Is dentistry the right choice for me? Advice on finding your path

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Choosing a career path is, undoubtedly, a decision not to be taken lightly. When you decide to pursue dentistry, you commit yourself to a career — with its pros and cons — and to the financial burden of dental school. If you’re strongly considering becoming a dentist but want to be sure before possibly applying to dental school, read on for our best advice for finding your path!

Shadow, shadow, shadow.

This is our #1 tip for deciding if dentistry is a good fit for you! Not sure how to get started with shadowing? If there are any dentists with whom you have an existing connection (say, your own dentist, or a relative or family friend who is a dentist), you might reach out to them first. Express your interest in dentistry and ask if they might be willing to have you shadow in their office for a morning or afternoon! If you don’t currently know any dentists, start by calling dentists in your area, introducing yourself, and asking about the possibility of shadowing. Likely, you will get told “no” by more than one dentist, but don’t give up — someone will be willing to let you shadow! Once you find a dentist you enjoy shadowing, you can ask about the possibility of coming into the office on a regular basis.

Shadowing is an incredible way to get a sense of what dentists do on a day-to-day basis and determine if you could see yourself fulfilling a similar role in the future. As you shadow, be sure to keep track of who, when, and where you shadow and what you learn, and if possible, shadow at a few different offices — no two dental practices are the same! For more advice on making shadowing worth your while, check out our blog post.

Ask questions of people in the profession.

This is something you can do while shadowing or any other time you get the chance to talk someone in dental school or in the profession. Ask them what their day-to-day life is like, why they chose dentistry, and what they like about the field. Also ask the tough questions: What do they wish they knew when they were in your shoes? What do they see as the downsides of dentistry? This is a great way to learn more and expose yourself to different points of view!

Ask questions of yourself.

Equally important as asking questions of other people is asking questions of yourself. Although talking with other people is an incredibly helpful tool, at the end of the day, choosing a career path is a deeply personal decision. Reflect on some of the following questions (some people find it helpful to do this in a journal):

• What am I looking for in a future career?
• How important are the following: work-life balance, earning potential, flexibility to work from home, patient interaction, lifelong learning, educational costs (etc.)
• What are some of my strengths, talents, and passions?
• What are some of my weaknesses (or what do I dislike doing)?
• For those certain they want to pursue healthcare: Why dentistry as opposed to another field (such as medicine, nursing, optometry, veterinary, etc.)?
• Questions specific to dentistry: Would I enjoy working with my hands and using fine motor skills? Do I like paying careful attention to small details? Would it bother me that many of my patients won’t like coming to the dentist? Am I interested in aesthetics/art in addition to science/healthcare?

Remember that it is OK — expected, even — for some of your answers to change over time. Reflection is an ongoing process, and although it can be difficult to be very honest with yourself, this is one of your best tools for figuring out your best career fit.

Educate yourself about the field.

Learn more about your potential profession! The American Student Dental Association (ASDA) publishes a monthly magazine called Contour with student-written articles about various topics within dentistry, and the American Dental Association (ADA) regularly shares dental-related news. This is a great way to learn about current issues in the field and the scope of dentistry!

If you’ve decided that dentistry is right for you, Crack the DAT has you covered with resources and advice for every step of the journey, from studying for the DAT to applying to dental school to selecting the right school for you. We wish you all the best as you find the career path that makes the most sense for you!

How and when did you decide on your career? What advice do you have for those who are uncertain? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading!

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