I have obtained my bachelors degree, and I really want to pursue dental school.
Interested in OMFS. With that being said, I can’t stay in a college dorm, and I don’t want to work work full time while I go to med school.
Interested in attending Boston University. My question is, would student loans cover the cost of living in Boston to be able to afford rent without having a job, being too old to stay in a dorm?
It seems to me it’s a simple question to research on housing, calling the school or reading on line. I don’t see why this would be age impacted.
If you are keen on BU, why not call a financial aid counselor and talk to them. You can get loans i’m sure - and be indebted if that’s your choice. But let them tell you how you can cover this.
In short, if you want to go to dental school, if you are 30, then have the maturity and awareness to reach out directly to the school …start with admissions…since you have narrowed in on a single one.
Medical Student Residence | Boston University Housing (bu.edu)
Well in general terms. Have not decided what school yet, but what was wondering if it’s common for universities to offer housing to older students?
Some universities offer housing for graduate students, even for married students. Or, they may have partnerships with private apartment complexes. May depend on the local real estate market.
@BenKlesc I think your first step should be meeting with the pre-health advisors at your current university to get a realistic plan in place. Also, take some time to read through the CC forums on these topics. If you have questions about specific programs, do some research on their websites or contact their admissions or advising office.
For example, the majority of med school applicants apply to 10-20 med schools and receive 1-2 acceptances. It is not as simple as deciding where you want to go and applying to only that one school. I do not know about dental schools but am guessing it is somewhat similar with admission chances.
You can do this. But you are putting the cart before the horse. 
Slow down and meet with an advisor asap.
My daughter is at BU for graduate school (dpt program), she pays $1000 a month for a bedroom in a 4 bedroom apartment in Allston. She works as a bartender a few shifts a week (makes a lot Thursday nights but gets off at 4 am Friday, fortunately she got some clinicals out of the way over break so has no classes on fridays this semester). I don’t think she even looked into on campus housing (she’s 21). She has loans for tuition. ETA, only one other student in her cohort has a PT job. She has been surviving on little sleep for years.
I may sleep in my car. Lol.
Yes. This is the most sensible thing to do. I also believe, the fact that I already have bachelors from a different college may make applying more in my favor but I’m only guessing. Like when I only had an associates, I could transfer into many universities who would not have taken me out of high school.
Definitely meet with an advisor asap to get a better understanding of how med/dental applications work.
Everyone applying will have a bachelors (that is a requirement) and the majority will have taken a gap year or two to work, save some money, recharge, take the MCAT, boost their application with additional patient experience or volunteering.
You absolutely can do this, but it seems you need to gain a better understanding of the process. I apologize if I’m reading you wrong and don’t at all mean to sound discouraging. I want you to better understand so you will be successful.
In addition to meeting with an advisor you need to take a hard look at your finances. Be sure you have a plan in place where you can afford dental school and living expenses while in school.
(I know you have (half) joked that you can live in your car – but dental school is rigorous and you will need ample sleep, nourishment etc. to have the best chance of success.)
I am confused by all of your recent posts.
I’m just about to graduate with a bachelors in environmental science. I’ve taken a STEM route. Taken bio 1 & 2, chem 1 & 2, orgo.
I’m wondering how many more years would it take to complete medical school, for those who chose a different degree without starting over?
I’m interested in oral surgery. Will my path be made easier having completed a degree already, or will I be making my life harder? Is it difficult to transfer?
At one point, you were trying to major in engineering. Currently, it’s environmental science?
My daughter went to medical school. There were tons of “requirements” to get in. Pretty sure it’s similar to dental school. You need a lot of money, time, patience, and LOR’s along with experience.
Where are your labs, shadowing, clinical experiences and patient care volunteering experiences before even applying?
Maybe you should go to your career center and really take advantage of their information. You’ve bounced around so much with schools and majors and this does not bode well for an admission. Your are 27 years old, according to another post, and you’re still debating about what to do.
Find out how much time you need to prepare for this dental field from the career counselors at your current university. Your ducks need to be in a row before you even apply. It doesn’t sound like you have a doable plan for this current occupational path.
Set up an appointment with the career center.
I thought you said you had another year to go to get your bachelors!
You wrote this earlier today:
“I have two semesters left. Then I get my bachelors of science, with focus in wetlands and conservation (environmental science) from SNHU online school.”
Do online colleges have career centers? I’m not sure.
I thought you said you almost had your bachelors
I have another year and probably more of I transfer to UMASS Lowell. I am nearly finished my bachelors at SNHU.
Thanks yes I agree. My ducks are not in a row. I obviously have another 3-4 years of work ahead of me if I want to be serious about this.
I attempted engineering and found no interest in it. Lost interest in environmental science as well. Dentistry seems really hands on (obviously), and rewarding work to be able to help patients directly. If you love what you’re doing, it seems like an awesome career.
You’re a long way from being accepted to med school or dental school. Please go see the career counselor at your current college to get some realistic feedback.
Honestly, if you’re thinking about dentistry, with your history of poor grades and online schooling, I suggest that after you finish your 4 yr degree, you look into a dental hygienist program at your nearby community college and get a certification, a job, and then if you like what you’re doing, consider re-doing your dental pre-reqs at the local 4 yr college at night. If you can get A’s in them, not only will they replace your poor grades in pre-reqs, they may give you an idea of whether you could get accepted to and do the work required at dental school.
No, I think you have another 10 years ahead IF, and that’s a big IF you were to get ever get in. Your school history with so many changes and poor grades do not represent nor reflect what most students bring to the table as applicants with perfect grades, high MCAT scores, and amazing credentials. In other words, I don’t think this current goal of yours is a good plan. You didn’t know any of the previous information that has been provided on this web site to you by all of the previous posters. It was new to you. Career counselors have even more information.
The MCAT alone will take you all day long. You DO have to prepare for that. My daughter took a year to study and also put in thousands of patient care volunteer hours. You need letters of recommendation from your clinical supervisors. You need to have volunteer experiences that show commitment to patient care. This is not just watching/shadowing others. These experiences involve volunteer work with no pay. Many of these experiences are competitive and you must apply. If you are not a near-native speaker of a desired second language and other students are, then you will have difficulty with every competitive applicant seeking the few spots available.
Our daughter has gone through this. It’s not something you do off the cuff because engineering and environmental science did not work out for you. You also seem to believe that it doesn’t give you the salary you seek.
Medicine including dentistry is very difficult training and work. You will lack sleep, you’ll be standing all day and night long, you’ll be eating whatever is in your pocket and you will be expected to have a lot of memorized health conditions-the symptomatology, familial history, vitals, diagnoses and plans of action.
( BTW: engineering does give you six figures in a number of technical engineering positions.)
If you are nearing 30 years of age, you may not be able to borrow $250K on your own to pay for med school. You need very good credit or exceptional collateral-a house, stocks, etc.
Actually…medical schools students can take Grad Plus loans up to the cost of attendance. BUT that could easily leave you with more than several hundred thousands of dollars of debt. It’s no fun earning a decent salary and having a sizable chunk of it go for loan payments (and taxes).
I would like to add…
I was referring to environmental science. I don’t appreciate the major as it has turned out different than I thought it would be, as well as a lack of job opportunities that pay well in my area. Plus it requires masters.
I would not be going into med field for the money. My dad makes six figures with a bachelors in business. I could take up economics. Lots of high paying jobs with a many times easier path to success.
My interest in medicine and dental (specifically in surgery), is that I have always been a visual and hands on learner. I am not good at math which is why I left engineering. Med is one of the few STEM directions that does not require that you be a math whiz, and it seems incredibly rewarding to be able to work directly with patients (aka not an office job).
My former career… I was actually an automotive mechanic and painter. I was getting ready to lose my back by age 35. Ouch.
I believe if I take a year to gain clinical experience in the field, graduate towards the top of my class in my current major at a real university (currently have 4.0 GPA), score well on entrance exams, and apply to various dental schools that have above 30% acceptance rate, I think I would have a fair chance once I reach that level.
The only thing holding me back… was when I did not take college seriously in my teens and early 20s, dropped and flunked out. The past is behind me and looking at my options, which may include healthcare industry but not necessarily med school.
Well…for medicine and dental, it’s very possible you will also need to be an auditory learner as many classes for these students before rotations are lectures. @WayOutWestMom