Help! Burned out. How to finish getting through dental school?

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Springs01

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Hi guys. I'm feeling really burned out recently. I feel like all of my energy and motivation has been sucked dry by 3 years of dental school. I feel like I've lost myself along the way. I'm not the lively, happy-go-lucky person I once was and I feel so empty everyday. Doing resto's, exams, and prophy's bore the f***ing hell out of me...and I'm pretty miserable most days in clinic. Sorry for cursing, but I feel like I don't want to do this anymore. Which is a ridiculous for me to even think, because I am too far into dental school to quit, and way too far in debt. My only option is power through these 10 months. How do I do that when I feel so burned out and disinterested in everything? What has my life come to? I feel so sad, that I feel like crying.

I don't know what happened. I used to be super interested in dentistry, my peak being in D2 and beginning of D3. I blame clinic stress for this damage. More often that not, things never go the way I want to them to in clinic, because there's always several variables, and when one goes wrong, everything goes wrong. I'm sick of it. Clinic's more headache than reward. I don't know what to do. I don't know if I'm feeling this way because I'm stressed and tired of dental school, or because I'm losing my interest in dentistry :eek:. I hope it's not the latter, because that would mean I wasted so many years of my life for nothing. Sigh.

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I haven't met a single person in my school who isn't burnt out and we've only been in clinic 5 months. Even the most bright-eyed kids from d1 start to "resent the system" so to speak, so I think what you're feeling is not unreasonable. If you feel like you're not learning that's one thing, but if you're worried that dentistry will be like dental school for the rest of your life, I can guarantee it won't be. Have you considered specializing in an area that you enjoy?
 
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Hi guys. I'm feeling really burned out recently. I feel like all of my energy and motivation has been sucked dry by 3 years of dental school. I feel like I've lost myself along the way. I'm not the lively, happy-go-lucky person I once was and I feel so empty everyday. Doing resto's, exams, and prophy's bore the f***ing hell out of me...and I'm pretty miserable most days in clinic. Sorry for cursing, but I feel like I don't want to do this anymore. Which is a ridiculous for me to even think, because I am too far into dental school to quit, and way too far in debt. My only option is power through these 10 months. How do I do that when I feel so burned out and disinterested in everything? What has my life come to? I feel so sad, that I feel like crying.

I don't know what happened. I used to be super interested in dentistry, my peak being in D2 and beginning of D3. I blame clinic stress for this damage. More often that not, things never go the way I want to them to in clinic, because there's always several variables, and when one goes wrong, everything goes wrong. I'm sick of it. Clinic more headache than reward. I don't know what to do. I don't know if I'm feeling this way because I'm stressed and tired of dental school, or because I'm losing my interest in dentistry :eek:. I hope it's not the latter, because that would mean I wasted so many years of my life for nothing. Sigh.

Wow. Which school do you go to?
 
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haha I share your sentiments. Clinic drains me too (and I just entered around 2.5mos. ago). There are a lot to deal with, getting chewed out for things you did or didn't do, having difficulty dealing with faculty and coordinators, classmates stressing each other out when competing for units and chairs. I thought I was supposed to learn. Some days I felt like I learned nothing, well maybe I learned how to practice my patience (lol).

Just hang in there, you have 10 months left (right?). I got 5 semesters left and I already had one too many run-ins with administration and clinic faculty haha.
 
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@kingme23 I do resent the vicious "system" haha.

If you're worried that dentistry will be like dental school for the rest of your life, I can guarantee it won't be. Have you considered specializing in an area that you enjoy?

Thanks, I hope you are right about that. I do enjoy Prosth, but I don't think I'm willing to do more school. I need a break


@Greyangel6 Thanks. Yea I guess the smart thing to do is to continue sucking it up and dealing with it. I feel like a soulless wanderer lol.
 
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We've all been there. Try to suck it up and assume this mood your in is temporary ... which it probably is. Everyone gets burn out. It's normal. I played golf and tennis while in dental school to break up the stress.

Hang in there. You're almost there. :)
 
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OP, I vibe with this post on like, a spiritual level. I'm starting D4 so I also have like 9-10 months left. Still most days I wake up like "What fresh hell awaits me today???" For me, there are 2 things that keep me going. 1: I like running-burns stress/nervous energy, etc. 2: Knowing that practice is SO much better than school. My school has rotations at community dental clinics, so we spend a few weeks there, an office that essentially lets us work like GD's and do what we feel should be done. Its like a breath of fresh air after taking 2 hours for a prophy because your faculty makes you check after each step.

Let's just take a collective deep breath, and know that it will get better from here.
 
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@2TH MVR @Warren E. Namel Thanks, it's comforting to see I'm not alone. I like your strategies of physically burning stress. I think I'll try a sports related hobby too
 
Hi guys. I'm feeling really burned out recently. I feel like all of my energy and motivation has been sucked dry by 3 years of dental school. I feel like I've lost myself along the way. I'm not the lively, happy-go-lucky person I once was and I feel so empty everyday. Doing resto's, exams, and prophy's bore the f***ing hell out of me...and I'm pretty miserable most days in clinic. Sorry for cursing, but I feel like I don't want to do this anymore. Which is a ridiculous for me to even think, because I am too far into dental school to quit, and way too far in debt. My only option is power through these 10 months. How do I do that when I feel so burned out and disinterested in everything? What has my life come to? I feel so sad, that I feel like crying.

I don't know what happened. I used to be super interested in dentistry, my peak being in D2 and beginning of D3. I blame clinic stress for this damage. More often that not, things never go the way I want to them to in clinic, because there's always several variables, and when one goes wrong, everything goes wrong. I'm sick of it. Clinic's more headache than reward. I don't know what to do. I don't know if I'm feeling this way because I'm stressed and tired of dental school, or because I'm losing my interest in dentistry :eek:. I hope it's not the latter, because that would mean I wasted so many years of my life for nothing. Sigh.

It's boring/annoying because you're doing it the dental school way. You have to get out of your rut or else you'll be like many dentists out there... in the cycle of mediocrity and not striving to do more. I'm sure you'll have a lot more fun once you are making the big money and your hygienists are doing the cleanings, your exams are superquick and efficient, and restorative will be way more efficient and fun when you're getting paid a good amount of money for it.
 
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