Is it harder to make it into Dental or Med School?!


Question: Which one is harder to get into and why?
What kind of grades would you need in undergraduate school to get in?
Is it more stressful while in med school or dental school?
Is it harder to become an oral surgeon or a neurologist (just wondering)?
Is it harder to have relationships or get married during dental/med school because of stress?
Is it true that dental area has the highest suidice rate? If so, why?
Do you make more money in a hospital or having your own practice (for either or)?
Is dental or med school really worth it?

Please answer EVERY question with details, i would really appreciate it for i wish to go down one of these paths in the near future. I am currently in high school.


Answers: Which one is harder to get into and why?
What kind of grades would you need in undergraduate school to get in?
Is it more stressful while in med school or dental school?
Is it harder to become an oral surgeon or a neurologist (just wondering)?
Is it harder to have relationships or get married during dental/med school because of stress?
Is it true that dental area has the highest suidice rate? If so, why?
Do you make more money in a hospital or having your own practice (for either or)?
Is dental or med school really worth it?

Please answer EVERY question with details, i would really appreciate it for i wish to go down one of these paths in the near future. I am currently in high school.

>Is it harder to make it into Dental or Med School?

Med school. Pretty much have to get straight A's in college. (Old joke: What do you call someone who couldn't get in med school? A dentist.)

>Which one is harder to get into and why?

Pretty much supply and demand. Med schools can demand extremely high grades and still get enough applicants to crank out all the docs we need. Besides, do you want some guy who got C's and D's in college to be cutting on you? Not me.

>What kind of grades would you need in undergraduate >school to get in?

As I said, pretty much all A's for med school.

>Is it more stressful while in med school or dental school?

Depends on you, I suppose. Neither is easy.

>Is it harder to become an oral surgeon or a neurologist?

Neurologist. An MD.

>Is it harder to have relationships or get married during >dental/med school because of stress?

I'm not sure if it's harder to GET married, but it sure is harder to STAY married. The med student doesn't have any time to give to partner, and it lasts years. Tough. Wait until after you get the MD. Maybe even after residency. Then you'll have time.

>Is it true that dental area has the highest suidice rate? If >so, why?

Highest of what group? In the medical field, psychiatrists have the highest rate. Because all they do all day is listen to miserably unhappy people with big problems.

>Do you make more money in a hospital or having your >own practice (for either or)?

Varies. I'm sure you can find examples of each.

>Is dental or med school really worth it?

If that's what you want to do with your life, yes. But if you mean you're thinking of a medical career just for the money, then no. Besides, if all you want is the money, you'll never get through it anyway.

Is it harder to make it into Dental or Med School?

when i applied to dental school, med school is harder. however, dental school is getting so much more competitive these days.

Which one is harder to get into and why?

dentist have had a rep that they were med school rejects. i think it's somewhat true today. however, more and more are choosing dental school b/c of quality of life, pay, security, stability, being able to choose where you work, opp to run your own business, to be a healthcare provider, etc.

dental school is 4 years min. after which you can work and make 100K/year first year out. med school is 4yrs+2yrs min and then specialty yrs which make it longer

What kind of grades would you need in undergraduate school to get in?

dental: min 3.3
medical: don't know; 3.5+ i'd imagine, but both mcat and dat scores mean alot during admissions.

Is it more stressful while in med school or dental school?

i don't which is tougher but dental school sucks. it's pretty intense with a variety of coursework, lab work, preclinical work, and finally clinical work. all in 4 years. but worth it.

Is it harder to become an oral surgeon or a neurologist (just wondering)?

prob a neurologist

Is it harder to have relationships or get married during dental/med school because of stress?

there are plenty of couples in my current class. your spouse should work though, unless your financially independent.

Is it true that dental area has the highest suidice rate? If so, why?

eh i think that's a rumor. but who knows and who cares. as long as your sane, you should be good

Do you make more money in a hospital or having your own practice (for either or)?

depneds on what you do in the hospital. i fyou own your dental practice, it ranges from 200k -million plus.

Is dental or med school really worth it?

dental school is totally worth it. i'm not even out yet , but i can't wait. the money should be good. the flexibility is awesome. although i've spoken to alot of older dentists and many wish they became a oral surgeon. oral surgery is 4 more years or 6 years depneding if you want an MD degree or not.

so who knows maybe i'll regret it later, but right now, i'm cool with making cash.

article just came out that recent grads of dentistry make the most from opt, med, engineering, computers, etc. 67k/year, not bad.


What you're in high school??!?!?!?
go to college, take the prereq in college. get good grades and talk to as many people in both fields as psosible and then think what you'd like. you need to be committed to your choice b/c i know many who hate medicine and dental after working hard in college.

but you asking this quetsion online is a good sign that your on the right track and asking the right questions.

remmeber though money isn't everything. it's nice to have, when you don't have it, but you'll never have enough.


Please answer EVERY question with details, i would really appreciate it for i wish to go down one of these paths in the near future. I am currently in high school.

Wow, lots of questions, but here's my take...I have been thru professional school and have been working for several years.

Both are about equal now, I'd say GPA 3.8, test score in 85-90th percentile, with some type of experience. Some school don't even look if you don't have any shadowing/volunteering exp.

Stress is different and kind of dependant upon the person: Dent - besides studying you have lots of projects/labs that take alot of time and 2nd yr is like a pressure cooker to get ready for clinics 3rd, 4th yr. Some schools have clinic requirements that can be very stressful to complete.
Med - greater general scope of information w/ pressure of life/death situations, 2nd yr is also pressurized, 3-4 yr also procedures to do, but more stressful trying to find out what you like, doing well in elective months with almost resident work hours; 50-80 per week. Have to prepare specialty path by mid 2nd year, very competitive.

Harder to be neurologist due to longer path and less programs, but to be an oral surgeon you go thru 4-6 years of pain, lots of it.

Relationships are about the same, but dental school is overall shorter due to lack of requirement of residency or specialty.

Some studies have shown suicide to be the same as other professional jobs, but dentistry usually is much more autonomous and therefore more liability/responsibility. Overall there are more untrusting and even disrespecting individual attitudes toward dentists than physicians which can be stressful.

You can make much more money in private for dentists, but some hospitals pay a ton for specialists especially newer "business suite" style hospitals. I know anesthesiologists that get $500,000 a year, where dentist can make easily $200,000 working 32 hr/wk. The hours are the big factor. Physicians can average 50-120hrs where dentist typically average 27-45. What's more important money or time?

They are both worth it if you like to seriously "help" people. You have a long road for both, very stressful especially the board exams, oh like 3-5 days long sometimes. But you also have so much freedom of how, where, when you want to work. Think about this there are about 250 med schools and 50 dental. The population is growing and living longer, the need will be incredible. You have great job security.

Medical is very cerebral, but surgery is a long days, hard path,. Ever hear of q2 - means being on call every other day. Call is 30-36 straight hrs of working. That's part of the life of almost any physician especially surgeons.

Dental you need good hands or you will struggle to graduate and patients will get very impatient. Even though it's healthcare they expect a "Starbucks" in and out experience.

Hope this helps, but go shadow it helps.





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