Part-time an option?

[sleepy21]

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Okay, I'll admit it, and I know that typically pre-dent/dent people hate to hear this, but I am currently pre-med, but unsure if it's where I want to stay. The truth is, I am in fact a woman that wants a semi-traditional life as a mother and a wife- including being home with my kids before they're in school and working >40 hrs a week once they are in school. I know I want children- if I can't have them naturally, I'll adopt. It's just my top priority. Well, I've been hearing from everybody that being a doctor and having the life I've mentioned above simply does not and can not happen. And I certainly don't want to rack up all of that debt to get out and not be able to find a job that taylors to my priorities. So my question is, as a dentist, do you have to open your own practice? Do you have to work full-time? Is there flexability in this profession? I know that I want to work in missions and be in the health field, and am seriously wondering if dentistry is better for me. Any thoughts?😕

 

[no2thdk999]

Sleepy21 come over to the dark side!

If you told most physicians what the average dentist's work week was they would call all of us part time. Nearly every dentist I know works less than 36 hours a week and most work less than 32. While the majority of us are in a solo private practice there are plenty of opportunities to work 1-5 days a week in someone else's office.

Go shadow a dentist and see what it's all about. IMHO dentistry and medicine are as different as being a teacher and being a fisherman in the day to day activities each carries out. 32 hours a week is still a long time to spend doing something you don't enjoy.


JMHO
Rob

 

[UBTom]

I don't know... You can still make a good living as a physician and have time for family I think.

I have an older sister who is a board-certified anesthesiologist. She is married (to another anesthesiologist), makes a good living, and still has plenty of time to raise two toddlers.

If your professional interest is in medicine, STAY IN IT! Find the specialty which will suit your professional goals and lifestyle desires, and go for it.

Edit: Having hit the POST button 4 minutes after Rob, I gotta admit he does make a good point about being a dentist.. 😀

 

[LestatZinnie]

you can always choose a less intensive specialty such as family medicine, or be a nutritional doctor or something. not everybody has to be a cardiac surgeon or emergency doc.

 

[atlas6]

i know someone who just finished a pediatric residency and works 3 1/2 days a week becuz she has 2 kids..........you can find something in medicine to suit your needs.

 

[zimaad]

There is definately an opportunity in dentistry to be a mother and practice also. I have a relative who owns a practice that has an associate that is doing just that. On top of that, you can make a pretty good living also. It's a bit harder to work out a buy into the practice, though, since you seem to want to work full time later in life (assuming you don't want to be an associate forever, but who know..maybe you do)

 

[DrJeff]

For example, my wife is an orthodontist, and prior to our first child was working 4 days a week, in addition to my 4 days a week asa general dentist. When she comes off her maternity leave in a few weeks she'll start with 1 day a week and gradually work back upto her new full time of 3 days a week. The best advantage of a family lifestyle and and dentistry verses medicine is the fact that dentistry tends to be the type of profession where when you leave the office, your done until the next day you work, rarely do you get called with an emergency, and in that rare instance when you do get an emergency call, 95% of the time it can be taken care of with a quick call to the pharmacy, and not a trip to the office.

Granted certain fields of medicne offer the same type lifestyle conviences where when your done for the day, your done(anesthiology, ER Docs, and hospitalists just work shifts, and dermatologists are essentially just doing office hours only), however many medical fields will have alot more "after hours" work than dentistry.

 

[hardingsk]

Sleepy...
Your story sounds identical to mine...I mean right down to wanting someday to take part in missions! I too was pre-med, am female, and have family as a top priority. My dad is an M.D. and so naturally I thought that I had to follow in his footsteps. However, after really thinking about it, I realized that what I wanted was a career in the health care field, but not necessarily medicine. I looked at everything from nursing to pharmacy. After considering what would ultimately fit me best in terms of career satisfaction as well as the ideal situation in which to raise a family, I discovered dentistry. I personally don't think this profession could be any better for someone like me if it were giftwrapped! 🙂 I opted to switch from medicine to dentistry for several reasons, but mainly because of the lifestyle that it can afford women like us who want a family. I mean, think about it...if you decide to do general practice, in four years you're done and ready to work...a far less time commitment than medicine, and a much better work schedule. I would at least go talk to a woman dentist and maybe shadow a time or two, b/c that will help you more than anything.

 

[ItsGavinC]

Originally posted by UBTom
I don't know... You can still make a good living as a physician and have time for family I think.

True, but you have match into those positions that afford such a lifestyle. My uncles are physicians (save one, who is a dentist), and my father is also a physician associated with med school.

Unequivicably they all state that it is extremely difficult to match into those "lifestyle" specialties now. The fact of the matter is that nearly every pre-med is looking for the same lifestyle that the OP is.

Undoubtedly there ARE many great medical specialties, but med students have to burden themselves much more during their medical education to have a shot at matching into those specialties.

In other words, you can't just slide through school and then match into anesth., or derm, or rads.

 

[Zurich5]

Originally posted by no2thdk999
Sleepy21 come over to the dark side!

If you told most physicians what the average dentist's work week was they would call all of us part time. Nearly every dentist I know works less than 36 hours a week and most work less than 32. While the majority of us are in a solo private practice there are plenty of opportunities to work 1-5 days a week in someone else's office.

Go shadow a dentist and see what it's all about. IMHO dentistry and medicine are as different as being a teacher and being a fisherman in the day to day activities each carries out. 32 hours a week is still a long time to spend doing something you don't enjoy.


JMHO
Rob

I only plan on fishing for wahoo later on in life, not some ridiculous hmo. I thought I wanted to be a family phys. following college... 32 hours a week is more than enough time to hate something.

 

[gryffindor]

My friend and her husband are both pediatricians. I don't think Pediatrics is considered one of the "lifestyle" specialties in medicine, but he works full time while she only works 2 or 3 days per week. They want a family (no kids yet), so this work schedule is a good compromise for them and suits them well.

 

[sleepy21]

Thanks everyone, for all of the replies. The hours for dent are absolutely unbelievable!

hardingsk- yes, I do believe we are twins! I have also considered practically every avenue in the health field- M.D., nurse, physical therapy, pharmacy, dent... It seems like dent is the one that wins in terms of practicality. Any more women that are dental students/pre-dent that are on the same path?

 

[koobpheej]

I would say that there is only one problem with planning on working full time. That is paying off the massive debt load you will likely accumulate through either dental or medical school. Unless you have other means of paying for school, if thats the case more power to you and good luck.

 

[sleepy21]

Well, hopefully I will get accepted to my state school, because tuition is CHEAP. So, I hope to get out of school <50,000 in debt for everything: tuition, housing, instruments, books, etc.