Spend some time on Dentaltown

[careerchanger09]

If you haven't already created an account for Dentaltown, then I highly recommend that you do (you have to create an account to access the content). It's a great resource to hear what current dentists are talking about and thinking about. Dentaltown offers the perspective of practicing dentists who are grinding it out and paying off loans, which I think is a perspective that SDN is sometimes missing. Like SDN, take what's written with a grain of salt but I think you will find it well worth your time.

Here are a couple forums & post that have some great food for thought as current applicants:
Dentaltown - Where The Dental Community Lives® (Incoming D1 Reconsidering)
Dentaltown - Where The Dental Community Lives® (Did I Choose the Wrong Path)
Dentaltown - Where The Dental Community Lives® (Forum: Financing School and Loan Repayment)
Dentaltown - Where The Dental Community Lives® (Forum: Dental Students)

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[sobertiger]

But you can't make an account if you are not a dental professional or a dental student.

Sent from my XT1575 using SDN mobile

 

[Alpha Centauri]

What I have come to realize is that there is a big difference between $300,000 and $500,000 debt. One is an opportunity cost, the other is a slavery sentence.

 

[oralcare123]

What I have come to realize is that there is a big difference between $300,000 and $500,000 debt. One is an opportunity cost, the other is a slavery sentence.

You probably never owned a house in Southern California, for example or NY

 

[careerchanger09]

But you can't make an account if you are not a dental professional or a dental student.

Sent from my XT1575 using SDN mobile

Hmmm...they have a dedicated pre-dental forum so I'm sure there is a way to create an account without being a dental professional. If you can't create an account, then just email them and explain that you are a pre-dent. I'm sure they will let you access the site.

 

[aj30]

There is a way for predents to make accounts there. You have to email an admin during signup or something like that. I once saw a thread here discussing it.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

You probably never owned a house in Southern California, for example or NY

Probably the last 2 places I would ever want to live. Thanks though

 

[oralcare123]

Probably the last 2 places I would ever want to live. Thanks though

That’s not the point
People, who live in cities with expensive real estate have different from yours view on debt. It does not scare them, they are more used to working a little harder or be more effective in reaching what they want. They don’t think of it as slavery. Great things cost more - there is a reason why house in Huston costs 3 times less then in San Diego

 

[ProspectivePostPreDent]

That’s not the point
People, who live in cities with expensive real estate have different from yours view on debt. It does not scare them, they are more used to working a little harder or be more effective in reaching what they want. They don’t think of it as slavery. Great things cost more - there is a reason why house in Huston costs 3 times less then in San Diego

Working a little harder/be more effective/Great things. Hah. What a charmer.

Get over yourself, dude. Real estate in Essex county (Newark NJ) and Cumberland county (Portland Maine) is significantly more expensive on average than Cook county (Chicago).

It's a universal property market effect stemming from people's desire to live on the coast. It's the Gucci logo of the real estate world. What the actual city has to offer is very much secondary when you compare prices on coastal and inland cities.

 

[2TH MVR]

Not a fan of DentalTown or Howard Farran.

 

[careerchanger09]

Not a fan of DentalTown or Howard Farran.

As a practicing dentist, do you mind sharing why you are not a fan of Dentaltown? Do you think it is not very representative of dentists?

 

[786783]

Not a fan of DentalTown or Howard Farran.

Why?

 

[Symphonies]

There is a way for predents to make accounts there. You have to email an admin during signup or something like that. I once saw a thread here discussing it.

There is, but you need to have taken the DAT or something. I tried e-mailing them a while ago and they asked for DAT score verification

 

[oralcare123]

Working a little harder/be more effective/Great things. Hah. What a charmer.

Get over yourself, dude. Real estate in Essex county (Newark NJ) and Cumberland county (Portland Maine) is significantly more expensive on average than Cook county (Chicago).

It's a universal property market effect stemming from people's desire to live on the coast. It's the Gucci logo of the real estate world. What the actual city has to offer is very much secondary when you compare prices on coastal and inland cities.

You missed the point

 

[2TH MVR]

As a practicing dentist, do you mind sharing why you are not a fan of Dentaltown? Do you think it is not very representative of dentists?

The only part that I find interesting is the real, in the trenches dentists discussing real life issues and solutions. The rest is a business strategy developed by an MBA who would rather be a business person than a dentist. I also don't feel that DT empowers the working relationships between generalists and specialists. Just one person's opinion.

 

[careerchanger09]

The only part that I find interesting is the real, in the trenches dentists discussing real life issues and solutions. The rest is a business strategy developed by an MBA who would rather be a business person than a dentist. I also don't feel that DT empowers the working relationships between generalists and specialists. Just one person's opinion.

Thanks for sharing! I appreciate your insights on SDN as always.

 

[Incis0r]

But you can't make an account if you are not a dental professional or a dental student.

Sent from my XT1575 using SDN mobile

You absolutely can. I've had an account since I was a pre-dent.

 

[ProspectivePostPreDent]

You missed the point

I didn't. Your explicit point was that value is subjective and relative to environment, and for many, debt incurred in those quantities is a necessary precursor to achieving what, for them, is an optimal outcome.

Or at least that's the plausible deniability version.

But in reality, you didn't say "the debt is worth it for some of us because we prefer the big city". You said "some of us are willing to work harder and become more effective than the rest because the things that we want are greater."

Your implicit point, whether rendered intentionally or as a subconscious defense mechanism to the original jab at NYC and LA, was that people who don't want to live in NYC or LA, etc are lacking in ambition, ability, or otherwise. I'm very familiar with that attitude, having lived in Boston most of my life, and having tons of family in LA and SF.

I'm not accusing you of any uniquely horrible behavior - it's generic coastal metro elitism. And you're welcome to it - I just think it's dumb.

 

[oralcare123]

I didn't. Your explicit point was that value is subjective and relative to environment, and for many, debt incurred in those quantities is a necessary precursor to achieving what, for them, is an optimal outcome.

Or at least that's the plausible deniability version.

But in reality, you didn't say "the debt is worth it for some of us because we prefer the big city". You said "some of us are willing to work harder and become more effective than the rest because the things that we want are greater."

Your implicit point, whether rendered intentionally or as a subconscious defense mechanism to the original jab at NYC and LA, was that people who don't want to live in NYC or LA, etc are lacking in ambition, ability, or otherwise. I'm very familiar with that attitude, having lived in Boston most of my life, and having tons of family in LA and SF.

I'm not accusing you of any uniquely horrible behavior - it's generic coastal metro elitism. And you're welcome to it - I just think it's dumb.

Like I said you missed it,waste of time to explain

 

[ProspectivePostPreDent]

Like I said you missed it,waste of time to explain

Waste of time trying to backtrack.

 

[sobertiger]

You absolutely can. I've had an account since I was a pre-dent.

Yes. But you need to have taken the DAT at least.

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