J.D. vs D.D.S

[ucla2134]

Which carreer has more prestige?
Don't blame me! I'm studying for DAT and i'm incredibly stressed. If i heard D.D.S>>>J.D. , it might take my stress away.
Reason is that some of my friends went off to law school and turn their back on me. 🙁

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[dat_student]

Which carreer has more prestige?
Don't blame me! I'm studying for DAT and i'm incredibly stressed. If i heard D.D.D>>>J.D. , it might take my stress away.
Reason is that some of my friends went off to law school and turn their back on me. 🙁

DDS is definitely better...

 

[2quik]

speaking of J.D., Howll come no one ever calls them "Dr.'s"....?

 

[uesider]

I have friends studying for the Bar Exam... believe me, it's even worse than studying for the DAT. And when you're done with the Bar, you work 12-hour days and do the grunt work for a few years. I'd pick dentistry any day, but it's all up to you. Both are very good, rewarding, and lucrative careers. Just don't go into law because you think it's "easy", because I can guarantee it's not!

 

[jfitzpat]

Which carreer has more prestige?
Don't blame me! I'm studying for DAT and i'm incredibly stressed. If i heard D.D.S>>>J.D. , it might take my stress away.
Reason is that some of my friends went off to law school and turn their back on me. 🙁

This is probably not the most impartial forum for your question. Lawyers probably carry more "prestige", but dentists carry more respect. You don't see any TV shows about dentists, but if you asked some guy off the street who he'd rather have watch his kid, I bet he wouldn't pick the lawyer. That being said, I quit being an attorney to attend dental school because I think it will be a more rewarding career that will afford me a better lifestyle. Attorneys work long hours doing boring work that often leads to questions about their moral character. I think the only real misconception is people thinking that because law school is easy (and trust me, it is easy, don't let your law school buddies tell you any different) that being an attorney is easy. This is not true at all. I found being a lawyer mentally challenging, but like I said, rather boring.

Can't say I miss it...

 

[blasterx]

This is probably not the most impartial forum for your question. Lawyers probably carry more "prestige", but dentists carry more respect. You don't see any TV shows about dentists, but if you asked some guy off the street who he'd rather have watch his kid, I bet he wouldn't pick the lawyer. That being said, I quit being an attorney to attend dental school because I think it will be a more rewarding career that will afford me a better lifestyle. Attorneys work long hours doing boring work that often leads to questions about their moral character. I think the only real misconception is people thinking that because law school is easy that being an attorney is easy. This is not true at all. I found being a lawyer mentally challenging, but like I said, rather boring.

Can't say I miss it...

Thanks for your input. Doesn't the difficulty of being an attorney depend on what field of law one goes into?

 

[jfitzpat]

Thanks for your input. Doesn't the difficulty of being an attorney depend on what field of law one goes into?

That is a very good point. You could try only DUI cases and become so proficient that you would run on autopilot all day (yawn). I was in commercial bank litigation, which is fairly complex. The problem is that it wasn't interesting in the least. I know some guys who just love reading a hundred page contract and analyzing every single word of it. I found out that I'm definitely not one of them.

 

[DDSY]

Take a look at these two links:

Best careers 2007: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/best_careers_2007/careertable.htm

Most overrated careers 2007:
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/061218/18overrated.intro.htm

Hope this helps

 

[DrSmiles12]

Your asking a bunch of predents, I think we only would say DDS

 

[Yah-E]

I have friends studying for the Bar Exam... believe me, it's even worse than studying for the DAT.

Bar exams' intensity for Law students is more equivalent to our NBDE Part 1 + 2, the DAT definitely does not compare to Bars (DAT = LSAT). The DAT may be a mountain to climb for some of you, but it's merely an exam. Wait until you get to NBDE Part 1!

Even more worse it's the USMLE Step 1! USMLE Step 1 is 1,000 times more difficult than the NBDE Part 1! Believe me, I'm studying for this sh1t right now!

 

[diagnodent]

Bar exams are much more difficult than NBDE. I didn't study for NBDE 2 and passed. If you don't study for the bar you have no chance.

 

[tony24]

How do you guys know that the Barr exam is more difficult than the NBDE? Did you guys take both exams or did you hear that from your friends? I have some friends in dental school who say the NBDE part 2 makes the DAT look like a game of Candyland. I think both lines of work are difficult but it is much easier to get into law school than dental school. And because of that, it should carry more prestige.

 

[DDSY]

I think both lines of work are difficult but it is much easier to get into law school than dental school. And because of that, it should carry more prestige.

I agree with you, to the extent that there are tons of law schools. However, the top law schools are still much harder to get into than any dental school.

 

[jfitzpat]

I think both lines of work are difficult but it is much easier to get into law school than dental school. And because of that, it should carry more prestige.

You sound just like a med student justifying why physicians are better than dentists. It isn't about how hard it is to get into school, but about the work you do after school. Both are prestigious professions. Lawyers are more high profile in terms of visability, while dentists pursue a noble cause. You can pick your poison from there.

 

[Phishfood]

speaking of J.D., Howll come no one ever calls them "Dr.'s"....?

because they're esquires.

 

[Mahaveer]

If you do what you like, you'll excel at it and get prestige. There are dentists who work with NGOs that have a lot more respect than a lawyer working out of a small dingy office. There are also dentists who work out of a small private practice are less prestigious than a lawyer that works for the UN or a corporate lawyer. Its all relative. Having one degree over another wont get you any prestige.

 

[diane07]

Why are you asking this on a pre-dental forum? Almost everyone on here prefers dentistry. If you asked on a pre-law forum they'd vote for their specialty.

Best to make up your own mind. Prestige alone probably won't be enough motivation to get you through 4 years of rigorous dental school.

Who you are as a person will be the deciding factor on how much respect you command. You wouldn't have much prestige in either profession if you weren't good at what you did.

 

[ucla2134]

Per my friend who graduated from law school . . . you can get into law school easily enough but it's competitive to get into the really good law schools. Lawyers are across the spectrum in range of salary.

Why are you asking this on a pre-dental forum? Almost everyone on here prefers dentistry. If you asked on a pre-law forum they'd vote for their specialty.

Best to make up your own mind. Besides, prestige alone probably won't be enough motivation to get you through 4 years of rigorous dental school.

Sorry for all the confusion. I have never considered law . Like i said i was studying for DAT and i need something to take my stress away and only predent forum helped me that.

 

[denticus]

What would you say to an MD who said that dentists shouldn't even be considered doctors? I personally would say he's ignorant. I had a friend last year that applied to med school and den school, got rejected from every den school, and accepted to 3 med schools. MCAT-30 / DAT-20

 

[Regmata]

I took the LSAT and the DAT. I would say that the DAT is definetly harder...although it is knowledge based where the LSAT really isn't. I was accepted into both law school and dental school (at different times). I chose not to go into law.

It wasn't just that law books bore me, that the amount of paperwork that lawyers must do sounds awful, that the hours worked by lawyers are often absurd or that the compensation isn't all it is cracked up to be...it was also that I personally feel the career isn't as prestigous anymore. Ambulance chasing attornerys and other morally questionable law practices have lessened the credibility of lawyers in my opinion. Lawyers are also a dime a dozen.

Don't get me wrong, I realize that there are many great, moral attorneys out there (probably the majority of them). I understand the importance of the law, amending new laws, checks and balances and protecting people from one another, the government and corporations in legal disputes. I just found dentistry to be more stimulating, more prestigous and to offer a better life style.

 

[OceanBlue]

DDS is better. More people know what DDS is than JD. My sister is a JD and I know I'm better than her 😛

 

[OceanBlue]

yep! i concur!

Bar exams' intensity for Law students is more equivalent to our NBDE Part 1 + 2

What makes it hard is that many dental students are trying to get top % so we can specialize. There is no way an average law school is harder than an average dental school.

 

[SugarNaCl]

How can you compare the 2 professions? They are NOTHING alike. Either you like law, or you like the health professions. I can see the debate between med/dent/pod, but I can't see dent/law at ALL. Maybe you just need to decide what you would like to do with your life first. I prefer DDS. My best friend is a lawyer. Physicians, dentists and lawyers are probably the 3 most prestig. professions... oh and engineers, teachers of some sorts are up there too.

 

[lgwdnbdgr]

speaking of J.D., Howll come no one ever calls them "Dr.'s"....?

Because they charge by the word to listen to you. Adding extra titles to their names just costs you. That's why people don't use Judge Judy's last name, or even say the complete last name of the Dersh. They just can't afford it.

That's my theory, at least.

 

[OceanBlue]

There are people who like to compare/contrast things and there are people who just like to leave 'em where they are

How can you compare the 2 professions? They are NOTHING alike. Either you like law, or you like the health professions. I can see the debate between med/dent/pod, but I can't see dent/law at ALL. Maybe you just need to decide what you would like to do with your life first. I prefer DDS. My best friend is a lawyer. Physicians, dentists and lawyers are probably the 3 most prestig. professions... oh and engineers, teachers of some sorts are up there too.

 

[2quik]

one thing is for certain d.d.s.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>pharmd 👍

 

[DDSY]

one thing is for certain d.d.s.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>pharmd 👍

Don't post this on the pharm forums. >>>>>>>>>>>

 

[ucla2134]

one thing is for certain d.d.s.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>pharmd 👍

OH nooo, BE prepare for pre-pharm attack!!!!!