So lately I have been struggling with how I am going to be a career woman AND a good wife/mother. I wanna be like my mom who dropped us off at school and picked us up and cooked family dinners and never had to put us in daycare... I wanna be able to raise my kids and spend time with my family.

Is it realistic to think I will be able to spend time at home with my kids, while still running my dental practice? I'm worried that the primary patient based will need evening/weekend appointments when they are off work and that will interfere with taking care of my family. I have worked as a dental assistant for three years and my boss says I won't be able to have my cake and eat it too.. Any other ladies struggling with this as well..? Anyone with families already that have been able to find a balance of work and mom?

I want that kind of life as well where i will have time for my family and kids, and i think being a dentist will allow that..IF its your own business, you can choose the hours which you would like to be open, and you can open a little later and close a little later 2 days a week and close by like 5 or 6 other days.. I definitely feel that dentistry allows you to have a balance btw work and being a mother/wife.

I want that kind of life as well where i will have time for my family and kids, and i think being a dentist will allow that..IF its your own business, you can choose the hours which you would like to be open, and you can open a little later and close a little later 2 days a week and close by like 5 or 6 other days.. I definitely feel that dentistry allows you to have a balance btw work and being a mother/wife.

I agree with you but that kind of life would be at least some years after you finish your dental school. I don't know how old you are (teeth32), but I think generally speaking ladies freshly out of ds would be around late 20s ~ early 30s and it is true that you don't want to deliver your bady when your 40. But then, also after studying hard for 4 years and have baby right after you are done with school wouldn't be such a good idea either. So the drawback of going to ds and working as a career woman is that ladies will have babies later and won't be able to be there for their kids 100% of their time like housewifves. Working only a few days a week and few hours a day would be after you establish your office and patients, which takes some years..
Still, it is true that a dentist mom will have more flexible schedule compared to other mon-fri, 8-6 working mommies, but won't be like a perferct housewife who would be able to pick up kids, bring perfect dinner every night and etc.

From my perspective, I think dentistry gives a lot of room.

You don't have to open your own practice after dental school. Some people don't like to handle any of the business part, so they work in someone else's practice and just have certain hours.

I know a dentist that worked at one place, and then tried out starting his own office and would only be in his office whenever he had appointments.

Family is important to me, too, and I think it'll be okay :)

I've done missions work with female dentists, and they all said that they love their career because they can work while their kids are at school, and be home with them when they are home.

I don't see why after a couple years of working and getting a practice established you couldn't start your family and be able to spend time with them! That's what i'm hoping for at least!

So lately I have been struggling with how I am going to be a career woman AND a good wife/mother. I wanna be like my mom who dropped us off at school and picked us up and cooked family dinners and never had to put us in daycare... I wanna be able to raise my kids and spend time with my family.

Is it realistic to think I will be able to spend time at home with my kids, while still running my dental practice? I'm worried that the primary patient based will need evening/weekend appointments when they are off work and that will interfere with taking care of my family. I have worked as a dental assistant for three years and my boss says I won't be able to have my cake and eat it too.. Any other ladies struggling with this as well..? Anyone with families already that have been able to find a balance of work and mom?

My sister is a dentist, she owns her own practice, and has 3 kids (3 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old). She only works 3.5 days a week (approx 35 hours). If you ask me, 35 hours per week working gives her PLENTY of time with her kids.

I wouldn't be worried too much about being a dental working mother... I would be more worried about the 4 years in dental school. My understanding is, those years are pretty demanding

Since we are kind of/sort of on the topic of family, is their time during dental school to get engaged and married and all that good stuff?

Since we are kind of/sort of on the topic of family, is their time during dental school to get engaged and married and all that good stuff?

I actually just got engaged a month ago and have started planning our wedding (I'm a first year). Ideally, we should have gotten married in the first summer that we have off so that we could be more flexible with dates and being able to go home. Instead, we're getting married next summer during a 2 week break that we have between summer of 2nd year and fall term of 3rd year. Having a year to plan makes it easier and more laid back to plan things. It's doable. :)

The ability to be a working wife/mother is one of the many things that turned me on to dentistry. It's good to hear that many of you feel the same way, and are living proof of it!

I actually just got engaged a month ago and have started planning our wedding (I'm a first year). Ideally, we should have gotten married in the first summer that we have off so that we could be more flexible with dates and being able to go home. Instead, we're getting married next summer during a 2 week break that we have between summer of 2nd year and fall term of 3rd year. Having a year to plan makes it easier and more laid back to plan things. It's doable. :)

Congratulations!!!!!! Well as long as theres time for all of the planning and all that fun stuff, then my life plan is on track! :)

I agree with you but that kind of life would be at least some years after you finish your dental school. I don't know how old you are (teeth32), but I think generally speaking ladies freshly out of ds would be around late 20s ~ early 30s and it is true that you don't want to deliver your bady when your 40. But then, also after studying hard for 4 years and have baby right after you are done with school wouldn't be such a good idea either. So the drawback of going to ds and working as a career woman is that ladies will have babies later and won't be able to be there for their kids 100% of their time like housewifves. Working only a few days a week and few hours a day would be after you establish your office and patients, which takes some years..
Still, it is true that a dentist mom will have more flexible schedule compared to other mon-fri, 8-6 working mommies, but won't be like a perferct housewife who would be able to pick up kids, bring perfect dinner every night and etc.

This was my main concern. I am 21 right now (22 in July) and applying for the 2011 cycle so I will graduate when I am 26 (still pretty young). I was just worried that it would take me some time to establish my practice and by the time I am ready to have kids, it might be too late (I want to have all children before 35).

But thank you everyone for your responses! I am glad to know I am not the only one!

i'm worried about kids and stuff too. too bad i have to find myself a husband first!

i'm worried about kids and stuff too. too bad i have to find myself a husband first!

+1, future husband to be.. where u atttt

+1, future husband to be.. where u atttt

HAHA this sums up my thoughts completely :laugh: