Specializing or go Med

[stoshic]

---

Members don't see this ad.

should I take a chance in specializing in oral surgery or go to medical school for general surgery. I have the option.

 

[ajmacgregor]

should I take a chance in specializing in oral surgery or go to medical school for general surgery. I have the option.

Well, with the exception of the time you spend on general surgery as an oral surgery resident, the fields are very different...

I think the big question you should ask yourself is:

"Do I want to be a dentist (oral surgeon) or a physician (general surgeon)?"

If you don't like dentistry, you'll likely not do well enough in dental school to get into an oral surgery program.

Also, even if you get an MD during your OMFS residency, as an oral surgeon you will be seen almost universally (by physicians and dentists) as dentist.

Finally, general surgery and oral surgery are VERY different specialties. I suppose there is some overlap with respect to trauma and on-call responsibilities, but your day-to-day work will be completely different as a general surgeon versus as an oral surgeon.

The lifestyles are probably comparable during residency (read: they both suck in terms of quality of life), but most of the oral surgeons I know have a much better quality of life, compared to the general surgeons I know.

Keep in mind, I'm just a general dentist. The OMFS-ers around here could probably give you a better answer.

 

[simpledoc]

Well, with the exception of the time you spend on general surgery as an oral surgery resident, the fields are very different...

I think the big question you should ask yourself is:

"Do I want to be a dentist (oral surgeon) or a physician (general surgeon)?"

If you don't like dentistry, you'll likely not do well enough in dental school to get into an oral surgery program.

Also, even if you get an MD during your OMFS residency, as an oral surgeon you will be seen almost universally (by physicians and dentists) as dentist.

Finally, general surgery and oral surgery are VERY different specialties. I suppose there is some overlap with respect to trauma and on-call responsibilities, but your day-to-day work will be completely different as a general surgeon versus as an oral surgeon.

The lifestyles are probably comparable during residency (read: they both suck in terms of quality of life), but most of the oral surgeons I know have a much better quality of life, compared to the general surgeons I know.

Keep in mind, I'm just a general dentist. The OMFS-ers around here could probably give you a better answer.

👍

 

[unlvdmd]

Not to knock your ablities, but keep this in mind: When it comes to specializing in either ortho or oral surgery, DS1's and predents tend to underestimate the process. It is kind of like freshman year in college. Isn't everyone pre-health professional (i.e. med, dent, pharm).... but how many actually make it? Very few. THE SAME THING HAPPENS with oral surgery. So if you don't want to be a DENTIST, don't go to dental school even though oral surgery is a subset of it.

 

[toofache32]

I don't understand the question. Are you comparing 2 remotely related fields? If you want to be a general surgeon, go to med school. If you want to be an oral surgeon, go to dental school.

 

[45540]

I don't understand the question. Are you comparing 2 remotely related fields? If you want to be a general surgeon, go to med school. If you want to be an oral surgeon, go to dental school.

I definitely agree with this. They are completely different fields. You go into fields like that because you love what you're doing, not because you flipped a coin or just want "surgeon" associated with your field. True, both are surgeons, but oral surgeons generally don't receive the respect from the medical staff that general/cardiac/ortho surgeons would. (maybe that's heresay, but it's my opinion)

And how does stoshic know that he can match at general surgery or oral surgery right now?

 

[Dr. Pedo]

Easy killer 😀 -----you DON'T have the OPTION of being an Oral Surgeon or General Surgeon; you have a goal/dream/desire to be one or the other. Your current option consists of only dental school or med school----there is sooo much in front of you before getting to be either one of those specialists.

Like being one of the top in your dental school class, national boards part I 90+, national boards part II, National licensures exam, externships, recommendations, GPA, class rank, research, oh and waxing #30 etc...etc...etc...

Med school you're still ~8 years away from being a general surg. Need nearly the same as above------perhaps a little more lax on the requirements. National Boards I roughly 230+, wouldn't be bad to be AOA but not necessary etc...

You have lots of school ahead of you and no guarantees. I admire your desire---- but to claim you currently have an option to be either is rather premature- 😀 😱

I do wish you the best though and oral surg vs. gen surg are worlds apart. 😎

 

[Yah-E]

Med school you're still ~8 years away from being a general surg. Need nearly the same as above------perhaps a little more lax on the requirements. National Boards I roughly 230+, wouldn't be bad to be AOA but not necessary etc...

I don't believe that you need to get a 230+ on USMLE Step I to get into Gen. Surg, as matter of fact, I heard that Gen. Surg is fairly uncompetitive.

At any rate, I sense all that OP wanted to be is a "surgeon". OMFS is not easy to get into and is not an "side door" to become a surgeon. I suggest you do the medical school route and try to get into Gen Surg.

 

[TucsonDDS]

I was talking to an Oral Surgeon the other night at the hospital that I work at and he was saying how he is much happier with his job than a lot of the other surgeons that he knows. He also said how he would give up his MD degree well before he would give up his DDS. I feel that he gets the same respect from the nurses that doctors get but I don't think that half the nurses he works with knows that he is a dentist.

 

[ajmacgregor]

I was talking to an Oral Surgeon the other night at the hospital that I work at and he was saying how he is much happier with his job than a lot of the other surgeons that he knows. He also said how he would give up his MD degree well before he would give up his DDS. I feel that he gets the same respect from the nurses that doctors get but I don't think that half the nurses he works with knows that he is a dentist.

I absolutely agree with this. The oral surgeons at our community hospital are very well respected by the other nurses, physicians (especially the ER guys), and surgical specialists (including plastics and ENT).

The bottom line is that respect comes from being good at what you do and not being arrogant about it. There are plenty of neurosurgeons, orthopedic surgeons, etc. who might be respected for the academic achievements, but aren't respected as people...

Back to the OP - I think you really need to learn more about both medical school and dental school, as well as oral surgery and general surgery.

 

[slysnoodles]

I think there is discrimination at some places. There's overlap in these areas, and people will always try and stratify. Hell, my brother is a doctor, and I've heard him say bad things about oral surgeons. I didn't say anything at the time, but now that I think about it.. i'm gonna smack him next time I see him.

My friend Peter Ringingswine has parents who are oral surgeons and they get crap all the time from physicians about being dentists. Even members of their own family bust on them!

 

[Dr. Pedo]

My friend Peter Ringingswine has parents who are oral surgeons and they get crap all the time from physicians about being dentists. Even members of their own family bust on them!

Guys you are all missing the point------the greatest profession in the world is dentistry; from a financial stand-point, from a working stand-point and from a family stand-point. I have several MDs in my immediate family and at I love the family gatherings it goes something like this:

Paul and Carl (MDs) sit and complain about HMOs, PPOs, and their ridiculous malpractice insurance ---plus the declining income and increased lawsuits. Then they talk about being told what they can do for their patients and what tests they can run------depending on what the insurance company believes is appropriate . The insurance companies are run by people with MBA degrees and they get to control what Doctors can and can not do 😱 Then they wear their pagers which go off at least 4x and one or the other and sometimes both normally have to leave to the hospital-----(for a short time, right ) All the while their kids crying and begging they stick around. Then they look at my uncle (dentist) and me and say its unfair.

I laugh, they call themselves pawns in the game of insurance, and in the end we play with their kids, have a wonderful cookout and re-live this same scenerio every time we get together. Oh and uncle dentist makes 3x more, works 2x less, and has all the family time, with no insurance headaches, and a yearly cost of malpractice insurance less than what Paul and Carl pay-in 4 months


So in the end, they all know the jokes on them----especially the ones who have a small amount of business sense which is few and far between 😀 . Now I ask you----all business saavy, intelligent people who should be laughing at who 😀 I liken it to the people who would go broke (financially and emotionally) for public recognition or acceptance. Thou shalt not allow ego to cloud sense

 

[onetoothleft]

From what other people have posted it seems like it would be "easier," as far as competitive-ness goes, to do the medical school route, since general surgery is not as competitive among physicians as oral surgery is among dentists. But if you are the type of guy that before even beginning school that "has the option" (which really means, "I am really smart") then I would think you would want the greatest challenge for yourself. If you have the option, just do what you think would make you most happy.

 

[ajmacgregor]

From what other people have posted it seems like it would be "easier," as far as competitive-ness goes, to do the medical school route, since general surgery is not as competitive among physicians as oral surgery is among dentists. But if you are the type of guy that before even beginning school that "has the option" (which really means, "I am really smart") then I would think you would want the greatest challenge for yourself. If you have the option, just do what you think would make you most happy.

This is only partly true...

I'd amend this statement and say that it is harder to get into medical school than it is to get into dental school, but harder to get into an OMFS residency than it is to get into a general surgery residency.

 

[stoshic]

Hey all, I appreciate all of the replies. I think I might have misled some of you in my post, I didn't give enough details. I am having a difficult time because I have shadowed tons of physicians/dentists and love the area that both ENT/oral surgeons practice. While they are a little different, they are extremely similar-w/ dentists having more background with the jaw and oral cavity. My father is an ER doc and my uncle is a dentist- I know most of the pro's and con's, but i'm trying to determine what route I would want to take. I do not believe I would want to be a general dentist- nothing against it what so ever, just not what I am wanting to do. I enjoy the facial reconstruction and cosmetics, was just looking for some imput... I know oral surgery is competitive as hell, so is ENT for that matter. I didn't know if anyone could help me out with how competitve it is coming from a great school. I'm just trying to make the decision as to which route.

 

[River13]

I would shadow both an ENT and OMFS in their PRIVATE practices to really see what the difference is. True, in residency there is a lot of overlap...but when it gets to private practice they are two very different jobs...that's where more of the dentistry comes out in OMFS.

 

[Dr. Pedo]

Hey all, I appreciate all of the replies. I think I might have misled some of you in my post, I didn't give enough details. I am having a difficult time because I have shadowed tons of physicians/dentists and love the area that both ENT/oral surgeons practice. While they are a little different, they are extremely similar-w/ dentists having more background with the jaw and oral cavity. My father is an ER doc and my uncle is a dentist- I know most of the pro's and con's, but i'm trying to determine what route I would want to take. I do not believe I would want to be a general dentist- nothing against it what so ever, just not what I am wanting to do. I enjoy the facial reconstruction and cosmetics, was just looking for some imput... I know oral surgery is competitive as hell, so is ENT for that matter. I didn't know if anyone could help me out with how competitve it is coming from a great school. I'm just trying to make the decision as to which route.

Clarification accepted 😀 . Here's my 2 cents. Personally it obviously comes down to you and what you want-----that said-----What is it that you're looking to do. OMFS do limited procedures whizzies, couple le forte's, some split sagit., TMJ, ZME fractures, mandibular fractures, sinus lifts, implants, to name a few. But mainly practice is limited to the borders of zygomatic to TMJ to mand and max. You aren't doing rhinoplasty or any plastics for that matter. (there are some exceptions for some of our 6 yr DDS/MD's) You are a serious mechanic of the omf area.

ENT is a seriously tough field to match, some would say extremely difficult match. The range of surgeries are ridiculous and you are taking on some seriously complex cases. (as is omfs, but compared to the throat and ear and the complex nature of the areas---- ENT's are true studs. 😀 ) Especially the neuro-otolaryngologist 😱 . The possiblity of plastics and numerous subspecialties makes ENT an incredible field.

I happen to love dentistry----couldn't imagine doing anything else----but ENTs are a whole different creature in a bigger game. I respect omfs and know they are some of the best and brightest at what they do (That's for you Dr. Jenkins) and are definitely the most skilled surgeons for lots of procedures--------but...

Good luck in your decision.

 

[AUG2UAG]

My friend Peter Ringingswine has parents who are oral surgeons and they get crap all the time from physicians about being dentists. Even members of their own family bust on them!

I think anyone named Riningswine is gonna get a bunch of crap no matter what they do!

back to the point at hand, if you can't imagine being a general dentist then dentistry is not the field for you-- good luck!