Before applying to dental school, read this.

ghinwa jawhari
Aug 23, 2017 · 10 min read
Image created for this content by nisoj / http://nisoj.tumblr.com/

Original post: https://authentaux.com/2018/01/01/dentisttobe/

This is the advice I wish I could’ve read in 2012: five years before graduating dental school, before delivering a speech at my commencement as president of the student body, before admission to my current residency program. I want to emphasize that I am absolutely not deterring you from applying. The articles I’ve come across that ‘expose the ills’ of dental school are often bitter, poorly veiled bids to get you to quit. This is no such attempt, and any post that advises you not to pursue your calling should always be taken with a grain (or tablespoon) of salt. This essay is not the jam of sour grapes; it is not a vindictive rant against my profession or my schooling. It is a brief deconstruction of the rigorous and expensive venture that 12,000+ applicants seek to begin in the United States each year.

I am the first and — so far — only dentist in my family. My shadowing experience was limited to the pristine local office of my orthodontist. This man I considered a magician. I gave him eighteen months and a few thousand dollars I had saved during my teens; he gave me confidence and beauty like I had never known, a miraculous, matchless gift. All I could think of in the months following my twenty-first birthday was how much I wanted to give what he had given me to others. To this day, I do not pass a mirror or shop window without smiling with both rows of teeth. He is easily responsible for thousands of my smiles since then; I assume, when summed with his other patients, the number exceeds one million.

For the first time in my life, I felt both fearless and conformed. I could smile without covering my mouth with my hands. Throw my head back and laugh. I discovered I loved my laugh. Suddenly, I could be engaging, charming, wild. My teeth became irresistibly beautiful to me, these odd almost-bones that I had hated enough to ignore before. Now I flossed and cared for them. I didn’t go to sleep without ensuring they were clean enough to squeak. Certainly, there were other detrimental consequences: I was given ample attention, not always from people who genuinely cared for me. The dork-to-damsel social awakening (and its repercussions) is another essay for another day.

After my treatment, I knew dentistry had altered me irrevocably — how I saw myself and how others saw me — so I dropped my dreams of medical school in an overnight panic and decided to become a dentist instead. Today, as a general dentist, I am able to give my patients that same confidence and self-love with crowns, dentures, fixed partial dentures, implants, veneers, and even composite restorations. Each time a patient looks in our office mirror and tears up with gratitude (or whenever they post a selfie to Snapchat while still in the chair), I know I picked the right career.

I received my DMD in May this year, but I still balk at how quickly it happened. I was twenty-one when I decided to take the DAT instead of the MCAT; I did not spend a single minute mulling over the switch in careers. I had prepared for medicine through high school; I shadowed handfuls of physicians in all disciplines. I had read about the specialties of medicine, learned about the fair-weather tides of insurance, worked up an interest for public health. I had wanted to become a doctor since I was old enough to know what a doctor was. I remember with uncanny clarity marching out of my pediatrician’s office in 1997, a pretzel in my fist and a sticker on my shirt, thinking, “Well, one day I will be giving out pretzels and stickers too” — a tall order for a six-year-old who had just been assured she was below the growth curve.

My dentist never cared for me the way my pediatrician did. I felt that my teeth were ugly as a child and as a result, I never cared for them: they were the source of my shyness and shame. I lied when my mother asked me if I had brushed. I never flossed. I ate bags of Famous Amos cookies and dozens of lollipops from my father’s pizzeria. Before I was twelve, nearly every posterior tooth in my mouth had an amalgam restoration in it. If my dentist was concerned about my high caries risk, he never made it known to me or my mother. He reeked of cigarettes and gin, only barked one-word commands when my jaw grew lazy beneath his drill. I despised the plastic bin of mismatched puzzles in his waiting room.

Despite the stark contrast between the pediatrician I loved and the dentist I abhorred, the drop-of-a-hat swap from her career to his never felt wrong to me during the application process. Like all other students, I just wanted to get admitted. I had asked so many questions of medicine throughout my youth, but I entered dentistry blind and credulously trusting. My reasons, of course, are clear to me now — I didn’t have enough time to start exploring the finite pixels of a new career, a fact I must’ve realized subconsciously. Besides, I was still riding an otherworldly high from having my braces removed. Part of my love affair with dentistry was just that — a serendipitous love I hadn’t expected to find. I had been swept off my feet (a tad narcissistic: I was in love with the new me, and by default in love with the profession that had made me so) and no amount of rational forethought was going to stop me from making the commitment.

I mention these anecdotal highlights to preface the details every soon-to-be dental student should consider prior to applying.

1. Understand — visually and physically — what your days will be like. You can only do this by observing several dentists. Definitely include specialists (oral surgeons, periodontists, orthodontists, endodontists, pedodontists, geriatric dentists) in addition to general practitioners. Go to both private offices and hospital settings. Some guiding questions:

  • Why did you want to become a dentist?
  • How has dentistry changed you?
  • If given the opportunity, would you go back and do it again?
  • What is most rewarding about your profession?
  • What is something you wish you could change about your job?
  • Has dentistry allowed you to pursue other goals or desires?

If you come from a family of dentists, do not only shadow your mother or uncle. Nepotism may secure a job for you post-graduation, but it will be impossible to tell if you’re suited for the challenges of the field if you are only spending time with dentists who baby you. Reach out to a new dentist in your community.

2.Pick a city that speaks to you. Dental school is a four-year commitment with few breaks. After first year, you will be working through summers. So consider completing your DMD or DDS in a city that speaks to your soul — whether that is your hometown, a big city, or a quiet countryside. If you are unhappy with where you are living, you’ll be unhappy in school, too. Live close to your university because late-night lab runs will become the norm after your second year. No one wants to Uber back to the ‘burbs at 3 a.m. (although I did convince two of my Uber drivers to eventually become my patients).

3. Become exceptional. Continue to demand excellence. You’ll grow up so much in dental school because you’ll be faced with a challenge each day. Look at setbacks as learning experiences and continue to grow. At the same time, never stop demanding fair treatment and care from your school and faculty — because they definitely will demand punctuality and hard work from you.

With that in mind, know what to expect at the door. Speak with dental faculty, students, and other academic representatives before you apply. This is especially auspicious if they come from the school you want to attend, but information from any university will aid you. You may want to know:

  • What do you look for in an applicant?
  • What do dental students struggle with most in their first year?
  • Why did you decide to pursue academia in dentistry?
  • Do you also work at a private practice?
  • Do you feel the school listens to and addresses the concerns of the student body?
  • How many students graduating from your program go into private practice? Into residencies? Into specialty programs?
  • Do you have an effective financial aid adviser to help students manage loans and debt?

4. Get dental before admission. If you have a pre-dental society at your university, join it. If you don’t, start one. You’ll be communicating to your school of choice that you’re committed to improving the field. Pre-dental societies are able to:

  • Bring local dentists and specialists to the university to lecture after class.
  • Set up networking events with other campuses or with dental schools.
  • Bring oral health awareness into the community through volunteer events at elementary schools, nursing homes, or free clinics.
  • Allow you to spend time with like-minded colleagues who are also passionate about the field.
  • Partner with pre-medical societies to tackle interprofessional projects.

5. Don’t dwell on the D. You read that correctly. Dedicate time to other passions, too. (Let me clarify — ‘D’ here means dentistry). Even the most enthusiastic dentist finds time to play guitar, cook, crochet, go cafe-hunting or bar-hopping with besties, or enjoys a roadside jog with their corgi.

Having a left and right brain makes you human. But even if your interests are strictly and solemnly science, your application won’t be as competitive if you’re touting the same triple threat as everyone else (chemistry, biology, biochemistry). Consider a minor in physics or mathematics if your brain happens to bend that way.

Alternatively, double major in the arts (I received my BA in English and BA in Chemistry in 2013, with a surplus of art and language classes sprinkled in between). At every single dental school interview I completed, the interviewer(s) asked about my humanities degree. I feel I was far more competitive as an applicant because I was unique amid the droves of other science majors. Anything that sets you apart (a part-time job, research, a service trip, etc.) is worth highlighting on your application.

Another reason to continue to participate in your hobbies: you’ll need a healthy work-life balance in dental school. The four years are physically and mentally demanding. Much of your time outside of nine-to-five will still include dentistry (studying, completing lab projects, preparing for board exams). Before applying, explore what you truly love. This will be your safe place in the midst of forthcoming long hours and sleepless nights.

6. Budget appropriately. Expect and accept debt. If no one is footing your tuition during dental school, you will need to take out loans. Many students graduate with over $200,000 of debt (if they attend their state school) or over $380,000 (if they attend a private university).

When we are young and caught in the fervor and rush of application season, these numbers don’t seem threatening. But consider that new dentists usually start at only $90,000 a year — from that, you will need to pay taxes, disability insurance, life insurance, and your living expenses. Meanwhile, the money you borrowed for dental school will continue to accrue interest with the federal government. Touch base with an accountant or financial adviser early (not just the adviser your school provides, because they may not give you a full picture). You need to pay back every penny that you owe, a daunting thought. Learning to live with debt (in a healthy and responsible way) is an unfortunate reality for today’s dental grads.

Recent graduates are a practical resource. Unlike the dentists who graduated before you were born, these doctors know what it’s like to borrow loans in the tattered economy of our generation.

7. Consider a state school if debt scares you, or a loan-repayment program. Students often feel that a private school will prepare them better, but keep in mind that you can always complete a residency (GPR or AEGD) if you feel that you lack skills after completing your four years — and believe me, most of us do. Not every private university is guaranteed to give you a better education than its state school counterpart. Focus on the skills you’ll learn in school instead of a name. Even an Ivy grad is useless if they can’t properly access a canal or administer anesthesia.

Tuition dollars are available to students who join the military, or who are considering working in under-served neighborhoods. Ask your school loan adviser for more information, and definitely speak to students who are taking this route before signing any contracts.

8. Become organized. Don’t wait for dental school to start. Dental school smashes into you several credits at a time; there will be no time to purchase binder dividers when you are already three assignments behind.

The students who succeeded in my program were those who kept tabs — literally — on everything, kept their drawers spotless, printed their lectures and highlighted along in class. To that end, keep yourself tidy and presentable. This habit will ease that pangs of inevitable impostor syndrome.

Consider, too, the breadth of your working field. Each day, you will be asked to treat an area a few millimeters wide. A dentist with an unsightly tray, haphazard record-keeping system, or unhygienic approach will not be successful in school or in practice.

9. Make friends, not frenemies. Get in the teamwork mindset. Keep yourself humble. Dedicate yourself to fostering a communal atmosphere for yourself and your classmates. You will get farther in life if you ask for help, if you network appropriately, if you say ‘good morning’ each day to staff, faculty, and students. Maintaining a positive attitude, staying optimistic, studying with colleagues, and working together will reap many rewards. If you want to go far, go together.

10. Last but not least, remember that dentistry is — first and foremost — all about the patient, not the tooth. You need to love people a whole lot in order to work in their mouths. Their smile starts with yours.

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ghinwa jawhari

Written by

linguist / feminist / dentist • based in manhattan. blogging at authentaux.com

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