Worth the investment?

[Craig W]

Hello Everyone,

I'm unfulfilled by my work and wondering if I should peruse something that could provide me with the things that I seem to be longing for. Dentistry comes to mind for me because of the potential to run your own clinic, be your own boss, do realistic type work with tangible results, help people and of course have a respected profession where I could be proud of the work that I do while earning a respectable living.

I like many others I am sure have been interested in the possibility of a dental career since I began searching for a career path in college, but for whatever reason have never pursued it.

Fast forward I am now 29 with Degrees in Engineering and Environmental Public Health. I have worked in both of these fields and honestly only fell into obtaining both degrees because I didn't know what I truly would be happy doing. I think that I haven't taken the leap of faith to begin down this path is because the fear of the debt and time commitment. Now at my age is it too late to be financially worth? I also hear of many dentists who regret their career. Is this because all is not as good as it appears from the outside?

Career wise, I Currently work as an Environmental Health Specialist for a State Agency, Making around $55,000 and building a pension. In terms of a common job, I am not in a bad position, but certainly not doing stellar.
**With all of this in mind, all the debt that I would have to accumulate and all of the time that I would have to commit including lost wages, would you recommend seriously pursing the path of Dentistry?

Thank you in advance for any words of wisdom/constructive criticism or guidance that you may be able to provide.

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[deebog01]

Hi Craig:

Dentistry is definitely a deep pool to be getting into if you can't swim. There are a lot of reasons that people think they want to get into the field. Then there are a lot of reasons that once they're in it, they feel like they're sinking. It's a very specialized career. 1. You need to be good at problem solving so you can diagnose (dental school teaches you the concepts, but to be good at solving problems, that's like singing... you might just not be born with it). You're an engineer, so you should be good on this one. 2. You need to be good with your hands. I had a professor tell me once: "Welcome to dentistry. The only job you'll ever see where a person needs to work in a 1 inch space, under water, thru telescopes, backwards thru a mirror... all with a tenth of a millimeter margin of error." 3. You need to be willing to be able to accept making mistakes... and have the courage to owe up to them. 4. You need to be able to take a lot of stress! No matter how good you are with people and at your craft, you WILL run into some patients that get angry, disappointed, or just super critical due to your work. Empathy is your best friend. You'll have tough root canals and surgeries that could keep you up all night worrying about your patient if you aren't good at keeping yourself out of your patient's shoes. 5. You will probably not start a practice right off the bat... it takes some time to build your skills and learn how to manage your staff. 6. On top of all this... just like any other job... you will always have a boss. The state board, OSHA, BBB, ADA and - most importantly - your patients will always be in charge. I thought the same thing as you about how great it would be to start my own business. Now, I work in public health (non-profit) because the pressure of corporate dentistry was simply too much for me! 7. Money. Dental school will cost you a minimum of $200,000 with interest unless you get a grant of some sort. Then starting / buying a practice will cost anywhere from $300,000 - 1,000,000. Think about what age you want to retire. Because loan repayment plans will run you about $1,300 or more per month for the next 30 years. More than that if you decide to take private loans. That's not to say you're too old. I had a lot of classmates over 30. I was 30 when I graduated. But you do need to consider if that kind of debt fits with things like your desire to travel, buy a house, have a kid, etc... 8. You can't be a klutz! If you're prone to forgetting your keys when you walk out the door, constantly bumping your head on the car door frame, or always showing up to the test without a pencil.... dentistry may not be for you. Dentists can't afford to forget to do an oral cancer screening at a patient's exam that could have saved a life, and you certainly can't afford to start a root canal on the wrong tooth because you didn't look at the radiograph closely enough before you started working. Think hard about it, my man. I like to be encouraging with my peers... but I have had a lot of friends who got into this field only to discover that it's not what they had in mind. I'm sure you've heard plenty of reasons why dentistry is an awesome job, and I would probably agree with most of those reasons myself. But those $1300 / month payments won't go away just because you changed your mind after you got a taste of the profession. Best of luck to you in making your decision, and keep everyone updated!

 

[SmileItsLife]

Hi Craig:

Dentistry is definitely a deep pool to be getting into if you can't swim. There are a lot of reasons that people think they want to get into the field. Then there are a lot of reasons that once they're in it, they feel like they're sinking. It's a very specialized career. 1. You need to be good at problem solving so you can diagnose (dental school teaches you the concepts, but to be good at solving problems, that's like singing... you might just not be born with it). You're an engineer, so you should be good on this one. 2. You need to be good with your hands. I had a professor tell me once: "Welcome to dentistry. The only job you'll ever see where a person needs to work in a 1 inch space, under water, thru telescopes, backwards thru a mirror... all with a tenth of a millimeter margin of error." 3. You need to be willing to be able to accept making mistakes... and have the courage to owe up to them. 4. You need to be able to take a lot of stress! No matter how good you are with people and at your craft, you WILL run into some patients that get angry, disappointed, or just super critical due to your work. Empathy is your best friend. You'll have tough root canals and surgeries that could keep you up all night worrying about your patient if you aren't good at keeping yourself out of your patient's shoes. 5. You will probably not start a practice right off the bat... it takes some time to build your skills and learn how to manage your staff. 6. On top of all this... just like any other job... you will always have a boss. The state board, OSHA, BBB, ADA and - most importantly - your patients will always be in charge. I thought the same thing as you about how great it would be to start my own business. Now, I work in public health (non-profit) because the pressure of corporate dentistry was simply too much for me! 7. Money. Dental school will cost you a minimum of $200,000 with interest unless you get a grant of some sort. Then starting / buying a practice will cost anywhere from $300,000 - 1,000,000. Think about what age you want to retire. Because loan repayment plans will run you about $1,300 or more per month for the next 30 years. More than that if you decide to take private loans. That's not to say you're too old. I had a lot of classmates over 30. I was 30 when I graduated. But you do need to consider if that kind of debt fits with things like your desire to travel, buy a house, have a kid, etc... 8. You can't be a klutz! If you're prone to forgetting your keys when you walk out the door, constantly bumping your head on the car door frame, or always showing up to the test without a pencil.... dentistry may not be for you. Dentists can't afford to forget to do an oral cancer screening at a patient's exam that could have saved a life, and you certainly can't afford to start a root canal on the wrong tooth because you didn't look at the radiograph closely enough before you started working. Think hard about it, my man. I like to be encouraging with my peers... but I have had a lot of friends who got into this field only to discover that it's not what they had in mind. I'm sure you've heard plenty of reasons why dentistry is an awesome job, and I would probably agree with most of those reasons myself. But those $1300 / month payments won't go away just because you changed your mind after you got a taste of the profession. Best of luck to you in making your decision, and keep everyone updated!

I thought people only get grants in undergrad?

 

[Manic324]

I thought people only get grants in undergrad?

Schools usually have need based grants of their own but they are tiny tiny

 

[setdoc7]

With your credentials plumbing or electric seems like an easier lateral move with higher pay and less investment than dentistry. I would move forward into an area I know than pursue an area I know nothing about. And of course, if you need that higher degree there is always law school, the bachelors degree of the 21st century (not my saying, the NY Times).

 

[LFA20]

Not worth it unless you can attend school for free