Thinking about dental school as a junior

[Day after Today]

Hey I'm going to be a junior in high school next year and I'm thinking about going into dentistry because out of all the other medical fields i feel as this one is the easiest for me to comprehend to and learn. I heard there are 7 year programs for dentistry and stuff like that but i was wondering what classes should i start taking now in high school and what should i study to prepare myself for college bcuz my friend goes to dental school and he says its studying everyday. any info would be much appreciated thanks

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[Incis0r]

I heard there are 7 year programs for dentistry and stuff like that but i was wondering what classes should i start taking now in high school and what should i study to prepare myself for college b

It's awesome that you're looking into this now. Look into the UoP Dental programs as well- you can get your dental degree in just 5, 6, or 7 yrs after high school with them!

In high school, I took two years of general chemistry (Honors + AP), two years of general biology (Honors + AP), and one year of Physics (Honors/AP- all combined into one course). Those have served me tremendously well in my college coursework, and I don't regret it at all.

In fact, my Honors high school courses were harder than my college courses, so I enjoyed my college coursework much more!

I also took anatomy in high school; that was helpful.

I skipped Earth Science and do not regret it one bit.

Take as many AP credits as you can in math and social sciences/humanities. They help when it comes to fulfilling those college distribution requirements and if you want to graduate early/save some $$

I also had AP chem/bio credits, but I did not claim them since some dental schools do not accept AP credit for science pre-reqs. Still, AP science courses are decent preparation for college science courses.

I also took Spanish and that helped me a lot; at one of my shadowing experiences, I was literally running from room to room translating for the dentists who only spoke English- so take Spanish if you can to help for Dental.

 

[Day after Today]

Im taking chem next year sadly i took earth science freshmen year so... i was wondering should i do chem senior year or either physics or anatomy? i also took the new sat on march and got 980 of 1600 but retaking it again and have a 3.7 gpa but idk what the dat is my friend was talking to me about

 

[Incis0r]

DAT is basically the SAT for college students who want to go to dental school- it's the standardized entrance exam for dental admissions.

Take as many sciences as you can; ideally, take all three (chem, physics, and anatomy) if possible.

3.7 GPA is good. Aim for 1400+ on the new SAT and you'll get scholarship offers from undergrads, and you'll have a good shot at the combined BS/DDS/DMD programs.

 

[Day after Today]

should i try the act also buck my mom says it may be easier

 

[fogorvostan]

should i try the act also buck my mom says it may be easier

Hi! High school science teacher entering dental school here

I always advise my students to take both the SAT and ACT if possible. Many of mine have found that they score much higher on one or the other. As for everything else, focus on establishing good study habits now and take the most challenging courses you can handle. You want the exposure to difficult material, but you also need to keep your GPA up. Lastly, make sure that you start getting involved now with volunteering and/or school organizations. You will need volunteer hours when you apply to not only college, but dental school too. Although what you do in high school won't count towards your hours when you apply to dental school, it'll help you learn time management and figure out what interests you!

One final piece of advice. I love the guidance counselers that also work at my school, I really do. But they are so far removed from the process of applying to any health professional school that sometimes their advice is a little wonky. It also seems like a common theme to have advisors in college that don't always give the best advice. So therefore, as you progress through school, continue to ask questions on forums like these! You can find a lot of great advice on SDN. Good luck!

 

[Day after Today]

Is dental school still worth it because after reading some forums, it is claimed that dentistry is getting saturated and starting to become very similar to pharmacy so i was wondering whether jobs will still be easy to get in like 10 years ik it won't be accurate but just an hypothesis

 

[confidentandgood]

I'm thinking about going into dentistry because out of all the other medical fields i feel as this one is the easiest for me to comprehend to and learn

With all due respect, how did you come to this conclusion?

Is dental school still worth it because after reading some forums, it is claimed that dentistry is getting saturated and starting to become very similar to pharmacy

It's certainly saturated in various parts of the States. I'm not sure what you mean by the comparison to pharmacy.

 

[Day after Today]

my cousin said that by the time i graduate from dental school if i do it'll be 2026 so by that time she says there will be much more dentists therefore less job and less salary and would be similar to how pharmacy is now but I'm sure its still only going to be saturated at the more populated areas so i still don't know. oh well still have 2 more years until college

 

[CubsFan44]

Dentistry might not have as favorable of a future as it once did, but you will still not have an issue finding a job and earning good money if you avoid the saturated areas.

 

[Scumbag_Steve]

,

 

[Incis0r]

Don't we just have the kindest, most polite Scumbags, folks?

@Incis0r gives very good advice, and there's nothing wrong with what he's said. I'm going to offer an alternative to his advice, which again, is solid advice and not wrong by any means.

 

[DentalNucleicAcid]

@Incis0r gives very good advice, and there's nothing wrong with what he's said. I'm going to offer an alternative to his advice, which again, is solid advice and not wrong by any means.

-hang out with your friends because your time with them is dwindling
-do well enough in school and on your SATs to get into your state's flagship university (save money w/ in-state tuition, lots of opportunities, good experience living there)
-look into combined BS/DMD programs as mentioned (UConn has one), and don't stress at all about not being accepted to them
-start looking into volunteering that interests you, and that you enjoy, not because you're obligated to do so

In college
-try to get a feel for a rough skeleton of a schedule for your time in undergrad, in terms of what classes to take during which semester, when to take the DAT, when to get all your shadowing hours in. Be flexible because it will probably change, but at least take the time to pencil it all in
-make time to prioritize your grades. If you don't procrastinate or have a drinking problem, you should be able to handle it
-try to take one night off per week from doing any school work, and use that time to enjoy college. The rest of your time should be devoted to school/ECs/work etc
-don't stress out about anything. Just keep your grades up and do the best to stick to your timeline.

Worrying about dental school at 17 is not just uneccesary; it's dentrimental. Be a kid for the last remaining time during which you can. Nobody here will ever say on their death bed "I wish I spent less time with my family and friends and more time planning out my life to the T" This isn't to say being proactive and motivated is a bad thing. However, there is a happy medium which I'm sure you can find.

When you have specific questions about the process that can't be found using Google, there will always be plenty of people on here, including myself, willing to help you out. Keep browsing SDN periodically throughout college for advice.

I agree that worrying about dental school at 17 is unnecessary. Start worrying the moment you step foot on your college campus, no matter what your age is at that time. Any mistakes you make in college will be counted against you when it comes time to apply to dental school. You don't want to be a junior in college working your butt off to make straight A's because you slacked off your freshman year. Not saying this will be you, but it happens. The social part of college is going to excite you when you first start, but in my honest opinion, it's not worth it. Bad grades are hard to fix. Enjoy yourself a little bit, but always keep in mind what's important.

 

[super frank]

I agree that worrying about dental school at 17 is unnecessary. Start worrying the moment you step foot on your college campus, no matter what your age is at that time. Any mistakes you make in college will be counted against you when it comes time to apply to dental school. You don't want to be a junior in college working your butt off to make straight A's because you slacked off your freshman year. Not saying this will be you, but it happens. The social part of college is going to excite you when you first start, but in my honest opinion, it's not worth it. Bad grades are hard to fix. Enjoy yourself a little bit, but always keep in mind what's important.

Yes. This.