incredibly fast and an amazing athlete. Even if being 30 makes us process information a fraction slower, it doesn't mean we can't do just as well as we could in our early 20s.

 

[Gaucho4Life]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/age-and-ds-admission.649117/

For this forum, there should be a "read this before posting" message. And the message would just be a listing of all your pertinent thread topics that get asked over and over again.

 

[Futbolero]

I'm 28 now and will be 29 in June. I start dental school in July and I'm not one bit worried.. Welcome to the senior citizen student club!

 

[One Piece]

I'm 28 now and will be 29 in June. I start dental school in July and I'm not one bit worried.. Welcome to the senior citizen student club!

Thank you , this really motivates me . I just read all these comments on hard dental school is. They say it is really difficult to the point you won't have time to sleep. I was worried that It will be be too much for students like us.

 

[sgv]

Thank you , this really motivates me . I just read all these comments on hard dental school is. They say it is really difficult to the point you won't have time to sleep. I was worried that It will be be too much for students like us.

it's only bad if you wanna be top 10...otherwise it's pretty reasonable

 

[shulk]

I'm much more mature and intellectually curious now at age 28 than I was a decade or even 5 or 6 years ago. Maybe my brain processes the information .001 seconds slower now than then, but I know how to use that information much better than I used to.

 

[yappy]

I think you may have misinterpreted me or I wasnt clear enough with what I trying to say. At 30, the brain is obviously still in great working condition. However, energy levels usually begin their slow decline at little before age 30. Thats a biological fact, at about that age men (Im assuming OP is one) begin to slow down. Why? testosterone begins to decrease, as well as metabolic rate and quality of sleep (look it up if youre interested in more info). All of these play notable parts in energy, focus, and motivation.

You, @bgriff, at 28 are still young. Youve just begun the decline as evident in your post. My point has more to do with someone thats 30 or over. OP will be starting D school at 29 so he'll be there until 33. D school is demanding and for someone 30-33 itll be apparent to them that age is not just a number. Theyll have to exert themselves a slight bit more than younger folk.

I have not found this to be true at all. I'm later 20's and am keeping up with top younger students without putting in extra work. I've even found that I get a better yield for my study time than most younger students. I think the reason for this is I've worked in a professional setting before and understand the magnitude, or lack thereof, of the information I'm learning and can translate it better to the simlab/clinic. Indeed, ~1x per week I blow a young students mind by connecting random fact A to random fact B that they've memorized ~1 wk apart to make a coherent thought/concept. In fact, most of the top students in my class are the older students (28-34ish) rather than the traditional students; though, this may also be due to discipline, work ethic, and intellectual curiosity.

Another realization I've had is that in dental school we do not learn extremely complex topics; therefore, it doesn't require someone to be at the top of their academic game, assuming your assumption is correct, to reach top 10% of the class.

If you're concerned about low T start dead lifting (with proper form). Think of how much estrogen is being produced by the fat cells in those soft 23 yo bellies. They've got nothing on you, bro. 😎

 

[One Piece]

I will be 31. The way I see it, that gives me a solid 30 years to practice. I think 30 years is plenty of time to do anything.

EDIT: I'm more worried about having a family and kids than I am about being old when I attend dental school!

Thanks for your reply. It really make feel optimistic. I am just afraid that my brain won't be able to keep with school work as good as the youngsters.
Anyway, I am taking the DAT this fall and applying next year so I be 29 when I start.

 

[One Piece]

I'm about to be 28 and I just finished my MBA. I'd like to think I kept up with the young guns, and got along with all of them. I'll be starting prereqs soon, and if I'm lucky I'll be around 30 when I start. Yes I have people who told me I'm crazy for making a career change and going back to school even after my MBA. It only motivates me more!

Thanks for your feedback. It really motivate more now to be come a dentist. Hope you can make it and I will be glad to hear back from you

 

[One Piece]

I'm 28 now and will be 29 in June. I start dental school in July and I'm not one bit worried.. Welcome to the senior citizen student club!

thanks for reply. your reply motivate me. i will 29 when i start in 2016. i hope to hear back from you.

 

[One Piece]

I'm much more mature and intellectually curious now at age 28 than I was a decade or even 5 or 6 years ago. Maybe my brain processes the information .001 seconds slower now than then, but I know how to use that information much better than I used to.

thank you for reply. I just don't want to look the only old student in my first year at dental. your reply motivate me

 

[Cello]

Thanks for your reply. It really make feel optimistic. I am just afraid that my brain won't be able to keep with school work as good as the youngsters.
Anyway, I am taking the DAT this fall and applying next year so I be 29 when I start.

A lot of those claims about the "aging" brain (of a 30 year old no less...) are anecdotal. So, I have an anecdote of my own. I run a music studio, and despite what you hear about children devouring music at a much faster rate than most adults, I haven't found this to be entirely true. Actually, an astute adult learner will typically outpace a youngster by a substantial margin. The problem with us adults is that we typically have so many things competing for our attention. Your brain is fine, and perhaps even better equipped than your younger peers. 😉

 

[One Piece]

Thanks my friend🙂.

 

[joedentalstudent]

Don't sweat it One Piece! I'm just now starting my second year of dental school, have a wife, a toddler, a newborn and a crazy dog, and I'm doing just fine both emotionally and academically! Oh, and did I mention that I'm 28 and plan on specializing (OMFS)? I have a friend who decided to go OMFS and just barely got into dental school and he's 38!!! Haha. Some people just don't know when to quit, but this friend of mine is gutsy as they come and I know he'll get where he wants to be without question. Good luck to you friend and don't give up on your dream!

 

[joedentalstudent]

it's only bad if you wanna be top 10...otherwise it's pretty reasonable

I could not agree more!

 

[tooth knockn]

Im 28, applying this year. I work out, I have years of dental assisting experience, and 2 years of dental lab experience.

People of age 28, are experienced, and are in more control of themselves with confidence.

People of age 21 to 25 are a bit more wild and open to set-backs,

Go in strong, or don't go in at all.

I think people of age 50 with no professional experience would be a bad scenario, for both male and female.


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[luo1]

The dentist who I did shadowing with started her dental school when she was 35. She told me that she never regretted about going to dental school. So personal opinion, your age is not too old to be a dentist.

 

[physicalfitness]

The moral of this thread is that while there may not be any discernible physical or mental issues with starting dental school a few years past the median age, there undoubtedly is a psychological issue.

Not only do people keep bringing up age in threads, but when the issue comes up it evokes some emotional replies, like the ones above.

Its not a question of whether a 30 year old student can physically handle lab or mentally handle nonstop studying, its whether you can deal with being surrounded all the time by 24 year olds. just dont let it get to your head

as long as you dont bring it up and make a big deal about it, the first thought that comes to mind when i meet you isnt going to be 'wow, arent you are a little old to be here'

 

[KermitMorgenstein]

I thought 26 would be too old...yeahhh


meow

 

[Mediumrare]

Im starting and I am 28. I don't have a problem keeping up with young whipper-snappers. Now get off my lawn

 

[One Piece]

Don't sweat it One Piece! I'm just now starting my second year of dental school, have a wife, a toddler, a newborn and a crazy dog, and I'm doing just fine both emotionally and academically! Oh, and did I mention that I'm 28 and plan on specializing (OMFS)? I have a friend who decided to go OMFS and just barely got into dental school and he's 38!!! Haha. Some people just don't know when to quit, but this friend of mine is gutsy as they come and I know he'll get where he wants to be without question. Good luck to you friend and don't give up on your dream!

Thank you so much. you really inspired me more to follow my dream. I will be studying for the DAT this summer and I hope to be able to apply late summer or next year

 

[canadawala]

i say who cares about age and just focus on task at hand, if it will be better off for you/family than you know what to do 😉

 

[Totori]

Hello everyone ,
I hope you guys are doing fine and on your way to achieve your goal and getting to dental school and becoming a great dentist eventually.

I am 27 years old now and I am going to apply for dental schools next year cycle.
About me, I have a associate degree in biology and received my bachelor degree in Biology with 3.5GPA in 2013 from George Mason University in Virginia

I also had the opportunity to shadow a dentist and have a good amount of shadowing hours. I have been volunteering in emergency room and have accumulated a good amount of hours. I have also done community service in free clinic. I have met all the Prerequisite course for dental school except for the DAT. I have not got the chance to take the DAT.
Due to family matters, I will not be able to take the DAT this summer . Therefore, I have decided to apply for dental school next cycle.

My only concern, is quite frankly is the AGE. I will be 28 when i apply next and If i gt accepted, I will be 29 in 2016.
Is that too old for dental school?
I have heard that Dental school is extremely hard and you wont have time to sleep, Will I be able to keep up with heavy loads of studying?
Are there any anyone around my age still able to go dental school,since the average age is around 23-24 now?

I am from Northern Virginia and I am planning to go to VCU dental school and pursue my dream.
Kindly share your thoughts and advice.
Respectfully

Hey One Peice, don't worry.
You will do just fine if you work hard.
I was 28 when I started dental school and I graduated near the top of my class.
If I can do it, then so can you.
By the way, I am now 38 and will be starting OMS (6 year) this July.
Age is just a number.
Live your dream!!

 

[tooth knockn]

Hello everyone ,
I hope you guys are doing fine and on your way to achieve your goal and getting to dental school and becoming a great dentist eventually.

I am 27 years old now and I am going to apply for dental schools next year cycle.
About me, I have a associate degree in biology and received my bachelor degree in Biology with 3.5GPA in 2013 from George Mason University in Virginia

I also had the opportunity to shadow a dentist and have a good amount of shadowing hours. I have been volunteering in emergency room and have accumulated a good amount of hours. I have also done community service in free clinic. I have met all the Prerequisite course for dental school except for the DAT. I have not got the chance to take the DAT.
Due to family matters, I will not be able to take the DAT this summer . Therefore, I have decided to apply for dental school next cycle.

My only concern, is quite frankly is the AGE. I will be 28 when i apply next and If i gt accepted, I will be 29 in 2016.
Is that too old for dental school?
I have heard that Dental school is extremely hard and you wont have time to sleep, Will I be able to keep up with heavy loads of studying?
Are there any anyone around my age still able to go dental school,since the average age is around 23-24 now?

I am from Northern Virginia and I am planning to go to VCU dental school and pursue my dream.
Kindly share your thoughts and advice.
Respectfully

You will be 29 and starting school?, MAYBE, if you get accepted.

Don't cry a river if your thirty and starting dental school.






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[EndoP]

I'm 27 now, and will be 28 next year.. I did had some of the same concerns about being in my late 20's in terms of sleep deprivation and studying along much younger classmates, but I feel like I'll enjoy being in dental school that these concerns won't cross my mind. Try to make the best out of whatever you do!

 

[durden]

I'm not sure you'd have to be worried about mental decline. I'd only be worried about family issues if that matters to you and the financial aspect. Graduating at 26 or 36 probably represents a huge difference in loan repayments/savings to a financial advisor and your retirement.

 

[Aliengod3]

If I get into dental school for fall 2015 I will be 32 when schools starts. Age does not matter.

 

[mimachu]

I will be 35 if I start D-school next year. You are young!!

 

[Toure]

I was in a similar boat to everyone else (concerned about my age). I talked to someone much older than me and he passed on an amazing piece of advice. One day, God willing, you will be 50. You can look back over your life and think, damn I wished I would have went to dental school. Or, you can be 50 looking back and glad you did it. Don't let age be an excuse to stop you from your dreams. Much success to you...

 

[yani83]

Lol, I will be 31 when I start dental school next year…I'm applying this year…and I feel better than ever….I don't miss my 22's at all!!!! 😀

 

[tandem7]

I'm starting dental school this August at 33, with a 9-year career as a lawyer. First of all, I don't feel like I'm 33, and many people will tell me that I look way younger than 33 (I hope that is true). Regardless, I took my science pre-reqs while I was working full time as a lawyer (meaning more than 40 hours per week) plus had various other personal and professional commitments. I was able to easily get a 4.0 in the pre-reqs (and I believe I my grades were the highest or among the highest in each class) plus score 25AA on the DAT while only studying for 3 1/2 weeks---I believe I was able to achieve all this because I certainly feel smarter and have better mental endurance than I ever did when I was in my early 20s. When I went to law school, my young, ignorant, 21 self looked at all the people in their late 20s, 30s, 40s and assumed that all of these "older" people wouldn't do as well in law school because of their various family obligations and I also (stupidly) thought that people are at their sharpest when they are younger, kind of like our bodies our easier to keep fit when we were younger. Boy was I wrong. The top 5 people graduating from law school were all in their 30s and 40s and all had kids--some even worked while in school.

Now that I'm in this same situation myself--I can attest to the fact that I truly feel sharper and smarter than I ever did in college or right after college--life and work experience just add more to how your brain analyzes and synthesizes things. Plus, I know myself so much better and know what I need to study and retain information better. Plus, I am much better at time management and focusing on what needs to be done (e.g. homework, studying) before social activities.

So long story short---do not be at all concerned about your age when you start dental school. It's just a few years more than the average starting age for dental school, and in the grand scheme of things, a few years is barely a blip. Some of your classmates will retire at 55--others at 65 or 70--those few years will not matter when you have your career for decades.

Just my two cents.

 

[One Piece]

Hey One Peice, don't worry.
You will do just fine if you work hard.
I was 28 when I started dental school and I graduated near the top of my class.
If I can do it, then so can you.
By the way, I am now 38 and will be starting OMS (6 year) this July.
Age is just a number.
Live your dream!!

very inspiring. i appreciate your comment. i will follow my dream to the max