michigan dentists new graduate salary

[sengineer]

I know this is a touchy subject and most ppl do not wish to openly discuss this directly so I thought a post might open up some conversation. Working full time making $60k with a company that allows flexibility and thus the reason why i have not moved to big company where salary with my experience will be at least $10k more. But the flexibility has allowed me take more prereq classes and study for DAT. I know I am late in the process but still going to try and taking the DAT in 3 weeks with 2 more classes to do in the winter semester. I spoke to a dentist I shadowed for a few weeks and he was adamant that the starting salary for dentists would be only $70k-$90k in Michigan working for places like great expressions or hospitals/ clinics. I have read about it being over $100k but he even had an associate verify that. Others I spoke to just answered with it depends where you are with no definitive answer. Does anyone have a vague idea of what starting salaries are in Michigan? I need to plan my studies so that I can have an alternate income coming in while I am in school again and need to obviously plan my finance. I realize I may not get in for 2014 because of being so late but it's worth a shot I guess and also wondered if anyone else had applied very late with a successful outcome.

STATS: Bachelors in Engineering UMich
Current prereq GPA 3.70

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[justsusan]

the economy's pretty bad in MI right now..there are exceptions, of course..but to generalize, 70-90k sounds about right on.

 

[Screwtape]

Wowzers, 70k seems like a joke. To OP if you are willing to move, there are new grad offers for more than double that. Our new grads are averaging 125k. As your speed and experience increases, so will that number.

 

[sengineer]

Wowzers, 70k seems like a joke. To OP if you are willing to move, there are new grad offers for more than double that. Our new grads are averaging 125k. As your speed and experience increases, so will that number.

Thanks for the response; it does sound bad doesnt it. I am willing to relocate.
I hope that I am able to be successful with this decision to try dentistry at 36. My kids are my focus and I would like to at least provide for them a little better from where I leave off and for all the sacrifice they will have to endure.
Just heard abt someine being offered $95k to start in NJ.

 

[Shunwei]

Thanks for the response; it does sound bad doesnt it. I am willing to relocate.
I hope that I am able to be successful with this decision to try dentistry at 36. My kids are my focus and I would like to at least provide for them a little better from where I leave off and for all the sacrifice they will have to endure.
Just heard abt someine being offered $95k to start in NJ.

Assuming that 70k to start for a full-time, new-grad dentist is true, and assuming that the individual is not lazy and is willing to work had, in all honesty it's not worth the effort. Also assuming that the individual graduates with a debt load that is on par with the national averages nowadays (~250k), you might as well be flipping burgers in McD rather than go through all of that for a pittance.

 

[suarez 7]

Some things just never change. One dentist giving a presentation I heard said when he first started out as an associate part time, he barely made anything (I'm guessing this was in the 80s). He worked as an associate and as a waiter, and said he made more money in a day as a waiter than he did as an associate. Right now, he manages multiple offices and rakes in a lot of dough and doesn't practice clinically anymore.
As stated by someone, I think if you are willing to work for it you can do well.
70k seems to be a little on the low end, unless that includes benefits and you're taxed as an employee and not an independent contractor.

Wowzers, 70k seems like a joke. To OP if you are willing to move, there are new grad offers for more than double that. Our new grads are averaging 125k. As your speed and experience increases, so will that number.

Are these offers at a corporate clinic, or a large private office?

 

[Screwtape]

There's a good mix of associateships (big to small practices) and corporate. Corporate seems to be the highest figures I've heard.