Confused about specializing

[SugarNaCl]

Alright, here is the story. Don't tell me to get through dental school first... just humor me here. I understand during residencies, you get paid a low salary...around maybe 35K.

If you specialize, do you get paid while training to gain your certification? For example, I'm sure it's competitive and HARD... but say someone wanted to go into prosthetic dentistry. That is a 3 year program after graduation. Do you make a salary for that? or is it free work and you have to figure out how to pay your accumulated debt? or do you have to pay for it like tuition? Thanks to anyone who knows

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[dentstd]

go to the schools' websites and look up their post-doctorate programs.

 

[Macko8144]

go to the schools' websites and look up their post-doctorate programs.

Really, Dent-std, posts like that are pointless. Are you trying to get your post # increased or something?

Anyways, specialization programs cost money except oral surgery. From what I was told by residents at Columbia, the tuition costs are similar to the pre-DMD/DDS degree programs ($50-80K). If anyone understands this differently, please correct me!

 

[SugarNaCl]

Really, Dent-std, posts like that are pointless. Are you trying to get your post # increased or something?

Anyways, specialization programs cost money except oral surgery. From what I was told by residents at Columbia, the tuition costs are similar to the pre-DMD/DDS degree programs ($50-80K). If anyone understands this differently, please correct me!

Oh wow! Thanks. Looks like I won't take that route unless my husband makes us rich or something first I do know a dentist that started doing his ortho training after being in practice for about 15 years. I wonder how typical that is. He even kept most of his practice running. I think they have a few dentists.
Anyway, I swear I won't make posts before doing some research. I looked for the better part of an hour on line and couldn't find if one paid to specialize etc. They only had information on residencies and internships.

 

[Mackchops]

This thread is probably better served in the dental forum but I'll give it a shot...

My understanding (which is very possibly incorrect) is that oral surgery residents in a six-year MD-granting program are paid a salary except during when they are in med school -- then they have to pay tuition. I believe the same holds true for other residencies -- if you are in a degree-granting program, eg. MS, you have to pay for the degree. Whether you net above or below zero depends on the school and how much they pay you for your clinical work.

Again, this could be completely wrong... But don't let the cost frighten you! Specialization is the way to go in my opinion -- be great at one thing instead of good at a lot of things. Plus, the pay increase astronomically outweighs the initial cost -- there was a post in the dental forum that a reasonable contract for a new GP was $300-400/day while for a new endo grad it was more like $1100/day! That difference will help pay off those residency bills!

 

[1992Corolla]

oral surgery varies between programs but you make next to nothing for the hours you work (salary), your starting pay is any where from 25-35 K a year and goes up, but i dont think it ever gets up to 80k. If you are in a six year program you pay an additional two years of tuition for the med school part. this can get expensive (ie if you go to upenn add an extra 120K to your overall debt for the extra two years of med school)

There are various ortho and endo programs and i am sure it i the same with other specialties like pros. Depending on the program you either pay them or they pay you. My uncle (back in the early 90's) got PAID a stipend in his endo program. I think the large majority of those programs are done away with but I know some exist. They are super competitive to get into.

Either way, do what you like, remember there have been 1000's that have gone before you that have 95% been able to pay off the debt.

 

[ncalcate]

The best way to get your questions answered are to look at the websites of the various specialties. The two I have bookmarked are:

Pedo: http://www.aapd.org/training/

Ortho: http://www.braces.org/studentsteachers/careers/orthodontistcareer.cfm

If you look at these two websites and at specific programs, you will see that some programs pay a stipend, others pay a stipend and charge tuition, and others charge tuition only.

I'm sure with google you can find the equivalent websites for the other specialties like perio, prosth, etc.

Good luck.

 

[I'mFillingFine]

I do know a dentist that started doing his ortho training after being in practice for about 15 years.

This doesn't happen too often, mostly because it's hard to justify leaving your 150K practice (especially if you have family depending on you) to pay for 2-3 more years of school. Sure, some people do it, and it's a GREAT alternative to burnout or way to pursue that dream you always wanted.

A lot of dentists, if they realize they want more pros, endo, ortho, whatever, will just take a bunch of coned credits on the subject, and do more of that thing in their practice. My dentist went back for ortho classes and takes around 20 ortho pts a year (as a generalist.) You can also get practice on implants, IV sedation, etc.

 

[aphistis]

All oral & maxillofacial surgery residencies pay a stipend during residency. As someone mentioned previously, if you're in an integrated MD-granting residency, most programs are unpaid while enrolled as a medical student, and some will require you to pay tuition for med school. The details will vary substantially from one program to the next.

GPR residents are also paid. OMS & GPR programs receive federal funding allowing stipends to be paid to all residents enrolled in these training programs.

Less commonly, some pedodontics & orthodontics programs will offer stipends to their residents. These stipends are typically funded by departmental budgets, and many of these programs require tuition payments which partially or totally offset any stipends they give.