specializing

[Doogie Howser]

is it realistic to want to go into dentistry to pursue a specialty (like endo, os, ortho)? or is competetion so fierce in the specialty world that your acceptance into a specialty program is not something that you should count on before you start dental school?

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[Rezdawg]

is it realistic to want to go into dentistry to pursue a specialty (like endo, os, ortho)? or is competetion so fierce in the specialty world that your acceptance into a specialty program is not something that you should count on before you start dental school?

Definitely dont count on it.

Get into school.

Get in the top 10-15% of your class.

Tear up the Boards.

Then think of specializing.

And do some research.

And some externships.

 

[CorneliusFudge]

It's good to have goals; but a plan B is always a good idea.

 

[capisce?]

Contrary to what others may tell you, I don't think it's a bad thing to go into school with the idea of specializing.

What's bad is if you enter school and close your mind to all of the aspects of dentistry before making the final decision.

I came into school having worked for a pediatric dentist for a number of years. Going in, I was pretty sure I wanted to do pedo. With that said, I really had no experience with any other area of dentistry. I went into dental school with an open mind and felt I owed it to myself to experience all of dentistry before I made my decision on what to pursue. After 3 years of dental school, I just happened to choose pedo in the end. I know I can look myself in the mirror and say it's sincerely what I want to do.

So that is my advice to you. Don't worry about people who say it's a terrible thing to go into dentistry with an idea of what you might want to do. With that said, if you do go in knowing you won't be happy being a general dentist if you aren't able to specialize, that is an entirely different story.

Just do well in class and ace the boards. Like the DAT, part I is almost entirely memorization. If you put in the time, it's not impossible to score in the mid 90s. Of course it varies per person in the amount of time it takes to achieve that, but I really feel like most anyone who gains acceptance to a dental program can do that with enough prep. Now, if you are a complete tool, that you cannot change.

 

[Rezdawg]

I don't think it's a bad thing to go into school with the idea of specializing.

I dont think anyone has ever said its a bad thing to enter dental school with the idea of specializing....the problem is when students go into dental school thinking that specializing in a certain field (ortho, omfs, endo) is a given. It definitely is not.

 

[L8DYV]

is it realistic to want to go into dentistry to pursue a specialty (like endo, os, ortho)? or is competetion so fierce in the specialty world that your acceptance into a specialty program is not something that you should count on before you start dental school?

from what i hear. its super duper fierce. if you are going into it for say os, then dont be disappointed if you have to settle for general dentistry.

 

[Yah-E]

I would go another step further, if you know which specialization you want to get into, then you can actually "plan" during dental school. I tell all my NSU underclassmen (1st & 2nd years) that it's never too early to consider specializing. For example, if one wish to specialize in OMFS, then you'll know that you'll need at least a 90 on Part 1 so you can study accordingly (use your goals to define your study results and not use the study results to define your goals). Further, if you know you want OMFS during your first year, then you can start to looking into an OMFS externship for your summer between 2nd & 3rd year (to see what OMFS is really about instead of waiting for dental school OMFS rotations in your 3rd & 4th years which are usually pretty poor).

I knew I wanted OMFS early and it had helped me in many ways. One quote has always stuck in my head:

"Fail to plan is to plan to fail!"

Good luck.

 

[capisce?]

I would go another step further, if you know which specialization you want to get into, then you can actually "plan" during dental school. I tell all my NSU underclassmen (1st & 2nd years) that it's never too early to consider specializing. For example, if one wish to specialize in OMFS, then you'll know that you'll need at least a 90 on Part 1 so you can study accordingly (use your goals to define your study results and not use the study results to define your goals). Further, if you know you want OMFS during your first year, then you can start to looking into an OMFS externship for your summer between 2nd & 3rd year (to see what OMFS is really about instead of waiting for dental school OMFS rotations in your 3rd & 4th years which are usually pretty poor).

I knew I wanted OMFS early and it had helped me in many ways. One quote has always stuck in my head:

"Fail to plan is to plan to fail!"

Good luck.

Some very good points. I too used my interest to bolster my cv over our schooling.

 

[scalpel2008]

nothing wrong with deciding early that you want to specialize. However, don't piss off your general dentistry instructors by flaunting that decision early on. Lay low, perform well in school, and when it's time to declare your intent to specialize in whatever, hit the pedal to the metal and do everything you can to ensure that happens; but, never forget the fact that you need to be a general dentist before you specialize in anything.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Now, if you are a complete tool, that you cannot change.

I'm screwed.

 

[ItsGavinC]

but, never forget the fact that you need to be a general dentist before you specialize in anything.

Sage advice. The irony is that in order to pursue a specialty and focus on a small portion of dentistry, it sure helps to excel at every portion of dentistry.

 

[unlvdmd]

its super duper fierce.

*girl with pigtails snapping her gum* "ummm... like.... for sure"

 

[Dion]

I have a question: Do you have to go directly from general dentistry to a speciality or could you take time off (by being a gen. dentist for instance) in the transition?

 

[Dadoh]

Going into dental school "knowing" that you want to specialize in something is hard to do. I worked with several different specialists before going to school. I thought that I wanted to do Endo going in or possibly Perio. At that time I would have said that OMFS and then Ortho were at the bottom of my list in interest. After taking the classes in school and getting some experience with these my interests have changed. If I had to rank them by what I would want to specialize in it would be OMFS then Ortho, Pedo, Prosth, Perio, Endo. It was COMPLETELY opposite from what I thought that I would like going into dental school. There are others that wanted to do a certain specialty from the start and they still want to do the same.

Definately leave your mind open to change. It will probably happen.

 

[L8DYV]

*girl with pigtails snapping her gum* "ummm... like.... for sure"

ok bud. i hope your not referring to me? lol

 

[aphistis]

I have a question: Do you have to go directly from general dentistry to a speciality or could you take time off (by being a gen. dentist for instance) in the transition?

Perfectly acceptable. There are some practical considerations that can make it tricky if you don't plan well, but plenty of specialists spent time as a general dentist, then went back to school to specialize.

 

[toofache32]

nothing wrong with deciding early that you want to specialize. However, don't piss off your general dentistry instructors by flaunting that decision early on. Lay low, perform well in school, and when it's time to declare your intent to specialize in whatever, hit the pedal to the metal and do everything you can to ensure that happens; but, never forget the fact that you need to be a general dentist before you specialize in anything.

Ditto this. The faculty is full of general dentists who act like they wanted to specialize but didn't/couldn't for whatever reason. And they tend to have a lot of animosity towards those who do want to specialize. They will even go so far as to purposely hurt your grades so that you'll be in the same boat as them.

 

[toofache32]

I have a question: Do you have to go directly from general dentistry to a speciality or could you take time off (by being a gen. dentist for instance) in the transition?

Of course you can, but it's seldom done. If you go into general practice, it's hard to give it up. You go to work at 8:00 leave at 5:00 and have weekends off. Most calls at night can be handled by telling the patient to just come to your office in the morning. Your kids are in school and you're used to seeing them every day. Your wife is used to you coming home every afternoon. And she's also used to your salary of $100,000 to $200,000.

Then you do an oral surgery residency for 4-6 years. You now take a pay cut to $40,000 and you spend every 2nd-3rd night in the hospital. You can go a week without seeing your kids, and your wife is home alone every 2nd-3rd night. You show up to work between 5am and 6am and come home at 6pm-10pm unless you're on-call which means you spend the night at the hospital. You're now an employee instead of running your own practice and you answer to many people.

This is why it seldom happens.

 

[capisce?]

Of course you can, but it's seldom done. If you go into general practice, it's hard to give it up. You go to work at 8:00 leave at 5:00 and have weekends off. Most calls at night can be handled by telling the patient to just come to your office in the morning. Your kids are in school and you're used to seeing them every day. Your wife is used to you coming home every afternoon. And she's also used to your salary of $100,000 to $200,000.

Then you do an oral surgery residency for 4-6 years. You now take a pay cut to $40,000 and you spend every 2nd-3rd night in the hospital. You can go a week without seeing your kids, and your wife is home alone every 2nd-3rd night. You show up to work between 5am and 6am and come home at 6pm-10pm unless you're on-call which means you spend the night at the hospital. You're now an employee instead of running your own practice and you answer to many people.

This is why it seldom happens.

It may seldom happen in your specialty for the aforementioned reasons but in others it's more common. There are quite a number of pedo residents I met along the way who had been out in practice. I also know endo is pretty difficult to get into straight from school. It just depends on the specialty, which the OP did not specify.

 

[jpollei]

never forget the fact that you need to be a general dentist before you specialize in anything.

You may be surprised and find you like general dentistry a ton...I've loved it this past summer since graduating. And I'll miss prepping crowns, shucking 3rds, restoring MODFLXYZ's, etc as an orthodontist (although not as much as I like ortho).
Going into dental school with an interest in a specialty or two is fine...just don't be closed-minded. You may end up liking GP so much you don't have to spend the extra time, money and stress.