Does anyone else hate telling people you're a pre-dent/pre-med ?

[Kurk]

Am I the only one who avoids telling people my plans in college? I'm planning on majoring in cell bio but when people ask I just say bio so they don't think I'm some pompous nerd. The follow-up question is then "do you have any plans after college? Do you know what you want to pursue?" which I respond to with "oh I'm not sure yet; just testing the waters".

At that point they usually think I'm an idiot; but I'm more comfortable with that then telling them I'm pursuing dentistry. With the few I tell they follow up with: "You want to be a dentist?" or "You know they have the highest suicide rate, right?". One prominent businessman mentor of mine told the traditional story about dentists killing themselves in corporate dentistry and then said, "So if you want to be a dentist go ahead; I'll even provide the gun".

Anyone else feel the same?

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[Likkriue]

No I don't overthink things.

 

[Kreinstein]

I say it with a perfect mix of pride and humility. Pride because my entire family respects the hard work I am putting in. Humility because I know anybody can choose pre-dental, but also fully understand the dedication and sacrifice it takes to succeed and advance to the next step.

While it isn't the most professional, sometimes it's easiest to respond to the persistent negative people with a little sarcasm. Like "oh you want to be a dentist?!", uh hell yeah I do? After all this is something that we are passionate about, it should be very easy to defend.

 

[deleted735879]

I'm perfectly fine telling people I'm predental... but I always hate when they reply "Ohhhh. Dentistry brings in the big bucks. I knew "insert name here" who is a dentist and they are SUPER rich...etc." that part always makes me feel a little uncomfortable.

 

[Mad Jack]

I never told anyone, because it was never really important. Then I got into medical school and told people, and boy were they surprised.

 

[Symphonies]

Why does it really matter?

 

[Kurk]

Why does it really matter?

It really doesn't, but the responses get annoying.

 

[I-hate-alginate]

It really doesn't, but the responses get annoying.

People will always have something to say.

 

[dentite24]

Yeah, it's really annoying. Every time I say I want to be a dentist people always confusingly ask why and say the "everyone hates the dentist" or "highest suicide rate" line like a robot...
It doesn't make since to me... It has been the #1 job for many of the most recent years for a multitude of reasons, are people just oblivious to great professions and life decisions?
People could say almost any other major (engineer, psychology, nursing, and even majors like art, dance, and film) without getting questioned at all, it doesn't make since...
But, oh well, the correct choice was made haha

 

[htxballer]

I usually just lie and make up a random occupation like an olympics swimming coach. Make up a story and just play along with it.

 

[smallmediumbig]

Almost everyone I've ever told replies with something about getting free dental work from me in the future.

 

[itsJazz]

Majority of people who ask assume I mean either dental hygiene or dental assisting school. I understand since these are female dominated areas of dentistry, but it does get annoying. And then they say things like the above posters have pointed out about suicide and such. Parents definitely want me to do free procedures on them, too lol

It's also such a hassle to explain my undergrad major (basically general studies), and people assume I have no idea what I want to do with my life once I do tell them about it, which is also quite annoying. Then I have to explain why I'm not pursuing a science/"normal" major to go with dental school to save face. I've opted to just say I'm a biology major now to make it easier on myself. Sometimes I just say I'm pre-dent, and a lot of people assume that's a major lol

I don't think I /hate/ telling people I'm pre-dental, but it is tedious and annoying since I'm not a science major, and I'm always anticipating the other party to assume I'm trying to get into dental hygiene/assisting school.

 

[I-hate-alginate]

Almost everyone I've ever told replies with something about getting free dental work from me in the future.

Can relate, it was funny at first.....

 

[Universitygeek]

My pre-dent major happens to be accounting which makes this conversation pretty easy. I never say pre-dent. If I'm forced, I'll say that I'm interested in pursuing dentistry but can become a CPA if that doesn't work out.

 

[caffeine jitters]

I don't understand why you would want to hide such a big part of your future life from people you're having a conversation with...? If people can't hand YOUR decisions, then they weren't that important in the first place.

 

[Kkshake]

Nah, everyone thinks I'm going to medical school to become a nurse anyways

 

[Charles_Darwin]

With the few I tell they follow up with: "You want to be a dentist?" or "You know they have the highest suicide rate, right?". One prominent businessman mentor of mine told the traditional story about dentists killing themselves in corporate dentistry and then said, "So if you want to be a dentist go ahead; I'll even provide the gun".

Anyone else feel the same?

So I tried to do some research on this suicide claim I always hear and the information was always dodgy without any real sources. But here's the best I found, so we can clear this up a bit

PERCENTAGE OF DEATHS DUE TO SUICIDE

U.S. white male population 25 and older (1970): 1.5

U.S. white male dentists (1968-72): 2.0 (85 of 4,190)

U.S. white male medical doctors (1967-72): 3.0 (544 of 17,979)

U.S. white male population 25 and older (1990): 2.0

U.S. white male medical doctors (1984-95): 2.7 (379 of 13,790)

(Sources: Vital Statistics of the United States — 1970, National Center for Health Statistics, Table 1-26, "Deaths from 281 Selected Causes, by Age, Race, and Sex: United States, 1970"; death certificates from 31 states, reported in "Mortality of Dentists, 1968 to 1972," Bureau of Economic Research and Statistics, Journal of the American Dental Association, January 1975, pp. 195ff; death reports collected by the American Medical Association, reported in "Suicide by Psychiatrists: A Study of Medical Specialists Among 18,730 Physician Deaths During a Five-Year Period, 1967-72," Rich et al., Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, August 1980, pp. 261ff.; Vital Statistics of the United States — 1990, National Center for Health Statistics, Table 1-27, "Deaths from 282 Selected Causes, by 5-Year Age Groups, Race, and Sex: United States — 1990"; National Occupational Mortality Surveillance database, reported in "Mortality Rates and Causes Among U.S. Physicians," Frank et al., American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Vol. 19, No. 3, 2000.)

 

[MendiT13]

Majority of people who ask assume I mean either dental hygiene or dental assisting school. I understand since these are female dominated areas of dentistry, but it does get annoying. And then they say things like the above posters have pointed out about suicide and such. Parents definitely want me to do free procedures on them, too lol

It's also such a hassle to explain my undergrad major (basically general studies), and people assume I have no idea what I want to do with my life once I do tell them about it, which is also quite annoying. Then I have to explain why I'm not pursuing a science/"normal" major to go with dental school to save face. I've opted to just say I'm a biology major now to make it easier on myself. Sometimes I just say I'm pre-dent, and a lot of people assume that's a major lol

I don't think I /hate/ telling people I'm pre-dental, but it is tedious and annoying since I'm not a science major, and I'm always anticipating the other party to assume I'm trying to get into dental hygiene/assisting school.

I get this EVERY single Time... Oh to be a hygienist or assistant??? .... So very annoying. Why can't we ladies want to pursue dentistry?

 

[itsJazz]

I get this EVERY single Time... Oh to be a hygienist or assistant??? .... So very annoying. Why can't we ladies want to pursue dentistry?

I hate it when I specifically say I want to be a dentist, and they still ask hygienist or assistant as if I didn't finish my sentence.


"No, to be a dental dentist."

 

[caffeine jitters]

A UF dental student told me she used to have people asking her if she was going to school to be a hygienist ... when she was on the bus ... going to school ... in UF dental scrubs ...