Dentistry Vs Medicine

[BeTheHappy1]

All my life I have wanted to be a physician. I just graduated college, and I am currently in the application process for medical school. I have a decent MCAT, great GPA, and excellent extracurricular activities. I applied late this cycle, took my MCAT on August 6th, so I will not be surprised if I do not get any interviews.

Lately I have been having doubts about medicine. These same doubts started last year when I first attempted to take my MCAT and did not do well. The main thing I fear is that my memory is not amazing. I started working as a medical scribe and at work everyone seems to have amazing memory. During our training sessions everyone except for me seemed to pick up things without effort. I have always been the student who has to go home and study on my own before I understand/memorize material. My struggles as a scribe just reminded me of the fact that my memory has not always been the best. I am very good at conceptual material and have preformed very well in college but still I have doubts due to the fact that a large part of medical school and being a physician is having a good memory.

So my bad memory is one issue. My other issues are:

-The length of the medical education. I come from a poor family and I really want to start working as soon as possible. Dentistry seems so much more practical. Four years of school and I start to make money.

-Fear of messing up something and a patient dies. In dentistry this would be rare but in medicine it is very possible.

-Fear of not being able to complete the four years of school and residency. The rigor is incredible. Dentistry would also be challenging but there would be no residency.

In terms of passion. I prefer medicine but it is not my true calling or anything. The things I love about medicine are patient interactions, helping those in need, owning my own business and being a doctor is very interesting. I suffer from kidney stones, and have had many interactions with physicians due to many of my family members being hospitalized throughout my life. I know the difference a physician can make on the lives of individuals and it is truly amazing.

I think as a physician I will be challenged for the rest of my life. As a dentist I will not have the same excitement but I will have a stable life.

I could keep going but I will stop. I guess the MAIN question is what would you do in my shoes. If you recently graduated, took the MCAT, have a decent chance of getting in but have many doubts? Any advice would be appreciated. I apologize in advance if anything about my post does not make sense.

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[Goro]

Go for dentistry.

 

[Cookie04]

You can't get anywhere in life if you are too busy being afraid and doubting yourself. If you really are that fearful of the things you mentioned then maybe you should try a different career besides medicine. Plus every career is going to challenge you, including dentistry.

 

[Meeehai]

I think the doubt of whether or not you really want to pursue medical school intensifies the closer you get to actually applying. I don't think your first reason involving "bad memory" is a good one, but the others are. But do you actually like dentistry? If you do, I think you should go for it. However, if you just view it as an easier route that still yields enough money to make you happy - but have no interest in it whatsoever - I would search for other things.

 

[cantankerous]

Stop whining. Obviously, if you see mostly misery in medicine, it's not for you.

 

[BeTheHappy1]

Go for dentistry.

Please explain. Why?

 

[BeTheHappy1]

I think the doubt of whether or not you really want to pursue medical school intensifies the closer you get to actually applying. I don't think your first reason involving "bad memory" is a good one, but the others are. But do you actually like dentistry? If you do, I think you should go for it. However, if you just view it as an easier route that still yields enough money to make you happy - but have no interest in it whatsoever - I would search for other things.

Thank you for your post. I am not passionate about dentistry but it is not a bad field. Working in the mouth does not seem so bad to me. Shadowing a dentist was not amazing but it was not bad either. I am sure if I were to do the actual work it would be much more interesting.

 

[Goro]

Simply too many anxieties. Medicine is a calling.

Please explain. Why?

 

[doctorleospaceman]

Thank you for your post. I am not passionate about dentistry but it is not a bad field. Working in the mouth does not seem so bad to me. Shadowing a dentist was not amazing but it was not bad either. I am sure if I were to do the actual work it would be much more interesting.

1) First two years of dental school are nearly identical to the first two years of medical school. In facts, at my state school, they are often grouped.

2) For both dentistry and medicine, you need to be extremely committed to succeed. Hopes of money and owning your own business will not keep you going when the going gets tough.

 

[allantois]

It doesn't sound like you'd be a very happy dentist, which would inevitably show in your work and interaction with patients; this won't serve you well in a profession where you need to "sell" your services.

 

[NotYou20]

You won't own your own business in medicine. You might as a dentist.

 

[MSclerosis]

How are your hands?

Dentistry requires dexterity and hand-eye coordination, which are not required for medicine. Also, if you feel you are excellent with your hands, you can still do delicate procedures and surgeries as an MD, but if you are clumsy with your hands, then you will certainly make a poor dentist.

A year ago, I asked myself the same question after scoring 24AA/23TS/19PAT on the DAT... but here I am, applying to medicine instead, with a 32 MCAT... not sure if they will even accept me (no II's yet), but medicine offers more options in my opinion.

Have you worked with your hands before? Any experience with precision/small-scale artistic/detail work? A lot of dentistry is about cosmetics, meaning that your work will have to look good, physically and aesthetically. You will also have to please others and have some business/management skills to survive and stay competitive.

 

[BeTheHappy1]

1) First two years of dental school are nearly identical to the first two years of medical school. In facts, at my state school, they are often grouped.

2) For both dentistry and medicine, you need to be extremely committed to succeed. Hopes of money and owning your own business will not keep you going when the going gets tough.

I am well aware of the fact that both fields are challenging. I think I could make it through dental or medical school. And thinking about it, I do not really care about the money. Both fields are fairly compensated.

At the end of the day I guess the deciding factor is which one will I be good at and which field would bring me happiness. I do not know the answer to this question. Maybe I should keep working as a scribe and start shadowing more dentist. Maybe even start doing dental assisting to see if I enjoy working in the mouth. This is my "gap year," so I have time to do these things.

Thank you for you input.

 

[BeTheHappy1]

It doesn't sound like you'd be a very happy dentist, which would inevitably show in your work and interaction with patients; this won't serve you well in a profession where you need to "sell" your services.

How does one know if they will truly be happy in a field? I do not think anyone truly knows until they work in that field as an actual dentist or physician or lawyer...

 

[BeTheHappy1]

How are your hands?

Dentistry requires dexterity and hand-eye coordination, which are not required for medicine. Also, if you feel you are excellent with your hands, you can still do delicate procedures and surgeries as an MD, but if you are clumsy with your hands, then you will certainly make a poor dentist.

A year ago, I asked myself the same question after scoring 24AA/23TS/19PAT on the DAT... but here I am, applying to medicine instead, with a 32 MCAT... not sure if they will even accept me (no II's yet), but medicine offers more options in my opinion.

Have you worked with your hands before? Any experience with precision/small-scale artistic/detail work? A lot of dentistry is about cosmetics, meaning that your work will have to look good, physically and aesthetically. You will also have to please others and have some business/management skills to survive and stay competitive.

Finally! Someone who has felt my struggle. What was the deciding factor that made you switch?

I have always been good with my hands. I can draw decently, and I love to make things. See the thing is that when I came into medicine I wanted to go into surgery. As a child I broke many bones and was always interacting with orthopedic surgeons. My sister also had a pretty bad car accident and had to get many surgeries. So I always thought this was the field for me.. But the more I learned about the competitiveness of surgery and the amount of hours they work per week, this was phased out of the equation. I want a career where I can spend time with my family and still enjoy what I do. I want that work life balance. As of right now if I go into medicine I want to go into family medicine or psychiatry.

 

[BeTheHappy1]

Simply too many anxieties. Medicine is a calling.

Medicine is a calling? I have heard this many times in books, personal statements, and t.v shows. I am sure there are many physicians who feel this "calling," but I doubt the majority of physicians feel this way.

-The physician I have been working with for over a year told me one time "it is all about the money." Those words hurt me like a knife to the heart. He is a family physician btw so I do not know what money he is referring to..
-An Oncologist I shadowed did nothing but complain about the loss of respect in the field, the lack of money he makes, but nothing about any such "calling."
-An ENT I shadowed told me about how he was sick of the field and was going to attend an IVY league MBA program and switch to business.

Maybe I have had too many experiences with "bad" physicians and not enough "good" ones.

 

[CUSOCCER]

I am a young dentist with many friends in both fields. I went to a dental school where the first two years were combined with the med school and will even argue that dental school is in some ways harder than med school the first 2 years because we spend a ton of hours learning dental procedures & developing hand skills in addition to all the same classes as the med students (at my school, anyway). You have to enjoy what you do to be successful at either. You interact with patients all day every day as a dentist, and most of your patients hate coming to see you. It isn't easy. I don't think dentistry was "my calling" but I genuinely enjoy what I do- I like science, I love working with my hands, and I love helping my patients. Dental school does not require a residency, but in most cases it is significantly more expensive than medical school and even though you can walk out the door and start working, you'll also walk out the door with A TON of debt. There is no right or wrong answer here. I choose dentistry for the flexibility and quality of life, but I think I would have been a pretty decent physician as well.

 

[FutureOncologist]

• You will be grouped with med students for lecture about 40%-80% of the time, depending on the school. My school, it was about 75% of the time (only 1/4 of the time did I ever have JUST medical students.)
  
• If you enjoy rigorous hands-on approaches throughout your training, then Dentistry is more for you
• Are you willing to take time off to shadow dentists? Because dental schools require a specific amount of shadowing hours
• Within that time off, you'll need to take time to volunteer in a dental-related program, such as teaching poor kids good hygiene
• To really "make bank," you're gonna need to work in a rural area for a year or two to make $$$. Either that or really network well with future partners that have a well-established practice
• Are you willing to only do a specific amount of procedures (insurance, private practice, etc.?)
• If you want to specialize, are you willing to not get paid while in school? (Unlike medical fellowships, you are literally paying for your education unless you have another partner who will pay it for you.)

EDIT: I would look beyond Dentistry to be honest. Look into PA, nursing, Surgical Assistant, Anesthesiology Assistant (be wary about this one), and so forth. They are pretty vital in hospitals too. However, ANY medical profession that pays well will require that you learn a TON of different facets of human physiology, histology, and so forth.

 

[BeTheHappy1]

Thank you all for the insightful posts. It really did help.

I think I am going to just start shadowing more dentist and will continue to work as a scribe. The more exposure I have to both fields, the more informed I will be. This is my gap year after all and if medicine does not work out then I might have another gap year as well. This is the best time for me to go out there and really figure out what I want to do and why.

 

[MSclerosis]

Finally! Someone who has felt my struggle. What was the deciding factor that made you switch?

I have always been good with my hands. I can draw decently, and I love to make things. See the thing is that when I came into medicine I wanted to go into surgery. As a child I broke many bones and was always interacting with orthopedic surgeons. My sister also had a pretty bad car accident and had to get many surgeries. So I always thought this was the field for me.. But the more I learned about the competitiveness of surgery and the amount of hours they work per week, this was phased out of the equation. I want a career where I can spend time with my family and still enjoy what I do. I want that work life balance. As of right now if I go into medicine I want to go into family medicine or psychiatry.

I didn't really switch.

I felt that dentistry is too committal, so that's what made me decide to apply to medicine. With medicine, I will have another 3 years of intense exposure before choosing to specialize, whereas with dentistry, it's all about teeth from day 1. Also, I think the competition to look good and please others is more intense in dentistry than in medicine, and I don't think I will be able to compete with younger dentists who have trained overseas who have like 6 additional years of training with teeth (because these are the people I shadowed, and they were skilled). I also have large hands, which doesn't help. With medicine, this isn't as big of a deal, because there's lots I can do.

I think you should go with dentistry, because you clearly state that you want work-life balance, which is not a realistic expectation for most MD's, especially surgeons, also lifestyle specialties like plastics/dermatology are competitive and hard to match into.

May be more shadowing will help, as you mentioned.

 

[GrapesofRath]

If your goal is life "stability' and making money as soon as possible there are better options than dentistry.

If your stats are fine for med school I wouldn't worry about being able to hack medical school because you are a slower learner than your peers to the point that I would consider not pursuing it. Those who drop out the majority of the time aren't for academics(I believe out of the 5% who don't graduate, only about 1-1.5% were dismissed for academic reasons), and many who drop out for academics a) had other issues going on that made it harder for them to put in the time to study that they could never get over b) hated it and had no passion and hence desire to study the time you need c) in a number of situations didn't have a great GPA in college either.

Keep in mind your first two years of dental school aren't really any easier than your first two years of medical school. In fact, for those not great with their hands, it might actually be a bit more challenging.

While it's easy for a bunch of pre-meds and others in a forum related to medicine say "medicine is a calling" 'If you aren't a 100% set on it don't go into it" ask yourself do you really sound like someone passionate for dentistry? The training is shorter and the odds are very strongly in favor of you completing it fine if you get in, but the question doesn't come while your in dental school it comes after it. Does that kind of life style and life they live appeal to you? It's alot different than one of a physician. There was nothing in your post that made me think you were necessarily passionate about dentistry. And while you will make alot of money and live a successful life, it's also a field if you aren't passionate about it that you will not enjoy post-dental school.

My thought process is give this several months. Don't make any rash decisions now. It's a rather common thing for people at some point or another to question their desire for medicine and whether they can hack it. Now, this comes alot more in medical school and in residency than as a pre-med, but if everybody who dropped out of medicine because they at some point had some questions about whether it was for them, then there would be far fewer doctors in this country.

 

[BeTheHappy1]

If your goal is life "stability' and making money as soon as possible there are better options than dentistry.

If your stats are fine for med school I wouldn't worry about being able to hack medical school because you are a slower learner than your peers to the point that I would consider not pursuing it. Those who drop out the majority of the time aren't for academics(I believe out of the 5% who don't graduate, only about 1-1.5% were dismissed for academic reasons), and many who drop out for academics a) had other issues going on that made it harder for them to put in the time to study that they could never get over b) hated it and had no passion and hence desire to study the time you need c) in a number of situations didn't have a great GPA in college either.

Keep in mind your first two years of dental school aren't really any easier than your first two years of medical school. In fact, for those not great with their hands, it might actually be a bit more challenging.

While it's easy for a bunch of pre-meds and others in a forum related to medicine say "medicine is a calling" 'If you aren't a 100% set on it don't go into it" ask yourself do you really sound like someone passionate for dentistry? The training is shorter and the odds are very strongly in favor of you completing it fine if you get in, but the question doesn't come while your in dental school it comes after it. Does that kind of life style and life they live appeal to you? It's alot different than one of a physician. There was nothing in your post that made me think you were necessarily passionate about dentistry. And while you will make alot of money and live a successful life, it's also a field if you aren't passionate about it that you will not enjoy post-dental school.

My thought process is give this several months. Don't make any rash decisions now. It's a rather common thing for people at some point or another to question their desire for medicine and whether they can hack it. Now, this comes alot more in medical school and in residency than as a pre-med, but if everybody who dropped out of medicine because they at some point had some questions about whether it was for them, then there would be far fewer doctors in this country.

I am definitely going to take my time. I am not very passionate about dentistry but neither are many of my friends who are attending some of the best dental and medical schools right now. To be honest most of them did not pick medicine or dentistry because it was their "calling." They chose these careers for other reasons. Some of them have parents who work in their chosen fields, others were just very intelligent and driven to succeed. Out of 10 people I would say 2-3 picked their fields due to this so called "calling," the others just picked a field and stuck with it.

Lets look at some of the most difficult specialties to get into. Dermatology is definitely one of the hardest to get into but it is not one of the most difficult medical specialties. We do not need our best and smartest students to go into dermatology but they do. They go into this field not due to some "calling," they go into it because it pays well, they have great hours, and they still have a great career. In an ideal world the smartest people should go into more strenuous specialties like general surgery, ER medicine, Internal medicine and so forth. But they do not.

Anyways I do not know where I am going with my rant so I will stop. Thank you for your input.

 

[moisne]

You're too fearful for either dentistry or medicine...

 

[Glazedonutlove]

I think everyone should stop being so condescending. Let's not pretend we all didn't have some doubt at one point, whether it was freshman year or during the app cycle. The answer is not to just quit immediately. OP, no one can tell you if medicine is right. Take time to think and figure it out.

 

[deleted718115]

Simply too many anxieties. Medicine is a calling.

Ditto this.

 

[fancymylotus]

Teeth4life, best decision I ever made.

 

[BeTheHappy1]

You're too fearful for either dentistry or medicine...

O yea? Is that a fact?!? Who are you to decide that?

 

[BeTheHappy1]

I think everyone should stop being so condescending. Let's not pretend we all didn't have some doubt at one point, whether it was freshman year or during the app cycle. The answer is not to just quit immediately. OP, no one can tell you if medicine is right. Take time to think and figure it out.

This is a trend I have been seeing on SDN... Everyone seems to think they are so high and mighty. Truth is we are all lost and those who think they know are the ones who know nothing.
I am not quieting anything immediately. I will be using this year to figure it all out. Thank you for your post.

 

[Incis0r]

So my bad memory is one issue. My other issues are:

-The length of the medical education. I come from a poor family and I really want to start working as soon as possible. Dentistry seems so much more practical. Four years of school and I start to make money.

-Fear of messing up something and a patient dies. In dentistry this would be rare but in medicine it is very possible.

-Fear of not being able to complete the four years of school and residency. The rigor is incredible. Dentistry would also be challenging but there would be no residency.

Fellow pre-dent here. I know I'm not your target audience but I wanted to shed some light on some dental things and at the same time share it with our pre-med buddies.

1. Dental School on average costs MUCH more than Med School. You think a $200-250K med school education is expensive? More than 60% of US dental schools are private with a price tag hitting around 400K. USC now costs 450K before interest (7%). So if you want to do this, be sure about it.

2. Starting incomes are not as high as you would like to believe. Sure, there are a few outliers of people who come out swinging with 150K or higher incomes. But for every 1 of those, there are hundreds starting sub-100K. Add this to your 400K debt and see how you fare. Or better yet, go to this thread and read: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/read-before-applying-to-private-schools.1107045/page-2

3. You think losing a patient is stressful? Try going to work and having every patient come to you saying "I hate the dentist" or being stressed out if you don't do a perfect job in a working space of millimeters. or heaven forbid if they feel pain in your chair.

4. This one may irk my fellow pre-meds, but if you can't hack med school, you DEFINITELY cannot hack dental school. Dental school in many programs has dental students + med students share courses and then dental students have afternoon/evening labs on top of that while med students can go home and study.

5. "there would be no residency"- Look again. All dental specialties require residencies, and if you just want to be a general dentist, it is still recommended. New York now REQUIRES a 1-year general dentistry residency to practice there. CT offers an option for residency or examination. There was a thread in the dental forums a while back about this dentist who just went into the workforce straight out of school without a residency, and he couldn't hack it/was super stressed since all his work kept falling apart. It's HIGHLY recommended to do a residency. Even a 1-year.

 

[Gandyy]

Fellow pre-dent here. I know I'm not your target audience but I wanted to shed some light on some dental things and at the same time share it with our pre-med buddies.

1. Dental School on average costs MUCH more than Med School. You think a $200-250K med school education is expensive? More than 60% of US dental schools are private with a price tag hitting around 400K. USC now costs 450K before interest (7%). So if you want to do this, be sure about it.

2. Starting incomes are not as high as you would like to believe. Sure, there are a few outliers of people who come out swinging with 150K or higher incomes. But for every 1 of those, there are hundreds starting sub-100K. Add this to your 400K debt and see how you fare. Or better yet, go to this thread and read: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/read-before-applying-to-private-schools.1107045/page-2

3. You think losing a patient is stressful? Try going to work and having every patient come to you saying "I hate the dentist" or being stressed out if you don't do a perfect job in a working space of millimeters. or heaven forbid if they feel pain in your chair.

4. This one may irk my fellow pre-meds, but if you can't hack med school, you DEFINITELY cannot hack dental school. Dental school in many programs has dental students + med students share courses and then dental students have afternoon/evening labs on top of that while med students can go home and study.

5. "there would be no residency"- Look again. All dental specialties require residencies, and if you just want to be a general dentist, it is still recommended. New York now REQUIRES a 1-year general dentistry residency to practice there. CT offers an option for residency or examination. There was a thread in the dental forums a while back about this dentist who just went into the workforce straight out of school without a residency, and he couldn't hack it/was super stressed since all his work kept falling apart. It's HIGHLY recommended to do a residency. Even a 1-year.

Well your number 4 definitely is right about one thing.

It is quite irksome indeed for various reasons.

 

[Incis0r]

Well your number 4 definitely is right about one thing.

It is quite irksome indeed for various reasons.

I was typing that post as the library was closing so I didn't have the chance to read the other posts/comments made on this thread. Turns out that several other people have already made that point....looks like you guys have been irked too much.

 

[Glazedonutlove]

I was typing that post as the library was closing so I didn't have the chance to read the other posts/comments made on this thread. Turns out that several other people have already made that point....looks like you guys have been irked too much.

we are easily irked

 

[Gandyy]

I was typing that post as the library was closing so I didn't have the chance to read the other posts/comments made on this thread. Turns out that several other people have already made that point....looks like you guys have been irked too much.

Well, I dont want this thread to turn into a flame war, but I politely strongly disagree with dental school being more rigorous than medical school.

That is all.

 

[fancymylotus]

Well, I dont want this thread to turn into a flame war, but I politely strongly disagree with dental school being more rigorous than medical school.

That is all.

The first two years are similar and in some schools exactly the same, the second two years are waaaaay easier in teeth school than dental school

This is from someone who went through dental school and is now engaged to someone who was in med school. The crap he had to do and deal with made my d3 and d4 years look like Mickey Mouse school. Sorry not sorry

 

[allantois]

The first two years are similar and in some schools exactly the same, the second two years are waaaaay easier in teeth school than dental school

This is from someone who went through dental school and is now engaged to someone who was in med school. The crap he had to do and deal with made my d3 and d4 years look like Mickey Mouse school. Sorry not sorry

Good point; it's also unfair to compare dental and medical residencies, unless we are talking OMS.

Adding to the discussion: it seems that dental students, and I can imagine residents, are treated waaay better (as equals) by dental faculty unlike med students who are treated poorly by everyone starting with nurses. As for the first two years, a lot of stress with preclinical classes is relieved for the majority of students (who are not looking to specialize) as NBDE is a P/F exam unlike the high stakes Step 1.

 

[njtrimed]

I don't think anyone has the answers. You have to decide what you really want, even if that means taking extra time off from school to explore and decide what that is. Be careful, though, or you'll end up deciding to go back to school when you have a family, and that's a whole different ball game.

Honestly, I was briefly deterred from medicine after listening too closely to physicians who weren't happy for a variety of personal reasons. You can't base your decisions on what anyone else thinks, and only you can decide whether medicine or dentistry is more personally fulfilling to you. All I can tell you is that life is short, and sometimes when you're faced with a decision like this, you just have to go with your gut. What really inspires you?

 

[Incis0r]

As for the first two years, a lot of stress with preclinical classes is relieved for the majority of students (who are not looking to specialize) as NBDE is a P/F exam unlike the high stakes Step 1.

Yeah this is true BUT we have NERB/WREB/SRTA etc. and those are extremely stressful. Your license depends on you getting the patients to 1) show up- if they don't, fail and lose exam fee (thousands of dollars) 2) Have the "correct" lesions- if it's not good enough, fail 3) Do your treatment and make it "look good"- if it gets the job done but the examiner isn't satisfied- fail.

So while we don't have the Step 1 stress for the rest of our career, it ain't all sunshine and rainbows my friend.

 

[Psai]

Simply too many anxieties. Medicine is a calling.

It used to be a calling. Now businessmen, politicians and lawyers are turning it into just another job

 

[fancymylotus]

Good point; it's also unfair to compare dental and medical residencies, unless we are talking OMS.

Adding to the discussion: it seems that dental students, and I can imagine residents, are treated waaay better (as equals) by dental faculty unlike med students who are treated poorly by everyone starting with nurses. As for the first two years, a lot of stress with preclinical classes is relieved for the majority of students (who are not looking to specialize) as NBDE is a P/F exam unlike the high stakes Step 1.

Yeah, **** getting interrogated by residents and attendings about cases and being made to feel stupid by nurses...all before 5am... as a third year med student.



FYI the nbde only recently became p/f, I didn't take it that long ago and it was a numerical grade.

 

[Incis0r]

Yeah, **** getting interrogated by residents and attendings about cases and being made to feel stupid by nurses...all before 5am... as a third year med student.

OMFS or career-switch?

 

[moisne]

O yea? Is that a fact?!? Who are you to decide that?

Oh yeah? Yeah! ... who am I to decide that? I didn't! LOL (so sensitive there)

Apparently you did...

There's still plenty to fear in dentistry if you think one mistake is going to end your life/career - no matter which field.

You can get infectious endocarditis from dentistry - you can also get drug drug interactions mixed up, etc. It is more "rare" but fear should NOT be your deciding factor.

Otherwise don't work in a field that involves making changes in someone else's life...
(You could kill someone as a NURSE!

-Fear of messing up something and a patient dies. In dentistry this would be rare but in medicine it is very possible.

-Fear of not being able to complete the four years of school and residency. The rigor is incredible. Dentistry would also be challenging but there would be no residency.

 

[moisne]

3. You think losing a patient is stressful? Try going to work and having every patient come to you saying "I hate the dentist" or being stressed out if you don't do a perfect job in a working space of millimeters. or heaven forbid if they feel pain in your chair.

4. This one may irk my fellow pre-meds, but if you can't hack med school, you DEFINITELY cannot hack dental school. Dental school in many programs has dental students + med students share courses and then dental students have afternoon/evening labs on top of that while med students can go home and study.

3. I hate dentists... a lot...

4. I don't know why pre-dental students and pre-med students make these statements - they aren't even in dental/medical school yet :/

- I know med students end up learning more breadth - and definitely do not go into the head/neck very often; I would have absolutely no idea why a dentist would be required to learn about bones in the foot...
- This is from word of mouth from a dental students - but they said they don't study much after the few core blocks because the rest of the time, their training is hands on and after lab - there is no such thing as study because you simply do not have the material - I do not know if that is true or not.
- I think we need a dental student who finished 2nd year then go to med school (or vice versa) to make the judgement on which is "easier to hack"

 

[getdown]

Unfortunately OP, I don't think you would be able to survive the medical training with the amount of anxiety that you have. If you're having this much trouble deciding on medical vs dental I can't even begin to imagine how you would handle the stress of STEP1 or surgical clerkship or your intern year or the amount of work of residency in general. I know too many people who have anxiety issues that either had really bumpy track record or quit medicine altogether.

EDIT: Also to address this whole nonsense about med vs dental being harder... NO ONE GIVES A ****. These are two different fields providing services that don't overlap. As long as you're able to do your goddamn job competently without killing anyone no one cares. So, stop trying to stroke your own egos to justify the decision you make.

 

[hanry]

Unfortunately OP, I don't think you would be able to survive the medical training with the amount of anxiety that you have. If you're having this much trouble deciding on medical vs dental I can't even begin to imagine how you would handle the stress of STEP1 or surgical clerkship or your intern year or the amount of work of residency in general. I know too many people who have anxiety issues that either had really bumpy track record or quit medicine altogether.

EDIT: Also to address this whole nonsense about med vs dental being harder... NO ONE GIVES A ****. These are two different fields providing services that don't overlap. As long as you're able to do your goddamn job competently without killing anyone no one cares. So, stop trying to stroke your own egos to justify the decision you make.

I wouldn't tell OP what they're not capable of, without actually knowing them and being qualified to make that assessment

 

[fancymylotus]

Die thread die

 

[getdown]

I wouldn't tell OP what they're not capable of, without actually knowing them and being qualified to make that assessment

I may not know the OP personally but I know enough people that share the same anxiety characteristics as the OP to have a good idea of how things will turn out and the challenges the OP will face down the line. I mean how do you think job interviews, medical school interviews, residency interviews go? How much do you really get to know someone by reading their CV and a 10-15 minute interview? I would actually argue that you can get to know a person better through these forums where they can truly express themselves instead of being "fake" in an interview. OPs self-doubt permeates throughout his/her initial post hence the potential for serious problems when faced with the stresses I mentioned. OPs intention for pursuing medicine is also quite superficial. Without true passion and a love of the field, those 90 hour weeks during residency, the regular beat downs you get from your attendings and nurses can make life truly miserable. I'm talking from my own and my friends' experiences not just bull****ting to make OP feel down. As much as everyone wants to how each person is a unique snowflake patterns do exist that generally hold true.

 

[Conflagration]

OMFS or career-switch?

I believe she's engaged/married to a resident, if memory serves me right.

But, OP, what do you love? What gets you up in the morning? If you're constantly living in fear, you might need to talk with someone about some options to help with that, regardless of what you decide to do in the long run.

Do you like science? Do you like helping people? Do you like the experiences that you had when you shadowed physicians and dentists? Neither school is easy, OP. But if you wanted, it's there for you. That's the beauty of having choices.

 

[Incis0r]

3. I hate dentists... a lot...

Why is this?

I believe she's engaged/married to a resident, if memory serves me right.

But, OP, what do you love? What gets you up in the morning? If you're constantly living in fear, you might need to talk with someone about some options to help with that, regardless of what you decide to do in the long run.

Do you like science? Do you like helping people? Do you like the experiences that you had when you shadowed physicians and dentists? Neither school is easy, OP. But if you wanted, it's there for you. That's the beauty of having choices.

Conflaggggggggg hey old buddy

 

[Glazedonutlove]

Unfortunately OP, I don't think you would be able to survive the medical training with the amount of anxiety that you have. If you're having this much trouble deciding on medical vs dental I can't even begin to imagine how you would handle the stress of STEP1 or surgical clerkship or your intern year or the amount of work of residency in general. I know too many people who have anxiety issues that either had really bumpy track record or quit medicine altogether.

EDIT: Also to address this whole nonsense about med vs dental being harder... NO ONE GIVES A ****. These are two different fields providing services that don't overlap. As long as you're able to do your goddamn job competently without killing anyone no one cares. So, stop trying to stroke your own egos to justify the decision you make.

he did fine in mcat so he will probably be fine for step 1 as well. Idk how we can deduce things about his anxiety level from these posts honestly. I think it's harmful to discourage someone in the middle of interview cycle. let him decide for himself

 

[getdown]

he did fine in mcat so he will probably be fine for step 1 as well. Idk how we can deduce things about his anxiety level from these posts honestly. I think it's harmful to discourage someone in the middle of interview cycle. let him decide for himself

I'm not questioning his intelligence, I'm questioning his ability to handle stress.