Which profession? Dentist or Paramedic?

Hello I'm a freshman in college in Oregon. I am going to school to be a dentist. I have an okay GPA (3.6) , good study habits and am dedicated to doing a good job. I got a job last summer at a dental clinic as a 2nd assistant (mostly because I had an ***-kicking resume). I have assisted on many different surgeries (mostly extractions and exams), and learned many different skills that would apply to dental school. The problem is that I'm not completely sure I would be satisfied being a dentist. I am aware of earnings and requirements for each. $125,000 or $35,000(if I'm lucky), 8 years or 2, etc. I am worried I will grow tired of the repetion of being a dentist, being hated by most people, and not having a life for 4 years of intense dental school. I know the turnover rate for both is relativly high but I have previous experience as a lifeguard and I think it would be a much more exciting job to be a paramedic. Yet, it doesn't sound bad to make 6 figures and only work 3 days a week.

Which profession? Dentist or Paramedic?
I'm a paramedic, and while it has it's moments, when it comes down to it, working on the ambulance can get just as repetitive as any other job. After a year or two, you've pretty much seen everything, and most calls become fairly routine. There's still some fun and interesting stuff, but it's not nearly as often as you might think. Of course, I work for a fairly small service. If you worked in a bigger city, you'd probably find a bit more interesting.





Being a paramedic might sound more exciting, but the pay isn't even close to what you're going to make as a dentist. You really have to have a love for this job to put up with the relatively low pay, long hours, physical work, and emotional stress. The "burnout" rate is very high, and the average paramedic only works in the field for a few years before they move on to something else. At my service, there's probably about 20 paramedics, and at least 5 of them are in nursing or medical school, to try to get into a more stable (and better paying) career.





Have you considered other medical specialties? There's no reason not to consider becoming an ER doc, if you want more excitement, and that six figure paycheck to boot.





You might consider getting your EMT-Basic certification, and finding a part time job as a Basic on a Basic/Paramedic 911 response truck. That would give you a great idea of what it's like to be a medic, and your EMT-Basic certification only takes a few months, so if you decide that paramedicine is not for you, you haven't wasted much time on it.





Hope this helps!
Reply:NO CONTEST BE A DENTIST..EARN MILLIONS (PARAMED POOR PAY), HAVE A 9TO 5 JOB (PARAMED LATE HOURS), NO GORY GREUSOME THINGS TO LOOK AT WHEN YOU ARE A DENTIST (PARAMEDIC HAS TO DEAL WITH LOTS OF BLOOD, BONES AND GUTS).
Reply:i would defiantly go for being a dentist because the pay is better, the hours are better and i feel the the job is a lot more fun and interesting
Reply:I love being a paramedic, but you will make a lot less money than a dentist.