Want to drop out of dental school as a D1.

[sally1]

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I'm doing fine in school but filled with dread each time I go to clinic. I enjoy learning about didactics, but feel so hopeless about the future because I dislike the operational part of dentistry. Currently I have no debt from school. I feel so lost because I don't know what else I can do with a BS in biology. Should I continue school and try to find non-clinical opportunities in dental? Does the feeling of not liking dentistry subside over time? I would appreciate any advice. Thank you!

 

[yappy]

I'm doing fine in school but filled with dread each time I go to clinic. I enjoy learning about didactics, but feel so hopeless about the future because I dislike the operational part of dentistry. Currently I have no debt from school. I feel so lost because I don't know what else I can do with a BS in biology. Should I continue school and try to find non-clinical opportunities in dental? Does the feeling of not liking dentistry subside over time? I would appreciate any advice. Thank you!

If you truly don’t like dentistry then now would be the best time to quit. Before quitting you should figure out why you don’t like it and if that’s something that will go away with time and practice or stay. Learning about dentistry is necessary but the job is actually doing dentistry. Good luck

 

[OncePreDent]

While interviewing at a school (University of Minnesota), two of the faculty members said this as well, and something along the lines of "If you ever feel like dentistry isn't for you, please talk to us. We can talk about different opportunities as a dentist." However, everyone's situation is different. Where are your passions? Why did you initially want to become a dentist, and what would you do if you didn't do dentistry? Is it the patient interaction you dislike or just the dental work? Is it dental school itself? Everything combined?

It depends on what your end goals are. It wouldn't make sense to become a dentist if you think there is a different field that would align more with your goals. No field will be perfect, but it doesn't sound fun to wake up dreading what you are doing every day.

 

[sally1]

While interviewing at a school (University of Minnesota), two of the faculty members said this as well, and something along the lines of "If you ever feel like dentistry isn't for you, please talk to us. We can talk about different opportunities as a dentist." However, everyone's situation is different. Where are your passions? Why did you initially want to become a dentist, and what would you do if you didn't do dentistry? Is it the patient interaction you dislike or just the dental work? Is it dental school itself? Everything combined?

It depends on what your end goals are. It wouldn't make sense to become a dentist if you think there is a different field that would align more with your goals. No field will be perfect, but it doesn't sound fun to wake up dreading what you are doing every day.

I worked as a dental assistant prior to going to school and I enjoyed working with patients. But i didn't realize how intricate and small the procedures in dentistry were. It gives me so much anxiety inflicting pain on pts during procedures. My hands shake even when I'm doing stuff in SIM lab. Also I'm a more introverted person, and I didn't realize how much of the days were spent talking. I actually enjoy the didactic lectures in school, just not clinical/hands on parts.

 

[schmoob]

I worked as a dental assistant prior to going to school and I enjoyed working with patients. But i didn't realize how intricate and small the procedures in dentistry were. It gives me so much anxiety inflicting pain on pts during procedures. My hands shake even when I'm doing stuff in SIM lab. Also I'm a more introverted person, and I didn't realize how much of the days were spent talking. I actually enjoy the didactic lectures in school, just not clinical/hands on parts.

So to me it sounds as though you don’t hate dentistry, but hate restorative dentistry.
There’s always the option of specializing in radiology and oral medicine and sticking to academia.
If that doesn’t sound great either, then I would leave school, don’t think about medical school either, and maybe consider law.

 

[c.s.Snarl]

Dang -- writing this up at ~11 pm on a Friday. Spend more time in lab and you'll get more comfortable with your tools. You won't feel fully comfortable drilling until a full year into working on patients. Even when you're comfortable with a handpiece, the first time you do a procedure will always be a bit nerve-wracking. That's part of the process.

If you don't like operating at that point, dental anesthesiologist or pathology are alternative pathways. You mentioned liking didactics -- you could pivot and go into medical school. That would set you back years though.

 

[Saddleshoes]

Dentistry is a glorified handicraft job working on people.

IF your hands aren't there and working with people makes you uncomfortable...
...Get Out Now, before you get trapped in the student debt meat grinder and have no choice but to push forward.

 

[charlestweed]

You said you don't have any debt. So your parents must have helped you. Please don't waste your parents' yrs of hard work and sacrifice. College and dental school education are not cheap. PLEASE FINISH DENTAL SCHOOL. Graduating with zero debt will be a huge plus. Not a lot of students here have such great help from their parents.

No. Your feeling of not liking dentistry will not subside. It actually gets worse with time. Dentistry is just a job and there is no such thing as a fun job that you will enjoy. People have to work at the job that they dislike in order to support their family. You will hate it more when you work as an associate because you have zero control of staff hiring/firing...of supply orders....of the volume of patients you have to see. Dentistry is a people profession and many of your patients are picky and a pain to deal with. But the biggest pro is you will have a very secured job. You don't have to worry about mass layoffs that many engineers are facing. Job security is the main reason I pursued dentistry and I am glad I made the right decision.

You are right. It's hard to get a job with a Bio degree. You are what 22-23 yo? You are not getting any younger. Gotta have a solid career plan now, especially if you plan to get married and have kids. My friend got a Bio degree from Princeton 20 yrs ago. He had worked at different jobs and finally decided to go go back to school for dentistry. He got his DDS degree at age 47. Fortunately, his wife is a physician, who earns good enough income to support their 3 kids.

Sorry for sounding like an old man. That's because I am an old man. I too have a son, who is around your age. I am more afraid of him than he is afraid of me. I have just brided him with an 8-day trip to Japan and Korea this coming Summer. He already took the MCAT. He promised us that he will apply for med school this coming May.

 

[LFA20]

I'm doing fine in school but filled with dread each time I go to clinic. I enjoy learning about didactics, but feel so hopeless about the future because I dislike the operational part of dentistry. Currently I have no debt from school. I feel so lost because I don't know what else I can do with a BS in biology. Should I continue school and try to find non-clinical opportunities in dental? Does the feeling of not liking dentistry subside over time? I would appreciate any advice. Thank you!

You are probably writing this after coming back from LAB practicing on those class II preps/restoration lol... It will get better for sure trust me. Also, you can specialize and not do restorative dentistry if you don't like it.

 

[Anondds87]

I used to get incredibly stressed with lab, could barely sleep the night before. A big part of it was I just wasn't very good. It's a strange position to be in, dental students are used to having good grades their whole life and doing really well at school, and you always know what it takes to do well. And then you get thrust into lab and clinic where it's a totally different game and you realise "booksmarts" have no translation to clinic. It's purely practical. It's a strange change to deal with, suddenly you aren't competent and have no idea what it takes to get competent. You can't just study more at home, you only have limited time in lab to improve, and it's rushed, you feel helpless.
I hated dentistry though most of the degree and wanted to switch to med. I stuck with it. It gets better once you stop having professors looking over your shoulder at your work.
If you're not going to have any debt, stick with it. But if you were D1 in a 600,000 program I would say drop out now

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums. I'm sorry you didn't find us sooner during your application process.

On the admissions front, many of us are fully aware that most students think it's just about grades and DAT scores. Most fail to understand we want to see strong comfort level working in tight spaces and practicing over and over until you get the margins right. The faculty are generally confident that everyone can do it. How much help have you asked from faculty? You'd be surprised how helpful they can be to help you overcome your anxieties and frustrations. Go seek some counseling too. There was a reason you wanted to do dentistry and the faculty was confident you can do it. But ask for help.

 

[New_Vegas]

I worked as a dental assistant prior to going to school and I enjoyed working with patients. But i didn't realize how intricate and small the procedures in dentistry were. It gives me so much anxiety inflicting pain on pts during procedures. My hands shake even when I'm doing stuff in SIM lab. Also I'm a more introverted person, and I didn't realize how much of the days were spent talking. I actually enjoy the didactic lectures in school, just not clinical/hands on parts.

The small intricate procedures seem difficult at first but eventually will become easy. There is a lot about being a dentist that sucks, but you will find that with any career. If you are an introvert you can always just work as an associate, and you won't have to worry about trying to market yourself or your practice. You kinda just show up to work and do your thing. It's not too late to quit, but you may find you hate whatever else you decide to do next too.

 

[omfsing]

if you want to finish and don’t really wanna do something procedural on patients then consider

1. Oral radiology
2. Oral pathology
3. Orofacial pain
4. Dental anesthesiology (you may have to intubate patients, however)

Good luck

 

[schmoob]

if you want to finish and don’t really wanna do something procedural on patients then consider

1. Oral radiology
2. Oral pathology
3. Orofacial pain
4. Dental anesthesiology (you may have to intubate patients, however)

Good luck

I agree.

Some thoughts - path will likely have to do biopsies. DA will be intubating every day and using tools like a laryngoscope for airway management.

I think the least hands-on on your list is oral radiology. Work for beamreaders, write your reports and enjoy life.

 

[D1Bound]

Why are you here? Ask yourself that. For me there was never any option to ever quit. I would never lay down and allow myself to lose. That’s how I got into dental school, that’s how I finished with an excellent class rank and GPA, and that’s how I got into residency. Figure something out to turn on the ignition. Read David Goggins book. Do anything. Find your why and don’t let go no matter what.

 

[Faefly]

Better quit at D1 then at D4.
It won't get easy...it will only get tougher!

But you need to study something else. Quiting without a plan and relying on bio degree is not gonna help you!

Unless your parents have money and connections and you can take over their bussiness...