Medicine or Dentistry

Poll

Doctor or Dentist

What do you guys think?
Dentists earn way more money than doctors (£100k+ vs £40k) and the working hours are 9-5, but the job seems pretty monotonous. Medicine seems more interesting but more stressful and unsociable hours etc...

Reply 1

username1292215

Imo both jobs overrated af if you don't have an interest or enjoy it

Reply 2

username2752874

Original post by WTFisgoingon

You shouldn't become either. I'd hate to have a dentist/physician/surgeon who was only there just so that he could fill his pockets.

(Also, your stats are flawed)

Reply 3

WTFisgoingon

Original post by GradeA*UnderA

You shouldn't become either. I'd hate to have a dentist/physician/surgeon who was only there just so that he could fill his pockets.

(Also, your stats are flawed)

As it is, im applying medicine because I have a genuine interest, but the the thought of a dentists wages and working hours is very tempting! :')

(edited 7 years ago)

Reply 4

username2752874

Original post by WTFisgoingon

As it is, im applying medicine because I have a genuine interest, but the the thought of a dentists wages and working hours is very tempting! :' :wink:

Surely if you had a real, "genuine interest", then dentistry wouldn't even be on your mind.

Reply 5

WhoDaresWins

Go for Dentistry if you wish.

Reply 6

frostfly

Original post by WTFisgoingon

Go with Medicine, because you would have the opportunity to progress to being a surgeon or even a psychiatrist :smile:

Reply 7

Chief Wiggum

Original post by GradeA*UnderA

Surely if you had a real, "genuine interest", then dentistry wouldn't even be on your mind.

Why? Do you think people can only be interested in one thing to the exclusion of everything else?

Reply 8

Democracy

Original post by WTFisgoingon

Your salary figures are off for both professions. At the very least you're comparing a dentist with a partnership and possibly private earnings to a registrar's salary, which isn't a very fair comparison.

Also, how are you defining monotony? I think a general dental practitioner probably deals with a greater variety of presentations and conditions compared to say an orthopod who only does knee replacements and knee clinics.

Reply 9

username2752874

Original post by Chief Wiggum

Why? Do you think people can only be interested in one thing to the exclusion of everything else?

This is a unique scenario in which the prospect of taking a job shouldn't have such a huge weighting on finances(Additonally, medicine and dentistry are only similar for the first couple years of a degree, so only money is gauging his interest here). You'd be expected to work long hours,possibly deal with deaths etc. Money isn't going to be a good motivator; if that's a major reason on why one is out to do these types of professions, it can lead them to be quite apathetic and just focused on doing the job to a minimum standard and getting paid. Dentistry and Medicine are only really similar for the first two years of an undergraduate degree, so it's extremely fair to ask why he's considering both, as they become pretty different later on. The fact that he considers £40,000 too repulsive to do medicine showcases my above point completely.