Is is possible to work part-time while in 1st yr dental school?

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Scientist1

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just wondering if it would be possible to work about 20 hrs a week and still do well in school?

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Scientist1 said:
just wondering if it would be possible to work about 20 hrs a week and still do well in school?

you could if you go to harvard. we go M/T/TH from 8:30 - 3:00 and 8:30 - 12:30 on W/F. i only study 2 hours a day unless it's right before an exam. the school even has work study programs where you work in the clinic.

i don't know about other schools, but i've got friends at unc, pacific and creighton who say they barely have time to sleep, much less work 20 hours a week. workload varies from school to school, but i think harvard is honestly the only place you could work 20 hours and still pass all your classes....maybe b/c it's pass/fail.

i know guys at other schools that have worked weekends though once they were in their 3rd and 4th years - driving limos and stuff. exhausting, but possible.
 
docshep said:
you could if you go to harvard. we go M/T/TH from 8:30 - 3:00 and 8:30 - 12:30 on W/F. i only study 2 hours a day unless it's right before an exam. the school even has work study programs where you work in the clinic.

i don't know about other schools, but i've got friends at unc, pacific and creighton who say they barely have time to sleep, much less work 20 hours a week. workload varies from school to school, but i think harvard is honestly the only place you could work 20 hours and still pass all your classes....maybe b/c it's pass/fail.

i know guys at other schools that have worked weekends though once they were in their 3rd and 4th years - driving limos and stuff. exhausting, but possible.

Wowowowo,
Docshep, I realize by responding to you everyone knows where I go now, but you are obviously a first year and you obviously feel like you have a bit of time on your hands. To you I say either study harder, you're taking PBL way too soft, OR actually try working and you may find yourself eating your words.

Let me clarify for everyone,
At harvard we are required to do precisely what the Harvard Med kids do and then some meaning we attend Dental school classes in the afternoon. If you want to ask a Med student here at Harvard if they would work part time they would probably laugh at you. You may feel like you have time now but wait until 2nd year oh little one.

I would think that many first year dental students across the country feel like they are repeating information they learned as a result of their undergrad experience and get the feeling of dejavu. This feeling doesn't last long beyond the 1-2 year because you are getting in the clinic, learning pathology, and trying to become a competent clinician, not someone who earned a few extra bucks while you skimped on studying because you thought it was "below you".
As a note, there are a rare few students at schools that are in situations that require them to work, to them I give my upmost respect in handling all the responsibilities they have and am glad that isn't me right now.

Don't plan on working, for your future patients sake-
Suffolk 2007
 
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suffolktri said:
Docshep, I realize by responding to you everyone knows where I go now...
huh? who cares!

suffolktri said:
Don't plan on working, for your future patients sake-
Suffolk 2007
Future patients sake? huh? how about for your own sake?! Working 20hrs while in dental school is SUICIDAL! Words which come to mind are flunking out, burn out and drop out!
 
lnn2 said:
huh? who cares!


Future patients sake? huh? how about for your own sake?! Working 20hrs while in dental school is SUICIDAL! Words which come to mind are flunking out, burn out and drop out!


Well put, although who knows, perhaps you will realize your true calling is serving up those frosties at the wendys drive through after you flunk out, burn out and drop out. Maybe you'll even find a finger in one, make millions in emotional distress, and forget having to work/study at all!

suffolk
2007
 
suffolktri said:
Maybe you'll even find a finger in one, make millions in emotional distress, and forget having to work/study at all!

suffolk
2007
Did they ever find out whose finger was it?
Who knows what you would find in fast foods these days!
 
lnn2 said:
Did they ever find out whose finger was it?
Who knows what you would find in fast foods these days!

Yes, it belonged to the coworker of the husband of the lady who reported finding it.
 
ISU_Steve said:
Yes, it belonged to the coworker of the husband of the lady who reported finding it.
Man, that's sick! It shows that people would do anything for a quick buck!
 
Scientist1 said:
just wondering if it would be possible to work about 20 hrs a week and still do well in school?
Are you on crack? NO WAY could I have held a 20 hr, nevertheless a 5 hour job during DS1.
 
There is NO WAY if you want to maintain the grades to specialize. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure if I could have done it and even passed. Dental school is WAY more time consuming than people think. I had a lot more free time in med school (vs. dental school), and I worked 20-30 hours per week in med school.
 
no way. Even if you're just looking to get C's all the way through it'd be pretty terrible trying to work 15-20 hours a week. If you get behind in something and are obligated to work certain hours you'd ended up pulling your hair out.

That being said, maybe a gym at your school or somewhere else needs someone to work the front desk or something like that. Something where you can sit and read/study wouldn't be too bad, but i still wouldn't try it.
 
Funny enough, the #1 guy in my dental class worked during the 1st 2 years...Chili's I think...had 2 kids...never burned out...he's doing ortho now. He's an exception though.

I never could have kept my grades up. I guess it just depends on the person.
 
hey suffolktri -

first off...you're right. i should have specified that that schedule only lasts for the first year at harvard.

second - i'm probably 8 years your senior. maybe in those eight years i've learned better time management and study skills.... i assure you that i don't need to study harder.

as for our med school counterparts - i know a few who are on work study... they do just fine. and if i didn't have other commitments, i could have found 20 hours to work.

i never recommended that a dental student work part-time....i personally think it's crazy. i merely stated that it is physically possible if you're at harvard. it would mean no social life, but it's possible. it's possible anywhere..... it would just suck. but there are definitely people who have done it. for me, though, my sleep and sanity and are worth the extra debt.
 
docshep said:
hey suffolktri -

first off...you're right. i should have specified that that schedule only lasts for the first year at harvard.

second - i'm probably 8 years your senior. maybe in those eight years i've learned better time management and study skills.... i assure you that i don't need to study harder.

as for our med school counterparts - i know a few who are on work study... they do just fine. and if i didn't have other commitments, i could have found 20 hours to work.

i never recommended that a dental student work part-time....i personally think it's crazy. i merely stated that it is physically possible if you're at harvard. it would mean no social life, but it's possible. it's possible anywhere..... it would just suck. but there are definitely people who have done it. for me, though, my sleep and sanity and are worth the extra debt.

Hey Docshep,
I don't know about everyone else here but I'm sure others besides me are wondering....HOW OLD ARE YOU? I'd say the average age here at UCLA for first years is 22-23 so are you saying you are 30+?? Second, what in the world have you been doing for the past near decade? Did it honestly take you that long to make up your mind? Or were you retaking science courses? I don't know many people that wait that long. Some people decide later in life that is what they want to do and I think that is pretty sweet, maybe that is where you are, I don't know. Also, are you trying to say that a 30+ first year dental student knows more about dental school and what to expect and "has better time management/study skills" than a 2nd year student simply because he is older? That's a pretty weak accusation and I can't speak for suffolktri but to me you sound pretty arrogant as well as ignorant. You sure seem to think alot of yourself. I would suggest not starting your dental school years by telling higher year students that they could learn a few things from you about school/maturity/experience. In your case, age does not=wisdom. And thats all I's got to say.
drocondy
2006 UCLA
p.s. I think the most time I've heard of people taking off is a couple years or so, a few guys at my school did that for something or other but they are nowhere near 8 years older than me??! But it's all cool, older students are just fine, except when they hold it over other students heads-
pps
...."as for our med school counterparts - i know a few who are on work study... they do just fine. and if i didn't have other commitments, i could have found 20 hours to work."......

??? Isn't that the whole problem, everyone has other commitments, thats what happens at dental school. Study, family, research, boards, exams, vacations, scoping out specialties...etc... Thats WHY we can't work. You don't make too much sense there. And I want to know what med students at Harvard work 20 hours a week on top of school. That's freakin amazin.
 
Daaaaamn! I smell a cat fight coming!!
Unless you have child support(s) or debts to pay then I wouldn't recommend working while in dental school. Borrow, beg, dance with a pole...whatever you have to do to get through dental school but stay away from working, 20hrs or not. Like I said, it's suicidal!
 
drocondy said:
Hey Docshep,
Also, are you trying to say that a 30+ first year dental student knows more about dental school and what to expect and "has better time management/study skills" than a 2nd year student simply because he is older? That's a pretty weak accusation and I can't speak for suffolktri but to me you sound pretty arrogant as well as ignorant. You sure seem to think alot of yourself.


Being another 30+ student I can definitely say that I personally have better time management/study skills than I did 10 years ago. Now I don't know anything about you but I can say without a doubt that I will do better now that I am 30+ than when I was in my early 20s. I think that a lot of this comes down to maturity for me.

Lets look at what I did in my early 20s
Drank a lot
Partied a lot
Road and ran a lot (5-6 hours/day)
studied very little
Other various legal and illegal activities
Looking for various women to play with

Now lets look at what I do in my early 30s
Drink very little
Party even less
Ride and run a lot less (5-6 hrs/wk)
Know the importance of studying
Play with my kids and wife (a lot less stressful than "various" women)
Plus a few other legal activities

Personally I plan to work a bit during dental school. My family will be staying here for the first year and we have a nice house payment that will need to get payed for that my wife alone can't afford. Then again if I was only making 6 or 7 bucks an hour and didn't have bills I would definitely not even think about working. I will let you know how it goes after I am in school.
 
lnn2 said:
huh? who cares!


......Working 20hrs while in dental school is SUICIDAL! Words which come to mind are flunking out, burn out and drop out!


absolutely what i was thinking. in fact, i know of one person who decided to go against all odds and work through the 1st year. well, that didnt turn out good. this person is the only one i have known to be struggling really bad so far. hasnt gotten kicked out or anything, but was seriously considering dropping out.


all i gotta say is why would you do that to yourself. heck you can get as much money as you want through the private loans. who cares if you have to pay a little longer on your student loans.
 
PERFECT3435 said:
absolutely what i was thinking. in fact, i know of one person who decided to go against all odds and work through the 1st year. well, that didnt turn out good. this person is the only one i have known to be struggling really bad so far. hasnt gotten kicked out or anything, but was seriously considering dropping out.


all i gotta say is why would you do that to yourself. heck you can get as much money as you want through the private loans. who cares if you have to pay a little longer on your student loans.


I think it is totally realistic to work through DS and get by...that's it though, just get by. If you dont want to specialize, you can do it (although I dont know why you would want to) :eek:
 
I taught english twice a week during first year and half of second year... only 10-15hrs weekly. I had two kids at the time and needed the cash flow. I made it through 1st year ok, but now as I'm studying for boards I wish I had a better grasp on my anatomy, phys, and biochem.
 
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