Anyone else not considering starting a practice?

[tendram]

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I'm considering just getting in with a dental group or going into a field where there is job availability oustide starting your own practice. I am not totally against starting my own practice because I would like to have my own office and patient base but I would like it to be an option, not a "somewhere down the road I'm going to have to do this" sort of thing. Just curious if anyone is in the same boat I am and if anyone has any views on this.

 

[dentalWorks]

isn't it a little too early to talk about this? I am more worried of the 250k-350k+ debt that I am going to be in right after dental school.

 

[slm266]

It depends on the market 5 years from now when we get out of school. If it's a buyers market with all baby boomer dentists trying to sell their practices, it may be worth it to buy/buy into a practice. If not, it might be worth it starting up from scratch.

 

[tendram]

isn't it a little too early to talk about this? I am more worried of the 250k-350k+ debt that I am going to be in right after dental school.

Yeah it is way too early to be considering starting up a practice but I have been thinking lately abouth whether or not I am the only pre-dent that is not looking at when I start my practice but if. I mean I am nowhere near dental school just yet but I was curious to see how many people are going into the profession looking to stay out of the business end of things. It seems that most of the pre-dents here are talking about when they start their own practice instead of if.

And yeah the debt I will be accruing isn't something to dismiss I tend to look ahead and think things through. Maybe sometimes too much haha

 

[doc toothache]

At this point, shouldn't you be more worried about gaining acceptance?

 

[tendram]

At this point, shouldn't you be more worried about gaining acceptance?

Yes, and I am.

Maybe I am wording all of this wrong but after two attempts at trying to explain myself I think it is safe to say that no one understands my question. Sorry for wasting thread space.

 

[K9sbestfriend]

I have yet to be excepted to a dental school but that doesn't mean I don't have a sketch of my future plans already in my mind. Obviously there is a large looming debt waiting for the dental school graduate but you wouldn't be the first to have large debt and still be successful.

The "sketch" I have of my future upon successful acceptance/graduation from dental school includes seeking the opportunity to buy a retiring dentist practice in a smaller community. It is not something I'll dive right into. I will take the approach of many dentists before me. Take over and purchase the practice after having a transitional period where I work with and for the retiring dentist.

If a compatable opportunity doesn't exist for me right away I would like to work at an office as an employee until that opportunity opens up.

Being asked where you see yourself in 5 years is a realistic question. I've been asked that very question numerous times in job interviews.

I'm considering just getting in with a dental group or going into a field where there is job availability oustide starting your own practice. I am not totally against starting my own practice because I would like to have my own office and patient base but I would like it to be an option, not a "somewhere down the road I'm going to have to do this" sort of thing. Just curious if anyone is in the same boat I am and if anyone has any views on this.

 

[KenKim]

From my experience, let me tell u one good thing about not having your own practice. YOU DONT NEED TO DO ALL THE PAPER WORK

 

[KenKim]

This is a direct quote from my dad who has his own building. "private dentistry is 60 percent paperwork"

 

[yappy]

To me this is a question any predent should be asking as they shadow/volunteer... "is this amount of responsibility outside of patient care somthing i would be interested in". I understand you could wait until you're in dental school until deciding this but if somone has the mindset that they wouldnt ever want to do this because they dont want to hastle with all the aspects of business then maybe that can open up some doors into looking at other career options where they wouldnt have to; NP, PA etc. Not that the OP should look into another field... but as a predent you have so many options - might as well make sure your interests are not better matched elsewhere.

 

[dentalgrrl]

I'm not counting my chickens either, but I am a planner...so I understand the OP's original post completely. I, too, am a little wary of opening my own practice. Having worked as an assistant for a few years, I see the stresses that the dentists deal with as business owners. Hiring, firing, malpractice, quarterly taxes, accounts receivable. There's so much going on outside of the operatory... Quite frankly, I can see where it wears them down. They take all their stress home with them every evening, because at the end of the day, that business is theirs.

I'm not going to rule out owning a practice, as I don't know where I'll be in five years...if I've even made it into dental school; however, I would ideally (at this point in my life, anyway) like to work in an associateship somewhere. I would love to work at the VA, serving our vets, or do work for rural communities. But of course.....this is all years away...

So no, you are not alone in your misgivings. And don't feel bad for planning ahead. You're not assuming acceptance into dental school, just being prepared in case you are. Nothing wrong with that. 😀