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Hello City-data users,
I have a question and your opinion and advice will be very appreciated.
There is the option for me to pursue a career in dentistry. The obvious pros of this choice are: very high above-average income and job security, prestige, social status, once I manage to become licensed, the benefits of this track are near-certain. The price of this choice is correspondingly high: the next decade, give or take one or two years will be mostly devoted to this eventual career.
I am fortunate to have this option because my parents are willing to fund the further education required.
The other option I have is to face the real world on my own and pursue a job/career straight away.
What would you do? Which path would you pursue and why?
Briefly about me; I am 24 years old, and have a BA. I grew up in a very protected and well-provided for environment; and have not had very extensive work and real-life experience.
Thank you sincerely for the help!
Hello City-data users,
I have a question and your opinion and advice will be very appreciated.
There is the option for me to pursue a career in dentistry. The obvious pros of this choice are: very high above-average income and job security, prestige, social status, once I manage to become licensed, the benefits of this track are near-certain. The price of this choice is correspondingly high: the next decade, give or take one or two years will be mostly devoted to this eventual career.
I am fortunate to have this option because my parents are willing to fund the further education required.
The other option I have is to face the real world on my own and pursue a job/career straight away.
What would you do? Which path would you pursue and why?
Briefly about me; I am 24 years old, and have a BA. I grew up in a very protected and well-provided for environment; and have not had very extensive work and real-life experience.
Thank you sincerely for the help!
Do you have the academic qualifications to get accepted to dental school? If so, do you think you would like being a dentist, the job, the business? Remember a dentist is a businessman. He cares for teeth but he spends a lot of energy running the business hiring hygienists, ordering and maintaining equipment, seeking clients, dealing with leases, etc. Is this for you? If so, go for it.
Getting into an American dental school is as hard if not harder than getting into medical school. Study for the DAT and see how you do, otherwise it's all pie in the sky.
And before fantasizing about the prestige and money, it might behoove you to actually shadow various dentists for a few weeks. You might hate it.
Do you have the academic qualifications to get accepted to dental school? If so, do you think you would like being a dentist, the job, the business? Remember a dentist is a businessman. He cares for teeth but he spends a lot of energy running the business hiring hygienists, ordering and maintaining equipment, seeking clients, dealing with leases, etc. Is this for you? If so, go for it.
I am currently enrolled in a dental program in the Philippines. Should I decide to pursue practice in the USA (I am American), would this be a challenging path to take (acceptance to further schools wise)?
Quote:
Originally Posted by james011
Getting into an American dental school is as hard if not harder than getting into medical school. Study for the DAT and see how you do, otherwise it's all pie in the sky.
And before fantasizing about the prestige and money, it might behoove you to actually shadow various dentists for a few weeks. You might hate it.
Thanks for the replies!
I have some experience with observing a dentist watching my mother in her 30-year career. From what I see, she is satisfied, but might not be too thrilled about her work.
Would you personally do work that you dislike, but pays well and comes with prestige?
I could not do it even though I was a practicing dentist and I was seriously torn between so-called prestige, a good pay, but eventually it's your heart and what really makes you tick. Instead of spending all those years in dentistry, (and then quitting) I should have studied medicine and I would be happy and fufilled till the day I retired!
I am currently enrolled in a dental program in the Philippines. Should I decide to pursue practice in the USA (I am American), would this be a challenging path to take (acceptance to further schools wise)?
So you are asking if you would be accepted to a dental school in the US, correct? You should probably head to Student Doctor Network and read their dental forums to see about that. I'm not sure why you think it would take you a decade. Dental school is only four years and there is no required residency. If you are currently enrolled in a Philippines dental school, I suggest you come back to the us begin preparation for admission to a US dental school. My understanding is foreign dental students have a difficult time getting licensed in this country. If you already have the prereqs, study for the DAT and go from there.
That said, it almost sounds like you are attracted to the superficial aspects of the profession rather than the actual work involved. I would strongly suggest you think about your options if that is the case. Prestige doesn't mean much when you're signing a lease, having to manage your office, or trying to buy ads for your practice. Moreover, the money think takes hard work and is not handed out to you. My dentist closed her practice and went to teach dental school. I doubt it was because she was making too much money. Can you deal with not making much starting out? Or even risk not making as much to your liking? The only constant will be your enjoyment of this profession.
Remember that you will be spending decades in a profession, that the bulk of your waking hours will be at your job. How much is your life worth to you?
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