- Joined
- Jun 15, 2017
- Messages
- 12
- Reaction score
- 7
I'm a 4th year dental student choosing between applying to a residency or working at my dad's practice. He’s got an office in a low income neighborhood and he sees a high volume of patients and there are other associates that work there, so I figured that there could be potential there to learn. At the same time, I honestly find it difficult to learn from him at times, which worries me a little bit, and I have doubts about settling back in my hometown. On the other hand, I haven’t started the process of applying to residences yet, and am not sure if it would be too late to start. Do you think it’s even worth doing one, if I end up working for a year in a private office (or is the quality in experience even comparable)? If I worked with my dad, I could see my self trying to move maybe after a year of getting experience, but I hear that doing residencies can be a good way to network and get a job as well. However, I figure it would not be worth applying to a residency after already spending a year out working, (or do you think otherwise and that there is foundational training experience unique to a residency that would be hard to get in a private office)? I am hoping that with appropriate CE that they might be comparable, but I don’t know if that’s just wishful thinking. Lastly, if I were to apply now, would it be too late? I actually haven't started the application process yet due to some personal life circumstances that I was dealing with earlier in the year, and don't know if it's even worth putting an application out there at this point in the first place. I appreciate anybody's thoughts on this matter.