5 Things To Know Before Starting Dental or Medical School

Maybe you’ve already started dental or medical school. Or maybe you’re an incoming student gearing up for the journey ahead. Or perhaps you’re still in college—or even high school—trying to mentally prepare for what’s to come. No matter where you are on your journey, this post is for you.

Here are 5 things I’ve learned about people throughout my time in dental school that no one really talks about—but you absolutely should know.

1) People cheat. And I’m not talking about your ex that was doing their rounds around the block. I mean academic dishonesty—a very real and very present issue in dental and medical schools (and honestly, across education in general with the rise of AI). Since my D1 year, I've taken exams every 1-3 weeks, depending on the semester. I study and give it my all, but still fall short of my expectations sometimes. That’s just how professional school is. But the wild part? You walk out of an exam and hear someone boast about their score—a score you know they wouldn't have earned honestly. Or you hear wild stories of how people managed to cheat and get away with it. At this point, the creativity of some cheaters is almost impressive—if only they put that same energy into studying... Still, the stats don't lie. Take a look for yourself:

*Based on studies conducted at certain institutions. Statistics Received from: Rabi, Suzanne M et al. “Characteristics, prevalence, attitudes, and perceptions of academic dishonesty among pharmacy students.” American journal of pharmaceutical education vol. 70,4 (2006): 73. doi:10.5688/aj700473

2) People Lie. About their grades. About how well they're doing. About you and your classmates. Some lie to create false realities. Others lie just to protect their egos. And a few lie to tear others down. Personally, I will never understand why people feel the need to mislead others. It's okay to struggle. It's okay to fail an exam. And it's okay to not do as well as you expected. There is no need to perform or pretend. Trust me, at some point, we've all been in the trenches. And as for gossip and rumors? Ignore them. I barely have time to drink water in between classes, I don't know how people find the time to spread lies. Just stay focused on taking care of yourself and minding the business that pays you.

3) People Have Privilege — and a lot at that. As a first-generation student, I am the only person in my entire extended family (from both sides) to pursue medicine. From what I’ve seen online and in Student Doctor Network (SDN) forums, about 20–25% of most classes come from families where their parents or family members are already in medicine or dentistry. I'd say it’s about the same for mine. Now I knew this would be the case going in, but I just never expected just how many of my classmates had doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and/or lawyers in their family. How many will be a second or third-generation dentist, who get it all handed to them. Their parents pay their tuition, their groceries, their rent. They’re sent dental tools and resources. They're able to swipe their parent's credit card to purchase new scrubs or fulfill their splurging urges. They get advice and networking connections on speed dial. Meanwhile, I could never relate because I had to figure it all out on my own. How to budget, furnish my first apartment, pay for additional supplies not provided by my school, and fully rely on federal loans.

And you know what? I’m proud of that. I’m proud that I furnished my apartment by myself. Proud that I pay my own rent. Proud that even though my family can't always support me financially, they support me in love and prayer. And I’m especially proud to be a first-gen student who has figured it out on her own. If you relate—you should be too!

4) People Will Struggle with Imposter's Syndrome. It's so real, and you often don't realize it's hit you until your knee-deep in it. I didn't realize how much pressure I was putting on myself as a first-generation student. At times, I felt like I was only accepted to check a diversity box. — especially as I reflected on how I was the only Black dental student in the Class of 2027—and the Class of 2028 had none at all. I felt like no one would understand my struggles—navigating a predominantly white space, facing microaggressions and the racism of East Tennessee, dealing with the pressure of representation, and balancing that with first-gen stress.

My key with battling Imposter's Syndrome is to remember who I am—not just what I am. Yes, I am a black dental student, I make up 1.25% of my class, and yes the pigmentation of my skin goes deep. But I shouldn't allow these things to define who I am or how others perceive me. I am a daughter of a King. I am a resilient woman who worked her butt off to get to where she is today. I did not get here by mistake and am worthy of acceptance. And so are you! If you're still standing, it's because God has shown favor over you and your successes. Don't take that lightly.

5) People Are Gunners. Now this was a term I had never heard of before dental school, but boy is it common. I'm sure you can point out the students in your class who only look out for themselves. They hoard resources, ask professors for clarity or pointers on upcoming exams and don't share them. Or perhaps they just flat out sabotage others so they could stay at the top. These situations describe a gunner — a student who is excessively competitive and ambitious, often at the expense of their peers. Don't get me wrong, healthy competition is great, but sabotaging others to get ahead? That’s flat out toxic.

When it's all said and done, you're only as good as the class around you. Your class is a reflection of you. If you’re the only one succeeding in a struggling class, everyone still suffers from the overall reputation. We should help our peers, not step over them and we should "turn back and pull someone else up with us," as a mentor of mine once told me. And if you're not the helping type, fine. Just don’t tear others down on your way up. After all, "we're all in this together," right?

Final Thoughts:

These are just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve learned so much in dental school—both beautiful and brutal—and I’ll be sharing more in future posts. But if you take one thing away from this post, let it be this:

Life is unfair. You can’t control how wealthy or privileged your classmates are. And you can’t control what they say about you. But you can control how you show up for yourself and who you surround yourself with.

Be wise about the people you allow in your inner circle. Find those who share the same values and principles as you. Always remember to stay true to yourself and your morals. Don't change them for anyone or anything. You've got this student doctors! <3