Medical(MD) vs. Dental School

[th1nk]

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Can anyone give me some pros/cons of each?

How competitive is Med vs. Dental school?
I know the pre-req classes are the same, and I've heard conflicting accounts about the competitiveness of one vs. the other (I've heard from one source that Dent schools are just as competitive and from others that it is easier)

What about the lifestyle differences, salary differences?

Is it easy to get as easy to get a job for a dentist as is it is for a doctor?

BTW, I'm posting this in both Pre-dent & Pre-med threads, unless mods have a problem with this, so if anyone wants to see the general consensus, they should check both threads.

 

[Reticent]

Both are hard to get into.

General dentists average $156,850, Family Practioners average $168,550, specialists make more (source: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm ).

Anecdotally, dentists don't have to put in as many hours, but doctors have more chance to focus on things they find interesting.

Pursue whatever it is you're going to enjoy most though. The types of questions you're asking are probably going to lead you into a career you regret having chosen.

 

[slammer922]

Can anyone give me some pros/cons of each?

How competitive is Med vs. Dental school?
I know the pre-req classes are the same, and I've heard conflicting accounts about the competitiveness of one vs. the other (I've heard from one source that Dent schools are just as competitive and from others that it is easier)

What about the lifestyle differences, salary differences?

Is it easy to get as easy to get a job for a dentist as is it is for a doctor?

BTW, I'm posting this in both Pre-dent & Pre-med threads, unless mods have a problem with this, so if anyone wants to see the general consensus, they should check both threads.

Please th1nk and search before posting

 

[th1nk]

Please th1nk and search before posting

that would be clever a clever comment if I didn't already do this. 👎

 

[jdok]

This search link should work

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/search.php?searchid=15570768

 

[slammer922]

This search link should work

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/search.php?searchid=15570768

Oh did you? 👍

 

[ilikepancakes]

try shadowing both. i'm starting med school in the fall and my brother is doing dental school apps this summer. we shadowed the same CT surgeon and i left thinking that i didn't want to do anything else while my brother immediately started looking for anything else. he couldn't handle standing for 12 hours so he found an oral surgeon to shadow and loved the 9-4 (4x week) hours and 15 minute wisdom teeth extractions. to each their own

 

[raltima07]

I shadowed a dentist an found it wasn't for me....+1 on the shadowing

 

[Salmon1]

Wow, you are so wrong with those figures. Check the ADA.

 

[cowme]

Can anyone give me some pros/cons of each?

How competitive is Med vs. Dental school?
I know the pre-req classes are the same, and I've heard conflicting accounts about the competitiveness of one vs. the other (I've heard from one source that Dent schools are just as competitive and from others that it is easier)

What about the lifestyle differences, salary differences?

Is it easy to get as easy to get a job for a dentist as is it is for a doctor?

BTW, I'm posting this in both Pre-dent & Pre-med threads, unless mods have a problem with this, so if anyone wants to see the general consensus, they should check both threads.

competitiveness:
Dental school is easier to get into than med school. Whoever told you otherwise may have had a hard time getting into dental school, but overall, med school is way harder to get into.

Length of training:
Dentist: 4 years
Doctor:7-10 years (med school + residency)

Salary:
Doctors other than family practitioners, most docs make around twice as much as the average dentist


Lifestyle:
Dentists work way less hours than the average doctor

Job availability: not sure about dentists, but never a problem in medicine

 

[Reticent]

Wow, you are so wrong with those figures. Check the ADA.

Whose figures are you refering to?

The ones I cite are coming from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which bases their numbers off of what employers report to the Federal government.

 

[armorshell]

Salary:
Doctors other than family practitioners, most docs make around twice as much as the average dentist


Lifestyle:
Dentists work way less hours than the average doctor

Job availability: not sure about dentists, but never a problem in medicine

General dentistry, on an hourly pay basis, compensates roughly the same as dermatology. Also, on an hourly basis, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry and oral and maxillofacial surgery are compensated higher than any medical profession.

 

[armorshell]

Whose figures are you refering to?

The ones I cite are coming from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which bases their numbers off of what employers report to the Federal government.

And 80% of dentists are sole proprietors or incorporated in a way that they are not employed. The BLS statistics for dentistry are derived almost solely from academic and government (aka IHS, prison) dentists.

The ADA statistics have general dentists at around $215,000/year mean.

 

[armorshell]

competitiveness:
Dental school is easier to get into than med school. Whoever told you otherwise may have had a hard time getting into dental school, but overall, med school is way harder to get into.

"Way harder" is a bit of a stretch. Average entrance statistics for MD applicants are:
Average Overall GPA: 3.66
Average Science GPA: 3.60

Average dental:
Average overall GPA of 3.54
Average science GPA of 3.46

So, not a massive difference, and if you throw DO in the mix it almost comes out in the wash.

 

[bing12]

This is from FORBES highest paying professions ( 2009, from gov stats):

http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/17/best-paying-jobs-leadership-careers-salaries_slide.html

Point is, assume avg dentist makes 150k/year, medical specialties will usually not make more than(or equal to) double than a general dentist.

1. Surgeon $219,770
2. anesthesiologist $211,750
3. OMS $210,710
4. Orthodontist $206,190
5. gynecologist
6. Internist $183,990
7. All other physicians: $173,860
8.Family and General Practitioner $168,550

 

[armorshell]

Someone a few years back did their due diligence and looked at the AMA and ADA salary surveys from 2003 and calculated the hourly wages. You'll find Derm nestled snugly below 6 dental specialties and slightly above general dentistry:

Salary/Hours
1. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon 336/36 = $179.5/hr
2. Endodontist 303.9/36 = $162.4/hr
3. Pediatric Dentist 294.4/36 = $157.1/hr
4. Orthodontist 279.4/36 = $149.0/hr
5. Orthopedic Surgeon 335.8/54.1 = $119.4/hr

6. Periodontist 216.4/36 = $115.4/hr
7. Pathologist 246.5/41.6 = $114.0/hr
8. Rad (Diag)/Rad Onc 327.7/58.5 = $107.7/hr
9. Prosthodontist 190.9/36 = $102.0/hr
10. Opthalomologist 229.2/43.7 = $100.9/hr

11. Dermatologist 219.5/42 = $100.5/hr
12. EM 220/45 = $94.0/hr
13. General Dentist 173.1/36 = $92.4/hr
14. Neurosurgery / Plastic Surgery 275.2/59.6 = $88.8/hr
15. Urologist 264.5/57.4 = $88.6/hr

16. Surgeon (gen) 263.7/58.2 = $87.1/hr
17. Anesthesiologist 244.7/58.7 = $80.2/hr
18. ENT 214.5/52.1 = $79.2/hr
19. OB/GYN 227/55.7 = $78.4/hr
20. Neurologist 183.1/53.7 = $65.6/hr

21. Psychiatrist 145.7/44 = $63.7/hr
22. IM 164.1/55.6 = $56.8/hr
23. FP 146.5/50.7 = $55.6/hr
24. Pediatrician 137.8/49.4 = $53.6/hr

http://www.ada.org/ada/prod/survey/p...rts.asp#income
Survey of Dental Practice. c. 2003 Edition, American Dental Association

http://medicine.wustl.edu/~residenc...pec/byspec.html
Physician Socioeconomic Statistics. c. 2003 Edition, American Medical Association

 

[armorshell]

This is from FORBES highest paying professions ( 2009, from gov stats):

http://www.forbes.com/2010/05/17/best-paying-jobs-leadership-careers-salaries_slide.html

Point is, assume avg dentist makes 150k/year, medical specialties will usually not make more than(or equal to) double than a general dentist.

1. Surgeon $219,770
2. anesthesiologist $211,750
3. OMS $210,710
4. Orthodontist $206,190
5. gynecologist
6. Internist $183,990
7. All other physicians: $173,860
8.Family and General Practitioner $168,550

Yeah, they used BLS statistics though, which are effectively useless for dentistry.

 

[Reticent]

And 80% of dentists are sole proprietors or incorporated in a way that they are not employed. The BLS statistics for dentistry are derived almost solely from academic and government (aka IHS, prison) dentists.

The ADA statistics have general dentists at around $215,000/year mean.

Good to know, thanks! 👍

(I wasn't looking to low-ball dentists, just didn't realize the methodology flaw for them in the BLS's numbers.)

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Someone a few years back did their due diligence and looked at the AMA and ADA salary surveys from 2003 and calculated the hourly wages. You'll find Derm nestled snugly below 6 dental specialties and slightly above general dentistry:

Salary/Hours
1. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon 336/36 = $179.5/hr
2. Endodontist 303.9/36 = $162.4/hr
3. Pediatric Dentist 294.4/36 = $157.1/hr
4. Orthodontist 279.4/36 = $149.0/hr
5. Orthopedic Surgeon 335.8/54.1 = $119.4/hr

6. Periodontist 216.4/36 = $115.4/hr
7. Pathologist 246.5/41.6 = $114.0/hr
8. Rad (Diag)/Rad Onc 327.7/58.5 = $107.7/hr
9. Prosthodontist 190.9/36 = $102.0/hr
10. Opthalomologist 229.2/43.7 = $100.9/hr

11. Dermatologist 219.5/42 = $100.5/hr
12. EM 220/45 = $94.0/hr
13. General Dentist 173.1/36 = $92.4/hr
14. Neurosurgery / Plastic Surgery 275.2/59.6 = $88.8/hr
15. Urologist 264.5/57.4 = $88.6/hr

16. Surgeon (gen) 263.7/58.2 = $87.1/hr
17. Anesthesiologist 244.7/58.7 = $80.2/hr
18. ENT 214.5/52.1 = $79.2/hr
19. OB/GYN 227/55.7 = $78.4/hr
20. Neurologist 183.1/53.7 = $65.6/hr

21. Psychiatrist 145.7/44 = $63.7/hr
22. IM 164.1/55.6 = $56.8/hr
23. FP 146.5/50.7 = $55.6/hr
24. Pediatrician 137.8/49.4 = $53.6/hr

http://www.ada.org/ada/prod/survey/p...rts.asp#income
Survey of Dental Practice. c. 2003 Edition, American Dental Association

http://medicine.wustl.edu/~residenc...pec/byspec.html
Physician Socioeconomic Statistics. c. 2003 Edition, American Medical Association

all the dental fields are divided by 36, which indicates to me that this is an approximate figure for hours worked as opposed to very specific MD numbers

 

[Slack3r]

"Way harder" is a bit of a stretch. Average entrance statistics for MD applicants are:
Average Overall GPA: 3.66
Average Science GPA: 3.60

Average dental:
Average overall GPA of 3.54
Average science GPA of 3.46

So, not a massive difference, and if you throw DO in the mix it almost comes out in the wash.

MCAT >>>>> DAT. The DAT was a complete joke.

 

[bing12]

I must agree with Slack3r, the MCAT is more difficult than the DAT from my understanding. I have used some MCAT material to help me with the DAT, and have seen MCAT practice questions.

 

[cowme]

Someone a few years back did their due diligence and looked at the AMA and ADA salary surveys from 2003 and calculated the hourly wages. You'll find Derm nestled snugly below 6 dental specialties and slightly above general dentistry:

Salary/Hours
1. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon 336/36 = $179.5/hr
2. Endodontist 303.9/36 = $162.4/hr
3. Pediatric Dentist 294.4/36 = $157.1/hr
4. Orthodontist 279.4/36 = $149.0/hr
5. Orthopedic Surgeon 335.8/54.1 = $119.4/hr

6. Periodontist 216.4/36 = $115.4/hr
7. Pathologist 246.5/41.6 = $114.0/hr
8. Rad (Diag)/Rad Onc 327.7/58.5 = $107.7/hr
9. Prosthodontist 190.9/36 = $102.0/hr
10. Opthalomologist 229.2/43.7 = $100.9/hr

11. Dermatologist 219.5/42 = $100.5/hr
12. EM 220/45 = $94.0/hr
13. General Dentist 173.1/36 = $92.4/hr
14. Neurosurgery / Plastic Surgery 275.2/59.6 = $88.8/hr
15. Urologist 264.5/57.4 = $88.6/hr

16. Surgeon (gen) 263.7/58.2 = $87.1/hr
17. Anesthesiologist 244.7/58.7 = $80.2/hr
18. ENT 214.5/52.1 = $79.2/hr
19. OB/GYN 227/55.7 = $78.4/hr
20. Neurologist 183.1/53.7 = $65.6/hr

21. Psychiatrist 145.7/44 = $63.7/hr
22. IM 164.1/55.6 = $56.8/hr
23. FP 146.5/50.7 = $55.6/hr
24. Pediatrician 137.8/49.4 = $53.6/hr

http://www.ada.org/ada/prod/survey/p...rts.asp#income
Survey of Dental Practice. c. 2003 Edition, American Dental Association

http://medicine.wustl.edu/~residenc...pec/byspec.html
Physician Socioeconomic Statistics. c. 2003 Edition, American Medical Association

Well, OMFS is basically medical school-like track, since you are doing a residency, so I don't think that can really fit into either category. Endodontists may make a lot of money per hour, but none of the numbers I have ever seen show one making as much as surgeons. Again, this goes along with what I said that doctors can make more, but work WAY harder. There are still ortho and nsurg jobs that offer close to a million per year, while radiologists can make 500K 2 years out of residency. Obviously, the dentist lifestyle is better, but some people want to work harder and make more money. And dentists can make as much as they want too, but they will also have to work as hard as doctors who make that much.

 

[Reticent]

MCAT >>>>> DAT. The DAT was a complete joke.

It isn't really about how easy or hard the exam is, its about the exam's ability to seperate out the people who do above average at it.

It might actually be easier to do better than average at the exam that is more difficult, if that makes sense.

 

[Geekchick921]

The real question is would you rather dig around in people's mouths, or one of several other orifices, or possibly openings you make yourself? 😉

 

[cowme]

"Way harder" is a bit of a stretch. Average entrance statistics for MD applicants are:
Average Overall GPA: 3.66
Average Science GPA: 3.60

Average dental:
Average overall GPA of 3.54
Average science GPA of 3.46

So, not a massive difference, and if you throw DO in the mix it almost comes out in the wash.

I found a nice quote in the pre-dental forum to counter this. It was from.....you

The achievement and competition level for getting into medical school (MD) is higher on average than it is for dental school. This is almost unarguable.
Last edited by armorshell

and this one

This is spurious. The average statistics for a medical school applicant (GPA) are significantly higher than for dental school in the US.

LOL are you just playing devils advocate to both sides for fun?

 

[longhornpride]

Well, OMFS is basically medical school-like track, since you are doing a residency, so I don't think that can really fit into either category. Endodontists may make a lot of money per hour, but none of the numbers I have ever seen show one making more than 300K per year. Again, this goes along with what I said that doctors can make more, but work WAY harder. There are still ortho and nsurg jobs that offer close to a million per year, while radiologists can make 500K 2 years out of residency. Obviously, the dentist lifestyle is better, but some people want to work harder and make more money.

The ignorance in some of these posts on this thread are hilarious.

"Doctors can make more... but work way harder?" What the hell does that mean? So a dentist or endo specialist who works harder wouldn't make more either? Or are all dentists lumped in the "better lifestyle" category?

And most dental students go out and enter a residency. Whether it's a specialty or GPR/AEGD. It's not 4 years, but I'm not sure you need 4 considering you start operating on patients your 3rd year and the scope of practice is limited to the mouth.

The point is... being a doctor doesn't mean you're going to work harder and being a dentist doesn't mean you're going to have a better lifestyle. I have both in my family and the salaries of both are indicative or how hard each one works.

One makes 140k but only works 3.5 days a week as an associate. The other makes well above 250k but works her ass off. The same goes for the doctors in my family.

And plenty of Endo's (since most go into private practice) make more than 300k.

 

[wanderer]

I found a nice quote in the pre-dental forum to counter this. It was from.....you



and this one


LOL are you just playing devils advocate to both sides for fun?

Lol @ "comes out in the wash."

Btw I know someone who took the MCAT, got in the 50th percentile, then took the DAT and got over the 95th percentile with the same amount of prep. That's like going from a 25 to a 35 in one shot.

Also don't the DAT questions repeat themselves between administrations?

There's no doubt that dental school admission is significantly less competitive, though that doesn't mean it's any better or worse than medicine as a whole.

 

[armorshell]

all the dental fields are divided by 36, which indicates to me that this is an approximate figure for hours worked as opposed to very specific MD numbers

Actually, specific numbers do exist (now) but didn't at the time this was created. They are not significantly different from 36 so I'm not going to bother updating this unless I get extremely bored.

 

[armorshell]

MCAT >>>>> DAT. The DAT was a complete joke.

Difficulty in a test only exists in terms of the level of competition. GPA gives an accurate assessment of the level of competition, so you could expect the average dental applicant to do slightly worse than average on the MCAT. Vice versa for the average medical school applicant and the DAT.

 

[armorshell]

I found a nice quote in the pre-dental forum to counter this. It was from.....you



and this one


LOL are you just playing devils advocate to both sides for fun?

Explain how any of those contradict what I've said on this page? I'm not playing devils advocate, I'm playing "realistic guy #4". Dental school isn't more competitive to get into than MD school, and getting into MD school isn't way harder than getting into dental school. Neither of those statement are exclusive of the other.

 

[armorshell]

Lol @ "comes out in the wash."

Btw I know someone who took the MCAT, got in the 50th percentile, then took the DAT and got over the 95th percentile with the same amount of prep. That's like going from a 25 to a 35 in one shot.

Also don't the DAT questions repeat themselves between administrations?

There's no doubt that dental school admission is significantly less competitive, though that doesn't mean it's any better or worse than medicine as a whole.

So they prepared twice for an exam that covers the same subject material (Bio sciences, chemistry, reading comprehension) and did better the second time? I'm amazed!

Again, this is consistent with what I just said. It will be easier for an average medical school applicant to score a better percentile score on the DAT, because the level of competition is lower. Do you people even read what I'm typing? The argument is whether or not it's significantly lower, and looking at the average GPAs (Which is the only consistent metric across both professions) will give you a good idea. Your n=1 study is fascinating, but proves absolutely nothing to anyone who's paying attention.

As far as my "in the wash" comments, DO GPA statistics are lower than the dental average GPA on slightly lower order of magnitude as dental are from MD.

DO Statistics:
Average GPA: 3.48
Average sci-GPA: 3.35

DO obviously doesn't carry the "prestige" of an MD, but it does carry all the same benefits, lifestyle and practice opportunities of an MD degree in this country. Therefore, if your goal is to enter "medicine", meaning MD/DO, then the bar might be roughly the same as getting into dentistry.

 

[MightyMoose]

OP, if you have a strong interest in both, but no real preference, I would go dentistry in a heartbeat. I actually tried to make myself interested in dentistry for a while, but it didn't work... The hours are much better in dentistry, you can graduate and go on to make great money without a residency, or you can do a short 2 year residency and make killer money in something like pediatric dentistry.

There are so many options in both fields, but as dentist you will put yourself in a much better lifestyle position than most medical fields.

You have to go with what your gut tells you on this one, because both are a ton of work, but very rewarding fields in one way or another.

 

[Geneticist]

OP, if you have a strong interest in both, but no real preference, I would go dentistry in a heartbeat. I actually tried to make myself interested in dentistry for a while, but it didn't work... The hours are much better in dentistry, you can graduate and go on to make great money without a residency, or you can do a short 2 year residency and make killer money in something like pediatric dentistry.

There are so many options in both fields, but as dentist you will put yourself in a much better lifestyle position than most medical fields.

You have to go with what your gut tells you on this one, because both are a ton of work, but very rewarding fields in one way or another.

Agreed. Unless you have a passion for medicine in particular, I'd consider dental school.

 

[muhali3]

Agree with the last two posts. If you don't mind teeth, dentistry is the perfect career to pursue. You'll have complete autonomy, no life and death issues to deal with, a great income, and a great lifestyle. It's basically like dermatology, except wayyy easier to get into.

 

[muhali3]

Grossly oversimplified, Dentistry is for doers and Medicine is for thinkers.

What do you identify more with?

In dentistry, you will almost always be able to fix the patients problem. Your ability to fix the problem will be dependent upon your manual dexterity.

In medicine, your ability to fix the problem is dependent upon your critical thinking/diagnostic skills. But of course this is specialty dependent, since there is such large variety in medicine.

 

[gettheleadout]

Grossly oversimplified, Dentistry is for doers and Medicine is for thinkers.

What do you identify more with?

In dentistry, you will almost always be able to fix the patients problem. Your ability to fix the problem will be dependent upon your manual dexterity.

In medicine, your ability to fix the problem is based on your critical thinking/diagnostic skills. But of course this is specialty dependent, since there is such large variety in medicine.

There are quite a few fields of surgery possible, and I know you qualified that in the end but there are enough surgeons I would say medicine is, even in the most strict sense, definitely not a "hands off" job.

 

[muhali3]

Yeah, but overall I'd still say that there is more of a puzzle-solving aspect to medicine, even within the surgical specialties.

Maybe what I should have said was: If you want to be intellectually challenged on a daily basis, don't go into dentistry.

^i have a feeling i'm gonna get flamed

 

[bing12]

Yeah, that's why I qualified. But overall I'd still say that there is more of a puzzle-solving aspect to medicine, even within the surgical specialties.

Maybe what I should have said was: If you want to be intellectually challenged on a daily basis, don't go into dentistry.

^i have a feeling i'm gonna get flamed

haha...i actually agree on a certain level. Its actually one of my reasons in pursuing dentistry over medicine. I personally would be more relaxed not having to worry about someones life/death on a daily basis. Yes i Understand in dentistry you must be aware for oral cancer and other systemic conditions, but overall its not as intellectually demanding as medicine. I am not hating on dentists( I want to be one), but I try to stay as objective as possible.

 

[omaralt]

somehow i ended up here... lol anyways

you have to really think long and hard about what you want for your life. many pre-meds have watched too many episodes of ER and greys anatomy and think thats what being a doctor is all life/death and glamorous. it's not. a lot of scut work, administrative work, and headaches dealing with medicaid/medicare pts, etc. so now the question becomes; do you want to dedicate your life to your profession or are you more interested in living life? my uncle is a cardiologist and i shadowed him when i was still unsure about which track to take. he saves lives and makes great money; however he works his ass off. in his 40s (now 50s) and he still puts in at least 60 hrs/week and some days hes on call and has to get to the hospital in the middle of the night. thats not what i wanted in life. i wanted a job that would allow me the flexibility (and income) to do what i enjoy in life; traveling and spending time w/family.

now i'm 27, have my own office, work 36 hrs/week (at most) and make a great income. no boss, do what i want, and close when i want. i'll be debt free in 4-5 yrs. i see my friends who went to med school (most started 2-3 yrs before i started dental school) working 60-80 hrs/week, broke and miserable with life. they cant start families because they dont have the time and those with kids never see them. all those fantasies they had of greys anatomy and ER are wayyy in the past now.

again, i'm not discouraging anybody from doing medicine; but you MUST love medicine to go into it; because it will be the biggest thing in your life during the best years of you life (20s-40s). you dont need to love dentistry to do it (helps though) since you have so much free time to do what you truly love. either way good luck to all and you really cant go wrong with either

 

[Geneticist]

...now i'm 27, have my own office, work 36 hrs/week (at most) and make a great income. no boss, do what i want, and close when i want. i'll be debt free in 4-5 yrs. i see my friends who went to med school (most started 2-3 yrs before i started dental school) working 60-80 hrs/week, broke and miserable with life. they cant start families because they dont have the time and those with kids never see them. all those fantasies they had of greys anatomy and ER are wayyy in the past now...

i lol'd

So they're broke, work constantly, and never get to see their families? That portrayal of the typical doctor is a tad hyperbolic, don't ya think?

 

[armorshell]

i lol'd

So they're broke, work constantly, and never get to see their families? That portrayal of the typical doctor is a tad hyperbolic, don't ya think?

Not really, since they're still probably in residency/new graduates.

 

[muhali3]

again, i'm not discouraging anybody from doing medicine; but you MUST love medicine to go into it; because it will be the biggest thing in your life during the best years of you life (20s-40s). you dont need to love dentistry to do it (helps though) since you have so much free time to do what you truly love. either way good luck to all and you really cant go wrong with either

agree with this except for the bolded. it kind of contradicts what you just said.

 

[Geneticist]

Not really, since they're still probably in residency/new graduates.

And a resident is an accurate depiction of the average doctor?

 

[omaralt]

And a resident is an accurate depiction of the average doctor?

your right; by the time your in your 30s you'll be working your ass off, never have time for your family, but your family will have plenty of money to enjoy 🙂

 

[Geneticist]

your right; by the time your in your 30s you'll be working your ass off, never have time for your family, but your family will have plenty of money to enjoy 🙂

Oh not this again...

Not every doctor is a work-o-holic. It depends on your specialty and how much you want to work. The more you work, generally, the better you get compensated (for any given specialty).

 

[muhali3]

your right; by the time your in your 30s you'll be working your ass off, never have time for your family, but your family will have plenty of money to enjoy 🙂

Many physicians on this forum have a good work-life balance. The average work hours for a physician is 50-55 hrs/wk. There's enough time left over to enjoy with your family.

 

[ACSurgeon]

Many physicians on this forum have a good work-life balance. The average work hours for a physician is 50-55 hrs/wk. There's enough time left over to enjoy with your family.

Yes. But some feel the need to make themselves feel better, as they've chosen a less fulfilling career. The last thing they'd want to hear is that some people have both, an awesome career AND life outside of their career. 😎

 

[omaralt]

Yes. But some feel the need to make themselves feel better, as they've chosen a less fulfilling career. The last thing they'd want to hear is that some people have both, an awesome career AND life outside of their career. 😎

like you know what a fullfilling career is? your a fu$king student how would you know? come talk to me after you start working.. again i could care less; i dont need to justify my career choice to you or anybody else. i'm speaking from first hand knowledge; as i have 3 family members who are MD's. and like was said; the average MD works 50-55 hrs/week while the average dentist works 30-36 hrs/week. add in the fact that they probably spent 4 yrs less in residency and you see what i'm talking about.

 

[cowme]

like you know what a fullfilling career is? your a fu$king student how would you know?

 

[cowme]

Oh and just to add on this....just because omarait's family works 50-55 hours doesn't mean you will if you don't want to. I have a family member who works 40 hours per week as an Ortho surgeon and makes ~700 K per year (he's an absurdly good surgeon tho and lives in BFE---this is hardly the norm). But you can work as much or as little as you want. The average hours from physicians is so high because a lot of them are workaholics. You aren't forced to work 60 hours per week if you dont want to, you can schedule as many patients as you like.