Medicine vs Dentistry (What's your opinion?)

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kaizendj

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"If you could change careers with a snap of a finger, would you keep your career for another 10 years or switch out?" I heard that a survey showed 9 out of the 10 physicians, but only 1 out of the 10 dentists, would switch.

I am a pre-med student who has always been open-minded to careers that would make me the happiest. There is probably not a very strong basis for the claim that the above survey has made, but I have taken a deeper look into dentistry nonetheless. After talking to friends, reading reviews, and shadowing dentists, I have come to the conclusion that there are more things I like about the field than things I do not. USNews.com Money and Business department sums up my feelings pretty nicely:

"Dentistry is one of the best paying. And except for the rare emergency, you'll have regular hours–unlike doctors, who often work 60 hours a week or more, including weekends. Dentistry blends art, science, and people skills, a satisfying combination for many career seekers. Another plus: You can live virtually anywhere you want: Dentists are needed in urban, suburban, and rural areas...Of course, you have to feel OK about groping around in people's mouths all day." Plus, they use a bunch of neat tools :)

While medicine is similar, I have the conception that it deals a lot more with overall health, well-being, and nutrition (instead of "groping around in people's mouths all day") which is what primarily draws me to the field of medicine. I know there are diverse fields in dentistry, but do any of you feel "stuck" working in the mouth?

At this point in my life, though, I believe my strongest passion is living a fulfilling life, which for me, means living a life outside of my primary career. There are too many things that I would regret missing out on in life if I have no time to commit to them. Time for class. Let me know what you all think. Thanks in advance!

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pretty foolish to me considering there is a thread with the exact same title on the very same page.
 
check 6 threads down.
 
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