Part-time dentist?

[med student 1]

Hi
I wanted to educate myself since I'm not very familiar with dentistry. Once a student graduates from dental school can he/she work part-time (20-25 hrs/wk) right away or it will take few years of full-time work to become comfortable with own skills?

Can part-time dentist run his own practice or will he/she always be forced to work for a full-time dentist?

Finally what level of compensation part-time general dentist working 5 hours 4-5 days/wk is looking for?

Thank you, I really appreciate your comments.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[gryffindor]

I'll try to answer your questions based on what I've seen of recent graduates so far...

Once a student graduates from dental school can he/she work part-time (20-25 hrs/wk) right away or it will take few years of full-time work to become comfortable with own skills?
You can work part-time right away, as long as someone hires you for part-time. The more you work, the better your skills wil become. But if you'd rather work 3 mornings a week because your significant other is working full time as a dentist, you can do just that. (I've seen this scenario around here with a few people).

Can part-time dentist run his own practice or will he/she always be forced to work for a full-time dentist?
Yes, a part-time dentist can run his own practice. I know of a dentist (a specialist) in the area who runs his own practice 2.5 days per week and works for another dentist 1 day per week. You control how long you want your office to be open in order to make ends meet.

Finally what level of compensation part-time general dentist working 5 hours 4-5 days/wk is looking for?

Not sure about this one.

 

[yosemitesam]

If you are truly a med student, I can see why you think ~25 is hours is very part time; as a physician, you're probably looking at a 70-80 hour week on a regular basis. However, it is not at all uncommon for a dentist (generally with a few years experience) to call a 25-30 week a full week's work. I know several dentist who work 9-10 hours a day, 3 days a week. They spend the rest of the time with family or volunteering at a rural clinic - quality time.

 

[estelak]

I know of a pilot at a major airline that works two days a week as a dentist in his brother's practice as a dentist. The other three to four days a week he usually is flying. Interesting lifestyle, indeed.

 

[groundhog]

I thought all dentists (single males anyway) only work 24 hours per week, day trade in $100,000 increments as a hobby, travel to a foreign country every other month, drive their Porche, BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Jaguar, or Land Rover to the office depending on which day of the week it is, maintain a hot romance in every major city in the world....etc. etc....etc.

 

[ItsGavinC]

I have also been suckered by the same information which groundhog posted. Now I'm really confused. 😀

 

[yosemitesam]

ItsGavinC, I think suckered is the wrong word choice there. You act like you don't believe all that stuff. Of course dentists all lead that cushy, exciting life. That's why there are so many movies and television shows about dentists, like...uhhh....hmmm.... Presidio Dental, no wait, what's that one...

 

[ewsmith1]

You can work as many hours as you want to as a dentist...

The avg hours are 34/wk...some more, some less at an avg of 150k-170k net....

My wife works some 4 day weeks and some 3 day weeks and blows away the avg...

You will be very proficent within a month of leaving dental school as you are forced to become quick.....unless you want to work the hours of a physician and then you can work slow....

P.S. No residency requirements for DDS/DMD grads....they can practice immediately after passing their state board exams...

 

[ItsGavinC]

Yosemite, don't worry, I still believe the majority of it.😎