A quick glance back to pre-med...

[Kurk]

I'm a HS senior who's getting ready to start college in the fall. For the past say 8-10 months I've been pretty set on a pre-dentistry route after almost two years of wanting to pursue medicine.

I feel I have made a pretty rational decision, but for the past few days I've been experiencing a few emerging second thoughts.

Here is what caused me to switch to dentistry originally:

- I'm very interested in the business aspect of providing a service to people—working for myself is the ultimate goal. With the theme of socialized health-care becoming ever-more prevalent in the United States, I decided that it would be better to switch to dentistry. I personally have seen small medical practices swallowed up by large hospitals because of scant reimbursements from medicaid/care. I value my independence more than anything and the idea of slaving away under a hospital administrator with pressure to see X amount of patients in Y minutes is god awful to say the least.

- I would say that dentists have more "free-time" or flexible hours, but since we're assuming the ultimate goal is having a private practice, I'd say that's a given for both careers.


What's appealing about both:

- Both are academic: I'm a strong believer in life-long learning and like the idea of keeping up with new methods and procedures in either field through yearly meetings as an adult.

- Prestige, or what's left of it rather.

- Science

- Good money

- Make a difference in the community (if private practice) and on the individual.


I wouldn't have a problem with having a practice in Wyoming if that's what it took to survive; I understand it's pretty much impossible to remain independent in more suburban areas as an MD.

Also Dentistry is more appealing in the fact that in the worst case scenario you can always be a general practitioner or best case scenario a specialist. I would never want to be a general physician as I see nurse practitioners taking over their jobs (yes the same can be said about Dentists and hygienists but it's not on the same level....yet).

I'd like to take advantage of my dexterity; and most surgical specialties have to really be done in a hospital setting (except maybe interventional radiology?—which of course is difficult to match into) , therefore I'm convinced dentistry is really the true option.


What d'yall think?

In the end, independence means everything.

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[gyngyn]

Looks like a reasonable assessment.

 

[dr.d00m]

You still have plenty of time, so I wouldn't completely write off medicine just yet even though you're currently sure on dentistry. I was like yourself, but the opposite...went into college dead set on wanting to be a physician. Now I'm graduated and about to start dental school in the fall.

Explore all your options, do a bunch of shadowing, and get more familiar with each profession and their pros and cons before you make a final decision.

 

[da8s0859q]

Looks like a reasonable assessment.

Overall, yeah, it does.

OP, you may find that you'll feel similar pressure to see X in Y time depending on the nature of your work and your business arrangement, even if you go dental. Solo/private practice is more readily done for our DDS/DMD colleagues, but it isn't easy.

As has already been mentioned, just don't pigeonhole yourself quite yet. Long way to go.

Speaking as an emergency medicine attending (read: a specialty where there is a strong push to see more patients as you describe), just for example, it's also the case that even within a specialty, the things you like and hate will vary significantly from place to place. I work at a very busy place where there's that pressure, but it's not a large multi-state corporate group where clipboard nurse warriors are constantly hassling us to "move the meat" even more than we already do. Conversely, a friend of mine works elsewhere and sees a fraction of what I see, but they have a lot more outside obligations and informal pressure to be involved in them -- various committees and the like.

There is often no perfect situation just as there is no perfect specialty for many -- just the one that's best for you. Just keep exploring and feeling things out.

 

[Symphonies]

In regards to your "good money" point, just wanted to check in, you've been reading the threads in the pre-dental forum lately regarding student debt right? Granted, I don't know if your parents are going to help cover your student tuition or if you're going to take out student loans, but I hope you're aware

 

[neoevolution]

Isn't dental being bought out / merged as well into those large dental chains? It might be more independent for now but I wouldn't bank on it staying like that.

Private practice is definitely on the decline for physicians, but there are surgical centers which can handle lower risk/complexity cases in an outpatient setting, and I think private practice groups can contract with hospitals too for usage of their facilities.

 

[Cali20002]

Isn't dental being bought out / merged as well into those large dental chains? It might be more independent for now but I wouldn't bank on it staying like that.

Private practice is definitely on the decline for physicians, but there are surgical centers which can handle lower risk/complexity cases in an outpatient setting, and I think private practice groups can contract with hospitals too for usage of their facilities.

I would not be concerned about corporate dentistry taking over.