Med > Dental?

[Aero047]

Did anyone of you guys first enter college with the intent of going into medicine and then switch it to dentistry? What made you do so?

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[drat]

Yup --

Decided I wanted to be self-employed, have reasonable hours, work more with my hands, not be bogged down by red tape in hospitals w/ HMOs, etc. I'm happy with my decision, although people who opted for medicine probably think I'll regret it. I'd like to know what medicine has over dentistry... everyone says prestige -- but what if I don't care about prestige?

 

[grinningrice]

Yup --

Decided I wanted to be self-employed, have reasonable hours, work more with my hands, not be bogged down by red tape in hospitals w/ HMOs, etc. I'm happy with my decision, although people who opted for medicine probably think I'll regret it. I'd like to know what medicine has over dentistry... everyone says prestige -- but what if I don't care about prestige?

ITs a well known fact that physicans are more presitgeous that dentists. I have gotten alot of **** about why I chose to go into dentistry vs medicine. A few of my fellow students even had the audacity to say, why dont you specialize in oral surgery, that way you can get the MD and become a REAL doctor. Alot of them say, you have the grades, why not just go to med school? In seems that, thats all physicans have better than dentists, prestige. Id like to mention that malpractice is not nearly as high as it is for physicans. Also, we are not in school as long and we start making money earlier as well. So

 

[edkNARF]

I considered med when I first started college. After researching both professions, I determined that dental was the way for me to go. You will most likely be asked at an interview if you considered med instead of dental. It is a good idea to be ready to articulate why you chose one over the other.

 

[lotanna]

As a med student I think anyone who thinks MD is higher than a DDS/DMD is ignorant. My best friend is a 4th yr dental student, and lets just say I probably know way more about dental schl that the average med student Point is we need both and we (med/dental)are both health professionals, and we'll be working together at some level.
Dental schls are just as rigorous, or even harder 1st 2yrs especialy than med schls, even harvard dental students take classes side by side with their med students for the 1st 2yrs.
I chose med schl, my best friend chose dental schl, neither one of us would trade our choices becos it was what was right for us individually. Whats right for 1 person isnt going to be right for u, people can say whatever. Even as an MD, I'll be choosing a flexible specialty like EM, where I dont work crazy hrs, and my total hrs will be comparable to a dentist. I could never be a dentist, I have no dexterity for one, and I dont have the love for it. I'd never think my degree was more prestigious, after all we all pretty much do same basic sciences and all that BS, even yrs of residency for ortho, endo, pedo can be comparable to that of the shortest med residencies. Plus dentists have to sort of know how the rest of the body functions, cause say u have a patient with some medical condition comes for a prophy or root canal, and they are takin medication for some other ailment, u've to know how say the anesthesia u give might counteract with that and stuff.

@griningrice, some choose to do the 4yr oral surgery progs, becos they could care less about the extra degree, so not all oral surgery progs will give u an MD, only the 6yr ones do.
Why anyone in their right mind in dental schl would do oral surgery just to get an MD is beyond me???? If for some reason u want to do a 6yr prog instead of a 4yr one then thats cool, but to get it for another doctorate that u'll never really use??? Absurd

 

[DrTacoElf]

I originally wanted to do surgery. I applied to med school had 5 interviews and 0 acceptances. I then took 1 year off and did some more shadowing only to realize that i wanted the lifestyle and autonomy of a dentist. I want to be a small business owner (solo). Dental was interesting to me too . This time I had 5 interviews and 5 acceptances . Med --> Dental was a centrally discussed topic for me in my application and in every interview.

 

[mochafreak]

I was pre-med for one semester before I realized that everything I really loved doing as an EMT (and phlebotomist) was a manual proceedure. I didn't want to go into surgery because of the residency, I decided that EM didn't have enough proceedures to get me thru the runny noses, drunks, etc. and I realized I didn't like the ICU (anethesiology). I'm also introverted, so while I like diagnosing, I'd never have the energy to be a family doctor or internist and talk and round for 80hrs/wk. Top all that off with being artistic, really independent, and results oriented and you have dentistry. Someone around here wrote that a crude, basic contrast between doctors and dentists is: doctors are thinkers (diagnosers) and dentists are doers. That's real general but I think its basically correct.

 

[coolness]

With all due respect, it's hard for me to imagine that dental school is harder than medical school. If it's true that dental students take the same courses as medical students during the first two years, medical students have to rotate through various specialties during their 3rd and 4th years. Then, they have to go through residencies. Overall, although dentists have to also know how the human body functions, besides the mouth region, they do not have to know in detail in comparison to a physician.

 

[NVDental]

I think that prestige is all a matter of relativity. I chose Dentistry because I will garner prestige from where it matters most........my family and my children. For every soccer practice that i get to coach, and every recital that I get see, I will obtain an immeasurable amount of prestige.

I also chose dentistry because I enjoy the "hands on" work, and the opportunity to spend time with my patients.

On another note many of my classmates, as well as myself had GPA's that were easily high enough for medical school.

 

[aphistis]

With all due respect, it's hard for me to imagine that dental school is harder than medical school. If it's true that dental students take the same courses as medical students during the first two years, medical students have to rotate through various specialties during their 3rd and 4th years.

Yeah, good point. After all, dental students just spend their last two years practicing dentistry, which must be a lot less demanding than holding retractors in the OR.

Then, they have to go through residencies.

...which aren't part of medical school.

 

[amartins02]

I considered med school at one point also. My girlfriends mother is a doctor, OBGYN, and she told me about her moms lifestyle growing up. Everywhere they went they always took two cars because her mom would be on call and would have to get up and go. There were countless times where she wasn't there for family events and get togethers. Lots of red tape. At one point her mom was paying out half in salary to malpractice insurance. I am sure it is all relative because her malpractice covered her from birth of a child to age 24 I believe. Anyways, I at one point considered pharmacy but, after working at a pharmacy for one year decided against it. Yea you got a doctrine for it and all but, it felt very much like an assembly line. Also, felt like they were the middleman between insurance, doctors and patients. No appreciation on the customers part too. Customers always felt like everythng was our fault. I am not about prestige whatsoever but, I also don't want to go to school to get a doctrine and be disrespected and be called by my first name when I earned that doctrine. The other thing that bothered me was the hours. Technically as a pharmacist you are working for someone (retail). I have a friend who is a dentist and and although she works for someone she sets her hours and comes in when she wants. If she has needs a week off she lets them now ahead of time and thats it. She is home at a reasonable time and makes good money doing it. Patients appreciate her work when they look in the mirror and smile and see what a great job she has done, instant gratification. Lotanna is right, everyone makes whatever decision that is right for them. I chose dentistry because I want to make good money, work 60 hours if I want to or 30 or 40, spend time with my family, and help people feel good about themselves and get instant gratification from my work. There is prestige in that. To go off of what NVDental said, for me at the end of the day I go home to my family and what they think is what counts. Who cares about what people think of your job and whether its prestigious or not. Those who think they are better than you don't hae a clue and are in it for the wrong reasons. Thank goodness for Lotanna, she seems very humble and I hope everyone going into medicine is the same way.

 

[MrBenny]

I considered med school at one point also. My girlfriends mother is a doctor, OBGYN, and she told me about her moms lifestyle growing up. Everywhere they went they always took two cars because her mom would be on call and would have to get up and go. There were countless times where she wasn't there for family events and get togethers. Lots of red tape. At one point her mom was paying out half in salary to malpractice insurance. I am sure it is all relative because her malpractice covered her from birth of a child to age 24 I believe. Anyways, I at one point considered pharmacy but, after working at a pharmacy for one year decided against it. Yea you got a doctrine for it and all but, it felt very much like an assembly line. Also, felt like they were the middleman between insurance, doctors and patients. No appreciation on the customers part too. Customers always felt like everythng was our fault. I am not about prestige whatsoever but, I also don't want to go to school to get a doctrine and be disrespected and be called by my first name when I earned that doctrine. The other thing that bothered me was the hours. Technically as a pharmacist you are working for someone (retail). I have a friend who is a dentist and and although she works for someone she sets her hours and comes in when she wants. If she has needs a week off she lets them now ahead of time and thats it. She is home at a reasonable time and makes good money doing it. Patients appreciate her work when they look in the mirror and smile and see what a great job she has done, instant gratification. Lotanna is right, everyone makes whatever decision that is right for them. I chose dentistry because I want to make good money, work 60 hours if I want to or 30 or 40, spend time with my family, and help people feel good about themselves and get instant gratification from my work. There is prestige in that. To go off of what NVDental said, for me at the end of the day I go home to my family and what they think is what counts. Who cares about what people think of your job and whether its prestigious or not. Those who think they are better than you don't hae a clue and are in it for the wrong reasons. Thank goodness for Lotanna, she seems very humble and I hope everyone going into medicine is the same way.

I agree. Lotanna might be one of the few med students I've come across who understands what humility is all about. One add'l reason I switched from medicine to dentistry was because of the contrast in the students between the two: coming from a med student factory (Johns hopkins), i was exposed to arguably the most arrogant, self-centered people I will ever meet, and watching them get accepted to medical school left and right just made me not want to do the same, to spend 4 more years, and an entire career, working with these kinds of ppl. ultimately though, like others have said, the main reason for my switch was greater flexibility and independence in a dental career.

 

[dds2005]

I was torn between MD and Ph.D when i was in college. I chose to go on for my MS degree and maybe Ph.D. I didn't really think too much about dentistry. Now that I've exhaused the research route (5years) I've made a change to dentistry and am psyched about it. I feel dentistry is where I can use my strengths and skills best. I'm an extrovert. I like using my hands and have an eye for detail and perfection. I don't think about MD at all now. I love the dental field. I say hold off if you are questioning your desire to become a dentist. It's a long, hard, and costly road. It took me 5 years after undergrad to realize what I want to do and can't envision anything else. My grad degree and work really helped me sort through and determine what I want in a long-term career. hope that helped

 

[Aero047]

Thanks for all of your replies. I'm torn between Dentistry and Medicine. As a kid I've always wanted to be a doctor- not because of the prestige or being under family pressure (actually, my parents always wanted me to be a pharmacist.) It's something that I think about everyday - I know it sounds cheesy but I see my future as being a doctor.

But I've realized you can't hold an idealistic dream forever. The reality is that I will be hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt when I leave medical school, I'll have to spend a total of at least 11 years in school and residency before I can be free, my day will probably be very busy unless I go into a family practice. And I hope to get married someday...I don't want my career to put my kids at a disadvantage. I hate the idea of hiring a nanny or babysitter.

The thing I love about dentistry is, as mentioned before, the autonomy. I have to answer to no one (at least not as much as I would have to if I went into medicine.) I've always been interested in business and I know without a doubt I'll enjoy giving a high level of care without worrying about the insane malpractice insurance that doctors have to worry about. HMO's play too big a role in doctor's evaluations -I don't wanna be like that. I can set my own hours. I can use my hands...I got a good eye for detail. The thing is I don't want to be just restricted to the mouth, almost everyone hates going to the dentist...

I really don't know. I'm introverted, lack some self esteem. I'm just so confused right now. I wish there was some test I could take to see where I would be happiest lol

 

[USAF_Dentman]

Did anyone of you guys first enter college with the intent of going into medicine and then switch it to dentistry? What made you do so?

For me it was quite different. I was the first in my immediate family to go to college, and the only person in my father's immediate family line to go to college. My grandmother on my mother's side was the only one i can think of that went to college.

So for me, just getting to college was a pretty big triumph. I didnt even know what was out there for careers, i was just trying to graduate from college and then play it by ear...Then i found this website by accident, lol. Then i browsed through the pre-med. and pre-dent forums and here i am posting in the pre-dent forum. So now i am more focused on grades because i know what i want to do, before i didnt give it too much thought.

 

[CanuckDDS]

I actually got in to both....I went into dents without even thinking about the prestige thing! If you are going into meds because of that you are doing it for the wrong reasons -100%. I have never been happier with my decision when I see/hear medical students at our school ask me if I picked dents because I couldn't get into meds (are these the ppl you want in your class?). Most of the time they don't believe me when I tell them I got into both (I once had a guy who was waitlisted ask me, so conceivably if I accepted my meds spot he may not be in medical school today- meatball). This is a small % of meds though, they are the ones that went to medical school cause mommy and daddy wanted them to and will probably make crappy MDs. Most are like lotanna and realize everyone has their role, lotanna you sound like good peeps...
Ppl in both professions that talk down to others are losers anyhow, their co-workers will never have any respect for them.

We are colleagues and need to work together quite a bit, so mutual repect is a must.

 

[sidewalkman]

I flirted with medicine, and still am attracted to the surgical fields somewhat, but I have found dentistry to be far superior. I worked in undergrad with a dental prof, and he completely changed my perspective; before working with him, I had no clue what I wanted to do. There is so much more to dentistry than what many people realize. I found it very easy to be passionate about the field, unlike much of medicine.

I also went to a pre-med hotbed, and in general found that the pre-med superstars were narrow-minded and boring as hell, and the pre-meds with lesser numbers were far more interesting. Not to mention the students whose parents basically forced them into getting an MD. I took this to be a huge warning sign for the profession. Meanwhile, the dental students I've talked to have generally been well-rounded and fun to talk to, regardless of undergraduate performance.

 

[amartins02]

OMG, Sidewalk man is David Letterman!! lol.

 

[Yah-E]

Why anyone in their right mind in dental schl would do oral surgery just to get an MD is beyond me???? If for some reason u want to do a 6yr prog instead of a 4yr one then thats cool, but to get it for another doctorate that u'll never really use??? Absurd

Lotanna, cool name by the way! You're absolutely right on dental students should NOT go into oral surgery (OMFS) only for the MD degree. However, you're absolutely incorrect about getting the MD degree is "useless" for OMFS. There are many reasons why dental students want to become oral & maxillofacial surgeons AND why dental students wouldn't mind the MD degree for the following reason:

1) if you have already completed 4 years of dental school and wish to pursue further education in OMFS training, what is another two years on top of 4 to earn that MD? If one does not mind schooling, two year MD is not a bad pitch!

2) the scope of practice in OMFS has bordened so much in the last decade especially into Plastics and trauma recon. with the MD degree, OMFS residents are able to apply to PRS residencies if they wish to become full blown board certified PRS. At the end, this OMFS has just doubled his scope of practice to Plastics and Dentoaveolar/Orthognathics. Two additional years of schooling to get that MD simply opens more doors to explore.

3) for some dental students who wish to pursue an OMFS residency after dental school, they simply have a fascination for OMFS and just want to continue to learn more. Remember, people do say "knowledge is power!"

Besides, 3rd and 4th year of med school is all clinical orientated, absolutely, OMFS will and can apply the knowledge learned during med school rotations in their OMFS training and in private practice in diagnosis, management, and in treatment of diseases, trauma, and esthetic cases of the head and neck region.

Lets not let us forget, a MD title can very easily be utilized as advertisement for an OMFS's private practice. If as a society, we hold the highest regards to the MDs, then by having that MD, an OMFS may just have won a couple of new patients' confidence.

In the scope of practice, an OMFS without the MD is just as competent as a double-degreed OMFS, but I always say, more education can never hurt you!

If I have the time and energy to do it, I would love to earn my DMD degree (which I am doing now), learn 5 more languages, go to a mechanical shop school and learn everything about an engine to a car! (Man, if you open a hood to a car, I have no idea what is what?)

Bottom line, knowledge is power and it's something that no one can ever take away from you. I apologize for changing the subject of this thread, but when I saw you wrote that, it hit a wrong nerve with me.

 

[jaxx]

There are a lot of good thoughts here as well as some strong freelings. One thing that I have come to realize is that everybody in Dental School goes into the Surgical Field ( i.e. they use their hands). In Medicine, half go into surgery (approx.) and the other half go into internal medicine where they use their heads much more than their hands. One is not necessarily better than the other, it is just that you do have that choice if you go into medicine. It really boils down to a matter of choice. Become a physician or a dentist but go into it because you enjoy it and love it - other reasons will pale with time.

 

[4 Ever]

since when did this thread turn into bashing on MD's? Its just as ignorant to say that MD's are dumb thinking they are better than Dentists and vice versa.

 

[mike3kgt]

In the scope of practice, an OMFS without the MD is just as competent as a double-degreed OMFS, but I always say, more education can never hurt you!

Andy,

According to a lecture from the head of Oral Surgery last year, it was stated that a non-MD and a MD oral surgeon basically performs the same procedures (albeit plastics aside) and is equally qualified for the scope of oral/maxillofacial surgical procedures.

Now, my question is, does having an MD open an OMFS up to more liability? FL for example... we know voters just passed a three-strikes-and-you're-out medical liability amendment for physicians only (dentists are excluded). In this case, having a MD would be grouping a dentist under this provision.

Are malpractice premiums higher for MD/DMDs rather than DMDs (for the same procedures)? Education and further knowledge of the body is absolutely key, but then, why open up oneself to higher risk? Is the opportunity cost worth the investment?

-Mike

 

[tr]

Don't let the med students' attitudes bother you. They'll be laughing out the other side of their faces when they're stuck in 100-hour/week, $40K/year residencies while you guys are working 40 hour weeks and pulling down multiples of that salary within a year or two out of dental school.

(I'm a med student/research-oriented, so didn't really consider money and lifestyle as factors in all this; but one of my best friends went the dental route - also by choice, had the stats but didn't apply to med - and she's pretty happy at her prospects right now.)

 

[JDAD]

I was opposite. I wanted to do dentistry, so I got a job as a dental assistant. BORRING! Who wants to cut and scrape away rotten teeth for the rest of your life?

Its the same thing over and over. Your teeth are rotten, you need endo and a crown. Your teeth have holes in them, you need them filled. Your teeth aren't straight, you need braces to starighten them. Your teeth are ugly, you need veneirs. Your teeth are rotten, you need dentures. You should floss and brosh more often. Repeat.

It seems like a business, and not an office to provide care. People would come in for cleaning, find out that they have rotten teeth and it will be $1000's of dollars to fix them. Kind of like taking your car to Just Brakes. You think your car is running great, but then they tell you that your brakes are shot and you need them replaced. Of course you don't really know anything about brakes, (or teeth) and you pony up the cash. No matter what, you walk away bitter, because prior to your visit, you thought things were great.

And don't think you will escape the hassels with insurance. With insurance companies like Pacific Care, you will loose money treating these patients. The pay about 300 bucks for a restoration, but the lab bill is $150, the impression material, anesthetic, and temp material is $50, the salary of the office staff, rent, electric, and taxes eat the rest. By helping your patient, you will loose money every time. So what do you do? You have two options. You either lower your standard of care, or you decide to drop that insurance company and not treat them anymore. BUT, the guy down the street still accepts them because he uses does a ****ty job using a cheap lab, and ****ty materials. You loose either way. From my expereince, there is more problems with insurance companies in dentistry that medicine.

Dentistry offers many great things, my father is a dentist. He works four days a week and pulls in great money, self employed, no call, great life outside the office. It just wasn't for me.

 

[lnn2]

I was opposite. I wanted to do dentistry, so I got a job as a dental assistant. BORRING! Who wants to cut and scrape away rotten teeth for the rest of your life?

Its the same thing over and over. Your teeth are rotten, you need endo and a crown. Your teeth have holes in them, you need them filled. Your teeth aren't straight, you need braces to starighten them. Your teeth are ugly, you need veneirs. Your teeth are rotten, you need dentures. You should floss and brosh more often. Repeat.

It seems like a business, and not an office to provide care. People would come in for cleaning, find out that they have rotten teeth and it will be $1000's of dollars to fix them. Kind of like taking your car to Just Brakes. You think your car is running great, but then they tell you that your brakes are shot and you need them replaced. Of course you don't really know anything about brakes, (or teeth) and you pony up the cash. No matter what, you walk away bitter, because prior to your visit, you thought things were great.

And don't think you will escape the hassels with insurance. With insurance companies like Pacific Care, you will loose money treating these patients. The pay about 300 bucks for a restoration, but the lab bill is $150, the impression material, anesthetic, and temp material is $50, the salary of the office staff, rent, electric, and taxes eat the rest. By helping your patient, you will loose money every time. So what do you do? You have two options. You either lower your standard of care, or you decide to drop that insurance company and not treat them anymore. BUT, the guy down the street still accepts them because he uses does a ****ty job using a cheap lab, and ****ty materials. You loose either way. From my expereince, there is more problems with insurance companies in dentistry that medicine.

Dentistry offers many great things, my father is a dentist. He works four days a week and pulls in great money, self employed, no call, great life outside the office. It just wasn't for me.

Oh boy, another knows-it-all poster. You sure know everything there's to know about dentistry.
Your dad is a dentist and you didn't learn anything from him? or maybe you did learn it from him.

"It seems like a business, and not an office to provide care."
Unless there's a big sign in front of the office "CHARITY CLINIC" then everything is a business. You provide care/services and getting pay for them. Nothing is free in life. A M.D's private practice is not a business? Don't want it to be a business? go volunteer.

"Kind of like taking your car to Just Brakes" "you walk away bitter" You worked at the wrong dental clinic, wrong dentist.

You have two options. You either lower your standard of care, or you decide to drop that insurance company and not treat them anymore. BUT, the guy down the street still accepts them because he uses does a ****ty job using a cheap lab, and ****ty materials. You loose either way.

No you don't. It's called integrity.

From my expereince, there is more problems with insurance companies in dentistry that medicine.

What world r u living in?

 

[amartins02]

I agree that there are way more issues concerning insurance in the medical field than in dentistry.

 

[reLAXgirl]

Thanks for all of your replies. I'm torn between Dentistry and Medicine. As a kid I've always wanted to be a doctor- not because of the prestige or being under family pressure (actually, my parents always wanted me to be a pharmacist.) It's something that I think about everyday - I know it sounds cheesy but I see my future as being a doctor.

But I've realized you can't hold an idealistic dream forever. The reality is that I will be hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt when I leave medical school, I'll have to spend a total of at least 11 years in school and residency before I can be free, my day will probably be very busy unless I go into a family practice. And I hope to get married someday...I don't want my career to put my kids at a disadvantage. I hate the idea of hiring a nanny or babysitter.

The thing I love about dentistry is, as mentioned before, the autonomy. I have to answer to no one (at least not as much as I would have to if I went into medicine.) I've always been interested in business and I know without a doubt I'll enjoy giving a high level of care without worrying about the insane malpractice insurance that doctors have to worry about. HMO's play too big a role in doctor's evaluations -I don't wanna be like that. I can set my own hours. I can use my hands...I got a good eye for detail. The thing is I don't want to be just restricted to the mouth, almost everyone hates going to the dentist...

I really don't know. I'm introverted, lack some self esteem. I'm just so confused right now. I wish there was some test I could take to see where I would be happiest lol

I am so excited about dentistry I cannot understand why one would choose medicine over it. But, if nothing else, wouldn't it be better to do something you like less for 30 hours a week (and spend your free time doing whatever you want!) than work on call in a hospital nights/weekends/holidays? Easy decision for me!

And, the fact that people hate the dentist can work in your favor--you just have to become the dentist people love to see.

 

[ku06]

There really is a lot of hostility here. The guy up a few lines was just trying to give you his take on the subject and you guys all jumped on him and chewed him out! What is funny is that you guys are dental students, and you don't know any more than he does (and he might know more if his dad is really a dentist). I don't know about you, but I tend to know a lot about what my dad does. Why can't someone in this thread say that they think dentistry is boring. You guys have laid out every negative of medicine in this thread, and no one said a word. Do you really believe that all the negative stereotypes about medicine are true and if you do how would you ever know because you are not in medicine...

 

[edkNARF]

There really is a lot of hostility here. The guy up a few lines was just trying to give you his take on the subject and you guys all jumped on him and chewed him out! What is funny is that you guys are dental students, and you don't know any more than he does (and he might know more if his dad is really a dentist). I don't know about you, but I tend to know a lot about what my dad does. Why can't someone in this thread say that they think dentistry is boring. You guys have laid out every negative of medicine in this thread, and no one said a word. Do you really believe that all the negative stereotypes about medicine are true and if you do how would you ever know because you are not in medicine...

I agree with ku06. People are allowed to not be interested in dentistry in the dental forums. That is what SDN if for, to learn from others.

 

[Bruxomaniac]

There are many reasons why dental students want to become oral & maxillofacial surgeons AND why dental students wouldn't mind the MD degree for the following reason:

1) if you have already completed 4 years of dental school and wish to pursue further education in OMFS training, what is another two years on top of 4 to earn that MD? If one does not mind schooling, two year MD is not a bad pitch!

2) the scope of practice in OMFS has bordened so much in the last decade especially into Plastics and trauma recon. with the MD degree, OMFS residents are able to apply to PRS residencies if they wish to become full blown board certified PRS. At the end, this OMFS has just doubled his scope of practice to Plastics and Dentoaveolar/Orthognathics. Two additional years of schooling to get that MD simply opens more doors to explore.

3) for some dental students who wish to pursue an OMFS residency after dental school, they simply have a fascination for OMFS and just want to continue to learn more. Remember, people do say "knowledge is power!"

Can I add one more:
4) some people might be interested in medical/dental mission work and feel that they can be more valuable with the dual degree.

 

[Supernumerary]

Thanks for all of your replies. I'm torn between Dentistry and Medicine. As a kid I've always wanted to be a doctor- not because of the prestige or being under family pressure (actually, my parents always wanted me to be a pharmacist.) It's something that I think about everyday - I know it sounds cheesy but I see my future as being a doctor.

But I've realized you can't hold an idealistic dream forever. The reality is that I will be hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt when I leave medical school, I'll have to spend a total of at least 11 years in school and residency before I can be free, my day will probably be very busy unless I go into a family practice. And I hope to get married someday...I don't want my career to put my kids at a disadvantage. I hate the idea of hiring a nanny or babysitter.

The thing I love about dentistry is, as mentioned before, the autonomy. I have to answer to no one (at least not as much as I would have to if I went into medicine.) I've always been interested in business and I know without a doubt I'll enjoy giving a high level of care without worrying about the insane malpractice insurance that doctors have to worry about. HMO's play too big a role in doctor's evaluations -I don't wanna be like that. I can set my own hours. I can use my hands...I got a good eye for detail. The thing is I don't want to be just restricted to the mouth, almost everyone hates going to the dentist...

I really don't know. I'm introverted, lack some self esteem. I'm just so confused right now. I wish there was some test I could take to see where I would be happiest lol

It sounds like you would really rather be a physician; just do it. Dental school is just as long and just as expensive - if not more so. Dentists are not required to complete a formal residency but you will be doing the equivalent through various associateships - you don't just get out of dental school and set up shop. The pay will be better, but still not anywhere near what an established dentist makes.

Yes, some physicians work long hours, but not all. There are specialties with reasonable lifestyles and great pay, or great lifestyles and reasonable pay. And not all of the them are super hard to match in.

Physicians may pay huge malpractice premiums right now, but really it is just part of doing business. It's overhead; you've got to spend money to make money. As a dentist you will know all about that. A dentist will incur more debt than a brand-new physician could even imagine. It is not uncommon for a dentist just starting out his practice to be half or three-quarters of a million dollars in debt. Besides, the malpractice beast will be nearly slain - or at least reined in - by the time you get out to practice.

Medicine doesn't have to be all that bad and dentistry isn't perfect. Do what will make you happy.




Oh and by the way, nobody likes going to the doctor either.

 

[busupshot83]

There really is a lot of hostility here. The guy up a few lines was just trying to give you his take on the subject and you guys all jumped on him and chewed him out! What is funny is that you guys are dental students, and you don't know any more than he does (and he might know more if his dad is really a dentist). I don't know about you, but I tend to know a lot about what my dad does. Why can't someone in this thread say that they think dentistry is boring. You guys have laid out every negative of medicine in this thread, and no one said a word. Do you really believe that all the negative stereotypes about medicine are true and if you do how would you ever know because you are not in medicine...

 

[lotanna]

@Yah-E, thanks for the reasons, I guess I based mine on what some 4th yr dental students looking into oral surgery were saying, so I probably dont know much, but I can see how the extra degree helps in opening up even more doors.

I do have to say for the most parts, most med students are ignorant of the dental profession. Then again these are usually the same group who think you must suck for choosing family practice instead of surgery, as if everyone runs to the surgeon whenevr they feel the slightest pain. .

I think the reason people got on JDAD's case was probably the manner of the response. When you respond like that, folks will naturally feel like you are attacking what they clearly have a passion for, and of course will jump back at u.
@JDAD its ok for u not to like dentistry, but pls dont downgrade the profession, because it takes away from whatever good intention might have been in ur response. I dont like dentistry same way like I dont like many medical specialities. Obviously u found out it wasnt for u but it doesnt mean its not good.
Of course the healthcare industry is a business, guaranteed I'm involved in mission work, but bills will need to be paid, people are paying you what you are worth. If everyone could hack it off, then you could buy a tool yourself, and hack it off. There's more to the dental profession than you and I will know about, because for one despite our close contact with it, we arent dentists ourselves. I do know that Dentists are often the 1st ones to recognize and label a variety of diseases. They are usually the ones to even notice patients with symptoms of diabetes, or even HIV, and many other diseases. How abouts the Prostodontist, who just restored some confidence into someone's grandfather by giving him dentures, so you can actually hear him when he talks. How about the general dentist who notices his patients has lesions that could be cancerous and is able to refer them to an ENT, who discovers that it is indeed oral cancer. A dentist can look at your xray and see your jawbone might be less dense, and that could mean osteoporosis. Even some cardio stuff like hypertension presents with symptoms in the mouth. Regardless, we all need to eat, and frankly most people even with last dime in their pocket will be more concerned that they cant eat their food because they are experiencing a lot of pain in their mouth...A hungry man is an angry man.

While a profession might be boring to u, doesnt mean its a boring profession, 2 different things. Remember every patient is an individual, and regardless of what u do, be it medicine or dentistry, unless u do that, it'll be boring to you. You treat the person, not the teeth or the disease.

@Aero, not all medical specialities involve crazy hrs, ex: Anesthesiology, EM, derm, radio
By being a dentist or a physician, u can still get autonomy. When you get to a certain level u choose what u want. I know I will, because I see that around me. I know many physicians who work part time, my cousin as an opthalmologist with 2 lil kids cut her work hrs to 2days/week, and still got "good" money.

 

[Aero047]

You guys are the greatest. I'd like to thank lotanna and Supernumerary especially for their responses.

Everyones replies have made my decision a bit easier to make...you guys kick ass

 

[johnny_blaze]

I do have to say for the most parts, most med students are ignorant of the dental profession.

To be fair, after reading a lot of posts in this forum, I would have to say the same thing about the dentists view towards medicine.

I am a medical student; I will admit that I don’t know that much about dental school and dentistry as a career in detail so I will not post personal opinions of mine towards the field.

What I will do is tell you some good points about medicine that I have noticed to be a bit jumbled in previous posts.

1) The issue of long hours, no family life and running a business.

This is not true. You can have plenty of family life and earn good money. My sister is doing general practice and has PLENTY of time for her family. She went into general practice because she liked the “business” aspect of it. My father and several radiologists co-own a number of clinics together and must also run the business aspects of them as well as the medical. And again, these guys get paid a lot of money and have loads of free time.

2) The issue of “working with your hands”

There are a lot of non-surgical specialties in medicine that allow you to do a lot of work with your hands and still have the mental challenging aspect. Did you guys know that GP’s in the U.K can do minor surgery (i.e. removing haemorrhoids or even an appendix)?

4) The issue of “arrogant medics”

Not all medics are like this, I have met dentist who I find to be arrogant but I would never stereotype the field and use this as a reason not to do dentistry.

3) OMFS*

I recently did research work in MF, more directed towards head and neck surgery and oncology. I worked with 3 MF surgeons who all had their MD’s after they completed dentistry. Each of them had told me that that medicine allowed them to do so much more in terms of patient care. They said that they felt “short changed” by dentistry because they have only just really learned what its like to be appreciated for doing something amazing for a person, like removing a tumour from their face and then reconstructing it.

*I can’t really say what I personally think of this issue because I haven’t done dentistry. People who have done BOTH medicine and dentistry made the above comments. I think if you’re gonna compare the two fields you should have good experience in both.

Bottom line, If your trying to decide if it would be a better idea to do dentistry over medicine I suggest going to the medical forums and asking a medic what they like/dislike about their field, a lot of them will gladly tell you. I think asking a dental student about medicine is not a good idea because I’m seeing a lot of jumbled info on this forum. If I wanted to dentistry the last person I would ask about the field is a medic!

This is important because there are probably a lot of students who have not yet made up their mind about what they want to go into. Posting incorrect things about medicine can really influence someone in the wrong way. They could very well miss out on what medicine has to offer them (ie. Good pay, good lifestyle) because they think that dentistry is the only way they can get it.

peace guys

 

[JavadiCavity]

I've decided to change careers and move to the UK. Removing hemorrhoids is unbeatable.

Seriously, you made some valid points in your post. However, you can't necessarily project the opinion of OMFS residents/doctors onto dentistry. Typically, OMFS residents chose their speciality because they wanted to do something different than general dentistry. The point is this--their opinions can be just as biased.

I tend to think people who criticize any career choice are fairly shortsighted. Everyone choses (hopefully) a profession that brings them a sense of satisfaction. Honestly, I think a career in heart surgery would be enormously rewarding, but I feel the same about other careers (obviously dentistry).

 

[johnny_blaze]

I've decided to change careers and move to the UK. Removing hemorrhoids is unbeatable.

Hahaha, dude… haemorrhoids rock! Well… unless you’ve got them

Seriously, you made some valid points in your post. However, you can't necessarily project the opinion of OMFS residents/doctors onto dentistry. Typically, OMFS residents chose their speciality because they wanted to do something different than general dentistry. The point is this--their opinions can be just as biased.

I agree. I think their opinion is slightly bias. I think those OMF surgeons just wanted more out of a career and it reflected on what they thought of general dentistry.

I tend to think people who criticize any career choice are fairly shortsighted. Everyone choses (hopefully) a profession that brings them a sense of satisfaction.

I believe this as well. I had to post something on this forum because I saw quite a bit of career bashing. I think things like that shouldn’t be posted because the real victims are the pre-med/dental students that just wanted simple advice on what career to go into and are unfortunately exposed to other peoples views towards the other field. Know what I mean?

 

[JavadiCavity]

Amen, brotha. I got your back.

 

[gatorgrl7]

So after 3.5 years of preparing for a career in medicine and more recently, applying to medical schools around the country, I have come to the decision that I do not want to go to medical school. I am certainly qualified and am expecting some acceptances which I will be turning down, so "not getting in" is not a factor here. My fiance, who was just accepted to UPenn Dental on a Dean's Scholarship, has really got me considering dental school. But, as everyone in this thread has more or less pointed out (some more amicably than others. . .) the bottomline comes down to preference, to what will make you happy. For me, the problems in the field of medicine today (and particularly in Fl where I currently live) are widespread and probably not about to change anytime soon. I feel that these problems are interfering not only with the way physicians are able to run their practice (ranging from whom they can and can't see, how many patients they must see every day, how much they are able to charge and be reimbursed for, etc) but they are also threatening the quality of care many physicians are able to provide. I myself know many physicians who have chosen to LEAVE THE PROFESSION after many years of practice (and after ridiculous time and money invested in schooling and training) because of such problems. Perhaps, though, the major contributory factor in my decision was the fact that I want a family - I want to be there for my children, not miss out on the important things in their lives because I am on call or because I have to stay late in the office treating that last sick patient. I want to have more control and more balance in my life. As some people have pointed out, not all medical specialties lead to hectic hours, but I am not interested in these fields: derm?, radiology?, EM?, anesthiology? How limited! Kudos to the guy's GP sister who has time for her family! I worked for an internist for 2 years and saw how her two young children suffered by having a mother who was usually taking care of business at the office rather than spending time at home. I mean, if you only have the time to be there for your kids at the "important" times, how great of a relationship can you have with them? Not to say that medicine is not rewarding in other ways, and maybe if I had a different life I could realy love it, but not in this one.

Anyway, as I said it all boils down to what works best for you. I have met general surgeons (female) who love their job and feel they have enough time for their family, OB/GYN's (female) who are fed up with the state of medicine at the moment and the time they must put into it, male surgeons who agree that dentistry is a better field, female GP's who think derm is the only way to go in medicine . . .I don't want to waste 7+ years of my life (and $) to later decide that medicine isn't working out. So, I'm taking a year off and re-evaluating. I'm not sure yet about dentistry because I don't know much about it yet, but I will certainly be taking the time to find out. What I have learned about it thus far tells me that I will have the time to do the things I love in life, provide excellent service and care to patients, and have fun going to the office everyday. The more I learn, the more exciting dentistry seems. Anyone else out there have a similar experience?

 

[novacek88]

Originally Posted by Yah-E

1) if you have already completed 4 years of dental school and wish to pursue further education in OMFS training, what is another two years on top of 4 to earn that MD? If one does not mind schooling, two year MD is not a bad pitch!

Considering it takes 4 years to complete an M.D. and a DDS, 2 years is half that time. You want to spend half of your education just to get some initials? How about paying off loans faster and entering the work place? You could place that lost income into your practice and establish yourself much faster. How about reducing stress and allowing one more time for their family? 2 years is nothing to take lightly. It’s a long time.

Besides, 3rd and 4th year of med school is all clinical orientated, absolutely, OMFS will and can apply the knowledge learned during med school rotations in their OMFS training and in private practice in diagnosis, management, and in treatment of diseases, trauma, and esthetic cases of the head and neck region.

Not really, rotations are nice but physicians learn their training as residents. You are basically glorified scut monkeys as a medical student. You aren't asked to do anything major because you have no real training yet. For example in surgery, you are allowed to suture but you are not allowed to do anything invasive.

Lets not let us forget, a MD title can very easily be utilized as advertisement for an OMFS's private practice. If as a society, we hold the highest regards to the MDs, then by having that MD, an OMFS may just have won a couple of new patients' confidence.

You will not acquire clients based on your initials. I'm a DO so I know what I'm talking about. It's every DO's fear they won't get patients because they are not M.D.'s As a 4th year, I have seen family practice DO's that have million dollar practices...yes in family practice of all fields! Your reputation is based on the number of referrals and how well you market yourself. The success of your practice will be determined by how well you run your practice just like any other business. Certainly the initials can't hurt so I won't deny the obvious.

2) the scope of practice in OMFS has bordened so much in the last decade especially into Plastics and trauma recon. with the MD degree, OMFS residents are able to apply to PRS residencies if they wish to become full blown board certified PRS. At the end, this OMFS has just doubled his scope of practice to Plastics and Dentoaveolar/Orthognathics. Two additional years of schooling to get that MD simply opens more doors to explore.

If your goal it to be board certified in PRS, then you should go to medical school and do a general surgery residency first. Getting the M.D. because you feel it will provide you with a legitimate option of going the PRS route is not practical. It is a daunting task for an oral surgeon to match into PRS. There are only 556 PRS fellowship positions. Divide that number by 2.5 and you will get an idea how many PRS spots are open each year. M.D. general surgeons get first priority then M.D. ENT with a fellowship in facial plastics. Implying that getting your additional M.D. will automatically open the door to you getting a PRS fellowship is misleading. PRS is the most coveted and protected of the fellowships and general surgeons do not like giving those away. Besides, many plastics fellowships are moving toward the integrative model which is a combined 5-6 year program you match for directly out of medical school. This is only going to limit the number of PRS fellowship spots per year. Truth is if you want to perform plastic surgery but you don't want the formal PRS training, you can get a 1 year fellowship in cosmetic surgery. So yes, maybe the M.D. could help; I never thought of that. Anyway, I'm not saying OMFS does not match into PRS because there are famous MD/DDS PRS and OMFS, but they are the exception and not the rule. However, oral surgeons with their M.D. have a much better chance than D.O. general surgeons in matching PRS.

3) for some dental students who wish to pursue an OMFS residency after dental school, they simply have a fascination for OMFS and just want to continue to learn more. Remember, people do say "knowledge is power!"

By that point, people are already inundated with debt if not sheer fatigue. I find it hard to believe that people get their M.D. just for the “knowledge.”

4) some people might be interested in medical/dental mission work and feel that they can be more valuable with the dual degree.

How will they be more valuable? They will still be performing OMFS. You are not licenses to practice internal medicine or anything of that kind. You will still be able to practice OMFS without the M.D. Just going to medical school will not license you in pediatrics, internal medicine, family practice etc. Doing rotations familiarizes you with medical practice but you are not equipped to practice other forms of medicine until you undergo a residency in those particular fields.

 

[johnny_blaze]

How will they be more valuable? They will still be performing OMFS. You are not licenses to practice internal medicine or anything of that kind. You will still be able to practice OMFS without the M.D. Just going to medical school will not license you in pediatrics, internal medicine, family practice etc. Doing rotations familiarizes you with medical practice but you are not equipped to practice other forms of medicine until you undergo a residency in those particular fields.

Is this true? If you go into OMFS and do not attain the MD are you allowed to do the EXACT same things as one who has an MD? I thought you would be limited to the subspecialties you can go into. Can you still deal with complex head and neck cancer as a OMFS if you don’t have an MD?

 

[toofache32]

Is this true? If you go into OMFS and do not attain the MD are you allowed to do the EXACT same things as one who has an MD? I thought you would be limited to the subspecialties you can go into. Can you still deal with complex head and neck cancer as a OMFS if you don’t have an MD?

Think about it this way: What part of medical school do they teach you how to do facial osteotomies? Which rotation teaches you cranial bone or rib harvesting? You don't learn how to do these things in medical or dental school...you learn it in your residency.

The medical degree has nothing to do with the specialty; it is generally optional. After finishing med school in my OMFS residency I sometimes question if the added time was really worth it. I was bored to death. One of the above posters was absolutely correct about being a glorified scut monkey. Med students just stand around and watch other people work...very frustrating after you've already been treating patients for several years. I could usually disappear and they didn't even know I was gone. In a team of 12 people, you are #12. Med school makes you competent only to do H&P's and chase down xrays, which is why a residency is required. Of course, it's different when you're doing med school after you've already gone through the match.

My program has one of the broadest scopes in the country and we don't have a single MD on faculty. Actually we just hired our first one, but you get the point. Besides the bread & butter, we do tons of craniofacial, cosmetic, and reconstructive surgery. We're looking for a cancer guy now.

If you want to see some single-degree guys who do some pretty big whacks, check out the U of Miami or Michigan programs.

 

[novacek88]

I decided to write this post because several college students are debating this same issue, so maybe this could help them decide which field is best for them. When deciding between medicine and dentistry, you have to ask yourselves several questions.

1. Do you like outpatient work or managing patients in a hospital setting?
2. Do you like dealing with patients who are very sick or do you enjoy dealing with patients who are relatively healthy?
3. Do you prefer the bulk of your time placed in diagnosing the problem or correcting the problem?
4. Do you prefer most of your time working with your hands or talking with patients?
5. Do you enjoy managing a business or would you prefer someone else handle those duties while you get a paycheck?
6. Do you need your profession to be respected by others or you don't mind if not everyone respects what you do for a living?
7. Are you someone who is driven more by intellectual stimulation or by material possession?
8. Can you deal with the reality of one day being sued or would you avoid this reality at all costs?
9. Is your personal time that important to you or you don't mind sacraficing your personal time for something you enjoy?
10. Do you want the opportunityt to start working and earning money immediate or can you delay that desire for several years?

Find out what type of person you are and then research which area of interest satisfies most of your criteria above. Neither Medicine or Dentistry will satisfy every aspect about you but you need to determine which are the most important in your perspective. Based on the above, medicine best suited my personality and I don't regret. Likewise, I know several dentists who are happy and would not have it any other way. There is no best field. There is only what is the best field for you.

 

[jessUMD]

7. Are you someone who is driven more by intellectual stimulation or by material possession?

which field are you referring to here? this is pretty presumptuous.

 

[Supernumerary]

My thoughts exactly, Jess.

 

[novacek88]

which field are you referring to here? this is pretty presumptuous.

Of course, it's presumptuous. I'm not a dentist just like none of you are physicians. What gives any of you the authority to make some of the comments about medicine? I have read quite a few presumptuous posts regarding medicine so let's be fair about this. The point is this is an anonymous and public forum in which everyone is merely lending their opinion just like all of you have done. All of the above are presumptuous to some degree. If you are going to protest one then you need to protest them all .

To answer your question, I was not speaking about any particular career. It really depends on what type of dentistry or medicine one chooses to practice. This is why I want people to really look within themselves and determine what they want to do. After they figure this out, research the fields on their own by shadowing and asking those who are currently practicing.

 

[novacek88]

It sounds like you would really rather be a physician; just do it. Dental school is just as long and just as expensive - if not more so. Dentists are not required to complete a formal residency but you will be doing the equivalent through various associateships - you don't just get out of dental school and set up shop. The pay will be better, but still not anywhere near what an established dentist makes.

Comparing an associate to a resident is erroneous at best. Dental associates earn far more in terms of salary and work a lot less hours. Associates are not under contract to complete a minimum of 3 years like a resident physician. Associates can start their own practice wherever they like. Associates have much more flexibility where they can practice in the United States. Certain dental exams allow one to practice in many states. Physicians have to get licensed in each state they want to practice in. An associate has a much better lifestyle than a resident to say the least.

Yes, some physicians work long hours, but not all. There are specialties with reasonable lifestyles and great pay, or great lifestyles and reasonable pay. And not all of the them are super hard to match in.

The fields that offer the best lifestyle and pay also have longer residencies like radiology, and allergy which would accounts for 5 years or longer. And with the exception of pathology, PM&R and anesthesiology, nearly every lifestyle field in medicine is competitive to match. Not everyone in medicine can do dermatology, opthalmology, emergency med, radiology and allergy.

Physicians may pay huge malpractice premiums right now, but really it is just part of doing business. It's overhead; you've got to spend money to make money.

Physicians are paying higher malpractice premiums each year. Paying 50K per year in a malpractice premium versus just 10K ten years ago is not the cost of doing business particularly when physician income has not risen that much when adjusted for inflation. There are OBGY docs that pay 100K in malpractice premiums. Many can't afford it and no longer practice obstetrics. There are general surgeons that are forced to move to different parts of the country or go uninsured and put everything in their spouses' name because they can't afford to pay the malpractice premiums. In Florida, it has gotten so bad that many general surgeons go uinsured because the malpractice premiums are outrageous. It's not as simple as saying it is just the cost of doing business.

As a dentist you will know all about that. A dentist will incur more debt than a brand-new physician could even imagine. It is not uncommon for a dentist just starting out his practice to be half or three-quarters of a million dollars in debt.

I find this hard to believe. To have 500K to 750K in debt, you would need to have an annual expense of 125K to 187.5 K per year during dental school. 250-350K in debt makes much more sense. And this is assuming you attended a private school and one of the most expensive private dental schools at that. And even if you are paying something astronomical like 70K in tuition and equipment, you are telling me, you need another 55K to 117.5K per year just to live? I know dentists pay more tuition but private medical schools are not much cheaper than many private dental schools. Private medical schools charge anywhere from 30-40K in tuition so I fail to see how your debt is so much more than many physiicians.

Besides, the malpractice beast will be nearly slain - or at least reined in - by the time you get out to practice.

It is apparent you have a lot to learn about the current legal system facing physicians. Premiums have risen over the years. I don't see why it would halt since tort reform is years away from being formally implemented.

Medicine doesn't have to be all that bad and dentistry isn't perfect. Do what will make you happy.

I agree but don't try to paint a rosier picture of medicine just to make it more enticing to others. I appreciate you are trying to provide a balanced view but you have made a lot of presumptuous statements regarding medicine. Medicine has it's fair share of problems that no rose colored glasses can eliminate. People shouldn't go into medicine for the lifestyle or income. It's just not worth it any longer.




]

 

[deltamed]

Of course, it's presumptuous. I'm not a dentist just like none of you are physicians. What gives any of you the right to criticize elements of medicine? I have read quite a few presumptuous posts regarding medicine so let's be fair about this. The point is this is an anonymous and public forum in which everyone is merely lending their opinion just like all of you have done. All of the above are presumptuous to some degree. If you are going to protest one then you need to protest them all .

To answer your question, I wasn't speaking about any particular career. It really depends on what type of dentistry or medicine one chooses to practice. This is why I want people to really look within themselves and determine what they want to do. After they figure this out, research the fields on their own by shadowing and asking those who are currently practicing.

I'm a med student and I agree that dentistry is a great field, and one that is in better shape than medicine now economically.

I, personally, would never choose dental school because I have no desire to work in the mouth.

For medicine, it's nice to have a wide range of specialties to choose from. I know dentistry has a good range of specialties as well, but to some extent you'll always be working in and around the mouth.

In terms of red tape, malpractice, excessive hours, etc. in medicine, all I can say is choose your specialty carefully. Not all docs work 100 hours a week, answer to a beeper, and pay half their salary into malpractice. Pick a career compatible both with your interests AND lifestyle. Plenty of physicians work part time, or in areas where they have a pretty much 8-6 type of job.

I must say it's nice that dentists get to make some money as soon as they graduate.

 

[toofache32]

Certain dental exams allow one to practice in many states. Physicians have to get licensed in each state they want to practice in. An associate has a much better lifestyle than a resident to say the least.


I find this hard to believe. To have 500K to 750K in debt, you would need to have an annual expense of 125K to 187.5 K per year during dental school. 250-350K in debt makes much more sense. And this is assuming you attended a private school and one of the most expensive private dental schools at that. And even if you are paying something astronomical like 70K in tuition and equipment, you are telling me, you need another 55K to 117.5K per year just to live? I know dentists pay more tuition but private medical schools are not much cheaper than many private dental schools. Private medical schools charge anywhere from 30-40K in tuition so I fail to see how your debt is so much more than many physiicians.

This is just my insight into these matters. To the first comment (as someone who has done both med and dental school), it is much easier getting a medical license than a dental license in general. There are regional dental board exams which are slowly becoming more accepted across state lines, but many states still requre you to take their own clinical board exams to get a license. Many of these seem to be based on the teachings of the dental schools of that particular state. In other words, a guy in practice for 20 years who decides to move to California, for example, still has to pass the clinical exam which asks that dentist to perfom procedures that you simply do not really do in private practice and are really specific to the dental schools. My friends that have taken the Florida exam relate the same experience. In contrast, to get a medical license you simply have to show your medical degree and residency training, and maybe take a jurisprudence exam. Dental licenses seem to be less open to reciprocity between states.

As for the second comment concering debt, I think the poster was referring to the funds required to start a dental practice. There are huge financial obligations involving all the equipment and materials required to run a dental office. Overhead alone usually runs in the 60-70% range. In other words, for a dentist to net $200,000 he has to gross over $600,000. Medical practices usually have much less overhead, but there is a big range of variability depending on the specialty.

 

[bcoleman]

Aero...as you can probably tell by now, a lot of us dental students started out as premeds. I think a lot of things have been said very well already, but I'll throw my two cents in because your concerns of being a doctor limited to the mouth aren't that different than mine were. Something you'd realize quickly in dental school is that you're right - you are limited (by law) to diseases of the oral cavity, and you won't treat heart disease. However, you're patients will still have all sorts of conditions and you'll spend a tremendous amount of time in dental school learning to manage all of their prior conditions, medications, etc. And before dental school I certainly didn't appreciate just how quickly some of the problems of the teeth can become potentially life-threatening. Very few people die at the dentist's office, but you'll put in many hours making sure you aren't "that guy" who does hurt someone. In one way, the MD and DDS aren't that different really, since in many cases they both have a good medical background but end up specializing in one part of the body. My buddy in med school right now learns about the same stuff we do, but he won't need a lot of it (jsut like I won't) since he hopes to look at x-rays all day. My father in law is an MD who spends his time with the liver...you can't tell me the liver is all that much more exciting than the teeth. Basically, what I'm getting at is that if you spend enough time around dentistry, teeth become more exciting than you'd have thought. If you don't buy that argument, then what pushed me to DDS was the residency issue. So many of the D1s want to specialize and stay in school for ever, but soon you realize just how long even 4 years of grad school can feel. It'll be nice to get out and start making money without having to work 36 hour shifts and 100 hour weeks for it.