New here....pre-dentistry advice

[jrhodes870]

Hello folks! I am new here, and i didnt know where to make my first post, if i am doing this wrong i apologize.

Just thought i'd tell a little about myself, and where i currently stand in life

I was previously an IT/Programming major. I decided to enter the medical field because i do liek to help people, and i want to be important in the eyes of people around me. My uncle is also a dentist and my aunt manages three dental firms in Dallas Texas.

Anyways i have recently changed my major to pre-dental. I am currently attending Lakeland Community College, yes a community college. This will be my second year there and i am starting my next semester taking, biology, chemistry, algebra, and a beginning physics course.

I am not exactly familiar with the right path to take when wanting to become a dentist. However, my advisor told me i do not want to complete my schools dental hygenist program, then try and become a dentist.

I just wanted to make sure with some of you (who seem quite knowledgable) on what the right path to take would be.

I plan on completing the pre-dentistry program at my school then later moving on to a university to major in dentistry.

Any advice would be very much appreciated!

Thanks you all!

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[jigabodo]

Hello folks! I am new here, and i didnt know where to make my first post, if i am doing this wrong i apologize.

Just thought i'd tell a little about myself, and where i currently stand in life

I was previously an IT/Programming major. I decided to enter the medical field because i do liek to help people, and i want to be important in the eyes of people around me. My uncle is also a dentist and my aunt manages three dental firms in Dallas Texas.

Anyways i have recently changed my major to pre-dental. I am currently attending Lakeland Community College, yes a community college. This will be my second year there and i am starting my next semester taking, biology, chemistry, algebra, and a beginning physics course.

I am not exactly familiar with the right path to take when wanting to become a dentist. However, my advisor told me i do not want to complete my schools dental hygenist program, then try and become a dentist.

I just wanted to make sure with some of you (who seem quite knowledgable) on what the right path to take would be.

I plan on completing the pre-dentistry program at my school then later moving on to a university to major in dentistry.

Any advice would be very much appreciated!

Thanks you all!

Try to take as many prerequisites as possible at a 4 year university instead of a CC.

 

[jrhodes870]

well unfortunatley i can only attend a community college right now, i dont have the funds for a university yet. I failed to mention that i was in a pre-dental transfer program at my cc.. It will eventually transfer to a 4 year university once i have completed the courses.

 

[ucla2134]

well unfortunatley i can only attend a community college right now, i dont have the funds for a university yet. I failed to mention that i was in a pre-dental transfer program at my cc.. It will eventually transfer to a 4 year university once i have completed the courses.

Hi there! I think you are fine as long as you maintain the good grade when you are transfered. My shadowed dentist complete all his prerequisite at cc and transfered.
However, some dental school don't accept cc units; Tufts for instance.
Good luck

 

[jrhodes870]

Thanks guys! It really really helps to hear advice from people who are on the same path

I dont talk to my aunt or uncle much because they live so far away, but hopefully in the long run their positions will help me out.

My gpa as of now is a 3.2 computer programming courses really hurt me a little bit, they were much harder then i thought

Currently i'm working at ADM Corporate as an IT intern, and thank god i did! because its shown me that an IT career isnt what i want to do.

Also another question after completing dental school and everything, what are the debts dentists are looking at now? I read somewhere its around $200k to get through dental schooling?

 

[wigglytooth]

Hey, welcome to SDN! Some general advice can be found on the stickied threads at the top of the forum (here's one to start: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=300755). Also try searching for threads that talk about the aspects of your situation, including non-traditional, community college, and timeline. Good luck!!

 

[SugarNaCl]

My thoughts.
Transfer to a 4 yr college ASAP and of course try to take at LEAST all of your prereqs there. I know you can't afford it now, but even if you take out loans. I took physics at a CC and that was fine, but for the basic related sciences, you really should take those at a 4 yr school. The only other comment I had was on the debt. Yes, I think the average dental school debt is around 180K, but it wouldn't be so expensive if you can't afford to pay it off later. I guess most can. Good luck to you.

 

[jrhodes870]

Thank you guys so much, i cant tell you how much i appreciate the help and advice, and how lucky i feel for finding these forums. I look forward to being a member of sdn!

Also one last question this may be somewhat silly, but 20 years of age isnt to late to decide to enter into the dentistry field is it? I mean i am looking at being about 30 by the time i'm done right, or maybe a few years older. Not that it matters, it will take me as long as it takes me. I just wanted to get some of your opinions on that.

 

[zoom12]

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[jrhodes870]

Yeah i'm actually pretty worried about all this. It sounds like a long journey ahead of me.... I just dont want to mess it up.