What path go take? Medicine, optometry, pharmacy...?

[apical meristems]

Should I get into one of these three if I don't get in med and apply next year or finish my bachelor degree (im a 3rd year student)?

 

"...apply next year"

 

If you read between the lines, it is clear that this person is not terribly interested in any of the back-ups s/he proposes. If s/he is willing to start Dentistry only to switch out a year later? Seriously. Pick Dentistry and stick with it. Don't hang around and take up space only to switch out before you're finished.

 

If so, leave the spots for those who want to be in the profession. How would you feel if your spot was given to someone who was going to switch out a year later only to pursure another profession, and this person had full intentions of doing so when accepting the position?

 

If you ask me, it is also a complete waste of tax dollars. Dentistry is not cheap, and Canadians pay to supplement the cost - only to have the student drop out and waste a year of money and a spot for an individual who wants to be there, and who will care for Canadians in that profression.

 

ap

[leviathan]

But it's come up a number of times on these boards that those pursuing dentistry or law (whether as a backup or not) are "simply in it for the money." It's kind of rude and unfair to assume that.

Well I'm sure not all of them are, but the vast majority fit the image perfectly. They don't want to get into meds, or dentistry, or law school. They want to get into a profession.

 

There are lots of potentially similar things between dentistry and medicine: acting professionally, taking care of people's health (oral health for dentists), getting to know your patients personally, etc.

But..the actual practice of dentistry is strictly focused on the oral health. It is very very different from what you do in medicine. I would find it hard to believe that so many of these double appliers are interested in both. Just as I find it hard to believe so many of these people can be interested in both meds and law. They're very different. The only true unifying factor is that they are respectable professions (Mommy and daddy want you to do it), and they are high paying.

 

If you want to "help people", there are many ways to do it - med is one of them, but so is teaching, social work, nursing, law, politics, and *gasp* dentistry.

True true. But then why are there so many of these people who apply to medical school, and when they don't get in, they only apply to dentistry or pharmacy, or law school. None of them apply to nursing, or OT, or RT, or any other "lower" hospital positions that don't have the same pay or respect of meds or dents, but are very similar to what they're doing in meds. Hmmm....It's like when people go into med school interviews and talk about how they want to "help people" and they love learning about medicine, then the interviewer says "You can do all those things in nursing. So why did you choose medical school?"

 

 

It's great that you love what you do and you're willing to work hard to do it. But please don't pass sweeping judgements on other people and their dreams.

I can't speak for others, but I always assume everyone has good intentions until they prove themselves otherwise. But the sad thing is, most of these people I meet who fit this behaviour end up proving me otherwise.

[Smurfette]

Well I'm sure not all of them are, but the vast majority fit the image perfectly. They don't want to get into meds, or dentistry, or law school. They want to get into a profession.

 

Person A and B want to go into dentistry because of money. Therefore, Person C who also wants to go into dentistry does so for the same reasons. That sounds awfully unfair and illogical to me. By the same argument, I could argue that you want to go into meds for money because I know 2 other people that also do.

 

But..the actual practice of dentistry is strictly focused on the oral health. It is very very different from what you do in medicine. I would find it hard to believe that so many of these double appliers are interested in both.

 

But the actual practice of cardiology is strictly focused on cardiovascular health. The actual practice of neurosurgery is strictly focused on brain health. The actual practice of psychiatry is strictly focused on mental health. You could consider dentistry to be a specialty within medicine - a "doctor of teeth." Dentistry is very similar to medicine - you use your knowledge, intellectual skills, and motor skills in order to solve a health problem (in this case, oral health).

 

 

Just as I find it hard to believe so many of these people can be interested in both meds and law. They're very different. The only true unifying factor is that they are respectable professions (Mommy and daddy want you to do it), and they are high paying...

 

But then why are there so many of these people who apply to medical school, and when they don't get in, they only apply to dentistry or pharmacy, or law school. None of them apply to nursing, or OT, or RT, or any other "lower" hospital positions that don't have the same pay or respect of meds or dents, but are very similar to what they're doing in meds. Hmmm....It's like when people go into med school interviews and talk about how they want to "help people" and they love learning about medicine, then the interviewer says "You can do all those things in nursing. So why did you choose medical school?"

 

There are a lot of people who apply to nursing, OT, or RT as backups to medicine. In fact, I would venture a guess that if you looked at all the nursing, OT, and RT grads and compared them to all the dentistry and law school grads, many many more in the medically related fields were originally interested in medicine.

 

There are some areas common to medicine and law and dentistry that is not common to medicine and nursing/OT/RT. Aside from the issue of oral health as already noted and aside from the fact that law is a very broad field where one could specialize in medical malpractice law or drug patent law where medical knowledge is of utmost importance, there are other factors as well. In all three professions, one uses knowledge to address and solve a particular problem. In medicine, you understand medicine (knowledge), diagnose a particular patient (use knowledge), and design a plan to help your patient get better (solve problem). In dentistry, it's the same thing but with teeth. In law, you understand the legal system (knowledge), apply the law to a particular client (use knowledge), and design a plan to help your client (solve problem).

 

This ability to use your knowledge to develop a plan to solve a problem is not found to the same extent in professions such as nursing/OT/RT.

 

 

 

I can't speak for others, but I always assume everyone has good intentions until they prove themselves otherwise. But the sad thing is, most of these people I meet who fit this behaviour end up proving me otherwise.

 

I'm sorry to hear that. I guess I've been really lucky - I've met lots of people who are extremely passionate about what they do and who are excited to potentially do great things in their career of choice. These include people who are interested in medicine, but this also includes people in other fields and who are interested in other professions. But I have found that when I look for the best in people, I'm more likely to find it. Undoubtedly, the same is true when we look for the worst in people.

 

I don't really know why I've wasted my time defending professions that I'm not even interested in. LOL. Okay, I'm going to stop now. This will be my last post on this topic.

 

 

 

Edit: Sorry to pick on you leviathan. I don't mean anything personally - anyone who loves the Canucks that much, must be an awesome person It's just that I think the stereotypes are unfair.

[The Law]

I agree with smurfette

LOL @ defending professions that I'm not interested in

 

levi - with any profession, you will have people who want to get into it for the prestige. It isn't only dentistry and law. You can have an interest in more than one career, I don't know why you think that's impossible. I think it's smart to have a backup, just in case the thing you want to do does not pan out. Just because a career isn't like medicine, that does not mean it does not contain aspects of a career that people might find appealing.

 

Finally - WOOT WOOT, go 'nucks go (I'm temporarily on the band wagon)

[nowai]

Warning, politically incorrect post to follow!

 

There is nothing wrong with going into a profession because you like the compensation.

 

There. I said it. Lynch away.

 

I was shadowing an emerg doc over the weekend and he was telling me about what happened soon after creation of emerg doctors and emerg departments (it's called the ER because before, it was literally just one room). They at first experimented with different payment schedules.

 

When they experimented with giving the ER docs a flat fee, suddenly productivity dropped across the board. The same doctors who worked at the same hospitals seeing very similar cases suddenly saw 10% less patients a day. Sounds like very little, 10%, but it adds up in terms of wait times. So what did they do? They cut the flat fee in half and added a per patient amount as well. OVERNIGHT, the productivity shot up.

 

Yes, doctors can be motivated by money. There are many many many other factors as well but it would be naive to think that compensation isn't important.

[The Bunny]

I agree that money plays a small part. Yeah I want to be a doctor real bad (would not have done a second undergrad otherwise) but I might have thought twice about it if I had to incur all that debt for a max salary of $45,000 a year.

So though its nowhere near the top of my list, I do appreciate the potential future earnings and I am not ashamed to admit it.

[leviathan]

Person A and B want to go into dentistry because of money. Therefore, Person C who also wants to go into dentistry does so for the same reasons. That sounds awfully unfair and illogical to me. By the same argument, I could argue that you want to go into meds for money because I know 2 other people that also do.

Hey, where did I say they're ALL there with bad intentions. I just think there are a very large number of them that way. Again, I don't draw any conclusions about people I meet until they reveal their true intentions on their own.

 

But the actual practice of cardiology is strictly focused on cardiovascular health. The actual practice of neurosurgery is strictly focused on brain health. The actual practice of psychiatry is strictly focused on mental health. You could consider dentistry to be a specialty within medicine - a "doctor of teeth." Dentistry is very similar to medicine - you use your knowledge, intellectual skills, and motor skills in order to solve a health problem (in this case, oral health).

Exactly. So if someone is interested in being a specialist of the teeth (applying to dental school), then why would they want to apply to medicine? You don't deal with teeth in medicine. Considering not many people actually have an interest in teeth who also want to study medicine, I'm going to be skeptical about how genuine they are.

 

There are a lot of people who apply to nursing, OT, or RT as backups to medicine. In fact, I would venture a guess that if you looked at all the nursing, OT, and RT grads and compared them to all the dentistry and law school grads, many many more in the medically related fields were originally interested in medicine.

Definitely, and kudos to those who proved their true intentions by staying within the field. The way I see it, if you are so wishy-washy that you are applying to both medicine and dentistry, you are either in it for bad reasons, or you haven't researched about the two professions enough to make up your mind. You either want to be a specialist of the mouth, or a specialist in something else. If you're applying to medical school, it means you have decided teeth aren't your thing, but you have the opportunity to choose from many other specialties.

 

I'm sorry to hear that. I guess I've been really lucky - I've met lots of people who are extremely passionate about what they do and who are excited to potentially do great things in their career of choice. These include people who are interested in medicine, but this also includes people in other fields and who are interested in other professions. But I have found that when I look for the best in people, I'm more likely to find it. Undoubtedly, the same is true when we look for the worst in people.

That's good to hear that you've found people who are passionate about their careers. As someone once said, if compassion and generosity were the measures of success that money and power are today, how would the world change? I wonder...

 

 

Edit: Sorry to pick on you leviathan. I don't mean anything personally - anyone who loves the Canucks that much, must be an awesome person It's just that I think the stereotypes are unfair.

No worries...I like the occasional debate.

[The Law]

Hey, where did I say they're ALL there with bad intentions. I just think there are a very large number of them that way. Again, I don't draw any conclusions about people I meet until they reveal their true intentions on their own.

 

You keep saying they, are you telling me that a large number of pre-meds aren't wanting to do it because of "prestige and wealth"... even though many of us know medicine isn't exactly the easiest way to be making a buck. Also, by they are you referring to people applying to both medicine and dentistry... because if you are, then read the next thing I have to say:

 

Exactly. So if someone is interested in being a specialist of the teeth (applying to dental school), then why would they want to apply to medicine? You don't deal with teeth in medicine. Considering not many people actually have an interest in teeth who also want to study medicine, I'm going to be skeptical about how genuine they are.

 

Perhaps it is not EXACTLY the idea of being a specialist in teeth (or a specailist in the brain, or a specialist in the heart, etc), but being able to master the problems surrounding a certain interesting area of the body, and trying to solve health problems (which may be challening, even for a dentist believe it or not)! Everybody's teeth are different, and dentists do see some variety in some of the things they do!

 

Definitely, and kudos to those who proved their true intentions by staying within the field. The way I see it, if you are so wishy-washy that you are applying to both medicine and dentistry, you are either in it for bad reasons, or you haven't researched about the two professions enough to make up your mind. You either want to be a specialist of the mouth, or a specialist in something else. If you're applying to medical school, it means you have decided teeth aren't your thing, but you have the opportunity to choose from many other specialties.

 

That's not true... think about it - people can have MULTIPLE interests. Many different things can make people happy. You can be interested in genetics, and yet still become an ecology major... that doesn't mean you would not have been happy as a genetics major (despite how drastically different it is), it's just you preferred one over the other... LET"S SAY, you got rejected from ecology and went into genetics... well despite their radical differences, you can still be happy!

So why can't two careers (despite some differences) also make them happy?

 

That's good to hear that you've found people who are passionate about their careers. As someone once said, if compassion and generosity were the measures of success that money and power are today, how would the world change? I wonder...

 

Amen to that.

[leviathan]

Perhaps it is not EXACTLY the idea of being a specialist in teeth (or a specailist in the brain, or a specialist in the heart, etc), but being able to master the problems surrounding a certain interesting area of the body, and trying to solve health problems (which may be challening, even for a dentist believe it or not)! Everybody's teeth are different, and dentists do see some variety in some of the things they do!

I guess so!

 

 

That's not true... think about it - people can have MULTIPLE interests. Many different things can make people happy. You can be interested in genetics, and yet still become an ecology major... that doesn't mean you would not have been happy as a genetics major (despite how drastically different it is), it's just you preferred one over the other... LET"S SAY, you got rejected from ecology and went into genetics... well despite their radical differences, you can still be happy!

So why can't two careers (despite some differences) also make them happy?

I'm probably biased by the fact that I personally find dentistry extremely boring (no offense intended to those interested in it), and so I can't see how very many people could be interested in both fields. You're right though, and I guess the unanswerable question is what percentage of people are truly interested in both.

[Yk4]

I realize how harsh I sounded in my above post. What I meant to express is that there is no guarantee that you will get into med school. If you see yourself being happy with one of the other three career paths you mentioned, then go for it. If you only see yourself being happy with med, then stick with your it. What you want to avoid is picking a career path and then looking back ten years from now having regrets about not doing what you truly wanted to do (med, for example)

 

Thanx, your commnt was very helpfull!

 

But most of you people forget something. If you do not have any back up plan What would you do? As it was said in a previous post, most of med schools accept 1 in every 6 applicants. I personally think if you don't have any backup plan, you are seriously playing a dangerous game. I know alot of people that aren't happy because not only they did not get into med, but do not have any carrier. I do not want to wait untill I am 30 years old and realize that I did not anything. On my side, optometry is my plan B. If I get accepted in dentristy, I would think about it and I will reject pharmD.

[flintabatty]

but why does the backup have to be a profession? are you unhappy with anything unless you get some letters after your name? theres lots of work out there to do, some even pay well

[Yk4]

but why does the backup have to be a profession? are you unhappy with anything unless you get some letters after your name? theres lots of work out there to do, some even pay well

 

I have a very short name. So adding letters should help

[The Bunny]

Thanx, your commnt was very helpfull!

 

But most of you people forget something. If you do not have any back up plan What would you do? As it was said in a previous post, most of med schools accept 1 in every 6 applicants. I personally think if you don't have any backup plan, you are seriously playing a dangerous game. I know alot of people that aren't happy because not only they did not get into med, but do not have any carrier. I do not want to wait untill I am 30 years old and realize that I did not anything. On my side, optometry is my plan B. If I get accepted in dentristy, I would think about it and I will reject pharmD.

 

really? Of all those, my plan B would be (was) the PharmD because I know a hospital pharmacist and got interesting description of what she does in the hospital (ICU). It was my second choice after med but I got rejected by them (pre-invitation) and got into McGill med school so I guess it's all good.

[miss_sunshine]

i didn't have a backup plan when applying and i did alright. I thought of it this way: I'm still young and just finishing my bachelors. I knew my dream was medicine and wouldn't be happy with a backup. Although I got in my first try, I was willing to try again because I didn't want to settle. This is how I saw it and it depends on you and what you ultimately want to do with your life and what you see yourself being happy with

[Yk4]

i didn't have a backup plan when applying and i did alright. I thought of it this way: I'm still young and just finishing my bachelors. I knew my dream was medicine and wouldn't be happy with a backup. Although I got in my first try, I was willing to try again because I didn't want to settle. This is how I saw it and it depends on you and what you ultimately want to do with your life and what you see yourself being happy with

 

I applied when I was in cegep and got 3 interview (sherbrook, laval and montreal) but did not get in. This year, I was rejected by sherbrooke and laval but montreal did give me another try. Some people get in the first time, some do not. Some people dream is to become a hockey player, but not every one can become one. Same in medicine, some people get in the first try, some do never get in. I almost was 100% sure that after cegep, I would get into one of these 3 med school. I had the same point of view but it didn't happen.

 

Just want to add something. 30% of physicians would reconsider getting in med school. no comment

[The Bunny]

i didn't have a backup plan when applying and i did alright. I thought of it this way: I'm still young and just finishing my bachelors. I knew my dream was medicine and wouldn't be happy with a backup. Although I got in my first try, I was willing to try again because I didn't want to settle. This is how I saw it and it depends on you and what you ultimately want to do with your life and what you see yourself being happy with

 

This was actually my third try (although my fist serious try with MCATS). I had already applied twice to Sherbrooke, Mtl and Laval and once to Mac. So at this point I had to have a back-up cause I don't think my b/f or family would have supported another round and they are important to me too

[flintabatty]

 

Just want to add something. 30% of physicians would reconsider getting in med school. no comment

 

roger that, this is a lot of the reason i chose dentistry instead, but of course everyone's experience is different.

[ffp]

Didn't have time to read this whole thread, but read a couple of posts, so sorry if I duplicate what someone else has said.

 

Here's my take on the whole medicine/dentistry thing...

 

Yeah, at first glance, med and dent might seem very different, and many medical students will have no interest in dentistry and vice versa...

 

On the other hand, look at the extreme interspecialty variation within medicine itself. What does ophtho have in common with pulmonary medicine? I have NO interest whatsoever in ortho or psych, and would rather have a non-health related career than pursue either of those specialties... I think dentistry fits well within the spectrum of the different medical specialties. It's quite conceivable that someone might be legitimately interested in both.