Well, you can make assumptions... I don't think either is significantly harder or harder at all than getting into some top end dental schools (UPenn, UCLA, columbia, Harvard, San Antonio, etc). You can get into a top 15 law school with a 3.7/3.8 and a 170. Pretty comparable to the 3.7/3.8s and 90th percentile DAT scores at the top dental schools. An instate school like the University of Texas offers a tier 1 law school and damn good MBA program for an affordable price tag. I have plenty of friends that have gotten into both programs and although they're all smart, I wouldn't say they were any smarter than the people I know in dental school. A tier 1 law school is going to get a six fig starting salary at a big time firm. However, like you said a tier 3 law school will get you a 35k job and a little more respect than a clerk at your respective firm. In addition, an MBA from the McCombs school of business will land you a 100k starting salary at a place like credit suisse or goldman sachs with a 20k signing bonus. Yes you will work long hours, but we're talking about how the debt for dental school compares to other professions. The topic of this thread isn't "The stress reaper".
Like I said, the question was asked if the the debt for dental school was worth it. I think it's a fair question. Getting an education for the 400k price from a place like USC, NYU, BU is not worth it in my opinion if I get into a top 20 law school school or MBA program for a cheaper price. I'm speaking strictly financially. However, obviously dentistry has it's own perks that make it a great profession outside of the money.
i will have to respectfully disagree here sir. Source : I got a 99.7 percentile on the DAT and went to a top biz school (notre dame). Most dental students wouldnt have made it in (source : im in dental school and know my classmates quite well), as it takes years of business experience and social skills to be considered for the top programs. And as has been mentioned the DAT is a very learnable test while the GMAT....you kind of just have to hope youve picked it up in your lifetime.
i do agree with everything else though! the hours in business far outweigh the hours as a dentist. far outweigh.
far outweigh.
Going to a top ten mba program is a ticket to investment banking and high society if the economy is good. So is dentistry. So is a top ten law school. But comparing the LSAT to the DAT is ridiculous as the LSAT is (*&*ing hard. I do feel bad for the people who went to normal law schools though without doing their research. its scary how much debt they took on with making 40k a year. Ouch. But then thats what you get for not taking the time to google your newly chosen profession.
As for the debt of dental school, financially it makes sense for the vast majority of science majors as you wont be making any kind of paycheck with a bachelors in a science. Youre only alternative to use that degree and earn a good living is becoming a dr.
Now, if we are comparing it to business and youre looking at a pure finance standpoint these are comparable IF you get a tier 1 mba. ONLY if. You can make a killing in I banking but only the top students of the top programs get considered (there are exceptions but certainly not the norm).
Coming from I banking, dentistry is a devastating financial decision from whence I will never recover. However its far outweighed by the pleasure of helping fix peoples teeth. Those who have chosen to work in someones mouth for the financial security are going to hate their life.
simply compare your starting salary of 120k, minus tax of 35k. taking home 85k (hereafter called your net before student loan service). loan payments of 36k a year. taking home 49k a year. divide by .7 to put it on a comparable before tax basis. so if you had no student debt youd be making a comparable gross of 70k a year. not bad. but thats working 35-40 hours a week. and thats your first year. Now, assuming you want to make the real money you buy your practice the first year out and produce 500-700k. lets use 600k. 60% overhead gets you 240k gross. practice acquisition loan service of 72k a year of pretax dollars puts you at 170k gross a year comparable to other professions. take home 119 of that after uncle sam takes his cut. 36k to student loan service again nets you 87k a year. You have now reached financial security at the tender young age of 28-30, grats guys. A single, strapping young lad can live quite comfortably in the US on 40k net a year (thats a nice car, dropping a bill multiple nights a week going out, buying all the video games you want, taking the ladies out and impressing them with your wine knowledge etc). anything over that is gravy. Youll be using that to expand your practice, buy some real estate investments, or paying down that student debt that you didnt consolidate into a lower rate because you didnt take the time to teach yourself some business while waiting between patients during your fourth year because you thought your practice would magically run itself profitably.
Yes it makes sense financially, but tuition is still a bit too high. I dont know how the 400-500k debt guys do it (these numbers were using 300k).
Be a gunner and specialize (do it, youre only 22 and have the time), watch that overhead drop to 35%. moonlight as a dentist on the weekends during residency for some extra income. Hope you dont go the way of perio and lose your big money maker implants to every other specialty and hate your life. or six month ortho to GP's. or cavities to the strep mutans vaccine in the works.
ok enough of this, i have to get back to studying gross anatomy fml. dr school is hard.
