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I think there is a misconception of importance being directly related to income. Obviously teachers should be paid near the highest but it just isn't so----And think about the fact that someone who can dribble the basketball makes normally 7 figures! Shouldn't all restaurant owners earn the same? Shouldn't all managers earn the same across the nation? My brother has a college education and makes more than I will ever see, is that fair seeing I've spent an additional 6 years after college and have a doctorate degree? Why should a pediatric dentist and a pediatrician earn the same amount? Simply because were in the health profession with a similar title? With that type of worldly view we wouldn't live in a capitalistic society, it would be call socialistic. You aren't simply given the right to an income and your income shouldn't dictate your worth or importance; think drug dealer here. 97% of pediatric dentists and general dentists own their own practice. The risk is huge- more risk more reward----start-up is ~$300,000-$500,000, five year lease, not to mention the $150,000 school debt. They have to be the marketing director, finance manager, bill collector, etc... They employ others---which unless you've been an owner could never imagine the difficulty of 401k set-ups, workman's comp, etc... The point is there are few similarities between the two:
Pediatricians are highly educated, an extremely necessary component of the medical profession, and are a non-surgical specialty. They are highly tuned detectives that must know the body and its workings inside and out in order carry out their jobs. There is some overlap with the general MD as they too are not surgeons and they can and do step on a lot of peds. toes. The services peds. provide are charged based on what a third party is willing to pay and what a person with a Master's degree deems appropriate. They are typically not a business owner with their own employees----they are usually
employees, and unfortunately a slave to managed care companies.
Pediatric dentists and all dentists have a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree or equivalent DMD. I use the term surgeon lightly here, (as a believe a cardiothoracic surgeon or neurosugeon are what I think of when I hear surgeon) but a dentist is someone who on a daily basis performs irreversible procedures with high-speed, specialized instruments that in the wrong hands would be chaos. Pediatric dentists are further specialized in an already specialized field to take care of infants, the mentally handicapped, children and young adults! Yes general dentists can and do work on the little ones. But ask any GP and they'll have the referral slip ready when little Jonny acts up or an autistic 22yo combined with mental redardation is brought in. Pediatric dentists are specially trained to deal with those situations. Many times they see their disability patients in the OR with the patient under general. They are performing procedures which are costly on a daily basis and can only be done effciently and effectively by them. A huge market niche. The big money maker is the fact that they are nearly all business owners and not employees. They make money off of their employees like any other business. To compare medicine and dentistry is like apples and oranges both fruits but that's where the similarities end. I wouldn't want to be a MD and I'm positive an MD doesn't care to pick-up a hand-piece and cut a MOD prep on #12! We are both highly educated professionals that provide a service to the public.
In the end, I think we are all paid enough to sustain a good lifestyle. I don't know how you MD/DO's work that many hours but that's a topic for another thread- --- There are more important things in life than the mighty dollar.
