Between a med and dental school, which one would choose?

[turtle1966]

If you were to advise a young student, (1) knowing what you know now, (2) comparing the amount of time, effort and expenses, (3) assuming that "medicine" is becoming a "human right or entitlement" administered or directed by government, (4) considering flexibility of professional life, job satisfaction and self-esteem, which one would you pick?

It seems to me that in dentistry, (1) government interference is minimal, (2) insurance plans are basically "pre-paid self-insurances" and (3) dentists are, relatively, more in control of their practice and future.

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[yappy]

Strictly financially,

Unless it's a state dental school I think medical has more to offer. Even in countries with full-on-socialized medicine; doctors out earn dentists. Medical tuition is also much lower for private schooling. In the end I think you should do whatever inspires you most; don't do what you think will be "easy".

 

[sgv]

If you don't consider what job you actually enjoy and if everything you set out to do went according to plan, then medicine has the best gig in ROAD if you wanted most money, least work, and etc.

In the real world, there's risk and you probably won't get into ROAD. So dentistry is a much safer choice if you want comfortable salary, 8-5 job, and least schooling. But getting into a dental school charging reasonable tuition can be difficult but it's no where near as difficult or more time & energy consuming as getting into a ROAD residency.

 

[DBarrett]

Strictly financially,

Unless it's a state dental school I think medical has more to offer. Even in countries with full-on-socialized medicine; doctors out earn dentists. Medical tuition is also much lower for private schooling. In the end I think you should do whatever inspires you most; don't do what you think will be "easy".

I don't think that's true regarding earnings.

As for school tuition, Med and Dental school are pretty much on par with each other. There may be a few instances where one costs significantly more than the other, but overall that isn't the case from what I've seen.

 

[STLbamf]

Dentistry is definitely the way to go if you aren't sure about which one to choose, and if you're using your brain its probably the best to choose period. The hours are better, the schooling is shorter, and the hourly wage is right up there with the majority of medical specialties. The only come I can think of are more expensive schooling on average and a lack of prestige when compared to a doctor. I always am trying to tell myself to just go for dentistry because it is on the whole a much better lifestyle than medicine. I just can't do it though, in my opinion the impact you can have on human lives is more limited in dentistry and working in the mouths of people who are terrified of you just seems like something I would hate. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you used your brain dentistry is the best option but if your gut just keeps telling you medicine despite what common sense says do medicine because it really is the noble profession and you'll regret it if you cop out for easier hours and better money.

 

[sgv]

I don't think that's true regarding earnings.

As for school tuition, Med and Dental school are pretty much on par with each other. There may be a few instances where one costs significantly more than the other, but overall that isn't the case from what I've seen.

maybe you're misled by the greater number of medical schools compared to dental schools and the number of private medical schools. but if you compare a state school's medical school with its dental school, medical school is always cheaper. medical schools get more funding from the state, research money, hospital, donations, and greater number of alumni. educating a med student for the first two years is all lectures but 1st and 2nd year dental students have expensive preclinical upkeep that's costly and the clinic revenue in relation to the available man power is laughable.

 

[sgv]

Dentistry is definitely the way to go if you aren't sure about which one to choose, and if you're using your brain its probably the best to choose period. The hours are better, the schooling is shorter, and the hourly wage is right up there with the majority of medical specialties. The only come I can think of are more expensive schooling on average and a lack of prestige when compared to a doctor. I always am trying to tell myself to just go for dentistry because it is on the whole a much better lifestyle than medicine. I just can't do it though, in my opinion the impact you can have on human lives is more limited in dentistry and working in the mouths of people who are terrified of you just seems like something I would hate. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you used your brain dentistry is the best option but if your gut just keeps telling you medicine despite what common sense says do medicine because it really is the noble profession and you'll regret it if you cop out for easier hours and better money.

Yeah you don't want to make a regretful decision. if you think you're going to enjoy your job more than what you would do after you get off from work and if the other job isn't tolerable, go with your feelings. dentistry can be frustrating for people who have a pet peeve for doing things that are only anecdotally proven and not systematically reviewed and approved of. I'm talking about you GV Black and all you people who do one thing over another just because "it works in your hands"! on the other hand, most people in dentistry don't want to make scary decisions that might kill a patient so most medical specialties were always out of the question.

 

[turtle1966]

Dentistry is definitely the way to go if you aren't sure about which one to choose, and if you're using your brain its probably the best to choose period.

The only come I can think of are more expensive schooling on average and a lack of prestige when compared to a doctor.

So I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you used your brain dentistry is the best option but if your gut just keeps telling you medicine despite what common sense says do medicine

I am impressed with your reply, given that you are only a pre-Med. I am an aging MD seriously concerned about government intrusion into Medicine.

The HUGE and LARGEST threat to Medicine is that it is becoming a "right or entitlement". Soon government will link granting of licenses to accepting of government insurance programs, at a rate dictated by government.

As I see it, dentistry is flying under the government's radar.

 

[Silent Cool]

I am impressed with your reply, given that you are only a pre-Med. I am an aging MD seriously concerned about government intrusion into Medicine.

The HUGE and LARGEST threat to Medicine is that it is becoming a "right or entitlement". Soon government will link granting of licenses to accepting of government insurance programs, at a rate dictated by government.

As I see it, dentistry is flying under the government's radar.

I agree. This has already been attempted in Mass. and I think Virginia. It's only a matter of time.

 

[yappy]

This is a valid point but we also need to keep things in perspective; even in single payer systems (i.e Canada), where medical services are an entitlement, most physicians out earn dentists. Therefore, despite these bad trends, medicine seems to win out over dentistry. This is especially true once you consider the substantial difference in cost between dental and medical school.

I am impressed with your reply, given that you are only a pre-Med. I am an aging MD seriously concerned about government intrusion into Medicine.

The HUGE and LARGEST threat to Medicine is that it is becoming a "right or entitlement". Soon government will link granting of licenses to accepting of government insurance programs, at a rate dictated by government.

As I see it, dentistry is flying under the government's radar.

 

[Leo Aquarius]

Medical school. I can't stand teeth.

 

[turtle1966]

This is especially true once you consider the substantial difference in cost between dental and medical school.

1-How big is the school tuition difference?

2-I am under the impression that dental school course hours and work loads are lighter than those of a med school. Am I right?

3-Have you considered the additional years of training, awful MD work hours and distress of lawsuits during and after residency? Being on call when you at middle and old age is not a joke.

 

[Screwtape]

This is a valid point but we also need to keep things in perspective; even in single payer systems (i.e Canada), where medical services are an entitlement, most physicians out earn dentists. Therefore, despite these bad trends, medicine seems to win out over dentistry. This is especially true once you consider the substantial difference in cost between dental and medical school.

I thought in Canada (where dentistry isn't covered through standard gov healthcare) dentists and primary docs make about the same. This is one of the reasons why Canadian dental schools are more competitive than Canadian medical schools. Also, in other single payer systems I thought dentists did just as well if not better than primary docs when standardized for hours worked. Any thoughts?

 

[turtle1966]

I thought in Canada (where dentistry isn't covered through standard gov healthcare) dentists and primary docs make about the same. This is one of the reasons why Canadian dental schools are more competitive than Canadian medical schools. Also, in other single payer systems I thought dentists did just as well if not better than primary docs when standardized for hours worked. Any thoughts?

I have heard that as well and accords to my limited experience as well.

 

[sgv]

Medical school. I can't stand teeth.

well teeth can't stand YOU

 

[yappy]

1-How big is the school tuition difference?

2-I am under the impression that dental school course hours and work loads are lighter than those of a med school. Am I right?

3-Have you considered the additional years of training, awful MD work hours and distress of lawsuits during and after residency? Being on call when you at middle and old age is not a joke.

1. 100-200k difference among many private schools. 50-100k for public schools.
2. Averages out about the same. Dental school is hard b/c lots of lab work plus all the basic sciences that medical students take. 3rd year of medical is most likely more laborous than 3rd of dental school. 4th year of dental school is more difficult than 4th year of medical. Medical students tend to get more breaks, summers, and time to study for boards while dental students have longer academic years with shorter/less breaks.
3. Years of additional training are present for MDs but I've heard from many new dentists that they're sort of "lost" after graduation. Many have to scramble for jobs that may not pay that well (<100k). For many it's a do or die time where they, like medical students, must actually learn to perform their craft in the real world. Many people also do a 1 year residency after dental school to build their skills to tackle more lucrative cases to make decent money. The years after dental school are lean years where you are positioning yourself to hopefully buy/run a successful dental office (4-5 yrs after graduation on average) in order to match, or come close to, the salary that most primary care MDs will make their first year out of residency - no guarantees.

Both paths are difficult paths. On average, for the money, I think medicine has an edge on dentistry. GL

 

[Sublimazing]

I think it's fair to say that dental school is more intensive in terms of hours spent at school and certainly less time off....whereas medical school is more intensive in terms of hours spent devoted to studying with a far grander knowledge base of intricate details

The board exams are FAR harder in medical school

Dental school is for the most part far more expensive

Dental school is harder in a diabolical way as you cannot "study" your way to a great wax up or prep...and if the artistic part doesn't come easy to you count on a lot of frustration and long nights in lab

As a professional, dentistry is EASIER money, but generally speaking not more money

But to qualify everything I've said the individual, the institution, and the geography vary soooooooo much that comparing them is never objective

You really should find a particular specialty or path in each field and compare from there...like orthodontics or gp in an urban area...bc it's easier to have more details and specifics

Good luck

 

[Silent Cool]

Totally agree with the two previous posts.

 

[RPDdesign]

This is a valid point but we also need to keep things in perspective; even in single payer systems (i.e Canada), where medical services are an entitlement, most physicians out earn dentists. Therefore, despite these bad trends, medicine seems to win out over dentistry. This is especially true once you consider the substantial difference in cost between dental and medical school.

That's because dentist makes half of their earnings in cash and they choose not to show it.

 

[nomad12]

That's because dentist makes half of their earnings in cash and they choose not to show it.

 

[osteotomy01]

That's because dentist makes half of their earnings in cash and they choose not to show it.

*shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*

 

[Contach]

Medical school. I can't stand teeth.

Dental school. I can't stand doing rectal exams, disimpactions, anal enemas, bimanual vaginal examinations, and scrotal examinations. Have you seen chlamydia, what about gonorrhea?

 

[Leo Aquarius]

Dental school. I can't stand doing rectal exams, disimpactions, anal enemas, bimanual vaginal examinations, and scrotal examinations. Have you seen chlamydia, what about gonorrhea?

Had you gone to med school you would be able to count the number of rectal and scrotal exams on ONE hand, and the number of active chlamydia and gonorrhea cases you see on the OTHER hand. That's it. I never disimpacted someone or did an anal enema - the nurses did those. Bimanual vaginal exams never bothered me. Versus, teeth all day all night for 40 years... now way. I don't like teeth. And teeth are boring. Where's the in-depth medicine, the critical thinking and collaborative medical care? Dentistry is cosmetic. Dentists have to convince people to pay for caps and what not. It's not my cup of tea. I need something intellectually challenging that saves lives. Sorry.

However, I don't understand how urologists can do digital rectal exams with every male patient every day, year after year.

 

[Sublimazing]

That cannot be true about the digital rectal exams. On two months of medicine I did 5+. Almost every GI bleed required a DRE, spinal injuries, and a lot of males 45+ with urinary problems. So I'm doubting your number, unless you just don't do complete physical exams.

And as for the rest of your post, you come onto the dental forum and then say some truly insulting things about dentistry...which I'm guessing you would only say as an anonymous internet user...this doesn't speak very much to your character.

I have a ton of respect for physicians since I work alongside them all day and see how hard some of them work and their incredible knowledge base...but I have the same respect for a lot of dentists as well for the same exact reasons.

 

[Screwtape]

Had you gone to med school you would be able to count the number of rectal and scrotal exams on ONE hand, and the number of active chlamydia and gonorrhea cases you see on the OTHER hand. That's it. I never disimpacted someone or did an anal enema - the nurses did those. Bimanual vaginal exams never bothered me. Versus, teeth all day all night for 40 years... now way. I don't like teeth. And teeth are boring. Where's the in-depth medicine, the critical thinking and collaborative medical care? Dentistry is cosmetic. Dentists have to convince people to pay for caps and what not. It's not my cup of tea. I need something intellectually challenging that saves lives. Sorry.

However, I don't understand how urologists can do digital rectal exams with every male patient every day, year after year.

This is especially funny coming from a psychiatrist.

 

[djd0516]

This is especially funny coming from a psychiatrist.

hahaha. He needs something "intellectually challenging that saves lives."

 

[djd0516]

Had you gone to med school you would be able to count the number of rectal and scrotal exams on ONE hand, and the number of active chlamydia and gonorrhea cases you see on the OTHER hand. That's it. I never disimpacted someone or did an anal enema - the nurses did those. Bimanual vaginal exams never bothered me. Versus, teeth all day all night for 40 years... now way. I don't like teeth. And teeth are boring. Where's the in-depth medicine, the critical thinking and collaborative medical care? Dentistry is cosmetic. Dentists have to convince people to pay for caps and what not. It's not my cup of tea. I need something intellectually challenging that saves lives. Sorry.

However, I don't understand how urologists can do digital rectal exams with every male patient every day, year after year.

Had you gone to gone to dental school, or possessed any knowledge of the field, then you would understand that dentistry is not simply cosmetic. Does a physician such as yourself not understand that people with untreated infections can become septic and die, or that periodontitis is often linked to very serious systemic disorders? How could you possibly be an effective physician with such ignorant, arrogant attitude? But on the other hand, you'll be saving innumerable lives by prescribing SSRIs to depressed teenage girls.

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

away

Had you gone to med school you would be able to count the number of rectal and scrotal exams on ONE hand, and the number of active chlamydia and gonorrhea cases you see on the OTHER hand. That's it. I never disimpacted someone or did an anal enema - the nurses did those. Bimanual vaginal exams never bothered me. Versus, teeth all day all night for 40 years... now way. I don't like teeth. And teeth are boring. Where's the in-depth medicine, the critical thinking and collaborative medical care? Dentistry is cosmetic. Dentists have to convince people to pay for caps and what not. It's not my cup of tea. I need something intellectually challenging that saves lives. Sorry.

However, I don't understand how urologists can do digital rectal exams with every male patient every day, year after year.

Greetings,

You may think I am biased since I am dentist but I am speaking the truth. To a lay person, dentistry is about fixing teeth but this cannot be further away from the truth. There are 9 dental specialties that range from pathology, radiology, maxillofacial surgery, prosthetics, maxillofacial prosthetic (sub-specialty) to orthodontics and a few more. My specialty involves providing prosthetic reconstruction for patients with maxillofacial defects and I work closely with the ENT department. Infact, I provide lectures to ENT residents on many occasions. When a person walks in the door with large oral defects and half of the face missing, that is not just "teeth" and that is hardly boring. Sometimes I wish they are just "teeth" to make my life a little easier. There is lots of critical thinking in dentistry and it is much more than you seem to percieve. DP

 

[straightteeth]

Hooray Dr. DP

 

[Leo Aquarius]

In an academic setting, your are absolutely correct. But what you describe is found in academic centers which is around 9% of dentistry - the truth is that academic dentistry is a very small portion of the dentistry workforce. To be exact, 91% in 2009 of dentists in the USA were active private practitioners.

According to the ADA, and I quote:
"As of 2009, there were 186,084 professionally active dentists (dentists using their dental degree in some fashion), and 170,694 active private practitioners in the U.S. (Note that the latter number is included in the former.)"

Your mom and pop dentist office on the side of the street (90% of dentists) isn't engaged in prosthetic reconstruction and maxillofacial anything. What I was referring to is the vast majority of dentristy in this country. I'm not arguing there isn't critical thinking in dentistry, but on average the amount does not truly compare to that required of physicians and surgeons which is demanded at a high level day in and day out, not just from 9% of physicians. You think the complex decision-making of your average brain surgeon and your average dentist are of the same order?

I needed a profession where complex decision-making was involved on a daily basis. Sure you can find this in dentistry, but not in your average dentist job. Since this thread is about dentistry school vs medical school, I am pointing out a difference in the nature of the jobs that made a big difference to me. And I'm very glad with my decision to pursue medicine. That's all I'm saying.

 

[Screwtape]

In an academic setting, your are absolutely correct. But what you describe is found in academic centers which is around 9% of dentistry - the truth is that academic dentistry is a very small portion of the dentistry workforce. To be exact, 91% in 2009 of dentists in the USA were active private practitioners.

According to the ADA, and I quote:
"As of 2009, there were 186,084 professionally active dentists (dentists using their dental degree in some fashion), and 170,694 active private practitioners in the U.S. (Note that the latter number is included in the former.)"

Your mom and pop dentist office on the side of the street (90% of dentists) isn't engaged in prosthetic reconstruction and maxillofacial anything. What I was referring to is the vast majority of dentristy in this country. I'm not arguing there isn't critical thinking in dentistry, but on average the amount does not truly compare to that required of physicians and surgeons which is demanded at a high level day in and day out, not just from 9% of physicians. You think the complex decision-making of your average brain surgeon and your average dentist are of the same order?

I needed a profession where complex decision-making was involved on a daily basis. Sure you can find this in dentistry, but not in your average dentist job. Since this thread is about dentistry school vs medical school, I am pointing out a difference in the nature of the jobs that made a big difference to me. And I'm very glad with my decision to pursue medicine. That's all I'm saying.

I find it contradictory that you first stated that academic dentistry is a small percentage of dentistry in America (no argument there) and how it isn't a good example of real-world dentistry. Then you compare the work of a neurosurgeon (one of the longest residencies and probably less than 1% of practicing physicians) to a private practice general dentist. The majority of physicians work in primary care, this would be a better comparison group when relating general dentists. Now I am not going to pretend I know much about primary care, but when I shadowed a few during college I didn't really see them solving House MD level stuff, far from it really. Also I think its interesting to note that PA's and NP's are increasingly doing the grunt work of primary care. It's apples to oranges really. I do agree that some medical specialties are definitely much more critically thinking intensive than general dentistry, just like some of the specialities within dentistry.

 

[Silent Cool]

People actually want complex decision making everyday? Weird. That sounds....stressful.

 

[DavesNotHere]

I miss trying to identify lesion locations in neurology, heart murmurs in cardiology, and chemotherapy regimens in oncology. But alas I am in psychiatry and feel underwhelmed by the lack of medicine right now. My wife says it's because I'm too smart. Not sure about that. But I do love the essential aspects of psychiatry that really resonate with me...

So what did I do? I talked to an attending I feel close to and he told me how important his work is and the various ways he uses medical knowledge on a daily basis. So I keep remembering that it will get better. I'm just a month into my PGY1 year too and can relate to your pangs.

You posted this in July 2012. You are a psych resident...you aren't saving lives every day...you're calculating thorazine dosages and signing off on 5150s...please get a grip. Don't talk about neurosurg, that's a competitive and grueling residency, you are not a neurosurgeon...psych is consistently in the bottom five and is everyone's easy rotation in medical school.

 

[Shunwei]

People actually want complex decision making everyday? Weird. That sounds....stressful.

Exactly. Life is a lot more enjoyable without the stress from doing so. In all fairness dentistry offers enough novelty. Each case is a bit different and dealing with various personalities makes it quite variable.

 

[yappy]

In an academic setting, your are absolutely correct. But what you describe is found in academic centers which is around 9% of dentistry - the truth is that academic dentistry is a very small portion of the dentistry workforce. To be exact, 91% in 2009 of dentists in the USA were active private practitioners.

According to the ADA, and I quote:
"As of 2009, there were 186,084 professionally active dentists (dentists using their dental degree in some fashion), and 170,694 active private practitioners in the U.S. (Note that the latter number is included in the former.)"

Your mom and pop dentist office on the side of the street (90% of dentists) isn't engaged in prosthetic reconstruction and maxillofacial anything. What I was referring to is the vast majority of dentristy in this country. I'm not arguing there isn't critical thinking in dentistry, but on average the amount does not truly compare to that required of physicians and surgeons which is demanded at a high level day in and day out, not just from 9% of physicians. You think the complex decision-making of your average brain surgeon and your average dentist are of the same order?

I needed a profession where complex decision-making was involved on a daily basis. Sure you can find this in dentistry, but not in your average dentist job. Since this thread is about dentistry school vs medical school, I am pointing out a difference in the nature of the jobs that made a big difference to me. And I'm very glad with my decision to pursue medicine. That's all I'm saying.

I think the amount of critical thinking in dentistry is equal to the amount done in most medical specialties. Most medical doctors are not re-writing the book in their chosen specialty; no, they're following guidelines or treating the same "type" of case that they've spent a lot of time learning how to treat. I also think you're underestimating what a lot of dentists do and the thinking that goes into their treatment plan. Yes, there is decision making to be had in medicine - just not significantly more or less than in dentistry.

Before getting a lot of exposure to dentistry I had the same assumptions you have, however.

 

[Mad Jack]

Many of your arguments against medicine are hypothetical. You assume that licensure will require that one accepts socialized insurance within your working lifetime, and that overall these payments will result in less pay than being a dentist. I doubt that this will all occur within the next 40-50 years. People have avoided medicine multiple times in the past for this very reason. You'll probably end up just like the people who dodged medicine because of Medicare, because of HMOs, because of the potential of Hillary Care, etc. I'm going medicine all the way, because I'll enjoy it a hell of a lot more and there are a lot more fringe opportunities available. Do what you believe will make you happy, whatever that entails. If that means being a 9-5 small business owner to you, then by all means go for dentistry.

 

[DavesNotHere]

Many of your arguments against medicine are hypothetical. You assume that licensure will require that one accepts socialized insurance within your working lifetime, and that overall these payments will result in less pay than being a dentist. I doubt that this will all occur within the next 40-50 years. People have avoided medicine multiple times in the past for this very reason. You'll probably end up just like the people who dodged medicine because of Medicare, because of HMOs, because of the potential of Hillary Care, etc. I'm going medicine all the way, because I'll enjoy it a hell of a lot more and there are a lot more fringe opportunities available. Do what you believe will make you happy, whatever that entails. If that means being a 9-5 small business owner to you, then by all means go for dentistry.

But you can be happy doing multiple things. If I'd had terrible grades in undergrad or bombed the DAT I would have settled for a DO school and I think I coulda been happy doing that in the end.

Well except the part where I have to explain to everyone i meet what a DO is...but that frustration probably wears off eventually.

I agree with mad jack, just do what makes you happy!

 

[Mad Jack]

But you can be happy doing multiple things. If I'd had terrible grades in undergrad or bombed the DAT I would have settled for a DO school and I think I coulda been happy doing that in the end.

Well except the part where I have to explain to everyone i meet what a DO is...but that frustration probably wears off eventually.

I agree with mad jack, just do what makes you happy!

It's not very often the DO thing comes up in hospital practice. You introduce yourself as Dr. Whatever of the Somethingrather Team. You're "an anesthesiologist" or "a cardiologist" not a DO or MD. A trauma surgeon I work with that is a DO told me that it basically never comes up
with patients (the first thing a patient does when they meet the guy who pulled a few bullets out of his Angus is basically never "read his name badge") and was only questioned at one point by the previously all MD physician group. But, being a respiratory therapist, I am pretty much used to having to explain what I do and that no, I'm not a doctor, and no I'm not a nurse, and I sure as hell am not like a physical therapist, etc. It isn't as bad as you would think, you just have a script after a while to explain it.

Could never be a dentist myself though, the case types just don't appeal to me and my hands are shaky as hell sometimes.

Totally agree that most people can be happy doing many things. But you should pick that thing that will make you the happiest overall if possible, whatever that is.

 

[Silent Cool]

But you can be happy doing multiple things. If I'd had terrible grades in undergrad or bombed the DAT I would have settled for a DO school and I think I coulda been happy doing that in the end.

Well except the part where I have to explain to everyone i meet what a DO is...but that frustration probably wears off eventually.

I agree with mad jack, just do what makes you happy!

I assume you never took the MCAT

 

[DavesNotHere]

I assume you never took the MCAT

I did actually...the small town I went to school in had only a Kaplan Mcat review not DAT, and it included a registration for the test/fees so I just sat for it and treated it like a practice...i did pretty ok (33 or 34 i think) probably cuz there was litterally no pressure

Honestly for me the perceptual stuff on the dat was way harder than anything on the mcat back then...oh well

 

[Shunwei]

Many of your arguments against medicine are hypothetical. You assume that licensure will require that one accepts socialized insurance within your working lifetime, and that overall these payments will result in less pay than being a dentist. I doubt that this will all occur within the next 40-50 years. People have avoided medicine multiple times in the past for this very reason. You'll probably end up just like the people who dodged medicine because of Medicare, because of HMOs, because of the potential of Hillary Care, etc. I'm going medicine all the way, because I'll enjoy it a hell of a lot more and there are a lot more fringe opportunities available. Do what you believe will make you happy, whatever that entails. If that means being a 9-5 small business owner to you, then by all means go for dentistry.

Jack, the best thing for you to do would be to save this post as a time capsule of yours and revisit it in 10 years to see if you still feel the same way. You are only a pre-med right now not having gone through even the schooling yet, much less he actual field (and no shadowing doesn't really count). You may or may not feel the same way then.

 

[Mad Jack]

Jack, the best thing for you to do would be to save this post as a time capsule of yours and revisit it in 10 years to see if you still feel the same way. You are only a pre-med right now not having gone through even the schooling yet, much less he actual field (and no shadowing doesn't really count). You may or may not feel the same way then.

We'll see. Thusfar in my life I have been completely accurate as to my assessments as to how I will feel about various things, a trend I highly doubt will change in the future. I do not have high expectations for a medical career, as I've worked in a hospital alongside physicians in the ICU for quite a few years. I have no desire for prestige, or money, nor do I want to be in business for myself. Ultimately I just want to do my residency and come right back to where I am now in an employed, nonacademic position, where I'll deal with much of the same paperwork, lack of respect from administration, DPH headaches, hopeless patients, etc, but in a more autonomous capacity.

Most people that go into medicine and get disappointed had too high of expectations to begin with. My expectations are pretty damn low, so I doubt I'll walk away from this feeling cheated.

Being a nontrad and having already saved much of what I need for a sound retirement, my working years will be significantly shorter than most physicians, so the chances that socialized medicine will occur within my working time frame are substantially lower, much less the chances that changes will result in physician pay being lower than dentistry in my working lifetime.

 

[Shunwei]

We'll see. Thusfar in my life I have been completely accurate as to my assessments as to how I will feel about various things, a trend I highly doubt will change in the future. .

If you are really a non trad with meaningful life experiences, you would know not to make these kind of blanket statements. In fact, your doing so pretty much compromises your credibility, because none if us has a crystal ball and the only thing that is completely accurate is hindsight.

I have no dog in this fight. When I was a non trad picking a career change I had seriously considered the MD as well, but in the end chose not to for practical reasons (otherwise, I'd still be at the third year of my residency right now). I am very glad I chose dentistry because it has been a pragmatic career. If you feel good about medicine, that's good, but it might be prudent to not be overly gung-ho about it because if you don't end up liking it, you are going to have your foot in your mouth and become very bitter. In the end, these dental vs. medical school arguments are meaningless, because there are so many factors and personal variabilities involved as to make any comparisons apples vs. oranges. This kind of post and several others really irk me (along with How's the job market in CA, How's e job market for new dentists, How much can a new dentist earn, or School X vs School Y) because they offer no real value and can only stir up s**t and arguments.

I wish you the best in your med school pursuits.

 

[Mad Jack]

If you are really a non trad with meaningful life experiences, you would know not to make these kind of blanket statements. In fact, your doing so pretty much compromises your credibility, because none if us has a crystal ball and the only thing that is completely accurate is hindsight.

I have no dog in this fight. When I was a non trad picking a career change I had seriously considered the MD as well, but in the end chose not to for practical reasons (otherwise, I'd still be at the third year of my residency right now). I am very glad I chose dentistry because it has been a pragmatic career. If you feel good about medicine, that's good, but it might be prudent to not be overly gung-ho about it because if you don't end up liking it, you are going to have your foot in your mouth and become very bitter. In the end, these dental vs. medical school arguments are meaningless, because there are so many factors and personal variabilities involved as to make any comparisons apples vs. oranges. I wish you the best in your med school pursuits.

I just haven't made any mistakes or misjudgments in my professional life thusfar. I make plenty of mistakes in regard to my personal life, but when it comes to work, I know what I like and who I am. If I end up wrong, i wouldn't much care- to me a job's a job (I honestly don't care if I enjoy my work, so long as I get paid, enjoying it would just be a bonus), and when I'm wrong I'm wrong. I just highly doubt I will be. And good luck with your future endeavors as well.

 

[CMistry]

In the end, these dental vs. medical school arguments are meaningless,

Really? I find them pretty comical. In general, they're full of people criticizing professions they know nothing (maybe very little) about in an attempt to inflate their own ego.

 

[Silent Cool]

We'll see. Thusfar in my life I have been completely accurate as to my assessments as to how I will feel about various things, a trend I highly doubt will change in the future. I do not have high expectations for a medical career, as I've worked in a hospital alongside physicians in the ICU for quite a few years. I have no desire for prestige, or money, nor do I want to be in business for myself. Ultimately I just want to do my residency and come right back to where I am now in an employed, nonacademic position, where I'll deal with much of the same paperwork, lack of respect from administration, DPH headaches, hopeless patients, etc, but in a more autonomous capacity.

Most people that go into medicine and get disappointed had too high of expectations to begin with. My expectations are pretty damn low, so I doubt I'll walk away from this feeling cheated.

Being a nontrad and having already saved much of what I need for a sound retirement, my working years will be significantly shorter than most physicians, so the chances that socialized medicine will occur within my working time frame are substantially lower, much less the chances that changes will result in physician pay being lower than dentistry in my working lifetime.

Mad Jack,

What did you do before med school? Are you going MD or DO?

 

[Mad Jack]

I've had 8 jobs over the years, but the most recent two were a year as an ED tech at a level 1 trauma center and several years as a respiratory therapist at a highly ranked teaching hospital where I work the units, the code team, the ED, intra and extrahospital transport, PICU, NBSCU, and rapid response. I get to work with all the specialties and in a lot of environments, which is nice. Going DO, but had the stats for MD (>3.8 GPA, balanced 35 MCAT, goodish ECs).

I've basically been a grunt my whole life. If medicine turns out to be a job where I'm underpaid and overworked, I'll just shrug and be happy I ain't working an oil rig like my father, or flipping burgers, or homeless. Medicine will never be worse than the time I worked as a janitor, or the months I slaved away as one of only two people on staff that were not felons in a cold storage warehouse. With where I come from and where I've been, it is highly unlikely I will find medicine to be an unbearable profession. But I will be the first to admit it if I end up proven wrong.

 

[jankodejenko]

If you have a solid group of friends, I would go dentistry since you wouldn't need the help of a hospital to bring you customers; and because if you do, the benefits outweigh those of doctors.

I would say you have to weigh everything on the social level (prestige, benefits, etc). Doctors working under a hospital get medical benefits to family members but at the end of the day they are working under someone. Dentists don't necessarily have "the jack of trade" medical benefits besides giving his/her family free dental care. Both the dentist and doctor have power prescribing medicine, so realistically they both are equal in authority in the health field. But at the end of the day, the dentist works for him or herself. In financial sense, your career is more stable too and also the option to make more money. On a personal level...well, being a dentist and running your own business puts you in a even more authoritative position, if that feeds your ego appropriately.

 

[Totori]

I've had 8 jobs over the years, but the most recent two were a year as an ED tech at a level 1 trauma center and several years as a respiratory therapist at a highly ranked teaching hospital where I work the units, the code team, the ED, intra and extrahospital transport, PICU, NBSCU, and rapid response. I get to work with all the specialties and in a lot of environments, which is nice. Going DO, but had the stats for MD (>3.8 GPA, balanced 35 MCAT, goodish ECs).

I've basically been a grunt my whole life. If medicine turns out to be a job where I'm underpaid and overworked, I'll just shrug and be happy I ain't working an oil rig like my father, or flipping burgers, or homeless. Medicine will never be worse than the time I worked as a janitor, or the months I slaved away as one of only two people on staff that were not felons in a cold storage warehouse. With where I come from and where I've been, it is highly unlikely I will find medicine to be an unbearable profession. But I will be the first to admit it if I end up proven wrong.

Just curious, what was your reason for choosing DO over MD?

 

[Mad Jack]

Just curious, what was your reason for choosing DO over MD?

Saved me a year and I'm not interested in competitive specialties. Looking back, I'd almost have considered it worth it to go MD because of all the extra hurdles, even in uncompetitive specialties. Also I'm old, so a year matters.