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| Isaac Feinn Class of 2019 |
If I could list the top five questions I get in college, it would probably look something like this:
- What do you mean you don’t watch Grey’s Anatomy? Aren’t you going to be a medical professional?
- Haha, wait… are you actually a Republican?
- Does your hair naturally look like someone spilled bleach on it?
- Did you do the chem lab?
- Why do you want to be a dentist?
But, imagine if you saw this job advertisement:
“Would you like to be active in your work, involved in your community, and respected by your colleagues while maintaining the ability to spend time with your family? Do you desire to be a business executive who also genuinely improves the lives of others? Or a profitable artist? How about a job where a personal interest in political science could be used for something more than the polling booth, but to improve healthcare outcomes for disadvantaged groups?”
I’ll cut to the chase. If you couldn’t tell, this post is about dentistry. If that description resonated with you, you might want to reconsider thinking the dentist only makes for a great work excuse. All excuses aside, dentistry is great work.
So, why do I want to be a dentist? Well, once I got to the root of what dentistry is, any preconceptions of it being “bad” or “weird” were pulled straight out of my head. You may not be going to the orthodontist, but brace yourself; here are my top reasons:
First and foremost, dentistry is conducive to a healthy family life. Dentists generally hold fairly regular hours (except for the occasional emergency office call). The average dentist works 35 hours a week, while the average doctor works 59.6 hours a week. That’s nearly 15 extra hours a week to play Super Smash Brothers with the kids. Not to mention, dental school does not require residency.
Second, dentists remain among the most autonomous medical professionals.
No contracts to hospitals, hardly bound by on-call hours or holiday shifts, free to make business decisions – these are some of the perks of dentistry. Unlike many health care providers, they get to choose their insurance policy; the government relatively stays out of dental care.
Third, dentists make a great salary.
Despite dentists working on average 42% less hours than doctors, they make on average 70% of what doctors make. The profession will allow me to not only provide for my family’s dreams and hobbies, but also give generously to my church and other worthy charitable causes. I am perfectly content sacrificing potential income to gain irreplaceable time. If it were a dichotomy, I want my career to support my life, not the other way around.
Fourth, dentists genuinely change people’s lives.
Have you ever seen Cast Away? Deserted on an island, Tom Hanks develops deep cavities that utterly immobilize him; in such abysmal pain, he eventually takes the blade of an ice skate, aligns it like a chisel against his tooth, and hammers it with a rock to rid himself of his infected tooth and with it his suffering. I can bet you having a dentist on that deserted island was on the top of his wish-list. Dentists have the ability to alleviate paralyzing pain, and especially in the cases of third-world missions, can thus dramatically improve an individual’s life.
Fifth, dentistry offers an avenue of political involvement.
Through involvement in Organized Dentistry, I could help develop dental treatment strategies and inter-professional policy and thus positively contribute to improving my own profession. As a respected and integral part of a community, dentists are also well suited to transition their service from public health to policy by running for office.
Lastly, dentistry is an art.
There is something to be said about simply enjoying the profession. Through manipulating chemistry, dentists dexterously mold functional sculptures to restore a smile that enhances a person’s aesthetic beauty and bolsters their self-image. Through the limited dental experience I have had, by far the most rewarding aspect is seeing a person express their happiness in your work with the very product you helped craft: an exuberant, confident, and healthy smile.
The list could go on, but at the end of the day what really matters is not what career you choose, but rather if it cultivates passion in you and you in turn use it to serve others. If these words did not sway you, I’m sure one of these days you’ll hear it all again by word of mouth.
Isaac Feinn, of Louisville, Ky., is a sophomore studying biology and political science.