Quality of Life

DATBooster | The Ultimate DAT Resource
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
J

JDAD

1K Member
7+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2003
Messages
1,380
Reaction score
1
Members do not see this ad.
I am between a rock and a hard place. I love medicine and I know that one way or another, I will be doing something related to medicine with my life. Now the hard part.

My father is a very successful Dentist/Orthodontist/TMJ Specialist, and all I need to do is complete dental school, work for him as an associate for a few years, and then the practice is mine for the taking. He gross's over a million a year as his own boss and works four days a week for seven hours a day. Pretty Cushy lifestyle and that could all be mine. He desperately wants me to follow in his footsteps and take over his practice.

I worked in his office all summer and came to the conclusion that I am not a big fan of teeth. I don't like working in a small dark space as a hunched over evil man. There are very few people that enjoy going to the dentist. I was astonished at the number of people that come in, in no discomfort what so ever, and then leave with a very expensive treatment plan. I understand that the work needs to be done in order to avoid certain pain down the road, but in dentistry there seems to be too many what ifs.

I shadowed an orthopedic surgeon with a fellowship in sports orthopedics and I loved it. I liked the happy, youthful patients that want to get better and wanted to return to form. I liked the surgery, I would much rather work on arms and legs than teeth and gums. I liked this profession, but I wasn't there long enough to deal with the negatives. Malpractice premiums are outrageous, insurance seems to be determining who gets treatment and who doesn't. Also, the hours are more than double what I would be working as a dentist and in very few instances are you your own boss. The pay is comparable so that isn't what I am worried about. The schooling is more rigorous and the residency is very demanding.

My dad called me today gloating on the phone. "I spoke with a patient that works for an orthopedic surgeon, and he says he wished he had gone into orthodontics."

I know that was a lot to read. It gets down to the easy way, or the hard way. Is working 30hrs a week, making great money, and spending that extra time with my family a better choice. Or do I want to work harder, longer, see my family less at something I like better, but not that much more?

What would you do if you were in my shoes?
 
What would you do if you were in my shoes?
Click to expand...

I can not answer your question because I am predental and would not want to do any thing else. You should probably investigate orthopedic surgeon more and figure out it out for yourself. In the end, choice whatever will give you the most fulfillment at home and at work in you long career life ahead.
 
Jarrod_Dale:

Since you have no interest but plenty of disdain for what dentistry involves despite being exposed to it all your life by your father, it is as clear and obvious as a billboard--- Dentistry is not for you. You would only feel miserable if you have to do something you disdain for the rest of your life.

You should choose a career that would bring you a sense of personal fulfillment, not a sense of entrapment.

It's a no-brainer-- You should pursue medicine as you do have a genuine interest in it. You can still make a decent living and lifestyle in medicine; as long as you put in the effort you will eventually get there. Go medicine. Don't look back.

Good luck.
 
Last year, at this time, I wanted to go into medicine so that I could become an orthopedic surgeon. Right now, my preferences is in dentistry because I could A) still be in healthcare B) still perform surgery C) Work less hours and D) make good money.

For me, lifestyle is very important. Working 4 days a week cannot be overlooked. That is huge. Working 6-8 hour days is also extremely nice. With the extra time you save, you can do many more productive things with your life (Spend time with family, go on trips, pursue your hobbies, etc...)

I feel like Im a well rounded person, thus going into medicine would not allow me to go after all the other things I want to do with my life. Dentistry provides me the chance to fulfill my professional and personal goals.
 
Go for medicine. Tell your dad to look me up in a few years and I'll take over his practice. 😀
 
I don't know how much time you have left before you have to make a choice but I recomend looking harder into both fields.

You obviously have a great advantage at hand if you go into dentistry. I would say that if you become a dentist and don't like it then you can focus on the business aspect of it by hiring more dentists and expanding your practice meanwhile acting as a manager. But you would have to like being a businessman for that.

If you choose medicine you have to start at ground zero but you will be doing something that you will know that you have chosen for yourself and which you love. There will never be that question of, "should i have just done what I wanted to do."

Like I said look into boht fields, spend more time shadowing dentists in the various fields of dentistry and spend more time shodowing MD's.

Good Luck with everything...
 
hey jarrod..

i would like to post a response to this..just dont have the time right now to really sit down and do it..but i do have some stuff to say bout it...will do it later..
 
Originally posted by jarrod_dale

I know that was a lot to read. It gets down to the easy way, or the hard way. Is working 30hrs a week, making great money, and spending that extra time with my family a better choice. Or do I want to work harder, longer, see my family less at something I like better, but not that much more?
Click to expand...

This decision is totally your choice.
I dont think being a MD necessary work harder than a dentist.
Well, another advantage of dentistry--autonomy.
You are ur own boss. You can work as hard, as long, as little time to spend with your family as you want. If this is what you want in life, you can do that too in dentistry. Nobody will stop you.

Also, please do some research. How many years of experience and training will you have to get before you can be a sport orth surgeon. I mean usually you have to deal with many other cases too. Some of them are not as pleasant.
 
To become a sports ortho surgeon, it take four years of medical school, plus five years of residency, plus one or two years of sports fellowship. So around 10 years.

I have spent over 250hrs working in the dental office doing everything from front work to assisting in some pretty intense oral surgery. My dad does almost everything. He refers very little work out.

I also spent around 50 hours shadowing a sports orth surgeon. No, the patients aren't all young athletic go getters. I saw four operations and two were on older men who needed to have their shoulder scoped so they could play golf.

I really like the orthopaedic sports medicine as it gets me excited. When i see a mouth, i get bored. I think I have a decision made, but there is still some doubt for sure.
 
You made the right decision, choosing what excites you and promises to give you satisfaction and fulfillment at the end of the day.

Don't look back at something you find boring and cloud yourself in self-doubt. You have an exciting journey ahead of you. Now go and start your travels.
 
People make a point that dentistry has better lifestyle (work less hours) than a MD but I think this is overlooking the fact that a lot of MDs also work less hours especially when one gets older the more time off they get.
 
No matter what you decide to do, after doing something over and over for 30+ years, it becomes a job. I want to enjoy my job, but its what's outside my job that interests me the most.

Maybe its just me, but I would not be willing to sacrifice my time outside of work. No matter how much you enjoy your job, it is not your life. You might *think* your career will be your life in years to come. Your time away from work and time spent with family and friends are whats important. Pursuing hobbies and interests that differ from what you do day in and day out. In my opinion, thats what life is all about.

Do you really want to give that up?

Unless you think you would be ABSOLUTELY miserable pursuing dentistry, you should think long and hard about what you decide. Try to picture yourself 20 years from now. Try to project what your priorities will be. And then reevaluate the situation.

I wish you the best of luck.
 
Go for Dentistry. Come out of school in four years and retire 15 years later. You'll make your pops happy, have a much better quality of life, spend time with your kids. Reading your post I didn't get that you totally hate dentistry (correct me if i'm wrong.) You think there might be more exciting things out there. That may or may not be true. Spend more time shadowing MDs and you might change your mind.
 
i think the statement of 'making your pops happy' made by the previous poster is bs. last time i checked doing things to make other people happy doesn't usually render people successful. the other thing concerning 'quality of life'... i've met an orthodontist who work 2 days a week, for 5 hours a day and an orthodontist who work 6 days a week for 9 hours a day. It's not profession-specific, it depends on the person and how much time and money they want.
 
The one big potential pitfall for you is that in medicine/dentistry, there is no guarantee that you'll get into the specialty you want. I don't know how competitive orthopedics is though, but for specialities like cardio, plastic, anesthe, only few top dogs of the class can get those desirable residency spots

So, you should think about whether you will enjoy other areas in medicine outside sports medicine if your interest is so specific. it'd be undesirable if you can only end up getting into family medicine or OBGYN or internal medicine or urology etc, which have little to do with orthopedics.

in the end, follow your heart- that way you will not worry about the "should've" and "could've" years down the road.
 
follow your dream...dad will get over it, he had his dream now it's time for you to have yours. you may or may not find out that medicine is not for you but you won't ever find out if you don't try. nothing is irreversable (save for time and death)...you don't want to look in the mirror 20 years down the road wondering "what if"...deep down dad knows that too. good luck!
 
Originally posted by LestatZinnie
The one big potential pitfall for you is that in medicine/dentistry, there is no guarantee that you'll get into the specialty you want. I don't know how competitive orthopedics is though, but for specialities like cardio, plastic, anesthe, only few top dogs of the class can get those desirable residency spots

So, you should think about whether you will enjoy other areas in medicine outside sports medicine if your interest is so specific. it'd be undesirable if you can only end up getting into family medicine or OBGYN or internal medicine or urology etc, which have little to do with orthopedics.

in the end, follow your heart- that way you will not worry about the "should've" and "could've" years down the road.
Click to expand...
Without commenting on the larger question, it's worth pointing out that orthodontics programs are often as much about having connections--like a father who's a successful orthodontist--as doing well in dental school.
 
This is a different approach then others probably took to this subject, but for me its about my family. I truthfully love dentistry and medicine equally. But the length of time it takes to get out of med school(4 years), do residency(3-7 years), and start your career, you would of missed out on so much of your family. Some people say they love medicine/dentistry more than anything, but ti love my family more than any profession that I could think of. Thats why I have chose dentistry. To me it is a very rewarding proffession and I can actually be part of my family instead of the just supporting my family.
 
Would you be happy in another medical field besides Orthopedics? You need to ask yourself this question. Orthopedics is one of the most, if not THE most, competitive field of medicine. I'm not saying you can't do it, but you need to know that there's a good chance you won't get in (statistically speaking). If that's the case, would you be willing to pursue other medical fields, and still see yourself as happy? That is something I would consider if I were in your shoes.
 
I agree that it depends on the person.

I am working on my prereqs currently, and am still undecided between dentistry and medicine. My GPA is still competetive for application to either discipline.

I also have several great connections in dentistry that might provide a "leg up" upon graduation.

But it's not all about that. I guess we really just have to try to find the best fit for us personally and GO with it. Like others have said, "don't look back." I know a dentist that just opened his own practice 6 months ago. He has 2 sons in medical school right now (one is in his 4th year of surgical residency), and he confided in me that he wishes he had chosen to attend medical school, as he had applied to and was accepted to both.

On the flip side, I have spoken to physicians that say they are envious of their dentist friends...that while they started their careers with the best intentions, they are completely fed up with managed care, malpractice, and essentially the BUSINESS of medicine.

Although I know dentists that work 3-4 days a week, I also know dentists that work 5-6 days a week. I am the type of person that ends up completely immersed in my work. My goals of keeping my customers (patients in the future, hopefully) happy usually take priority in my life, so I don't see myself working only 3-4 days a week...that's just me. That will probably change as I get older, also.

I am currently leaning more towards dentistry, but I still have until next february to make the decision to either take the MCAT or the DAT.

In dentistry, I am most fascinated by implants. In medicine, I am most fascinated by orthopedic surgery. What can I say? I like working with drills, screws, clamps, pins, and bolts, hehe

I try not to compare what I'm doing with what I could be doing...rather what I'm doing as opposed to where I came from, if that makes any sense. When I look at things that way, I don't think I could make a wrong decision here.
 
Oh...one more thing...

Some people I know work so much to GET AWAY from the family, heh...it makes for a wonderful excuse.

Also, as you get older, your children get older. And when they get older, they often want to spend less and less time with you. Then they move away to college...then they get married, etc, etc...

So planning a career based primarily around having time to spend with family might not be the best thing to do.
 
Originally posted by mmapcpro
Oh...one more thing...

Some people I know work so much to GET AWAY from the family, heh...it makes for a wonderful excuse.

Also, as you get older, your children get older. And when they get older, they often want to spend less and less time with you. Then they move away to college...then they get married, etc, etc...

So planning a career based primarily around having time to spend with family might not be the best thing to do.
Click to expand...


While I agree somewhat with your post, I think you underestimate the time you spend in practice while supporting your family. If you have 2 kids, separated by 2 years, that means you will be in practice for about 20 years before they are both in college. 20 years is the bulk of one's prime and peak in working (and majority of it), so I think that family would be a very significant piece of the puzzle.
 
Some of the differences I see between working hours of dentists and physicians seems to boil down to either a 4 day dentist week or a 5 day physician week.

Most physicians have a NP that fields most of the after hours calls.

Most dentists are also sole-proprietors or directors of their corporations. Many dentists in this position that I know spend at least a half-day to full day per week dealing with salesmen, contractors, quickbooks, staff, and other issues that a business owner needs to deal with.

Many physicians that are not sole-proprietors don't deal with most of that.

So in the end, you might not be sitting with patients 5 days a week, but you're still likely to be working.

Which brings me to another point. Many dentists I know end up coming in during the weekend for a few hours at least to work on emergency cases, wealthy friends who don't want to come in during business hours, etc.

My point is basically that it might not be the best plan to focus on the shorter dental work-week, because there is always more work to do.

And last time I checked, most elementary, middle, and high schools are open 5 days a week, which sort of makes the "working 4 days to spend time with my kids" argument moot.
 
jarrod_dale, follow your bliss. If you do what is important to you, that's what makes you happy in the long run. Pursue that which makes you most happy, and life will mold itself around you such that although your priorities might shift, if you keep pursuing what's important to you, life will shift again to balance things out. If that makes any sense.

Just my $0.13 (corrected for inflation).
 
Originally posted by mmapcpro
Some of the differences I see between working hours of dentists and physicians seems to boil down to either a 4 day dentist week or a 5 day physician week.

Most physicians have a NP that fields most of the after hours calls.

Most dentists are also sole-proprietors or directors of their corporations. Many dentists in this position that I know spend at least a half-day to full day per week dealing with salesmen, contractors, quickbooks, staff, and other issues that a business owner needs to deal with.

Many physicians that are not sole-proprietors don't deal with most of that.

So in the end, you might not be sitting with patients 5 days a week, but you're still likely to be working.

Which brings me to another point. Many dentists I know end up coming in during the weekend for a few hours at least to work on emergency cases, wealthy friends who don't want to come in during business hours, etc.

My point is basically that it might not be the best plan to focus on the shorter dental work-week, because there is always more work to do.

And last time I checked, most elementary, middle, and high schools are open 5 days a week, which sort of makes the "working 4 days to spend time with my kids" argument moot.
Click to expand...

Remember

We are comparing orthopedic surgury to orthodontics. Please reassess your argument. When looking at "time" outside of work, there is NO comparision. An orthopedic surgeon will be on call and work *on average* many more hours than an orthodontist. Ther is no NP or physician assistant that can do the job of an orthopedic surgeon. That is a fact my friend. 🙂

Now, if you wanna compare a family practioner to a general dentist, well more similarities begin to exist.

I will give you an example, My personal family general dentist told me his story of why he chose dentistry over medicine. Now remember, he told me this story many years ago when I was still in undergrad and was "unsure" of my future. He said his mother worked for an orthopedic surgeon. He was able to see the stresses and hours and demand of time that was needed in the profession. He told me that he would NEVER have EVEN considered medical school, as he saw what his mother had to go through JUST working alongside this orthopedic surgeon.

NOW, this is probably an extreme example, but I would venture to guess that an orthodontist would have the luxury to enjoy life outside of work MUCH more than the average orthopedic surgeon.

Just a guess though 😉
 
In this case, shouldnt jarrod_dale go into ortho surg then?
since he thinks orthodontics is boring.

One more question to think about.
As of all professions, we have to think at least 10 years down the road.
 
His situation is way complex, but he has great hook-ups in the dental area. Of course, if it REALLY doesn't interest him then he probably shouldn't think twice about it, and should pursue the things that do interest him.

Work isn't all about money--I think something else has to motivate one to get out of bed each morning and go to the office. For some it is money, but I'd venture to say that it is a lot more for others.
 
Jarrod,

I think you should go to Medical School. You answered your own question with your experiences working for your dad. who cares if the hours are a little longer in medicine if you enjoy it more who cares.

As to those on this board who "choose" dentistry while struggling to get into dental school I find this amusing but when the choice is made for ya its easy to embrace dentistry if you dont have the goods for med school ( I didnt, maybe DO school type grades but I was always pre dent so its moot ). The thought process is amusing. I never pondered medicine because I always knew I wanted to be a dentist and knew I didnt have to study as hard in undergrad. Didnt need the super high grades. But man I would be hating life if I didnt love the teeth and gums. Since I do I'm loving dental school.

Go to medical school and shoot for orthopedic surgery or soemthing near it. Medicine is a very broad field and most people who go to MD programs specialize so I am sure you can find some type of residency that you like. Dentistry is a narrower profession so if you dont like teeth and gums then forget it.
You wont be happy as a dentist under any circumstances.

Forget your Dad and do what you want. Life is short. Pursue what you want not your dad.

Ignore all comments about money and personal time. Your dad sounds like a rare bird to me. Most specialists I know in dentistry work their asses off and you would be miserable because you dont like working in someones mouth.

Good luck to you.
 
Originally posted by johndental

Dentistry is a narrower profession so if you dont like teeth and gums then forget it.
Click to expand...
Not really !

Dental Public Health, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology and anethesiology are not involved much of teeth and gums everyday at work. Just couple years in dental school. You can work hard to get into Oral surgery specialty then plastic surgery (DDS/MD). You will make both your dad and yourself happy.
 
Originally posted by larryt
Not really !

Dental Public Health, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology and anethesiology are not involved much of teeth and gums everyday at work. Just couple years in dental school. You can work hard to get into Oral surgery specialty then plastic surgery (DDS/MD). You will make both your dad and yourself happy.
Click to expand...
You make it sound like any dentist with a license can decide to become a plastic surgeon over the course of a weekend. This topic has been beaten into the ground and salted, but OMS is tough to get into in the first place, and plastics is damned competitive after that. If you're going to try that route, buy yourself some lottery tickets on your way to the post office.
 
I agree that you can make more money in dentistry than medicine even as a general dentist.

But what I have noticed is that if you want to make this type of money, you will probably have to buy an existing practice and then expand it from there. Most cities have plenty of general dentists. I think it's difficult to open your own practice from scratch. It's tough to lure other patients to your new practice.

I have a friend who purchased an existing practice and he is gratefull that he did that. Because now he has a steady patient base. He has lost only one patient and he has gained several more from referrals. But even he admits that it would have been next to impossible to simply open up shop on the corner.

I should also note that he paid close to 450K for his practice although it is currently grossing close to 750K. And he plans on growing it to 1 million gross in 4 years. He will do well but as you can see he had to throw down 450K. Try paying that in addition to your dental school loans. Yes, he will come out on top but it's not as easy as it sounds.

I should also add that 750K gross is on a 4 day work week. Not bad!!!
 
Originally posted by aphistis
You make it sound like any dentist with a license can decide to become a plastic surgeon over the course of a weekend. This topic has been beaten into the ground and salted, but OMS is tough to get into in the first place, and plastics is damned competitive after that. If you're going to try that route, buy yourself some lottery tickets on your way to the post office.
Click to expand...

Or simply go to medical school. General surgery isn't as competitive to match as it once was. In the past, the best students sought surgery. These days, it's different. A lot of the brightest students are opting for the "lifestyle" fields like radiology, derm, urology, ENT, allergy, anestheriology etc. General surgery isn't that hard to match. And then you could apply for a plastics fellowship when you are done. I would probably go that route instead. From what I have heard, matching for OMS out of dental school can be pretty tough.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Becoming a dentist later in life
Replies
19
Views
4K
doc toothache
doc toothache
T
Can private dentists have good work-life balance?
Replies
7
Views
3K
Pablo Sanchez
Pablo Sanchez
T
Proof of Texas Residency
Replies
2
Views
535
wysdoc
wysdoc
D
list of deadlines
Replies
11
Views
1K
deleted1214400
D
D
Letters of rec expired?
Replies
2
Views
937
macsak
M
Top