Why I Quit
Dentistry had been my dream since I was in middle school. Grown-ups would ask me “what do you want to be when you grow up?” And much like the elf on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, I would answer them with “a dentist!” The adult’s face would light up at the prospect of a little girl growing up and getting a “real” job and my future career choice would become further solidified in my mind. The odd thing was I had absolutely no idea why I wanted to become a dentist. I didn’t even go to the dentist until I was in 12th grade since growing up we didn’t have dental insurance. My entire desire to become a dentist stemmed back to one conversation I had with a friend of mine in the fifth grade. “Dentists get paid a ton of money and don’t even do anything! That would be a great job.” My 10 year old friend offered up her career advice in the middle of an elementary school classroom. I agreed. Doing nothing and making a lot of money? Sounds great. Fast-forward 13 years and I’m ...