did you consider being a physician

[KSDental]

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I'm actually a dental student now. I just never got around to changing my status.

I think a lot of time is spent discussing the money and hours spent on the job, but not enough time is spent discussing what the job actually entails. As a pre-dent, I didn't really understand how all-encompassing dentistry is. You can watch it being done for hundreds of hours while shadowing or volunteering (I even worked as an assistant for a while before d-school) but still not comprehend the knowledge base and skill sets it demands to do the job well. Until you've actually sat in the chair and done dentistry, it's tough to grasp the thought processes it requires.

I agree with this. A lot of the procedures that dentists do look simple, but there is a lot of background science behind it. I'm just beginning to learn this as a first year student. Diagnosing oral diseases requires knowledge of anatomy, pathology, histology, ect. Dentists must also understand the medical histories of their patients, just like physicians. Even restorative procedures require more than just hand skill. They also require a thorough understanding of dental anatomy, occlusion, head & neck anatomy, etc. The best dentists have mastered these subjects.

 

[mike3kgt]

I'm actually a dental student now. I just never got around to changing my status.

I think a lot of time is spent discussing the money and hours spent on the job, but not enough time is spent discussing what the job actually entails. As a pre-dent, I didn't really understand how all-encompassing dentistry is. You can watch it being done for hundreds of hours while shadowing or volunteering (I even worked as an assistant for a while before d-school) but still not comprehend the knowledge base and skill sets it demands to do the job well. Until you've actually sat in the chair and done dentistry, it's tough to grasp the thought processes it requires.

You will realize very quickly that the vast majority of politicians do not understand this concept and legislate based upon their experiences at the dentist... This is also not helped by the fact that we have magazines out there like "Dental Economics" that preach how to 'maximize profits on your treatment planning'. Advertising also hurts the profession (some helps but this has changed) and now so many of the public view dentists as greedy jerks and will support their representative to pass midlevel provider legislation or allow non-trained people to do things like whitening.

The ADA has a lot of problems but it's the best we've got to protect the profession. Stay a member and try to keep aware of what's going on around us. But blindly sitting back and saying, "the ADA will protect us" or "the ADA will stop this" is a fallacy. Proactive is the best position we can be in.

 

[makeitrain6969]

I agree with this. A lot of the procedures that dentists do look simple, but there is a lot of background science behind it. I'm just beginning to learn this as a first year student. Diagnosing oral diseases requires knowledge of anatomy, pathology, histology, ect. Dentists must also understand the medical histories of their patients, just like physicians. Even restorative procedures require more than just hand skill. They also require a thorough understanding of dental anatomy, occlusion, head & neck anatomy, etc. The best dentists have mastered these subjects.

I dont think a lot of the procedures the dentist do looks easy... root canals, dental implants, bridges, crowns dont look easy...maybe people will view tooth extraction as easy..even when i had no knowledge of dentistry, i always knew they have a strong background of science and the procedures looked like it requires a lot of skills.

 

[WannaBeDentist]

"makers" has probably made the single best post I've ever read on SDN. I would refer all further discussions of medicine vs. dentistry to his post and be done.

 

[WannaBeDentist]

I dont think a lot of the procedures the dentist do looks easy... root canals, dental implants, bridges, crowns dont look easy...maybe people will view tooth extraction as easy..even when i had no knowledge of dentistry, i always knew they have a strong background of science and the procedures looked like it requires a lot of skills.

During my shadowing before dental school everything looked easy. NOW, I know there is more to it. Completely different POVs.

 

[makeitrain6969]

"makers" has probably made the single best post I've ever read on SDN. I would refer all further discussions of medicine vs. dentistry to his post and be done.

I will look into it..

 

[UltimateHombre]

I have heard it said...

Paramedics tell you to be a nurse, nurses tell you to be a physician, physicians tell you to be a dentist, dentists tell you to start working on your swing early 😉

 

[Double Bonded]

you realize as a physician you can work as little as you want and as much as you want right?

those guys who work 70 hours a week CHOOSE to do that. i know physicians that work 40 hours a week. it all depends what you want.

Call.

 

[MrLowKey]

Call.

Owned.

 

[makeitrain6969]

I have heard it said...

Paramedics tell you to be a nurse, nurses tell you to be a physician, physicians tell you to be a dentist, dentists tell you to start working on your swing early 😉

Sooooooo true!

 

[makeitrain6969]

That's true, but the surgeons and what not who do work 70 hours usually have to in order to stay competitive and continue getting referrals...and family physicians have to work longer hours to maintain salary

Of course there are exceptions on both sides but the trends haven't changed in 15 years with physicians putting in significantly more hours/week than dentists

Also primary care physicians how to deal with medicare cuts and the h/a of nurse practitioners working for less pay.

 

[MrLowKey]

I have heard it said...

Paramedics tell you to be a nurse, nurses tell you to be a physician, physicians tell you to be a dentist, dentists tell you to start working on your swing early 😉

UltimateHombre is just that... The Ultimate Hombre right down to his signature