Giving up my admission

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So I applied to dental school twice, and I only got into a private school in Southern Cal where tuition alone was $65,000 per year.

After doing a whole lot of # crunching, and using some tools on finaid.org, found out that taking out a loan for $240,000 would be financial suicide.

Then I learned from some dentists I know that the industry is not all that people paint it to be, they are having so many problems with insurance companies, stingy patients who don't trust their dentists, etc. They even told me they wouldn't recommend their own kids to go to dental school.

I've realized myself I wasn't that passionate about dentistry, I admire the career and can see myself enjoying it, but maybe there are better things I enjoy.

I know it is not about the money for a lot of people, I just hope I made a wise decision for the long run, and someone more hopeful can take my seat.

Anyone else who has been applying have the same feelings?

Originally Posted by superspike

So I applied to dental school twice, and I only got into a private school in Southern Cal where tuition alone was $65,000 per year.

After doing a whole lot of # crunching, and using some tools on finaid.org, found out that taking out a loan for $240,000 would be financial suicide.

Then I learned from some dentists I know that the industry is not all that people paint it to be, they are having so many problems with insurance companies, stingy patients who don't trust their dentists, etc. They even told me they wouldn't recommend their own kids to go to dental school.

I've realized myself I wasn't that passionate about dentistry, I admire the career and can see myself enjoying it, but maybe there are better things I enjoy.

I know it is not about the money for a lot of people, I just hope I made a wise decision for the long run, and someone more hopeful can take my seat.

Anyone else who has been applying have the same feelings?

I guess it's better to figure this out before you dove into school and loans rather than after. It seems like you've had plenty of exposure to dentistry (based on previous posts). It's too bad these concerns didn't present themselves to you much earlier. Go explore and see what's out there for you. Hopefully the dentistry bug doesn't come back around or you'll have a hard time getting accepted again.

I don't have the same feelings and fears because I got all of that out of my system when I shadowed and researched the industry. I shadowed and talked to lots of dentists and did my homework as best I could before taking the plunge. I was leaving a whole different career behind me. So I heard stories, rumors, grunts, concerns, loan pains, etc. So that was factored into my decision to pursue dentistry, not an afterthought. There will be challenges, just as any career will have. But I've just committed to make it happen and I'm going forward.

Did you ever consider joining a military program that will cover full tuition?

I think you made a wise decision. California is a financial hellhole right now no different than Greece and only one not hurting are the public unions. The state is accrediting a bunch of foreign dental schools and pushing forward with dental therapist programs in the name of access, which will potentially destroy your future income. I would try to get some public sector plum jobs for lifetime union wage, union benefit, union healthcare, union pension.

Originally Posted by Frank22

Did you ever consider joining a military program that will cover full tuition?

Originally Posted by Frank22

Did you ever consider joining a military program that will cover full tuition?

Doesn't matter, since he didn't really like dentistry anyways. Good for you OP, figuring that out before you were a few years into it. I had a classmate who figured that out 2 years in. Gave up about 160k in tuition but ended up going into a field she really liked.

I guess because I'm so passionate about pursuing a career in dentistry I find it rather disturbing that someone would get accepted somewhere and decide to drop it. That's just me though, if you don't like it don't do it .

I wouldn't call a loan for 240k financial suicide. That's about the average price for dental school actually. 350+ is where it starts getting dicey.

And no one said you have to stay and practice in California.

Good job to the trolling dentist you spoke with... I guess that's one less dentist he has to worry about competing with..huh. i've never meet a dentist who tried to discouraged me from pursuing the field.

Originally Posted by rodneymoss

Good job to the trolling dentist you spoke with... I guess that's one less dentist he has to worry about competing with..huh. i've never meet a dentist who tried to discouraged me from pursuing the field.

I have. The younger dentists seem more leery; the older ones more satisfied. In my own experience, the ones who looked maybe 50+ thought it was a great field.

Perhaps you have to be in the game a decade or so before the heavy stress load begins to subside a bit.

Originally Posted by AwesomeTeeth

I wouldn't call a loan for 240k financial suicide. That's about the average price for dental school actually. 350+ is where it starts getting dicey.

And no one said you have to stay and practice in California.

I know. My DMD + my undergrad + wifes undergrad + interest will total ~$550,000 all said and done. I knew this going in too. I crunched the numbers before accepting and went ahead with it anyway. I seriously hope the IBR is around when I graduate...2015. I really believe the tuition bubble will burst just like the sub-prime mortgage bubble burst in 2008. Give it a few more years. The university system keeps pumping out more and more grads with tons of debt and no jobs. How could this possibly go on?

Education is power...money is not.

OP:

Congrats on having the maturity to make the right choice for youself.

Do you have any plans for the future now that you have decided not to pursue dentistry? Is their another field you've been looking into?

Originally Posted by DMDWANNABEE

I have. The younger dentists seem more leery; the older ones more satisfied. In my own experience, the ones who looked maybe 50+ thought it was a great field.

Perhaps you have to be in the game a decade or so before the heavy stress load begins to subside a bit.

The younger dentists are more leery because as each day passes, tuition continues to skyrocket while insurance companies are gaining more control of dictating compensation for dentists.

Back in the day, tuition was virtually nothing and dentists primarily worked fee for service.

To the OP. Don't go into dentistry solely for the money because you never know how much a certain profession will make in the future. So, you're doing the right thing. If you don't like dentistry, don't do it just for the money.

Over the long haul dental wages were not like they are today - and by that I mean they were it was less lucrative. I do agree with you on dental tuition, though. On the other hand my state school runs 145k in tuition and isn't too bad to get into. Seems manageable.

In several posts you're trying to paint dentists as maunders which distracts from your point that dentistry is alot of effort if you dont enjoy the work. I just don't understand the hard sale.

Originally Posted by iralex801

The younger dentists are more leery because as each day passes, tuition continues to skyrocket while insurance companies are gaining more control of dictating compensation for dentists.

Back in the day, tuition was virtually nothing and dentists primarily worked fee for service.

To the OP. Don't go into dentistry solely for the money because you never know how much a certain profession will make in the future. So, you're doing the right thing. If you don't like dentistry, don't do it just for the money.

Maybe SoCal is the problem. There are many many corporate jobs in the country where you can make 150-200k right out of the blocks. It's hard work, it's not ideal...but compare it to a medical residency.

If you pull in 160k for 3 years and live off of 40k your loans are almost gone. My residency pays me 45k a year and I live like a prince and have managed to put just under 10k in the bank as savings.

It's not as bad as everyone says as long as you're willing to work hard and be smart right when u get out.

Originally Posted by Daurang

I think you made a wise decision. California is a financial hellhole right now no different than Greece and only one not hurting are the public unions. The state is accrediting a bunch of foreign dental schools and pushing forward with dental therapist programs in the name of access, which will potentially destroy your future income. I would try to get some public sector plum jobs for lifetime union wage, union benefit, union healthcare, union pension.

There are many places around the country where dentistry is still quite lucrative.

I definitely understand where you are coming from OP. The threat of huge debt is very scary. I see myself going in to the profession regardless, hopefully I can get in to a cheaper school or maybe get a military scholarship. I do think people need to seriously understand the financial implications of huge loans before they get themselves in to it, however.

+1. Unless you're working in film, entertainment, or maybe computer technology stay away from CA - it's a crappy state and I wish we could give it to Mexico!

Originally Posted by Tirekicker

There are many places around the country where dentistry is still quite lucrative.