If I dread/fear anatomy, do I have what it takes to become a doctor/dentist?

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hara_l

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I've been wanting to go into dentistry (specifically want to be an orthodontist) for years but I've always held back because I don't know if I could handle anatomy class. Even the thought of seeing a cadaver makes me panic, but after doing a bit of research I found out we would be doing a lot more than simply cutting them open (some people described sawing parts, etc.). I'm not EXTREMELY squeamish in that blood doesn't make me uncomfortable, it's more the concept of the "dead". If I were asked to cut open a live person, I think I could, but not a dead person.

I've regretted majoring in something else and a recent shadowing experience made me realize how unfulfilled I was in my current job. I want to go back and try dentistry, but I keep wondering if I'm just not made to be a doctor if I feel uncomfortable with these things. I'm so scared that I will not make it through anatomy class or that I will but will be permanently scarred for life. Most people who go into medicine seem fascinated with shows like grey's anatomy, house, etc. but I'm not because I don't like hearing about murders or seeing dead people. Am I just not meant to go into this field?
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I believe you can! I wish we go to the same school. I'll make sure you cut open the "dead" body... not the alive one.
 
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Once your grade depends on it, you'll be surprised what you're willing to put up with
 
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It is an experience that will leave a positive impact on your life, and as you learn from the life of another, you learn more about your own.

Don't let your worry dissuade you. It isn't an easy experience for many, but you will walk away from it happy that you've been given the honor to learn.
 
Combine33 said:
Once your grade depends on it, you'll be surprised what you're willing to put up with
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Lol so true, def not limited to anatomy either...
Also you have no other choice, and after a while it becomes routine: the smell doesn't bother you as much, you start to see the structures you learn in lecture and it actually becomes kinda fun! Just focus on respecting the cadaver and learning as much as you can from it, and not so much thinking about it being a dead body.

hara_l said:
Am I just not meant to go into this field?
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Nonsense. Shadow a dentist if you haven't, and see how many cadavers a day they work on. ;)
 
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Wait, I never heard of having to slice open dead bodies in dental school. At least not in the schools surrounding me (temple, upenn, Columbia, NYU). Am I missing something here?
 
hara_l said:
I've been wanting to go into dentistry (specifically want to be an orthodontist) for years but I've always held back because I don't know if I could handle anatomy class. Even the thought of seeing a cadaver makes me panic, but after doing a bit of research I found out we would be doing a lot more than simply cutting them open (some people described sawing parts, etc.). I'm not EXTREMELY squeamish in that blood doesn't make me uncomfortable, it's more the concept of the "dead". If I were asked to cut open a live person, I think I could, but not a dead person.

I've regretted majoring in something else and a recent shadowing experience made me realize how unfulfilled I was in my current job. I want to go back and try dentistry, but I keep wondering if I'm just not made to be a doctor if I feel uncomfortable with these things. I'm so scared that I will not make it through anatomy class or that I will but will be permanently scarred for life. Most people who go into medicine seem fascinated with shows like grey's anatomy, house, etc. but I'm not because I don't like hearing about murders or seeing dead people. Am I just not meant to go into this field?
Click to expand...

You should look into schools that don't do Gross Anatomy. I know in Texas UTSD uses plastinated Cadavers as opposed to the real things. Now weirdly, they are still real, but they almost seem like a toy (they showed us in our interview).

I know some schools use similar tools, while others use models or pictures instead.
 
placebooooo said:
Wait, I never heard of having to slice open dead bodies in dental school. At least not in the schools surrounding me (temple, upenn, Columbia, NYU). Am I missing something here?
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It's very common actually. We had to do it last semester in gross anatomy lab.
 
hara_l said:
I've been wanting to go into dentistry (specifically want to be an orthodontist) for years but I've always held back because I don't know if I could handle anatomy class. Even the thought of seeing a cadaver makes me panic, but after doing a bit of research I found out we would be doing a lot more than simply cutting them open (some people described sawing parts, etc.). I'm not EXTREMELY squeamish in that blood doesn't make me uncomfortable, it's more the concept of the "dead". If I were asked to cut open a live person, I think I could, but not a dead person.

I've regretted majoring in something else and a recent shadowing experience made me realize how unfulfilled I was in my current job. I want to go back and try dentistry, but I keep wondering if I'm just not made to be a doctor if I feel uncomfortable with these things. I'm so scared that I will not make it through anatomy class or that I will but will be permanently scarred for life. Most people who go into medicine seem fascinated with shows like grey's anatomy, house, etc. but I'm not because I don't like hearing about murders or seeing dead people. Am I just not meant to go into this field?
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I wouldn't worry too much about that. I just took an anatomy course with a cadaver lab this Spring and wasn't sure how I would respond to seeing the bodies. The first time was kinda weird, but when you start studying them they become less of a person and more of a subject (sounds weird). They also covered their faces so that also helps further dissociate from the "I'm looking at a dead person" feeling. The smell is not the best thing in the world though.

Good Luck!
 
placebooooo said:
Wait, I never heard of having to slice open dead bodies in dental school. At least not in the schools surrounding me (temple, upenn, Columbia, NYU). Am I missing something here?
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It's uncommon not to. We had 16 bodies that we dissected and I'd argue that a medical/dental education isn't really complete without a solid foundation of anatomy with a cadaver lab component.
 
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After 20+ years of working in people's mouths, I can honestly say that you'll eventually see, and likely smell, far worse things in the mouths of some patients you'll treat as a dentist, essentially regardless of specialty, than the sight and smell of any part of any cadaver.... :sick::sick::wideyed::wideyed:
 
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Think of it as growing pain. You need to know anatomy, especially head and neck for dentistry, even more so for ortho.
 
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DrJeff said:
After 20+ years of working in people's mouths, I can honestly say that you'll eventually see, and likely smell, far worse things in the mouths of some patients you'll treat as a dentist, essentially regardless of specialty, than the sight and smell of any part of any cadaver.... :sick::sick::wideyed::wideyed:
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Perio mouth tho...
 
You would be surprised how easy and quick it is to get comfortable with having a dead body in front of you and cut it open.
 
stoopidmonkeycatdog said:
You should look into schools that don't do Gross Anatomy. I know in Texas UTSD uses plastinated Cadavers as opposed to the real things. Now weirdly, they are still real, but they almost seem like a toy (they showed us in our interview).
Click to expand...

This is the reason that I'm very seriously considering NYU dental but I didn't know if making school decisions based on this one class alone would be a smart thing to do. Also, since there is no guarantee I would get into these schools.
 
hara_l said:
This is the reason that I'm very seriously considering NYU dental but I didn't know if making school decisions based on this one class alone would be a smart thing to do. Also, since there is no guarantee I would get into these schools.
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Going to one of the most expensive schools in the entire country because of 1 semester of ickiness.
 
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