RDH to DDS. Give me your advice!

[lissadawynn]

Hey y’all. I’m applying to dental school next spring and I’m trying to find ways to make myself a more competitive candidate. Graduating from Dental Hygiene school in a few weeks. 3.4 oGPA, 3.2 sGPA. Still have two years of science classes to raise that GPA. Not much in ways of ECs because I’m a full time mother to two children and work. My youngest suffered a stroke last year and all my free time goes to his medical needs while I’ve been attending hygiene school. I’ve managed all As and Bs my two years of hygiene school but I doubt that is taken into account with my sGPA. What can I do to become more competitive besides getting a good DAT score?

Thanks in advance!

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[Mr.Smile12]

Are you close to a dental school? Have you asked your dentist faculty/preceptors for advice?

 

[lissadawynn]

Currently I don’t. I live way out west Texas and they don’t have much in the way of faculty that can help with that. But I’m attending UH this fall to finish up my bachelors/pre-reqs. I’ll practically be down the street from UTSDH. I haven’t been assigned an advisor yet. [mention]Mr.Smile12 [/mention]

 

[askadds]

stay in HYG. major metropolitans we cant find HYG under $60/hour. That is basically what a DDS makes out of school. Plus you dont have the debt the dds does, you dont have to buy a practice and service that debt, you go home and forget about it vs the dds who is constantly worried about the practice. nuff said. congrats and enjoy probably the best career out there.

 

[PerioDont]

stay in HYG. major metropolitans we cant find HYG under $60/hour. That is basically what a DDS makes out of school. Plus you dont have the debt the dds does, you dont have to buy a practice and service that debt, you go home and forget about it vs the dds who is constantly worried about the practice. nuff said. congrats and enjoy probably the best career out there.

Totally agree

 

[lissadawynn]

stay in HYG. major metropolitans we cant find HYG under $60/hour. That is basically what a DDS makes out of school. Plus you dont have the debt the dds does, you dont have to buy a practice and service that debt, you go home and forget about it vs the dds who is constantly worried about the practice. nuff said. congrats and enjoy probably the best career out there.

While I can completely understand how a DHYG degree and being an RDH is more beneficial in terms of debt/stress/etc… my dream is to be a dentist. And no amount of debt, stress, etc is going to outweigh my drive to be a dentist. It’s not about money for me. It’s about being able to change lives to the best of my ability… and I can do more as a dentist than a hygienist in the state I live in.

 

[John Muir]

While I can completely understand how a DHYG degree and being an RDH is more beneficial in terms of debt/stress/etc… my dream is to be a dentist. And no amount of debt, stress, etc is going to outweigh my drive to be a dentist. It’s not about money for me. It’s about being able to change lives to the best of my ability… and I can do more as a dentist than a hygienist in the state I live in.

With how much you have going on with your kids, dental school would be a 4 year long nightmare. I would highly recommend as others have that you stay in hygiene and enjoy that wonderful career. If you want to change lives, you don’t need to be a dentist. You can always get involved with a local and/or international missions which would be very rewarding.

 

[PerioDont]

While I can completely understand how a DHYG degree and being an RDH is more beneficial in terms of debt/stress/etc… my dream is to be a dentist. And no amount of debt, stress, etc is going to outweigh my drive to be a dentist. It’s not about money for me. It’s about being able to change lives to the best of my ability… and I can do more as a dentist than a hygienist in the state I live in.

Why not try working as a hygienist first and see how that goes?

I spoke to a hygiene professor today who told me he calculated the breakeven point if he went to dental school would be 20 years based on current tuition, lost income etc and said he would never do it.

 

[lissadawynn]

Why not try working as a hygienist first and see how that goes?

I spoke to a hygiene professor today who told me he calculated the breakeven point if he went to dental school would be 20 years based on current tuition, lost income etc and said he would never do it.

I’m definitely going to be working as a hygienist while I finish my bachelors degree. No doubt about it. But I don’t think debt should be deterring factor from what I want to do.

 

[lissadawynn]

Why not try working as a hygienist first and see how that goes?

I spoke to a hygiene professor today who told me he calculated the breakeven point if he went to dental school would be 20 years based on current tuition, lost income etc and said he would never do it.

Make no mistake though, I am appreciative for the different perspective and factors you’ve brought up for consideration. I can appreciate where you are coming from. As a hygienist I spend a lot of time with my patients, and I love it or I wouldn’t have pursued dental hygiene.

 

[lissadawynn]

With how much you have going on with your kids, dental school would be a 4 year long nightmare. I would highly recommend as others have that you stay in hygiene and enjoy that wonderful career. If you want to change lives, you don’t need to be a dentist. You can always get involved with a local and/or international missions which would be very rewarding.

Thank you for the advice. I understand dental school is not going to be a walk in a park, but if you knew what I have endured the last two years with my son, while running a company full time and attending hygiene school, you’d realize that I am more resilient than the average person. Most would not have finished hygiene school. I have what it takes and if given the opportunity to pursue dentistry, especially with the possibility of not paying for it, I would be a fool to not try. I have a strong support system and nothing will stop me.