Personal ideals often clash with the reward structure of dental education. The hidden curriculum sometimes teaches corner-cutting and worse while publically espousing high standards. Changing the professionals without changing the profession in which they work multiplies frustration and offers little hope of progress. Three wishes for changes to the system are identified: (a) fixed dates for National Board testing, (b) comprehensive admissions standards, and (c) no live-patient, one-shot initial licensure examinations.