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Your goal of a 8-5, 5 day per week associateship @ 120k/year seems pretty reasonable and doable. You should be able to find that in most markets. Group practice is also an option if you want to increase your pay while avoiding (or at least sharing) the burden of ownership.

If you're really trying to minimize the physical toll of dentistry on your body though, you may actually want to reconsider ownership. Yes, you'll pick up the added stress of running your own business (which is by no means negligible), but you likely will be doing less actual physical dentistry in your mid to late career. By that point, you could have your own associate, and also be generating income from your hygienist.
 
IMO based off reading and podcasts I’ve listened to 120k as an owner requires less clinical time then 120k as an associate. Added tax benefits of being an owner results in at least 15% more being an owner plus you’re building equity in a practice that can be beneficial during retirement. Sure stressing about owning a practice is definitely not negligible but if pain and health is a concern for you being an owner would give you way more autonomy and free time in the long run. Of course there’s a trade off with additional debt and stress but it seems like money isn’t an issue. Then you have hygiene you get a cut of. Seems like a good way to meet your goal to me.
 
If you want to give your kids the same comfortable lifestyle and debt-free education like what your parents are giving you right now, then I don’t think an income of $120k/year is enough. In order for your kids to go a good junior/high school, you either have to purchase a more expensive house in a safe area with good school district or to put your kids in expensive private school. Most dentists work as an independent contractor. This means that you will have to pay for your own health insurance (it’s $1200/month for a family of 4 right now….and it will probably be around $2000/month by the time you get married and have kids), malpractice insurance, disability insurance, 401k etc.

I know this optometrist couple whose combined income is easily over $120k/year. Their eldest son will attend UC Davis (a public university) next year. According to them, their son’s first year (tuition + room and board) will cost them at least $25k. They told me that can only afford to pay for their 2 kids’ undergrad education. Their kids will have to take out student loan when they go to dental school (one of the sons wants to be an orthodontist like me). The husband has his own practice and still drives a 10 yr old Honda Pilot. And the wife still works F/T for Kaiser’s optometry dept. Both of them will turn 50 next year.

With $120k/year income and no plan to open up your own practice, you may have to work until you are 65+ years old. As you get older you may make less because of your declining health (you said earlier, you didn’t want to hurt your back from over-working) and increase in competition among dentists (due to opening of new dental schools).
 
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I think you should pick up research. It won't offset rank completely but I assume most specialties see some value in it. I did it over the summer and have a good rec letter coming out of it I'm sure. I will likely get a publication out of it too.

And keeping doors open is good too. Shadowed around and realized I am not dead set on a single specialty anymore and will wait for more clinical experience before deciding. Research and a moderately high rank reduces stress, but without research I would have to be more desperate for grades.

Not worrying about a letter of recommendation is a big plus too.
 
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