As a 4th year dental student, I can surely attest to these feelings you are having. In fact, even to this day I have the same thoughts and feelings you are describing! I’ve kind of allowed myself to reach a point of no return where I’ve essentially committed to finishing dental school regardless of my genuine enjoyment for the field or not. Albeit, I absolutely love some days and absolutely hate others. I’m going to graduate and practice and I’m going to love the fruits of my hard work and investment of youth, but what’s reassured me lately is the idea that I can stop whenever I want to. I have the power to stop practicing if it’s not fulfilling me anymore. And that’s okay! No one will fault me (or anyone else for that matter). Long story short, these feelings you are having are so normal and it does get better when you start to see your hard work actually come to life when you start treating patients. It’s a wonderful thing. Love your content Stephen!
Super relatable right now lol. Don't get to film and make videos on youtube as much because school is RIDICULOUS right now.. 3 exams and 2 quizzes over the span of 10 days, not including the other assignments we have. Talk about busy... but we're gonna get through it. School isn't always fun.. it's not supposed to be really lol, but sometimes those funks happen and the joy will return. Good luck Stephen!
As someone who is a struggling pre-dent I long for the day where I will feel what you and some other viewers are feeling about dental school. I guess we all have our struggles no matter what stage in life we are at. We just gotta keep grinding and things will work its way out. Looking forward to the lab vlog and nice cut 👍
love the authenticity of this video! I'm a DS1 rn and I definitely wish I had heard this advice more when I was in undergrad, especially the stuff about learning things that most likely will never apply to what you'll be doing. that said, finding the enjoyment in the little things and the challenges is all part of the journey!:) great stuff man, can't wait to see your lab vlog to see how your school compares to mine!
Thank you for this video Stephen! As a pre-dent whose in the interviewing process right now, I can 110% agree about wanting nothing more but to be in your position! I really appreciate the authenticity and viewpoint in your videos and podcasts as your progress through your dental school journey! I always look forward to your videos as watching dental school vlogs/videos has been a regular pass time when not studying lol! Congrats on soon reaching 4K🎉👏🏼 and love the new haircut! Thanks again!
Hey bro I definitely relate to parts of these videos. I enjoy many moments and even studying sometimes but it's studying which is not inherently an exhilarating activity. Excited to get into clinic more :)
I love your channel and all your content! I’m starting dental school this October! I’m super exited but also stressed out. Your channel has really inspired me and helps me stay motivated to work hard! Thanks for everything you do!
A D3 student here. I can relate to what you said in this video. It’s something that me and my friends don’t talk about and seeing someone who actually share the same feelings is comforting to say the least. What keeps me down usually is the belief that I will never gain as much knowledge or experience that was intended for me in my 5-year program. It also doesn’t help when you aim for a competitive speciality like surgery. Thank you for your content, you don’t know how much impact you have on me personally and others through your videos and podcast.
Bravo Stephen! Exactly what I thought 40 years ago. Too bad nothing much has changed. Why are national treasures abused? Stress from having to learn a lot of useless factoids that we won’t use in real world dentistry. Spacetime wasters: gross anatomy, (You only really need head-and-neck anatomy.), statistics, dental history, dental materials. Repeating science classes we already took in undergrad such as genetics, microbiology, organic chemistry and biochemistry. These credits should be accepted to lower the academic burden. Too much effort spent solo preparing too many crown-and-bridge projects. Yes, cut the prep and take the impression w/o bubbles. Then, let the lab student pour the cast, do the waxing and casting. You perform the treatment planning, the extractions, the perio, the operative and the crown-and-bridge preps. The hygiene student does the profy. The dental assistant student helps you in 4-handed dentistry. WoW!, just like private practice. I heard from a foreign student that this is the curriculum in some European dental schools. A freshman classmate, already a practicing dentist from India, did not have her credentials accepted and had to repeat dental school. She was a wiz at everything. I asked her about these issues. She told me the reason U.S. dental schools are so burdensome and grueling. American dental schools have more money. There should be more 1:1 student support to at least match the funding and attention paid to the first class architectural and mechanical facilities. So, you spend a lot of time at the bench and neglect didactic studies. Your GPA suffers and the stress affects your health, psyche and saps your confidence. My classmates & I always partied hard on Friday nights. We slept until Saturday noon. Then, it was 6 hours of study time; 8 hours on Sunday. We could not even have the weekends off. Some students lost weight and looked wan and grey. Others gained a lot of weight. I suspect some women lost their menstrual cycle or it became more painful. Others suffered with bad acne and rashes. I got ulcerative colitis and had to quit dental school. My roommate contemplated suicide. There was not much “Me” time. Again, if college students are a national treasure, why are they submitted to so much mental stress and abuse?
Man this is exciting! The numbers speak for itself! People like getting genuine insight on topics which is what you always provide. That's one of the best things about each of your videos! I'm looking forward to what's to come! 😎
There are some points that related to me, In past 3 years, in indonesia, dental co-ass life sucks! I had considered to dropped out from uni 😭 but we must finish our requirements (restoration, endodontic, ortho and prosthodontics) in real patients (we work and pay too 😭) and especially when pedodontics module. But when its all done and graduated, it feels like finally my work hard paid off. Never give up and enjoy the process! Thanks for sharing! 😊😊
This is just an amazing comment to read!! Thank you so much for your perspective and story! I appreciate the relatability! The journey is always special even with its ups and downs
As someone getting ready to enter Dental school this is great perspective and insight. Thanks for being genuine. So excited for you to reach the next milestone with your channel and in dentistry!
This is amazing!!!! I’m first year student experiencing major imposter syndrome. I’m doing my best but I never expected to be experiencing personal challenges that come from academic challenges.
It is a serious issue in dental schools everywhere!! I try to actually distance myself from this way of thinking as much as possible because it is counterproductive. Focus on what is immediately in front of you and before you know it, you'll be out of this experience and into the next step of your life. Hang in there! We've all got this, we just have to keep working hard to make our dreams a reality!
My feelings exactly: in this section you described how you felt a type of way for practicing something you might not do daily in private practice so it seems like there's something about the curriculum that is bothering you? Is this something that all dental students feel or only at your school and is there something we, as pre-dents can do when to avoid this feeling ? like look at the schools curriculum?
Thanks for the video Stephen and specifically for the honesty! I have a confirmed place to study dentistry next year but I was wondering if you have any ideas of what I can do anything to try and get a headstart, either practically or academically? Hope you are well man👍
Do you know what i see? I see a Mr.Stephen who will be very successful in the future. I believe it💪 🦷 I will continue to support you even when I reach 60 years old 😅 I also draw strength from someone great. From you! I know dentistry is hard, but I took the hardships for my dreams. When dental school accepts me, I want to record podcasts with you. Please reserve my seat 😅 Aaand we are almost 4000!!!! I'm sure we'll see more
A great question and thanks for the comment! Pretty much my entire tuition which I've shown multiple times in my videos! It'll be a couple hundred thousand in loans when it's all said and done and I'll be exploring the entire repayment process on my channel in the future!
Steven P. Ray Thank you for being honest about how you feel during the process I was wondering Are you Christian ✝️ ? Jesus loves y’all no matter who and where you are!!! God bless y’all!!
Thank you so much for your comment and support!! I am Christian and it is the best part about my life! He is always with me at each step of the way whether I live up to what I should be or not. Thanks for your support, and I wish you the best of luck with all of your endeavors!
@@stephenraydentist thank you for answering me I really appreciate it! Well, I’m Christian too and I wish to become a dentist one day. I was just thinking about you doing videos talking about that aspect of your life. Just an idea, cause of course it’s up to you!! Thank you again for what you’re doing! Wish you all the best in the mighty name of Jesus God bless you !
Sounds like you need a day or two away from your dental studies. Go to the gym, go for a bike ride. Go outside and get those endorphins into circulation. You need a break !
I need a break right now as well!! But time flies! And I am getting through it. This is all part of the experience, and I do believe it will be worth it!
As a 4th year dental student, I can surely attest to these feelings you are having. In fact, even to this day I have the same thoughts and feelings you are describing! I’ve kind of allowed myself to reach a point of no return where I’ve essentially committed to finishing dental school regardless of my genuine enjoyment for the field or not. Albeit, I absolutely love some days and absolutely hate others. I’m going to graduate and practice and I’m going to love the fruits of my hard work and investment of youth, but what’s reassured me lately is the idea that I can stop whenever I want to. I have the power to stop practicing if it’s not fulfilling me anymore. And that’s okay! No one will fault me (or anyone else for that matter). Long story short, these feelings you are having are so normal and it does get better when you start to see your hard work actually come to life when you start treating patients. It’s a wonderful thing. Love your content Stephen!
Super relatable right now lol. Don't get to film and make videos on youtube as much because school is RIDICULOUS right now.. 3 exams and 2 quizzes over the span of 10 days, not including the other assignments we have. Talk about busy... but we're gonna get through it. School isn't always fun.. it's not supposed to be really lol, but sometimes those funks happen and the joy will return. Good luck Stephen!
Good luck brother! Keep up the hard work! It's what got you to the point you're at and it'll get you a whole lot further in life!
As someone who is a struggling pre-dent I long for the day where I will feel what you and some other viewers are feeling about dental school. I guess we all have our struggles no matter what stage in life we are at. We just gotta keep grinding and things will work its way out. Looking forward to the lab vlog and nice cut 👍
love the authenticity of this video! I'm a DS1 rn and I definitely wish I had heard this advice more when I was in undergrad, especially the stuff about learning things that most likely will never apply to what you'll be doing. that said, finding the enjoyment in the little things and the challenges is all part of the journey!:) great stuff man, can't wait to see your lab vlog to see how your school compares to mine!
Thank you for this video Stephen! As a pre-dent whose in the interviewing process right now, I can 110% agree about wanting nothing more but to be in your position! I really appreciate the authenticity and viewpoint in your videos and podcasts as your progress through your dental school journey! I always look forward to your videos as watching dental school vlogs/videos has been a regular pass time when not studying lol! Congrats on soon reaching 4K🎉👏🏼 and love the new haircut! Thanks again!
Hey bro I definitely relate to parts of these videos. I enjoy many moments and even studying sometimes but it's studying which is not inherently an exhilarating activity. Excited to get into clinic more :)
same experience, things got so much more fun come third year. keep up the grind 🙏
I love your channel and all your content! I’m starting dental school this October! I’m super exited but also stressed out. Your channel has really inspired me and helps me stay motivated to work hard! Thanks for everything you do!
A D3 student here. I can relate to what you said in this video. It’s something that me and my friends don’t talk about and seeing someone who actually share the same feelings is comforting to say the least. What keeps me down usually is the belief that I will never gain as much knowledge or experience that was intended for me in my 5-year program. It also doesn’t help when you aim for a competitive speciality like surgery. Thank you for your content, you don’t know how much impact you have on me personally and others through your videos and podcast.
Bravo Stephen! Exactly what I thought 40 years ago. Too bad nothing much has changed. Why are national treasures abused? Stress from having to learn a lot of useless factoids that we won’t use in real world dentistry. Spacetime wasters: gross anatomy, (You only really need head-and-neck anatomy.), statistics, dental history, dental materials. Repeating science classes we already took in undergrad such as genetics, microbiology, organic chemistry and biochemistry. These credits should be accepted to lower the academic burden.
Too much effort spent solo preparing too many crown-and-bridge projects. Yes, cut the prep and take the impression w/o bubbles. Then, let the lab student pour the cast, do the waxing and casting. You perform the treatment planning, the extractions, the perio, the operative and the crown-and-bridge preps. The hygiene student does the profy. The dental assistant student helps you in 4-handed dentistry. WoW!, just like private practice. I heard from a foreign student that this is the curriculum in some European dental schools.
A freshman classmate, already a practicing dentist from India, did not have her credentials accepted and had to repeat dental school. She was a wiz at everything. I asked her about these issues. She told me the reason U.S. dental schools are so burdensome and grueling. American dental schools have more money.
There should be more 1:1 student support to at least match the funding and attention paid to the first class architectural and mechanical facilities. So, you spend a lot of time at the bench and neglect didactic studies. Your GPA suffers and the stress affects your health, psyche and saps your confidence.
My classmates & I always partied hard on Friday nights. We slept until Saturday noon. Then, it was 6 hours of study time; 8 hours on Sunday. We could not even have the weekends off. Some students lost weight and looked wan and grey. Others gained a lot of weight. I suspect some women lost their menstrual cycle or it became more painful. Others suffered with bad acne and rashes. I got ulcerative colitis and had to quit dental school. My roommate contemplated suicide. There was not much “Me” time. Again, if college students are a national treasure, why are they submitted to so much mental stress and abuse?
Man this is exciting! The numbers speak for itself! People like getting genuine insight on topics which is what you always provide. That's one of the best things about each of your videos! I'm looking forward to what's to come! 😎
There are some points that related to me, In past 3 years, in indonesia, dental co-ass life sucks! I had considered to dropped out from uni 😭 but we must finish our requirements (restoration, endodontic, ortho and prosthodontics) in real patients (we work and pay too 😭) and especially when pedodontics module. But when its all done and graduated, it feels like finally my work hard paid off. Never give up and enjoy the process! Thanks for sharing! 😊😊
This is just an amazing comment to read!! Thank you so much for your perspective and story! I appreciate the relatability! The journey is always special even with its ups and downs
As someone getting ready to enter Dental school this is great perspective and insight. Thanks for being genuine. So excited for you to reach the next milestone with your channel and in dentistry!
Absolutely and thank you again for all of the support! I'm so glad you're enjoying the videos!!
Man spitting the facts rn, just you wait you're about to be a D3 and it will be super gratifying!
This is amazing!!!! I’m first year student experiencing major imposter syndrome. I’m doing my best but I never expected to be experiencing personal challenges that come from academic challenges.
It is a serious issue in dental schools everywhere!! I try to actually distance myself from this way of thinking as much as possible because it is counterproductive. Focus on what is immediately in front of you and before you know it, you'll be out of this experience and into the next step of your life. Hang in there! We've all got this, we just have to keep working hard to make our dreams a reality!
Nice 👍🏻 I wish you luck for your future!!
Thank you so much!! I appreciate the comment! And best of luck to you as well!
Thank you for sharing your experience and being so transparent about the ups and downs, i love your videos, they are very inspiring. ❤
My feelings exactly: in this section you described how you felt a type of way for practicing something you might not do daily in private practice so it seems like there's something about the curriculum that is bothering you? Is this something that all dental students feel or only at your school and is there something we, as pre-dents can do when to avoid this feeling ? like look at the schools curriculum?
Thanks for the video Stephen and specifically for the honesty! I have a confirmed place to study dentistry next year but I was wondering if you have any ideas of what I can do anything to try and get a headstart, either practically or academically? Hope you are well man👍
Almost 4k subs lets goooo🤩
Do you know what i see?
I see a Mr.Stephen who will be very successful in the future.
I believe it💪 🦷
I will continue to support you even when I reach 60 years old 😅
I also draw strength from someone great. From you!
I know dentistry is hard, but I took the hardships for my dreams. When dental school accepts me, I want to record podcasts with you.
Please reserve my seat 😅
Aaand we are almost 4000!!!! I'm sure we'll see more
Your videos are inspiring and well put together
Hope everything will always be ok with you doctor 🖤
Sir how much dental student loans do you have?
A great question and thanks for the comment! Pretty much my entire tuition which I've shown multiple times in my videos! It'll be a couple hundred thousand in loans when it's all said and done and I'll be exploring the entire repayment process on my channel in the future!
@@stephenraydentist sir how many dentists earn more than 500k a year? Please reply. Thanks a lot.
Steven P. Ray
Thank you for being honest about how you feel during the process
I was wondering Are you Christian ✝️ ?
Jesus loves y’all no matter who and where you are!!!
God bless y’all!!
Thank you so much for your comment and support!! I am Christian and it is the best part about my life! He is always with me at each step of the way whether I live up to what I should be or not. Thanks for your support, and I wish you the best of luck with all of your endeavors!
@@stephenraydentist thank you for answering me
I really appreciate it!
Well, I’m Christian too and I wish to become a dentist one day. I was just thinking about you doing videos talking about that aspect of your life. Just an idea, cause of course it’s up to you!!
Thank you again for what you’re doing!
Wish you all the best in the mighty name of Jesus
God bless you !
Sounds like you need a day or two away from your dental studies. Go to the gym, go for a bike ride. Go outside and get those endorphins into circulation. You need a break !
I need a break right now as well!! But time flies! And I am getting through it. This is all part of the experience, and I do believe it will be worth it!