Dentist or Pilot?

[dentalwolf7800]

Hi,

I am currently a pre-dental in one of the accelerated programs and should be moving onto dental school this coming fall. During summer break, I wanted to try out becoming a pilot as it was one of my career choices when I was a kid. So, I am currently working on my private license along with school. According to my google searches, there is a shortage in pilots in the US, but I see one, sometimes two, dental offices in every mall strip in my hometown. Both jobs are 7 out of 10 in terms of enjoying what I want to do as a job. I am unsure whether I can land a job as a dentist and make good money. On the other hand, I know that the major airlines pay good salaries, but sometimes throw ridiculous schedules at you. Any other pros and cons of choosing one over the other?

I have read one of the posts here with the same question that I have, but that post was from 2008 and I feel like the world has completely changed from 14 years ago.
I appreciate any insight from you guys.

Thanks!

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[PerioDont]

Have you talked with a pilot and/or dentist before and asked them about the pros and cons?

 

[yappy]

These careers seem so different that I don’t think you can really compare them, or enjoy them both equally. I think you need to figure out which career is best for you.

Anecdotally, I knew a dentist who was a pilot. He said being a pilot was easier but boring.

 

[Ryxndek]

I thought about being a pilot but the main thing is the schedule and time demands. Depending on what you fly you could be doing multiple flights a day and you’re constantly on call. I also want to have a life and family and dentists are much more stable in their schedules compared to a pilots. While it might be exciting to visit new cities every day, for me I wanted more stability and being a pilot does not offer that until you’re probably 15 years in as a seasonal captain where you’d be making a fraction of what a dentist would make after working for 15 years.

I agree with the above, you should talk to a pilot and dentist to get a better idea. You could always get your private pilots license and own a plane and joy ride. You could be a dentist and a pilot but you can’t be a pilot and a dentist. Flight school also isn’t cheap and it does cost a lot. Definitely not as much as dental school but it’s a good chunk. And to make the salary of a captain you have to build hours which could take 5-7 years to do. Where you’ll be making a comfortable salary being a dentist. Food for thought but I’d do more research if you can.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I interviewed an applicant who got a private pilot's license. He flew to all of his interviews. He didn't choose the school I worked at.