PA:
The median annual wage of physician assistants was
$81,230 in May 2008. The middle 50 percent of physician assistants earned between $68,210 and $97,070.
Physician assistant educational programs usually take at least
2 years to complete for full-time students
Work environment. Although PAs usually work in a comfortable, well-lighted environment, those in surgery often stand for long periods. At times, the job requires a considerable amount of walking.
PAs work schedules may vary according to the practice setting and often depend on the hours of the supervising physician. The workweek of hospital-based PAs may include weekends, nights, or early morning hospital rounds to visit patients. These workers also may be on call. PAs in clinics usually work about a 40-hour week.
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos081.htm#earnings ( All the info above was found from this government site)
Typical costs:
- Including statistics from both the public and private sector, tuition costs ranged from $2,300 -$99,950 in 2007 for the 27-month course, according to the Physician Assistant Programs Directory maintained by the Physician Assistant Education Association and available for a $35 per year subscription fee. Rates are listed for free at each of the individual university websites.
- Public universities offering physician assistant programs generally charge at the lower end of the scale. However, there exists a wide range of price points even within the same state. Tuition, books and supplies at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant costs about $15,300 for two years, and around $47,000 at Wayne State in Detroit. Students at the University of Washington in Seattle can expect to pay around $59,600 (around $30,000 each year) for their two year program. Due to state funding requirements at public universities, students from out of the area spend about $17,450 -$75,000 or more each year for the same programs.
- Tuition at private schools varies almost as much as in public institutions, but without state support the colleges generally cost more. Students at Duke University in North Carolina entering in 2008 will pay about $55,680 for the two-year program, while physician assistants at Yale University in New Haven Connecticut would pay over $68,000 on tuition alone for their 2 year and four month program.
http://www.costhelper.com/cost/education/physician-assistant.html
Dentist:
Median annual wages of salaried general dentists were
$142,870 in May 2008. Earnings vary according to number of years in practice, location, hours worked, and specialty. Self-employed dentists in private practice tend to earn more than salaried dentists.
Dental school usually lasts
4 academic years.
Work environment. Most dentists are solo practitioners, meaning that they own their own businesses and work alone or with a small staff. Some dentists have partners, and a few work for other dentists as associate dentists.
Most dentists work 4 or 5 days a week. Some work evenings and weekends to meet their patients' needs. The number of hours worked varies greatly among dentists. Most full-time dentists work between 35 and 40 hours a week. However, others, especially those who are trying to establish a new practice, work more. Also, experienced dentists often work fewer hours. It is common for dentists to continue in part-time practice well beyond the usual retirement age.
Dentists usually work in the safety of an office environment. However, work-related injuries can occur, such as those resulting from the use of hand-held tools when performing dental work on patients.
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos072.htm#earnings
Typical costs:
- Dental students at a public university pay about $5,700 -$34,800 per year if in-state residents or $22,800 -$139,200 for four years. Non-resident tuition runs around $11,000 -$53,000 per year or $44,000 -$212,000 to complete the program. The
- University of Mississippi has one of the lowest annual resident costs at $5,680 per year while Temple University will charge local students $34,800 for the 2008-2009 school year. During 2006-2007 the total four-year dental school tab at the 57 accredited US universities averaged $130,200 for residents and $179,350 for non residents.
- Private dental school rates range around $17,000 -$68,000 per year for 2008-2009, totaling $68,000 -$272,000. Loma Linda University offers a private dental school education at about $17,000 per year while the University of Colorado in Denver is close at $22,600 for the upcoming school year. At the other end of the scale, the University of Pennsylvania runs about $54,000 per year and the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry was priced at $68,800 during 2007-2008.
http://www.costhelper.com/cost/education/dentistry-school