In RDH want to be a dentist

[Mr. RDH]

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My question is I'm currently in RDH first semester.

I am stuck between sucking it up trying to become a dentist, getting bachelors, DAT and Dental school(around 6 years).

OR

Becoming a dental hygienist, then completing bachelors, taking DAT and then becoming dentist(around 8 years).

2)Do I absolutely have to take DAT in junior year or can I take it after I get bachelors in Bio.

3)If I apply as a hygienist will I be a non-traditional applicant.

Right now I have no volunteer/extracurriculars experience and have 2.9 gpa(one bad semester, gpa tanked, worked/ing to bring it higher)

First time on sdn. Go easy on me


So I am looking for pointers

 

[S_Diamond_DDS]

Why is that 6 or 8 years? 4 years to get your bachelors in RDH. One year to work as an RDH, study for the DAT, and apply. I see 5 years.

1) bring your GPA up as high as possible before you complete your bachelors. Grades are the thing you should be most concerned with at this point!
2) No, you don’t have to take it during your junior year and I would actually encourage you to take it when you have the free time to do an exhaustive study after you graduate rather than be under time pressure while in school.
3)Yes in that case you could be considered a nontrad student, but that only means something if you have a story to tell about how this makes you a unique applicant.

 

[Mr. RDH]

2 years for RDG, 2 years to complete my bachelors and then 4 years of dental school. That's how it is 8 years.

By your calculation it is 9 years.

After 2 years RDH I could work, get clinical hours and complete bachelors.

 

[Mr. RDH]

Why is that 6 or 8 years? 4 years to get your bachelors in RDH. One year to work as an RDH, study for the DAT, and apply. I see 5 years.

1) bring your GPA up as high as possible before you complete your bachelors. Grades are the thing you should be most concerned with at this point!
2) No, you don’t have to take it during your junior year and I would actually encourage you to take it when you have the free time to do an exhaustive study after you graduate rather than be under time pressure while in school.
3)Yes in that case you could be considered a nontrad student, but that only means something if you have a story to tell about how this makes you a unique applicant.

2 years for RDH, 2 years to complete my bachelors and then 4 years of dental school. That's how it is 8 years.

By your calculation it is 9 years.

After 2 years RDH I could work, get clinical hours and complete bachelors.

I'm 23 right now. That's why looking for most feasible way. Life is too short to be messing around

 

[S_Diamond_DDS]

2 years for RDG, 2 years to complete my bachelors and then 4 years of dental school. That's how it is 8 years.

By your calculation it is 9 years.

After 2 years RDH I could work, get clinical hours and complete bachelors.

Ok you’re counting the 4 years of dental school. Yes 8-9 year route then would be my suggestion. Nearly all dental schools require that you have a bachelors.

 

[Mr. RDH]

!

 

[Mr. RDH]

Ok you’re counting the 4 years of dental school. Yes 8-9 year route then would be my suggestion. Nearly all dental schools require that you have a bachelors.

So what do you think will be easier?
I don't have a stellar track record without RDH.
Would becoming an RDH make me more appealing in eyes of dental schools??

 

[S_Diamond_DDS]

So what do you think will be easier?
I don't have a stellar track record without RDH.
Would becoming an RDH make me more appealing in eyes of dental schools??

Not necessarily. But if know you can produce better grades in the RDH program than in another major, then it would obviously be beneficial to continue your RDH journey.

Maybe I’m not understanding your question.

 

[BasicG]

Become an RDH first. It gives you the option of working when completing your bachelors and gap year if you don't get in your first try

 

[WithLove]

My question is I'm currently in RDH first semester.

I am stuck between sucking it up trying to become a dentist, getting bachelors, DAT and Dental school(around 6 years).

OR

Becoming a dental hygienist, then completing bachelors, taking DAT and then becoming dentist(around 8 years).

2)Do I absolutely have to take DAT in junior year or can I take it after I get bachelors in Bio.

3)If I apply as a hygienist will I be a non-traditional applicant.

Right now I have no volunteer/extracurriculars experience and have 2.9 gpa(one bad semester, gpa tanked, worked/ing to bring it higher)

First time on sdn. Go easy on me


So I am looking for pointers

You can take the DAT any time. Your goal should be to improve your GPA to at least a 3.4+ so that you can be competitive. If you can do that, you definitely have a chance.

xoxo

 

[Mr. RDH]

You can take the DAT any time. Your goal should be to improve your GPA to at least a 3.4+ so that you can be competitive. If you can do that, you definitely have a chance.

xoxo

I'm worried about timing of DAT because I had to take 2 years off. So I won't apply with having taken DAT in junior year.

 

[S_Diamond_DDS]

I'm worried about timing of DAT because I had to take 2 years off. So I won't apply with having taken DAT in junior year.

It’s fine. As long as you do well (A’s) in your prerequiste science classes for dental school, studying for the DAT will mostly be review, even if there’s a short gap period. However, I might advise looking over some of the free DAT materials now. Like take the first couple of tests of DAT bootcamp to get an idea about what’s on the test. And also consider casually practicing for sections like the PAT and RC (at your leisure, off and on) as early as now to get a feel for these sections that require a bit of strategy and early exposure.

 

[axiumgod]

My suggestion is if you want to become a dentist don’t waste 2 years doing RDH. Start your bachelors now and get to dental school 2 years earlier

 

[futuredmdblue]

Hey there! I went the route of becoming a hygienist first before applying to dental school. My biggest advice to you is to do really well in the program so you can get a good reference from your director. Hygiene is great because you get to see the production side of things and act as a producer in your own office. You get the full experience of treating a patient and your dexterity is much better than if you were having to learn it from scratch in dental school.

It does take longer but it gives you an opportunity to see if dentistry is the right fit for you. You also have the ability to fall back on something if your plans for dental school do not turn out. Hopefully that won’t be the case, but it is pretty nice that you can work the summer before you start dental school and save up for any expenses.

I am enrolling to my first choice school in a month and I definitely support going the hygiene route.


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[Mr. RDH]

Is it easy to find an RDH job out of school as a guy?

Do part time jobs in the industry exist?

How realistic would it be to want to have a part time job in dental school?

Hey there! I went the route of becoming a hygienist first before applying to dental school. My biggest advice to you is to do really well in the program so you can get a good reference from your director. Hygiene is great because you get to see the production side of things and act as a producer in your own office. You get the full experience of treating a patient and your dexterity is much better than if you were having to learn it from scratch in dental school.

It does take longer but it gives you an opportunity to see if dentistry is the right fit for you. You also have the ability to fall back on something if your plans for dental school do not turn out. Hopefully that won’t be the case, but it is pretty nice that you can work the summer before you start dental school and save up for any expenses.

I am enrolling to my first choice school in a month and I definitely support going the hygiene route.


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[macsak]

Is it easy to find an RDH job out of school as a guy?

Do part time jobs in the industry exist?

How realistic would it be to want to have a part time job in dental school?

depends on the demand for rdh in your area...

yes

rdh get paid pretty good in many areas, so you may be able to add some hours on Saturday, or on vacation days...

 

[Mr. RDH]

I asked the first question bcz I hear it's a female dominated profession. So I don't how hard it'll be for me being a male job seeker in a female market?

depends on the demand for rdh in your area...

yes

rdh get paid pretty good in many areas, so you may be able to add some hours on Saturday, or on vacation days...

 

[futuredmdblue]

Is it easy to find an RDH job out of school as a guy?

Do part time jobs in the industry exist?

How realistic would it be to want to have a part time job in dental school?

Yes especially as a guy. I’m a male hygienist and received several offers to work right out of school. I even went to an office that paid me to shadow a hygienist for “training” while they waited for me to receive my license and my pay went from an assistant to hygienist immediately when I was licensed. I can’t tell you how many offices I’ve temped at where they were thrilled to have a male hygienist because they said there wouldn’t be drama or high maintenance to deal with.

Part time jobs are possible but you might be better off working as a temp. I did that for years while I was in school and its a much better gig. You can manage your hours and usually get paid the same day you work.

Your full time job in dental school is to study and do well. Out of all the students and dentists I’ve talked to, not one ever encouraged a job outside of school. If they did, it was as a tutor so you could be paid to study. It might be possible in your first year depending on the course load, but I wouldn’t risk it. I’m hanging up my license when I enroll so I can focus on school.


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[Milkteeth12]

I can’t tell you how many offices I’ve temped at where they were thrilled to have a male hygienist because they said there wouldn’t be drama or high maintenance to deal with.

Well that’s the most sexist thing I’ve read today

 

[futuredmdblue]

Well that’s the most sexist thing I’ve read today

I apologize if you took it that way but I’m just saying what offices have told me from working with them.


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[Milkteeth12]

I apologize if you took it that way but I’m just saying what offices have told me from working with them.


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Nothing against you it’s just disappointing to hear that offices say that!