Outlook of Dentistry: West Coast vs. East Coast?

[EdwardKim]

I've been trying to decide schools between east coast and west coast, and to my understanding, if you graduate from an east coast school, it would be easier to set up practice in east coast.. Is my understanding correct?

I would preferably practice in the east coast, because I've heard from many dentists that I shadowed that east coast dental market isn't as saturated as west coast market due to lower number of international dentists working there.

I just wanted to confirm this with you guys about this fact, and please post some of your opinions on which coast is more suitable for practicing as of now and why.

Also, as a side question directed to practicing specialists, is it possible to pay off 300k education debt in 4 years while having self-subsistence?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Mohab]

I just want to point out that there's a LOT of real estate between the east and west coasts... Food for thought... 😀

 

[PChemGrad]

You also dont have to specialize to pay off your loans in 4 years. You could also try to get a HPSP scholarship and have your loans paid off in 4 year due to your commitment for 4 years, and make money along the way.

 

[EdwardKim]

You also dont have to specialize to pay off your loans in 4 years. You could also try to get a HPSP scholarship and have your loans paid off in 4 year due to your commitment for 4 years, and make money along the way.

I have actually been accepted in HPSP scholarship, and I am thinking of whether or not I should accept it.. If I was pretty set on GP, then I would definitely take it since military would not be that big of an interference in my career path, since I would just graduate from DS then just go into military for 4 years.

But since I would like to specialize, the process of getting placed into residency programs really depend on the military's needs at the moment.. They might just let me hang there as a general military dentist for few years, ultimately wasting some of my years.

 

[charlestweed]

Also, as a side question directed to practicing specialists, is it possible to pay off 300k education debt in 4 years while having self-subsistence?

My wife and I paid off our $450k student loans in 5 years but it wasn’t from our specialist incomes. It was our stable specialist incomes that allowed us to sell our smaller houses and move to a bigger house. We used the profits that we made from selling our 2 houses (housing market was very good during the 2001-2006 period) to pay off our student loans. Our student loans disappeared but our home loan got bigger😱. At least we get the tax deduction on the interest paid for a home loan👍.

Edward, you sure can pay back your student loans in 4 years with your specialist income but it won’t be as easy as what we’ve been through. We graduated at the time when the economy was very good. Our college/dental tuitions were cheaper. Back in 2001, there was actually a shortage of orthodontists in CA. Ever since CA adopted the WREB and licensure by reciprocity, the number of dentists and specialists has increased significantly.