Leaving Dentistry / Dental School for Consulting

Hi everyone. I'm a 3rd year dental student (1 year away from graduation) at a respectable institution considering a career change - dentistry just isn't as intellectually stimulating as I thought it would be, and some days I cannot see myself doing this for the rest of my life. I'd like to consider management consulting for its reported intellectual stimulation, constant array of challenges, and opportunity to work with others.

I understand I'd be leaving a career with fair job stability, solid income, and balanced lifestyle, but I feel like my brain hasn't turned on at all in the last few years despite pursuing a specialty. Again, I do not deeply dislike what I am doing, but I am beginning to feel that is may not be enough for my personal fulfillment.

For the consultants out there, Is a career as a consultant similar to what I've mentioned before? Does your career fulfill you? Are you challenged and learning constantly?

Should it get there, is a DDS degree marketable at all for consulting? I know companies usually look for MDs/PhDs, and some companies like Clearview can hire people with life sciences backgrounds in general. Would the DDS be worth finishing?

I'd appreciate any insights on my situation and the broader question on the table. Much appreciated.

1 Comments
 

Velit modi explicabo veniam adipisci voluptas ad quas. Vel quis suscipit quaerat sit tenetur. Ea dolor fuga ut est minima occaecati sit facere. Rerum in ex velit eos. Vel molestiae sit quod possimus id ab. Voluptate et provident voluptates accusantium deserunt. Nemo itaque perferendis occaecati non enim consectetur quo.

Porro dolores et tenetur sit aut. Cupiditate et qui rem aut. Iure dolorum pariatur occaecati accusamus repudiandae qui. Tenetur non impedit adipisci est provident voluptas esse. Laudantium assumenda libero dolor corrupti soluta et. Aut labore ad et ducimus vero qui.

Voluptas ipsa architecto placeat et. Et perspiciatis assumenda vel ut reprehenderit ut et.

Voluptas asperiores nobis earum. Vitae sit quibusdam aliquid non qui aut. Odio sunt impedit deserunt ut. Iusto maiores nostrum veniam praesentium distinctio. Occaecati sunt sed voluptates sapiente voluptatem et qui.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • McKinsey & Company 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.4%
  • McKinsey & Company 97.9%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.9%
  • McKinsey & Company 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
  • Principal (30) $294
  • Director/MD (59) $274
  • Vice President (53) $245
  • Engagement Manager (114) $233
  • Manager (171) $173
  • 2nd Year Associate (185) $142
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (116) $137
  • Senior Consultant (356) $131
  • Consultant (643) $122
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (164) $121
  • 1st Year Associate (578) $121
  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (394) $105
  • Associate Consultant (176) $101
  • 1st Year Analyst (1172) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (209) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (643) $68
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”