r/DentalSchool

Hello everyone I just recently started my D1 fall semester this week and I’ve learned about a lot of gunners at my state school. I’ve been mainly interested in OMFS but have been interested in other specialties as well and wanted to keep my options open going into school and through my first two years at least to see. Over the past few weeks I’ve learned about around 10 other students all interested in OMFS and found out around 5 of them already studying for the CBSE and I’ve heard a couple mention they are already planning on taking the exam in May of next year.

I just think this is super early in dental school to begin all of this. I’m trying not to compare myself but but I feel like there are so many in my class and I’m falling behind. Is this normal at other schools? Am I taking too long before committing to a specialty? Should I be studying earlier than D2 for the CBSE?

Hiii everyone.

I'm currently in my third year of dental school. For background, I was never really that passionate about dentistry and just chose it because it seemed like a good career. Good income, relatively good work-life balance, flexibility. I'm not really that passionate about anything else either, so it just seemed like a good choice.

Going through dental school has been quite rough for me, I don't really enjoy the practical aspect and I'm not naturally a hands-on person to begin with (yeah... I ask myself why I chose dental school all the time). What gets to me most is being watched and evaluated all the time, the constant critique, and knowing that a mistake on my part could cause someone lasting harm. Also just the manual labour. If I could go back and choose a different path I think I would. I've literally been fantasizing about a cozy job that is low stakes where I can just turn up at my cubicle and use my brain to do the work instead of my hands, and mistakes don't involve a patient's health. But still, the positives - flexibility and work-life balance especially, are hard to find elsewhere at a similar income level. If these were the only issues, I think I could have made peace with it and finished the degree.

Now here's where it gets funny (not). I recently started noticing a tremor in my hands and went to go visit the neurologist, who diagnosed me with essential tremor. It's mild at the moment but definitely noticeable at times, and while I still think I'll be able to make it through dental school, I'm more worried about the long-term outcomes since it's a progressive condition. Now I'm thinking even if I graduate, will I even be able to work long-term? The neurologist did prescribe medication, but it doesn't work that well and the idea of relying on medication indefinitely just to sustain a career is hard to accept. And the fact that I wasn't even enjoying dentistry in the first place makes me think whether I should drop out and do something else altogether. I’m 24 so I feel like I still have some time to start over.

I'd love some advice. Should I drop out? Or just finish the degree and see from there? Any careers I should look into?

Thanks so much in advance 🥹

im a d2 and i hate removable sooooooo much. D1 was a cake walk cuz i have no probelm with didactics and operative. D2 is not bad either, except prostho.

Removable prostho makes me feel so incompetent. I literally have to repeat every step 2-3 times and i fuck up everything while other ppl seem to do fine. Im seriously starting to question my ability to become a dentist. Is this normal??

do you guys know any good studytubers/influencers who are dental students? kay b chung i know and very much adore, but i have a hard time finding other dental students online tbh. the content can be aesthetic or more chaotic like kay, i don’t mind

hi guys! i am currently looking to graduate with 215k in debt without interest. I believe with interest it will be around 240k but my goal is to pay off the interest as much as i can while i am in school. I was wondering if anyone has any advice on how paying them off should look? what would you do as a graduated dentist? i know everyone has different goals, i think mine would potentially include residency but not sure yet so i would love some advice!

Help me find a dupe!!

Guys is there a dupe for this?

I am a D4 looking to apply to surgery heavy and clinically demanding AEGD programs. Does anyone have any information on the Foundry Dental Center and what the residency program entails?

I swear in this week and am wondering the process of applying for my CAC ID as well as how reimbursements work.

Hi! Im an incoming D1 and I am planning to start studying for cbse in my D1 year since my dental school’s D1 curriculum is known to be pretty chill. I would rly appreciate if there is anyone who can help me with some advice.. I know what resources ppl use to study like uworld, sketchy, bootcamp, pathoma, boards and beyonds and whatnot but I don’t rly know how to use them efficiently or even what to use first or what to use later. If there’s anyone who took cbse I can pm I would rly appreciate it.

Hello everyone! Like the title states, I ranked really low in my class. I thought I wasn't doing well in dental school because I was lazy (kept having flu-like symptoms but negative swab results, migraines, etc.), but turns out I had an abscess in my thoracic cavity that was causing me really bad health issues. I had to take time off during school due to this problem. At the time I was still not feeling well because I was misdiagnosed, but I went back and finished! I'm a military dentist now and got proper treatment for my problem. I'm doing a lot better and have an interest in specializing. I'm thinking of working active duty for a while, doing CE courses in what I'm interested in, working in the department/shadowing specialists in the field I'm interested in. Do you guys think this would help balance out my poor transcript?

Hi everyone. I failed my temporary bridge exam 3 consecutive times. I can’t even say why it happened since we’re not allowed to receive feedback on our exam submissions. The exam is 3:30 hours and you have to prepare 2 teeth and make an acrylic bridge from scratch at the simulation lab, and this format is very hard for me and I always get super anxious towards the end. I practiced a ton and received generally good feedback on my work from my friends.
I spoke to our advisor and she told me I might get my fourth and final attempt in about two weeks, and if I fail that I will have to repeat the entire year including all of the courses that I have passed. I don’t have the money to pay for an additional year, and this whole situation made me think about quitting dental school entirely. I feel like a total failure. Do you think I should quit?

Hi everyone,

I'm about to start dental school, and I have Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) — I experience floaters, afterimages, constant visual static, and light sensitivity.

Dentistry involves long hours of close-up, detailed work under bright direct lighting, and I'm trying to figure out realistically whether that's manageable with VSS, or whether I should reconsider.

Has anyone here been diagnosed with VSS and gone on to study or practice dentistry? Or if you have a different but visually-demanding job with VSS, I'd really appreciate hearing how you manage it and what (if anything) has actually helped.

Any honest experiences or advice — good or bad — would mean a lot. Thank you!

Bruh did they just spawn a new dental school? Yeshiva last year larkin this year??? Welcome to the newest branch of the pharmacy profession!

I know the grass is always greener, but does anyone ever wish they had gone to med school instead? For those who’ve seriously considered both, anyone think it worth the switch

New D2 here and I hate my school. My class had a couple drop so we have open seats and while I wouldn’t ever go that far it sure would be nice to have the option to go somewhere else.

hello,

I am a D4 in a US dental school. I have short listed 4 programs for GPR which allow students to place implants and perform molar Endos. I want to know if anyone has any program recommendation.

Hello, I hope everyone is doing well. I am looking for genuine and hard-hitting advice.

I am not typically the one to do this but I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. I am entering my fourth year but frankly feel closer to a D3 in terms of personal/professional growth and clinical requirements. I have $500-600k in student loan debt and invested a lot of time so I feel compelled to continue but have lost virtually all drive to do so. I know it is the logical choice to finish up and at least obtain the degree and quitting now would be financial and cultural suicide. Even if I manage to graduate, I don't see myself having longevity in this career.

Why did I go into dentistry in the first place:

1. I do want to and enjoy helping people.
2. I grew up with curiosity and like to work with my hands. Seeing how things worked and problem solving is what I do. Some examples include vehicles, electronics, and watches.
3. There is high expectations of me as a first generation student from my parents. Anyone familiar with Eastern culture will know that higher education, earning potential, and "status" is highly stressed.

During D1 and D2, I did quite well academically (top 75-90th percentile) and still pursued personal interests. I took every opportunity to improve myself both personally and professionally. I exercised and ate well; I took good care of myself and was a great spouse in my relationship.

Now, I am lost during my D3 and D4 and behind on clinical requirements. I find myself making every excuse to not show up in clinic. At this point, repeating a year or at least staying past expected graduation date is expected. I only do the bare minimum to not get dismissed (although I fear this may be coming). I don't do or enjoy the things I used to. I no longer exercise regularly and eat either too little or much with weight fluctuations. Additionally, I am drinking more than I should and doomscrolling to cope. I am aware I am engaging in self destructive and sabotaging activities. I am not giving my all in my relationship and my spouse is concerned about my wellbeing and future as a husband/father (no kids yet) and for obviously good reasons.

I have boiled things down to the fact that I have great difficulty operating on real people and the responsibility associated with that which is very ironic and jeopardizing to my dental career. I understand that making mistakes is a part of learning/training and that reflecting on this and getting more exposure is the way to overcome this. However, I just can't help myself from ruminating and being paralyzed in clinic. I'm not sure, maybe I am just lazy and weak.

I have physical and mental health issues that started in undergrad and am being treated and taking medication for them; I had a brain injury that left me hospitalized for a week which may be related. However, my hand skills and dexterity remains intact, at least presently. Additionally, my upbringing has had long-term effects on me in terms of social interactions and how I approach authority. There is a nasty cycle where these aspects are affecting my school performance but also school is affecting my personal life.

I don't know what to do, perhaps dentistry (or healthcare in general) is not my calling. If I continue the way I am, nothing will improve. I know that you have to start somewhere but feel like I have dug myself a hole I can't get out of. Small changes are simply not enough at this point. I have considered a leave of absence but not sure if time off will benefit me and I believe there are student loan repercussions as well, especially with the recent federal policy changes. If I withdraw, I am left with the shame of doing so from myself and my family; there will be uncertainty with my finances although I am open-minded to many forms of opportunities. Thankfully, my spouse is understanding of this but even I know there is so much before the camel's back is broken.

Any advice, suggestions, criticisms, words of encouragement, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Thank you and I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy.

I’m trying to figure out if refinancing my dental school loans actually makes sense when the balance is still pretty large. I still have a lot of student debt from dental school, and the interest adds up faster than I’d like. I’m wondering if refinancing could lower my monthly payment or save me a decent amount in interest without creating other problems down the road.

I’ve looked at a few refinance options, but it’s hard to tell whether the savings are actually worth giving up the benefits of federal loans.

For anyone who has done this with a large dental school loan balance, was refinancing worth it for you?

I'm a graduate dentist in a 3rd world country and I didn't work as a dentist at all and I hate it because this degree keeps me stuck where I am so I never really cared about being a skilled dentist, it's been 3yrs since I graduated and all I did is shit jobs and now idont even know what to do ,I'm depressed , isolated and failed in life

What passes me off is since day one at dental university, I didn't want it ,

I went to a medical field because since childhood,y parents told me I'll fail in life if I didn't

But I'm still responsible for my choices

I was sooo lost and I wish go go back and do things differently because this ruined life

Anyone in the same boat?