Hi Roxy85,
WOW .... Your post really brought back some memories of my ambition to become a dentist!
Looking back I was graduating high school and wasn't really sure what profession I would pursue. By chance a bank teller had mentioned to me that her son was a dentist and that I could spend a day with him.
I decided that was the profession for me, however it was for all the wrong reasons. Being only 18 at the time, I believed a dentist was a prestigious entrepreneur with a title, an office, respect, a huge income, a big house, Fridays off, a Porsche 911 and vacations around the world. I never considered if I would enjoy the day to day life of a dentist. I never looked inside myself to see if I had a passion for the Healthcare profession.
Well, my first couple of years as an undergraduate were great .... the last two were a struggle and I didn't get into dental school. (back then I believed that life was a struggle ... and this was normal, this should have been a huge red flag for me!)
During the dental school interview (my 2nd year applying) one of the doctors/professors told me the following..
"If you fail out of this school it will not only be financially devastating, it will be humiliating"
"If you can come back next year with straight A's, I will cheer you on, I will say this guy has what it takes, if not I don't want to see your face!"
and lastly ....
"You need to take a good hard look at yourself and see what you want to do with the rest of your life"
During all this the other faculty in the interview just buried their heads and couldn't even look at me.
Finally I was asked ... "Do you have any other questions (smirk)...?"
I said yes ..."Is there anyone in this school that was in my same position?"
There was silence in the room.
One of the faculty members turned to me an said ...
"Great question, so you want to know if it can be done?"
I replied yes .... and their response was due to student confidentiality they could not tell me.
Walking out of that interview .... a senior dental student who was sitting in on my interview said .. "Wow ... he went right for your throat from the git go!" He did say there were some students that had struggled but were now succeeding and he would introduce me to them.
Rather than feeling totally demolished after this interview.... I felt a sense of relief!
I was off the hook .....the decision was made for me. This professor did me a favor by playing hard ball.
Perhaps if I wasn't in denial I would have not walked into that lions den of an interview. I would have been honest with myself and realized it wasn't my passion. Sometimes decisions we are afraid to make are made for us.
Today when I go to the dentist ... and am so happy I am on a different path ...one I am passionate about!
Sharing my experience with you isn't to be a dream stealer or steer you away from the profession, just to give you some things to think about. Hopefully it reinforces your decision to keep moving forward and follow your dream of becoming a dentist!
Your situation is so much brighter! You have an interest in Dentistry - which you have had for some time, you are seeking recommendations about your decision, you have spent time in a dental office and some of the business challenges of the profession have not changed your mind.
It's tough to be 100% certain about any decision. You can only do your best based on the facts you have in the present moment, there will always be curve balls along the way.
The more time you can spend (full days) in a dental office ... visit dental schools, and talking with several dentists will help you feel confident that you are making the right decision!
Someone with a passion to become a dentist would have entered that dental school interview prepared with a high grade point average. They would have never been met those tough questions I was asked ... but if they did - They would have continued to pursue becoming a dentist and would have made it happen -their passion and desire would drive them to succeed.
Wish you the best!
Robert Avila
PS. PhilippKnoll makes a great point ... You can change direction anytime in your life. Never feel a decision you make is forever. This puts too much pressure on that decision and the outcome. |