Let's Compare Healthcare Fields

[NotonaRoll Cole]

---

Members don't see this ad.

This would be extremely helpful to underclassmen or those or of us still on the fence. I think it is about time that we start a thread and accumulate as much knowledge as possible about all the pros and cons of the different fields of healthcare.

Some fields to compare:

Medicine
Dentistry
Pharmacy
Podiatry
Optometry
Vets

Looking back at a lot of the threads from the residency and attending section, and in speaking to a ton of well respected physicians at my med school they have all adviced to really look at ALL of your options before committing to any profession. I think if some students really knew more about what was out there, they could really think about their decision and never look back on their decision with regret.

If a mod could open this thread to every pre-X (pre-dent, pre-pharm, etc) on this website, I think it would be really helpful if every group of students got involved in this.

 

[NotonaRoll Cole]

This is just an example, but if everyone could use the same format it would make the thread easier to read and post:

Field: Dentistry

Pros: 1) Ability to specialize (endo, OMFS, Ortho, etc...)
2) Ability to go cash-only, some immunity from the horrors of insurances and Obamacare
3) Work only 30-40 hours a week and be your own boss
4) Hefty salary. General dentists make comparable salaries to GP and many specialties in Medicine (ie Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Medicine). Specialists in Dentistry make salaries comparable to the upper specialties in surgery (OMFS comparable to Orthopedics and Cardio).

Cons: 1) I guess looking in people's mouth all day (maybe not your thing)
2) Push of dental hygenists? Kinda of like Dr. Nurses with their certificates.
3) Corporate or retail dentistry....see SEARS dental
4) Possible Insurance cutbacks and Midlevel payouts
5) The economy will likely dictate your profits

 

[LuciusVorenus]

I can already sense it coming...

 

[WNT Signaling]

This is just an example, but if everyone could use the same format it would make the thread easier to read and post:

Field: Dentistry

Pros: 1) Ability to specialize (endo, OMFS, Ortho, etc...)
2) Ability to go cash-only, some immunity from the horrors of insurances and Obamacare
3) Work only 30-40 hours a week and be your own boss
4) Hefty salary. General dentists make comparable salaries to GP and many specialties in Medicine (ie Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Medicine). Specialists in Dentistry make salaries comparable to the upper specialties in surgery (OMFS comparable to Orthopedics and Cardio).

Cons: 1) I guess looking in people's mouth all day (maybe not your thing)
2) Push of dental hygenists? Kinda of like Dr. Nurses with their certificates.
3) Corporate or retail dentistry....see SEARS dental
4) Possible Insurance cutbacks and Midlevel payouts
5) The economy will likely dictate your profits

Dentistry

Cons:
1. More expensive than med school
2. If you do a residency, you have to pay tuition

 

[curlytop]

I wonder if ColeOnTheRoll has had the opportunity to chat with you, OP?

 

[bold text]

No

 

[morning]

The pros and cons of all of these are the same. More free time, great money for the amount of schooling, have the ability to make an impact on peoples' lives. Less respect, less knowledge. Except the dentist, which is a really cushy gig a lot of people love...the con there is you have to dig around in peoples' dirty, nasty mouths

Respect seems to be a huge thing in healthcare fields. I don't know why. You rarely hear of people in other fields complaining that their coworkers and the population at large doesn't respect them, but it seems to be a real issue in healthcare, from the doctors to the nurses to the dietitians to the laboratory scientists. They all complain on their forums that no one respects them. So it's something to think about, I guess.

 

[orthomyxo]

No

👍

This is pre-allo, meaning the vast majority of us are not on the fence and have decided to try for MD and DO schools.

 

[Innulja]

Dentistry

Cons:
1. More expensive than med school
2. If you do a residency, you have to pay tuition

Wrong, all the hospital based residencies and even some universities pay salaries.

 

[ILikeDrugs]

You forgot veterinary medicine.


Oh yeah, don't forget chiropractor. Maybe the first should be changed to "medicine/chiropractor". 😉

 

[LuciusVorenus]

I wonder if ColeOnTheRoll has had the opportunity to chat with you, OP?

Maybe it's a poorly conceived alias :O

 

[WNT Signaling]

Wrong, all the hospital based residencies and even some universities pay salaries.

I didn't look at the non-academic residencies, but almost all of the academic ones still charge tuition, and for the periodontics programs, the stipends looks measly compared to physician residency stipends http://www.aapd.org/training/ http://www.perio.org/education/us.html

 

[Innulja]

page 54-76, will give you more of an idea http://www.ada.org/sections/professionalResources/pdfs/survey_advanced_ed.pdf
Sure there are programs where you pay more tuition then you get from stipend, mainly ortho. But if you want a program that doesn't charge tuition and pays you stipend you will always find one. It may not be the easiest program to get into so you will have to work hard but it's very doable.
I'm not trying to argue with you or anything it's just that your first statement was just very misleading so I hope this cleared things out🙂!
Good luck!

 

[WNT Signaling]

page 54-76, will give you more of an idea http://www.ada.org/sections/professionalResources/pdfs/survey_advanced_ed.pdf
Sure there are programs where you pay more tuition then you get from stipend, mainly ortho. But if you want a program that doesn't charge tuition and pays you stipend you will always find one. It may not be the easiest program to get into so you will have to work hard but it's very doable.
I'm not trying to argue with you or anything it's just that your first statement was just very misleading so I hope this cleared things out🙂!
Good luck!

No, you're right, it was misleading: I only clicked the few residency programs near the top, and they all charged tuition, and had I looked at more of them, I would have realized that some do not charge tuition and give a stipend

 

[TexasFight]

page 54-76, will give you more of an idea http://www.ada.org/sections/professionalResources/pdfs/survey_advanced_ed.pdf
Sure there are programs where you pay more tuition then you get from stipend, mainly ortho. But if you want a program that doesn't charge tuition and pays you stipend you will always find one. It may not be the easiest program to get into so you will have to work hard but it's very doable.
I'm not trying to argue with you or anything it's just that your first statement was just very misleading so I hope this cleared things out🙂!
Good luck!

No, you're right, it was misleading: I only clicked the few residency programs near the top, and they all charged tuition, and had I looked at more of them, I would have realized that some do not charge tuition and give a stipend

😱 I am amazed at how well this debate was resolved. Almost any other thread on SDN would have crumbled. 👍 to both of you

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Haha
Banned.
I lol'ed

 

[Slack3r]

Except the dentist, which is a really cushy gig a lot of people love...the con there is you have to dig around in peoples' dirty, nasty mouths .

Yes, I would much rather perform a DRE than an oral exam. 🙄

Or a pelvic exam...