General Uncertainty

[David1991]

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Hey guys, I don't know what I really expect to get from this thread but I'm hoping I can get some piece of advice or words of wisdom here.

I'm a freshman in college and since High School I've said I wanted to become a doctor. In the last year I started leaning towards dentistry. The way I see you have
Pros: less malpractice insurance, less residency/schooling, less hours worked per week, more flexibility, more potential to open a practice (?)

Cons: more manual work, need to be more exact, less advice giving to patients

but in the last few weeks I suddenly got this feeling of "do I even want to do this? Or is it just a dream I started with before I got enough information?"

My real interests/passion is in nutrition/lifting...but obviously something like personal training isn't going to be making much money. And yes, part of the reason I want to do this is for the money. I have an interest in helping people but in all honestly I absolutely wouldn't be working so hard to make $50k/year or something. So the downside of dentistry is I don't get to have this connection with the patients where I can talk and give some health advice, but as mentioned there are many pros to it over standard medicine.

I feel like it is a good path but I'm constantly reminded how it's really manual work and you have to be good with your hands and whatnot. I started reading some med student blogs which has made me a little more excited about it in general but I just hope I'm making the right choice. I "feel right" about imagining myself as a doctor in the future with my own practice but also because I was always under the impression that it was a good lifestyle.

I appreciate any feedback
-David

 

[SugarNaCl]

Dentistry is pretty cool and not as time consuming (less on call etc). Who knows what will happen to the MDs when and if universal healthcare is put into play but it will have an impact likely. I think dentistry is nice because you can make it what you want and are not as limited as MDs in what / how you can treat your patients. In addition, you do get some talk time if you want to prioritize this. I know school is different but I have gotten attached a quite a few of my patients. It's fun and hard work at times 🙂

Both/all are rewarding professions... it's just what you prefer. On the downside, some dentists do seem to have a lot of back/neck issues and the glory is probably less than what certain medical specialists may have. On the other hand, some of the happiest people I have seen were those who had lost their teeth and have some amazing looking new ones now 😉 That is at times life altering.

Overall, I like instant gratification... it is probably a great fault of mine. Dentistry has that and medicine doesn't seem to generally. I'd rather give someone a great smile than manage their diabetes and hypertension for the rest of their lives and see few physical results.

 

[David1991]

Dentistry is pretty cool and not as time consuming (less on call etc). Who knows what will happen to the MDs when and if universal healthcare is put into play but it will have an impact likely. I think dentistry is nice because you can make it what you want and are not as limited as MDs in what / how you can treat your patients. In addition, you do get some talk time if you want to prioritize this. I know school is different but I have gotten attached a quite a few of my patients. It's fun and hard work at times 🙂

Both/all are rewarding professions... it's just what you prefer. On the downside, some dentists do seem to have a lot of back/neck issues and the glory is probably less than what certain medical specialists may have. On the other hand, some of the happiest people I have seen were those who had lost their teeth and have some amazing looking new ones now 😉 That is at times life altering.

Overall, I like instant gratification... it is probably a great fault of mine. Dentistry has that and medicine doesn't seem to generally. I'd rather give someone a great smile than manage their diabetes and hypertension for the rest of their lives and see few physical results.

I can definitely relate to their being some life altering changes with dental work in general. I had braces in middle school and then later in high school, followed by a ~$65,000 surgery to get rid of an overbite and it was one of the best decisions I've made. My dentist actually suggested against it and I'm glad we went with my ortho's suggestion instead.

Anyway you mentioned how dentists have more instant gratification and also that you have more flexibility in the "treatment" you can give. That seems odd to me though because I would assume it's almost always the same treatment given a certain issue, could you elaborate?

The health care bill is definitely another issue. I keep hearing about how those in medicine are working more with less pay and that it's only going to get worse. Dermatology seems like a good option though (high pay and low risk of being sued).

 

[nextuszerodmd]

I can definitely relate to their being some life altering changes with dental work in general. I had braces in middle school and then later in high school, followed by a ~$65,000 surgery to get rid of an overbite and it was one of the best decisions I've made. My dentist actually suggested against it and I'm glad we went with my ortho's suggestion instead.

Anyway you mentioned how dentists have more instant gratification and also that you have more flexibility in the "treatment" you can give. That seems odd to me though because I would assume it's almost always the same treatment given a certain issue, could you elaborate?

The health care bill is definitely another issue. I keep hearing about how those in medicine are working more with less pay and that it's only going to get worse. Dermatology seems like a good option though (high pay and low risk of being sued).

$65,000 SURGERY by an orthodontist to fix an overbite?! something doesn't seem right here......especially the $65,000 part (most full mouth reconstruction is around $65,000), and surgery by an orthodontist......

 

[Buckethead]

This is a huge junction in your life because the paths to dentistry and medicine are veeeeery different, and they lead you to very different outcomes and opportunities. I was at this same junction about a year ago, and after shadowing both professions and interacting with physicians every day across a couple of summers while doing research, I've acquired some useful knowledge and advice that I'll lay out here.

Medicine is for people who can see themselves doing nothing besides medicine. These are the only people who tend to thrive in medicine, and unfortunately, plenty of people who have other aspirations are forced into medicine by some vein or another and end up miserable. This is due to the enormous commitment required to become a board-certified physician which leads to yet another unreasonable commitment of having to work on the hospital's time and not your own. Some people thrive in an environment in which they feel needed ALL the time, others don't. If you hesitate when asking yourself, "Am I willing to spend 80 hours per week in a hospital for over half a decade as a resident only to downgrade to 60 hours per week as an attending physician?" then medicine probably isn't your passion.

Dentistry is an enormous commitment as well, but it gets better after dental school. Dentists tend to be far happier than physicians as a result of more free time and autonomy, and they DO give health advice to their patients every bit as much as a physician would. Specialist physicians (which I assume you would be) tend to give advice regarding ONLY that which applies to the specialty, so I think that's kind of a moot point regarding medicine. Think of dentistry as an oral surgery specialty of medicine because that is exactly what it is. You will give advice regarding oral maintenance, restoration, health, etc. You will construct treatment plans as much as any physician would, but dentists have the added benefit of knowing that their treatment plans, in typical cases, always work (brush, floss, mouthwash, etc., as long as the patient adheres). Medicine is fickle in that it works for some and not others, and different diseases can manifest in different ways, so doctors play a lot of the trial and error game to attempt to cure the patient which can be very frustrating if you exhaust your decade of intensive medical training and see no improvement.

And the money in dentistry is fantastic. For every "my uncle nets over a million per year" story you read about and disregard, you know that there really ARE some dentists who do that well. I'm not saying it's likely you'll see those figures in your own practice, but it's proof that there is some serious earning potential in this profession. Also, the $/hr figure is more telling than the total $ figure. Dentists tend to be just a bit under the typical physician income in total $/year, but in the $/hr realm, dentists have several specialties beaten.

Hope this helps you make your decision.

 

[Istr8nthem]

$65,000 SURGERY by an orthodontist to fix an overbite?! something doesn't seem right here......especially the $65,000 part (most full mouth reconstruction is around $65,000), and surgery by an orthodontist......

The OP did not say that the orthodontist performed the surgery, they simply said they went with the ortho's recommendation of surgery. If the OP had full ortho treatment followed by a 2-jaw orthognathic surgery and a genio advancement, this could have easily been around the $60-70K mark depending on location and insurance coverage (or lack thereof).

 

[cjb04]

Keep in mind that a dentist is still a doctor. While dentists are not responsible for diagnosing at the same level as a physician, many pathologies have oral manifestations that can be detected by a dentist who performs a thorough head/neck/oral exam. In general, dentists see a higher percentage of the population annually than physicians do, so in many cases they are the first healthcare professionals that patients see who are in a position to say "hmmm, something doesn't look right. I'd better refer you to X to get this checked out". Do all dentists do this? Unfortunately, not yet. Since the relatively recent realization that there is a connection between the oral environment and the rest of the body's systems, more emphasis has been placed on restoring the patient to health vs. being a tooth technician. So in short, you can discuss health topics with your patients such as diabetes, smoking cessation, metabolic syndrome, etc.

 

[HupHolland]

I think most people feel more of an emotional attachment to their dentist than their physician. I asked my parents this, as I believe I'm biased, and they confirmed my assumption.

Most people see their dentist more often than their physician. My dentist knew what sports I played, what colleges I was applying to and what I was planning on studying. My physician knew none of that. Not blasting MDs at all, just stating that there is a connection to be made and it does extend beyond oral health. Like another poster said, we're often the ones to refer a patient to their physician for hypertension and catch other systemic diseases that present with oral manifestations. In addition, it's important to know how to modify treatment for those with certain disorders.

Dentistry is certainly not for everyone. The introverted will have a hard time making it in the real world, where patients flock to those with charisma. However, if you're science minded, detailed and have a personality, I don't see how you can be wrong by picking dentistry.

Best of luck,
Hup

 

[David1991]

Thanks for the responses everyone, seriously makes me want to choose dentistry right away lol. Many of the benefits I've heard have been echoed here in addition to some I haven't thought of before. Maybe I should ask in the "medical" section as well though 😀

Any other feedback is always appreciated.

 

[billythekid]

Be careful about going into dentistry primarily for the money. If money is the number one goal, wall street is the place to go.

 

[DCRedskinsRule]

Be careful about going into dentistry primarily for the money. If money is the number one goal, wall street is the place to go.

Right. Because we all know how stable the economy and market have been over the past few years. Great advice.

 

[David1991]

Be careful about going into dentistry primarily for the money. If money is the number one goal, wall street is the place to go.

It's not just about the money, that's just a factor. I think 95+% of people that say money is no factor at all is lying to themselves and/or everyone else. It seems like a better lifestyle though, whereas with wall street as far as I know you'd be working 60-80 hours a week with, in my opinion, less interesting work.

 

[Buckethead]

It's not just about the money, that's just a factor. I think 95+% of people that say money is no factor at all is lying to themselves and/or everyone else. It seems like a better lifestyle though, whereas with wall street as far as I know you'd be working 60-80 hours a week with, in my opinion, less interesting work.

Absolutely correct. When I went through my career turmoil period after dropping premed (which had been my career identity since I was a kid), I researched every job under the sun to find something to replace the only job I ever thought I'd work. Having researched several sectors of business employment, I can tell you that most people who seek high-achievement in business will need to work excessive hours (60+/wk) for at least the first half of their careers. Even with such an obscene amount of work, you aren't guaranteed any promotions or even tenure in your current position. If another recession comes along, you may be laid-off and financially screwed.

Dentistry has the potential to net you A LOT of money, but realistically, you will probably be within a standard deviation or two on either side of the mean. Dentistry holds the following advantages over many jobs:

1. Autonomy autonomy autonomy, can't stress this advantage enough
2. FANTASTIC $/hr.
3. Completely flexible hours with a 40 hr. week capable of netting $150,000-$400,000+ per year depending on your style of practice.
4. Excellent job security (several articles I've read have labeled general dentistry as "recession-proof")
5. Potential to turn your practice into a residual income machine if you have enough patient volume to quit working and hire associates to work for you. In this scenario, you would (ideally) only work a few hours per week to manage your practice(s). If you are a marketing machine, this strategy can make you a millionaire.

For me, dentistry appeals to my academic side, my love of working with my hands, my hatred of working for any type of "boss", and my entrepreneurial side that sees a wealth of earning potential and innovation in dentistry. For medicine, I was drawn to the academics and the money only. After weighing the advantages and disadvantages of each, dentistry came out far on top. Then, I compared dentistry to several other careers and found that it conformed to my goals more than any other (except web-entrepreneurship, but I'm not creative enough to make the next Google).

I recommend that you do the same. Don't make it a dentistry vs. medicine decision. Research all types of careers. Write down 5-8 things that you absolutely must have in a job in order of importance. For instance, work hours, autonomy, annual income, prestige, manual-oriented, artistic, etc. For each career you research, catalog which "musts" that the career satisfies. Keep a spreadsheet of this, and look over at least 5-10 careers. The best fit for you should be fairly clear after analyzing your own needs and which careers best satisfy those needs.

This is one of the biggest decisions that you will make in your life, so be absolutely positive that you've picked the career that fits you the best.

 

[mrlantern]

I'm a freshman in college and since High School I've said I wanted to become a doctor. In the last year I started leaning towards dentistry. The way I see you have
Pros: less malpractice insurance, less residency/schooling, less hours worked per week, more flexibility, more potential to open a practice (?)

And yes, part of the reason I want to do this is for the money.

I just hope I'm making the right choice. I "feel right" about imagining myself as a doctor in the future with my own practice but also because I was always under the impression that it was a good lifestyle.

Relax. You still have years to go before finishing college. Forget medical or dental school for now. Focus on getting all A's.

I say all this because many students change their minds during college. And many more appear completely misinformed about the pros/cons of certain careers. All I'm going to say is, go to dental school if your passion lies in treating the dentition. If you're planning on dentistry solely for the money and lifestyle, just understand that some dentists succeed and some dentists don't. Likewise, medicine is a very broad field and difficult to generalize in the ways you describe it.