To become a dentist??

[Roxy85]

I have wanted to be a dentist for a few years now and had been going to school to pursue it. Up until last year when I moved states and took a sabbatical from school. My dilemma is that this desire keeps resurfacing and it seems that little synchronicities are happening in my life. For example, last night at my Toastmasters meeting one of the impromptu questions were about going to the dentist, just last week I spoke with my dad and he had gone to the dentist, two weeks ago I played dentist on my dog and removed some built up plaque, etc. The problem that I am having is committing the next 6 or 7 years to becoming a dentist when I am not 100% convinced this is what I should be doing. Also, I have had numerous people tell me the negative aspects of dentistry, the back pain, that it's the a suicide killer, people don't pay their bills and dentist have collection problems, dentist cause pain so people don't like them, etc.

I was hoping people on this forum would possibly have some incite into the field or even a dentist that could comment. She I go ahead and commit to at least finish undergrad in biology and then apply to dental school? Should I first try and get a job in a dental office to see what it is like? (I have shadowed a dentist before too).

Thank you all for you help!!

[zhango]

Yes, you should finish your undergrad in biology - assuming biology is interesting to you, and assuming you're close to finishing. If no on both counts, spend some time exploring what you enjoy and what you're good at; friends can be very helpful here in spotting what you do easily that others do not.

In any case, it's rarely a good idea for anyone to go straight into professional or grad school immediately after college. You probably don't yet know the range of what you can do to make a living, and more importantly, enjoy it - and there are a *lot* of dissatisfied lawyers, doctors, dentists, educators, etc. out there, who are stuck in their jobs because they don't know anything else.

So my suggestion would be: Take at least 2 years off after college to work, and possibly starting a venture if you feel at all entrepreneurial (as you've got nothing to lose - and that's a huge advantage). Maybe part of that time will be spent working for a dentist, maybe not. But with work experience gained, if and when you go back to school (dental or otherwise) you'll be more focused and confident than 80% of your peers, who chose security (or succumbed to peer pressure) rather than take the risk of learning who they are and what they're going to contribute in this life.

Hope that helps!

p.s. See the book "Getting What You Came For - the smart student's guide to getting a Masters or Ph.D." for a thorough discussion of why it's a bad idea to go straight to professional/grad school.

[PhilippKnoll]

It seems to me that you are simply afraid to make this dicision.
I would suggest you go with your feeling. Don't take to much time to think through all possible outcomes. Just act the way your heart tells you to and see where this leeds you to.

This is what I have done:

I studied communication science at universtiy. I did not care to find a job in that field. As a little boy I had been fascinated by the police. I though about joining the police force after graduating from high school. For some reason I decided to go to university instead.
My studies where not even finished when I finally went for it. I joined the police force at the age of 29 (still completing my studies).

I loved it (parts of it) but only one year after joining I could not picture myself doing that job for years to come. I quit!


What I want to illustrate by this little episode is that it is never to late to chance the direction you are headed to even if it means to make a U-turn.

Hope that help you a little!
Greetings,
Philipp

[Robert Avila]

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.

[Roxy85]

Thank you everyone for such kind support and encouragement. As you can probably tell I am still very young and very undecided! I was discussing this with my husband (as he would definitely be impacted financially and otherwise) and he made some very important points. Like you Robert, I am very intrigued by the business side of dentistry: having my own office, staff, large income, etc. However I rarely mentioned anything about the actual actions of a dentist...working on teeth! He pointed out that of everything I have ever wanted to do, it always comes back to owning my own business and being the boss. I don't know why I didn't realize this before. I guess, as Steve has pointed out, that I have been conditioned to think that in order to feel fulfilled, I must go to school and become a doctor, lawyer, teacher etc.

I think I will take your suggestion zhango and continue my break from school. I think eventually I will go back and finish, but right now I'm not sure what would be the best degree for me. I think I may find a job with a dentist and try that out for a while, then maybe try something else.

Maybe the synchronicities happening in my life are to tell me to go to the dentist! haha. It is getting close to the time I need my biyearly cleaning!

As an aside, Philipp. My husband is a police officer and he too thought that it was going to be his dream career. Now he is hoping to get out after his two year commitment is up!

Thank you again to everyone for your help. It is always nice to see a fresh point of view.