Im considering the same two professions, this topic while entertaining completely went off track. I have been doing my research online so far, have yet to shadow anyone for either profession. From what I have learned so far:
Dentists:
Pros- Very large range of earning potential, low end 100k, high end 500k+. More prestigious then pharmacy. A dentist has alot of autonomy,which works well if you want to be your own boss, and can handle that. Dentistry can be exciting and challenging because you encounter so many different situations that it doesn't get boring altogether nor really routine. Dentists work pretty reliable hours, 8-5 and no weekends unless they chose that route. More prestigious than pharmacy - says who?
Cons- Dentistry is a more difficult profession to get into, dental school is highly competitive, the work is more audrous. Pretty much anyone and everyone in DS have a BS or BA (4 year degree) so your talking 4 years undergrad then another 4 professional schooling. One of the most talked about negative (I suppose) aspects of dentistry is working in mouths, they are nasty and filled with germs and some folks dont take good care of their teeth so their breath and hygiene(or lack of it) reflect that. Opening your own practice can be very expensive and the overhead of operating your own dental practice is huge. If you do not possess business skills that are sharp you can find yourself well in over your head and not making nearly as much as you could. If your a people person then your set, but during my research I have found alot or complaints about bad patients, whining children, office environments staffed with complaining and chit chatty women staff. Another consideration is you have to move your body around patients in ways that will hurt your neck and back at times, also sitting in a chair alot can bother some people. You have to carry mal practice insurance and could find yourself actually being sued where you would need it. Since payments to you come from insurance companies you will have to spend time chasing the money so you get paid, and that can be a hassle. Do you think that pharmacists don't have to deal with bad patients? Realistically, more patients (customers) complain daily for pharmacists than they do with dentists! The pharmacists have to work with the insurance companies themselves. Very few dentists do this. Another thing, just because a good percentage of dentists own their own practice doesn't mean that you have to own your own business. Some people choose not to have to run a business and accept that they will make only a fraction of what they would otherwise. Another thing, yes, if you have bad posture and don't use loupes and indirect vision, you are more likely to put yourself into positions that will hurt your back. But, if you pay attention to your posture and how you work, you can practice pretty much pain free.
Pharmacists:
Pros- You do not have to open your own practice and deal with overhead, in fact most pharmacists work in retail settings where they make a good salary(110k per year). You are not surrounded by alot of staff with different personalities you have to deal with everyday, as the on staff pharmacist you are in charge. A pharmacist could work anywhere he/she is licensed, and not having your own practice in a physical location holding you to it may be a good thing if you hate the place your in or simply want to see something new. Your pay is reliable since you dont have to chase insurance payments. You can get into pharmacy school after only two years of undergrad study where you have completed your prerequisites , dental school by nearly every account I have read require a 4-year degree prior to marticulation. Yes, you can get into school with only 2 years pre-reqs. that is what my wife did. But, just like dentistry, competition of getting into pharmacay schools has increased. Even though some schools allow you to apply after 2 years and have met requirements, it is very difficult to get into some schools without a BS/BA compared to what it use to be.
cons- Pharamicts by every estimate I have found ,particulary the reliable bureau of labor statistics, DO NOT make as much as dentists do. The salary range for being a pharmacist is actually very narrow (100k-130k+) Pharmacists may actually work beyond your 9-5 M-F, they may be contracted with a retail store to work nights and weekends. I also read pharmacists are treated by some customers as if they are the hired help at McDonalds and the respest is not there.The work is very routine and repetitive, some would find this extremely boring. You stand on your feet all day too. You are not representing the pharmacists as a whole here. Do not forget that pharmacists also work at clinics and hospitals. They do a lot more things other than just fill and check prescriptions. The jobs can vary a lot! My wife works at a hospital and has quite a few duties that you didn't even come close to considering here. She hasn't had to enter orders and check prescriptions for quite some tie there. She never comes home complaining of how biored hse is. If anything, her complains that she needs a mental break because she has had to think hard all day.
