I haven't been this confused my whole life....

[BrutalViking]

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Hello everyone, first time poster here. Not that I'm the first person to post about the topic, but I think I need advice for my specific situation....reading similar posts would be pointless.

Ok, so here's the thing:
I'm pretty confused between dental and medical school and tried to make a a pros and cons table to help me decide and here is what i came with

*Years required: For dental (general dentist) it's four, while for medical (assuming 2 year residency) it's six....so obviously dentistry wins in this category

*Easiness of school: I would think dentistry is easier just because there are more lab classes (or such i heard) so there is more hands-on learning plus i like working with my hands...so i think dentistry wins here too.

*Future Income: This one doesn't apply to either since both will let you live comfortably. However, I feel that dentist, due to their flexible schedule, will have more free time and thus will be enjoying their income more than medical doctors.

*Work environment: It seems that dentists win again in this area just because of the flexibility... a dentist might open his/her own practice, do a partnership, work as an employee of a company or another dentist, or work at a hospital.

*Hard work: Now although both require hard work...it just seems that medical school is more rigorous....I am willing to work hard but I'm not sure for how long

So by now, you'd be wondering why am I doubting myself since I see dentistry as a winner in the categories above.....I've been shadowing a dentist and i told him how interesting i found the oral-maxillofacial specialty. So he told me that if I'm going to specialize, then I should go to medical school because they have more options but if I want to be a general dentist, to go dental school. Also, I am intimidated whenever i hear a medical student making fun of dentistry ....one girl told me that dentistry is for failed medical doctors...so how do you deal with these people? and about deciding between medical and dental, any advice or tips? any links that can help?

I'm sorry if this post is too long...please do correct me if I have any info wrong.....I will appreciate any advice

Thank you

 

[wwuviking]

first of all...both are highly competitive and both will require years of hard work. dental school is not for medical dropouts...its for doctors with business savy. there is much to consider when choosing...md's have to go to school longer (residency is 3 yrs on teachers salary). But what it really comes down to is what do YOU want to do?? I'd suggest shadowing both and shadow a variety of docs, don't just follow one; this will allow you to understand how a variety of docotrs in the same field handle the day to day. And to deal with arrogant people like your prestigious medical studentd friend...i'd try not to take it personal...then i'd toss them a pager. best of luck in your search

 

[BrutalViking]

thanks! I was thinking about shadowing an M.D. but may be i should just shadow another dentist. The thing is about dentistry is that I don't exactly want to get in because i like teeth and filling them but because I want the patients to be less scared when going to the dentist by talking and explaining the procedures. I used to dread going to the dentist then i switched to a more humorous dentist and it made all the difference ^_^ ...he's the one that inspired me to do dentistry.

 

[Bereno]

Hello everyone, first time poster here. Not that I'm the first person to post about the topic, but I think I need advice for my specific situation....reading similar posts would be pointless.

Ok, so here's the thing:
I'm pretty confused between dental and medical school and tried to make a a pros and cons table to help me decide and here is what i came with

*Years required: For dental (general dentist) it's four, while for medical (assuming 2 year residency) it's six....so obviously dentistry wins in this category
Ok, thats fair if you are aiming to be a GP

*Easiness of school: I would think dentistry is easier just because there are more lab classes (or such i heard) so there is more hands-on learning plus i like working with my hands...so i think dentistry wins here too.
Both are of equal "easiness" from my understanding. Hell, the first 2 years of my dental school I will actually be in med school, plus have more classes on top of that! Im my case dental school will likely be harder. I don't think this is the norm, but i am just trying to show that one is not inherently easier than another.

*Future Income: This one doesn't apply to either since both will let you live comfortably. However, I feel that dentist, due to their flexible schedule, will have more free time and thus will be enjoying their income more than medical doctors.
The time commitment required from midlife on is a large part of why I am going dentistry... Its important to me to have time for friends, family, and hobbies. Big plus in my book!

*Work environment: It seems that dentists win again in this area just because of the flexibility... a dentist might open his/her own practice, do a partnership, work as an employee of a company or another dentist, or work at a hospital.
This can be both a blessing and a curse. Talk to a few dentists, and they will tell you that owning your own business can be great, or it can be hell. This is hard to make black and white.


*Hard work: Now although both require hard work...it just seems that medical school is more rigorous....I am willing to work hard but I'm not sure for how long
Nope. Looking at it that way, you are looking into the wrong fields my friend.

So by now, you'd be wondering why am I doubting myself since I see dentistry as a winner in the categories above.....I've been shadowing a dentist and i told him how interesting i found the oral-maxillofacial specialty. So he told me that if I'm going to specialize, then I should go to medical school because they have more options but if I want to be a general dentist, to go dental school. Also, I am intimidated whenever i hear a medical student making fun of dentistry ....one girl told me that dentistry is for failed medical doctors...so how do you deal with these people? and about deciding between medical and dental, any advice or tips? any links that can help?
That girl does not know what she is talking about. Here is my situation and it may or may not help. I work for three OMFS, and I LOVE it! However, I can't say that I will be an OMFS myself. I do love surgery, but there is a high likelihood that I don't become a surgeon in both scenarios. It is more likely that i become a GP regardless of going through dental school or medical school so the my deciding factor comes into being a GP. The fact is that I would greatly prefer to be a dental GP over an medical GP. This is why I am choosing dentistry - I'm cool with being a dentist... not-so-much about being a primary physician (medical GP).

I'm sorry if this post is too long...please do correct me if I have any info wrong.....I will appreciate any advice

Thank you

My comments in red 👍

On a side note... shadow both and see what you think then!

 

[BrutalViking]

@Bereno: thanks for your input. Having free time to share with family and friends would be a big bonus for me that's why i'm more likely to stick with dentistry. And i couldn't agree with you more about OMFS.... although i like it will depend greatly on how I do in dental school....OMFS is not the reason I'd be going to dental school but rather a chance for further education in an interesting subject. And for me being a general dentist is much more appealing that being a primary physician.

 

[LittleTomato]

It doesn't sound like you're confused at all, it sounds like you've already made up your mind. Do what makes you happy and don't worry about your friend's perception of the field. At the end of the day, what your other pre-med friends think about your career choice is not what matters.

 

[youknowthedrill]

Most medical residencies are a minimum of three years- Internal Medicine, Family Practice, Pediatrics. 4 for Emergency & General Surgery and 6 to specialize in Cardiology, Oncology, etc. Don't worry about what others think! My husband is a physician and he specialized. Now that I'm working towards a career as a dentist, he wishes he had considered it. It is rare to find a physician working in a solo practice- and dealing with partners or being employed by a hospital can be a royal pain. If you are good with people and don't mind running a business, you can make a great living as a dentist. We live in a nice neighborhood and 3 of our neighbors are dentists (Oral surgeon, Pediatric, and General). It sounds like your heart is in dentistry. Shadow a couple of general dentists before you decide, but it sounds like you'll be happy if you choose dentistry. Good luck!

 

[UCLAzy]

 

[thewobblytooth]

lol. you'll figure it out as you get through college. Both are getting more and more competitive each year, so study hard!

 

[iralex801]

So by now, you'd be wondering why am I doubting myself since I see dentistry as a winner in the categories above.....I've been shadowing a dentist and i told him how interesting i found the oral-maxillofacial specialty. So he told me that if I'm going to specialize, then I should go to medical school because they have more options but if I want to be a general dentist, to go dental school. Also, I am intimidated whenever i hear a medical student making fun of dentistry ....one girl told me that dentistry is for failed medical doctors...so how do you deal with these people? and about deciding between medical and dental, any advice or tips? any links that can help?

I'm sorry if this post is too long...please do correct me if I have any info wrong.....I will appreciate any advice

Thank you

I don't understand why people care so much about what "nobodies" think about them. And by "nobodies," I mean people who don't really have an impact or matter in your life. For me, I only care what my family and boys think about my decisions.

Despite the accepted average GPA of dental students increasingly becoming on par with accepted average GPA of medical students, certain people will always bag on dentistry no matter what evidence is out there. Why waste your time trying to change a "nobodies" opinion when they fail to change their opinions even with the current evidence out there. You can't get everyone to be proud of you. So make sure the people you care about are proud of you and f*** the haters.

 

[BrutalViking]

Thanks for all the input people. My sister is doing medical school and even she is telling me to do dental. And I guess i'll be meeting ignorant people every now and then....and the solution is to ignore them. Yeh I'll try to do some more shadowing.

 

[AwesomeTeeth]

Thanks for all the input people. My sister is doing medical school and even she is telling me to do dental. And I guess i'll be meeting ignorant people every now and then....and the solution is to ignore them. Yeh I'll try to do some more shadowing.

That actually seems to be a common trend. Pre-med kids in college scoff at the thought of dental school. But med students/residents often say they wish they chose the dental route. 😉

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

That actually seems to be a common trend. Pre-med kids in college scoff at the thought of dental school. But med students/residents often say they wish they chose the dental route. 😉

And then you have some dentists who've been out for a few years telling you to go to med.

Why the F*** is the grass always greener on the other side?

 

[pduckworth]

Thanks for all the input people. My sister is doing medical school and even she is telling me to do dental. And I guess i'll be meeting ignorant people every now and then....and the solution is to ignore them. Yeh I'll try to do some more shadowing.

My brother started out as pre-med and made the switch to go dental. He said all undergrad, he saw his pre-med friends working themselves to death and him plus his other pre-dental friends were a lot more relaxed, haha. Now that he is a periodontist, he would recommend dentistry to anybody.

 

[AwesomeTeeth]

And then you have some dentists who've been out for a few years telling you to go to med.

Why the F*** is the grass always greener on the other side?

Actually I haven't met a dentist yet who steered me towards medicine instead of dentistry. Does that mean there are none? No. But every single one I met when I was a predent in college told me to jump on board. I've talked to a lot of doctors and they said 15 years ago they would have recommended medicine without a doubt. But with all the insurance and regulation, it's not like it used to be. Either you work in a hospital or go bankrupt trying to do private practice.

Not trying to start some flame war of medicine vs dental. This is just my experience.

 

[thewobblytooth]

There are many good and bad things about both fields. But I personally think that dentistry is much more protected compared to our medicine counterparts. Either way, the economy is negatively affecting both, so let's hope that in the next 5-10 years, things are looking up.

 

[Bereno]

there are many good and bad things about both fields. But i personally think that dentistry is much more protected compared to our medicine counterparts. Either way, the economy is negatively affecting both, so let's hope that in the next 5-10 years, things are looking up.

+1

 

[Jackson-Ave-Dental]

Actually I haven't met a dentist yet who steered me towards medicine instead of dentistry. Does that mean there are none? No. But every single one I met when I was a predent in college told me to jump on board. I've talked to a lot of doctors and they said 15 years ago they would have recommended medicine without a doubt. But with all the insurance and regulation, it's not like it used to be. Either you work in a hospital or go bankrupt trying to do private practice.

Not trying to start some flame war of medicine vs dental. This is just my experience.

At least medical insurance does something unlike ours, which is more like a discount rather than insurance

 

[UltimateHombre]

Thanks for all the input people. My sister is doing medical school and even she is telling me to do dental. And I guess i'll be meeting ignorant people every now and then....and the solution is to ignore them. Yeh I'll try to do some more shadowing.

I heard it once said that...

Paramedics tell you to become a nurse, nurses tell you to become a physician, physicians tell you to become a dentist, and dentists tell you to start working on your swing early. 😉

 

[dentalWorks]

Hello everyone, first time poster here. Not that I'm the first person to post about the topic, but I think I need advice for my specific situation....reading similar posts would be pointless.

Ok, so here's the thing:
I'm pretty confused between dental and medical school and tried to make a a pros and cons table to help me decide and here is what i came with

*Years required: For dental (general dentist) it's four, while for medical (assuming 2 year residency) it's six....so obviously dentistry wins in this category

*Easiness of school: I would think dentistry is easier just because there are more lab classes (or such i heard) so there is more hands-on learning plus i like working with my hands...so i think dentistry wins here too.

*Future Income: This one doesn't apply to either since both will let you live comfortably. However, I feel that dentist, due to their flexible schedule, will have more free time and thus will be enjoying their income more than medical doctors.

*Work environment: It seems that dentists win again in this area just because of the flexibility... a dentist might open his/her own practice, do a partnership, work as an employee of a company or another dentist, or work at a hospital.

*Hard work: Now although both require hard work...it just seems that medical school is more rigorous....I am willing to work hard but I'm not sure for how long

So by now, you'd be wondering why am I doubting myself since I see dentistry as a winner in the categories above.....I've been shadowing a dentist and i told him how interesting i found the oral-maxillofacial specialty. So he told me that if I'm going to specialize, then I should go to medical school because they have more options but if I want to be a general dentist, to go dental school. Also, I am intimidated whenever i hear a medical student making fun of dentistry ....one girl told me that dentistry is for failed medical doctors...so how do you deal with these people? and about deciding between medical and dental, any advice or tips? any links that can help?

I'm sorry if this post is too long...please do correct me if I have any info wrong.....I will appreciate any advice

Thank you

just from what I am reading here... it sounds to me you are better fit with dentistry (but you can't go wrong with medicine).

Sure, medicine will require MINIMUM of 3 years of residency (not 2), and thats most likely going to be a primary care setting, and in which case, yes, I would MUCH rather be a general dentist (only 4 years of training) than a general internest / family doc (7 years of training)..... while they both make about the same hourly and the dentists usually works less than 40 hrs per week.

However, there are some phenomenal fields in medicine that has nothing equal to it in dentistry, so you need to consider that. There are WAYYY more medical specialties than dental. If I was in my early 20s, I woulda most likely picked medicine and gotten into one of the surgical specialties.... But being 30, Dentistry is a better fit for me.

The problem with dentistry tho is..... its an experience-based income. Your first year out of dental school will not carry the same income as (say) a 10+ year graduate...... This is something you need to consider as well, you might not do 3 years of rigorous medical residency, but you will be working a good solid 40 hours and making about 100k your first couple years out of dental school.

I joke with my medical school friends about this all the time.... "Dentistry is an easy way to make 200k a year, while medicine is a hard way to make 400k+ a year"

 

[BrutalViking]

I am very interested about OMFS (as interested as one can get from reading about it; i'll try to shadow someone soon). I wouldn't want to do general surgery (as in medicine) because I am simply more interested in the area of OMFS, not brains, hearts or intestines (I'm sure these fields are great but they just don't appeal to me...may be it's just because of ignorance about them from my part). Anyway, like Bereno said, I'd rather not achieve the goal of getting into OMFS and become a dentist rather than going through the same story in medical school and going into general practice or a field that i picked just as a second plan. So yeh...i guess things are clearing up for me now...I'll try to shadow an OMF surgeon once a week and a dentist during saturdays (not many of those). One thing, i noticed that many (the majority) become general dentist and not specialize. Is that because they are more interested in general dentistry or because there wasn't enough room for them?
And, i heard that for people who want to specialize, they better go to a research-renowned school, is that true? does school name hold any value further down the road?

Again, correct me if i'm wrong and give me any tips or links that might be helpful. Thanks again guys (and girls if any)! ^_^

 

[AwesomeTeeth]

One thing, i noticed that many (the majority) become general dentist and not specialize. Is that because they are more interested in general dentistry or because there wasn't enough room for them?

There's a number of reasons people don't want to specialize. The majority just want to get out there and start working. After 4 years of dental school, you can get burned out going to school some more. Some don't like doing ortho, endo, perio, OMFS for the rest of their lives and want a broad base of everything. Specializing isn't some golden ticket to the high life and shouldn't be viewed as such.

And, i heard that for people who want to specialize, they better go to a research-renowned school, is that true? does school name hold any value further down the road?

If you were meant to specialize, you're going to specialize anywhere you go. People are probably going to argue about this and bring up specialization rates at certain schools. But I still stand by it.

 

[LaFleur]

*Years required: For dental (general dentist) it's four, while for medical (assuming 2 year residency) it's six....so obviously dentistry wins in this category

Assuming a 2 year residency? What residency are you assuming you're going to get? 😕

From what I know, a residency post-medical school will be at least three years. I believe that IM, FP, and Peds are all 3 year residencies, whereas EM is 3-4 years. Some other medical residencies, such as anesthesia, derm, neuro, and optho have 3 year residencies preceded by a PGY-1 transitional year. Ob-gyn, path, and psych are 4 years I believe. And it goes up from there.

So I would say that with medical school you're looking at 7-8 years realistically.

 

[predent18]

Buy a wax kit from *********** and play with it for a month, welcome to dental school... If you don't like it, do med school. Course saver . C o m

 

[armorshell]

And then you have some dentists who've been out for a few years telling you to go to med.

Why the F*** is the grass always greener on the other side?

I've never even heard of this happening actually.

 

[KittySquared]

. Also, I am intimidated whenever i hear a medical student making fun of dentistry ....one girl told me that dentistry is for failed medical doctors...so how do you deal with these people? and about deciding between medical and dental, any advice or tips?

You can tell her as a "failed medical doctor" who decided to pursue dentistry,you're less likely to going to look like a hag by age 30 and have more time for life than to be bitter and hating on other occupations.