med school vs. dental school - level of difficulty

[premed85]

are dental and medical school comparable in level of difficulty or is one harder than the other?

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[NPEMTIV]

are dental and medical school comparable in level of difficulty or is one harder than the other?

It varies from school to school. You'll have to check each school's website to see their average stats.

 

[Meatwad]

They both suck, most likely. Only people who can accurately compare are those that went to both. Dental students put in more hours during years 1 & 2, but have a more chilled out schedule in years 2 and 3. Med students take the basic sciences that dental students take as well in years 1 & 2, and are generally out of class much earlier in the day than dental students. However, years 3 & 4 really suck.

Plus, then there is the hell of residency that dentists aren't subjected to, while all med students are.

 

[Jack Daniel]

They both suck, most likely. Only people who can accurately compare are those that went to both. Dental students put in more hours during years 1 & 2, but have a more chilled out schedule in years 2 and 3. Med students take the basic sciences that dental students take as well in years 1 & 2, and are generally out of class much earlier in the day than dental students. However, years 3 & 4 really suck.

Plus, then there is the hell of residency that dentists aren't subjected to, while all med students are.

EXACTLY!
My guess is that the first years for both are more similar than not because they're both focused on didactic science training.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

They are both easy

 

[Meatwad]

They are both easy

Especially the Ivies.

 

[Kappy1]

In general the same basic science course material is covered during the first two years in an MD, DO, OD, DDS or DPM degree. My cousin told me that his dental school (Columbia) was actually harder than Medical school. In the first two years both MD and DDS schools where together for all courses. However, the DDS had two or sometimes three extra courses then the MD school during the first two years focousing on teeth.

 

[Meatwad]

In general the same basic science course material is covered during the first two years in an MD, DO, OD, DDS or DPM degree. My cousin told me that his dental school (Columbia) was actually harder than Medical school. In the first two years both MD and DDS schools where together for all courses. However, the DDS had two or sometimes three extra courses then the MD school during the first two years focousing on teeth.

Yeah, D-students spend a ****load of time in the lab trying to hone their practical skills before they get to see patients in their 3rd year. There 3rd year is a lot mroe hands on than what most med students get to do, or so it seems. For this reason, they need to get a headstart on their clinical skills. I've been told they have lectures 8-12 usually, and labs from 1-5, then usually stay later to finish up lab work that is left over from the week. They usually get home at night, which leaves little time for studying.

Add in the pressure that, unlike what most students say about MS1/2 grades, they are very important in dental school. You better be the top 15% of your class and be in the 90+th percentile on their board exams if you want to specialize. Nothing like a little pressure to light a fire under your ass, eh?

 

[JaggerPlate]

are dental and medical school comparable in level of difficulty or is one harder than the other?

If you are just looking to take the easiest route ... you really might want to rethink health care altogether. There is a lot of stuff in life wayyy easier than either. Most people do Med (and I guess Dental - hahaha) because they really want to.

Sorry if I misjudged ... but it doesn't seem like your intent.

 

[premed85]

If you are just looking to take the easiest route ... you really might want to rethink health care altogether. There is a lot of stuff in life wayyy easier than either. Most people do Med (and I guess Dental - hahaha) because they really want to.

Sorry if I misjudged ... but it doesn't seem like your intent.

nope...no easy way out...just curious...and actually no...there really isnt any "easy" way out no matter what you do...if you want to be successful at anything you gotta work...and yea...you definitely misjudged

 

[mshheaddoc]

And dentists do have residencies by the way for specialization except they have to PAY for their residencies. What a joke right?

 

[HrvatskiDoktor]

I have friends who attend Minnesota's Med and Dental school and the dental students always complained how unfair it was that they were in the exact same lectures taking the exact same tests at the med students but they were graded on a normal A-F curve while the med students were just pass/pass with honors/fail!

 

[gasapple]

Yeah, D-students spend a ****load of time in the lab trying to hone their practical skills before they get to see patients in their 3rd year. There 3rd year is a lot mroe hands on than what most med students get to do, or so it seems. For this reason, they need to get a headstart on their clinical skills. I've been told they have lectures 8-12 usually, and labs from 1-5, then usually stay later to finish up lab work that is left over from the week. They usually get home at night, which leaves little time for studying.

Add in the pressure that, unlike what most students say about MS1/2 grades, they are very important in dental school. You better be the top 15% of your class and be in the 90+th percentile on their board exams if you want to specialize. Nothing like a little pressure to light a fire under your ass, eh?

I'd say the characterization above is accurate. There's no mandatory residency (generally) but many are pushing for 5 years and/or a required residency for dental because there's simply too much to digest and then you throw hand skills/lab work on top of that; dental school looked crazy from my vantage point.

 

[JaggerPlate]

nope...no easy way out...just curious...and actually no...there really isnt any "easy" way out no matter what you do...if you want to be successful at anything you gotta work...and yea...you definitely misjudged

I couldn't agree with you more. The reason why I snapped judged there is bc SDN is filled with people who create a screen name to come on here and start a thread that basically states: ' I don't know if I want to get my MD/DO because I can just do something in business and make 200k right out of college and it's easy ...etc.' Little do they know that, as you stated, you have to bust your arse to be successful in business (ie have the smarts, work ethic, networking skills ...), just as you do in Medicine or anything else. So, if you are just looking for a straight up comparison, you can check out both pre medical forums and medical forums (Allo and Osteo) and all the dental jazz. Or use the search engine ... ' Dental vs Medical' err something, and you'll get some information.

 

[MossPoh]

I couldn't agree with you more. The reason why I snapped judged there is bc SDN is filled with people who create a screen name to come on here and start a thread that basically states: ' I don't know if I want to get my MD/DO because I can just do something in business and make 200k right out of college and it's easy ...etc.' Little do they know that, as you stated, you have to bust your arse to be successful in business (ie have the smarts, work ethic, networking skills ...), just as you do in Medicine or anything else. So, if you are just looking for a straight up comparison, you can check out both pre medical forums and medical forums (Allo and Osteo) and all the dental jazz. Or use the search engine ... ' Dental vs Medical' err something, and you'll get some information.

I am starting to get impression that the both of us are becoming the bitter ones of this SDN generation. I almost refused to click on this because I was thinking the same thing at first...I'll be happier when my guitar gets delivered.

 

[Meatwad]

And dentists do have residencies by the way for specialization except they have to PAY for their residencies. What a joke right?

Well, that's not exactly true. The minority of residency programs require you to pay. Harvard Orthodontics is like 70 grand a year, for example. This is not true of all residencies. For the most part, they pay you a crappy stipend just like medical residencies.

Just note that this isn't a phenomena unique to dentistry. There are dermatology residencies, for example, that charge YOU. And they are still ridiculously hard to get into, just like all orthodontics residencies.

 

[JaggerPlate]

I am starting to get impression that the both of us are becoming the bitter ones of this SDN generation. I almost refused to click on this because I was thinking the same thing at first...I'll be happier when my guitar gets delivered.

It's just too easy to instantly judge when soooo many people on here pull that stuff. I will always take back what I say if I'm wrong and people just generally want to know but until then ... yeah, I think we can remain jaded.

 

[Nasem]

honestly, there is no comparison...

its 4 years of dental school VS 4 years med school + (minimum) 3 years of residency. (of course, Im counting that you'll be a general dentist and not specialize)

4 vs. 7 .... nough said

 

[Meatwad]

honestly, there is no comparison...

its 4 years of dental school VS 4 years med school + (minimum) 3 years of residency. (of course, Im counting that you'll be a general dentist and not specialize)

4 vs. 7 .... nough said

Hmm, 2 problems with that though:

1) What if it was 2 years in hell vs 4 years of relaxation? Then the "2 vs 4, nuff said," thing wouldn't work so much; and
2) We're comparing medical school vs dental school, not the education as a whole (school + res). I think it's a tie as far as schooling goes, but after that medicine takes the lead (UNLESS you do OMFS, in which case you will be working just as hard as any surgery resident)

 

[Nasem]

What if it was 2 years in hell vs 4 years of relaxation?

nope, that doesn't work either, neither one gives you any sort of "relaxation", so I am sticking to the 4 vs 7

as far as the actual schooling goes, I can't comment on that, and most of us "pre-meds" couldn't comment either, we haven't experienced any. So I will resort to the "difficulty" of obtaining a DDS/DMD VS MD/DO.... hence 4 vs 7

Personally, If I liked both professions, I would go to the one that gets me there faster regardless of how much more "difficult" it is..... but since I lost my interest in dentistry sometime back, I am strickly pre-med and I don't care about the 7 year bussiness.

 

[Meatwad]

nope, that doesn't work either, neither one gives you any sort of "relaxation", so I am sticking to the 4 vs 7

as far as the actual schooling goes, I can't comment on that, and most of us "pre-meds" couldn't comment either, we haven't experienced any. So I will resort to the "difficulty" of obtaining a DDS/DMD VS MD/DO.... hence 4 vs 7

Personally, If I liked both professions, I would go to the one that gets me there faster regardless of how much more "difficult" it is..... but since I lost my interest in dentistry sometime back, I am strickly pre-med and I don't care about the 7 year bussiness.

My 2 vs 4 was an example. I was saying your basing it on length alone instead of content was where the problem lie.

 

[SugarNaCl]

And dentists do have residencies by the way for specialization except they have to PAY for their residencies. What a joke right?

That's actually not true. Some you have to pay for, but many dental residency programs will pay you the same as a medical resident app 35K-40K

 

[EEL08]

That's actually not true. Some you have to pay for, but many dental residency programs will pay you the same as a medical resident app 35K-40K

I was just going to say I love your avatar! Hilarious!