Med School After Dental Hygiene?

[annapredental]

I am currently in a dental hygiene program at a community college that I plan to finish. It is two years and after I will receive my Associate's in Dental Hygiene. I had always thought I wanted to go to dental school, but now I am very seriously thinking about medical school as well. I chose this route with the dental hygiene program because I knew I would be able to work part time after I finish and finish my bachelor's degree and pre reqs at the same time, considering dental school and medical school pre reqs are incredibly similar. I am only 19, so I realize I have plenty of time. I just know I want to graduate from either dental or med school before I'm 30. I wanted to know if anyone else has been in the same position or if it is possible to go this route? I understand schools sort of look down on community college, but I still have to work for my grades and always have. Currently, my GPA is around a 3.8 and I hope to keep it that way until I am done with my program. Any advice on choosing where to complete and finish my bachelor's degree so I can have the best chance of getting into a medical or dental school? Also, how did you know which path you wanted to go down, whether it be medical or dental school? I know I want to help people, I enjoy learning about the human body, and I love applying what I learn and thinking critically. That is mostly what I am basing my decision on at the moment. Thanks for any input!

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[ifnotnowwren]

Have you done any shadowing in either field? That would help you see the realities of each field, and help you figure out which field may be a better fit. Maybe even see if you can start by shadowing your own dentist or doctor if you don't have other connections.

As far as knowing what I wanted to do, there was never any dental vs. medicine vs. vet, though I do know some people who had that dilemma. I think it's something that they figured out through lots of exposure to each field as well as self reflection.

Do some self reflection - you want to help people, figure out in what regard you may be best suited to do so and to what capacity you would like to do so. Dentistry requires a lot of working with ones hands, is that something you have an interest in? I feel like both fields give you opportunities to work with diverse populations. Though dentistry on its face may seem limited to improving quality of life or cosmetic issues, I've known a dental surgeon who has done reconstructive surgeries and I know another dentist who volunteers some of their time to provide free dental care to people who have gone woefully underserved with respect to dental care. Ultimately it comes down to shadowing and clinical experiences in both fields, keeping an open mind, and reflecting upon what you see and experience.

 

[annapredental]

I have shadowed many dentists, but I have not shadowed a doctor. I mostly understand the realities of being a dentist and all that comes with it, because I am currently in dental hygiene. I guess I should look into possibly shadowing a doctor. Thank you for your input!

 

[ifnotnowwren]

I have shadowed many dentists, but I have not shadowed a doctor. I mostly understand the realities of being a dentist and all that comes with it, because I am currently in dental hygiene. I guess I should look into possibly shadowing a doctor. Thank you for your input!

Definitely shadow a few doctors, it would be ideal if you could shadow some from different specialities!

 

[annapredental]

Do you think it is still possible for me to get into medical school with the position I am in now?

 

[ifnotnowwren]

I'm not an expert, but I'll give my two cents until one comes along...

Possible, yes. But it's going to require a shift in gears. I know some schools don't require a bachelors, but generally, a bachelors degree is required by many schools. It doesn't matter what you major in, so long as you are able to complete the medical school pre-requisites. It is then generally advised that you participate in extracurricular activities, such as research (to show that you have an understanding of the scientific process), volunteering (to show that you are willing to give your time and energy to serve others), leadership (because this is a very valuable quality in physicians, and necessary to a degree), and clinical experiences (through shadowing, a clinical job, or volunteering, to show that you know what you are getting into and want this based on experience). You'll need to keep your gpa up and do well on the MCAT. Poke around on SDN, I believe there are some good applicant advice threads stickied for more information about all of this. Additionally, because you have started down this dental route, you will need to show you are committed to medicine and be able to give an adequate explanation as to why. This is something that probably should be addressed in your personal statement and will probably come up during interviews. You are 19, you have time, this is all very feasible and possible. Thoroughly research your options, work hard and I don't see any reason why medicine should be unobtainable at this point!

 

[fancymylotus]

I thought most schools wont accept pre reqs taken at a community college? Or maybe I'm just getting old and senile.

 

[IPDH]

No, that is not the case anymore. While many schools do not recommend it or have a comment indicating 4 years schools will make you more competitive, most schools will accept them. Additionally, in this case, I am assuming as a dental hygienist, most coursework will not fulfill the prereqs and, in fact, will not count as "science" (BCPM Bio, Chem, Physics, Math) that the MD schools require. Therefore the OP will need to take most, if not all, prereqs at a 4 year as part of his/her bachelors

Whew. Be careful there, my friend. You obviously are not familiar with dental hygienists' educational requirements. Not only does this unfamiliarity make you look uninformed, but it also implies you may not be visiting a dental hygienist very much. For the record, hygienists face prereqs of their own: chemistry, biochem, microbiology, math, anatomy and physiology, as well as softer sciences such as psych and social sciences before they even APPLY to hygiene school. Once they are accepted, they have a grueling schedule of embryology, periodontology, pharmacology, and much more. Between prereqs and program requirements it's heavy on science.

Know before you speak. Btw, what did a layperson like yourself "assume" a hygienist was studying?

 

[RedPanda55]

Whew. Be careful there, my friend. You obviously are not familiar with dental hygienists' educational requirements. Not only does this unfamiliarity make you look uninformed, but it also implies you may not be visiting a dental hygienist very much. For the record, hygienists face prereqs of their own: chemistry, biochem, microbiology, math, anatomy and physiology, as well as softer sciences such as psych and social sciences before they even APPLY to hygiene school. Once they are accepted, they have a grueling schedule of embryology, periodontology, pharmacology, and much more. Between prereqs and program requirements it's heavy on science.

Know before you speak. Btw, what did a layperson like yourself "assume" a hygienist was studying?

you must be new to sdn haha

 

[ciestar]

Many allied health, nursing programs, and similar often have courses such as chem, bio, etc, tailored to their specific specialized health major. Typically these do not offer the breadth/depth of a "standard" introductory or general course for the major in the area (eg chem for chem majors) and, more importantly, are often are not accepted by medical schools as fulfilling the prerequisite requirement for the school. There is also evidence to show that these specialized health majors, such as dental hygienist do not perform as well on the MCAT. That is one of the factors while specialized health majors have the worst acceptance rate to medical school per AAMC statistics with 1659 applicants but only 579 matriculants or 37% while the overall matriculation rate in 41%.

Be careful my friend that you enter this complex and complicated application and admissions process without having a particularly good knowledge of how it works or, more importantly, what the admissions committees actually look for in applicants else you may wind up needing a dentist and a podiatrist to help you remove that foot from your mouth.

I started out in nursing and when i switched my major my nursing pre-reqs did NOT count towards my biology degree.