I was initially interested in dentistry but realized I had a passion for science while conducting research during undergrad. I feel that dentistry can be an incredibly rewarding yet monotonous profession grounded in the longitudinal management of complex oral diseases. So I decided that I'm more interested in understanding the etiology of disease rather than routinely treating it.
Honestly it depends on how burnt out I am.. if I'm still up for more training then I'd consider combined ortho (maybe peds)+postdoctoral training.
Did this person still have their D1 paid for + stipend? Or did they have to payback that money? Or was this program not funded?
So we're not conferred our Ph.D. after 3 years, we receive D.D.S./Ph.D. degrees concurrently once we finished all requirements of each degree (typically between 7-7.5 years). Therefore, the expectation is that we still conduct research while in dental school, to a lesser extent, of course. Choosing the right mentor/project is critical since you have limited dedicated time to conducting research.
You can do either way, it really depends on the program. 2+4+2 programs allow you the opportunity to apply into the PhD program, if during D1 you express a strong interest in research. Dropping the PhD during your first year would mean that you would be granted admission into your current D.D.S. class or deferment to the next entering class, which are both highly unlikely situations.
Refer to my reply to @AONLINE for your question. I believe that some schools make you sign something explicitly confirming that you will pay the school for the cost of the training you've complete thus far, should you decide to drop. We don't have that policy at Michigan, to the best of my knowledge.
