Can a Dentist Become a Medical Doctor? My Personal Guide to the DDS/DMD to MD/DO Journey

Introduction: My Journey Exploring Dentistry to Medicine

When I first started learning to be a dentist, I never thought I would think about medical school. Things changed. I saw friends struggle with their jobs and wondered: Can a dentist become a doctor? I started looking into it—talked to teachers, searched for programs, and even helped friends plan their move from teeth to medicine.

The short answer is yes—you can do it. But it’s not easy. It takes a lot of work, time, and thinking ahead. I want to make the whole process clear, from what you need before med school to what happens after you finish. If you’re thinking about switching, already a dentist, or just curious, I’ll show you what it’s really like and what I wish I knew before I started searching.

DDS/DMD vs. MD/DO: What Sets Them Apart

If you want to switch, you have to know what you are switching to. I remember sitting with the med school counselor, looking at the basics.

Education and Work

As a dentist (DDS or DMD), I learned about teeth, fixing them, and working with patients. I spent four years after college learning about the mouth—how it works and how to help people. Dentists really know about the mouth, teeth, and face—from simple fixes to more tricky surgeries.

For doctors, school covers everything—not just the mouth. They spend four busy years studying all body parts, then do another three to seven years learning at hospitals before they can work alone.

Style and Taking Care of Patients

Dentists look closely at the head and neck. When you work, you get really good at careful handwork, making things look good, and making people feel better. In med school, I noticed the focus is more on the whole body, working with other doctors, and finding out how all the body parts work together. It’s not just about teeth or gums, but about how everything works with everything else.

The Main Difference

A dental degree means you can work as a dentist, and nothing else. A medical degree lets you find and treat pretty much any illness (specialty comes later). That’s why moving from dentistry to medicine is a big deal—what you know, the kind of work you do, and your daily life are all different.

The Integrated Route: My Take on the OMFS DDS/MD Dual Degree Pathway

One of the main paths I found is the combined Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) program. It’s kind of like a shortcut, but not an easy one—lots of people want in.

What This Looks Like

OMFS is a rare kind of job that mixes being a dentist and a doctor. The big-name programs (like Harvard or UCSF) want you to have a dental degree and give you an MD after six years as a resident. Picture six more years as a student and dentist, with half your time in med school classes and half in surgery. It’s super tough. But if you love head and face surgery, fixing injuries, or helping people look better, this job’s hard to beat.

Is It Right for You?

I met Dr. Mark T., who took this path. He said, “It’s the only job where my dental school and my dream for more surgeries fit together.” But he also told me: getting in is hard, it’s a ton of work, and programs are all a bit different (some go DDS to MD, some the other way, but you’ll finish with both and be a good surgeon).

Takeaway: The OMFS way is organized and trusted, but you give up sleep, free time, and a lot of your younger years to do it.

The Traditional Route: How Dentists Can Apply to Medical School

Most dentists who want to be doctors don’t do OMFS. Like Dr. Sarah L., who was bored with only teeth and wanted to treat the whole body. I’ve helped friends try the normal med school path—here’s what I found.

Prerequisites: Closing the Gap

You need some science classes to get into dental school. But here’s the thing—med school might want different classes, or ones you took a long time ago. You might need to retake courses like Biology, Chemistry, Physics, or even English. It helps to go to a special “post-bacc” program for this (and you need recent grades, especially if college was long ago).

Med schools also want a good GPA—usually 3.5 or higher, but everyone’s story is different. I say talk to med school admissions early to see what you are missing and what you need to do over.

The MCAT: You Have to Take It

Like it or not, you must take the MCAT. I’ve helped friends get ready and I can say: the MCAT covers a lot—basic sciences, psychology, and more. Even if you passed the DAT before, you have to start again. Plan at least 6–9 months of study. Dr. Sarah L. did a year-long post-bacc, studied every day, got a great score, and med school took her at age 35.

Putting Together a New Application

Dentists are “non-traditional” students for med school. This can help—if you tell your story well.

• Shadowing and Volunteering: You need time working outside of dentistry—in hospitals, shadowing doctors, or research. I say do as much as possible to show you know medicine is more than just teeth.
• Research and Volunteering: Doing more, especially in medicine, makes you stand out.
• Personal Statement: This is your chance to explain. Be real! Why medicine now? What made you want to do more than dentistry?
• Recommendation Letters: Get them from science teachers, doctors you’ve worked with, and anyone willing to speak about your switch.
• Interviews: Practice talking about your journey and why you want to go this new way.

Dentists have good skills—like hand skills, talking to patients, and knowing about the head and neck—that are helpful in medicine. I remember one admissions dean said, “Show us what you give that others don’t.”

The Steps in Short

If you’re already a dentist, you need to:

• Finish pre-med classes (maybe in a post-bacc program)
• Study for and pass the MCAT
• Get lots of experience in medicine and volunteering
• Write a great application and personal story
• Do well in interviews

Medical School and Residency: What to Expect Along the Way

Getting in is just the start—it’s still a long road.

Going Through Medical School

You’ll spend the first two years (M1-M2) in class, mostly with classmates who might be younger than you. You’ll learn about all of the body this time.

The next two years (M3-M4) are out in clinics—rotations in different areas like medicine, surgery, kids, mental health, women’s health, and more. It’s fast and you’ll need to change quickly. At first, I wondered if my dental experience would hold me back, but in fact, it helped me with hands-on work and talking to patients.

Taking the Big Tests

You have to pass the USMLE Step exams (Step 1, Step 2). Each one takes months to prepare for and tests if you really know your stuff.

Applying for Residency

When med school ends, you have to “Match” into a specialty. It’s a hard process—an online system matches you to places to train. With a dental degree, some people pick:

• OMFS (if you have DDS and MD)
• ENT
• Plastics
• Anesthesia
• General Surgery
• ER

But honestly, you can try for any field—just know that popular ones want the best grades and recommendations. If you want to use your dental skills, think about the specialties that use head and neck knowledge.

After med school comes 3–7 years of learning in hospitals, depending on your specialty.

Key Challenges I Faced (and How I Dealt With Them)

Most articles skip this part: this move is hard. Really hard. Here’s why.

Time, Age, and Life

After dental school, my friends were buying homes or starting families. Beginning another 7–11 years of school and training was scary. I felt like I was always behind my old classmates.

Money

This choice is big for your wallet—med school can add $200,000–$400,000+ to your debt (maybe more if you do OMFS). Plus, you’re not working as a dentist so you lose those years of pay. I kept a list of costs, loans, and future earnings, and you should too.

Harder Classes

Switching from focusing just on teeth to everything in the body isn’t easy. It’s like learning to fly a helicopter after driving a car. I had to learn to study in new ways and think differently.

Getting In is Tough

Med school is hard to get into—only about 6% of people get in nationwide. Non-traditional students like us must tell a great story and show we’re ready for the work.

Life and Career Sacrifices

It’s not easy starting over, especially if you already have a career. Balancing school, family, friends, and your own health is tough when you add years of training.

Hidden Advantages of a Dental Background in Medicine

But it’s not all bad. The more I spoke to doctors who started as dentists, the more I saw what a plus it can be.

Skilled Hands

Not many med students can do small, careful procedures as well as people who trained in dentistry.

Strong Anatomy

Dentists know a lot about the head and neck—other students notice this when you rotate in ENT or plastics.

Patient Skills

Dentists are used to calming down nervous people and talking things through. This is super useful in medicine.

Running a Practice

If you’ve run a dental office, you know about business, leading a team, and fixing problems. Those are helpful in any doctor job, especially if you want your own clinic later.

More Mature

If you’re older or have more life experience, you can add something special to your class, patients, and future job.

Real Numbers and Stories: What the Data Tells Us

Let’s look at some real stories and numbers.

Usually How Long Things Take

• Dental School: 4 years after college
• Med School (after dental): 4 more years, then 3–7 more for residency
• OMFS (both): About 6 years right after dental school, getting the MD along with surgical training

Money Stuff

Most new dentists owe about $300,000–$500,000 already. Med school adds another $200,000–$400,000 (sometimes more). Some OMFS programs help with money, but most med schools don’t.

Success Stories

• Dr. Sarah L. worked as a dentist for seven years but fell in love with medicine. She started med school at 35. It was hard, but with advice, study, and hard work she’s now doing well at a big hospital.
• Dr. Mark T. went from dental school right into six years of OMFS, got both degrees, and now fixes faces and trauma, using both medicine and dental skills.

The Bottom Line From the Data

It’s not common, but you can do it—especially if you really care about a certain job or want to treat more than just teeth.

Should You Do It? Honest Self-Reflection and Advice

The most important question isn’t can you do it, but should you do it? Here’s what I asked myself—and what I think you should ask too:

• Why do you really want to switch? Is it your passion, a certain field, feeling stuck, or wanting to do more for people?
• Are you okay with ten more years of school and more debt?
• Can you handle the lifestyle changes that med school and residency need?
• Will you miss dentistry if you leave?
• Have you talked with anyone who’s done this, like Dr. Joe Dental? Getting advice is key.

Try to meet people who have both degrees. Go to talks, ask lots of questions, and be honest with yourself.

Conclusion: Is this Difficult Path Right for You?

After all my reading, talks, and thinking, I can honestly say: a dentist can become a doctor, but it’s not for everyone. You need real drive, thick skin, and curiosity about the whole body. But if you really want it—if you just know this is for you—you’ll find a great challenge and big rewards.

(Bonus Resource: If you care about advanced dental work, I found labs like china dental lab and emax dental lab have cool new answers—just a reminder of how high you can go as a DDS or MD.)

Wherever you’re at, just remember—you’ve got a choice, and it’s never too late to change your career. Good luck!