Does being a detail-oriented perfectionist make me a better candidate for dentistry over medicine?

[Kurk]

As I do some self-reflection in comparing and contrasting the two fields, it's occurred to me that I'm very much a perfectionist. Whether it be spending WAY too much time writing a paper pondering on nitpicky things to the extent where the teacher calls me out on it to detailing cars when I spend a ludicrous amount of time getting every single speck of dirt out of the smallest orifices, I've consistently been of the detail-oriented type who's never satisfied.

I've always been a quality over quantity type of guy and feel that this could be a double-edged sword—especially in medicine where you're being pushed to see X amount of patients in Y minutes. In dentistry (especially cosmetic dentistry) I would think being a perfectionist would be a huge plus as that's what you're paid for.

I think I'd be happier being able to spend more time on a patient working as close to perfection as I can even if it meant fewer total patients in a day and less pay.

The only way I could be able to apply this in medicine would be if I worked my own practice in a small suburb or rural area and not in a hospital with someone constantly pushing me to work faster.

What do you think? Should this be an influence?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Kurk]

Edit:

I have a "all-or-nothing" approach and have a very specific manner in which things should be done; I feel this would make it difficult for me to work outside of solo practice since I could be overly critical of my staff.

 

[Faefly]

Remembering the paper that I submitted that needed to be 15 pages and I did 26.

or the test the needed to explain 1 paragraph of each question and I did an essay for each question

Haha


I am not a perfectionist, I am beyond that!

 

[Faefly]

Anyway. Don't you think plastic surgery field needs a perfectionist such as you!

So many patients need people like you medicine

If medicine is your niche, go for it!

 

[Moose A Moose]

I'd rather have you working my taxes than patients.

 

[Kurk]

I know how to be adaptive when I need to. I'm able to be an EMT successfully. It irks me a little bit, but I don't freeze up. I take pride in good work.

 

[FeralisExtremum]

Being a perfectionist in dentistry is not necessarily a good thing. You need to be fast and willing to leave well enough alone too, otherwise you aren't going to be seeing many patients a day.

Personally, I'd spend more time shadowing and less time speculating to try to figure this out.

 

[Blessthefall]

How many threads can one create in which they seek external validation regarding their decision between Medicine and Dentistry?

Please don't interpret my tone as rude, just concerned. It's an important decision but I don't believe that you're allowing yourself enough time to truly reflect upon the facets of the decision. Quick succession of threads like this can be counterproductive.

Just looking out.

 

[670206]

Dentistry is essentially a branch of medicine. They are not completely seperate entities in terms of providing health care. You just focus more on one area, the mouth and surrounding areas. Honestly, just shadow some more doctors in both fields.

 

[aj30]

How many threads can one create in which they seek external validation regarding their decision between Medicine and Dentistry?

Please don't interpret my tone as rude, just concerned. It's an important decision but I don't believe that you're allowing yourself enough time to truly reflect upon the facets of the decision. Quick succession of threads like this can be counterproductive.

Just looking out.

Actually, a whole lot. I know his type (I'm the exact same way) and perfectionists like us have a very hard time making decisions because we're looking for the perfect choice, not just an acceptable one. So, we search for massive amounts of info and validation from others before making decisions. It's hard to relate to if you're not like that.

 

[fit2]

Actually, a whole lot. I know his type (I'm the exact same way) and perfectionists like us have a very hard time making decisions because we're looking for the perfect choice, not just an acceptable one. So, we search for massive amounts of info and validation from others before making decisions. It's hard to relate to if you're not like that.

"Analysis is paralysis"...you can spend a lifetime thinking about what you want to do and fail to just make a decision. Like Ive said ...the problem with this generation. So many people are skilled and competitive...but when a problem arises all they can do is analyzed it instea dog find a solution and downing alone (unless you do it over a long period of times...like years and study the personal lives of different doctors) will not fully reveal if you want to do that. Sometimes you just gotta figure it out and do it. Also OP I think you're overthinking it. I didn't really know for sure u till I took my DAT....there a lot of variables so rn just focus on having good grades and getting involved in what you like...you'll know in a few years what you'll wanna do

 

[aj30]

"Analysis is paralysis"...you can spend a lifetime thinking about what you want to do and fail to just make a decision. Like Ive said ...the problem with this generation. So many people are skilled and competitive...but when a problem arises all they can do is analyzed it instea dog find a solution and downing alone (unless you do it over a long period of times...like years and study the personal lives of different doctors) will not fully reveal if you want to do that. Sometimes you just gotta figure it out and do it. Also OP I think you're overthinking it. I didn't really know for sure u till I took my DAT....there a lot of variables so rn just focus on having good grades and getting involved in what you like...you'll know in a few years what you'll wanna do

I don't deny its a problem. Perfectionism has its pluses and minuses and I would say in general (including in many professsions) it's overall a negative. The question is if a perfectionist should enter a field in which it's a virtue and in which he has a natural strength or just work on it to temper it.

 

[Blessthefall]

"Analysis is paralysis"...you can spend a lifetime thinking about what you want to do and fail to just make a decision. Like Ive said ...the problem with this generation. So many people are skilled and competitive...but when a problem arises all they can do is analyzed it instea dog find a solution and downing alone (unless you do it over a long period of times...like years and study the personal lives of different doctors) will not fully reveal if you want to do that. Sometimes you just gotta figure it out and do it. Also OP I think you're overthinking it. I didn't really know for sure u till I took my DAT....there a lot of variables so rn just focus on having good grades and getting involved in what you like...you'll know in a few years what you'll wanna do

I don't deny its a problem. Perfectionism has its pluses and minuses and I would say in general (including in many professsions) it's overall a negative. The question is if a perfectionist should enter a field in which it's a virtue and in which he has a natural strength or just work on it to temper it.

Perfectionism does have downsides but my concern is that the OP is so fixated upon reviewing the opinions of others that it will preclude his/her own internal determination.

We all seek information to better understand a decision and that is something for which I will never fault someone. At a certain point, one has to take the appropriate amount of time to reflect on their own to internalize their feelings and ultimately reach a decision.

OP is young and has plenty of time for this decision but these threads thrive on instant gratification. I'm afraid the dynamics of the site vs this individual will reach incongruence and result in further indecisiveness.

 

[Medin2017]

Being a perfectionist in dentistry is not necessarily a good thing. You need to be fast and willing to leave well enough alone too, otherwise you aren't going to be seeing many patients a day.

Personally, I'd spend more time shadowing and less time speculating to try to figure this out.

To add to this, being a perfectionist in med likely isn't either. I was reading the article by the stanford neurosurgeon resident who died, and there was 1 paragraph where perfectionists who were slow were rushed by attendings. Literal brain surgery.

"A resident’s surgical skill is judged by his technique and his speed. You can’t be sloppy and you can’t be slow. From your first wound closure onward, spend too much time being precise and the scrub tech will announce, “Looks like we’ve got a plastic surgeon on our hands!” Or say: “I get your strategy — by the time you finish sewing the top half of the wound, the bottom will have healed on its own. Half the work — smart!” A chief resident will advise a junior: “Learn to be fast now — you can learn to be good later.” Everyone’s eyes are always on the clock. For the patient’s sake: How long has the patient been under anesthesia? During long procedures, nerves can get damaged, muscles can break down, even causing kidney failure. For everyone else’s sake: What time are we getting out of here tonight?"
Before I go

 

[toothdoctor123]

Just to clarify for everyone else, OP mentioned in the medical forums that he is not even a freshman in college yet.

@Kurk , keep in mind that you will be a very different person at, say, 25 years-old than you are as an adolescent. Take things one step at a time and focus on exploring your interests in college first. But to answer your title question, no. Perfectionism could either be helpful or crippling in any detail-oriented profession.

Sure, doing a cosmetic dental procedure just right requires a kind of perfectionism. But many (medical) surgical specialities require the same kind of perfectionism as well. Dentistry was born from the same surgical tradition as these other specialities.

Medicine (like internal medicine, general practice, emergency medicine, etc.) requires a kind of perfectionism too because tiny errors in judgement can kill or severely maim a patient. In that sense, dentistry requires less perfectionism because the stakes are lower.

 

[Kurk]

Remembering the paper that I submitted that needed to be 15 pages and I did 26.

or the test the needed to explain 1 paragraph of each question and I did an essay for each question

Haha


I am not a perfectionist, I am beyond that!

I do this whenever time allows it. Glad to see I'm not alone 🙂

I'd rather have you working my taxes than patients.

What about working your malpractice suit?

Generally speaking, "all or nothing" thinking is not adaptive, whether you're doing medicine or dentistry. You need to be able to act quickly, improvise, make decisions with incomplete information, accept occasional failure, and work well with others in either field. Spending a "ludicrous amount of time getting every single speck of dirt out of the smallest orifices," inefficiently writing papers, and being cruel to your own staff are not behaviors that represent the type of attention to detail the is useful for a professional.

I've seen your posts in the medicine forums. You're still a kid. Don't get pigeon holed into ideas about who you are or what you should or should not do yet. Learn how to live and work, and in due time you'll know which field is best for you.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I agree; it's not adaptive in regards to efficiency but it makes me happy knowing I strive for excellence 🙂 . It's not that I'm incapable of being flexible just that I prefer thoroughness.

Hey, it works. My teacher pushed me into her AP history class because of my writing skills—the same teacher who criticized me for being a perfectionist.

That moment better come soon because I don't have too much time left to screw around.

Personally, I'd spend more time shadowing and less time speculating to try to figure this out.

I'm trying! The dentists in my area are uptight with HIPPA and patients getting the wrong impression.

At a certain point, one has to take the appropriate amount of time to reflect on their own to internalize their feelings and ultimately reach a decision.... I'm afraid the dynamics of the site vs this individual will reach incongruence and result in further indecisiveness.

This is very true. Before SDN I wanted to pursue medicine; then I made that dumpster fire of a thread in the hsdn forums a year-and-a-half ago that members still remember. After that I switched to pre-law for a short while before switching to pre-dent a year ago. I loved the idea of dentistry at the time before coming on these forums. I don't know if it's me or the members here being of the same mindset in the same way that reddit attracts similar thinking people. I come from a mid-western state where these professions don't have the problems they do in big cities as exaggerated on these forums.

SDN is a valuable tool but I need stop making all my decisions based on what anonymous users say.

keep in mind that you will be a very different person at, say, 25 years-old than you are as an adolescent.

I don't doubt it but I'm not going to wait until 25 to make up my mind either. For me it's professional school right after 4 years of undergrad. Parents made it clear that's the only way to do it if I want their financial support.


Right now I'm focused on busting my ass in undergrad; my first year performance will determine what paths are realistic for me. That being said I need to shadow (easier said than done) willing doctors dentists and maybe lawyers. I'm a bit insecure on my standardized testing ability. I never did better than a bit above average on the SAT despite arduous studying & prep class (which is an IQ/aptitude test) whereas I managed to pull off a 28/29 on the ACT for the first time studying in my room 3 days prior to the exam with no prior experience or prep class.
The LSAT is an IQ/aptitude test; very little you can study for in terms of memorization; you need a high score to realistically succeed in law now-a-days
The DAT is like the ACT with the bulk of the test being memorization and application of skills (with the exception of the visualization portion maybe) . I think I'd do pretty well if I studied
The MCAT is a combination of the previous two with both critical thinking and memorization.

 

[toothdoctor123]

I don't doubt it but I'm not going to wait until 25 to make up my mind either. For me it's professional school right after 4 years of undergrad. Parents made it clear that's the only way to do it if I want their financial support.


Right now I'm focused on busting my ass in undergrad; my first year performance will determine what paths are realistic for me. That being said I need to shadow (easier said than done) willing doctors dentists and maybe lawyers. I'm a bit insecure on my standardized testing ability. I never did better than a bit above average on the SAT despite arduous studying & prep class (which is an IQ/aptitude test) whereas I managed to pull off a 28/29 on the ACT for the first time studying in my room 3 days prior to the exam with no prior experience or prep class.
The LSAT is an IQ/aptitude test; very little you can study for in terms of memorization; you need a high score to realistically succeed in law now-a-days
The DAT is like the ACT with the bulk of the test being memorization and application of skills (with the exception of the visualization portion maybe) . I think I'd do pretty well if I studied
The MCAT is a combination of the previous two with both critical thinking and memorization.

Sounds like you have a solid understanding of this. I would agree with your characterization of the different tests.