Five dentists recently spoke with Becker’s about what career they would have chosen if they hadn’t become a dentist.
Editor’s note: Responses were lightly edited for length and clarity.
Question: If you weren’t a dentist, what would you do for your career and why?
Michael Hoffmann, DDS. The Dental Anesthesia Center (Clayton, Mo.): As a dentist anesthesiologist, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. As I always say, I never considered what I do as work as I love what I do. Medical school was a consideration back in the day, but that path would have been a mistake due to current hospital and insurance arrangements in medicine.
Looking now, I think an MBA and owning a business, or several businesses, would have been a good path.
Peter Lucchese, DDS. Hudson Valley Dental Arts (Poughkeepsie, N.Y.): If I was not a dentist, I would have gone into the music field as I was a drummer for many years. My other passions are food as I am of Italian heritage and men’s retail, so I would have gone into the restaurant business or owned a high-end men’s retail store/haberdashery. Restaurants and men’s retail both are service-oriented with a creative/artistic component.
Shaun Malek, DDS (Pasadena, Calif.): If I was not a dentist, I would have gotten a business/real estate degree and bought old houses, restored and sold them. This way, I would have stayed away from a hefty student loan and dealing with insurance companies. I could still use my talents in restoring things to their original conditions and make more money.
Roshan Parikh, DDS. Founder of DSO Strategy: When I was a kid, like many other children, I idolized my pediatrician, Dr. Sanchez. The fact that he could cure my sicknesses time and time again just blew my mind. I am sure I took up more of his clinical time than other kids, just based on my curiosity alone.
How did he know so much about so many different kids and illnesses? I mean, ear infection — he’s the guy. Measles all over my body — he’s the guy. Sprained wrist from basketball — he’s the guy. He was truly like a superhero to me.
Rick Singel, DDS. (Cincinnati): If I weren’t a dentist, I’d be an insurance agent. My dad had a very nice agency and made a fine living. In fact, I grew up in a house next to a dentist. After college, I worked for [my dad] for about three years and enjoyed it, but I just wasn’t cut out to be a businessman, so I became restless and applied to dental school like so many of my undergrad friends and never looked back.