Choosing Dentistry As A Second Degree - Am I Wise??

SharpshooterTom

Hi all,

Over the past year or so I have become interested in doing a career in dentistry. I'm 26 (almost 27) years old and graduated with a 2.2 Electrical & Electronic Engineering at Queens University in Belfast in 2010 and followed this up with a Msc in Telecommunications in 2013 (I ended up doing this part time as I was diagnosed with severe depression in 2011).

I will be applying in the Republic and require 2A*'s/2A for my A-levels to gain entry in either Cork or TCD, I've currently just finished my first year of A levels and currently I am on target to get those grades hopefully.

However I have my concerns;

Because it is my 2nd degree, I will be having to pay full fees for my 5 year degree. Which will total up to about 47,000 euros. Now I can hopefully get a loan out via my parents, but I need to be sure I can get a job out of this (or at least have a good chance of getting one) as I will be 32 coming 33 by the time I graduate.

Does anyone know what job prospects are for Ireland right now? Is it better than say somebody graduating in Law or Engineering?

I'm also concerned about the starting salary for dentists, not because I want to be an uber rich bastard, I just want to make sure I can pay off my debt as quickly as possible. There's a lot of negativity written about dentistry in various student forums (e.g. thestudentroom) and that the prospects of dentistry, both salary and work wise are dire in the upcoming years.

Is it a risky career choice? Its something I have my heart set on but I just want to make sure I'm doing the something sensible and its not something that could easily go up in smoke.

Sprog 4

I wouldn't say its a bad career choice. As with most things however, if you prove yourself to be good enough at it you will get a job. I'm in a similar position - graduated from a science degree in '05 and have worked in industry in various jobs since. It's not like the job prospects are particularly bad in this area (in the UK at least), but its just, well, boring. Every job I've had has quickly become a daily grind of repetitive experiments and paperwork with little to no interaction with people outside the lab. The more senior I get the more paperwork involved I've also tried a PhD but hated it. So thinking about it for a while I've decided to do something in healthcare as the patient interaction is something that greatly appeals to me. Pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, medicine, physio etc are all possible choices. I would be quite interested in most healthcare professions and I am confident I would do well. Doing some research like you have done brings up loads of negativity around all of these careers from students and people already in the profession that are maybe a bit unhappy. I reckon it's nothing to worry about though. Yes, lots of professions have taken pay cuts in recent years but thats the way it is at the moment. People will always have dental problems so there will always be a need for dentists. Same for opticians. The role of a pharmacist has the most potential to diverge from what it classically has been but there will always be a need for them (at least in our lifetime). I wouldn't concern myself with the risk involved of you have your heart set on it and have the means to do it. Starting salary is pretty low for all healthcare professionals if I'm not mistaken - but being happy in your job is worth far more in my opinion. This will rise though. 47k isn't that much in the grand scheme of things. Besides, all the dentists I know (there are a few including my cousin) are doing very well for themselves.