The upside of the countryside

When you’ve grown up in a town with a population totaling 9,074 people, wanting to become a dentist at the age of 12 might seem a bit far-fetched. What I didn’t realize at the time was how a rural hometown would benefit me in the process of becoming a dentist as well as when I return home to practice after graduation.

The dentists that have become my mentors are a husband and wife team, and they have known my family and me since I was in preschool. They have invested their attention in me for years and shown me the ropes of a dental practice. Since they both grew up in my little hometown, they knew exactly the position I would be in going into school. They also told me how financially beneficial it could be to come back and work in my hometown after graduation.

HPSP scholarship: Say “no” to dental school debt by saying “yes”

WEBINARPracticing dentists and current dental students know, and we predentals claim to know, just how expensive a dental education is. What does “expensive” really mean though?

The American Dental Education Association (ADEA) sought to find that out in 2013 with the ADEA Survey of Dental School Seniors. Out of the 4,134 survey respondents, 30.8% said they will be graduating with $200,000-$299,999 in debt. Even worse, 18.5% said they will have between $300,000-$399,999 in debt, and worst of all, the least fortunate 9.4% will graduate with more than $400,000 in debt.

Read on to learn how you can get part of your education paid for…