I've been consider practicing in either as both have their advantages/disadvantages. What's the general consensus about rural vs working in the city/suburb?
I've read that rural dentistry is in need (obviously) but the patient's have a difficult time affording the procedures. On the other hand, some say "this is where the money is at and less competition exists too". However, how do the hundreds of dentists in the suburban area's survive? Are they making a decent living or is it more cut throat for patients? In short, I'm curious of the difference in financially, patient and business wise in the two different areas.
My 2 cents on this. And let me prefice it with the following: For the last 9+ years I've practiced in a rural setting, and prior to that I practiced for 2 years in what you'd call the classic "suburban" area.
Myth #1 about rural dental practice: Patients have a tough time affording dental work. - Generally "no" to that. From what I've seen, in a rural area, contrary to popular myths, people actually do have jobs, and they're not all based on agriculture
😉 Seriously though, the fees I charge are generally a bit (maybe 10-15%) lower than what a comparable procedure would cost in a suburban area, but the folks that I treat also tend to be both very realistic about what they can afford, and also very faithful about making their payments - much more so than what I saw in my time in surburbia.
In general, the stress level of my patients in my rural area is less than than I saw in suburbia = less TMJ patients
😀
Competition - less dentists around, less paid advertising needed, also a more friendly dental environment, where a number of my colleaugues actually get together for lunch on a very regular basis and bounce ideas freely off each other. Definitely not a cut throat environment - I couldn't say that about my time in suburbia
Type of practice - with less specialists close by, I tend to do more procedures(endo's, exo's, etc) in a rural setting than I did in a suburban setting
Compensation - factoring in things like time, experience level, etc. I'm making comfortably more in my rural setting, and with a lower overall stress level, than I feel that I would currently be if I had stayed in suburbia
That being said, a rural practice isn't for everyone. It helps greatly that I not only enjoy practicing in this type of environment, but I also enjoy living in a more rural setting, where the closest "real" mall is basically a 30 minute drive (I've got the classic strip mall much closer, and grocery stores/home improvement stores/etc within 10 min of my house).
