Pharm.D. vs. Dentist?

Question

alright, I am considering 2 careers: Either Pharmacy or Dentistry. So which one is better?

What I know:
Pharmacy: 6 years of college, good salary, flexible work hrs., fast-growing field
vs.
Dentistry: 7 years of college, good salary,

What I want to know is:
Which is harder to study?
Which pays more, yearly?
Which is a more honorable job?

p.s.- I am an average-honor student, if that helps...so which one would u go for, and which one (if you were me) would you go for?

Answer 1

I've just written a bit about Pharmacy here:

Being a Pharmacist in a normal shop-based pharmacy is quite boring. Its all about typing up and putting together prescriptions of prepackaged medicines, and is very repetitive, especially if you work at the same pharmacy - most pharmacists I have talked to have said its a pretty boring field, however to make it more interesting for them, they locum because it allows them to get to see loads of different people in different areas. Some also work in hospitals which offers a little more of a diverse environment still.

The best part about working in a pharmacy is that you get to interact with patients with all sorts of different problems and you can suggest how to make them feel better - which is quite rewarding I would say.

I'm not sure what the first person is on about with mixing chemicals... That's bull****. As I said above, its all about putting together prescriptions with prepackaged medication. The closest you're going to get to mixing medicines is when you have to make up the solutions of children's penicillin antibiotic liquids from powers.

Pharmacists get around £35-40k a year where as dentists get around £65-75k a year in England - Don't quote me on that though. Dentists definitely get paid more per anum than Pharmacists.

Hope that helps you a bit :)

Answer 2

Dentist Or Pharmacist

Answer 3

I recommend the pediatric dentist. I've used both family and Ped with mine and they have more patience and are used to the delays that a frightened child will cause. Ours always discusses everything completely before any procedure. In fact, there was a brown spot that what questionable, and the dentist told us it wasn't a major concern right away - whereas another may have been quick to drill/fill. The spot is a "potential cavity point", which means we make sure he brushes the right way and every day. He will lose it the natural way soon and it hasn't affected his permanent tooth in the least. I'm not saying yours doesn't need anything done, but pointing out that some dentists hesitate when doing something so drastic to a child's mouth, considering the whole impact. Our situation turned out good, and we trust him. - Make sure you trust whoever your children see.

Answer 4

I can't tell you much about Dentistry, but I can try for Pharmacy.

As you may already know, pharmacists have more flexible hours and the career is generally very stable. I'm not entirely sure where you got 6 years, but my program lasts 4 years and I'll exit with a PharmD (but I did do a 4 year undergraduate program for my B.S.), which brings me to a total of 8 years (unless you don't count the undergrad years).

To answer your questions:

I think that they are both hard to study, in their own right. After all, they are both doctorate programs. That being the case, they are both honorable. Unfortunately, many people have a false impression of what pharmacy actually entails (i.e., it's not just about dispensing/counting pills).

Like any other health care profession, there are many different fields of Pharmacy. You have Ambulatory Care, Industry, Retail, Hospital, Consultant... you name it, it's probably there. In short, it's not just about dispensing. For instance, in AmCare, the pharmacist is allowed to do certain things within a protocol (schedule labs, prescribe meds, and etc.) without a doctor's approval.

However, this is something you have to determine for yourself, as everybody is interested in something different. Good luck.

Answer 5

a dentist is a better career choice. the smile makeovers seem to be the coming thing and people pay lots of money for whitening , and the new technology to enhance their smiles. pharmacists are pill counters. they stand up behind a counter , working nights and weekends and holidays running pill machines. most pharmacies are 24 hours and dealing with retail people can be a challenge. they are under constant survellience to make sure they don't steal the medicines . continual reports and auditing. i would not like the feeling of not being trusted . i think that a dentist is a better paying job and has more options .

Answer 6

9

Answer 7

In the U.S., DDS always requires a bachelors. In theory, you can start without it, but in reality, that never happens. For pharmacy, it is starting to move to requiring a bachelors. Individual schools do require it or defacto require it.
The current average pharmacist salary is a little over $100k and for DDS, according to ADA, the average salary is $185k.
They are both hard programs in their own right. Dentists do work longer hours than pharmacists. Pharmacists are perceived as being more trustworthy by the public. Also, there are more pharmacists (230,000) than dentists (170,000).

Answer 8

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Pharm.D. vs. Dentist?
alright, I am considering 2 careers: Either Pharmacy or Dentistry. So which one is better?

What I know:
Pharmacy: 6 years of college, good salary, flexible work hrs., fast-growing field
vs.
Dentistry: 7 years of college, good salary,

What I want to know is:
Which is harder to...

Answer 9

LOL at the flexible hours for a pharmacist.

Both of those are going to lead to very mundane, unexciting careers. Do you really want to fill in cavities all day every day? At least a pharmacist you can mix chemicals.

Answer 10

My Grandfather was a Pharmacist and lived in an apartment.

My cousin is a Dentist lives in a big house on the ocean has
a boat, a condiminium in the Bahamas.

You pick!