Dental vs Medicine

[kiddynamite914]

I've been premed for the length of my undergrad career. I have a 3.877 GPA and I scored a 515 on the MCATs. However, right now I am stuck on the commitment. I've shadowed both doctors (surgeons and non-surgeons) and dentists. I definitely prefer using my hands vs say a pediatrician or family doctor who really doesn't perform much with his/her hands. The general vibe I get is that doctors have more prestige but dentists are much more laid back and have a better lifestyle. I would rather work 40 hours vs 60 and I would love to have time off to spend with family, friends, and travel. I can't deal with becoming a PA or anything else that requires you to have to answer to someone else for the length of your career. I also love business, so is it more common to open up your own practice in medicine or dental? At the end of the day I care about prestige, having a great lifestyle, and making a good amount of money. Any help would be much appreciated.

PS I understand that there are past forums on this but they all are from 2011 and past.

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[NotASerialKiller]

At the end of the day I care about prestige, having a great lifestyle, and making a good amount of money. Any help would be much appreciated.

Watch as everyone clamors to help the pre-med/dent who wants to get rich and feel like a bigshot.

 

[kiddynamite914]

Watch as everyone clamors to help the pre-med/dent who wants to get rich and feel like a bigshot.

lol I come from an inner city and my father makes 20 k a year , I’m sorry for wanting some money because I grew up with much less than those around me. And no I’m not doing either for the money , if that was the case I’d be in engineering

 

[Suture_Self]

lol I come from an inner city and my father makes 20 k a year , I’m sorry for wanting some money because I grew up with much less than those around me. And no I’m not doing either for the money , if that was the case I’d be in engineering

You kind of already laid out what you think the best option is if thats what you believe. I definitely understand where you are coming from, but if you think Dental has better lifestyle and suits you better, then what are you waiting for? Also, for what its worth, dentists as a proportion are more likely to open up their own clinics from everything Ive seen/read.

 

[•Syzygy•]

lol I come from an inner city and my father makes 20 k a year , I’m sorry for wanting some money because I grew up with much less than those around me. And no I’m not doing either for the money , if that was the case I’d be in engineering

everyone goes through hardships

dont go into either profession if you don't care about anything but prestige. the way you talk about all of this makes me cringe. MCATs also makes me cringe

 

[Prometheus123]

everyone goes through hardships

dont go into either profession if you don't care about anything but prestige. the way you talk about all of this makes me cringe. MCATs also makes me cringe

Haha, same. All my relatives call it that for some reason.

 

[Coltuna]

Haha, same. All my relatives call it that for some reason.

No matter how many times I tell my grandma the proper way, she continues to call it "the imp camps." Idk if she's messing with me or what.

 

[Prometheus123]

OP, the simplest answer is that dental probably provides more of a balance between money, prestige, and having a life that you're looking for. However, I would spend some time reexamining your motives and whether either career is really the best match for you. You get desensitized to prestige after a while, and money beyond ~60K per annum doesn't result in increased happiness levels. Being a physician means committing to continue learning for the rest of your life, even when no one is watching or giving you CME credit, because you'll be holding patients' lives in your hands. Based on how you've described your motivations, it doesn't sound like that would be a good fit for you.

EDIT: One possible alternative could be hospital administration. As I understand it, administrators have way more of a work life balance, more power on the institutional level, and make way more money. I'm sure that comes with quite a bit of prestige too.

 

[Gilakend]

Honestly the only pro for medical school for you is that you took the MCAT not the DAT. I would say based on what you said dental school no doubt.

 

[Coltuna]

Dental school may be best for you. I feel like dentistry doesn't chew up and spit people out who are not fully committed like medicine does.

I don't mean to come off as abrasive but if you're not 100% committed to medicine, it's going to be tough road.

 

[Turkishking]

Go into computer science you'll be happier. Besides its bc of deluded people like you why med school is competitve well one of the reasons

 

[21Rush12]

Go to dental school just because you made MCAT plural like a grandparent.


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[TypeADissection]

Don't worry about the prestige and cache of being a "doctor" vs "dentist." All of that goes out the window when you're a surgical resident on call running down for traumas at 0200 after getting out of the OR having finished a Fournier's case; while your dentist pal is sound asleep, probably making more money than you will as an attending and still making it to the golf course by 1500 one day a week. You still couldn't pay me to be a dentist because it doesn't even interest me. Stop caring about what others think and do the thing that drives you.