Is $500k Debt Worth It? Medicine vs. Dentistry, My Last Week in OMFS Residency! No Gap Year Regrets!

Top 5 Topics:

- $500,000 in Student Debt?! Is Dental School Still Worth It?

- Dentistry vs. Medicine

- What Are Your Thoughts on CRNAs and How It Relates To Dental Therapists?

- This One Mistake Could Ruin Your CBSE Score:

- Gap Year Regret? How to Use It to Transform Your Life

Top 7 Viewers on this Episode on TikTok LIVE #64 Q&A:

1st - Rutu, @r.utupatel

2nd – Alexis Perez Cadena, @alexisperezcadena

3rd – @XXXDENTITION

4th – Goober, @matheuzmaximiliantheiii

5th – @cbenjiiiii

6th - Deyvvi, @deyvida07

7th - Liam, @liambren15

Quotes & Wisdom:

“Only take a gap year if you need to… use it to your advantage.”

“Put your head down and work. Eliminate distractions.”

“You need to find your direction. That gap year might be your last chance to do that.”

“If you're still excited to go to work despite the loans — then it’s worth it.”

“Maybe you need hundreds of shadowing hours to get a real idea of this profession.”

“Dentistry needs a new insurance model. Reimbursements must be fixed.”

“I’ve failed over and over again at sleeping earlier — and that’s on me. I’m not making excuses about it, it’s a problem I face and I make the decision to stay up later and work or go to bed early and get up earlier.”

“Network with your classmates. It goes farther than you think.”

Questions:

(01:20) Why not medicine instead of dentistry?

(08:45) Advice on keeping GPA high and starting strong in dental school?

(10:12) Did you do research in dental school?

(12:00) Is learning perio/prosth for implants in private practice worth it?

(13:40) Tips on writing a dental school personal statement?

(17:45) Is dental school worth $500K in debt?

(24:20) What were your GPA and DAT scores?

(25:50) Focus more on CBSE or externships for OMFS applications?

(30:12) Should I take a gap year before dental school?

(34:10) LeBron vs. Michael Jordan?

(34:25) Hardest class in dental school?

(36:40) How to handle student debt at a private dental school?

(38:55) How to study for the CBSE effectively?

(41:12) Will upper impacted wisdom teeth erupt if lowers are removed?

(42:00) Is dentistry a smart move financially/lifestyle-wise today?

(47:05) Who's in a tougher spot now: physicians or dentists?

(50:10) How to recover from a low CBSE score (e.g., 32)?

(51:50) How many hours a day did you study for CBSE?

Now available on:

- Dr. Gallagher’s Podcast & YouTube Channel

My watch in this episode = Filippo Loreti Perpetual Calendar Moonphase

- 5.2025

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