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GT Dental

GT Dental

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  1. Pre-Dental
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Hey Everyone,

I have a situation that is annoying me right now. I am going to be a junior but anyways, my girlfriends (of almost 3 years) mother keeps bugging me and telling me I am making a huge mistake going into dentistry and not medicine. She says that I am taking the 'easy way out' ha.....Probably a normal situation for some..

This is not about my decision: I am set on Dental and love the field and am excited to eventually be a part of it. My stats are good for both fields, I AM NOT SETTLING!!

I just need to know what to say to shut this person up!!! I have told them why I like the field, etc. but this person is an accountant and only talks about how she sees that doctors make so much more money than dentists. I REALLY DONT CARE!!!!!!!

Let me know what you would say, or I should, before I get arrested for assault! :meanie:

It really is getting to the point where I can't stand to be at their house..
 
Lol yea...well thats whats ironic because my girlfriend is going to an unbelievable school and will be going to law school aka she will eventually be making bank as well....i think its the "prestige" factor like her mom doesn't think a dentist is honorable or whatever...
 
GT Dental said:
Lol yea...well thats whats ironic because my girlfriend is going to an unbelievable school and will be going to law school aka she will eventually be making bank as well....i think its the "prestige" factor like her mom doesn't think a dentist is honorable or whatever...
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dump her. fulfilling your dreams is way more important than finding love lol. when you're a rich dentist, you can buy love. plus, you'll have no time to baby her ass when you're working 100+ hour weeks as a medical doctor..i'm sure she'll reallllllllly love that you listened to her mom then.
 
MD's/DO's do not necessarily work 100+ hours...and not even in residency these days due to policy changes. A more negative issue is liability (especially insurance) and time commitment. I watched my wife go through residency and that was enough for me to change my mind about medicine (at my age) and focus on dentistry. A big bonus with dentistry is the autonomy of a private practice. If my wife wanted to open her own practice, she would need another partner or a partnership with another MD/DO for call coverage...for me, I like the idea of not being a slave to a beeper.

As for your girlfriend, does her mother bother her about being a lawyer? Why not a MD/DO? Not all lawyers make "bank" unless they sell their soul and go into corporate law.
 
Obviously people aren't reading or they'd see you said HER MOM.
Which doesn't mean you have to dump your gf.

Honestly, I would say something that would put her in her place.
Suggest she goes to med school if she wants a doctor in the family.



Or you can just get it over with and kick her in the head.
 
Tell her either way that you will be placing her in a retirement home first chance you get. 😀
 
hahaha...These have been some hilarious replies. Thanks for the laugh. I pretty much know what to say if and when it boils down to a 'confrontation.'

And ultimately, it is my life and my decision.

I was mostly just curious to see what other people would say / do in my situation or hear about others because I know that other people have felt what I am feeling too. It doesn't help that I was pre-Med for the first two years we were together...but its not like I'm quitting that idea to work at Pizza Hut...I have found a better career that I will enjoy.

Thanks guys!
 
PTbecomingDDS said:
As for your girlfriend, does her mother bother her about being a lawyer? Why not a MD/DO? Not all lawyers make "bank" unless they sell their soul and go into corporate law.
Click to expand...


LOL. This is the field of law which she is pursuing. :laugh: And guess who put that idea in her head??
 
Dentistry or my girlfriend's Mom? which one? you are right tough decision!!! :idea:
 
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your average lawyer doesnt make all that much. A dentist job is guaranteed as there is a demand for them. Finding a job as a lawyer is rough unless u know someone or and in the top of your class
 
I can see your future. Your mother in law will always look down on you.
I hope your girlfriend doesn't have a sister. If she has a sister married to a doctor..........:scared:
 
My vote is don't try to explain to her why you perceive one field is better than the other. Explain to her that you're an adult, it's your life, and you don't particularly care what she thinks about what you choose to do with it or her misconceived notions about one field or the other.

Alternatively you could explain to her that you believe there's a lot more to a career than money, and just because she's chosen to focus her life on it as an accountant doesn't mean that's for everyone. Additionally you could explain to her that she's doing a piss poor job as an accountant if she's looking at 1 figure (total salary) in the absence of any others (working conditions, autonomy, liability, malpractice, hours worked). The top 3 highest paid careers in all of medicine, when ranked by hourly pay, are OMFS, endo and ortho. Hourly, general dentists make about the same amount as dermatologists.
 
Ok, I can't exactly relate, but my mother in law also was very worried and told me so when I told her I was going to dental school. She works for MDs though and said she doesn't understand why I would want to go into ANY PART of the medical field. She was worried about the debt we would take on... my husband and I.

Now I am willing to wager your gf's accountant mother sees more MD paperwork than DDS paperwork because clearly, there are many more MDs. Statistically though, the salaries are very similar when you put GP with GDP and medical specialists (unless they are neurosurgeons, anesthesiologists etc) with dental specialists. Of course as you said...it isn't about the $.

Honestly though, at the end of the day... all you have to worry about is that you and your potential future wife are happy...NOT her mother! You have nothing to prove. I have friends that are in their final years of medical residencies... I feel really bad because they are literally working 24 hr shifts sometimes. I'll take dentistry over that any day. I want freedom... no matter what anyone else thinks. You work hard, you enjoy what you do, money comes and so does happiness... so embrace the criticism. If you are happy, that's what's important.
 
It's now or never. And you aren't going to live forever. You should want to live while you're alive. 'Cause it's your life.

F*ck her. You're going to be a dentist. Apparently $150K-$300K isn't good enough for her? Make sure your girlfriend's mom doesn't see a cent of it. And besides, relationships last longer when the girl's parents hate you haha
 
Tell her she doesn't know WTF she's talking about. Financially, and for lifestyle, dental is the better choice. Plus... who the hell is she to tell you what to do, or to complain about you getting an exceptional professional education?

If your girlfriend becomes your wife one day I'd suspect you're going to have a mother in law from hell.

Best of luck to you.
 
Thanks for the support everyone! I think its amazing how poorly some people view dentists and the career in general.

I know I am making the right choice for me, hopefully I can be successful and shove her face in it down the road!
 
doc3232 said:
Tell her either way that you will be placing her in a retirement home first chance you get. 😀
Click to expand...


I agree 🙂

Do it with a smile on your face...Mrs. Gold-digger..don't you worry, no matter which profession I choose, I will make sure to keep some money in the bank for your monthly retirement home payment.

Or you could just distance yourself from that whole family. I like that idea best.
 
Just tell her, what is important is that you <3 her daughter and will do what it takes to keep her happy... and it really isn't that important, how you make the money as long as you do and you're happy doing it... (of course it has to be legal and what not, but still...)
 
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Kick her in the knee, poke her in the eye, call her an old Hag, and tell her to do her homework before she opens her mouth :meanie: lol. Better yet, do yours and make her feel stupid for even getting into your business in the first place. Medicine aint what it used to be, and there is a million ways to prove it. lol.😀 I have had this type of argument with a lot of people, and its my favorite. Have fun! Get her to do this to you by the end...:bow:.
 
I have tons of MD and DDS relatives. Ironically, all my MD uncles tell their sons/daughters to NOT become MD and all my DDS uncles tell their sons/daughters to become DDS. That tells you something right.
 
doc3232 said:
Tell her either way that you will be placing her in a retirement home first chance you get. 😀
Click to expand...


Indeed, off her funds.

Never let a woman, especially their mother, controll you. I wonder why she cares so much? This ain't India
 
She keeps going on about it because you haven't shut her up yet. You don't have to be disrespectful about it but when it comes to in laws its important to draw that line. Otherwise if you stay with your girl it will continue for the rest of your life... FUN TIMES for you! 🙄
 
GT Dental said:
Hey Everyone,

I have a situation that is annoying me right now. I am going to be a junior but anyways, my girlfriends (of almost 3 years) mother keeps bugging me and telling me I am making a huge mistake going into dentistry and not medicine. She says that I am taking the 'easy way out' ha.....Probably a normal situation for some..

This is not about my decision: I am set on Dental and love the field and am excited to eventually be a part of it. My stats are good for both fields, I AM NOT SETTLING!!

I just need to know what to say to shut this person up!!! I have told them why I like the field, etc. but this person is an accountant and only talks about how she sees that doctors make so much more money than dentists. I REALLY DONT CARE!!!!!!!

Let me know what you would say, or I should, before I get arrested for assault! :meanie:

It really is getting to the point where I can't stand to be at their house..
Click to expand...

Hi there,

Well it appears that your GF is ill informed about dentistry income or she cares about her future wife "status" (ie. physician's versus dentist's wife) or both. Since she drives you nuts, time to bail out sez I. DP
 
Californian said:
tell your gf's mom that dentist is a doctor also lol!
Click to expand...

Please pre-dents, remember that every time you make this argument, in my opinion you make yourself look naive. People know that dentists are "doctors", in that they have achieved the highest degree in their field and treat patients with that knowledge medically and surgically.

What dentists are not, are MD bearing physicians, for which the term "doctor" is applied by the majority of the American public. Bickering with people that "dentists are doctors too" is petty.
 
I'm hoping to get into dental school and eventually be a dentist. Anyway, I have a friend who is a physician and probably works about 60 hours a week, often on the weekends and he is often on call. That disrupts many of their family activities and evenings and weekends in general.

So my friend and his wife keep telling me how smart a choice dentistry is from the perspective of your wife and family life. I'm looking forward to 37.5 hours a week and weekends off! And so is my wife!!!

Family life is generally better for dentists and $$ is comparable or even better in many cases. Figure the $/hour. I think your GF's mom must be hung up on some bizarre status thing. Ridiculous.
 
DrReo said:
Indeed, off her funds.

Never let a woman, especially their mother, controll you. I wonder why she cares so much? This ain't India
Click to expand...

Sorry but what do you mean by that?
 
For a while, I was caught up on impressing people and prestige. Then I realized, there are prestigious people in nearly every field. It's what you do with the opportunities presented to you.

But do remember (I am not at ALL suggesting you dump your girl)... when you marry the girl, you get her family as well. Then again, I was kind of intimidated by my mother in law for a while and now, 3 years into marriage... I think she is AMAZING. I love her and I get the sense she REALLY likes me too 😉
 
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I agree with Doc3232. Put that naggy old lady in a nursing home as soon as you can. I always tell my grandma if she doesn't help me out with cash while I'm in school that I'll throw her into a bad nursing home and make sure she gets bed sores. She always tells me to shut up and "drink bleach." Grandmas are sweet..
 
Honestly...I hate to admit it, but this is a GOOD preview of the future. From your post, you seem like you have a good head on your shoulders and know what you want. You seem to be pursuing this career path for the right reasons and despite your best efforts, your girlfriend's mom STILL can't see past the shallowness of prestige and money? If you guys have been together 3 years, it is probably serious, right? IF you decide to marry your gf, you also marry the FAMILY as well. If this girl's mother already feels she can butt into the personal decision of YOUR career choice, what's next? If you guys get married I have a feeling she will feel she has a RIGHT to have a say in all other aspects of YOUR life...anything from child rearing to perhaps how you scramble your eggs in the morning. I honestly don't think anything you do or say to this lady will change anything, unfortunately. I wish you luck!
 
bustedgrill said:
I agree with Doc3232. Put that naggy old lady in a nursing home as soon as you can. I always tell my grandma if she doesn't help me out with cash while I'm in school that I'll throw her into a bad nursing home and make sure she gets bed sores. She always tells me to shut up and "drink bleach." Grandmas are sweet..
Click to expand...

LOL... What a good relationship! I haven't spoken to my grandma in a LONG time... maybe I should call her. Thanks for the reminder (though she doesn't really even remember who I am... dementia and all).
 
Do I smell a potential overbearing in laws? Be careful you might end up in the Dr. Phil Show.
 
People like this will not change unless they can discover something new for themselves. Nothing you can say will change her views- it's depressing really - her values are too strong.

She is an accountant and has had experience with DDS's and MD's. Ask her if she can talk to them for you instead of staring at their bank statements. Say it nicely. If DDS is what its all cracked up to be, the feedback she will get from them will change her mind.
 
Too few people know it (surprisingly even dentists themselves), but dentistry is becoming much more competitive (in terms of GPA, DAT scores, # of applicants and more well-rounded applicant pool all esp in last 5, 6 years). Some top dental schools have higher GPA averages than most med schools even! But the biggest increases in GPA in some schools can be seen in the past 5, 6 years including pittsburg who went from a 3.3-ish in 2003 to almost 3.7 last year. Most people are ignorant to the ever-so changing field of dentistry and have a stigma that dentists are not as competent as med students, that they are "med school rejects" (gotta admit there's a little bit of truth to that even to this day, but more so in the past), and that dental school is much easier. It's a cold-hard fact that med school admission is more difficult and for all those that think the DAT ripped a new a-hole, entertain your gluteus maximus by taking the MCAT. But all in all, the dental field needs more respect than it receives. Dentists just don't drill and fill holes, they do more than that. I have to say though, that I, too, was ignorant like your future (hmmm, i wonder...) mother-in-law until someone bitch slapped me in the face. So maybe that'll work on her. I've made a full 180 since then and now dentistry has become my passion. Besides, the world is never gonna be perfect hence there'll always be ignorant people for you to swing at.
 
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Sometimes (and grandparents are notrious for this) family members act like they can't remember who you are. The usually tell your parents that they have trouble remembering and they "feel a little fuzzy in the head." My grandma tried doing this to me. You know what I did? I didn't remember to feed her dog when she went out of town. Opps! Its a big mind game. She forgets your name and then you have to take action.

No really- try this out in some of your classes. Ask the kid next to you what he is going to school for. "I wanna be a doctor." While predents want to be dentists. Fine by me. Let them have their fancy titles and a bunch of letters behind their names. I only need 3 DDS or DMD. They can have the crazy 100 hour work weeks that goes along with all their cool letters.

No offense to any MDs or DOs or MD F.A.A.P or DO F.A.A.P or any other docs with a bunch of letters in thier name. The offense is directed at people who bash people who work their a@@s off who are trying to become dentists.
 
There are several with DDS, MD, MBA, JD. Or drop the JD, and through in a PhD. I think they don't know what they want in life.
 
GT Dental said:
Lol yea...well thats whats ironic because my girlfriend is going to an unbelievable school and will be going to law school aka she will eventually be making bank as well....i think its the "prestige" factor like her mom doesn't think a dentist is honorable or whatever...
Click to expand...
Ugh...and a lawyer is? I have a very hard time reminding myself that there are good lawyers in this world that aren't consistent with the Johnny Cochran's, John Edwards' or the class action lawsuit lawyers always putting out ridiculous commercials, etc.

Dentists, hygienists, etc, are very respectable health professionals. AND, you dentists will get the pay of many MD's (or more if you're a good business person) with a 9-5 lifestyle.

OP: Deposit your shoe in the lady's sigmoid colon. Retract foot, leaving shoe in position, and suture. /end
 
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What you can always say is that you would rather glove for an oral rather than for a hernia or prostate exam.
 
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The good thing is that it is only in the US that this BS about dental school are for people who couldn't make it to med school has been going. In some other countries they give you the same respect as an MD.
 
blankguy said:
The good thing is that it is only in the US that this BS about dental school are for people who couldn't make it to med school has been going. In some other countries they give you the same respect as an MD.
Click to expand...

This only happened in the US since Seinfeld actually 😉 Not only are dentists med school drop outs, but Podiatrists... forget it. All credibility in that field was lost when EVEN George Costanza got into DPM school! America is just too fixated on prime time! Somehow a fake character who never applied to any professional program in reality altered their image in the states. Amazing! Oh, and thanks to that show as well... Vets > MDs
 
This just goes to show you that being single wins out sometimes 🙂
 
no drama 😎
i mean i've survived pretty well with minimal drama
 
So, your girlfriend's mother is an "anti-denti"😀
 
Yeah her mom needs to stay out of your life. A suggestion is one thing, but harassing you about your career decisions is not within her rights. I'd imagine you would give more weight to your family or even your girlfriend than her.

My girlfriend's mother had the same deal. She was ignorant and didn't know anything about pharmacy- she kept pushing me to become a physicians assistant because she thought they get paid more! I didn't understand why I was getting flack from her while my family and girlfriend fully supported me! So what I did was I made a list of my top 21 reasons on why I wanted to become a pharmacist and left it on her fridge to read. It was a light-hearted, informative note, but it was serious enough to convey that I'm not changing my career...and I think she got the picture. She hasn't said anything negative since and supports my decision to go into pharmacy.

I think I understand a little why mothers like these are pushy; they just want a good future for their daughters. But I don't think their wishes should ever change your plan. Open up a practice and become rich, that'll shut her up lol!
 
SugarNaCl said:
This only happened in the US since Seinfeld actually 😉 Not only are dentists med school drop outs, but Podiatrists... forget it. All credibility in that field was lost when EVEN George Costanza got into DPM school! America is just too fixated on prime time! Somehow a fake character who never applied to any professional program in reality altered their image in the states. Amazing! Oh, and thanks to that show as well... Vets > MDs
Click to expand...

Haha, so true!

Remember that one movie Good Luck Chuck where Chuck was a dentist and his buddy was a plastic surgeon. Someone interviewed Chuck and asked him what made him decide to become a dentist and he said "Like everyone else, I couldn't make it into medical school." :laugh: It makes me laugh as a pre-med, especially because I know the truth of the situation. Dental school is quickly becoming almost as competitive as MD school. And, I honestly wish I wanted to be a dentist... you're all going to have a much better lifestyle. I just don't think its for me.
 
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