canadian dental versus caribbean medicine

[gforce]

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i have been waitlisted/ trying for years for to get into a canadian medical school and this year now being 26 i have waited too long, i have been working on my Extracurriculars and now an EMT working FT for nearly 1 year now, my MCAT expired and retook it for next years admission passed the MCAT but didn't get as high as I did 4 yrs ago which may almost preclude my position for sept 09 in a canadian university, I have taken the DAT last year (as Plan B)and got waitlisted retook it about a month ago and awaiting scores..


I have applied to SABA and canadian dent/med

I feel like I may be in the position to choose between carribean med and canadian dent.

Some things that factor in my life- cost- canadian dent will run approx $50 K for 4 yrs considering i own a house and living expenses would be minimal. Caribbean med would cost 100-150 k and would involve an extra 3-5 yrs of schooling/residency which is probably in the US, and would also involve the last 2 years of clinicals moving all across the US every month or two

Need some input on what should i do if provided with both acceptance letters?????

[JonathanMD]

It sounds pretty simple to me.

I'm also 26 and it sounds like you've done all that you could have and should have done up until this point. I think you're making the question overly complicated. I think you should be asking yourself this question instead:

"Do I want to be a physician or do I want to be a dentist?"

[RussianJoo]

yeah it sounds like you don't really care what you do as long as you're in the medical field somewhere and not an EMT or medic. If this is the case go to dental school, it will be less hassle for you, cheaper, you'll be at home, less issues with licensing. shorter time in school/residency. But if you really want to be an MD then there's no substitute and pack your bags for the caribbean.

[tenordoc]

Originally Posted by gforce

Need some input on what should i do if provided with both acceptance letters?????

"should" is a dirty word. There is nothing you "should" do. What is important is what you choose to do. And in this case, the previous posters are correct. Follow your heart, and your gut instinct.

Why just SABA?

There are lots of students in the Caribbean who are much older than 26. Your life isn't over quite yet.

[looneycanuk]

Originally Posted by tenordoc

"should" is a dirty word. There is nothing you "should" do. What is important is what you choose to do. And in this case, the previous posters are correct. Follow your heart, and your gut instinct.

And here is the problem. Medicine and dentistry are two DIFFERENT fields so where does the heart lead?

My father in-law is a dental surgeon and my aunt in-law (is that even a title?) is an OBSGYN. Neither one wishes to do the other's job and both share colleagues who, 20-30 years ago, tossed a coin between meds and dents and went to the first school that accepted them.

What we now have are people who have had a 20-30 year UNHAPPY career because they wanted to be a highly paid professional. So, is it worth pursuing 4-5 years of schooling, another 4-5 years of debt/financial stress, only to realize (10 years later) that you really are not happy and regret applying to dentistry (or meds)? What you are now doing is trudging to work just for a pay cheque. Will you be providing optimum care for the patient if you are just there to pay your bills?

If you are an EMT, would it not follow to pursue medicine rather than dentistry? If you became an EMT to sample medicine, you should become a dental assistant or hygenist to sample dentistry.

It might be wise to list the pros and cons of each profession and have a good talk with yourself as to the real reasons why you are considering medicine vs. dentistry.

Also, not to burst your bubble, but if you cannot be accepted to CDN meds, I highly doubt that you will be accepted to dentistry in Canada. You will need at least a 3.7 GPA for U of T dentistry and pretty much the same for U of T med.

But, the choice is yours...

[Aviv Imanuel]

You have to really LOVE dentistry to be in it, please thing about it. It is a wonderful career but you should not decide on it just as an alternative.

Originally Posted by gforce

i have been waitlisted/ trying for years for to get into a canadian medical school and this year now being 26 i have waited too long, i have been working on my Extracurriculars and now an EMT working FT for nearly 1 year now, my MCAT expired and retook it for next years admission passed the MCAT but didn't get as high as I did 4 yrs ago which may almost preclude my position for sept 09 in a canadian university, I have taken the DAT last year (as Plan B)and got waitlisted retook it about a month ago and awaiting scores..


I have applied to SABA and canadian dent/med

I feel like I may be in the position to choose between carribean med and canadian dent.

Some things that factor in my life- cost- canadian dent will run approx $50 K for 4 yrs considering i own a house and living expenses would be minimal. Caribbean med would cost 100-150 k and would involve an extra 3-5 yrs of schooling/residency which is probably in the US, and would also involve the last 2 years of clinicals moving all across the US every month or two

Need some input on what should i do if provided with both acceptance letters?????

[gforce]

thanks for response!

i know my heart and passion resides in medicine, as an EMT i already sampled enough of it to pursue a field in medicine. The question is, I know that I would enjoy medicine but would I enjoy to the point where it consumes all my life, leaving no time for personal life and family?

Dentistry only appeals to me because of the lifestyle, I am not passionate about oral hygiene, but what dentist really is passionate about oral hygiene?, From what I have seen and heard (other colleagues who are in dental) the lifestyle is all they are after and the rest is history.

Regarding applying/acceptance, I am applying first to SABA (then SGU)until my NOV08 DAT scores come in, but mainly i have chose SABA due to finances, I can easily get 150 k from banks (from what i have researched) but 200+ may seem like a challenge.

And last year, for the first time applying into cdn dental school, i was waitlisted with a 3.9 GPA and average of 19 on the DAT, and rewriting it should increase the score

I know 27 seems relatively young, but at some point in my life i do want to have a family and starting one near 40 seems kind of late/grim which is why dent is so appealing

[looneycanuk]

Originally Posted by gforce

thanks for response!

i know my heart and passion resides in medicine, as an EMT i already sampled enough of it to pursue a field in medicine. The question is, I know that I would enjoy medicine but would I enjoy to the point where it consumes all my life, leaving no time for personal life and family?

Dentistry only appeals to me because of the lifestyle, I am not passionate about oral hygiene, but what dentist really is passionate about oral hygiene?, From what I have seen and heard (other colleagues who are in dental) the lifestyle is all they are after and the rest is history.

I would watch what you say when talking to dentists. My father in-law is very passionate about oral hygiene; he is is a dentist.

Tell me about this "lifestyle". My father in-law rises at 6:30am, arrives at work around 8:30-9am and is lucky to be home before 7pm; minimum 12 hour days, just like us paramedics. On a very good day he can squeeze in 20 minutes for lunch; most days are not good. Every 2nd Saturday is usually booked with patients who cannot see him during the week. Maybe he is the odd, truly passionate dentist out there or your collegues consume a secret potion? However, he does take time off and lives rather well; all of his kids have trust funds, 7 fig retirement fund, wife has no need to work, etc..

Now tell me about how much you will enjoy poking around in someone's mouth for the next 30 years of your life. Wouldn't it be safer for you and your patients if you became a line assembly worker? After all, a bad day on the line simply means that an inspector will come crashing down on your **** instead of a legal battle from a patient whose mouth you screwed over all because your job sucks and you lost the desire. See where I am going with this?

Also factor in the costs to start up your own dental clinic. You have the option of setting up your own clinic (no idea on the costs but budget at least $1 million to include equipment, rent, insurance, staff, etc.) or buying your way into an existing one; for $1 million CDN you can become an associate of my father in-law's clinic, complete with a buy-out option if/when he retires. Why so much you ask? All of the work is done: staff of 20, extensive and established client list, cutting edge equipment, etc.; you will make 6 figs easily if you have the upfront $$$. Or, earn $50k/yr and be paying off yet another loan for 10 years as someone pursuing the "lifestyle" of a dentist.

As a doctor, there are countless resources and incentives to encourage you to practice. You can pretty much walk into an under-serviced area and be given a blank cheque to set up your practice.

It really is a toss-up as to what you really want. Dentistry is not all that it appears. Even once you are accepted, there is always the exit exam/licensing and one small error will quickly see to your demise. Medicine is not that different but you really are comparing apples to bananas with regards to Canadian dentistry and Caribbean medical schools.

Regarding applying/acceptance, I am applying first to SABA (then SGU)until my NOV08 DAT scores come in, but mainly i have chose SABA due to finances, I can easily get 150 k from banks (from what i have researched) but 200+ may seem like a challenge.

Why the hard-on for Saba? There are other med schools which are a lot cheaper and offer the same education.

And last year, for the first time applying into cdn dental school, i was waitlisted with a 3.9 GPA and average of 19 on the DAT, and rewriting it should increase the score

Give the Northern Medical School in Ontario a whirl. If your GPA really is 3.9, you should have no problem being accept to any Canadian medical school.

Another thorn is that you have missed the boat for 09 med school in Canada. I believe you can now apply for 2010. This might help sway your decision?

Plus, if you have been wait-listed for dentistry, don't hold your breathe on getting in. Someone in the know told me that it is even more cut-throat than it was 30 years ago.

[shawnm3]

they are very different careers in the end, as I am sure you know. You will likely do far better in dentistry than in medicine, at least here in the us, assuming you go into primary care. depends...do you want to be a physician and be intellectually challenged...or do you want a very stable, high paying job that may not keep you as interested and challenged, but will give you a more personal freedom and better financial rewards....tough choice and depends on your priorities

Originally Posted by looneycanuk

I would watch what you say when talking to dentists. My father in-law is very passionate about oral hygiene; he is is a dentist.

Tell me about this "lifestyle". My father in-law rises at 6:30am, arrives at work around 8:30-9am and is lucky to be home before 7pm; minimum 12 hour days, just like us paramedics. On a very good day he can squeeze in 20 minutes for lunch; most days are not good. Every 2nd Saturday is usually booked with patients who cannot see him during the week. Maybe he is the odd, truly passionate dentist out there or your collegues consume a secret potion? However, he does take time off and lives rather well; all of his kids have trust funds, 7 fig retirement fund, wife has no need to work, etc..

Now tell me about how much you will enjoy poking around in someone's mouth for the next 30 years of your life. Wouldn't it be safer for you and your patients if you became a line assembly worker? After all, a bad day on the line simply means that an inspector will come crashing down on your **** instead of a legal battle from a patient whose mouth you screwed over all because your job sucks and you lost the desire. See where I am going with this?

Also factor in the costs to start up your own dental clinic. You have the option of setting up your own clinic (no idea on the costs but budget at least $1 million to include equipment, rent, insurance, staff, etc.) or buying your way into an existing one; for $1 million CDN you can become an associate of my father in-law's clinic, complete with a buy-out option if/when he retires. Why so much you ask? All of the work is done: staff of 20, extensive and established client list, cutting edge equipment, etc.; you will make 6 figs easily if you have the upfront $$$. Or, earn $50k/yr and be paying off yet another loan for 10 years as someone pursuing the "lifestyle" of a dentist.

As a doctor, there are countless resources and incentives to encourage you to practice. You can pretty much walk into an under-serviced area and be given a blank cheque to set up your practice.

It really is a toss-up as to what you really want. Dentistry is not all that it appears. Even once you are accepted, there is always the exit exam/licensing and one small error will quickly see to your demise. Medicine is not that different but you really are comparing apples to bananas with regards to Canadian dentistry and Caribbean medical schools.

Why the hard-on for Saba? There are other med schools which are a lot cheaper and offer the same education.


Give the Northern Medical School in Ontario a whirl. If your GPA really is 3.9, you should have no problem being accept to any Canadian medical school.

Another thorn is that you have missed the boat for 09 med school in Canada. I believe you can now apply for 2010. This might help sway your decision?

Plus, if you have been wait-listed for dentistry, don't hold your breathe on getting in. Someone in the know told me that it is even more cut-throat than it was 30 years ago.

[gforce]

piorities, that really questions alot. I have been asking myself over and over what is my main priority (career vs family time or time off). Some days I think it may be better to have more time off, since life is short and that the question arises: " do we work to live, or live to work?"

Regarding passion oral hygiene, I can say I am passionate about my oral hygiene, but how does one know if that will be enough to make a career out of it?