Anyone entered dentistry as a back up?

[Guest nav29]

Hi

 

I dont want to evoke any negative emotions, so let me start by saying that i feel that both dentistry and medicine are fabulous careers. I was just wondering if there is anyone on this forum who entered dentistry because they did not gain admission to medical school, and if you are happy with your decision. Also, is there anyone who is currently struggling with the decision of either starting dentistry or forgoing it and reapplying to medicine? In other words, do people move on happily or are there regrets?

 

Thanks.

[Guest cutieyellow]

I am not saying this is the ideal path to take, but i do have quite a few dentists in my class. They completed their dentistry degree and then switched over to med. I think they worked like a few months in the summer and that was it.

 

CY

[Guest nav29]

Hi

 

Wow, so did all of those students complete their entire dentistry degree before starting medicine? Do you know if any of the students gained admission to medicine following the first year of dentistry?

I dont mind switching after first year, but I can't imagine going through 4 years of dentistry and then starting medicine. I would rather just start residency at that point.

 

Thanks.

[Guest cutieyellow]

The people i know finished their whole degree. I don't know what province you're in, but most provinces require you to finish a degree before you can apply to medicine.

 

I can see how it would be a long path to take, but then again, i'm in Quebec, you get access to dentistry right after cegep and therefore, it's just a slightly longer undergrad. Therefore, i guess they are not faced with as much of the long years syndrome that you're looking at. Also, i guess that when you REALLY REALLY want something, you'll do it anyways. The oldest man in the class above me is in his forties. In my class though, i think the oldest is ~35.

 

CY

[Guest noncestvrai]

Personnaly, I never thought of doing dent, even if it is a very noble profession. It's a question of taste I guess, neither pharmacy. I would rather do research, which I will do even as a medical doctor.

 

noncestvrai

[Guest cutieyellow]

It definitely is a question of taste, as not everyone would like to have dentistry as a backup plan, ie. me! Although i believe dentistry to be a great profession, i really didn't see myself doing that for the rest of my life. On the other hand, pharmacy was my backup plan. I really thoroughly enjoyed it, and wouldn't have minded doing it for the rest of my life. As for research, i loved every single minute of it, however, as a life time career, i wasn't willing to spend the rest of my life typing in research proposals for grant purposes.

 

And as NCV said, it really depends on each own taste and preferences.

 

CY

[Guest nav29]

Hi

 

Thanks for your response. Also, thank you so much for telling me that there may be provincial regulations that may require me to complete my dentistry degree before applying to medicine. I will definitely have to look into that, since that will definitely be a determing factor for me, since I want to re-apply to medicine while in my first year of dentistry.

 

Bye

[Guest quebecboy]

Hey Nav29,

 

Although dentistry may seem to be a great back-up plan, considering a few courses are the same (embryology, histology, ...), it is important to remember that in most dental schools, you have equipment to purchase. Two of my friends are in dentistry at Laval University, and they spent near $8000 on equipment the first year. If you don't get in after the first year (God forbid), you have another $8000 to spend in the second year, third and fourth (not sure about fourth though, it may be slightly less). So, by the time you start meds, you may have quite a bit of debt.

 

Quebecboy

[Guest cloversista]

Just my personal opinion, but I don't think that it's very noble of you to enter a profession with the intentions of leaving it...you're taking up the spots of those who really want to be in dentistry. If medicine is what you really want then take a year off or do grad school, don't enter another profession.

[Guest nav29]

Hi Cloversista,

 

You have to realize that there is no guarantee of obtaining admission to medical school, and so I am not going to pass up the opportunity to receive an excellent dental education at U of T because you think my decision is not nobel. Also, I have a lot of research experience and have realized that I do not want to pursue graduate studies because I do not want to do research for the rest of my life. I prefer dentistry over graduate studies. If U of T allowed me to defer my admissions, I would have opted for that, but unfortunately that is not even an option. In addition I am only considering reapplying to my top 2 choices for medical school, and if I were guarnteed a position in next year's class, I would do the "noble" thing that you suggest. Thanks for your personal opinion though...

 

bye

[Guest tm]

Nav29-

 

Just remember that there are LOTS of things you can do for a year that are very interesting and that build character and that you could always reapply to meds. Have you already applied? Have you written your MCAT? Do you think there is a chance you will get in? Also, have you considered applying for meds in the US?

 

However, if you think Dentistry will be a career that you will be happy for for the rest of your life, I definitely think it is a good idea. If you do plan on changing over to meds later, though, I would definitely reconsider forking out the cash (and the time) for dents. It's your choice, you're the one with the spot!

[Guest cutieyellow]

I think that nav is right in that admission into medical school is NEVER ever a guaranteed thing. Therefore, if he's faced with a plan B, which is a really great plan B, he should definitely take it. Yes, he'll lose money if he does get into medical school the year after. However, if God forbids he doesn't, he'll have a great career as a dentist awaiting him. If he were to take the year off, and didn't get in next year, he would have missed out on his plan B.

 

My plan B was pharmacy. I did one year of pharmacy before i was accepted into med. Yes i did take the spot from someone that really only wanted to do pharmacy. Maybe it wasn't very 'noble' of me. However, had i not gotten into medical school, pharmacy was a profession that i would have been happy doing for the rest of my life. I wasn't going to dismiss pharmacy for one soul that didn't get in just because i wasn't planning to stay in it. I needed something to fall back upon. And i think that nav's plan for dentistry is a good one. He earned his spot and should be allowed to take it without criticism.

 

Also, think about all the people who enter any profession while being unsure if they really want to do it. Think of all the people who drop out. There's a certain number in med that does that, enter the program and abandon it...Imagine how the people on the waitlists feel when they hear about it... But guess what, tough, it's life. And people that get in have the right to attend, no matter what their ulterior plans are.

 

CY