You have made the decision to become a dentist, congratulations! I know that is not an easy decision to make. It took me a few years to make that decision myself! In fact, when I was an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor I was set on becoming a journalist. I was even an editor for a fashion magazine on campus. Then one day, sitting in a meeting talking about lighting and clothing, I suddenly felt uninspired. I realized wanted to help people in a different way. I knew I liked health and biology. Fortunately, my uncle is a Dentist and I then went to shadow him to get a feel for what he does. His passion for dentistry was evident and it was very inspiring! After that I was set to become a Dentist! So what’s next?
Undergraduate Studies
At that time I was 2 years into an English Major, which is part of a Bachelor of Arts degree. If I switched my major to a science-related I would be switching to a Bachelor of Science degree. This meant new requirements, a lot more classes, time and money. So, I stuck with my English major and added a minor in Biology. It’s true what they say, what you major in doesn’t matter all that much as long as you do well in your pre-requisite classes. Despite this, I do recommend choosing a science related major so that you have more knowledge in the basics of biology and physiology. It will help you in the long run!
In the summertime, I would visit my uncle’s office a few times a week to get as much exposure to clinical dentistry as I could. Dentistry itself has its own language, so the more you familiarize yourself with it, the easier it becomes. You’ll never hear the words amalgam, alginate, Tofflemire outside of a dental clinic!
Those days were challenging. It’s easy to question yourself and wonder if you’re doing anything right. But if you have the passion and vision to become a Dentist, then stick to that and it will fall into place. After all, nothing worth having comes easy!