MD to DDS?

[LR6SO4]

Hi,
I am a second year med student who has just about had it with medicine. I like the science, I like the patients. The training and lifestyle is not me. The AMA is so liberal that nationalized healthcare will be here in about 6 years. Salaries are going down, hours are insane. I want to help people on my own terms...so that leads me to my next part.

My girlfriend just graduated from Dental Hygiene school so I now have insight into the profession of dentistry, at least from a hygiene viewpoint. The job is awesome! We hang out with the dentists and they are just so cool. Totally different from doctors, so much more laid back. They like their work very much, they have Friday afternoons off, they DO THINGS!!! When was the last time you heard of an MD doing something fun?

I want to get the MD degree. I've worked my butt off to get here and stay here and I am doing well. I do not want to practice medicine. Are dental schools open to this? How long would it take for someone with the MD to get a DDS? I know that dentistry is taught somewhat similarly but with dental technique introduced from the start. I'm guessing 3-4 years? I believe that the basic sciences would all transfer. Has anyone heard of this happening? By the way, I am only interested in general practice, but would this give me an edge on an oral surgery residency? How about an oral residency without the DDS, like a DDS goes into one and gets an MD, can I go into one and get the DDS?
Thanks!!

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[groundhog]

Praise be to God,

The angels rejoice whenever the wayward elite come to their senses and return to the fold.

 

[jubei0766]

Dear MD to DDS: Just curious...how many hours does a doctor have to work in a week(more than 40 hours)? I actually talked to a physican who told me that being a doctor is such a stressful job that you need to have a hobby to relieve stress. Plus, can you please elaborate more about stuff that is going to happen in healthcare(in 6 years)?

 

[Salman20001]

so LR6SO4,

are ya kidding me? But in your thread on "AMSA and resident work hours", I thought you liked and were a strong proponent of the excessively long hours of doctors (otherwise it would, supposedly, hamper your learning goals )...just kidding, nice to know that you are beginning to think like the most of us (hey if everyone agreed on everything, this would be a pretty boring place to live in )......

Getting back to your question.....before you make a switch to DDS from MD, just think about the following (please note that I am trying to be as unbiased as possible)...

you mentioned that dentists were so cool and stuff...I mean really the grass always looks greener on the other side...once you get into the profession I assure you that you are guaranteed to run into some UNcool dentists..so this should never be a factor when deciding on a switch.

All dentists, just like all MDs do NOT like their jobs...There are a lot of dentists who complain of a lack of patient appreciation and after a while they get tired of looking at somebody's mouth all day (obviously these people are in the wrong field)

New dentists hardly ever get to determine their hours, let alone decide on having fridays OFF...after years in the field, both MDs and dentist can have a say in their hours...I don't think anyone can force you to work more than you want to, especially as a medical doctor...I mean there are a lot of places so desperate for a doctor that they will try to put up with your desired schedule..(of course, just like in dentistry there will be a financial implication for that)..My aunt is an MD and she works only 3 days and makes money that is sufficient according to her...but yes, overall, dentist might have a slight advantage of better hours that MDs...In terms of salary, the salary of dentist could easily go down due to reasons beyond their control...there really isn't that much of a shortage of dentists and therefore, any time you have a dip in the demographics you could potentially have a surplus of dentists...of course that is a very unlikely scenario, but believe me there are a lot of issues out there that could potentially severly lower the income of a dentist

In terms of going from MD to DDS, yes you will most likely have to apply fresh to a dental school and go through the usual cycle..however, I am pretty sure some school might even give you an advanced standing in dental school since some schools' dental and medical curriculum are similar in the beginning...This route has been done by students before and the best people to really ask is the school's admission committee itself..

Just remember, it always looks like the other side is much better until you get in it...I mean there must be some reason as to why DDS students switch to MD. I'm pretty sure its not the long hours or HMO that is luring them to an MD, but instead there could be some other intangibles that DDS does not offer...You made a statement: "I do not want to practice medicine"...now that's a pretty strong statement and you might want to take some more time to internally examine why you came to that stance...

At the end of the day, you must be comfortable with your decision and that really is all that matters...

 

[LR6SO4]

Thanks. I think I was just freaking out and venting...I'm better now, exams are here and well ya know. I'm gonna stick with the MD, after I get it who knows whether I'll practice or what it will be. I do know that work will not be my life in any field. You DDS's do have a tough job, regardless of hours (talked thru it more with the gf regarding her job). But the idea of 120 hour weeks for 5 years of residency just doesn't fit with me.

As for my comments on the residency work hours legislation...I am a die-hard fetus savin', gun totin', GW lovin' Republican. Anytime the government gets involved in medicine is bad. As to where the future of medicine is going, easy enough. I am an optimist but lets face it, Bush barely got elected this time out. This war will die out soon and so will his popularity as he is absolutely loathed by the media and the general public believes what is on TV. Hillary's got a shot at prez in 04. Nationalized health care is going to be a reality!

Dentistry is saved however, even now it is the one last place where you can totally set your own terms for patients and still do well. Fee for service only, fine, people will come and see you. In medicine this is few and far between though it does happen. I guess this was my initial attraction to the field, total control of my own practice. No medicaid for non-emergency procedures. MDs can't do that. By the way, there were a few of us in my class last year who were seriously going to leave med school if Gore got elected and apply to dental school! It was a close one, but dentistry will always be immune to nationalized health care. You can always just hang out a sign and take cash only. Thanks again and best of luck!

 

[jhf]

LR6SO4;

I have to disagree, for the most part, with the previous posts that expouse the grass is always greener rule. The rewards vs. sacrifice between the two professions are quite different. In my experience, people content with their profession chose a career path that parallels their character. Your apparent lack of enthusiasm for both the practice of medicine (ie. the daily balance between politics, economics, and the ever marginilized art of patient care) and your medical collegues suggests to me that dentistry may be an appropriate field to consider. Many dentists chose their career paths based on the very considerations you have mentioned (I am one of them).

Many dental schools look favourably upon MD's who want to switch careers (I knew a few MD's in my dental school who switched to dentisry both after medical school and after residency). I believe that most dental schools would grant you advanced standing for the 1st two years, leaving you two years of clinical/didactics to finish your training. Also, I think you will find that many 6 year Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residencies would welcome you into their programs (you would most likeley start out the program finishing the last 2 years of dental school, then complete the 4 year OMFS curiculum).

I hope this helps.

 

[CattleDogLover]

Praise be to God,

The angels rejoice whenever the wayward elite come to their senses and return to the fold.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

Epic necrobump.

Didn't even notice at first until someone started talking about electing Gore.

 

[AdamAustin]

I am really very much impressed after reading this thread

 

[Silent Cool]

OP, what did you end up doing?

 

[periopocket]

If I was in medical school and like aspects of dentistry I would do Ear, Nose, Throat - that field is legit!

 

[shulk]

OP, what did you end up doing?

OP is probably long gone.... his post history indicates that he decided to stick out med school. He's probably either an attending now or he joined a militia in Montana.

 

[Silent Cool]

If I was in medical school and like aspects of dentistry I would do Ear, Nose, Throat - that field is legit!

Yeah but ENT is a VERY tough match. Ophtho would probably be better--"eye dentists"--but that, too, is also tough to match.

 

[jigabodo]

Dear MD to DDS: Just curious...how many hours does a doctor have to work in a week(more than 40 hours)? I actually talked to a physican who told me that being a doctor is such a stressful job that you need to have a hobby to relieve stress. Plus, can you please elaborate more about stuff that is going to happen in healthcare(in 6 years)?

I am doing a rotation with internal medicine and the residents get 4 days off a month, including weekends. They typically show up around 6-7 am to pre-round. I am not sure when they get off but they are always there when I leave at 5 pm. I would guess that they probably work upwards of 70-80 hours a week.

Now, I can't speak for other specialties but in gengeral, physicians have pretty rough schedules, much tougher than us dentists.

 

[Sublimazing]

I am doing a rotation with internal medicine and the residents get 4 days off a month, including weekends. They typically show up around 6-7 am to pre-round. I am not sure when they get off but they are always there when I leave at 5 pm. I would guess that they probably work upwards of 70-80 hours a week.

Now, I can't speak for other specialties but in gengeral, physicians have pretty rough schedules, much tougher than us dentists.

Yea, medicine rotation hurts in a big way...but that's just residency...those hours aren't maintained after intern year/residency...and then their pay and hours become signicifantly more appealing