how do you know?

[dr1989]

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i have always seen myself working as a physician and i recently started working in the er as a tech so i can really get a hands on feel-i had some job shadows before but they really dont give you much exposure to the field as er.

what i have found is that i really enjoyed it the first month and still do to a degree, but i find myself really being sort of feeling sensitive apathetic to patients (ie pts diagnosed with seizures, cancer, etc or a normal woman starts to have abnormal changes of behavior and we diagnose her with psych disorder)

-sometimes i feel a bit low but then i feel better once we treat those who can get better and there is that gratification. however i think that the thought of being in med school + min of 3 yr residency for EM/IM (two fields i would want to do) would drain me even more.

im not looking for an easy way out, but i think i would do better in a field that focuses subjectively on only one aspect of the body-ie dentists! 😀

yes the hours lure me but im no idiot. i know that a lot of commitment to the education is needed. a good friend of mine is a 2nd year dental student at UoP and she is stressed half the time but is def looking forward to her last year! 😉

i have had this convo with several other frnds and they have suggested that since i already have a fascination with teeth *im those weirdos who was never scared of the dentist and was fascinated by all his tools😎, they think i should look into dentistry. and i am considering it.

a few intro questions:
many dentists go into private practist, and i would prob consider general dentistry personally. however i am not one for business or owning one. i want to practice medicine soley for that purpose. is it hard for dental grads to find a partnership/associate fresh out of school without a residency? (i know its optional)
-for some reason it appears as if it is very hard to get your first dental job, wheras careers like pa's/nps/md you can find it anywhere. and i live in socal and would like to stay here for the most part 🙂

so how does one who is not an entrepaneur (at least for now) and is curious about the field of dentistry/job prospects and sucess rate go about this?

just a few things i was pondering today while watching my doc perform tubal ligation 😉

-dr1989

 

[sfrice80]

Wow, long post but Ill try to clear some stuff up. First, you dont have to own your own business to be a dentist, if you are not interested in the business side of dentistry, believe me there are several large corporate dental offices you can join where you literally just come in and treat patients and leave and dont have to worry about the business side. Downfall is you are not your own boss and you typically wont make nearly as much as you can in a private practice in your prime. I really dont think its hard to find a job as a dentist, as there is a major shortage and will be even a larger shortage in the future. However, some areas of the country are definitely saturated with dentists. I heard from the director of admissions at USC that southern cal is pretty saturated with dentists, so if you want to settle down in the socal area, it might be harder but Im sure its still possible. When I interviewed at Minnesota, they had a large state map in the student lounge that had many many listings of practices in the state that want to sell or want a partner. So, no, I dont think its really that hard to find your first job. I hope this answers your questions. I would say do what you love and forget about the schooling and everything else involved, if you love it then do it, you only live once and no sense in living scared or not taking some chances. Sounds like you love medicine and if you do then stick to it!

 

[THINKOFMYFUTURE]

If you were meant to be, you'd know it, and would not be asking this question. End of story.😎

 

[golf05]

Best way to know is to shadow. Do at least 30 hours in several types of practices. You'll be glad you spent some time observing before you started all your classes and the application process.

 

[dr1989]

thanks.

im just trying to explore my options when i can..dont want to be that person who is halfway through med school and starts to possibly regret it.

dentistry sounds good to me in the sense that if i do possibly set up a practice or work in a partnership i could also devote my time to doing like charity work or serving in other countries. it is unfathomable as to how many ppl have poor dentist hygiene or are suffering from oral diseases which can be prevented by proper dental care. and one of the reasons for me being in the medical field is to be able to help serve those who wouldnt be able to.

and being a physician i think is def more time consuming so i wouldnt be able to pursue this or other things such as family which is very important to me.

thanks again for all the advice and input

 

[dr1989]

btw how bad is the saturation of dentists in california? pretty bad to make me wanna worry about relocating (that is IF i want to pursue this-still too early in the game, but better to know all this beforehand 🙂