Pharm D to Dentistry?

[Dito]

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I know someone who is now a pharmacist but has always been passionate about dentistry. Dentistry was her first choice but she didn't qualify for dental school at the time. Now that she's a pharmacist, she's thinking about applying to dental school to pursue dentistry which according to her, was her first love.
Anyone familiar with this type of situation?
Does she apply with an advanced degree (Pharm D) or go through the regular route like most people? hmm...
Know anyone who has done this?

 

[Dito]

I know someone who is now a pharmacist but has always been passionate about dentistry. Dentistry was her first choice but she didn't qualify for dental school at the time. Now that she's a pharmacist, she's thinking about applying to dental school to pursue dentistry which according to her, was her first love.
Anyone familiar with this type of situation?
Does she apply with an advanced degree (Pharm D) or go through the regular route like most people? hmm...
Know anyone who has done this?

 

[Sublimazing]

If youre asking if the pharmD will give her advanced standing it will absolutely not

 

[doc toothache]

I know someone who is now a pharmacist but has always been passionate about dentistry. Dentistry was her first choice but she didn't qualify for dental school at the time. Now that she's a pharmacist, she's thinking about applying to dental school to pursue dentistry which according to her, was her first love.
Anyone familiar with this type of situation?
Does she apply with an advanced degree (Pharm D) or go through the regular route like most people? hmm...
Know anyone who has done this?

She is a graduate, practices pharmacy, she "has always been passionate about dentistry", but she needs a surrogate to do her bidding?

 

[AlbinoPolarBear]

There is a former pharmacist in my class, and he had to go through the regular route for acceptance. He did not get advanced standing.

 

[aznnytezx]

Okay, if she's so passionate in dentistry. She should have done that straight off the bat from the beginning. Most likely, the schools will not accept her the first time around just because she made a decision after she got rejected. It really shows her passion for dentistry huh??

 

[cmF]

Okay, if she's so passionate in dentistry. She should have done that straight off the bat from the beginning. Most likely, the schools will not accept her the first time around just because she made a decision after she got rejected. It really shows her passion for dentistry huh??

My thoughts exactly. If she wants to apply, she shouldn't mention "always passionate about dentistry" because it's kind of contradicting.

 

[coolslugs]

It's ok to mention it. I know plenty of people who have changed from pharm or engineering or other health professions to dentistry. It's ok to be passionate in more than one field. The fact is, if your friend is ready for the dental curriculum, he/she will be a plus with his/her pharm background and patient interactions.

 

[NDPitch]

They'll be on equal footing with the other applicants. The other pressing issue is the debt. If this person has a lot of pharm school loans, and then has to take on dental school loans, it is essentially not financially worth going to dental school.

 

[c014269]

So many negative posts...👎
Tell her to apply and do her best. If it is truly what she wants, she can find a way to make it happen!

 

[emorypredent]

So many negative posts...👎
Tell her to apply and do her best. If it is truly what she wants, she can find a way to make it happen!

Agreed. The responses here are somewhat harsh. Not everyone is willing to (or in a financial/personal position to) take the risk of holding out for dentistry. Right now my life is essentially on hold as I reapply. I can't focus on pursuing another career track (not that I want to) but I'm not ever guaranteed admissions to dental school. Even though I am making a different choice than this person, I can see where they are coming from.

 

[Pleonasm]

This is very common. I had 2 pharmacists in my class. Now that mom and pop pharmacies have gone the way of the farm, corporations (CVS, Walgreens, etc.) are where most pharmacists are employed. The head pharmacist, at the hospital where I did my residency, said that corporations have made it more like shift work at a factory (her words). They may see dentistry as a way to leave that behind.

Whether you get credit for course work you did in pharmacy school depends on the school you went to. We had pharmacology and biochem w/ pharmacy and medical students. So, if you went to dental school there after pharmacy school, they wouldn't make you take the same classes over. This is not going to give you 3rd year standing, but could put you further ahead. All dependent on where you went to school.

 

[Hev0406]

Agreed. The responses here are somewhat harsh. Not everyone is willing to (or in a financial/personal position to) take the risk of holding out for dentistry. Right now my life is essentially on hold as I reapply. I can't focus on pursuing another career track (not that I want to) but I'm not ever guaranteed admissions to dental school. Even though I am making a different choice than this person, I can see where they are coming from.

Most of the posts on SDN seem to be harsh.... :/

 

[periopocket]

cost benefit must be calculated!

 

[park1234]

So many negative posts...👎
Tell her to apply and do her best. If it is truly what she wants, she can find a way to make it happen!

+1👍
yeah..... seriously........
some sdn people are really negative to career-changers.......🙁

To OP, if she is 100 % sure that dentistry is better for her than pharm, she should definitely try and work to get into dental school. 😀

 

[Silent Cool]

I know someone who is now a pharmacist but has always been passionate about dentistry. Dentistry was her first choice but she didn't qualify for dental school at the time. Now that she's a pharmacist, she's thinking about applying to dental school to pursue dentistry which according to her, was her first love.
Anyone familiar with this type of situation?
Does she apply with an advanced degree (Pharm D) or go through the regular route like most people? hmm...
Know anyone who has done this?

Yeah, she won't get advanced standing but would certainly be a more competitive and compelling candidate for admission.

 

[ChuckDAT]

No advance standing, but I do agree with the above statement that it will make her a more competitive applicant. She will be asked why she wants to undergo a major career change...and that answer needs to be a strong point for her.

I have a family member who did this exact same thing. She now has owned her own private practice for 15 years and still loves it.

Just my $.02

 

[hunterx2]

Makes sense actually. I was thinking about pharmacy as a career myself but I found that the market is over-saturated and I know a couple of recent PharmD grads who can't find jobs.

 

[gn4]

Makes sense actually. I was thinking about pharmacy as a career myself but I found that the market is over-saturated and I know a couple of recent PharmD grads who can't find jobs.

My dentist keeps telling me that dentistry is headed that way as well. Is this true?

 

[Screwtape]

My dentist keeps telling me that dentistry is headed that way as well. Is this true?

What area are you in? Last time I checked there are about 130 pharm schools right now and growing, compared to 64 ish dental schools and growing. Also one pharmacist can "cover" more patients than one dentist, especially with all the newer tech in pharmacy. Dentists are very saturated in some areas already, but not most. The dental profession is much more of an up close and personal service business than the pharmacist that hands you your drugs (most encounters, i know there are exceptions). Corporate dentistry is a problem, but I believe the profession itself is more secure from corporate takeover than pharmacy. Think of all the Walgreens and cvs's out there already...

 

[Silent Cool]

No advance standing, but I do agree with the above statement that it will make her a more competitive applicant. She will be asked why she wants to undergo a major career change...and that answer needs to be a strong point for her.

I have a family member who did this exact same thing. She now has owned her own private practice for 15 years and still loves it.

Just my $.02

ChuckDAT,

Did she ever consider owning an independent pharmacy? Or, in her opinion, is the market too competitive with all of the large chains these days (WAGS, CVS, etc..).

just curious
thanx

 

[Ar2]

ChuckDAT,

Did she ever consider owning an independent pharmacy? Or, in her opinion, is the market too competitive with all of the large chains these days (WAGS, CVS, etc..).

just curious
thanx

+1.. I'm curious about this as well. I wonder how difficult it is to start your own independent pharmacy, compared to starting your own private practice dental clinic.

 

[ChuckDAT]

ChuckDAT,

Did she ever consider owning an independent pharmacy? Or, in her opinion, is the market too competitive with all of the large chains these days (WAGS, CVS, etc..).

just curious
thanx

I wish I could give you better insight. However, this family member went back to dental school in 1993. Up until that point she worked for two "privately owned" pharmacies.

With that being said....she still has tons of friends who are pharmacist and now cannot hardly find a private pharmacy. She thinks, as she does in the ever changing dental and medical fields, that moving towards corporate style operations does not benefit ANYONE. She is very adamant about this point......

Her main reason for going to dentistry from pharmacy was simply the everyday nature of work. The day to day in these fields is very different.

She still keeps up with her pharm licensing though...... 🙂 who know what the future holds!

Tell your friend to shadow a ton, and look at the dynamics of a dental office. If she loves it, then she needs to slay the DAT and never look back

 

[Dito]

So many negative posts...👎
Tell her to apply and do her best. If it is truly what she wants, she can find a way to make it happen!

Agreed. Lots of Negative posts, but thanks everyone for all your responses.

 

[Dito]

Thanks for the responses everyone. Greatly appreciated.

 

[aznnytezx]

Makes sense actually. I was thinking about pharmacy as a career myself but I found that the market is over-saturated and I know a couple of recent PharmD grads who can't find jobs.

You can get a job, you will just have to find a grave yard shift at the cvs or Walgreens.

 

[Paperclipz]

OP: At my university, there is a student that just got accepted into medical school and he has a doctorate in pharmacy.

We are free to pursue whatever makes us happy in life and if your friend feels like dentistry is the right path for her then she should go for it. I've met a lot of people who graduated law school and decided to pursue a career in medicine and dentistry as well.

It's a lot of school but you can never be too educated 😉

 

[hunterx2]

No job is totally safe, but healthcare is better than most fields. I looked into medical school as well, and after doing research I concluded that even they are not safe. Many primary care docs are overworked, underpaid, and feeling the squeeze from "midlevels" (PA's, NP's). Anesthesiologists are being undermined by CRNA's. Pathology job market sucks, and radiology is vulnerable to outsourcing. All fields are vulnerable to changing reimbursement policies by the government. They are opening lots of new med schools, and also DO schools.

But I still think that dentistry is safer than most. There are far fewer dentists than PharmD's and MD/DO, you do a lot of procedures (which reimburse better), and your patients tend to be of a higher socioeconomic class than most.