do u think it's fair

[applicant]

i've been thinking about med and dent as there are a lot of posts here about them as well

i don't think it's not fair
that, while dent is much easier to get than med,
general dentists make about the same money as primary physicians with much less stress
and specialty dentists make money that is comparable to medical specialists.

So it seems like there is very little money advantage in med than in dental
while dent has way better lifestyle with much less stress.

So then what does med have over dent...except prestige?

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[MaximusD]

i've been thinking about med and dent as there are a lot of posts here about them as well

i don't think it's not fair
that, while dent is much easier to get than med,
general dentists make about the same money as primary physicians with much less stress
and specialty dentists make money that is comparable to medical specialists.

So it seems like there is very little money advantage in med than in dental
while dent has way better lifestyle with much less stress.

So then what does med have over dent...except prestige?

You actually help people who have major, life-threatening problems. To me, that provides much more satisfaction in terms of both altruism and through exposure to novel problem-solving.

The onset of dental carries doesn't really signify the same threat or generate as much interest as yersinia pestis, now does it?

 

[Biscuit799]

i've been thinking about med and dent as there are a lot of posts here about them as well

i don't think it's not fair
that, while dent is much easier to get than med,
general dentists make about the same money as primary physicians with much less stress
and specialty dentists make money that is comparable to medical specialists.

So it seems like there is very little money advantage in med than in dental
while dent has way better lifestyle with much less stress.

So then what does med have over dent...except prestige?

Life's not fair. If life were fair, with rainbow sunshine hugs to greet us all every morning and kitten smiles would nuzzle up to us when we get home every afternoon, then those who worked the hardest would be rewarded the most. Would you rather work with kids who need braces or 77 y/o females w/ DM, HTN, and a pneumococcal infection? Once you can answer that question definitively, then you have your answer. Don't do either for money, there are easier ways to make a buck.

 

[ssquared]

I would hope that most people are not picking medicine solely for money.

But to answer your questions, I don't really want to spend all day with my hands in somebody's mouth. It just doesn't appeal to me at all.

There are certainly a lot of reasons to go into medicine other than prestige, but I imagine that it weighs heavily with a lot of people. Dentists just don't command the repsect a physician does. And if that's important, then by golly it's important.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

So then what does med have over dent...except prestige?

How about the fact that you won't be a dentist?

 

[novawildcat]

actually i don't think it is fair that dentists don't earn more. your mouth is just another part of your body, so I don't really see why dentistry and medicine are considered as separate fields. hell a dentist who wants to go into oral surgery needs 6 years of post dental school training to become an oral surgeon and then gets an MD after their name.


dentists do just as much if not more than a GP. a GP just takes notes of symptoms, tries to make a diagnosis, and then makes a referral to another doctor or prescribes some pills.

a dentist actually gets dirtier they actually drill and smooth down teeth, fix chipped teeth, fill cavaties, and do cosmetic crap.

 

[xylem29]

i've been thinking about med and dent as there are a lot of posts here about them as well

i don't think it's not fair
that, while dent is much easier to get than med,
general dentists make about the same money as primary physicians with much less stress
and specialty dentists make money that is comparable to medical specialists.

So it seems like there is very little money advantage in med than in dental
while dent has way better lifestyle with much less stress.

So then what does med have over dent...except prestige?

I thought you said you've been thinking about med and dent...how can you not know the difference?

and if you're asking what makes med "better" than dentistry...well, there's no answer to that question. if someone chose medicine over dentistry and loves it, then maybe they can answer what makes med better than dent "in their view".

 

[AnEyeLikeMars]

The difference is probably more historical than substantive.

Why is dentistry a "separate field" while opthalmology is part of medicine? If we recreated the entire health-care education system today, maybe dentistry would be a field of medicine.

They're really just not that different.

 

[bluesTank]

where did you hear dentists make that much? I've never heard that before

 

[QuantumMechanic]

So then what does med have over dent...except prestige?

the digital rectal exam:

 

[lina123321]

How about the fact that you won't be a dentist?

u wont have to smell stinky breaths...

 

[diosa428]

u wont have to smell stinky breaths...

Yeah, that's what you think....

The real answer is - go into dentistry, b/c how often do they have to deal with bowel movements all over the floor?

 

[Dookter]

How about the fact that you won't be a dentist?

DING!!!! When I think about standing there making the same corny small talk with every patient all day long as I clean their teeth, I get nauseated.

 

[lina123321]

DING!!!! When I think about standing there making the same corny small talk with every patient all day long as I clean their teeth, I get nauseated.

i hate when my dentist tries to have a conversation with me while he has the little mirror on the stick (what's that thing called?) and the probe/pick in my mouth..its not even like he asks yes or no questions...how does he expect me to even say a comprehensible word while im like that?

 

[MDizzy]

i've been thinking about med and dent as there are a lot of posts here about them as well

i don't think it's not fair
that, while dent is much easier to get than med,
general dentists make about the same money as primary physicians with much less stress
and specialty dentists make money that is comparable to medical specialists.

So it seems like there is very little money advantage in med than in dental
while dent has way better lifestyle with much less stress.

So then what does med have over dent...except prestige?

You can't put a price tag on prestige/respect. Sorry, try again.

 

[FSUUndergrad]

You actually help people who have major, life-threatening problems. To me, that provides much more satisfaction in terms of both altruism and through exposure to novel problem-solving.

The onset of dental carries doesn't really signify the same threat or generate as much interest as yersinia pestis, now does it?

"DNA from Y. pestis has been found in the teeth of those who died from the Black Death." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yersinia_pestis

Pretty ironic huh

 

[Flopotomist]

OP, you are right. If money is your primary motivator, it would make more sense to go the dental route (fewer years of training, more years earning the $).

There are many on SDN who will jump all over you as evil for wanting to make money - but at least you are honest with yourself. If money is important to you, then dentistry should be able to provide you with a good path for financial security. Good luck in whatever you choose to do.

 

[EBI831]

OP, dental isn't much easier. to get into a top dental school is just as hard as it is to get into a top medical school. it's not like you'll just crap your way through undergrad and magically get into dental school. also, dentists really don't make that much anymore from what my dental school friends are telling me, you have to specialize and do additional training after the initial dental school to make bank that's equal to what most doctors make. the advantage of medical school over dentistry: is that you want to be a doctor not a dentist, legitimately. and vice versa ie the advantage of being a dentist over a doctor is that you want to be legitimately be a dentists. if money is your main driving factor, i suggest you leave both fields alone and try to get into banking or something, it'll save you and your patients some time and future problems.

 

[MattD]

The onset of dental carries doesn't really signify the same threat or generate as much interest as yersinia pestis, now does it?

Tell that to the old fella with a mouth full of untreated caries (one r) and no dental insurance, living on govt. assistance. I'm betting he's more interested in his teeth than most any other disease that you'll probably never see.

 

[BlackSails]

While I was shadowing, all the surgeons told me I was a fool for going into medicine, and told me go to into dentistry.

 

[lsumedgirl]

It's true that dentists certainly do make a good living. I have a few friends that are in that field. But what most people don't think about, is typically, soon after dental school, most graduates have to buy out a practice (or buy into one) from a retiring or soon-to-be retired dentist. Apparently, the price tag on those are pretty hefty... according to my friends, it's around $250K. So imagine taking on that debt in addition to your student loans, right out of school. Sounds kind of rough to me.

But since trauma, blood, and guts are my cup of tea, I chose medicine.

 

[lord_jeebus]

I don't see what someone else's income and lifestyle have to do with you.

If that's what you want, go to dental school.

It's fair because you can enter either profession.

 

[gary5]

Dentists drill teeth all day. That is punishment in itself.

 

[Law2Doc]

I don't see what someone else's income and lifestyle have to do with you.

If that's what you want, go to dental school.

It's fair because you can enter either profession.

Agreed. Nobody said that salaries in this world are based on "fairness". Different professions do different roles in society, and are compensated differently. Prestige doesn't really enter into to once you leave the premed crowd -- to most of the public a professional is going ot be perceived as successful and they don't really distinguish degree.

Most people who have a choice choose a field they think they would enjoy. You don't have to migrate to the highest salary you can find, regardless of whether it is something you are interested in doing. There are plenty of folks on the nontrad board who are taking a paycut to do medicine, because it is something they find more interesting/intriguing.

But if money is your primary driving factor, many dentists seem to earn comparable money, with lower hours and shorter training. If you can see yourself doing dentistry, by all means move over to that board.

 

[Law2Doc]

But what most people don't think about, is typically, soon after dental school, most graduates have to buy out a practice (or buy into one) from a retiring or soon-to-be retired dentist. Apparently, the price tag on those are pretty hefty... according to my friends, it's around $250K. So imagine taking on that debt in addition to your student loans, right out of school. Sounds kind of rough to me.

The same thing happens if you want to become an equity owner in a medical or law practice. This is not unique to dentistry. Unless you want to work as a line employee forever, you are going to want to buy in. Price will vary based on patient base and amount of equity -- it can be much higher or lower than the figure you listed. The buy in is reflective of the kind of money the practice generates -- you pay down the debt reasonably quickly since you are getting a percentage of the take.

 

[Tired]

It's true that dentists certainly do make a good living. I have a few friends that are in that field. But what most people don't think about, is typically, soon after dental school, most graduates have to buy out a practice (or buy into one) from a retiring or soon-to-be retired dentist. Apparently, the price tag on those are pretty hefty... according to my friends, it's around $250K. So imagine taking on that debt in addition to your student loans, right out of school. Sounds kind of rough to me.

But since trauma, blood, and guts are my cup of tea, I chose medicine.

To echo Law2Doc: What do you think you'll be doing after residency? You think the salary numbers you read about come from being an "employee"? Not so much . . .

 

[Schaden Freud]

MD's can legally ask their patients to undress.

i've been thinking about med and dent as there are a lot of posts here about them as well

i don't think it's not fair
that, while dent is much easier to get than med,
general dentists make about the same money as primary physicians with much less stress
and specialty dentists make money that is comparable to medical specialists.

So it seems like there is very little money advantage in med than in dental
while dent has way better lifestyle with much less stress.

So then what does med have over dent...except prestige?

 

[dj dizzle]

dont dentist have one of the highest suicide rates?

 

[Cirrus83]

the digital rectal exam:

Hey now, that's totally prestige. When a dentist does that while the patient is under they get sued.

So really, it's totally a benefit of being a doctor that you get to disimpact bowels and examine rectums!

BTW, if you really just care about money, the highest paying medical specialties still pay way more than Dental. Interventional Cardiologists average $550K a year...and if you're a workaholic you can start scraping the 7 digit mark (I know people here like to whine about inflated salary #'s, but go look in the Cardiology forum). And if you're a hot-shot plastic surgeon who does cosmetic work all day long you'd be loaded...I doubt even the most hardcore dentist could compete lol. Oh and opthamologists make a lot of bank too, and if you work mostly on LASIK operations you're talking high 6's as well, and quite frankly it's a fairly quick surgery that you can charge a ton of money for.

Of course, it's also about a bazillion times harder to get into plastics and cardiology than anything else, lol.

 

[hayden]

it's not all about money, its not all about lifestyle. You shouldn't go into these fields if those are your first concerns. People should be dentists if they like to work with teeth and what not. People should be doctors if they want to work with human medicine. Throw the lifestyle out the window, its about what you want to do, how you want to affect people, what kind of difference you want to make, what you want to learn about, what you want to discover.

 

[spicedmanna]

So it seems like there is very little money advantage in med than in dental while dent has way better lifestyle with much less stress.

So then what does med have over dent...except prestige?

I think you are completely missing the point, bud. This is unsurprising given your disproportionate focus on the financial/lifestyle aspects of both professions. These factors are, of course, important, but how about looking at the main focus of each profession? Granted, I understand that you are over-generalizing and basing your ideas on hearsay. However, you know, the idea of becoming a doctor because you like/love the practice of medicine at the level of a physician, and becoming a dentist because you like/love dentistry ought to be fairly important factors in your decision-making process, I'd think. Neither medical school nor dental school are easy, which I'm sure you already know, and if you don't like what you are getting yourself into, I'd think you'll just set yourself up for a world of pain. I can't imagine a life of doing a profession every day that I don't enjoy. Yuck.

I'm not saying money and lifestyle considerations aren't important. They are. I'm certainly happy that I'm going to be entering a profession where I am set up for a decent lifestyle and good money. Physicians and dentists are both lucky that way; it's built into these professions. However, I think if you make these factors the sole deciding factor, you may become dissappointed. Money, in my experience is like a bonus to an already great setup, but it can't readily make up for a generally miserable life. I'd recommend taking a much closer look at both professions and getting to know what each actually does on a day-to-day level and feeling out if either one is something you'd like to do for the next three, four, or more decades of your life.

 

[lilnoelle]

Dental school can be easier if you see it that way, the average GPA for Med is around 3.5 the average for Dent. is 3.2 or 3.3.

It's not as easy as you think it is, for you may not even get into anyone of them.

It also depends on what you want to be, you think that its unfair that dentists lives are easier than physicians?? I think its unfair that you have to go to an entirely different school to get a DDS and not just med school now thats unfair, they should just combine the two.

I cant say Med has anything over dent or vice versa, but consider the scenario:
Your at Restaurant or wherever and some guy randomly falls over gets a heart attack or whatever

If you are a dentist - im guessing the only thing you can do is check his teeth

If your a physician - you should probabley be able to see whats wrong and give him some medical attention

if you are a waiter/Architecture/Engineer - you probabley gonna call 911

I think that both Dental school and Medical school give you very good education and they are both rewarding, its up to you to decide which one you want to do, you cant just say its unfair that this person has a better life than this person.

I think a dentist would probably be certified in CPR or is perfectly capable of giving nitroglycerin if available, which is probably all the doctor can do in that situation.

 

[TheAmazingGOB]

i don't think it's not fair
that, while dent is much easier to get than med,
general dentists make about the same money as primary physicians with much less stress
and specialty dentists make money that is comparable to medical specialists.

So with the double negative are you trying to say that it is fair?

While the dentistry lifestyle is arguably better than the medical lifestyle, it's not all flowers and sunshine...just look at the abnormally high suicide rate of dentists. Maybe having your hand in a "garbage disposal" all day will do that to you (my dentist's words).

 

[Koch]

The onset of dental carries doesn't really signify the same threat or generate as much interest as yersinia pestis, now does it?

Seriously, the plague is the first thing that pops into your mind? I disease that affect about 10-15 people a year.

 

[Kateb4]

Well, I think that this comparison is apples to oranges to begin with. Dentistry is not Medicine. And if you're talking about money, then there are lots of professions out there that make just as much as doctors without all of the required training, etc. My husband is in IT and has his own consulting company, he is making by far more money than most FPs, and he just has a BS (that's not even required). He knows a guy that puts up those silt fences around construction sites and makes 6 figures. No, doctors don't get paid enough in comparison for services that they render, but really if you're going into this for the money, there are easier alternatives.

Also, Oral Surgeons do not have to do a 6 year training post dental school or get their MD. I worked for an Oral Surgeon and he was a DMD, which is just a 1-2 year residency post dental school and he had full surgical rights at three local hospitals and was on their ER call rotation for dental emergency. He did very well (300-400K), but I hate dental work, and could never go into that no matter what they paid me.

 

[Old ortho]

I am a dental specialist in orthodontics. I believe that according to the last survey, general dentists (family practice) who own their practice make an average of $175,000 per year, which is very close to primary care physicians' salary. The top earning dental specialists (oral surgeons, orthodontists) make a little over $300,000 annually, which is very close to a competitive medical specialty (cardiology, orthopedics). If you divide the pay by the hours, DDS probably makes a little more per hour since the average working hours per week for DDS is 35, and for MD it can be between 40-60 hours per week, and they work more evenings and weekends. Dentists also face less lawsuits than physicians. On the other hand, the medical profession is more prestigious than other health professions including dentistry.

I believe that physicians are underpaid today for their training and hours. But things were different in the 70's and 80's, when some doctors make over $0.5 million or even $1 million annually. Doctor's earnings actually may have dropped in the last two decades during to aggressive fee cutting imposed by Medicare, HMO's, PPO's and managed care. The trend in managed care is also affecting dentistry, podiatry, and optometry, although may be not as severe as medicine. That is why plastic surgery and orthodontics are relatively more lucrative because HMO's don't cover for these services and patients need to pay for the most part. The downside to be in a lucrative profession is that there is more and more intense competition every year from other practitioners because they want a piece of the pie. Today more general dentists are performing orthodontics without training because they want to make $. And I bet there are MD's out there doing plastic surgery without much training due to $ factor too.

My advice is pick the profession based on what is more important to you: money, prestige, live style etc.

 

[unsung]

i've been thinking about med and dent as there are a lot of posts here about them as well

i don't think it's not fair
that, while dent is much easier to get than med,
general dentists make about the same money as primary physicians with much less stress
and specialty dentists make money that is comparable to medical specialists.

So it seems like there is very little money advantage in med than in dental
while dent has way better lifestyle with much less stress.

So then what does med have over dent...except prestige?

Well, the type of work that you're doing is much different, for one thing.

I know that I personally would not like to work with teeth day in and day out. I think I would enjoy the process of diagnosing a variety of problems (for example, mental) based on identifying different symptoms (physical and mental).

With dentistry, it seems like a much more mechanical process. Not to say medicine isn't also quite mechanical in many ways, but the fields that I'm interested in (psychiatry/neurology) also have a qualitatively different component (e.g. the mind) that intrigues me. The idea that instead of always relying on fancy MRI equipment or pathology tests, it may be possible to diagnose a physical disorder based on noticing little things about the person's behavior or gait or smell... that type of skill and that process of diagnosis appeals strongly to me.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think dentistry requires quite such integration of knowledge or breadth of knowledge.

 

[ryandote]

You can't put a price tag on prestige/respect. Sorry, try again.

Actually, I think you can put a price tag on just about everything. You personal price tag may be quite different than the average price tag, but still... could I pay you 1 billion dollars to go to dental school?

 

[c0mpletec0ntrol]

dont dentist have one of the highest suicide rates?

If i hear that one more time about my future career i think i'm going to kill myself.

 

[45408]

How about the fact that you won't be a dentist?

Works for me. These arguments are just lame. I don't want to be a dentist, so I didn't go to dental school. The fields are somewhat similar, but why not make a thread asking if it's fair that a college kid can play in the World Series of Poker and make more in a weekend than a top surgeon can in a year?

 

[45408]

If i hear that one more time about my future career i think i'm going to kill myself.

You'd just be confirming then that dentists have the highest rates of suicide. Off you go!

 

[mikedoc]

After researching some info,
I think there's advantage in med over dent
it's that your income can be much higher than dent specialties
especially if you do any kind of surgery (orth, opha, gyno, gastro, plastic etc...)
your lifestyle might not be as good as dent but the income will be much higher than dent specialists

 

[gary5]

Dentistry is easier and pays better than medicine right now. That's the reality. However, drilling teeth is very low on my list of possible occupations - actually, it's not even ON my list of possible occupations - well, maybe 50th or 100th. So, if you like drilling teeth, then it's a good choice.

 

[grapeflavorsoda]

i've been thinking about med and dent as there are a lot of posts here about them as well

i don't think it's not fair
that, while dent is much easier to get than med,
general dentists make about the same money as primary physicians with much less stress
and specialty dentists make money that is comparable to medical specialists.

So it seems like there is very little money advantage in med than in dental
while dent has way better lifestyle with much less stress.

So then what does med have over dent...except prestige?

why do garbage men get better pays+benefits than typical school teachers?

Then again, why those goddamn teachers always say that they deserve better pay than garbage men because they foster our future?

i thought colleges were meant to enlighten one's mind, not to increase one's earning capacity and their tolerance to absurd contradictions.

 

[punkindrublic]

I think I was unfair to myself in reading this thread.

 

[MDizzy]

Actually, I think you can put a price tag on just about everything. You personal price tag may be quite different than the average price tag, but still... could I pay you 1 billion dollars to go to dental school?

That was a very stupid argument. You cannot put a price tag on abstract concepts/ideas such as prestige. Putting a price tag of an action is totally different. Sure, I would take a billion dollars to go to Dental school. People get on TV to eat rats and worms for money.

Valiant effort, but you didn't understand my original statement to formulate a logical response.