Is it worth it to specialize?

[fan2342]

I am very interested in OMFS and have been wanting to become one since middle school. The problem is I am scared about the debt from dental school and that it will keep acrueing throughout a residency if I specialize. Can anyone help with opinions or experience please?

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[ICantEven]

I am very interested in OMFS and have been wanting to become one since middle school. The problem is I am scared about the debt from dental school and that it will keep acrueing throughout a residency if I specialize. Can anyone help with opinions or experience please?

1- Unless you're in Dental school, don't think that far ahead. While it's good to know what you want to to, going through dental schools can and might change your mind.

2- You don't have to specialize right away after dental school if you're worried about the cost. You're looking at about an excess of $300K in debt - maybe even significantly higher than that - just on dental school alone. Specializing into oral surgery MD is about 3-4 years more of schooling, with about the same amount of debt accumulating if not more. You may not want to take that risk, so you could just become a general dentist for a few years as you pay of your debt and make some money yourself.

3- America is the land of debt. People live off of debt. That's the way of life here. Think of dental school as an investment, not an expense. You're investing X amount of dollars to get about Yr(X) amount back through your career as a dentist. If it's what you want to do, go for it and make that paper to pay of your debt doing something you love.

We're not taking this gamble of applying to dental school for nothing. Nearly all of us love dentistry, the lifestyle, the flexibility.. Etc etc. If this is the lifestyle you want to live, go after it and love everything that comes in store.

 

[JLT223]

You realize you are paid for an OMFS residency (at least the 6 year ones), but like the above poster said, you won't truly know what you want to do until you actually start performing procedures. It's also about what YOU personally want out of the profession. What's worth it to you may not be worth it to another person.

 

[schmoob]

You realize you are paid for an OMFS residency (at least the 6 year ones), but like the above poster said, you won't truly know what you want to do until you actually start performing procedures. It's also about what YOU personally want out of the profession. What's worth it to you may not be worth it to another person.

Yes you are paid, except for the 2 years of med school, which you pay tuition (unless I'm mistaken).

 

[fan2342]

1- Unless you're in Dental school, don't think that far ahead. While it's good to know what you want to to, going through dental schools can and might change your mind.

2- You don't have to specialize right away after dental school if you're worried about the cost. You're looking at about an excess of $300K in debt - maybe even significantly higher than that - just on dental school alone. Specializing into oral surgery MD is about 3-4 years more of schooling, with about the same amount of debt accumulating if not more. You may not want to take that risk, so you could just become a general dentist for a few years as you pay of your debt and make some money yourself.

3- America is the land of debt. People live off of debt. That's the way of life here. Think of dental school as an investment, not an expense. You're investing X amount of dollars to get about Yr(X) amount back through your career as a dentist. If it's what you want to do, go for it and make that paper to pay of your debt doing something you love.

We're not taking this gamble of applying to dental school for nothing. Nearly all of us love dentistry, the lifestyle, the flexibility.. Etc etc. If this is the lifestyle you want to live, go after it and love everything that comes in store.

You realize you are paid for an OMFS residency (at least the 6 year ones), but like the above poster said, you won't truly know what you want to do until you actually start performing procedures. It's also about what YOU personally want out of the profession. What's worth it to you may not be worth it to another person.

Don't some programs not pay at all? It's just that if I don't specialize, then I can start making money right away after dental school and possibly have the debt payed off in the time I would have done the residency. Also, I have shadowed an oral surgeon for a long time and really like the procedures

 

[JLT223]

Don't some programs not pay at all? It's just that if I don't specialize, then I can start making money right away after dental school and possibly have the debt payed off in the time I would have done the residency

Most don't pay you; you're required to pay tuition.

 

[derbear]

Wait till you are in dental school. You will quickly realize you will dislike certain specialties/procedures that you initially thought you loved *cough* endo *cough* *cough*.

 

[fan2342]

Most don't pay you; you're required to pay tuition.

What is your opinion on the money aspect?

 

[JLT223]

What is your opinion on the money aspect?

I'm leaning towards specializing myself and hopefully it will pay itself off one day. I'm open to anything, but obviously if the program will pay me to attend that would be best. Like I said, it's all about what you want out of the profession. If you want to be an orthodontist or pediatric dentist (and you are sure of it) I wouldn't let the cost of the program stand in between you and your end goal.

 

[schmoob]

I might be wrong and it might depend on the program, but I vaguely remember doing research and seeing that it pays you all six years, but you still have to pay tuition for those med school years too. So you'd be getting paid, but it would basically be going toward your tuition instead of your bank account.

Yeah I guess it all depends on program.