I have friends who are doctors and dentists. The dentists have it better vs. the doctors in term of insurance, lifestyle and many cases earnings. Remember most dentist will own their own practice. The model for doctors has changed in the past few years. The doctors now work for hospitals or insurance companies.

Anonymous wrote:"It's up there in the ranks as one of the most noblest forms of service to humanity."

Oh, yawn. No one making what doctors do also gets to claim noble service to humanity.

I would rather my doctor make the money than some manager of a health insurance company or some Obamacare policy writer.

I'm an MD, MPH, medical sub-specialty. Nowadays I'm doing primarily clinical quality research and informatics (80-90%), see patients 1-2x per week, occasionally teach residents. I actually love being a doctor -- enjoy my work and would not be as happy doing anything else. Seeing a clinical researcher save my mother's life (relatively rare cancer) motivated me personally. I will encourage my daughters to pursue medicine --if they really love the subject matter and the work has genuine meaning for them.

Otherwise no. For the money -- no, absolutely not worth it. If my kids do go the medicine route (likely with the older one) I'd seriously encourage MD with MBA, MHA or PHD -- lots of options and diverse, fulfilling work opportunities.

Question for the doctors:

Would you agree to free med school (no debt!) in exchange for single payer coverage and accepting lower payment rates?

With SPC, you'd also see elimination of much of the haggling over payments and streamlined paperwork, so you'd get back more of your time.

The answer will depend on both the specialty (dermatologists and radiologists have extremely cushy lifestyles and large pay checks, while pediatricians work like dogs for relative peanuts, though they likely have more of a "calling") and on how far up his/her ass the doc's head is stuck (anyone who tells you American docs are "struggling" has no idea how the 90% lives).

"It's up there in the ranks as one of the most noblest forms of service to humanity."

Oh, yawn. No one making what doctors do also gets to claim noble service to humanity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, have been a dentist for 20 years. Enjoy the work most days, good hours, and solid income

You're a dentist, not doctor.

What's dental income these days anyway?

A dentist is a doctor, so yes I am a doctor. I made 425k last year. On pace to do a little more this year.

I bet you have a pretty nice work/life balance compared to most MDs.

Yes I have been quite fortunate. It can be stressful at times, but overall I am very happy with the career.

Anonymous wrote:So, only one DMD and one MD have responded. Not much of a sampling. I'm not taking advice from people who have heard doctors say ...

Lol, not much of one indeed. I'm married to an MD, posted earlier.

Most MDs are too busy to be putzing around on the internet during the day. They're not sitting at a desk where they can come on and spend some down time, they often work long hours and aren't generally interested in reading online forums when they get home. At least not my dh, nor any of my M.D. relatives and friends.

For what it is worth, my Dad (still living) was a dentist for over 50 years and my five brothers all went to dental school, with four who are living still practicing in the same metro area in another state. Surprisingly to be a top notch dentist, you need to have the dexterity and skill which all seemed to have inherited. They were all fortunate to have had undergrad and dental school paid for and pretty much walked into practices already operating. All have done well with one very, very well. Even without debt the key to dentistry is being able to operate the office, hire competent staff etc., which I understand they do not really spend much time on in dental school. I suspect this is also true in medical school.

From what I have observed if girls can get through medical school, it can be a very rewarding career at least in pediatric or family medicine on a part-time basis while a family is young and then go back more full-time. While the residency years are rough and trying to start a family during that time crazy, there just does not seem to be the crazy pressure once hired by a practice that young professional women feel at the law firm or even in certain college fields such as engineering where it seems to be pressure all the time to publish and bring in money. And sorry to say, I just do not see law or engineering nearly as important as medicine in every day life.