Inquiry About Steps Needed For DDS

[Oral B]

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Hello, I was wondering if I'm correct about the steps needed to become an Oral Surgeon. I plan on first getting an Associates of Science, which will happen next semester. Then, I'm going to go to the local University for a Bachelors of Physics, while taking the prereqs needed for Dental school. After finishing the prereqs and obtaining a Bachelors, I will then take the DAT and apply for Dental school. After (hopefully) getting accepted and obtaining a DDS, then I'll need to an additional couple of years of schooling to specialize in Oral Surgery. From there, I'll have to transfer to a residency for a few more years. Is this sequence correct?

I also had a question about the Bachelors degree. The Associate of Science degree that I will obtain soon will be transferrable to the University. Will that shorten the length of time it will take to obtain a Bachelors, or will the Bachelors still take a full 4 years? I plan on talking to the advisors before I transfer, but I'd like to know what to expect.

Thanks!

 

[Predoctalk]

If it is transferrable as stated, it will shorten the length of time to get your bachelors (assuming you have been taking applicable courses.) As far as oral surgery is concerned, the steps you have listed are more or less correct. You will need to first gain acceptance to dental school, and then maintain a stellar performance throughout, assuming you manage to get accepted into an omfs residency, this program will be 4-6 yrs depending on where you are accepted.

 

[Oral B]

If it is transferrable as stated, it will shorten the length of time to get your bachelors (assuming you have been taking applicable courses.) As far as oral surgery is concerned, the steps you have listed are more or less correct. You will need to first gain acceptance to dental school, and then maintain a stellar performance throughout, assuming you manage to get accepted into an omfs residency, this program will be 4-6 yrs depending on where you are accepted.

Alright cool, thanks a lot!

 

[ramseszerg]

Make sure you would be happy being a general dentist before going to dental school. A very small portion of students get into omfs.

 

[Maygyver]

DDS does not equal Oral Surgeon.

 

[Doc Smile]

DDS does not equal Oral Surgeon.

Liar.

 

[Mr. Thirsty]

Get into dental school...and then worry about this.

 

[reely989]

Make sure you would be happy being a general dentist before going to dental school. A very small portion of students get into omfs.

This. Don't get ahead of yourself.

 

[Oral B]

Great, thanks a lot for all of the advice! I would definitely be happy in general dentistry rather than OMFS if need be. Why is it that a very small portion of students get into OMFS? Is it because they end up settling for general dentistry, or because of the difficulty in getting accepted into an OMFS program?

Thanks again.

 

[reely989]

Great, thanks a lot for all of the advice! I would definitely be happy in general dentistry rather than OMFS if need be. Why is it that a very small portion of students get into OMFS? Is it because they end up settling for general dentistry, or because of the difficulty in getting accepted into an OMFS program?

Thanks again.

Specialization is generally very competitive and right out of dental school, I think only the top 15% or so of classes usually have the opportunity (This figure could be off. Someone who knows better feel free to correct me).

Probably doesn't help that most students are already in a huge amount of debt as well, and I imagine it's pretty nice to finally earn a paycheck.

 

[notin]

Great, thanks a lot for all of the advice! I would definitely be happy in general dentistry rather than OMFS if need be. Why is it that a very small portion of students get into OMFS? Is it because they end up settling for general dentistry, or because of the difficulty in getting accepted into an OMFS program?

Thanks again.

It is because of the difficulty of getting accepted into an OMFS program. Orthodontics and OMFS are the two most highly sought after specialties, and generally you need to be in the top 10% of your class and have 90+ board scores in order to get accepted. Boards are changing to pass/fail but you can assume something equally as challenging will be required in it's place.

 

[dentalWorks]

Great, thanks a lot for all of the advice! I would definitely be happy in general dentistry rather than OMFS if need be. Why is it that a very small portion of students get into OMFS? Is it because they end up settling for general dentistry, or because of the difficulty in getting accepted into an OMFS program?

Thanks again.

There aren't enough positions nation wide.

There are about 100 OMSF programs in the US, and each one accepts from 1 to 3 applicants (only). And I've heard that they don't always full their quota, like, if they don't find the right mixture, they woun't fill that incoming year.

Your tooooooooooooooooooooooo early in the process to be talking about OMFS. Get into undergrad, work up a strong GPA and DAT, then you can make a better decision as to which school to attend to.... Rumor has it that some schools COULD potentially give you an "easier" path to OMFS (Columbia and UCLA come to mind), and these schools are some of the hardest to land an acceptance from.

 

[Oral B]

Alright cool, yeah I may of been getting ahead of myself a bit. Thanks again for all of the great advice, it helps out a lot!

 

[dentalWorks]

It is because of the difficulty of getting accepted into an OMFS program. Orthodontics and OMFS are the two most highly sought after specialties, and generally you need to be in the top 10% of your class and have 90+ board scores in order to get accepted. Boards are changing to pass/fail but you can assume something equally as challenging will be required in it's place.

peds is getting hot nowadays too.