Struggling to "like" dentistry

[Hawkdental21]

I have been in practice for just over a year now in two different associate positions. Things are going good in terms of clinical skills (ie. Able to successfully do oral surgery, ending, crown, etc and in efficient time.) I even like the practice I am at and the money I am making. The problem is that I just don't like doing dentistry. I don't have a passion for dentistry that I thought I would. I seem to dread actually do exams and procedures not because I'm nervous just that I don't enjoy it. Wondering if this is something others have experienced or if it's something that will get better. If it's not what are some other ways I can use my clinical skills in a non clinical fasion. I do enjoy the business side of dentistry but just don't enjoy actual clinical procedures. Any advice is welcome.

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[Big Time Hoosier]

You have now gone from starry eyed pre-dent to practicing dental professional and realized that dentistry is, well, a job. But, a rewarding job. Is there some aspect of clinical dentistry you do enjoy? If so, maybe think about heading back to residency. Is there a dental school nearby? If so, maybe try teaching part-time.

Big Hoss

 

[oralcare123]

Find a hobby, go to the therapist, start drinking

 

[charlestweed]

Learn to love your job if you still have student loan to pay back and have kids to support. You don't really have any other choices. You are not alone. Almost everyone I know hates their jobs too. Laziness is human nature. I am lazy too. So to me, an ideal job is the one where I wouldn't have to work too hard, but get paid a lot of money.

If you are single and don't plan to get married, then you should follow OralCare123's advice above.

 

[oralcare123]

Learn to love your job if you still have student loan to pay back and have kids to support. You don't really have any other choices. You are not alone. Almost everyone I know hates their jobs too. Laziness is human nature. I am lazy too. So to me, an ideal job is the one where I wouldn't have to work too hard, but get paid a lot of money.

If you are single and don't plan to get married, then you should follow OralCare123's advice above.

Didn't mean stop working. You are right - everybody hates their job at least half of the time. "Love what you do and you will never work in your life" is a kindergarten illusion. OP lost his opportunity to choose something else, I mean it's hard to change now, assuming he has debt to pay off.

 

[TanMan]

I have been in practice for just over a year now in two different associate positions. Things are going good in terms of clinical skills (ie. Able to successfully do oral surgery, ending, crown, etc and in efficient time.) I even like the practice I am at and the money I am making. The problem is that I just don't like doing dentistry. I don't have a passion for dentistry that I thought I would. I seem to dread actually do exams and procedures not because I'm nervous just that I don't enjoy it. Wondering if this is something others have experienced or if it's something that will get better. If it's not what are some other ways I can use my clinical skills in a non clinical fasion. I do enjoy the business side of dentistry but just don't enjoy actual clinical procedures. Any advice is welcome.

If you hate the profession with a passion, then you need to work hard to get out of it forever, unless you have the luxury of having enough money to just drop what you are doing and say F it, I'm out. Don't dillydally and just make as much money as you can to get out. Think of it like hazing, but instead, it's life that's hazing you. I go against the whole, find something that you like about dentistry... that could take a lifetime and waste many years. Unfortunately, we sacrificed a large amount of our life to this profession, might as well let it give you the life that you want to lead.

 

[vellnueve]

Is this your first real job? Serious question.

 

[InformMe123]

own your practice

 

[fayevalentine]

Find a hobby, go to the therapist, start drinking

Choose life.

 

[comatose]

you aren't alone. Many dentists do not like their jobs. its tough out there. If you are single stay single until you figure out what you want to do. If you have kids then you have to suck it up and get to work. You don't have to do dentistry forever. Life is full of options and you can always go back to school to do something else or you can find something in dentistry you actually like. you might decide to buy multiple offices and just hire associates to do the clinical work for you. Anyways yea lots of options.

 

[Hawkdental21]

Thank you for all the the advice everyone. It isn't my first real job actually been working most my life it some very long hour manual labor jobs. I have no problem with hard work and actual I like it. I just don't like being a dentist very much. I have worked hard to get my debt down under 64000 at this point. So now I can start to think about other options. I have no kids but am married so drinkings out I guess.

 

[vellnueve]

Just do the job and find some hobbies to live for. Work is just the means, not the end.