Worth it to specialize?

[DS2027]

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With grad plus loans being capped, I’m curious if specializing is still worth it? Im in my third year of dental school, and I’ll finish dental school with around $360,000 in debt. Depending on the residency, whether it has a stipend or not, I could be taking out around another $200,000 give or take. However, I would have to take out private loans and idk if it’s worth it to have a 14% interest rate on a loan that big along with interest accruing on my loans from dental school while in residency. I’ve talked to some endodontists and periodontists about earning potential. Most have said $500k is average or pretty attainable, some say $800k is doable. I have a friend and his dad makes over $1 million in endo (which I get might be rare). I know a general dentist who makes over $700k, which with DSOs and saturation this is probably hard to do now a days. Is it worth it to take out private loans for this earning potential? I’ve thought about just working for a few years to pay down the loans and then maybe going back to specialize.

 

[JacquesVallee]

With grad plus loans being capped, I’m curious if specializing is still worth it? Im in my third year of dental school, and I’ll finish dental school with around $360,000 in debt. Depending on the residency, whether it has a stipend or not, I could be taking out around another $200,000 give or take. However, I would have to take out private loans and idk if it’s worth it to have a 14% interest rate on a loan that big along with interest accruing on my loans from dental school while in residency. I’ve talked to some endodontists and periodontists about earning potential. Most have said $500k is average or pretty attainable, some say $800k is doable. I have a friend and his dad makes over $1 million in endo (which I get might be rare). I know a general dentist who makes over $700k, which with DSOs and saturation this is probably hard to do now a days. Is it worth it to take out private loans for this earning potential? I’ve thought about just working for a few years to pay down the loans and then maybe going back to specialize.

Practice as a GD first to discern if and what you want to specialize in, pay down your loans, and then go to residency. Endo really really values pp experience.

 

[D1Bound]

Likely not unless it’s not tuition based like anesthesia, OMS, etc.

 

[TheLastDance]

Extreme caution on taking 100-300K extra in debt at 10-20% YoY. You will never pay that back with private lenders.

 

[DS2027]

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Practice as a GD first to discern if and what you want to specialize in, pay down your loans, and then go to residency. Endo really really values pp experience.

I was considering doing a GPR before applying to endo. With the new loan structure I’m leaning towards general dentistry for a few years and then apply after I can lay down the loans a bit.

 

[DS2027]

[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]]" data-quote="D[emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]Bound" data-source="post: 0" class="bbCodeBlock bbCodeBlock--expandable bbCodeBlock--quote js-expandWatch">

Likely not unless it’s not tuition based like anesthesia, OMS, etc.

I heard OMFS you have to pay tuition for the med school portion…?

 

[DS2027]

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Extreme caution on taking [emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]-[emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]K extra in debt at [emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]-[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]% YoY. You will never pay that back with private lenders.

Yeah I’m really not interested in doing that haha. The interest is too much and private loans aren’t as forgiving for various reasons.

 

[JacquesVallee]

I was considering doing a GPR before applying to endo. With the new loan structure I’m leaning towards general dentistry for a few years and then apply after I can lay down the loans a bit.

Honestly, find a rural mentor and just get to work your first year. You'll learn so much and make decent money. It's what I did. You can always move back to the city later.

 

[DS2027]

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Honestly, find a rural mentor and just get to work your first year. You'll learn so much and make decent money. It's what I did. You can always move back to the city later.

I don’t even like the city, I plan to move [emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]]ish mins away from the city. There is a doctor I use to work for, when I was an assistant, that I would like to work for because he’d be a great mentor. Would you recommend a GPR at all for someone who’s planning on doing general dentistry? I’ve been hesitant about the idea of just hoping I get a good mentor.

 

[JacquesVallee]

I don’t even like the city, I plan to move [emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6]]]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]][emoji[emoji[emoji6]][emoji[emoji6][emoji6]]]]]ish mins away from the city. There is a doctor I use to work for, when I was an assistant, that I would like to work for because he’d be a great mentor. Would you recommend a GPR at all for someone who’s planning on doing general dentistry? I’ve been hesitant about the idea of just hoping I get a good mentor.

Don't do a GPR. Go straight into rural practice. You'll more in 3 weeks than all of dental school. It's exactly what I did, and I don't regret it.

 

[SuxDrugs&Rocuronium]

Very dependent on the specialty and if you have to pay more tuition or if you’ll get stipend. Average incomes tend to be higher in a specialty but you have to take other factors into account such as loans, ownership etc. that being said there can be a lot of money in certain specialties as an associate or owner (anesthesia and omfs to name a couple)

 

[Life of Pablo]

Do OMFS. Why would anyone ever do Perio? No offense. For one additional year you can do OMFS......