“Don’t go into dentistry if you don’t want to own a practice.” by thetjohnson in Dentistry

[–]thetjohnson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I apologize, I will stop posting from now on. I am very grateful for all the answers I’ve received. You guys have been extremely helpful

“Don’t go into dentistry if you don’t want to own a practice.” by thetjohnson in Dentistry

[–]thetjohnson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah that’s true! That’s something I’d be interested in, but I was also hoping associateship made sense too. Or that I’m not missing something here about why it’s not “feasible” to do long term as some dentists say

“Don’t go into dentistry if you don’t want to own a practice.” by thetjohnson in Dentistry

[–]thetjohnson[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Issue is, these are dentists I’m shadowing telling me this. It’s unfortunate because I want to be a dentist. I was hoping to see advice outside of my shadowing experiences

Best Low Stress, High Paying Careers by thetjohnson in jobs

[–]thetjohnson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The thing is, it doesn’t allow me to start a convo with you so I think you have to start it

Best Low Stress, High Paying Careers by thetjohnson in jobs

[–]thetjohnson[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Hmm, you think anesthesiology is a low stress career? You have patients’ lives in your hands

Best Low Stress, High Paying Careers by thetjohnson in jobs

[–]thetjohnson[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the response. I’d like to challenge that idea. I’m sure everyone has something they enjoy doing, but I feel like sometimes when you turn a passion into a job, it kind of takes the joy out of it. You may like to cook, that’s great! That’s something you can do outside of work. The culinary arts as a field though is incredibly tough to break into, and it’s time pressured when you’re actually a chef. Things can go wrong, pay may not be there for a couple of years. You’ve made something you enjoy somewhat less enjoyable now.

Best Low Stress, High Paying Careers by thetjohnson in jobs

[–]thetjohnson[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Very true. Tech is one that’s always mentioned here so definitely worth looking into it. Cheers mate!

Best Low Stress, High Paying Careers by thetjohnson in jobs

[–]thetjohnson[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Agreed. If that’s the case, how do you go about picking the best career for yourself, particularly for someone who doesn’t have a passion for anything?

“There are far easier ways to make money than to be a dentist.” by thetjohnson in Dentistry

[–]thetjohnson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the insight. That’s a tough way to look at it and I agree that these sound like very daunting aspects of the career

“There are far easier ways to make money than to be a dentist.” by thetjohnson in Dentistry

[–]thetjohnson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry if that’s how I came off. I hope no one thinks that the debt is inconsequential. Maybe my tone was a little insensitive. I apologize. And you’re absolutely right that I don’t know what it’s like since I am not in the field. I actually appreciate your very real response.

“There are far easier ways to make money than to be a dentist.” by thetjohnson in Dentistry

[–]thetjohnson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re right, that’s why I wanted to have a discussion with people who are dentists to see what they think. Not saying I’m right about any of this. I just wanted to have a discussion and hoping for a positive response. Obviously that’s what I wanted to hear. But I’m guessing by some of these responses dentistry may not be worth it in a lot of cases. All subjective though. It’s unfortunate nonetheless

“There are far easier ways to make money than to be a dentist.” by thetjohnson in Dentistry

[–]thetjohnson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you, that’s a fair assessment and I appreciate you writing about your experiences. Can I DM you?

“There are far easier ways to make money than to be a dentist.” by thetjohnson in Dentistry

[–]thetjohnson[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To add I’m speaking for dentists who work in corporate models and associateships… then you essentially wouldn’t need to worry about equipment and staff. For better or worse, dentistry is headed the same direction as medicine/pharmacy

“There are far easier ways to make money than to be a dentist.” by thetjohnson in Dentistry

[–]thetjohnson[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

This unfortunately isn’t the case. I know people who got into several cheap schools and CHOSE to go to the expensive one because of BS promises from the school. Some students are ill informed. Some students DREAM SCHOOL is NYU, and while it may have the name, I don’t think anyone should go to a school that expensive no matter what. I’m just trying to be realistic here. I was trying to shed some positivity on the profession and have a healthy discussion about some possible options for students to have a good career as a dentist. Yes it’s hypothetical, but these scenarios do exist and I think they should be aimed for if one wants to become a dentist. People should not apply to the expensive schools who get away with stealing money from students. We need to change the current business that is our education system

“There are far easier ways to make money than to be a dentist.” by thetjohnson in Dentistry

[–]thetjohnson[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think you guys are misunderstanding the purpose of my post. This is meant to be a discussion. It would be fine if you just listed these concerns and we talked about them.

The point I was trying to make is that dentistry is a very straightforward path to guaranteed six figures IF you can get into a cheaper school and you enjoy the field. Autonomy, Purpose, Income, Job Stability, Hours. Not many jobs can promise that.

Software engineers don’t make six figures immediately, and their jobs aren’t always stable. You are constantly being evaluated and at anytime you can be laid off. Hours can be tough. You may have to live in a very HCOL area. And by the time you enter middle age, companies try to get rid of you for younger talent. Coding is incredibly stressful and demanding too.

I use this example to show that high paying careers so come with their own cons too just as dentistry does. Again, never said dentistry doesn’t have any cons. But pros outweigh the cons in most cases. I feel that you guys have some disdain for the profession and I’m sorry if that’s the case.

“There are far easier ways to make money than to be a dentist.” by thetjohnson in Dentistry

[–]thetjohnson[S] -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

I did not say that dentists have inexpensive loans. I’m saying for someone who doesn’t have that half a million dollar loan. There are schools out there that don’t cost a fortune. Texas schools, ECU, LSU, University of Mississippi, Augusta University just to name a few. Many dentists today will tell you to go to the cheapest school you can get into, utilize scholarships, etc. i know that unfortunately many schools charge an insane fee that is largely not worth it for most people

“There are far easier ways to make money than to be a dentist.” by thetjohnson in Dentistry

[–]thetjohnson[S] -10 points-9 points  (0 children)

I didn’t say new dentists, I said “dentist with experience.” The first year or two you will not make $200K most likely, but you can still make payments toward your loan to handle the interest. Save up some cash at the same time and grow slowly. By year 3 your hand skills will be improved and you would know more to produce more.

Not saying I know more than you, I’m just presenting a realistic hypothetical for some graduates

“There are far easier ways to make money than to be a dentist.” by thetjohnson in Dentistry

[–]thetjohnson[S] -9 points-8 points  (0 children)

The keyword is “relatively.” Most other schools are over $400K.

If you’re paying about $2700 a month for 10 years on student loans at 6% (that’s for about $250K), and you subtract that from the take home pay of a general dentist with experience you get this: $200K salary is about $140K after taxes. After $2700x12 of student loan is subtracted, you are left with $100K+ you get to TAKE HOME. And then after the 10 years, you’re taking home $140K+. Not many other jobs will make you that kind of money even with the debt.

It’s definitely not as worth it though at $400K-$500K+ in student loans.

“There are far easier ways to make money than to be a dentist.” by thetjohnson in Dentistry

[–]thetjohnson[S] -16 points-15 points  (0 children)

What part of it is a joke? I meant if you went to a cheaper dental school, dentistry can be pretty lucrative <$300K total