Social Work Compared to Dentistry

[Dan]

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I have been working in the field of Social Work for over 5+yrs with my Masters. Right now I put in at least half my time just doing paper work which is very cumbersome at times. There are a lot of individuals that I meet on a daily basis that do drain me emotionally. Lately I have been seriously considering Dentistry for many different reasons. I feel that I would have less paperwork, the people would not drop emotional loads of baggage on me, and I could be my own boss. There is the financial aspect that I could be investing into something that could potentially help me to retire not only with the salary but also having a practice that I could sell after building it up for years. I don’t know if I am in dream land at this point thinking that there would just be the pros to working as a Dentist or if this could actually be a reality for me. I am 32yrs old and have three children and a very supportive wife. What are some of the advantages that you have seen being seasoned in the profession so far and why are others finding this profession appealing compared to others? Thanks for your time!

 

[Frederico Albin]

Well Dan, you are definetly right on the part that you can be your own boss and set your own hours, if you have your clinic and stuff... but like in any other carrers... there will always be stress and paperwork, but if thats what you like, go for it 😛
good luck.

 

[Streetwolf]

Don't forget the whole getting through dental school thing. With a wife and 3 kids it will be an experience. Though plenty of people do that each year - in fact we have someone in my class like that. Just a couple years younger than you.

GL.

 

[Dan]

Thanks! It is a daunting thought task at this point to think about going back to school. I know it would be a huge sacrifice but definitely worth it. I appreciate all of the feedback that everyone has given me. In terms of the paperwork is this something that the Dental Assistants and secretaries usually do for you or would I be required to fill out allot of forms, etc... Paperwork is not my fortei that is for sure. Thanks again!

 

[diane07]

Since your education is social work, it's possible that you don't have any of the science pre-requisites. Physics, Gen chem, Organic chem, biology, biochemistry (only a pre-requisite at certain schools) ect. Why don't you enroll in a couple of sciences and see how you like it while you continue to think/research dentistry. Some people find that they really dislike the sciences, so that may be something that you'll want to find now rather than later.

 

[Dan]

I have taken two University Level Classes that I enjoyed and felt alot of satisfaction upon completing them. The courses that I complete were an Introductory Chemistry Class and a more advanced Calculus class in my first semester of University. I know of several different individuals that are in the profession right now and seem to be enjoying their lifestyle and family time. I am really drawn to the profession as I have been very weighted down lately with some emotional baggage of working with clients and not having the proper balance in terms of my own family life. I know that this is always a juggling act in any job but I feel that there is potential that some day I could be working only four days a week and if I wanted to take a vacation I could and still have some residual income coming in. In addition I feel that it would be an investment that in the future when I go to retire that there would be several years of practice accounted for by being financial compensated if I so chose to sell my practice. As a counsellor I have never heard of any therapist selling their practice and so the years of practice are not compensated other then what they have earned while seeing clients over the years. Anyways I feel in some ways that I have made up my mind and now it is up to me to start the ball rolling again. As I mentioned I do have some years of education behind me and I figured out I would probably only have seven classes that I would need to take before entering Dentistry. Anyways I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and comments so far.​

 

[Frederico Albin]

I would follow diane's suggestion. Keep taking those science classes, if you enjoy it and enjoy those labs, you should be ok, but there are so many other things that you should be thinking about before making your decisions.

 

[Dan]

What are some of the 'Other Things' I should be thinking about? I know that by taking the course will help me to firmly decide if Dentistry is for me or not. If I can't handle the workload of the classes or enjoy them then I would probably not enjoying using the practical components of the courses in a career as a Dentist. I also know having a family will be a struggle if I do decide to go into Dentistry. The way I look at it right now is what will I be doing ten years from now? Life goes on and if I did get to the point of entering Dental School I would have to treat it like a job like I have right now and set aside the necessary time to complete the course work. Thanks for you input again.​