Mental Health and Dental School

[briggsinator2]

Good afternoon!

I am a senior currently applying for dental school, and graduated with a GPA of 3.90 and a DAT AA/TS of 24/26, so I'm not necessarily worried about getting into dental schools, but I am concerned about another question: mental health and dental school. I've struggled with pretty severe bouts of burnout and depression during undergrad, largely (I think) brought on by how hard I studied during college. As I'm finishing school, studying is much harder for me than it used to be, and I find myself needing to spend more personal time than I did in previous years. Hearing from close friends who are now in dental school, I am wondering whether it is a wise decision for me to enter the rigors of D-school and still expect to take good care of myself mentally. From the perspective of D-students or dentists, what do you think? I also graduated with a degree in environmental engineering, so I am considering moving straight into industry to have a better work/life balance with the standard 9-5. Could I make it through D-school? What would you do?

Thanks for any input.

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[cacajuate]

Depends if you want straight A's or straight C's. Plenty of free time in DS if all you want is C's.

 

[deleted696582]

I've struggled with pretty severe bouts of burnout and depression during undergrad, largely (I think) brought on by how hard I studied during college.

Mental health comes first. If you have a severe bout of depression during school, it could set you back a semester and some money, or even force you to drop out at some schools. You would need to accept that risk if you decide to go. There are ways to take care of yourself though. There are plenty of classmates to study with and talk to, and having a school counselor to check in with from time to time could be useful. Exercise is another way to keep yourself healthy both physically and mentally. Maybe you can get to the root of why studying is more difficult for you recently? Maybe some lifestyle changes or a therapist could help? That seems like the most important problem to address before you would start dental school.

Could I make it through D-school? What would you do?

If you're truly set on dentistry, I would say go for it. You don't need straight A's in dental school. You could certainly do well in engineering, but it's up to you what career you want in your life. I'm sure you've shadowed dentists, so you have a rough idea of what the career is like.

 

[super frank]

Have you tried consistently exercising?

 

[oralcare123]

What do you want to do more - Dentistry or Environmental Engineering? Does the difference in potential income important to you?
Remember. Any school, receiving federal funds is obligated to provide accommodations for the people with disabilities. So you will receive help, extra time etc

 

[Kazanjian]

First, I want you to know that there will be times when you will feel down and unfulfilled.

The nature of dental school tends to breed a warped perspective about patient care that may cause you to view patients as commodities. This is especially evident if you have aspirations of specialization and get caught in the rat race of achieving a class rank in the single digits. If you let this goal get out of control, there will be a tendency for you to see a patient with a toothache such as an #30-MODB as just a chance to complete your core build-up competency. When you have to take boards, you'll trade patients with your classmates like baseball cards to get that ideal lesion. Or you might convince a patient to go for the amalgam filling rather than a composite filling because you need to fulfill an amalgam restoration competency assessment. In your fourth year, you might begin to view patients as opportunities to raise your clinic revenue so that you'll get an A letter grade if your school has a revenue based grading system.

This will surely drain you. You will catch yourself one day wondering how you got to the point of dreading coming to clinic out of sheer unfulfillment. As a predent, you would have never imagined that you would hate treating patients. But here's the thing! You've stopped treating the person behind the teeth when you aligned your personal goals of getting that A letter grade ahead of taking care of people; you've neglected your natural good will of wanting to help others.

You need to be vigilant to avoid this. Before every appointment, you need to give yourself a peptalk and remind yourself that you're here to help people other than yourself. They're in pain or have a problem and you're there to relieve and solve them because you care about them. Don't be passive and let the nature of dental school bend your perspective. Keep reminding yourself that you're here to tap into that intrinsic source of fulfillment in knowing that you've helped someone in need.

Find a core group of friends for support. Take care of your physical body and exercise. Be social but also take time to be by yourself and just think. Be conscious of why something outside of you may be causing negative feelings or stress. Ask yourself if you can do something to change it and then do it. Get away from dental school and seek out new experiences. It could be a hobby or a new trail to hike or a new restaurant. Read about something other than dentistry. Be introspective. Question your values and worldview. Find challenges to keep your hedonic treadmill running. Have short-, intermediate-, and long-term goals.



Burnout, depression and suicidal ideation in dental and dental hygiene students

 

[Typical Average Student]

Try to consider a P/F school, it seems a lot less stressful.

 

[Greyangel6]

I don't know if this helps but I did go through a burnout phase and depressed/anxious phase in the Spring of D1 that lasted all the way to beginning of D2 Fall. I decided to get help during the D2 Fall with the school's resources. The environment and surrounding were stressful and at the time, I didn't know how to deal with it properly. But after talking it out with a counselor, and after making a few changes in my life (eat healthier, exercise, find the right support from friends/family, going to church even though I'm not particularly religious, meditation, etc.) I got through it. I'm not saying I'm fine or completely cured. But now I feel like I'm more equipped to deal with things a bit better and that feeling in itself is also something that keeps me centered.

So moral of story is, it's never too late to get help, and if you think dentistry is your calling, go for it, the only thing/person that can stop you is you. Good luck!

 

[Faux]

D1 fall had the most mood swings I've ever had in my entire life.Then again, first time being on my own, first time i really had any substantial troubles. I barely get nervous for anything now as I try and keep things in perspective and gave myself more credit.


My lab buddy on the other hand is an extremely anxious person. Like what you see in the movies. Sweats, changing colors, oblivious attitude and lots of rushing thoughts. He actually stood in my blood before when I had a bad lab accident, didn't notice the blood on the floor or me wrapping my hand, while he asking me questions about a practical he was nervous about. Thats how bad he is. Constantly negative after practicals after a history of successful outcomes. He actually failed one recently and almost lost his ****. I love the kid to death, and he's a totally different person in clinic, but I'm using him as an example of someone who did not come mentally prepared and does very little out side school to help himself with his issues.



Don't mean to scare you. Just go in prepared, have your outlets ready, have your positive mechanisms ready. Go in expecting the worst so you can prepare mentally. Do your part, my friend didnt.

 

[Springs01]

OP, dental school is extremely demanding. I'm talking about 12+ hours days. You'll be either studying or practicing in lab, for the most of D1 and D2. And then D3 and D4 is less studying, but a higher demand of meeting requirements in order to graduate. Dental school is definitely not easy. Be prepared to make sacrifices, in ways you probably didn't imagine. I agree with the person who said go to a P/F school. I wish I had done that haha. I think it reduces the stress level somewhat.

Health>Career, so check in with a counselor once in a while if you need to. Honestly though, with you undergrad stats, I think you'll be able to handle dental school and get through it. So it does come down to what would you want to do for the rest of your life: dentistry or environmental science.

Also don't aim for C's, because it places you on the border of failing and passing, which is a scary spot. You don't need to get A's (unless you want to specialize), but just try your best, learn what you need to learn to be a competent and independent dentist who can provide safe and quality patient care.

This is just my 2 cents. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

[Springs01]

This is so well put. @Kazanjian You could be a therapist haha

First, I want you to know that there will be times when you will feel down and unfulfilled.

The nature of dental school tends to breed a warped perspective about patient care that may cause you to view patients as commodities. This is especially evident if you have aspirations of specialization and get caught in the rat race of achieving a class rank in the single digits. If you let this goal get out of control, there will be a tendency for you to see a patient with a toothache such as an #30-MODB as just a chance to complete your core build-up competency. When you have to take boards, you'll trade patients with your classmates like baseball cards to get that ideal lesion. Or you might convince a patient to go for the amalgam filling rather than a composite filling because you need to fulfill an amalgam restoration competency assessment. In your fourth year, you might begin to view patients as opportunities to raise your clinic revenue so that you'll get an A letter grade if your school has a revenue based grading system.

This will surely drain you. You will catch yourself one day wondering how you got to the point of dreading coming to clinic out of sheer unfulfillment. As a predent, you would have never imagined that you would hate treating patients. But here's the thing! You've stopped treating the person behind the teeth when you aligned your personal goals of getting that A letter grade ahead of taking care of people; you've neglected your natural good will of wanting to help others.

You need to be vigilant to avoid this. Before every appointment, you need to give yourself a peptalk and remind yourself that you're here to help people other than yourself. They're in pain or have a problem and you're there to relieve and solve them because you care about them. Don't be passive and let the nature of dental school bend your perspective. Keep reminding yourself that you're here to tap into that intrinsic source of fulfillment in knowing that you've helped someone in need.

Find a core group of friends for support. Take care of your physical body and exercise. Be social but also take time to be by yourself and just think. Be conscious of why something outside of you may be causing negative feelings or stress. Ask yourself if you can do something to change it and then do it. Get away from dental school and seek out new experiences. It could be a hobby or a new trail to hike or a new restaurant. Read about something other than dentistry. Be introspective. Question your values and worldview. Find challenges to keep your hedonic treadmill running. Have short-, intermediate-, and long-term goals.



Burnout, depression and suicidal ideation in dental and dental hygiene students

 

[Medin2017]

OP, dental school is extremely demanding. I'm talking about 12+ hours days. You'll be either studying or practicing in lab, for the most of D1 and D2. And then D3 and D4 is less studying, but a higher demand of meeting requirements in order to graduate. Dental school is definitely not easy. Be prepared to make sacrifices, in ways you probably didn't imagine. I agree with the person who said go to a P/F school. I wish I had done that haha. I think it reduces the stress level somewhat.

Health>Career, so check in with a counselor once in a while if you need to. Honestly though, with you undergrad stats, I think you'll be able to handle dental school and get through it. So it does come down to what would you want to do for the rest of your life: dentistry or environmental science.

Also don't aim for C's, because it places you on the border of failing and passing, which is a scary spot. You don't need to get A's (unless you want to specialize), but just try your best, learn what you need to learn to be a competent and independent dentist who can provide safe and quality patient care.

This is just my 2 cents. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

were you by any chance trying to specialize? 12+ hour days seems a bit excessive if not (wouldn't that be class 8-5 (1 hr for lunch so 8 hours) then studying 4 hours without a single break? Assuming you take a 15 minute break every hour you study, it will already be 10 pm without even eating lol. Not to mention any commute, showering etc.

 

[Greyangel6]

were you by any chance trying to specialize? 12+ hour days seems a bit excessive if not (wouldn't that be class 8-5 (1 hr for lunch so 8 hours) then studying 4 hours without a single break? Assuming you take a 15 minute break every hour you study, it will already be 10 pm without even eating lol. Not to mention any commute, showering etc.

That person has some dedication lol. I've been studying maybe 2-3 hours at most every night, the rest of the time I spend on food adventures, watching tv shows and play video games. I try not to study or do sim lab on weekends except when there's an exam/psychomotor on Monday. Considering I haven't failed or remediated any class and I have just finished the Spring semester of D2, studying for boards now and entering D3 summer in like 20 days, I can tell you that dental school the first 2 years are very doable.

 

[aggietxdent]

Damn it this thread freaks me out!! I'm having a serious lack of motivation issue right now finishing up my classes and I know it's because I'm someone who's always had a goal and I just don't have that goal anymore since I've already been accepted. It's always been "Do well in HS to get into a good University" or "Do well in Uni to get into dental school". But honestly I don't think I want to specialize as a dentist or at most do an AEGD/GPR so I'm freaking out that I won't have the motivation to do well in classes.


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[Springs01]

were you by any chance trying to specialize? 12+ hour days seems a bit excessive if not (wouldn't that be class 8-5 (1 hr for lunch so 8 hours) then studying 4 hours without a single break? Assuming you take a 15 minute break every hour you study, it will already be 10 pm without even eating lol. Not to mention any commute, showering etc.

Hmm I'm curious what gave you the impression that I want to specialize. By 12+ hours per day, I'm counting all of the above you listed (commute, basic human needs, mandatory classes, and study/lab work) minus sleep and down time. I think I made a pretty reasonable estimate.

 

[Medin2017]

Hmm I'm curious what gave you the impression that I want to specialize. By 12+ hours per day, I'm counting all of the above you listed (commute, basic human needs, mandatory classes, and study/lab work) minus sleep and down time. I think I made a pretty reasonable estimate.

Oh ok guess you're trying to make good grades still? Lots of ppl here with the c get degree mentality or just trying to pass seem to study a lot less or say d school is easy