Dentist or engineer?

[#dental4life]

Would you rather be a dentist or engineer?

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[Doctorman45342]

It's funny you made this post because I started out college wanting to be an engineer and then I changed to pre-dent. I big thing I noticed with engineering is it is a lot of work in undergrad and the jobs are usually not that great (good but not great for the amount of effort you put into the degree, unless you enjoy doing engineering stuff which I don't think I do.) I think dentistry, for me at least, will be much more satisfying in that I will be working with and helping people all day instead doing engineering stuff. Not to mention the 6 figure salary dentists get.

Although dentistry is overall a lot of work, 8 years of school vs. 4 years (5 with internships) engineering is more tedious in my eyes compared to the more social communication based work environment of dentists.

 

[#dental4life]

It's funny you made this post because I started out college wanting to be an engineer and then I changed to pre-dent. I big thing I noticed with engineering is it is a lot of work in undergrad and the jobs are usually not that great (good but not great for the amount of effort you put into the degree, unless you enjoy doing engineering stuff which I don't think I do.) I think dentistry, for me at least, will be much more satisfying in that I will be working with and helping people all day instead doing engineering stuff. Not to mention the 6 figure salary dentists get.

Although dentistry is overall a lot of work, 8 years of school vs. 4 years (5 with internships) engineering is more tedious in my eyes compared to the more social communication based work environment of dentists.

So true. When dentists have fun we have fun 😀 cuz we have the money.

 

[Doctorman45342]

So true. When dentists have fun we have fun 😀 cuz we have the money.

Engineers put in so much work to become specialized and in our current economy large corporations make them highly dispensable. Once a company no longer needs your services or doesn't want to give you a pay raise, they are going to cut you.

 

[#dental4life]

Engineers put in so much work to become specialized and in our current economy large corporations make them highly dispensable. Once a company no longer needs your services or doesn't want to give you a pay raise, they are going to cut you.

Same with computer related jobs too :/ healthcare has the best jobs as far as I can see for a good future 🙂

 

[jshlaferman]

Would you rather be a dentist or engineer?

I thought I was for sure going to be a biomedical engineer, but I then realized that thats not what I wanted and I became very interested in dentistry. I think the independence and directly helping people helped my decision

 

[fewaopi]

Isn't dentistry very saturated right now? Dentistry forums don't look so hot now and it's only going to get worse. IMO it's even harder to get a job now than it is for engineers. There arent many positions for engineering positions but business or finance positions for engineers seem to be open. Can't speak for engineering but healthcare jobs are becoming more and more difficult to find. I suppose a need for good ethical nurses is always there but it's not very rosy anymore.

 

[The Buff OP]

I rather be Warren Buffet.

 

[Doctorman45342]

Isn't dentistry very saturated right now? Dentistry forums don't look so hot now and it's only going to get worse. IMO it's even harder to get a job now than it is for engineers. There arent many positions for engineering positions but business or finance positions for engineers seem to be open. Can't speak for engineering but healthcare jobs are becoming more and more difficult to find. I suppose a need for good ethical nurses is always there but it's not very rosy anymore.

I think you may be confusing dentistry with pharmacy. Dentistry is not saturated at all from what I have seen, Pharm on the other hand is.

 

[rxgolfer]

Everything is saturated. Yes, Dentistry too. Dentist pay more and have better job stability though vs engineers though. So i'd choose dentistry. Engineering is probably more saturated than dentistry though. In the private sector of engineering you get paid more but if your company does not have projects you can get let go like that. I heard horror stories of people with Masters in Engineering degrees from well known schools who are now not working in engineering anymore because they can't find jobs after being let go. If you work for the gov't better job security, lower base pay (GS payscale) but awesome benefits.

Don't let this scare you. Work hard, make connections, set yourself apart. The above poster said pharmacy is saturated - it is, but somehow I managed to get a high paying job and had offers in places I wanted to live. Bottom line, don't do something just for the money. Do something you're good at and passionate about.

 

[MedWonk]

Whichever gives you the most money. First you get the money, then you get power, then you get the women.

 

[#dental4life]

Everything is saturated. Yes, Dentistry too. Dentist pay more and have better job stability though vs engineers though. So i'd choose dentistry. Engineering is probably more saturated than dentistry though. In the private sector of engineering you get paid more but if your company does not have projects you can get let go like that. I heard horror stories of people with Masters in Engineering degrees from well known schools who are now not working in engineering anymore because they can't find jobs after being let go. If you work for the gov't better job security, lower base pay (GS payscale) but awesome benefits.

Don't let this scare you. Work hard, make connections, set yourself apart. The above poster said pharmacy is saturated - it is, but somehow I managed to get a high paying job and had offers in places I wanted to live. Bottom line, don't do something just for the money. Do something you're good at and passionate about.

Dentists get payed WAY. More than engineers 🙂 just saying

 

[#dental4life]

Its funny how many engineers become engineers and start working in the field and then hate it and choose to become a dentist instead LOL

 

[BioBeaver]

Dentist by far. First because I'm bad at math, and second because I hate deadlines. An engineer's life is multimillion dollar deadlines.

 

[Quaxton]

Bah...I joined this forum wanting to become a doctor. Now I'm more interested in mathematics and computer science.
Still sticking around for the Wolf's Den though, and the occasional random programming question.

 

[UCSFx2017]

Dentistry is saturated in many urban cities. If you really wanted to work there, you'd take a big pay cut and be paid an engineer's salary. Typical take home salary that practice owners aim for is around $200K. A new graduate trying to work in a big saturated city will probably have to work multiple part time jobs and will most likely not break six figures (take home) for a while. Getting to the point of living like a dentist will take many years after dental school depending on how much you borrow in student loans and in buying a practice. The challenge for someone in your position would be getting into an affordable state school. The difference in cost between a state school and a private school can be astronomical. An extreme example would be a Texas school graduate with less than $90K in loans versus a graduate from USC with >$400K in loans. Someone with $400K in loans will end up having $500K in loans by the time they graduate. By the time they pay it off in ten years, they'll have paid $600K while having made very little income during those ten years. If you pay it off in 20-30 years, that $400K will grow close to a $900K. Depending on whether you end up at a state school or a private school, dentistry may not be a more lucrative field than engineering in the short term.

 

[#dental4life]

Dentistry is saturated in many urban cities. If you really wanted to work there, you'd take a big pay cut and be paid an engineer's salary. Typical take home salary that practice owners aim for is around $200K. A new graduate trying to work in a big saturated city will probably have to work multiple part time jobs and will most likely not break six figures (take home) for a while. Getting to the point of living like a dentist will take many years after dental school depending on how much you borrow in student loans and in buying a practice. The challenge for someone in your position would be getting into an affordable state school. The difference in cost between a state school and a private school can be astronomical. An extreme example would be a Texas school graduate with less than $90K in loans versus a graduate from USC with >$400K in loans. Someone with $400K in loans will end up having $500K in loans by the time they graduate. By the time they pay it off in ten years, they'll have paid $600K while having made very little income during those ten years. If you pay it off in 20-30 years, that $400K will grow close to a $900K. Depending on whether you end up at a state school or a private school, dentistry may not be a more lucrative field than engineering in the short term.

i dont know where you live but i live in Canada in Vancouver BC. Secondly, im not gonna start from scratch for sure, im going to buy a developed dental practice from another dentist so i can start making big bucks from the day i start, unless i do a ****ty job then everyone will leave but otherwise i will be making more than six figures.

 

[#dental4life]

to be honest, everything job you can think of is very saturated so just do something you enjoy doing and the rest will take care of itself if you're good at what you do. That's my 2 cent 🙂

 

[johnho771]

to be honest, everything job you can think of is very saturated so just do something you enjoy doing and the rest will take care of itself if you're good at what you do. That's my 2 cent 🙂

Very true. Many good careers besides dentistry are saturated in big cities. I think a better word for dentistry in big cities is, competitive. Sure there are a lot of dentists in the areas but there are also tons of people. And on top of that much of the population growth in the future is expected to take place in urban areas.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

i dont know where you live but i live in Canada in Vancouver BC. Secondly, im not gonna start from scratch for sure, im going to buy a developed dental practice from another dentist so i can start making big bucks from the day i start, unless i do a ****** job then everyone will leave but otherwise i will be making more than six figures.

Student loans + practice loans could run you very close to a cool million. Not going to be raking in cash from day one with that kind of debt.

So true. When dentists have fun we have fun 😀 cuz we have the money.

Do they allow 11th graders to do dentistry in Cananda?

 

[Troyvdg]

i dont know where you live but i live in Canada in Vancouver BC. Secondly, im not gonna start from scratch for sure, im going to buy a developed dental practice from another dentist so i can start making big bucks from the day i start, unless i do a ****** job then everyone will leave but otherwise i will be making more than six figures.

Hahaha, oh boy. You're in for a rude awakening. G/L

 

[#dental4life]

Hahaha, oh boy. You're in for a rude awakening. G/L

How so? Ur not even a dentist yet, who knows what will happen.

 

[Troyvdg]

How so?

Too much to elaborate on. If you end up deciding to do dentistry over engineering, business, etc, then you'll eventually come across inflated salaries and their discussion.

 

[#dental4life]

Too much to elaborate on. If you end up deciding to do dentistry over business, then you'll eventually come across inflated salaries and their discussion.

I've decided dentistry already. What's salary inflation?

 

[Troyvdg]

I've decided dentistry already. What's salary inflation?

just do well in undergrad, keep all your options open.

 

[#dental4life]

just do well in undergrad, keep all your options open.

...but what's salary inflation? Never heard of it. Thanks tho

 

[#dental4life]

Too much to elaborate on. If you end up deciding to do dentistry over engineering, business, etc, then you'll eventually come across inflated salaries and their discussion.

I dont think the salary would be crazy different for dentistry as it is not a salaried job. It's more like how much u are going to work. Plus if u own your own practice or buy it off from another dentist, u can easily make 200k+ like ive mentioned! unless u suck and no one comes to your clinic 😛

 

[Troyvdg]

I dont think the salary would be crazy different for dentistry as it is not a salaried job. It's more like how much u are going to work. Plus if u own your own practice or buy it off from another dentist, u can easily make 200k+ like ive mentioned! unless u suck and no one comes to your clinic 😛

Ok

 

[#dental4life]

Ok

Idk but when u tell me stuff like that, it makes me worried so yea.

 

[Troyvdg]

Idk but when u tell me stuff like that, it makes me worried so yea.

It was only meant to say, if you're sole objective is to make money (seems to be the topic of your threads), do business. Sure, an established dentist makes a good salary, but look at all the debt. School loans, practice loans, etc. food for thought.

 

[#dental4life]

It was only meant to say, if you want to make money, do business. Sure, an established dentist makes a good salary, but look at all the debt. School loans, practice loans, etc. food for thought.

Oh thats what u meant... Lol sorry i misunderstood. Yea but business will only give u can ok life. I think that in the long run after the paying off debt part which doesn't take long if u actually save and pay, dentistry would be better if u have dreams like me. 🙂

 

[Troyvdg]

Oh thats what u meant... Lol sorry i misunderstood. Yea but business will only give u can ok life. I think that in the long run after the paying off debt part which doesn't take long if u actually save and pay, dentistry would be better if u have dreams like me. 🙂

Haha, well, good. Keep that in mind when you start to crunch the numbers.

 

[#dental4life]

Haha, well, good. Keep that in mind when you start to crunch the numbers.

It wont take long till i pay my debt hahaha. Not being racist but I'm asian so i would be living with my parents for a long time and if i need to, I'll eat off and live off them for like 3-4 years while paying all my loan 😀 LOOOL my mom said its fine so i guess thats what I'd do

 

[Arijos0222]

Dentists get payed WAY. More than engineers 🙂 just saying

I don't know why everyone is saying that engineers get paid more than than dentists. With any job there are many exit and management advancement opportunities, and most engineers don't stay engineers for their entire lives, they move up the management ranks. Anyone who stays a legitimate "engineer" all their lives must really have a passion for creating because you can leverage those skills and go into many many other fields.

My dad's ex co-worker (both of them engineers) is now a CIO at a hedge fund and makes $1,000,000+ a year after his bonus. He used to work on submarines and now he manages the trading networks for the firm, and he got 2 degrees in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering - totally unrelated to technology and information systems.

Those 80K figures you see don't even consider future aspects of perhaps getting an MBA or perhaps another advanced degree. You can make a lot of money in many many professions, you just need to network and pitch yourself in a way that allows you to move up the corporate ladder.