Last edited:
Future self looking back at dentistry and life for those who didn’t get in
- Thread starter thuynh818
- Start date
- Status
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2008
- Messages
- 211
- Reaction score
- 185
Sounds like it did work out well for you. You’re probably financially ahead of a large chunk of dental grads from that time period, especially associates in CA. You have nothing to feel bad about. Doctor title isn’t that useful outside the dental office. Your job has some hours and stresses that dentistry doesn’t but it sounds well compensated and you get to help save lives.
I personally would still choose dentistry again but would have gone more rural and worked more days early in my career, and bought a practice or specialized sooner. Happy with the trajectory I’m on now. Definitely getting harder for new dentists going forward as tuition keeps climbing.
I personally would still choose dentistry again but would have gone more rural and worked more days early in my career, and bought a practice or specialized sooner. Happy with the trajectory I’m on now. Definitely getting harder for new dentists going forward as tuition keeps climbing.
- Joined
- Nov 24, 2014
- Messages
- 387
- Reaction score
- 423
818? Fellow SoCal valley resident?
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2023
- Messages
- 408
- Reaction score
- 642
You make more then the average dentist without all the extra debt. Great job!
This honestly sounds like a humble brag post. But im
Happy for you. Keep on flexing.
This honestly sounds like a humble brag post. But im
Happy for you. Keep on flexing.
Funny enough, I made several iterations of this post to avoid seeming like so. It wasn’t the intention, but I can see how you and others might see that. So thank you for point ing that out. The thought of what could have been or subtle jabs of failure do live in my mind much more than I would like. So this was just an honest attempt at trying to see what I missed out on or not. I intend no offense, at whatever the truth is. But I’m actually meeting up with friends for a wedding this weekend and a lot of them are dentists now. The same reasons why you thought this is a humble brag, is why I chose to ask this on a semi anonymous site like this instead of in person at the wedding.
I should also all that I’m well aware that even the average dentists will exceed my net worth in time. It’s just a matter of time, so hope that helps it seem less like a brag.
Former resident. 2/3 of my life. Family still lives there though. I’m on the central coast now.
Thank you for the response. I kicked around the idea of trying to reapply today. I won’t actually do it, because that seems like the wrong move at my stage in life. Just curious though, since you mentioned new dentists. Would you do it today? Assuming you had to do all the loans and had no financial backing.
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2008
- Messages
- 211
- Reaction score
- 185
For in-state tuition I’d recommend it generally yes, for the 100k per year schools no. And especially not in your situation where you’re already making a great income. But I get the sentiment, nostalgia, mini mid life crisis thing. In my case I went back and did endo residency.
That was two years lost income for a good salary bump. You’d be looking at 4 years no salary and probably back to more or less the same income. If you really wanted
to do dentistry I’m sure you’d get in somewhere but unless there’s realllllly deep feelings that dentistry is your passion, it probably doesn’t make financial sense. There are plenty of 2nd career/nontrad dental students out there if you think it reallllly is your passion though. But, I’d probably just recognize and reflect on your feelings, accept them, and move on with your life (in an encouraging way!).
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2009
- Messages
- 1,990
- Reaction score
- 916
You’re working 30 hours a week and making $300K. I don’t think the average dentist will out do that. You’re doing great. Don’t do dentistry. Plus you are salaried at $240K. That’s great and allows you to budget predictably.
- Joined
- Jul 21, 2018
- Messages
- 92
- Reaction score
- 131
This is 100% a humble brag post. You weren't smart enough to get into dental school, landed on your feet and found yourself in a better financial position than most dentists.
While it is bragging, I'm all for it. In society we have this view that "being smarter and working harder = more money". This is a view that is particularly held strongly as we are kids, as we get older we realise it's not true. People out there study for 10 years, do PhDs, become experts in their field, and don't make any money.
This is why people pursue dentistry so hard. They assume the high debt and competitiveness and good grades needed means it is worth doing whatever it takes to get in. This is not the case in the real world.
Post this on the dental students forum, they should hear your story
While it is bragging, I'm all for it. In society we have this view that "being smarter and working harder = more money". This is a view that is particularly held strongly as we are kids, as we get older we realise it's not true. People out there study for 10 years, do PhDs, become experts in their field, and don't make any money.
This is why people pursue dentistry so hard. They assume the high debt and competitiveness and good grades needed means it is worth doing whatever it takes to get in. This is not the case in the real world.
Post this on the dental students forum, they should hear your story
- Status
Similar threads
