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1. How many years of college did you need to go through in order to become a General Dentist 2. What jobs did you work before you landed your present professional job? 3. How can I decide if I should earn a DDS or DMD in this field? 4. What are some opportunities you were offered as you worked your way up to become a General Dentist? 5. Do you have a general understanding of dental terminology? 6. Did you shadow another professional in the Dentistry field? 7. Did you join any school clubs or programs related to your current profession? 8. Was there a particular subject you struggled with during Dentistry school? 9. What skills set did you learn or gain while pursuing your career in Dentistry? 10. What does an average week look like for you as a General Dentist? 11. What is your experience working in a fast-paced environment with multiple completing tasks? 12. Do you have any experience with the business side of running a dental practice? 13. What do you like most about dentistry? What do you like the least??
Hello! My name is Kaylie and I am a current high school student attending Andrew P. Hill. I'm conducting an interview with any professional in Dentistry field for a Foundations in Health Science Class project about careers! I have created
a total of 13 questions. Comment on this post, answering all 13 questions
to be apart of my assignment. Thank you!
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2 answers
Gurpreet Lally
CareerVillage.org TeamSr. Community Manager at CareerVillage
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Gurpreet’s Answer, CareerVillage.org Team
Hey Kaylie
Although I'm not a dentist, I'd still like to help you get these questions answered!
1. It takes about 8 years which includes 4 years to get your Bachelor's degree and then another 4 years in Dental School. Depending on if you decide to pick a specialty, you might need to do a few extra years (source: https://www.careervillage.org/questions/657917/how-many-years-are-to-become-a-dentist)
2. Because the path to becoming a dentist is so long, most dentists have their first profession in dentistry.
3. According to my research, they are both the same! They both require the same level of training but different schools use different naming conventions which is how we ended up with two degrees that mean the same thing. You can check out the history of it here: https://vipcaredental.com/blog/dds-vs-dmd-whats-the-difference/
5. As you go through dental school, you'll become super familiar with the terminology!
6. I would highly suggest shadowing regardless of your career path! It's a great way to understand what you do/don't like about a career
7. Another student actually asked about this! You might find the advice to be helpful: https://www.careervillage.org/questions/676203/what-professional-organizations-are-best-to-join-for-dentistry-and-what-professional-organizations-are-best-to-join-for-cardiac-surgeon
8. Dental school is going to be very science heavy and you might struggle with that, which is okay! By being an active student (studying, going to office hours, etc), you can learn to overcome struggles with certain subjects. I know some schools do "Dental Days" where you can talk to current dental school students to hear about their experiences!
9. I think anyone in this profession will either gain or master communication skills! Its such an important part of the job.
10. Another student asked a pretty similar question that you might find helpful: https://www.careervillage.org/questions/451803/whats-it-like-to-be-a-dentist
11. While I can't answer this from the perspective of a dentist, working in fast-paced environments is something I've done at all my jobs! Personally, I love it but the key is to learn time management skills. This will help you prioritize tasks and slot them in an order that makes sense (ex: I need my colleague to review something so I'm going to send it to them first thing in the morning to give them the most time to respond and after that, I will do other time-sensitive items)
I hope some of this was helpful but please let me know if it isn't and I can try to find other sources for you!
Although I'm not a dentist, I'd still like to help you get these questions answered!
1. It takes about 8 years which includes 4 years to get your Bachelor's degree and then another 4 years in Dental School. Depending on if you decide to pick a specialty, you might need to do a few extra years (source: https://www.careervillage.org/questions/657917/how-many-years-are-to-become-a-dentist)
2. Because the path to becoming a dentist is so long, most dentists have their first profession in dentistry.
3. According to my research, they are both the same! They both require the same level of training but different schools use different naming conventions which is how we ended up with two degrees that mean the same thing. You can check out the history of it here: https://vipcaredental.com/blog/dds-vs-dmd-whats-the-difference/
5. As you go through dental school, you'll become super familiar with the terminology!
6. I would highly suggest shadowing regardless of your career path! It's a great way to understand what you do/don't like about a career
7. Another student actually asked about this! You might find the advice to be helpful: https://www.careervillage.org/questions/676203/what-professional-organizations-are-best-to-join-for-dentistry-and-what-professional-organizations-are-best-to-join-for-cardiac-surgeon
8. Dental school is going to be very science heavy and you might struggle with that, which is okay! By being an active student (studying, going to office hours, etc), you can learn to overcome struggles with certain subjects. I know some schools do "Dental Days" where you can talk to current dental school students to hear about their experiences!
9. I think anyone in this profession will either gain or master communication skills! Its such an important part of the job.
10. Another student asked a pretty similar question that you might find helpful: https://www.careervillage.org/questions/451803/whats-it-like-to-be-a-dentist
11. While I can't answer this from the perspective of a dentist, working in fast-paced environments is something I've done at all my jobs! Personally, I love it but the key is to learn time management skills. This will help you prioritize tasks and slot them in an order that makes sense (ex: I need my colleague to review something so I'm going to send it to them first thing in the morning to give them the most time to respond and after that, I will do other time-sensitive items)
I hope some of this was helpful but please let me know if it isn't and I can try to find other sources for you!
Updated
Ben’s Answer
Hello Kaylie,
Gurpreet's response was indeed fantastic! I'm not a dentist myself, but I have a close friend who owns a dental practice and his journey might provide some insightful information:
-He hails from California and attended one of the UC schools (the exact one escapes me) and earned his Ph.D. from USC. His stellar academic background is undeniably impressive, yet it did not shield him from the fierce competition in southern California where he initially practiced. After several years, he chose to move his practice to Arizona.
-At the start of his career, he collaborated with various Orthodontists and they established a shared office. Over time, he felt he had acquired sufficient experience and chose to strike out on his own, opening his personal clinic. As his own boss, he enjoys the freedom to set his own working hours, which are from 9 am to 3 pm, Monday through Thursday.
-The most significant hurdle he faced when moving from California to Arizona was attracting enough clients to generate the necessary revenue to sustain his clinic. His strategic partnership with a local practitioner was a wise decision as it gave him time to understand the local market before investing his own money into the necessary equipment and space to launch his own clinic.
-What I gathered from his journey is that while education equips you for a career in dentistry, your career progression might require business acumen and an entrepreneurial spirit. In my friend's case, he opted to relocate and start his own business, a venture that required skills his dental education did not cover.
-It's worth noting that, irrespective of your chosen career path, there will always be aspects your education won't prepare you for. It's crucial to remain open-minded and committed to continuous learning throughout your career journey.
Wishing you all the best!
Gurpreet's response was indeed fantastic! I'm not a dentist myself, but I have a close friend who owns a dental practice and his journey might provide some insightful information:
-He hails from California and attended one of the UC schools (the exact one escapes me) and earned his Ph.D. from USC. His stellar academic background is undeniably impressive, yet it did not shield him from the fierce competition in southern California where he initially practiced. After several years, he chose to move his practice to Arizona.
-At the start of his career, he collaborated with various Orthodontists and they established a shared office. Over time, he felt he had acquired sufficient experience and chose to strike out on his own, opening his personal clinic. As his own boss, he enjoys the freedom to set his own working hours, which are from 9 am to 3 pm, Monday through Thursday.
-The most significant hurdle he faced when moving from California to Arizona was attracting enough clients to generate the necessary revenue to sustain his clinic. His strategic partnership with a local practitioner was a wise decision as it gave him time to understand the local market before investing his own money into the necessary equipment and space to launch his own clinic.
-What I gathered from his journey is that while education equips you for a career in dentistry, your career progression might require business acumen and an entrepreneurial spirit. In my friend's case, he opted to relocate and start his own business, a venture that required skills his dental education did not cover.
-It's worth noting that, irrespective of your chosen career path, there will always be aspects your education won't prepare you for. It's crucial to remain open-minded and committed to continuous learning throughout your career journey.
Wishing you all the best!