thinking about dentistry...

[shxthouserat]

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Hi everyone...

Been lurking on these boards for a while. I'm thinking about dentistry as a profession. I've been finding it tough to get started. In college, I was pretty much a slacker, majored in social sciences and graduated with a 2.94. Afterwards I went to a 35-45 ranked law school (according to US New, anyways).

I didn't take a lot of science classes, only two if I remember correctly.

Now, I realize that in order to get into dental school, its going to be rough. I have to take all of the post-bacc courses, figure out a way to pay for everything, ace my courses, figure out how to get good with my hands, and get lots of experience. It seems pretty daunting. I'm 23, soon to be 24 and I'm pointing myself in an entirely different field. I wonder if I can make it, and if so, if I'll be content with my choice. I've heard various things from various dentists.

The worst part about everything is my confidence level. I haven't really succeeded in any field thus far (I know, I know, I'm only 23...) but I'm a little wary about all of this. I can't say for 100% that I desperately want to be a dentist. I know its a good profession, with good pay, good hours, respect, and all of that. But its not like I fall asleep dreaming of making crowns.

What I have been doing is trying to get a job as a dental assistant (I need to pay my rent and my bills, and get experience). But who knew it would be so tough without certification or prior experience? And then I've been trying to find a job as a dental lab tech... pretty much the same story, or these labs don't need to hire anyone. Regardless, I've had a few decent leads. Is this even a good idea to do this? I don't know if it'll be worthwhile to do this if it means sacrificing grades, or taking more time to finish pre-reqs... but I can't ask for tuition money from my parents...

One of my biggest concerns is that I'll invest a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into all of this and come away as i did with law school. Unhappy with where I perceived my future as going (and thousands of dollars in the hole).

Now, do I just need a therapist? Or are these valid things to ponder... Is there anyone else in a similar situation?

 

[megawatt]

I'm five years older than you and at basically the same spot, except my gpa is pretty high. But if you do well in the prereqs and on the DAT I'm pretty sure you'll be fine. I don't have a "passion" for dentistry either, it just seems like it has the best combination of qualities that I'm looking for in a career. I think your ideas about working in dentistry are very good ideas, if you can find a job. You're going to want to do some shadowing or something anyway, so if you can get paid while being in a dental office, so long as you can still do well in your classes, it seems like a great idea to me. And you'll get a better idea about whether dentistry is really something you want to do. good luck..

Hi everyone...

Been lurking on these boards for a while. I'm thinking about dentistry as a profession. I've been finding it tough to get started. In college, I was pretty much a slacker, majored in social sciences and graduated with a 2.94. Afterwards I went to a 35-45 ranked law school (according to US New, anyways).

I didn't take a lot of science classes, only two if I remember correctly.

Now, I realize that in order to get into dental school, its going to be rough. I have to take all of the post-bacc courses, figure out a way to pay for everything, ace my courses, figure out how to get good with my hands, and get lots of experience. It seems pretty daunting. I'm 23, soon to be 24 and I'm pointing myself in an entirely different field. I wonder if I can make it, and if so, if I'll be content with my choice. I've heard various things from various dentists.

The worst part about everything is my confidence level. I haven't really succeeded in any field thus far (I know, I know, I'm only 23...) but I'm a little wary about all of this. I can't say for 100% that I desperately want to be a dentist. I know its a good profession, with good pay, good hours, respect, and all of that. But its not like I fall asleep dreaming of making crowns.

What I have been doing is trying to get a job as a dental assistant (I need to pay my rent and my bills, and get experience). But who knew it would be so tough without certification or prior experience? And then I've been trying to find a job as a dental lab tech... pretty much the same story, or these labs don't need to hire anyone. Regardless, I've had a few decent leads. Is this even a good idea to do this? I don't know if it'll be worthwhile to do this if it means sacrificing grades, or taking more time to finish pre-reqs... but I can't ask for tuition money from my parents...

One of my biggest concerns is that I'll invest a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into all of this and come away as i did with law school. Unhappy with where I perceived my future as going(and thousands of dollars in the hole).

Now, do I just need a therapist? Or are these valid things to ponder... Is there anyone else in a similar situation?

 

[JavadiCavity]

You sound like most young twenty-something year olds. I was in your shoes at one point. It's difficult to commit to something when you are young. Here's my advice. First, identify your reasoning for wanting to be a dentist. Be honest with yourself. If your motivation to pursue dentistry is for prestige, money, access, or some other load of crock, then save yourself the $300K and pick something you like. Second, if you get interviews, make sure to sound committed. It's a huge red flag to the adcoms if they even smell some indecision in your responses to their questions.

 

[Sprgrover]

You sound like most young twenty-something year olds. I was in your shoes at one point. It's difficult to commit to something when you are young. Here's my advice. First, identify your reasoning for wanting to be a dentist. Be honest with yourself. If your motivation to pursue dentistry is for prestige, money, access, or some other load of crock, then save yourself the $300K and pick something you like. Second, if you get interviews, make sure to sound committed. It's a huge red flag to the adcoms if they even smell some indecision in your responses to their questions.

First off, welcome to SDN! JavadiCavity has given you some pretty good advice. I would also like to add that you don't have to be a dental assistant in order to acquire experience as shadowing a dentist will provide ample exposure to the field. That and dental assistants aren't always paid top-dollar so I would suggest looking elsewhere for employment if your prospects are poor. In regards to major career decisions and the avoidance of regret I too recommend that you research not only the field and the strings attached to it but also your motivations for choosing dentistry as a line of work. Like Java and others I too started out in a different direction while in undergrad and came around to the profession after being out in the 'real' world for a while. After analyzing and categorizing my interests, life goals, and other what-not's and inventorying potential careers I concluded that dentistry was the best fit for me and, once I had that goal in mind, served as a great source of motivation when I went back to wrap up the remaining pre-reqs that I had. You're in a perfectly natural space right now and it's a good sign that you are willing to sit back and analyze your situation. I wish you the best!

 

[shxthouserat]

Thanks for the replies...

You sound like most young twenty-something year olds. I was in your shoes at one point. It's difficult to commit to something when you are young. Here's my advice. First, identify your reasoning for wanting to be a dentist. Be honest with yourself. If your motivation to pursue dentistry is for prestige, money, access, or some other load of crock, then save yourself the $300K and pick something you like. Second, if you get interviews, make sure to sound committed. It's a huge red flag to the adcoms if they even smell some indecision in your responses to their questions.

I think I'm interested for a number of reasons... Off the top of my head, the number one thing is quality of life. Or at least perceived quality of life. So that means, I feel, career-wise, I will be able to have reasonable hours and way better than decent take home pay. [On the other hand, I know that I know nothing of the stress that a dentist may go through. It's weird, the dentists that I have talked to (all of whom are recent grads by the way, just a five or six years out of school), have told me that they have some regrets. one even mentioned wanting to be a lawyer instead... 😱]

I like the idea of being in a skilled professional trade. That's what attracted me to law school, at first. I want to be in a profession where you need advanced education, and a thorough knowledge of what you are doing. And I'm also attracted to the idea of passing on knowledge that I gain... I love pointing interesting things and features out to people that they don't initially notice, or showing a new or better way to do things...

Though cliched, I also like meeting new and random people. Then again, any body likes chatting it up with new people, but it could be an entirely different story if you are wondering if they have insurance or if you have to send a collection agency after them.

About the money -- I know the profession pays well, better than most jobs out there.

About the love -- I'm not sure if I can ever love something that I'm paid to do. I don't have a wide area of interests, outside of pedestrian ones, like reading. I do like the idea that patients will be grateful for my services if I were to become a dentist.

I've shadowed a periodontist, an orthodontist, and a general dentist. The perio thing grossed me out when I saw the scalpel separate the gums from the teeth and when I saw the doctor cut a rectangle of flesh from the roof of the man's mouth. It was more than I could bear to watch. The doctor was very funny about it though, I guess he had to be. Ortho seems so desirable, but everybody has to have the same idea... general dentistry... i don't know. Maybe.

It seems to me that one can do lots of things to occupy their time while on this planet. It just turns out that the thought of sitting behind a desk or cubicle makes me want to hurl my self off a building. And I've done it before (sit behind a desk, I mean). My primary goal in life is, and should be happiness. And I want to be happy, not money grubbing. I don't ever need to drive a Mercedes or wear a Rolex. I do know that its tough for a single mom (mine) to raise two kids while pulling down 40k. I do know that I blew my first chance in college. I want a job where I can feel productive, and have enough energy and time to run, bike, swim, or surf when I get home.

So... to articulate why I'd like to be a dentist, those are my reasons. I guess alot of this is totally worthless, since I'm not even at the point where I can apply to a dental school, regardless of where it is. I hope it isn't the case that 99% of the dentists out there are in it because of the teeth. Because frankly, I can see that after a while, even if you learned all there is about teeth and denistry, it could get boring, routine, and even disgusting. I'm trying to be open and honest about things... I know the M.O. for some is to do and say whatever, but I don't think I'm being driven by the wrong motivations. I'm trying to make this as deliberate a choice as possible. Anyone care to weigh in?

Thanks...

 

[harwinbiatch]

Thanks for the replies...



I think I'm interested for a number of reasons... Off the top of my head, the number one thing is quality of life. Or at least perceived quality of life. So that means, I feel, career-wise, I will be able to have reasonable hours and way better than decent take home pay. [On the other hand, I know that I know nothing of the stress that a dentist may go through. It's weird, the dentists that I have talked to (all of whom are recent grads by the way, just a five or six years out of school), have told me that they have some regrets. one even mentioned wanting to be a lawyer instead... 😱]

I like the idea of being in a skilled professional trade. That's what attracted me to law school, at first. I want to be in a profession where you need advanced education, and a thorough knowledge of what you are doing. And I'm also attracted to the idea of passing on knowledge that I gain... I love pointing interesting things and features out to people that they don't initially notice, or showing a new or better way to do things...

Though cliched, I also like meeting new and random people. Then again, any body likes chatting it up with new people, but it could be an entirely different story if you are wondering if they have insurance or if you have to send a collection agency after them.

About the money -- I know the profession pays well, better than most jobs out there.

About the love -- I'm not sure if I can ever love something that I'm paid to do. I don't have a wide area of interests, outside of pedestrian ones, like reading. I do like the idea that patients will be grateful for my services if I were to become a dentist.

I've shadowed a periodontist, an orthodontist, and a general dentist. The perio thing grossed me out when I saw the scalpel separate the gums from the teeth and when I saw the doctor cut a rectangle of flesh from the roof of the man's mouth. It was more than I could bear to watch. The doctor was very funny about it though, I guess he had to be. Ortho seems so desirable, but everybody has to have the same idea... general dentistry... i don't know. Maybe.

It seems to me that one can do lots of things to occupy their time while on this planet. It just turns out that the thought of sitting behind a desk or cubicle makes me want to hurl my self off a building. And I've done it before (sit behind a desk, I mean). My primary goal in life is, and should be happiness. And I want to be happy, not money grubbing. I don't ever need to drive a Mercedes or wear a Rolex. I do know that its tough for a single mom (mine) to raise two kids while pulling down 40k. I do know that I blew my first chance in college. I want a job where I can feel productive, and have enough energy and time to run, bike, swim, or surf when I get home.

So... to articulate why I'd like to be a dentist, those are my reasons. I guess alot of this is totally worthless, since I'm not even at the point where I can apply to a dental school, regardless of where it is. I hope it isn't the case that 99% of the dentists out there are in it because of the teeth. Because frankly, I can see that after a while, even if you learned all there is about teeth and denistry, it could get boring, routine, and even disgusting. I'm trying to be open and honest about things... I know the M.O. for some is to do and say whatever, but I don't think I'm being driven by the wrong motivations. I'm trying to make this as deliberate a choice as possible. Anyone care to weigh in?

Thanks...

wow, i'm so glad i found this site. i am in the same boat as you, shxthouserat. i'm 22 and just quit (an amazing) law school. i knew that lawyers worked behind a desk for an insane amount of hours doing the most mundane paperwork, but i somehow thought it would ok for me. well, i wised up and decided to withdraw before i found myself $100k in law school debt. law school just isn't for me.

anyway, i always knew that a career in the medical field would be stable and lucrative. i decided that dentistry would best fit my lifestyle aspirations. i like that dentists can open their own practices, set their own hours, make good money, enjoy job stability and respect. sure, working with people's teeth all day doesn't sound like much fun, but that's why it's called work. at least as a dentist, you can immediately see the fruit of your labor and be proud of the work you do.

there were other fields i considered before i withdrew from law school. like you, i also wanted to do something that required advanced education (trying to postpone the inevitable reality of working). i narrowed them down to pharmacy and dental, but i decided that working behind a counter all day would be too boring. so dental it is! really, sometimes, in moments like these, i really have to wonder if what i did was right. i worked so hard in college to get into law school and now i'm taking another 3 years to finish my post-bacc work for dental pre-reqs. i try not to lose sight of the long-term goal, but it's hard when all your friends have figured out the rest of their (career) lives already. just hang in there!

 

[Audio]

Hi everyone...

Been lurking on these boards for a while. I'm thinking about dentistry as a profession. I've been finding it tough to get started. In college, I was pretty much a slacker, majored in social sciences and graduated with a 2.94. Afterwards I went to a 35-45 ranked law school (according to US New, anyways).

I didn't take a lot of science classes, only two if I remember correctly.

Now, I realize that in order to get into dental school, its going to be rough. I have to take all of the post-bacc courses, figure out a way to pay for everything, ace my courses, figure out how to get good with my hands, and get lots of experience. It seems pretty daunting. I'm 23, soon to be 24 and I'm pointing myself in an entirely different field. I wonder if I can make it, and if so, if I'll be content with my choice. I've heard various things from various dentists.

The worst part about everything is my confidence level. I haven't really succeeded in any field thus far (I know, I know, I'm only 23...) but I'm a little wary about all of this. I can't say for 100% that I desperately want to be a dentist. I know its a good profession, with good pay, good hours, respect, and all of that. But its not like I fall asleep dreaming of making crowns.

What I have been doing is trying to get a job as a dental assistant (I need to pay my rent and my bills, and get experience). But who knew it would be so tough without certification or prior experience? And then I've been trying to find a job as a dental lab tech... pretty much the same story, or these labs don't need to hire anyone. Regardless, I've had a few decent leads. Is this even a good idea to do this? I don't know if it'll be worthwhile to do this if it means sacrificing grades, or taking more time to finish pre-reqs... but I can't ask for tuition money from my parents...

One of my biggest concerns is that I'll invest a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into all of this and come away as i did with law school. Unhappy with where I perceived my future as going (and thousands of dollars in the hole).

Now, do I just need a therapist? Or are these valid things to ponder... Is there anyone else in a similar situation?

Like totalllyyyyyyyyyyyyy, furrrrrrrrrr sureeeeeeeeeeeeeee
fo shizzle nizzle, fo shizeeee nezzeeeeee 😀

 

[busupshot83]

I can't say for 100% that I desperately want to be a dentist. I know its a good profession, with good pay, good hours, respect, and all of that. But its not like I fall asleep dreaming of making crowns.

A wise man on www.dentaltown.com once said:

"Throughout dental school, I had no motivation. When I got my first pay check... I never saw motivation appear so quickly."

I'm not going to lie, dentistry's financial rewards are very appealing, and if I said otherwise, I'd be lying. 😀

 

[shxthouserat]

thanks for the replies, everyone...

i'm not sure anyone can be 100% about anything, ever... i just want to make sure i'm making the right choice for myself. i feel burned already because of law school.

glad to know i'm not the only one out there.

 

[Sprgrover]

A wise man on www.dentaltown.com once said:

"Throughout dental school, I had no motivation. When I got my first pay check... I never saw motivation appear so quickly."...

Paycheck? What's that? My motivation started when I had to sign my promissory notes for the mountain of loans I have taken out!

 

[busupshot83]

Paycheck? What's that? My motivation started when I had to sign my promissory notes for the mountain of loans I have taken out!

so true...

 

[PegaNinguem]

Thanks for the replies...

About the love -- I'm not sure if I can ever love something that I'm paid to do. I don't have a wide area of interests, outside of pedestrian ones, like reading. I do like the idea that patients will be grateful for my services if I were to become a dentist.

It seems to me that one can do lots of things to occupy their time while on this planet. It just turns out that the thought of sitting behind a desk or cubicle makes me want to hurl my self off a building. And I've done it before (sit behind a desk, I mean). My primary goal in life is, and should be happiness. And I want to be happy, not money grubbing. I don't ever need to drive a Mercedes or wear a Rolex. I do know that its tough for a single mom (mine) to raise two kids while pulling down 40k. I do know that I blew my first chance in college. I want a job where I can feel productive, and have enough energy and time to run, bike, swim, or surf when I get home.

...I hope it isn't the case that 99% of the dentists out there are in it because of the teeth. Because frankly, I can see that after a while, even if you learned all there is about teeth and denistry, it could get boring, routine, and even disgusting. I'm trying to be open and honest about things... I know the M.O. for some is to do and say whatever, but I don't think I'm being driven by the wrong motivations. I'm trying to make this as deliberate a choice as possible. Anyone care to weigh in?

Thanks...

Well, welcome to the club. This is great, misery loves company.

I'm in the process of applying for Fall 2006. I graduated from school, joined the work force at a great entry-level position that paid me more than I was worth, and sat in an office 60-70 hours a week. For the lifestyle hit I was taking, I didn't have any other option than to look somewhere else.

Take comfort in the following... My old job, or being a lawyer, and too many other jobs out there leave you with a void of having a tangible product of your labor. With dentistry, someone comes to you with a health or aesthetic problem, and you can say, "I did that and now it's fixed."

And, the finale... If people had unlimited resources, if you never had to worry about food, shelter, and every potential mate you found was attracted to you, people wouldn't be dentists (or anything for that matter). Many of the kids in the health care fields were goaded that way from youth, so when they tell you all they want to be is a dentist, it's true. That's fine, and psychologically that may put you at a disadvantage, but just like anything in life, you gotta stick to your convictions and realize that no one is any more sure than you where their happiness lies.

That will be our downfall, if we assume that others want to be dentists worse than we do.