Pediatrician VS Dentist

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dgcc

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I think you're approaching this in a horrible way. Not minding working with teeth is not good enough. Teeth are your bread and butter in dentistry. You need to love teeth because your are literally going to school to work solely on teeth.
Also, don't compare medicine and dentistry. 2 different fields.
 
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In terms of hours, salary, and overall lifestyle, I'd say Dentistry is better. (My dentist works 4 days a week, makes > $350 per hour, is never available after hours for an emergency, has paid for two kids completing private college and public grad schools, and goes on vacation to warm places several times a year).

In terms of starting one's own practice, they'd be both require huge loans and a slow start up period as patients are recruited, which means low income for ~two years.

In terms of joining an existing practice, for both careers you'd have more control over your hours, but would have to buy into the practice for many years to become an equal partner. Eventually, you'd get this value back when you sell out, or younger associates buy in, or a larger group buys your practice.

As long as you aren't someone's employee, you can set your own hours and possibly bring small kids to the office for childcare where they'd be nearby (I did this and it worked great).

In terms of a sense of fulfillment, hands down Pediatrics wins. Also, as a parent it's terrific knowing how to handle typical child-rearing issues. And it's pretty handy having an otoscope at home when your kid is screaming at 2am with an ear infection.

In terms of malpractice concerns, hands down Dentistry wins.

JMO.
 
I was talking to a pediatric dentist who said he considered pediatrics but decided on dentistry after shadowing a pediatrician in college. I asked him why he chose dentistry over medicine, and his reply was: "lifestyle (blurted out as initial response).....hmmm (pause as he thought of a more thoughtful response)...lifestyle....(another pause to try to think of something different to say)....yeah, lifestyle....so basically, to summarize, the lifestyle"

haha.
 
WolfofSDN said:
I think you're approaching this in a horrible way. Not minding working with teeth is not good enough. Teeth are your bread and butter in dentistry. You need to love teeth because your are literally going to school to work solely on teeth.
Also, don't compare medicine and dentistry. 2 different fields.
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I don't necessarily think that people who go into dentistry go into it because they "love teeth", but rather they love what they're doing with those teeth. Meaning they love the nature of the work and the artistry that goes into it. This is the aspect of dentistry that I would love as well.
I only specifically said that i don't mind working with teeth because I know a lot of people who say a dentists lifestyle is great but they would hate to work with teeth, whereas that wouldn't be an issue for me at all.

And yes, dentistry and medicine are two different things but I don't think that means we can't necessarily compare the two. I could also ask what about being a teacher vs being a fireman. I could say that I would love to do either one and although they are Two completely different things, there are pros and cons to each and those pros and cons could help one choose between the two.
 
Catalystik said:
In terms of hours, salary, and overall lifestyle, I'd say Dentistry is better. (My dentist works 4 days a week, makes > $350 per hour, is never available after hours for an emergency, has paid for two kids completing private college and public grad schools, and goes on vacation to warm places several times a year).

In terms of starting one's own practice, they'd be both require huge loans and a slow start up period as patients are recruited, which means low income for ~two years.

In terms of joining an existing practice, for both careers you'd have more control over your hours, but would have to buy into the practice for many years to become an equal partner. Eventually, you'd get this value back when you sell out, or younger associates buy in, or a larger group buys your practice.

As long as you aren't someone's employee, you can set your own hours and possibly bring small kids to the office for childcare where they'd be nearby (I did this and it worked great).

In terms of a sense of fulfillment, hands down Pediatrics wins. Also, as a parent it's terrific knowing how to handle typical child-rearing issues. And it's pretty handy having an otoscope at home when your kid is screaming at 2am with an ear infection.

In terms of malpractice concerns, hands down Dentistry wins.

JMO.
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Thanks for your reply. I definitely have thought of how cool it would be to know right away how to help ease your own child's illness. But again, a dentist's lifestyle does seem even better in terms of family life, hours and stress (not to say that dentists don't have any stress, it just seems like theirs would be a bit less). I also know of many pediatricians saying that the most difficult part is dealing with the parents of a sick child, which is easy to understand.

Again, I can see myself doing, and enjoying, any of the two careers.

Pediatrics would be an easier start for me after medical school, but in the long run I feel like maybe dentistry would be even better; so once again, here i am confused haha
 
darksurg said:
NYU is too expensive. IMO, not worth it.
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NYU's tuition truly is really expensive. But if I'm living with my parents rent-free, would it still be worse than going to another dental school where I'd have to pay rent and utilities?
 
WolfofSDN said:
I think you're approaching this in a horrible way. Not minding working with teeth is not good enough. Teeth are your bread and butter in dentistry. You need to love teeth because your are literally going to school to work solely on teeth.
Also, don't compare medicine and dentistry. 2 different fields.
Click to expand...

Why wouldn't you compare dentistry to medicine? The only reason dentistry isn't a specialty in medical school is because of the huge demand for it. You are drastically over simplifying the topic to the point of adding nothing to the conversation.
 
dgcc said:
Pediatrics would be an easier start for me after medical school, but in the long run I feel like maybe dentistry would be even better; so once again, here i am confused haha
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You keep saying 'after med school', but neglect the fact that after med school, you have to do a pediatric residency in order to practice as a pediatrician.

The lifestyle is likely far better in Dentistry than it is in Pediatrics. You have to figure out what you can stand doing for hours a day, though. I wouldn't be able to stand dentistry, so I entered medicine, and am going to start Pediatric residency in 2 months.
 
Save babies or scrape crap from snotty kids teeth? Hmmm
 
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dgcc said:
I understand there have been many threads started comparing a physician's lifestyle to a dentist's lifestyle. but I wanna look more specifically into the lifestyle/salary of a pediatrician.

I'm very family oriented, so I ask, in terms of juggling family life while also making a good income, which would you guys feel is best? I always thought I wanted to be a pediatrician but the lifestyle of a dentist seems a lot more appealing when it comes down to being a mom in the future while also making good money. I don't mind the whole "working with teeth" aspect to dentistry. I like the hands on work of dentistry and I'm actually picking up a fine arts minor which I feel could be useful in dentistry. However, I do love kids and see more of a sense of fulfillment in pediatric medicine.

I have pediatricians in the family with their own private practices, so starting out after med school wouldn't be a problem.
I do not have any dentists in the family, so starting a private practice from scratch would take a lot of money. Also, if I were to go to dental school it would probably be NYU

So, in terms of hours, starting my own practice, salary, and overall lifestyle, which would you guys suggest is better?
Click to expand...

obviously a dentist is going to make more per hour than a pediatrician on average because our healthcare system is total f***** up but that's a different story. here's the thing, a family member of mine is an orthodontist and said "if you don't LOVE teeth and have a DESIRE to work on teeth, then DO NOT do dentistry because you'll end up HATING your life!" That may be why dentists have the highest rate of suicide over all compared to other medical specialties because they get into dentistry for the money and lifestyle and then end up hating what they do. SO DO NOT get into dentistry because you "don't mind" working on teeth.

now let's look at this from a different angle...what's more rewarding, taking care of a child that is very ill, possibly even saving a child's life, or filling a cavity? of course a lot of pediatric visits will be routine and simple, but there will be times when your skills will be tested and you'll be able to make life changing decisions from time to time. that's a hell of a lot more rewarding that playing with teeth. of course we need dentists but if you want a life of fulfillment i'd say go with the pediatrician route. and this is why i say the pay between a pediatrician and a dentist is f***** up because not only do we go to school longer but we literally have the lives and well-being of others in our hands but yet i guess that's not as important as fixing a cavity.

if all you care about is the money and lifestyle aspect of your work then i guess dentistry would be better for you and i understand because you'd like to spend more time with your family. but if you really want to go beyond just making money and working 30 or less hours a week then be a pediatrician and make a difference in the lives of children. that's rewarding.
 
mke520 said:
That may be why dentists have the highest rate of suicide over all compared to other medical specialty.
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I cringe every single time I hear this. I would literally analyze **** under a microscope for 8 hours a day if it meant I could being making 6 figures and have enough time after work to relax and do what I want
 
Godspeedyou said:
I cringe every single time I hear this. I would literally analyze **** under a microscope for 8 hours a day if it meant I could being making 6 figures and have enough time after work to relax and do what I want
Click to expand...
Pathology.
 
mke520 said:
That may be why dentists have the highest rate of suicide over all compared to other medical specialties because they get into dentistry for the money and lifestyle and then end up hating what they do.
Click to expand...
Godspeedyou said:
I cringe every single time I hear this. I would literally analyze **** under a microscope for 8 hours a day if it meant I could being making 6 figures and have enough time after work to relax and do what I want
Click to expand...

Physicians have a higher rate of suicide than dentists.

Sauces: http://www.newhealthguide.org/Highest-Suicide-Rate-By-Profession.html
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1588/what-occupation-has-the-highest-suicide-rate
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...00908/the-occupation-the-highest-suicide-rate
http://www.businessinsider.com/most-suicidal-occupations-2011-10?op=1
 
mke520 said:
i guess they do now, but dentists are still trucking right behind them.
Click to expand...

And why should this matter if you're a stable person? Sure if you're prone to depression and you think this could be problem that makes sense. But why the hell do people bring this up in every thread? Not everyone is suicidal
 
mke520 said:
obviously a dentist is going to make more per hour than a pediatrician on average because our healthcare system is total f***** up but that's a different story. here's the thing, a family member of mine is an orthodontist and said "if you don't LOVE teeth and have a DESIRE to work on teeth, then DO NOT do dentistry because you'll end up HATING your life!" That may be why dentists have the highest rate of suicide over all compared to other medical specialties because they get into dentistry for the money and lifestyle and then end up hating what they do. SO DO NOT get into dentistry because you "don't mind" working on teeth.

now let's look at this from a different angle...what's more rewarding, taking care of a child that is very ill, possibly even saving a child's life, or filling a cavity? of course a lot of pediatric visits will be routine and simple, but there will be times when your skills will be tested and you'll be able to make life changing decisions from time to time. that's a hell of a lot more rewarding that playing with teeth. of course we need dentists but if you want a life of fulfillment i'd say go with the pediatrician route. and this is why i say the pay between a pediatrician and a dentist is f***** up because not only do we go to school longer but we literally have the lives and well-being of others in our hands but yet i guess that's not as important as fixing a cavity.

if all you care about is the money and lifestyle aspect of your work then i guess dentistry would be better for you and i understand because you'd like to spend more time with your family. but if you really want to go beyond just making money and working 30 or less hours a week then be a pediatrician and make a difference in the lives of children. that's rewarding.
Click to expand...

That doesn't sound logical.

e.g. Dermatologists have the highest satisfaction and "would choose medicine again" rates amongst physicians, yet a vast amount of the illnesses they treat are far from life threatening. As sad as it is, money and lifestyle are the name of the game for most people when it comes to happiness. Plus there's a lot of professional satisfaction to be had in any medical specialty anyway; I've had severe dermatological problems, and I'm glad as **** to have been treated even though my life wasn't in danger.
 
Godspeedyou said:
And why should this matter if you're a stable person? Sure if you're prone to depression and you think this could be problem that makes sense. But why the hell do people bring this up in every thread? Not everyone is suicidal
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Psychologically normal people can definitely become suicidal. However, it is true that that should have no bearing on what career you choose.
 
J Senpai said:
Psychologically normal people can definitely become suicidal. However, it is true that that should have no bearing on what career you choose.
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Psychologically "normal" people wouldn't become suicidal from a job like dentistry just because the general public doesn't regard them as being "real doctors" or whatever made them feel upset... Psychologically "normal" people would quit their job before they took their own life.
 
Godspeedyou said:
Psychologically "normal" people wouldn't become suicidal from a job like dentistry just because the general public doesn't regard them as being "real doctors" or whatever made them feel upset... Psychologically "normal" people would quit their job before they took their own life.
Click to expand...
They started out as "normal" and events led to their developing of a mental disorder. It happens quite often and my appear to others as arising from thin air. This is because people hide warning signs. They are scared of the stigma. Who wants to be worked on by a dentist who's depressive? After all, that equates to insanity for much of the lay public. It's clearly a problem given the data and I would love to learn more about it.....starting my psych courses full force next semester. Again, normal people can become abnormal rather suddenly. There's a reason why and there are solutions.
 
J Senpai said:
They started out as "normal" and events led to their developing of a mental disorder. It happens quite often and my appear to others as arising from thin air. There are many reasons why someone in any given field my become depressive or suicidal. This is because people hide warning signs. They are scared of the stigma. Who wants to be worked on by a dentists who's depressive? After all, that equates to insanity for much of the lay public. It's clearly a problem given the data and I would love to learn more about it.....starting my psych courses full force next semester. Again, normal people can become abnormal rather suddenly. There's a reason why and there are solutions.
Click to expand...


They clearly weren't normal from the beginning if they are prone to deviancy and egoistic suicide. Similarly to someone prone to alcoholism isn't completely "normal" despite not currently showing any signs. If one is traumatized by working as dentist there were certainly red flags throughout their lives that were avoided/neglected. Like I said a perfectly healthy and normal individual would never take their own lives before trying to work out the problem with a professional, friends, family, taking medication, etc.
 
Being loved by kids Vs Being feared by them
 
Godspeedyou said:
They clearly weren't normal from the beginning if they are prone to deviancy and egoistic suicide. Similarly to someone prone to alcoholism isn't completely "normal" despite not currently showing any signs. If one is traumatized by working as dentist there were certainly red flags throughout their lives that were avoided/neglected. Like I said a perfectly healthy and normal individual would never take their own lives before trying to work out the problem with a professional, friends, family, taking medication, etc.
Click to expand...
You sir, are a fool for saying this and should be ashamed of yourself.
 
DermViser said:
You sir, are a fool for saying this and should be ashamed of yourself.
Click to expand...


Go on? Ad hominems don't really tell much. Fool? I'm referring to psychological normality. I'm not saying the person is a freak and should be shunned from society like a leper. Suicide is abnormal behavior. Don't they make you take psych courses in med school?


Egoistic suicide happens when the person feels DISTANT from society, like they aren't accepted and don't belong. This is what a dentist who feels out-of-place would experience resulting in them taking their own life
 
Godspeedyou said:
They clearly weren't normal from the beginning if they are prone to deviancy and egoistic suicide. Similarly to someone prone to alcoholism isn't completely "normal" despite not currently showing any signs. If one is traumatized by working as dentist there were certainly red flags throughout their lives that were avoided/neglected. Like I said a perfectly healthy and normal individual would never take their own lives before trying to work out the problem with a professional, friends, family, taking medication, etc.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry, but everything in the above paragraph is incorrect.
 
Doudline said:
That doesn't sound logical.

e.g. Dermatologists have the highest satisfaction and "would choose medicine again" rates amongst physicians, yet a vast amount of the illnesses they treat are far from life threatening. As sad as it is, money and lifestyle are the name of the game for most people when it comes to happiness. Plus there's a lot of professional satisfaction to be had in any medical specialty anyway; I've had severe dermatological problems, and I'm glad as **** to have been treated even though my life wasn't in danger.
Click to expand...

you make a great point! i guess i just can't wrap my mind around somebody wanting to get into medicine for just the money. i mean yes i believe physicians should be compensated fairly for the amount of schooling they have gone through and the skill they have but i could never be happy doing something for just the money. if i'm not making a difference in the lives of others then i'm not happy with myself and no amount of money could satisfy me. but yet a lot of people get into medicine for the money and yet make differences in the lives of other without that really being their primary reason for being a physician which is ultimately fine but i'm not the kind of person that sees dollar signs when it comes to medicine or anything else. i'm not saying that if money is your motivation that it's wrong by any means, its just for myself money doesn't motivate me so i can't fully understand doing something for "just the money"
 
J Senpai said:
I'm sorry, but everything in the above paragraph is incorrect.
Click to expand...


You know because you've done one general psychology course right? Let me know when you start doing psychotherapy work. And simply saying everything is incorrect isn't how a debate works
 
Godspeedyou said:
You know because you've done one general psychology course right? Let me know when you start doing psychotherapy work. And simply saying everything is incorrect isn't how a debate works
Click to expand...
It's how a debate starts. 😉

We aren't talking about something like bipolar disorder or any kind of dissociative disorder, which are highly genetic; we are talking about long term psychological changes that may not be predictable or easily traceable to a single source. You can't say everyone who commits suicide has some congenital predisposition without having someone's medical history sitting in front of you.
 
J Senpai said:
It's how a debate starts. 😉

We aren't talking about something like bipolar disorder or any kind of dissociative disorder, which are highly genetic; we are talking about long term psychological changes that may not be predictable or easily traceable to a single source. You can't say everyone who commits suicide has some congenital predisposition without having someone's medical history sitting in front of you.
Click to expand...


Dude your original point was that psychologically normal people commit suicide which is an inherently flawed stance because suicide by nature is abnormal. Holy ****. I'm not saying that people who commit suicide are WEIRD or FREAKS (which I'm not because I spent 4 years studying psychology and actually worked with REAL humans instead of just pulling points out of my ass) but that seems to be all the people in this thread can make of my points. I'm not saying everyone who commits suicide is genetically predisposed to severe depression because it is also very often the result of environment/rearing OR a combination of both but to deny that depression in many cases isn't genetic, is "foolish". It's time to stop appealing to emotion.

Abnormal
A more discerning criterion is distress. A person who is displaying a great deal of depression, anxiety, unhappiness, etc. would be thought of as exhibiting abnormal behavior because their own behavior distresses them. Unfortunately, many people are not aware of their own mental state, and while they may benefit from help, they feel no compulsion to receive it.
Click to expand...

Deviance
A good example of an abnormal behavior assessed by a multi-criteria approach is depression: it is commonly seen as a deviation from ideal mental stability, it often stops the individual from 'functioning' a normal life, and, though it is a relatively common mental disorder, it is still statistically infrequent. Most people do not experience significant major depressive disorder in their lifetime
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If you want me to start digging out my psychotherapy textbooks, I will gladly do that.
 
Godspeedyou said:
Dude your original point was that psychologically normal people commit suicide which is an inherently flawed stance because suicide by nature is abnormal. Holy ****. I'm not saying that people who commit suicide are WEIRD or FREAKS (which I'm not because I spent 4 years studying psychology and actually worked with REAL humans instead of just pulling points out of my ass) but that seems to be all the people in this thread can make of my points. I'm not saying everyone who commits suicide is genetically predisposed to severe depression because it is also very often the result of environment/rearing OR a combination of both but to deny that depression in many cases isn't genetic, is "foolish". It's time to stop appealing to emotion.

Abnormal


Deviance




If you want me to start digging out my psychotherapy textbooks, I will gladly do that.
Click to expand...
You've clarified your point. Thanks.
 
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