Ph.D first?

[ISU_Steve]

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I'm debating whether to put off dental school for a couple of years to pursue my Ph.D in life sciences. I have a decent GPA (~3.6 overall, ~3.7 science so far) so it's not a matter of trying to hide poor performance as an undergraduate, like so many we hear ask similar questions on here. Rather, it's that I have a strong interest in research and I'm about to start a research project of my own that is going to run through at very least the end of my senior year (2008) and if all goes well, it is likely to be extendable for a couple of years after that to get the clinical part of it done. I really would like to see my research through to completion and not have to hand it over to someone else since it's my baby. (the joke my professor tells is that I don't want to risk that "my" Nobel Prize will go to anyone else )

I'm still dedicated to dentistry as a career, and I was wondering if anyone else had been in a similar predicament, especially if they chose to do their PhD first (for interest reasons, not to hide a bad u/g GPA). How did dental schools react to this? I would imagine they'd prefer better educated candidates, but I am in hopes that it doesn't smack of disloyalty to the profession that I took a couple (maybe 3 years on the outside) to complete my research (which has nothing to do with dentistry) and my doctorate rather than going straight into school from undergrad. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks guys.

 

[crazy_sherm]

Just keep in mind getting a PhD is no small task. It's not just an extension of undergrad obviously. You're looking at a 4-5 year committment along with maybe a 2-3 year postdoc. If it's your passion, by all means, go for it. You can always come back to it after dental school too though.

 

[Sprgrover]

Just keep in mind getting a PhD is no small task. It's not just an extension of undergrad obviously. You're looking at a 4-5 year committment along with maybe a 2-3 year postdoc. If it's your passion, by all means, go for it. You can always come back to it after dental school too though.

Exactly. The track to a PhD, in any field, is often a long one. If you are really passionate about your research and go ahead with it. 🙂

 

[SuperTrooper]

I'm debating whether to put off dental school for a couple of years to pursue my Ph.D in life sciences. I have a decent GPA (~3.6 overall, ~3.7 science so far) so it's not a matter of trying to hide poor performance as an undergraduate, like so many we hear ask similar questions on here. Rather, it's that I have a strong interest in research and I'm about to start a research project of my own that is going to run through at very least the end of my senior year (2008) and if all goes well, it is likely to be extendable for a couple of years after that to get the clinical part of it done. I really would like to see my research through to completion and not have to hand it over to someone else since it's my baby. (the joke my professor tells is that I don't want to risk that "my" Nobel Prize will go to anyone else )

I'm still dedicated to dentistry as a career, and I was wondering if anyone else had been in a similar predicament, especially if they chose to do their PhD first (for interest reasons, not to hide a bad u/g GPA). How did dental schools react to this? I would imagine they'd prefer better educated candidates, but I am in hopes that it doesn't smack of disloyalty to the profession that I took a couple (maybe 3 years on the outside) to complete my research (which has nothing to do with dentistry) and my doctorate rather than going straight into school from undergrad. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks guys.

Maybe I got it wrong, but it sounds like you want to get a PhD to continue this project you started. If that's the case, your motivation for getting a PhD is pretty weak. What happens if your project goes sour? That is very likely. Also, your professor is a weirdo if he/she is talking about you continuing the project with a PhD, if you won't even be a senior til 2008.

If you really are commited to dentistry and research, i think it would be foolish to do a PhD before D-school. First off, you do NOT need a PhD to do dental research. But also, why not learn about dentistry first and figure out what sort of research you'd be interested in; i.e. immuno/micro for perio /endo, genetics for stuff like craniofacials disorders, etc. That way, your PhD can help you get into the field more directly. Also, going for a specialty/PhD combo might help you gain admittance to competetive specialtes.

And as for dental schools, they don't care what you do. But starting a PhD and not finishing it would look bad.

 

[ISU_Steve]

The reason I don't want to research something that is dental related is that I really can't find anything dental related that fascinates me enough to research the minutiae of it for several years. Drilling and filling, extractions, etc, yeah, I can see myself doing that for years on end. All of the dental research I've read about, talked to researchers about, seems very dull, lifeless and of a nature that would drive me insane. Hence why I'm doing research on a topic that I have a great deal of experience (some of the mechanisms underlying certain types of pulmonary disease), and also that just isn't "oh look, this one enzyme produced by this rare bacteria found around the teeth of 5% of the population does *insert action that might interest a dozen people around the world*". (I use that as an example because it's a project a dental school researcher suggested to me) More power to anyone who has an interest in dental research, I don't. I'm interested in dentistry for the 9-5 standard practice or perhaps academic teaching, not the research side of things. Thanks for your input guys.

 

[aphistis]

Honestly, Steve, the more you post the more I wonder why you haven't abandoned dentistry as a profession. Going by your post history, neither general dentistry nor dental research interest you in the slightest, and your only stated interest (OMS) seems to be through hearsay rather than any significant exposure to the career. Why not consider other professions?

 

[ISU_Steve]

Personally, I have developed more of an interest in general dentistry and pediatric dentistry (although I would prefer pediatric dentistry over general practice) as I've gone along. I've never come across anything else that fits well into what I'm looking for and trust me, I've looked around before settling on this as my career of choice. You can fault me for my initial ignorance if you like, but that's neither fair, nor is it judging me based upon where I stand at this point in time.

 

[SuperTrooper]

Why would you enter a PhD program knowing you'll never directly use the skills/knowledge you've gained. I don't think you've really thought this through.

Also, I don't understand how you can't be interested in dental research considering you claim to have a "strong interest" in research, and you also say you are committed to dentistry. 😕 Your impression of dental research is very naïve for someone with a strong interest in the research process.

 

[v&andy_yankee]

if you do decide to do a ph.d and would like to have a dmd/dds on top of it, make sure you do your research so it's max benefits for you. a lot of schools offere combined ph.d/dds programs, where they will actually PAY for your dental school. so that way, you kill two birds with one stone: you get the degrees you want and come out with no debt (while your fellow classmates will spend the next 10 years paying off the dental school debt).

but, research is seriously for someone who TRULY LOVES science. i intially thought i loved science too, but then i did research for a summer and realized what i really loved was working with people--which is why i switched to dentistry. my parents still keep bugging me that i should look into the ph.d/dds program, but i keep telling them i'd rather spend 15 years paying off dental debt then give 5 years into research. different strokes for different folks.

 

[ISU_Steve]

Why is it that I can't have a research interest in something unrelated to what I'm going to be doing for a living? Just because what I do in grad and undergrad isn't 100% dedicated to dentistry, doesn't mean I'll be any less of a good practitioner or otherwise somehow less of a good candidate. Also please explain to me, why just because I don't see immuno/micro and genetics don't fascinate me as much as the larger scale research applications I have been and plan on continuing to be involved with, that somehow means that I'm wasting my time. Perhaps I just don't relish the picky little details of how things work to the same degree you do....to each and to their own. Maybe I am being shortsighted, but then again it's not for lack of trying- I tried to find something in dentistry that interested me that I could get involved with and every time I found something that didn't involve messing with cells or microbes in a petri dish, I was told basically, come back when you have your degree or are in dental school. But anyhow, you like what you like, I like what I like and hopefully we can use our differences to both advance medical science in our own ways.

As an added bonus the Ph.d is also something nice to fall back upon if I don't get into dental school, and in that case I'd rather have done my doctoral work in something that interests me (because I'll then be doing it for a long time) than something that bores the hell out of me (genetics as a prime example) that might have helped me in a career I didn't go into.

Thanks for your input everyone, as always it's been a blast. Pardon me while I go back over to the medical side of things and see how things are going over there.

 

[sidewalkman]

Wait, you don't graduate until 2008? Then relax, as you won't need to answer this question of getting the PhD for a while. Keep being involved in research, and see what happens. A lot can change between now and then.

 

[SuperTrooper]

Why is it that I can't have a research interest in something unrelated to what I'm going to be doing for a living?

I didn't say you shouldn't have this interest. It's just that getting a PhD is an enormous commitment for something that you don't plan on pursuing afterwards. Most people use a PhD as a stepping-stone in their career. I personally wouldn't do it; but what the hell, go for it if it means something to you. 🙂

Perhaps I just don't relish the picky little details of how things work to the same degree you do....

Research is all about picky little details.

 

[ISU_Steve]

Research is all about picky little details.

Point well taken....

I meant I prefer research that doesn't focus upon what cell produces what cytokine when you pour LPS on it. I'll let someone else do the preclinical research. 👍

 

[nothen2do]

Point well taken....

I meant I prefer research that doesn't focus upon what cell produces what cytokine when you pour LPS on it. I'll let someone else do the preclinical research. 👍

As Red from "That 70's Show" often says, *******!

 

[Sprgrover]

As Red from "That 70's Show" often says, *******!

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