Question regarding engineering degree to dental school..

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

pet1981

New Member
10+ Year Member
Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Hello guys, I am an international student from Korea..
I'm 18, and I'm planning on pursuing Chemical Engineering at Canadian university from this september. This post will be long, but I will appreciate it if you guys give good explanations...

1. I suddenly got interested in dental school, which is why I chose ChemE over CompE (my first choice was ChemE anyways). I heard that pre-med students usually go to pre-med schools or pure science majors such as biology & chemistry.. Is it that hard to go to dental school from engineering degree? because it is tough to get great gpa? I thought ChemE will be a great choice because I would have a good back-up plan just in case things dont work out. (could choose biotech option or bioengineering option if I want).. Should I change my major to something else if I want to become a dentist?

2. I googled a bit, and found out that I need great GPA+decent score on DAT+good recommendations+various volunteering/work experiences in the related field to get into dental schools. The problem is that I am interested in going to U of Waterloo, and they have co-op program that is mandatory for engineering students. If i do that, i won't have any time for volunteering/work experience in the field of DENTISTRY. What should I do?? Go to McGill or U of Toronto?? Is any of co-op experience going to be helpful?

3. I know that it usually takes 8 years to become a dentist. 4 years of university+4 years of dental school.. however, do dental students need any internship of residency after graduating dental school just like medical school students? If so, how long is it? Since I have a military duty to complete for my country, this could be a major factor..
If i go to waterloo, then I will have to complete:
5 years of engineering
4 years of dental school
n years of internship/residency
2 years of military.......................... 11 years + n years of residency..
This is ridiculous.. I will be 31+ by the time I become a dentist even if the plan works perfect for me..

4. is it worth it to go to dental school after getting engineering degree in terms of salary, career opportunity, and time?

5. another thing is becoming orthodontist. I heard I need 3~4 years of additional study and trainning to become a orthodontist. I am not particularly looking for that, but do they make much more money than general dentists??

6. what is the average salary of dentists in USA? Is it much higher than chemical engineers?

7. dont have to answer this if you dont know.. but would compE be better choice than chemE if I dont go to dental school? because compE will grow fast and will need good workers in the future...?


Thank you so much for reading my post, and I will wait for your replies... :)

Members don't see this ad.
 
Hello guys, I am an international student from Korea..
I'm 18, and I'm planning on pursuing Chemical Engineering at Canadian university from this september. This post will be long, but I will appreciate it if you guys give good explanations...

1. I suddenly got interested in dental school, which is why I chose ChemE over CompE (my first choice was ChemE anyways). I heard that pre-med students usually go to pre-med schools or pure science majors such as biology & chemistry.. Is it that hard to go to dental school from engineering degree? because it is tough to get great gpa? I thought ChemE will be a great choice because I would have a good back-up plan just in case things dont work out. (could choose biotech option or bioengineering option if I want).. Should I change my major to something else if I want to become a dentist?

2. I googled a bit, and found out that I need great GPA+decent score on DAT+good recommendations+various volunteering/work experiences in the related field to get into dental schools. The problem is that I am interested in going to U of Waterloo, and they have co-op program that is mandatory for engineering students. If i do that, i won't have any time for volunteering/work experience in the field of DENTISTRY. What should I do?? Go to McGill or U of Toronto?? Is any of co-op experience going to be helpful?

3. I know that it usually takes 8 years to become a dentist. 4 years of university+4 years of dental school.. however, do dental students need any internship of residency after graduating dental school just like medical school students? If so, how long is it? Since I have a military duty to complete for my country, this could be a major factor..
If i go to waterloo, then I will have to complete:
5 years of engineering
4 years of dental school
n years of internship/residency
2 years of military.......................... 11 years + n years of residency..
This is ridiculous.. I will be 31+ by the time I become a dentist even if the plan works perfect for me..

4. is it worth it to go to dental school after getting engineering degree in terms of salary, career opportunity, and time?

5. another thing is becoming orthodontist. I heard I need 3~4 years of additional study and trainning to become a orthodontist. I am not particularly looking for that, but do they make much more money than general dentists??

6. what is the average salary of dentists in USA? Is it much higher than chemical engineers?

7. dont have to answer this if you dont know.. but would compE be better choice than chemE if I dont go to dental school? because compE will grow fast and will need good workers in the future...?


Thank you so much for reading my post, and I will wait for your replies... :)

First since you are international and going to Canada, getting into US dental schools might be a bit harder...

1. Most are biology majors because it is easy and does the pre-reqs with their major reqs. There is a lot of biology majors but only like 10% of them get in. Engineering is hard, everyone knows this. If you do good in engineering and do the pre-reqs for dental school and maybe a few upper level biology classes you have a higher chance of getting in than all of those biology majors, in my opinion. There was an excel sheet showing all of the majors and how many got in from each major. I would stick with engineering, whichever field you like.

2. Any kind of volunteer work counts, even non-dental related. It is somewhat good to have since everyone has it, but if you are busy and have a job then whatever. You couldn't volunteer. All you have to do is volunteer like 1 time per month. I am sure you can do that. Or in the summers. The important thing is to shadow a dentist.

3. No residency unless you specialize or go to school in new york.

4. That is up to you. Shadow a dentist and decide if you will like it.

5. Depends, where you work, how many people you see, etc. But yes, they make more than a general dentist. It can get a little boring since you do less procedures than a general dentist though.

6. This answer varies. When you first graduate you will be slow at doing procedures. Typical salary is 120k/yr - taxes - school loans (if you are out of state expect to owe close to $400,000) so maybe you will be lest with 80k after all of that. If you open your own practice, it all depends on you. Most established dentists after working for a while with their own practice can make 150-190k/yr.

Not sure what engineers make 50-90k depending on how long?

7. Don't know.


Here are dental salaries from a survey done by the US government... lot of people don't believe these numbers since they differ from the ADAs number's http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos072.htm#earnings


There are some engineering majors here, maybe they can better help. (I'm not an engineering major).
 
Thank you very much, UndergradGuy7!

It helped a lot.. I think I will stick with engineering. :)
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Thank you very much, UndergradGuy7!

It helped a lot.. I think I will stick with engineering. :)

Here is the excel sheet with different majors.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=701115


Notice "Eng" engineering is only 2% of all the applicants. But 55-65% of them are accepted. Then look at biology only 43-50% of them get in. I'm only pointing out the '04 to '06 years.

Anyway, don't think you can get a 2.5 gpa and be accepted because you are engineering and it is hard. I would aim for at least a 3.4-3.5 or higher. You are international/canada applicant so you will have to compete even harder to get into us schools. Just do good on the pre-reqs chemistry, biology, etc.
 
Last edited:
Hello guys, I am an international student from Korea..I'm 18, and I'm planning on pursuing Chemical Engineering at Canadian university from this september. This post will be long, but I will appreciate it if you guys give good explanations...
1. I suddenly got interested in dental school, which is why I chose ChemE over CompE (my first choice was ChemE anyways). I heard that pre-med students usually go to pre-med schools or pure science majors such as biology & chemistry.. Is it that hard to go to dental school from engineering degree? because it is tough to get great gpa? I thought ChemE will be a great choice because I would have a good back-up plan just in case things dont work out. (could choose biotech option or bioengineering option if I want).. Should I change my major to something else if I want to become a dentist?
2. I googled a bit, and found out that I need great GPA+decent score on DAT+good recommendations+various volunteering/work experiences in the related field to get into dental schools. The problem is that I am interested in going to U of Waterloo, and they have co-op program that is mandatory for engineering students. If i do that, i won't have any time for volunteering/work experience in the field of DENTISTRY. What should I do?? Go to McGill or U of Toronto?? Is any of co-op experience going to be helpful?
3. I know that it usually takes 8 years to become a dentist. 4 years of university+4 years of dental school.. however, do dental students need any internship of residency after graduating dental school just like medical school students? If so, how long is it? Since I have a military duty to complete for my country, this could be a major factor..
If i go to waterloo, then I will have to complete:
5 years of engineering 4 years of dental school n years of internship/residency
2 years of military.......................... 11 years + n years of residency..
This is ridiculous.. I will be 31+ by the time I become a dentist even if the plan works perfect for me..
5. another thing is becoming orthodontist. I heard I need 3~4 years of additional study and trainning to become a orthodontist. I am not particularly looking for that, but do they make much more money than general dentists??
6. what is the average salary of dentists in USA? Is it much higher than chemical engineers?
7. dont have to answer this if you dont know.. but would compE be better choice than chemE if I dont go to dental school? because compE will grow fast and will need good workers in the future...?

It sounds like the sudden jolt with dentistry has something to do with $. If dentistry is what you want, then the number of years required to achieve your goal is the price of admission. As for remuneration for the fields you can probably google it and get your answer.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=698800
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=701115
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=619685
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602109
 
Here is the excel sheet with different majors.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=701115


Notice "Eng" engineering is only 2% of all the applicants. But 55-65% of them are accepted. Then look at biology only 43-50% of them get in. I'm only pointing out the '04 to '06 years.

Anyway, don't think you can get a 2.5 gpa and be accepted because you are engineering and it is hard. I would aim for at least a 3.4-3.5 or higher. You are international/canada applicant so you will have to compete even harder to get into us schools. Just do good on the pre-reqs chemistry, biology, etc.

only 2% wow. I believe it's hard to do everything when engineering is HARD. I guess I should focus on my major for now, and then worry about dentistry later, getting awesome GPA! Thanks! :)
 
It sounds like the sudden jolt with dentistry has something to do with $. If dentistry is what you want, then the number of years required to achieve your goal is the price of admission. As for remuneration for the fields you can probably google it and get your answer.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=698800
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=701115
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=619685
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=602109


I didn't realize, but it really sounds like I am interested in dentistry just because of money :oops:. Anyways, thank you for the post! You guys are a lot of help.
 
What does it mean by shadowing dentist?

Also, would it help if I do volunteering on the summer before university?
Would any chemical engineering co-op experience help by any chance??

I guess I can volunteer from time to time if it does not have to be significant work or consistent activity..
 
What does it mean by shadowing dentist?

Also, would it help if I do volunteering on the summer before university?
Would any chemical engineering co-op experience help by any chance??

I guess I can volunteer from time to time if it does not have to be significant work or consistent activity..

Volunteer whenever you went between now when you start college and when you apply to dental school. Even if you go 1 time a month for 3 hrs that is fine. Find a hospital and go on their website or call. All have a volunteer department. You can volunteer there. Or find somewhere else that you might like. A homeless shelter, soup kitchen, etc.

Shadowing is when you call a dentist and ask if you can come in and observe what he is doing so that you know what a dentist does. Schools want to see that you know what a dentist does and if you will like it.
 
Volunteer whenever you went between now when you start college and when you apply to dental school. Even if you go 1 time a month for 3 hrs that is fine. Find a hospital and go on their website or call. All have a volunteer department. You can volunteer there. Or find somewhere else that you might like. A homeless shelter, soup kitchen, etc.

Shadowing is when you call a dentist and ask if you can come in and observe what he is doing so that you know what a dentist does. Schools want to see that you know what a dentist does and if you will like it.

Great information, thanks. :)
I might as well shadow a dentist this summer.

So.. You mean I can't mention any voluntary work previous to the entrance to college? I mean around grade 11~12.
And what do you think about co-op program? Would you recommend to go somewhere else and minimize the time?? Or build a strong engineering background & so-called back-up plan.

You saved me from a lot of frustration:).
 
Great information, thanks. :)
I might as well shadow a dentist this summer.

So.. You mean I can't mention any voluntary work previous to the entrance to college? I mean around grade 11~12.
And what do you think about co-op program? Would you recommend to go somewhere else and minimize the time?? Or build a strong engineering background & so-called back-up plan.

You saved me from a lot of frustration:).

Well I'm not sure about grade 11-12. They are mostly interested in college stuff I think. Don't know anything about the co-op. If you think it is a good idea then go for it. A backup plan would be nice. I would go wherever I get a good education, but that is not too hard (to keep my gpa high). If you are set on going to the school with the co-op plan and you like it best, then there is no reason why you can't go there and apply to dental school.

Don't let some shadowing and volunteering stuff stop you from attending your #1 school. I am sure you will find some time to get that done sooner or later. You have 3 more years to do it.
 
I went to Kettering University (GMI), and they have a mandatory co-op program. I would have to say it is a positive for your application because you'll have the experience as to what it really means to work in a professional setting. At the very least, you could say "I've worked in the Chem Eng field and can say it isn't for me. Here's what dentistry has that is missing in the engineering world..." If the program is like ours, you are on a rotation...work, school, work, school. During work, you've got evenings to get involved (if you choose). During school terms, you can make the choice as to whether or not you need to study 24/7. There is definitely time for volunteering or club involvement, but the co-op experience will certainly make up for it. I had only work experience on my application (I was 26 at the time), as I had 0 time for any sort of volunteer work (pre-req's, 40 hr job, family take all my time), and the dental schools all said they perfectly understood. Maturity level is a big factor in dental school applicants, and engineering school and the co-op program holds you at a higher level of maturity than a lot of undergrads (it'll spit you out otherwise).
 
Thank you for your advice, UndergradGuy7!
I tend to get serious about things too soon, haha.

I appreciate your posts. :)
 
I went to Kettering University (GMI), and they have a mandatory co-op program. I would have to say it is a positive for your application because you'll have the experience as to what it really means to work in a professional setting. At the very least, you could say "I've worked in the Chem Eng field and can say it isn't for me. Here's what dentistry has that is missing in the engineering world..." If the program is like ours, you are on a rotation...work, school, work, school. During work, you've got evenings to get involved (if you choose). During school terms, you can make the choice as to whether or not you need to study 24/7. There is definitely time for volunteering or club involvement, but the co-op experience will certainly make up for it. I had only work experience on my application (I was 26 at the time), as I had 0 time for any sort of volunteer work (pre-req's, 40 hr job, family take all my time), and the dental schools all said they perfectly understood. Maturity level is a big factor in dental school applicants, and engineering school and the co-op program holds you at a higher level of maturity than a lot of undergrads (it'll spit you out otherwise).

Good point.
Yeah, our school has a rotation system too.
I guess I can do volunteering after my job's done.
Thanks man! It helped A LOT.
 
Top