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- May 27, 2017
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Hi all. I am currently a 3rd year dental student about to start my 4th year this summer. I wanted to ask for advice about specializing from those of you who are in dental school, are already practicing, or are currently training for specific specialties in an attempt to hear some different opinions. I am generally unsure of which direction to take, so I will discuss my statistics and the pros and cons of specializing/not specializing below. Please feel free to weigh in and correct me if any of my assumptions are wrong. Thanks in advance.
Pros of Specializing:
-I like the idea of being an “expert” in one field, thus meaning higher demand and prestige
-Depending on the specialty, an increased chance for higher income
-The ability to do one/limited types of procedures (more predictable) that only a small number of individuals can do
-Less competition depending on the location
-I don’t mind a few extra years of school and more tuition
Cons of Specializing (Becoming a General Dentist):
-Receiving referrals for difficult cases that some general dentist may not want/feel comfortable treating
-Only getting to do a limited type of procedures (I like the idea of no two days being exactly alike and getting to do a large variety of procedures in general dentistry)
-I love the procedures I have been able to perform during my 3rd year. A lot of my classmates who are certain about specializing have said that they don’t like what we are doing this year (fillings, crowns, dentures, etc.)
-May be busier/more fast paced than some specialties and thus more physically demanding
About me:
-I am number 18/71 with regards to class rank as of the start of my 3rd year, which may have changed throughout the year.
-I have always tried to keep my grades up as much as possible in the hopes of having the option to specialize should I want to do so, but never gave it much more thought
-I am not involved in any research and have never had much of a desire to become involved, despite it helping my application
-With regards to extracurricular activities, I am in a dental school band with other faculty and students
-My personality is not an aggressive/risk-taking one. I would rather predictability and am more than willing to accept when I do not feel comfortable with a certain treatment (a lot during 3rd year!)
-I want to see my patients enough to know them on a personal level and be able to treat a variety of ages and populations presenting with different dental issues
-My main concern that I will use to end this post is that I have not found one specialty that really stands out to me. They all seem either somewhat boring and less involved procedurally (ortho) or super tedious and high intensity (endo and perio). I would like a middle ground between these two quite honestly. I know that I should be in the process of sending out applications and applying during 3rd year summer for the following year, but I don’t want to apply to a specialty I am not certain about just for the sake of becoming a specialist. However, I also don’t want to miss out on my opportunities that I currently have. For example, one person in my class wants to be an endodontist. Because if this, he is always in their department getting to know the residents and faculty. I don’t want to miss out on this opportunity simply because I am not sure.
Thank you in advance!
Pros of Specializing:
-I like the idea of being an “expert” in one field, thus meaning higher demand and prestige
-Depending on the specialty, an increased chance for higher income
-The ability to do one/limited types of procedures (more predictable) that only a small number of individuals can do
-Less competition depending on the location
-I don’t mind a few extra years of school and more tuition
Cons of Specializing (Becoming a General Dentist):
-Receiving referrals for difficult cases that some general dentist may not want/feel comfortable treating
-Only getting to do a limited type of procedures (I like the idea of no two days being exactly alike and getting to do a large variety of procedures in general dentistry)
-I love the procedures I have been able to perform during my 3rd year. A lot of my classmates who are certain about specializing have said that they don’t like what we are doing this year (fillings, crowns, dentures, etc.)
-May be busier/more fast paced than some specialties and thus more physically demanding
About me:
-I am number 18/71 with regards to class rank as of the start of my 3rd year, which may have changed throughout the year.
-I have always tried to keep my grades up as much as possible in the hopes of having the option to specialize should I want to do so, but never gave it much more thought
-I am not involved in any research and have never had much of a desire to become involved, despite it helping my application
-With regards to extracurricular activities, I am in a dental school band with other faculty and students
-My personality is not an aggressive/risk-taking one. I would rather predictability and am more than willing to accept when I do not feel comfortable with a certain treatment (a lot during 3rd year!)
-I want to see my patients enough to know them on a personal level and be able to treat a variety of ages and populations presenting with different dental issues
-My main concern that I will use to end this post is that I have not found one specialty that really stands out to me. They all seem either somewhat boring and less involved procedurally (ortho) or super tedious and high intensity (endo and perio). I would like a middle ground between these two quite honestly. I know that I should be in the process of sending out applications and applying during 3rd year summer for the following year, but I don’t want to apply to a specialty I am not certain about just for the sake of becoming a specialist. However, I also don’t want to miss out on my opportunities that I currently have. For example, one person in my class wants to be an endodontist. Because if this, he is always in their department getting to know the residents and faculty. I don’t want to miss out on this opportunity simply because I am not sure.
Thank you in advance!