I really enjoy general dentistry, I like the procedures I’ve watched shadowing, and I’ve slowly been building up a good application (3.85 GPA, 63 credits, 150 volunteer, DA experience, summer dental program at my dream dental school etc.) as an incoming sophomore who will graduate 2 years from now (3 years total). I do fear though about my future for a few reasons. It is only my first summer during undergrad and I got dropped from my pediatric dental assistant job which I didn’t like anyway. Shadowing is fine but it’s just an annoying time commitment because it’s hard to find an actual paying job that works around the hours I shadow and I feel like I’m in the way when I’m in the office. Most of my friends have lifeguarding jobs etc, enjoying their summer, while I’m unemployed just shadowing rn and I won’t be working next summer because I’m taking the DAT. My BIGGEST fear is my body, i see the dentists I shadow hunched over all the time, and working 6 days a week (the main 2 I shadow) and they also seem quite stressed. I am very nervous abt back pain in the future and I don’t know if I could handle a lifetime of this pain. I also see all my friends who are home having fun, and it makes me question whether I should’ve went local lol I have a lot of feelings rn. Just very stressed.