quitting dentistry

cubase94672 said:

Suppose one graduated from a private dental school but decides dentistry isn't for him/her. I know it's a stupid question but is there, by any chance, a way for someone to forfeit his diploma and his entire dental transcript in exchange for loan forgiveness? If not, is there anything the poor kid can do?

Also, I often hear someone with a dental degree can pursue other lucrative careers besides dentistry. Exactly what other decent jobs ( that can also help pay off high-interest school loans in a moderate time frame )can a dental degree lead to?

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Once you have borrowed the money, you are responsible to pay it back. This not only applies to graduate school, but for undergrad as well. It is important when borrowing money, that you understand that this is a loan. When you borrow from Stafford loans, you are required to read a long document prior to having the loans dispersed. The document repeats over and over in simple language, "This is a loan and must be paid back."

As far as dentistry, once you have borrowed funds, especially the large amounts often required, it may be difficult to find another career that will provide you with a steady income other than dentistry to pay off the loans. Generally, you'll only have six months after graduating before your first loan payment is due, unless you go into deferment for a speciality degree. Even then your unsubsidized loans will continue to grow. You could win the lottery or marry a rich spouse, otherwise, you'll be more than likely working as dentist, somewhere. Seriously, many will borrow a lot of money and it is a serious obligation, so borrow wisely.

cubase94672 said:

and so there are no other decent careers you can go after with a dental degree?

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No, I didn't say that, but a dental degree is a very specific degree. It trains students, first and foremost, to be dentists. You can teach, you could work in a hospital, but for that you may need a Masters in Public Health too, or you could work for an insurance company. Will they pay as much as dentistry? I don't know. I don't think so, but I've never really looked into it. Hopefully, you will get some more replies on this forum. Good luck with your plans.

If you got good enough grades and board scores, you could go into Oralmaxillofacial Surgery. I've always thought of OMFS as a dentists last chance to go into medicine. Then, eventually, you may be able to work your way into hospital administration.

Tooth said:

If you got good enough grades and board scores, you could go into Oralmaxillofacial Surgery. I've always thought of OMFS as a dentists last chance to go into medicine. Then, eventually, you may be able to work your way into hospital administration.

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Why in the world would anyone chose to do SIX more years of training????!!!!!!!!

cubase94672 said:

and so there are no other decent careers you can go after with a dental degree?

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You could teach middle school or high school science courses. You could work for the ADA on professional issues. You could also make porn movies.

I believe you CAN get out of school loan repayment in the event of hardship that renders you incapable of working in dentistry. That would be a question for a bankruptcy lawyer.

As for future career choices, perhaps you could work as a consultant or even start your own consulting business.

Mainly, don't listen to negative feedback (lesley) that takes the wind out of your sails. If you graduated from dental school then you have a lot of self discipline and stamina. Those qualities can lead to greatness.....good luck.

Tooth said:

If you got good enough grades and board scores, you could go into Oralmaxillofacial Surgery....

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....which is still dentistry....

It's not exactly totally different than being a dentist, but you could become a hygienist...every now and then a dentist graduates and decides being a hygienist is just fine with them.

cubase94672 said:

Suppose one graduated from a private dental school but decides dentistry isn't for him/her. I know it's a stupid question but is there, by any chance, a way for someone to forfeit his diploma and his entire dental transcript in exchange for loan forgiveness? If not, is there anything the poor kid can do?

Also, I often hear someone with a dental degree can pursue other lucrative careers besides dentistry. Exactly what other decent jobs ( that can also help pay off high-interest school loans in a moderate time frame )can a dental degree lead to?

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Just so you know that was a very stupid and idiotic question. The only thing the poor kid can do is sell his/her body for money to help pay back the loans. The only other lucrative carrer someone with a dental degree can persue is driving a short yellow school bus.

You could open a denture clinic. Still a dentist, but not the usual dentist stuff.

Dental instrument suppiers/manufacturers often have dentists working for them...

jr8047 said:

Mainly, don't listen to negative feedback (lesley) that takes the wind out of your sails.

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Telling him it may be difficult to find a career that will pay more than dentistry consistantly does is realistic, not negative. However, as I suggested getting a MPH or as someone else suggests getting a MBA would allow him to pursue other lucrative options. If anyone is going to invest four years of their life and hundreds of thousands of dollars in their education, evaluating all the possibilites of dentistry is smart. Dental school, teaches you how to be a dentist, plain and simple. There are other options beyond that, but, sorry, they are not taught in dental school. Very few of the other careers that were suggested in this thread will pay as much as dentistry, and as the poster said he is concerned about repaying student loans. Income is a primary concern of his. I was addressing his question honestly. Maybe you should tighten your sails. Dentistry is a very rewarding profession. Good Luck and Best Wishes.

Regarding your suggestion that there is loan forgiveness or bankruptcy for school loans, this is virtually impossible unless severely, medically compromised. We know a dental student who attended Temple Dental about 10 years ago, finished almost two years, dropped out and is still paying back dental school loans even though she never completed school. There was a compromise made regarding her debt, and she ended up only owing for about a year and half of her dental school education. Honestly, no one should count on bankruptcy when it comes to student loans. I have a good friend who is soley a bankruptcy attorney, and she would back me up on this one. Dental school is a big decision, one that can be very fruitful and rewarding, but it comes with managable responsiblities too.

Why are any of you (real dental students) paying attention to this? Doesn't anyone recognize nonesense? Wake up!

setdoc7 said:

Why are any of you (real dental students) paying attention to this? Doesn't anyone recognize nonesense? Wake up!

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Actually, I think the OP poses a very good and valid question. I know of a dental student who dropped out after D2 and went into law school, but again she dropped out of law school and married her previous dental school classmate. Now she is degreeless and is working in her husbands office with office work. But I am sure there has to be other opportunities out there, I mean there is plenty of medical students who decide medicine is not for them and decide to pursue other careers rather than procede with a residency, so I am sure there has to be some other options for a Dentist.

helpfuldoc2b said:

Actually, I think the OP poses a very good and valid question. I know of a dental student who dropped out after D2 and went into law school, but again she dropped out of law school and married her previous dental school classmate. Now she is degreeless and is working in her husbands office with office work. But I am sure there has to be other opportunities out there, I mean there is plenty of medical students who decide medicine is not for them and decide to pursue other careers rather than procede with a residency, so I am sure there has to be some other options for a Dentist.

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Yes, I agree with you it is a good and valid question. I do know of a dentist who was pedodontist and now runs OSHA type courses for individual offices. He had some medical issues that prevented him from performing dentistry. I don't know if he was able to collect on a disability policy, never asked, although I think it's not easy. His wife works and has benefits, so he was able to make the transition pretty smoothly. However, it was not a job he just slipped into. It was one that he brought about. Therefore, no guaranteed income at first.

Some dentists do go on to get law degrees, MBA's, MPH and financial planning certifications. Dentists can also do hygiene. They can teach right off the bat without any additional education. About five years back, I decided to obtain some teaching licenses. In our state, at the time, if you had the courses and credits, you just needed to pass some praxis exams, not difficult, send a small fee, your information and Praxis results to the state education department for review. I obtained K-8, high school biology certification and even a provisional early education certification. I even passed the Physics and Chem test too, but the state thought I was lacking a few graduate level physical science credits, 5 to be exact, and gave me the option of taking them to recieve HS physical science certification, but I never felt the need to pursue it. Getting the certs was just some thing I needed to do for me. I started college as an education major and switched my first term freshman year to pre-dent. So, it was an accomplishment to finally have teaching certifications, and who knows what the future will bring. Teaching is a real possibility for anyone with a dental education.

There are a lot of choices dentists can make after dental school, but the OP was very concerned about careers that can support potential dental school debt comfortably. I honestly know of none that a dentist right out of school is better prepared for other than practicing dentistry, regardless of what anyone on this thread has to say. It's just my opinion. Dentists are smart and innovative, they can start businesses, but practicing dentistry may be the most predicable career they can choose to pay off the school loans and live a comfortable life. However, there are always other choices. Practicing dentistry has given me a career and life I really enjoy.

setdoc7 said:

Why are any of you (real dental students) paying attention to this? Doesn't anyone recognize nonesense? Wake up!

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I swear I have trouble believing you are a dental instructor.

I have trouble believing you are a dental student.

MaxAnn said:

I swear I have trouble believing you are a dental instructor.

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Funny, everyone is very smug and self righteous when posting on the board. You should see the begging I get on the PM's, and how nice everyone is when you have something they want. Oh, and don't forget the posturing, not everyone here is who they seem. A lot of fronting going on.

Setdoc,

I agree with you. I, for the most part, have given up on SDN and moved on to dental town.

-C

Some of the posts on this thread have really brightened my day with some laughter. If you weren't good at dentistry or just really couldn't see yourself practicing it in the open competitive dental market you could always get a job at a dental school as an educator, instructor, or administrator.....seems like I remember quite a few at my school

The only two ways to have your loan disappear is if you are:

1. Completely disabled where you cannot practice dentistry.

2. Death.

I did once look at these two options but I do not like the fact of living with 7 fingers and I still would like few more years under my belt. Therefore I am doing the deed to pay the Piper and loving it! DP

SuperC said:

Setdoc,

I agree with you. I, for the most part, have given up on SDN and moved on to dental town.

-C

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Am interested in what dental students and residents are saying. Why I stick around. BTW, I am a big Hurricaine fan, but congrats to you guys for a great year. The only bright spot this year for UM was Devon Hester in the Superbowl.

Do you like animals? An option to think about, and I mean this in all seriousness, is to work as an animal dentist for a zoo or game reserve lets say (you'll probably need veteranerian supervision). I know Louisville offers a zoo dentistry selective, and I believe that recently the Pittburgh zoo had to have a root canal done on a polar bear's canine. Could be fun. Anyway...

Another idea, and for this you might have to go back to school, would be anthropoligical work with ancient hominids, or forensics, etc.

Like others have said, how could you waste so many years of your life? Well now that you've come to your senses, I recommend investment banking. Maybe then you can waste another 4 years! No, but you need to look deep down inside yourself and decide what YOU want to do. No one on SDN is going to tell you the best career to partake in.

setdoc7 said:

Funny, everyone is very smug and self righteous when posting on the board. You should see the begging I get on the PM's, and how nice everyone is when you have something they want. Oh, and don't forget the posturing, not everyone here is who they seem. A lot of fronting going on.

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Look back at some of your posts. You are hardly in any moral position to call anyone out about smug and self-righteous, seriously.

Internet Fight!!!

cubase94672 said:

And what's the minimum extent of disability required for declaring inabiliy to practice dentistry? Would psychological issues or lack of a segment on a pinky finger qualify?

Option two is the dead-ringer solution, but I don't want to cause long-term guilt for my parents. Other than that, it's the cleanest answer but I don't want to hurt the wrong people.

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You hate it enough to lop off the end of your pinky?

1992Corolla said:

You hate it enough to lop off the end of your pinky?

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Just better hope the insurance company doesn't know what google is

cubase94672 said:

And what's the minimum extent of disability required for declaring inabiliy to practice dentistry? Would psychological issues or lack of a segment on a pinky finger qualify?

Option two is the dead-ringer solution, but I don't want to cause long-term guilt for my parents. Other than that, it's the cleanest answer but I don't want to hurt the wrong people.

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You should be seeking this kind of information from sources more reliable than an anonymous message board. Good luck to you.

Closing.