Should I go into medicine or dentistry?

[sarorah]

Hey everyone! To summarize, I left the dentist today with 10 cavities & 2 deep ones, with 2 possible needed root canals for those and a wisdom tooth pushing in... I already knew they were bad cause I looked at xrays before but I have a very hectic family and couldn't attend to them immediately. Anyway, whatever, I'll get to them soon hopefully before they cause immense pain, it's just that, I decided to watch the dentist who was operating on my younger brother's cavities, and WoW! It was soo cool to watch and how he used the tools and fixed everything so nicely ... I mean I have a family of physicians and was basically set on medicine from a long time cause thats all my parents encouraged really, but I was just so amazed today! And I picked up my friend's dat book once & loved reading over the spatial features (instead of the physics on the mcat?) section and the other parts with her, and I'm really the kinda person that would probably prefer an easier 9-5 day. I know you can get a 9-5 day too being a physician, but I dunno, I just sorta longed to be a dentist today...I've had braces for 3 years and have super white super straight pretty teeth that evryone comments on, thanks to my SUPER GOOD orthodontist. Before I had this class 3 underbite that everyone thought could only be reparable by surgery, but she proved everyone wrong .... 🙂

SO, has anyone been in this dilemma before, well obviously, but I mean can anyone just provide some high or low points of going into both fields? Either way I love and am very good at biology, anatomy, medicine, helping others, etc, so both are in my "future career path". And both make tons of money, even though I read dentists make less in the long run, they still make so much that one can live really comfortably you know? Sorry if this has been repeated before, if you can link me to the topics if it has I'd gladly read it cause I couldn't find any in the search ... thanks. btw, I was planning to attend a 5 yr med school overseas, which you hve to apply for by like June, so if I changed to dentistry, I'd have to make sure I really wanted to now so I don't have to start all over sometime way down the path ... and I know I should "follow my heart" but I'd just want more info, especially on a dental career since my entire family is full of doctors and I get enough headache about that

thanks!
sarah

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[OMFSdoc]

Sarah,

Medicine is interesting, but very different than the practice of dentistry. Medicine and surgery themselves are completely different. I have finished dental school and am now finishing medical school while completing my OMFS training. After going through both, I can tell you that if given the choice between being a primary care physician or a general dentist. I choose general dentistry any day. My personal interests lie in OMFS above all, but general dentistry is a rewarding, fun and family friendly field.

 

[BeatrixKiddo]

I think dentistry is a lot better in general.

 

[sarorah]

thanks guys for the responses =)
what exactly is OMFS ?

 

[ou_jay]

OMFS = Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon

This is a specialty of dentistry.

 

[fightingspirit]

OMFS = Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon

This is a specialty of dentistry.

or a surgical bridge between medicine and dentistry

 

[Tooth]

Sarah,

Medicine is interesting, but very different than the practice of dentistry. Medicine and surgery themselves are completely different. I have finished dental school and am now finishing medical school while completing my OMFS training. After going through both, I can tell you that if given the choice between being a primary care physician or a general dentist. I choose general dentistry any day. My personal interests lie in OMFS above all, but general dentistry is a rewarding, fun and family friendly field.

👍

 

[Dr. Dai Phan]

If you want a great rewarding career with excellent income and plenty of time for your hobby - choose DENTISTRY.

If you are into prestige and do not like working in the oral cavity then choose MEDICINE.

But if you want it all... respect, prestige, rewarding career, have money to buy anything you want and plenty of time to enjoy them ... DENTISTRY !Period!

Nuff said! DP

 

[danhook]

Two things stick out to me about your situation. Number one- you mentioned lifestyle and interest in the procedures of dentistry, you did not ask how much dentists make etc... The other thing is that you mentioned spatial relationships and did not seem to mind the thought of working in the oral cavity. Between these two things I think you have something going for you in dentistry because it is an exciting career where lifestyle, interpersonal skills, spatial relationships, and a scientific mind are crucial. I believe your interests would be well satisfied if you were to pursue a career in dentistry based on the information you have provided. My personal opinon is that dentistry is a fulfilling career that will reward you through your lifetime- Go For It!!!

 

[TempleDMD]

I would say you should pick medicine. You ask why do I say that? Because if you cant make up your mind then pick medicine. Dentistry would be too hard for you. Take the easy way out. Remember us dentist have a tendency to kill ourselves.

 

[fightingspirit]

Hey everyone! To summarize, I left the dentist today with 10 cavities & 2 deep ones, with 2 possible needed root canals for those and a wisdom tooth pushing in... I already knew they were bad cause I looked at xrays before but I have a very hectic family and couldn't attend to them immediately. Anyway, whatever, I'll get to them soon hopefully before they cause immense pain, it's just that, I decided to watch the dentist who was operating on my younger brother's cavities, and WoW! It was soo cool to watch and how he used the tools and fixed everything so nicely ... I mean I have a family of physicians and was basically set on medicine from a long time cause thats all my parents encouraged really, but I was just so amazed today! And I picked up my friend's dat book once & loved reading over the spatial features (instead of the physics on the mcat?) section and the other parts with her, and I'm really the kinda person that would probably prefer an easier 9-5 day. I know you can get a 9-5 day too being a physician, but I dunno, I just sorta longed to be a dentist today...I've had braces for 3 years and have super white super straight pretty teeth that evryone comments on, thanks to my SUPER GOOD orthodontist. Before I had this class 3 underbite that everyone thought could only be reparable by surgery, but she proved everyone wrong .... 🙂

SO, has anyone been in this dilemma before, well obviously, but I mean can anyone just provide some high or low points of going into both fields? Either way I love and am very good at biology, anatomy, medicine, helping others, etc, so both are in my "future career path". And both make tons of money, even though I read dentists make less in the long run, they still make so much that one can live really comfortably you know? Sorry if this has been repeated before, if you can link me to the topics if it has I'd gladly read it cause I couldn't find any in the search ... thanks. btw, I was planning to attend a 5 yr med school overseas, which you hve to apply for by like June, so if I changed to dentistry, I'd have to make sure I really wanted to now so I don't have to start all over sometime way down the path ... and I know I should "follow my heart" but I'd just want more info, especially on a dental career since my entire family is full of doctors and I get enough headache about that

thanks!
sarah

i do not know what you'll end up choosing as a career but before you think of dental school, think of whether you have what it takes to excell in dental school or be a good dentist. in medical school, you get rewarded for hard work and intellectual merit only. in dental school you need hard work and intellectual merit as well but you also need well-developed fine motor skills. you will suffer tremendously if you do not have these skills well-developed before you enter dental school; you will end up staying up late in the lab for preclinical classes, which will gobble up all the time you could use to get decent grades on the biomedical science classes that are usually given at the affiliated med-school. the pace of improvement is rather low which means you will end up neither doing well at your preclinical classes nor doing well in your didactic classes. i am not scaring you away from dental school at all but i am just reminding you that there is more to dental school than just biochem and anatomy. there is more to your decision-making than just a choice of lifestyle. to get that dentist lifestyle people talk about, you must be a good dentist who gets patients and who can be quick and yet precise. good luck...


P.S: before going to dental school, i thought i was cut out to be a dentist. but now that i am in dental school, i realized that i am not cut out for this profession, and it is not a pleasant feeling.

 

[helpfuldoc2b]

No offense to the Dental Forum, but do you really expect to get a non-biased answer to your question in the DENTAL FORUM? If you ask everyone in the Pharm forum which is better Pharm or Dent they will tell you Pharm 90% of the time, if you tell Pods whats better Podiatry School or Dental School, they will tell you all the good stuff that makes Pod school better, etc... Explore for yourself and dont make this forum as a major source to your decision. Dentistry is an interesting field and to be honest from my experience exploring health fields, every dental student/new grad tell me they so wish they wouldnt have cut it short and went into Med School instead.

 

[scalpel2008]

and to be honest from my experience exploring health fields, every dental student/new grad tell me they so wish they wouldnt have cut it short and went into Med School instead.

yeah, i'm going to call BS on that one....

 

[aphistis]

No offense to the Dental Forum, but do you really expect to get a non-biased answer to your question in the DENTAL FORUM? If you ask everyone in the Pharm forum which is better Pharm or Dent they will tell you Pharm 90% of the time, if you tell Pods whats better Podiatry School or Dental School, they will tell you all the good stuff that makes Pod school better, etc... Explore for yourself and dont make this forum as a major source to your decision. Dentistry is an interesting field and to be honest from my experience exploring health fields, every dental student/new grad tell me they so wish they wouldnt have cut it short and went into Med School instead.

Riiiiiiiight...

 

[Gulch]

No offense to the Dental Forum, but do you really expect to get a non-biased answer to your question in the DENTAL FORUM? If you ask everyone in the Pharm forum which is better Pharm or Dent they will tell you Pharm 90% of the time, if you tell Pods whats better Podiatry School or Dental School, they will tell you all the good stuff that makes Pod school better, etc... Explore for yourself and dont make this forum as a major source to your decision. Dentistry is an interesting field and to be honest from my experience exploring health fields, every dental student/new grad tell me they so wish they wouldnt have cut it short and went into Med School instead.

give the op a little credit; I'm sure she knew the response would be a little tilted in the dental direction. Afterall it is a forum full of people who have made their decisions to NOT pursue medicine, podiatry, optometry, pharmacy or waste disposal. Please.

to the op: I understand it feels like you have to make this decision really soon, which frenzies the good decision making a little. For what it is worth, as a D1 I still have days when I wish I were at medschool. but they are few and far between. Most of the time I am really satisfied with my decision to pursue dentistry. Not to complicate the decision making process, but each of the respective fields (dent and med) has a cornicopea of sub-fields which are also options to investigate. (what about oral medicine, radiology, OMFS, oral pathology, or on the other side you have all the specialties plus things like biomechanical engineering, book writing, etc.) In other words, to choose medicine or dentistry is not strictly a question of "fillings" or "physicals." The decision you're making is really a matter of which opportunities you have AFTER you make the decision to go to d-schoool or m-school. It seems like a lot of the dental faculty at UM sort of felt their way around the profession until they found their "niche." Some of the professors are MDs, some are PhDs and others are Material Science.

I am sure that whatever you choose you will be satisfied most of the time. Good luck.

 

[hye345]

Allow me to sum this up:

Pros about being a physician:

• More prestige.
• More specialties to choose from.

Pros about being a dentist:

• Very nice lifestyle (9-5, 4-5 days a week).
• Less schooling.
• Easier to get into dental school (usually).
• Easier to be in private practice.
• Less malpractice issues.
• Very little (if any) BS from insurance.
• You get to work with cool gadgets all the time (if you are into this sort of thing).

Pros about both professions:

• You will make more than enough money to live comfortably.
• You will be regarded as a 'doctor', and a professional.
• You will have no problem finding work.
• You will be helping people on a daily basis.

 

[Sunny_1225]

Hey everyone! To summarize, I left the dentist today with 10 cavities & 2 deep ones, with 2 possible needed root canals for those and a wisdom tooth pushing in... I already knew they were bad cause I looked at xrays before but I have a very hectic family and couldn't attend to them immediately. Anyway, whatever, I'll get to them soon hopefully before they cause immense pain, it's just that, I decided to watch the dentist who was operating on my younger brother's cavities, and WoW! It was soo cool to watch and how he used the tools and fixed everything so nicely ... I mean I have a family of physicians and was basically set on medicine from a long time cause thats all my parents encouraged really, but I was just so amazed today! And I picked up my friend's dat book once & loved reading over the spatial features (instead of the physics on the mcat?) section and the other parts with her, and I'm really the kinda person that would probably prefer an easier 9-5 day. I know you can get a 9-5 day too being a physician, but I dunno, I just sorta longed to be a dentist today...I've had braces for 3 years and have super white super straight pretty teeth that evryone comments on, thanks to my SUPER GOOD orthodontist. Before I had this class 3 underbite that everyone thought could only be reparable by surgery, but she proved everyone wrong .... 🙂

SO, has anyone been in this dilemma before, well obviously, but I mean can anyone just provide some high or low points of going into both fields? Either way I love and am very good at biology, anatomy, medicine, helping others, etc, so both are in my "future career path". And both make tons of money, even though I read dentists make less in the long run, they still make so much that one can live really comfortably you know? Sorry if this has been repeated before, if you can link me to the topics if it has I'd gladly read it cause I couldn't find any in the search ... thanks. btw, I was planning to attend a 5 yr med school overseas, which you hve to apply for by like June, so if I changed to dentistry, I'd have to make sure I really wanted to now so I don't have to start all over sometime way down the path ... and I know I should "follow my heart" but I'd just want more info, especially on a dental career since my entire family is full of doctors and I get enough headache about that

thanks!
sarah

Most medical doctors I know, (who are the fathers of my friends) would much prefer their own children entering dental school. They think that dentists will have a better life and be paid just as much money, if not more.

In essence: they argue that dentisty is more money with less work.

I agree with the money part, but not with the "work" part.

 

[OMFSdoc]

Most medical doctors I know, (who are the fathers of my friends) would much prefer their own children entering dental school. They think that dentists will have a better life and be paid just as much money, if not more.

In essence: they argue that dentisty is more money with less work.

I agree with the money part, but not with the "work" part.

Dentistry IS less work then medicine once you are out of school. General dentists work fewer hours and have a VERY different type of on-call than a Primary care physician.

 

[danhook]

Different topic- bringing it back a little bit- I am not sure why anyone would fight for the position that a dental student works harder than a med student. Medicine has its own share of hands on experience in clinics on top of a demanding load... Unless you lied about model building, guitar playing, and fine motor skills on your dental school application a person should be fine once there. With practice comes perfection. I dont think I would ever tell someone who has been through med school to watch out for the rigors of dental school.

 

[peppy]

My suggestion would be to try to shadow a few dentists and doctors to see what it's really like to be in those occupations before you commit to anything. Spending a whole day following around the docs will help you get a true idea of what their lives are like.

I briefly debated this same question myself while I was applying to med school. I eventually ended up sticking with medicine because that's where my true interest and passion is. For me, the appeal of the easier lifestyle of dentistry didn't make up for the fact that I just am not all that interested in teeth. For you, maybe teeth are a lot more interesting. If you don't actually find medicine all that interesting, it would be a mistake to go to med school just because your relatives want you to. So, I definitely think you should take however long it takes to decide for sure what you're more interested in doing. I am a big believer in the whole "do what you love" thing for careers like these where the training is such a long, hard road. I see from some of your other posts on here that you're still young, so there's no need to rush into things before you're sure what you want to do. 🙂
Good luck!

 

[aphistis]

My suggestion would be to try to shadow a few dentists and doctors to see what it's really like to be in those occupations before you commit to anything. Spending a whole day following around the docs will help you get a true idea of what their lives are like.

I briefly debated this same question myself while I was applying to med school. I eventually ended up sticking with medicine because that's where my true interest and passion is. For me, the appeal of the easier lifestyle of dentistry didn't make up for the fact that I just am not all that interested in teeth. For you, maybe teeth are a lot more interesting. If you don't actually find medicine all that interesting, it would be a mistake to go to med school just because your relatives want you to. So, I definitely think you should take however long it takes to decide for sure what you're more interested in doing. I am a big believer in the whole "do what you love" thing for careers like these where the training is such a long, hard road. I see from some of your other posts on here that you're still young, so there's no need to rush into things before you're sure what you want to do. 🙂
Good luck!

Great post. 👍

And for the record, I *do* find teeth interesting. Especially when they go "plink" in the cup after you take them out.

 

[toofache32]

And for the record, I *do* find teeth interesting. Especially when they go "plink" in the cup after you take them out.

Ohhhh hell yeeeeeeahh!!

 

[BanyanDental.com]

My suggestion would be to try to shadow a few dentists and doctors to see what it's really like to be in those occupations before you commit to anything. Spending a whole day following around the docs will help you get a true idea of what their lives are like.

I briefly debated this same question myself while I was applying to med school. I eventually ended up sticking with medicine because that's where my true interest and passion is. For me, the appeal of the easier lifestyle of dentistry didn't make up for the fact that I just am not all that interested in teeth. For you, maybe teeth are a lot more interesting. If you don't actually find medicine all that interesting, it ^$#@ would be a mistake#^$#@ BanyanDental.com to go to med school just because your relatives want you to. So, I definitely think you should take however long it takes to decide for sure what you're more interested in doing. I am a big believer in the whole "do what you love" thing for careers like these where the training is such a long, hard road. I see from some of your other posts on here that you're still young, so there's no need to rush into things before you're sure what you want to do. 🙂
Good luck!

This is a very wise post. If I were you guys, I would at least read it a couple of times.

 

[yappy]

Let me first say that I don't think you should go into any field that you absolutely know you DO NOT like...

Having said that - financially speaking - I think that unless you get into a state dental school school you should strongly think about medicine. Medical school tends to be cheaper and offers more solid career/employment opportunities to young resident graduates IMO. GL

BTW - the whole "Do you like teeth?" way of thinking doesn't make sense to me. Do you think that a GI physician enjoys the colon? Do you think an ENT just LOVES tonsils? Do you think OBGYN thought that they should go into that field because of their obsession with post-prego-vag? Hell no.

 

[sgv]

This is a very wise post. If I were you guys, I would at least read it a couple of times.

If I took a year off to find myself, I would've ended up choosing medicine because all that college does to you is make you become a reader and a thinker, which is all that medicine requires you to be. If you come from an underprivileged family, never experienced an upper middle class lifestyle, and aren't really curious or passionate about learning anything, it's predictable that you would choose a career that requires the least investment and the greatest income. Careers like business, engineering, dentistry, and typical 9-5 jobs fit the profile. If on the other hand, you went a step above mainstream American culture about viewing success as working as little as possible while earning a six figure salary and began to find more enjoyment in solving problems, living, breathing, and using science 24/7, and saving lives more than buying all the neat things that money can buy, you should go to medicine. Or if you're a real genius, you can have the best of both worlds by becoming a ROAD.

 

[Bereno]

I smell a revived thread dead for almost exactly 7 years... Yup. yup, I do lol.

 

[sgv]

in medical school, you get rewarded for hard work and intellectual merit only. in dental school you need hard work and intellectual merit as well but you also need well developed fine motor skills.

being a physician is like being a mage...all int (100%) and no dex.
A dentist is like some weird hybrid having even int (50%) and dex (50%).

I dont think you need that much fine motor skills before coming to dental school. You learn most of that skill in dental school.

 

[Sublimazing]

being a physician is like being a mage...all int (100%) and no dex.
A dentist is like some weird hybrid having even int (50%) and dex (50%).

I dont think you need that much fine motor skills before coming to dental school. You learn most of that skill in dental school.

There are plenty of procedures in medicine that require fine motor skill...try doing an aline on an 86 year old on dialysis...or chemo...or both...try doing a lumbar puncture on a 300 pound homeless guy...in dentistry we tend to minimize their "hand skills" but I think a lot of us tend to be a little naive and arrogant without any real experience

 

[Bereno]

I tend to agree with Sublimazing on this one... I know of a few docs that rely quite heavily on their hand skills.

 

[Ionz]

being a physician is like being a mage...all int (100%) and no dex.
A dentist is like some weird hybrid having even int (50%) and dex (50%).

I dont think you need that much fine motor skills before coming to dental school. You learn most of that skill in dental school.

I would think microvascular surgery requires more fine motor skills than most dentist would ever come across in their lifetime. (barring microvascular fellowship trained OMFS, of course)

 

[Ferneezy]

being a physician is like being a mage...all int (100%) and no dex.
A dentist is like some weird hybrid having even int (50%) and dex (50%).

I dont think you need that much fine motor skills before coming to dental school. You learn most of that skill in dental school.

by 'weird hybrid' i'm sure you mean 'cunning, assassination combat rogue'. the most superior of all classes.

 

[ohcdc]

family medicine works crazy long hours and sees a ton of patients and make 1/3 what dentist makes.
so unless you plan to specialize, be dentist, if you can... its crazy hard and expensive these days to be a dentist.

 

[yappy]

family medicine works crazy long hours and sees a ton of patients and make 1/3 what dentist makes.
so unless you plan to specialize, be dentist, if you can... its crazy hard and expensive these days to be a dentist.

These are the sort of rumor-postings that lead people down the wrong path...

2010 MGMA data: Family practice average yearly income $217,089.
General dentistry average yearly income $190,000.

I think the ADA reported general dentistry ~200k that year as well. Either way... less than a physician.

Why is this false statement routinely made?

 

[nomad12]

Nevertheless, there are many pros to dentistry: significantly less malpractice risk than medicine (although it is still present), not under the mercy of a hospital (which can be like a tyrant especially in a rural area), and you aren't as tied down as you are in medicine (which means you have more freedom to pursue business interests). Much more autonomy in dentistry (at least for now) and also a lot less burn out and mental drain when you come home from work.

ROAD in medicine is pretty much gone. Radiology has gotten some massive reimbursement cuts and it will continue. Interventional Radiology is better pay, but you have to work like a dog. Anesthesiology is getting their pay cut by CRNAs. Most orthopedic surgeons who made it big had their own surgery centers, which is pretty much a near impossibility for the newly graduating orthopedic because of onerous regulations, declining reimbursements, etc. Derm is very competitive to get into and also quite competitive in areas where your practice is most likely to be lucrative. I think someone in internal medicine who knows how to do a breadth of procedures (basically like a super internist) in a rural area can really rake in some serious dough.

I believe that if you have other business interests entirely outside healthcare that you want to pursue, it is best to pursue dentistry. If you just want a steady, stable $250-$300k income for the rest of your life then go for medicine.

 

[Silent Cool]

Nevertheless, there are many pros to dentistry: significantly less malpractice risk than medicine (although it is still present), not under the mercy of a hospital (which can be like a tyrant especially in a rural area), and you aren't as tied down as you are in medicine (which means you have more freedom to pursue business interests). Much more autonomy in dentistry (at least for now) and also a lot less burn out and mental drain when you come home from work.

ROAD in medicine is pretty much gone. Radiology has gotten some massive reimbursement cuts and it will continue. Interventional Radiology is better pay, but you have to work like a dog. Anesthesiology is getting their pay cut by CRNAs. Most orthopedic surgeons who made it big had their own surgery centers, which is pretty much a near impossibility for the newly graduating orthopedic because of onerous regulations, declining reimbursements, etc. Derm is very competitive to get into and also quite competitive in areas where your practice is most likely to be lucrative. I think someone in internal medicine who knows how to do a breadth of procedures (basically like a super internist) in a rural area can really rake in some serious dough.

I believe that if you have other business interests entirely outside healthcare that you want to pursue, it is best to pursue dentistry. If you just want a steady, stable $250-$300k income for the rest of your life then go for medicine.

Hey nomad,

I was curious what you meant by this.
thanx

 

[Ferneezy]

Hey nomad,

I was curious what you meant by this.
thanx

he probably means dentistry gives you the means (income) and time (average hourly work week) to pursue other business interests "on the side". peruse dentaltown for a few threads and you'll find more than a few dentists that own and operate franchises and other things. personally, i know one that has an art gallery and uses his real estate license to sell high-end real estate.

 

[Silent Cool]

he probably means dentistry gives you the means (income) and time (average hourly work week) to pursue other business interests "on the side". peruse dentaltown for a few threads and you'll find more than a few dentists that own and operate franchises and other things. personally, i know one that has an art gallery and uses his real estate license to sell high-end real estate.

Gotcha. Yeah, I read something similar on the psych forums. An attending or resident was saying that he knew of a psych doc who made more money trading stocks, etc.., than an orthopedic surgeon brought in each year because the psych had so much more free time.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

Nevertheless, there are many pros to dentistry: significantly less malpractice risk than medicine (although it is still present), not under the mercy of a hospital (which can be like a tyrant especially in a rural area), and you aren't as tied down as you are in medicine (which means you have more freedom to pursue business interests). Much more autonomy in dentistry (at least for now) and also a lot less burn out and mental drain when you come home from work.

ROAD in medicine is pretty much gone. Radiology has gotten some massive reimbursement cuts and it will continue. Interventional Radiology is better pay, but you have to work like a dog. Anesthesiology is getting their pay cut by CRNAs. Most orthopedic surgeons who made it big had their own surgery centers, which is pretty much a near impossibility for the newly graduating orthopedic because of onerous regulations, declining reimbursements, etc. Derm is very competitive to get into and also quite competitive in areas where your practice is most likely to be lucrative. I think someone in internal medicine who knows how to do a breadth of procedures (basically like a super internist) in a rural area can really rake in some serious dough.

I believe that if you have other business interests entirely outside healthcare that you want to pursue, it is best to pursue dentistry. If you just want a steady, stable $250-$300k income for the rest of your life then go for medicine.

Yeah, ROAD has pretty much been eroded down to D. Derm is still a very sweet gig and they control their number very well. Obviously, not easy to get into though.

Btw, the O is for Ophtho.

 

[Silent Cool]

ROAD to happiness.
ROPAD to happiness.
RAD to happiness.
ROD to happiness.
D to happiness.

Oh medicine! Oh medicine! Why hast thou forsaken me!!!

 

[nomad12]

he probably means dentistry gives you the means (income) and time (average hourly work week) to pursue other business interests "on the side". peruse dentaltown for a few threads and you'll find more than a few dentists that own and operate franchises and other things. personally, i know one that has an art gallery and uses his real estate license to sell high-end real estate.

Yea that is exactly what I meant. Medicine is much more mentally draining and time consuming than dentistry.

Yeah, ROAD has pretty much been eroded down to D. Derm is still a very sweet gig and they control their number very well. Obviously, not easy to get into though.

Btw, the O is for Ophtho.

Oh, okay I always thought the O was orthopedic.

 

[yappy]

Yea that is exactly what I meant. Medicine is much more mentally draining and time consuming than dentistry.


Oh, okay I always thought the O was orthopedic.

And just to make sure we're all clear... After all the speculation specialists, and GP physicians, will outearn most dentists and carry less debt. This is especially true when you consider that one can become a lowly employee hospitalist (no buy in) and make 250k + bennies + malpractice + 7 on 7 off work schedule + 401k matching programs. Why do we delude oursleves? It has become such a pet peeve of mine both on and off these boards.

Yes, the neurosurgeon has less time off; but, he also makes on avg 700-800k. How many "side-businesses" do you need to make up that difference? Even if their income is slashed in half they'll earn more than double what your typical general dentist makes. I'm speaking to averages - not exceptional situations where an established dentist graduated 10-20 years ago. Most of medicine is also moving towards become more life-style friendly.

Please make your career decision based on what you think you will enjoy most! Do not go into dentistry because of the idea that it's easy money and dentists do better financially. They don't.

 

[Shunwei]

And just to make sure we're all clear... After all the speculation specialists, and GP physicians, will outearn most dentists and carry less debt. This is especially true when you consider that one can become a lowly employee hospitalist (no buy in) and make 250k + bennies + malpractice + 7 on 7 off work schedule + 401k matching programs. Why do we delude oursleves? It has become such a pet peeve of mine both on and off these boards.

Yes, the neurosurgeon has less time off; but, he also makes on avg 700-800k. How many "side-businesses" do you need to make up that difference? Even if their income is slashed in half they'll earn more than double what your typical general dentist makes. I'm speaking to averages - not exceptional situations where an established dentist graduated 10-20 years ago. Most of medicine is also moving towards become more life-style friendly.

Please make your career decision based on what you think you will enjoy most! Do not go into dentistry because of the idea that it's easy money and dentists do better financially. They don't.

Wow, not sure if I agree with that statement. Most of what I have seen and heard is the exact opposite with the government intervention and regulations. And I don't know why you have so much polyanna about GP physicians. Most I have seen work their butt off and do indeed have lower compensation than the 'average' dentist.

I don't like making generalizations of earning power because, like someone said above, there is so much variation in geographical, demographic, saturation, personal abilities/repertoire, etc. There are at least a dozen significant parameters that one has to factor in determining the earning power of dentists and physicians. In my humble opinion, the thing that sets aside dentists from physicians is the quality of life and the ability to build your own business. I think it would be very hard to argue against that dentists do have more time off to enjoy the finer things in life and in dentistry it is much easier to build you own business. From the latter, not only are you drawing a cash flow as a salary but also building an equity that is worth a lot in of itself. An well-run dental office can fairly easily gross 1.2 million a year, which allowing for average overhead (~55%) will give you about 500k of earning, and when you do sell it you can get around 700k for the office as a final draw. Not a bad deal in my opinion.

 

[nomad12]

And just to make sure we're all clear... After all the speculation specialists, and GP physicians, will outearn most dentists and carry less debt. This is especially true when you consider that one can become a lowly employee hospitalist (no buy in) and make 250k + bennies + malpractice + 7 on 7 off work schedule + 401k matching programs. Why do we delude oursleves? It has become such a pet peeve of mine both on and off these boards.

Yes, the neurosurgeon has less time off; but, he also makes on avg 700-800k. How many "side-businesses" do you need to make up that difference. Even if their income is slashed in half they'll earn more than double what your typical general dentist makes. I'm speaking to averages - not exceptional situations where an established dentist graduated 10-20 years ago. Most of medicine is also moving towards become more life-style friendly.

Please make your career decision based on what you think you will enjoy most! Do not go into dentistry because of the idea that it's easy money and dentists do better financially. They don't.

I agree and by no means would I imply that dentistry is easy money. Doctors do make more money (on average). But let's not act like there is no significantly higher risk involved in medicine. Some of these lowly employee hospitalists have to deal with some very medically complex problems (which can be legal hot-potatoes if anything goes wrong), are pressured by the hospital administration to do things they know aren't ethical and can get them sued. Many of them have to also take call and are tied down. Why do you think so many doctors are fed up? Talk to any doctor employed by Kaiser and you'll see how unhappy A LOT of them are. Let's also take into account that with dentists and the greater opportunity to have "side-businesses" there is also a greater advantage of having more freedom, opportunity to take more tax deductions and pay less in taxes.

Different people have different definitions of success. Success to me is being able to get up in the morning (at whatever time I wish) and not have to go to work on that day, but still be able to make money on that day because I have other people (employees) as the ones on the front lines and having to do the greasework; I only manage and expand. That kind of success can never be obtained by working for someone else, in my opinion. I am willing to trade the guarantee of a higher income (which comes with more training, more risks, more mental drain, and no independence) of medicine for a risk of a lower income, but significantly less stress, less schooling, and more independence and free time that is present in dentistry. Then again I'm fortunate to be born in a relatively well to do financial situation.

 

[Sublimazing]

I agree and by no means would I imply that dentistry is easy money. Doctors do make more money (on average). But let's not act like there is no significantly higher risk involved in medicine. Some of these lowly employee hospitalists have to deal with some very medically complex problems (which can be legal hot-potatoes if anything goes wrong), are pressured by the hospital administration to do things they know aren't ethical and can get them sued. Many of them have to also take call and are tied down. Why do you think so many doctors are fed up? Talk to any doctor employed by Kaiser and you'll see how unhappy A LOT of them are. Let's also take into account that with dentists and the greater opportunity to have "side-businesses" there is also a greater advantage of having more freedom, opportunity to take more tax deductions and pay less in taxes.

Different people have different definitions of success. Success to me is being able to get up in the morning (at whatever time I wish) and not have to go to work on that day, but still be able to make money on that day because I have other people (employees) as the ones on the front lines and having to do the greasework; I only manage and expand. That kind of success can never be obtained by working for someone else, in my opinion. I am willing to trade the guarantee of a higher income (which comes with more training, more risks, more mental drain, and no independence) of medicine for a risk of a lower income, but significantly less stress, less schooling, and more independence and free time that is present in dentistry. Then again I'm fortunate to be born in a relatively well to do financial situation.

What area of physician medicine are you referring to when you make these statements?

 

[Screwtape]

And just to make sure we're all clear... After all the speculation specialists, and GP physicians, will outearn most dentists and carry less debt. This is especially true when you consider that one can become a lowly employee hospitalist (no buy in) and make 250k + bennies + malpractice + 7 on 7 off work schedule + 401k matching programs. Why do we delude oursleves? It has become such a pet peeve of mine both on and off these boards.

Yes, the neurosurgeon has less time off; but, he also makes on avg 700-800k. How many "side-businesses" do you need to make up that difference? Even if their income is slashed in half they'll earn more than double what your typical general dentist makes. I'm speaking to averages - not exceptional situations where an established dentist graduated 10-20 years ago. Most of medicine is also moving towards become more life-style friendly.

Please make your career decision based on what you think you will enjoy most! Do not go into dentistry because of the idea that it's easy money and dentists do better financially. They don't.

A pet peeve of mine is when people compare the highest paying specialists in medicine to general dentists. We are already comparing apples and oranges, but that just adds to the disparity.

 

[Bereno]

Why does everybody compare salary? Why is that the only benchmark? Its like measuring horsepower on a car without taking into consideration the weight, weight distribution, gearing, suspension, brakes, reliability, etc. Seems a bit short sighted to me. I have an algorithm that I use, and I will share it if people want to know lol.

 

[yappy]

Why does everybody compare salary? Why is that the only benchmark? Its like measuring horsepower on a car without taking into consideration the weight, weight distribution, reliability, etc. Seems a bit short sighted to me. I have an algorithm that I use, and I will share it if people want to know lol.

I stated at the end of my post that people should consider what profession they enjoy the most before jumping into either based on salary. However, many people pursue a career primarily as a mean for paying for life's expenses.

Why does everybody compare salary? Why is that the only benchmark? Its like measuring horsepower on a car without taking into consideration the weight, weight distribution, gearing, suspension, brakes, reliability, etc. Seems a bit short sighted to me. I have an algorithm that I use, and I will share it if people want to know lol.

It is myopic but when y0u consider that both are similar in terms of time commitment, industry, and both operate largely on an exchange of time for labor paradigm, money becomes an important consideration. Though, the point of my previous post was to clear up any misunderstanding regarding the income comparison between dentists and physicians. I'm comfortable with my career choices because they were not based primarily on income.

I am interested in your algorithm.

 

[Toronto77]

Why does everybody compare salary? Why is that the only benchmark? Its like measuring horsepower on a car without taking into consideration the weight, weight distribution, gearing, suspension, brakes, reliability, etc. Seems a bit short sighted to me. I have an algorithm that I use, and I will share it if people want to know lol.

Bereno,

I enjoy your posts as they are often insightful. It sounds like you may have been in the real world prior to dental school, if not you already have many things figured out that some never will.

Good luck on the CBSE this fall. I will find out in about 4 days if I am fortunate enough to have matched and get my arse handed to me for the next number of years.

 

[Bereno]

I stated at the end of my post that people should consider what profession they enjoy the most before jumping into either based on salary. However, many people pursue a career primarily as a mean for paying for life's expenses.
It is myopic but when y0u consider that both are similar in terms of time commitment, industry, and both operate largely on an exchange of time for labor paradigm, money becomes an important consideration. Though, the point of my previous post was to clear up any misunderstanding regarding the income comparison between dentists and physicians. I'm comfortable with my career choices because they were not based primarily on income.
I am interested in your algorithm.

True, I hope that readers see that my post was not aimed at you - It was a generality that applies to nearly everyone. I just saw that on here, many posters are using salary as the debating point so I thought I would chime it. 🙂

BTW, I made a thread in the predent section about my algorithm. I figured it would best serve those in the predent section since many of them have not committed to a career just yet. I need to get back to studying, but let me know what you think!

Bereno,
I enjoy your posts as they are often insightful. It sounds like you may have been in the real world prior to dental school, if not you already have many things figured out that some never will.
Good luck on the CBSE this fall. I will find out in about 4 days if I am fortunate enough to have matched and get my arse handed to me for the next number of years.

Thank you for the kind words! I have an exam on the 27th, but I will be attending my schools match day as well. Hopefully it does well for you, best of luck!

 

[Silent Cool]

From BLS.gov:

http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#29-0000

Dentists: ~160-166K
Physicians and Surgeons: ~190K

Now, the thing to consider is that many dentists work 35 hours per week. Many physicians work 50-60 per week. So hourly, dentists probably earn more, but they also have to buy a practice to get those higher numbers. The ones who work at gentle dental, etc..., or as associates forever earn about $50/hour.

I do agree about dentists having more time off but, in part, that's because it tends to attract lifestyle people; medicine tends not to.

I believe the avg. dental practice nationwide grosses about 500K. A gross of 1 mil+ is achievable but is the distinct minority of practices out there. They are either rural practices (ie, small town of 10K or so) or they are metro practices with 10 chairs. Pick your poison.

Re: hating your job. This is of course highly individual, but I certainly wouldn't characterize dentists as being blissfully happy. I've read dentaltown enough to know that there are some truly miserable characters in the field, and they post prolifically on dentaltown.

Look up "19th Century Doc" and "THE Token Redneck," both of whom post constantly about how much they hate being dentists. The former even won the TownieChoice award on Dentaltown and only works two days per week! The latter, under his post signature, has this sentence: "Counting down the days until I no longer have to do this ****."

The point being, spare me the nonsense about dentist = happy and physician = mad. LOL. There are happy and miserable people in any profession, for a variety of reasons.
Re: money, many of the posters on dentaltown quite openly say that the only reason they stay in the profession is money.

YMMV.

good luck picking!