The Dentist You Could Become
Whether you’re still young and trying to decide what you want to be when you grow up or are older and trying to make that final, definitive decision about which direction to take your college career in, dentistry is an interesting, challenging and highly lucrative field for those who are willing and able to pursue it.
So you want to be a dentist but don’t know what it involves? Well,
for starters, the answer is quite simply “a lot.”
Like any profession that falls under the general umbrella of medicine, dentistry is challenging, demanding and at times exhausting. It is also a fascinating field that provides the chance to work closely with people and is both incredibly rewarding and lucrative, financially and otherwise.
Because of the challenges involved and the demands it presents, becoming a dentist isn’t for everyone. The preparation and educational demands are significant and the training is intense. For those that are interested in taking on such a challenge, it is important to understand both what is involved in the process and how to proceed to put yourself in position to succeed.
For those who hope to begin a career track towards becoming a dentist and are still in high school, emphasizing math and science classes is a good start. It is also recommended to begin taking college preparatory classes as soon as possible to ensure that you remain ahead of the curve educationally.
Once in college, choosing a major and focusing the direction of your class selections appropriately are often the first significant steps toward becoming a dentist. Undergraduates do not have to major in a science, but there are typically science classes that are required to be taken for acceptance into most dental schools. These can include biology, physics and various levels of chemistry. Specific course requirements can be determined by checking with specific dental schools or speaking with an undergraduate advisor.
Once an undergraduate degree has been obtained, candidates for dental schools must often take the Dental Admission Test. This standardized test, which is compiled and administered by the American Dental Association, is used along with college transcripts, letters of recommendation and personal interviews to determine whether the applicant should be admitted to graduate school.
After having passed the test, been admitted to and completed graduate school, a candidate must pass the National Board Dental Examination to be licensed to practice by the ADA. Some individual states then administer their own tests that must be passed in order to obtain licensure to practice in that state.
The final step involves setting up shop and actually beginning work, which can mean either starting one’s own practice or going to work at an existing one in a partnership with other dentists. From there, an individual’s career can head in any direction he or she aspires it to.
The process of becoming a dentist may sound straightforward, but it is more difficult than meets the eye. While all aspects of the process may be spelled out explicitly, completing them is often easier said than done. Because of this, a career in dentistry is a significant undertaking.
