why dentistry over med?

[medguy47]

Why dentistry over med?

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[Dr.SpongeBobDDS]

You're assumig too much here. Why not dentistry over sanitary engineering or pool cleaning or accounting? Just as many med students never onsidered dentistry, many dental students never even considered medical school. It isn't necessarily a choice of one over the other.

 

[scandalouslj]

Just look in the archives there are millions of posts on this.

 

[ecdoesit]

There is really no such profession that is "over" the other.
People make a choice about what they want to do in life.
MD and DDS have their way of living/working.
Do you mind if I change ur question to whether dentistry or medicine fits u better?

Could u share some reasons why you are attracted to medicine or dentistry?
Well, let's not only limit to that. Maybe u r interested in pharm and optometry as well.
What exactly attracts u to health profession?
We are trying to help out each other here.
If you could tell us more about urself, we could suggest reasons to help u distinguish.

 

[PERFECT3435]

Why dentistry over med?

amazing how new members show up just to ask this question.

now to answer your question,
i chose dentistry over med cuz it more difficult and challanging.

 

[grant555]

I was initially attracted to medicine, but after working in a hospital I realized that I didn't want to be a physician. To be blunt, after working in Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans, arguably one of the best hospitals in the country, I was completely convinced that medicine wasn't for me. So I moved to Dallas, transferred to another college, and sought out dentistry. After being in Big D two years, and observing three dentists here in Dallas, I can say that I made the right choice. Moreover, I am presently attending the Baylor College of Dentistry Summer Enrichment Program, and I am thoroughly more excited about dentistry than I ever was about medicine.

Dentistry is very challenging. Here at Baylor, Kaplan DAT prep is included, and we are expected to score at least a 20AA. The expectations here are high, and I feel blessed to be here with so many dedicated and seasoned professionals.

Well, that is my road to dentistry, and I hope that it continues in the present direction. Just follow your heart, and decide your profession based on what you really want to do, and not which one may or may not be more highly thought of in society. Arguably, you could be a physician, dentist, lawyer, pharmacist, optometrist, or engineer and be completely misreable.

Whatever you dream you want to be, that is what you should pursue in my humble opinion. God Bless

 

[Woodsy]

4 words:
Because dentistry is cool

 

[Biogirl361]

not this topic again
let me start by saying that my grades and work experience are more than sufficient to get me into med school, so don't for a minute assume, as some people do, that people choose dentistry because they "aren't good enough" for med school.
now that i have gotten my defensiveness out of the way, here are the pro's that attract me to dentistry
1) I work in a dentist office and I simply think the field is interesting and fun, and it is so rewarding to help people, especially when you can relieve pain or boost self esteem. These better be the #1 reasons anyone takes a job in healthcare or they won't be happy in it for too long.
2) I don't want to go to school for more than 4 more years before starting my career. As a general dentist, I will be licensed to perform just about every proceedure that is in the scope of dentistry, while physicians have to have years of specialty training plus residency to be able to have the jobs that would otherwise interest me.
3) Start making money after 4 or 5 years of dental school instead of after 8 or more years of med school plus specialty training plus residency.
4) Own your own business/ sense of autonomy/ highest authority at your job. You are in charge of all the business, staffing, and patient care decisions. I realize some MD's do the same thing, but again the positions in medicine that do interest me would probably be part of a larger business (a hospital). dentists are surgeons, artists, teachers, and business people all in one job.
5) speaking of hospitals, I like the work environment of a nice quiet little office (designed by me) better than a large, busy hospital full of sickness and death. did you know that the single most dangerous thing per unit time as far as accidental death a person can be doing is being in a hospital? that includes working there, too.
6) lifestyle in general. who doesn't want to work 4 days a week, have time for family and hobbies, take vacations whenever you want to (within reason of course!)

I think this pretty much sums up the reasons I have and I have seen other people give for why dentistry will best fit their interests and life goals. However for lots and lots of people, medicine IS their passion and what will suit them best and would be the right choice for them, and as others have said, you have to go with what you feel will make YOU the most happy and fulfilled for the rest of your career. good luck.

 

[dental2008]

WAY too much managed care in medicine.

Plus I will love to be refered to as "fake doctor"

 

[elias514]

I think the deciding factor between a career in medicine and one in dentistry is lifestyle. Dentists have a better lifestyle than physicians--the training period is shorter, the hours are more reasonable, and dentists aren't held to impossibly high standards, meaning that the threat of a lawsuit is relatively low. Case in point: the avg. orthodontist will earn approximately $400,000/yr. for 32 hrs/wk; this earning potential comes in the wake of 4 yrs of dental school and 3 yrs of postgraduate training. In contrast, the avg. cardiologist will make in the neighborhood of 400K/yr., BUT he/she will work around 80 hrs/wk; further, the training for cardiology entails 4 yrs. of med school, 3 yrs. of residency, and 2-3 yrs. of fellowship(s). There's just no comparison between the lifestyle of dentistry and that of medicine. No one should go into medicine for the lifestyle.

However, a career in medicine is much more prestigious and respected than one in dentistry, and I strongly believe that physicians transform lives to a greater degree than dentists. You can't place a trauma surgeon who saves the life of someone's child in the same ballpark as an endodontist, even though both alleviate pain and suffering.

 

[drPheta]

SEARCH!

discussed wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too many times.

 

[larryphrank]

Dentistry allows me two important things.
1) the ability to make a comfortable income.
2) a significant amount of time off to enjoy the things i really want to do.

I cant speak for medicine, because ive never had the pleasure, but the above is what attracted me to dentistry.

larry

 

[captaintripps]

Thanks for the cogent and unbiased post.

I think the deciding factor between a career in medicine and one in dentistry is lifestyle. Dentists have a better lifestyle than physicians--the training period is shorter, the hours are more reasonable, and dentists aren't held to impossibly high standards, meaning that the threat of a lawsuit is relatively low. Case in point: the avg. orthodontist will earn approximately $400,000/yr. for 32 hrs/wk; this earning potential comes in the wake of 4 yrs of dental school and 3 yrs of postgraduate training. In contrast, the avg. cardiologist will make in the neighborhood of 400K/yr., BUT he/she will work around 80 hrs/wk; further, the training for cardiology entails 4 yrs. of med school, 3 yrs. of residency, and 2-3 yrs. of fellowship(s). There's just no comparison between the lifestyle of dentistry and that of medicine. No one should go into medicine for the lifestyle.

However, a career in medicine is much more prestigious and respected than one in dentistry, and I strongly believe that physicians transform lives to a greater degree than dentists. You can't place a trauma surgeon who saves the life of someone's child in the same ballpark as an endodontist, even though both alleviate pain and suffering.