Becoming a Dentist?

[Brian W.]

Hello Everyone,

I am currently a 20 year old junior pre-med student in college. I've always considered this as a "backup" in case I couldn't get a business set up by the time I graduate. Well, I'm beginning to realize that starting a business while your $20,000 in debt is tricky!  

I love helping people, working with my hands, working as a team, and studying advanced science classes. I believe that I would truly enjoy being a dentist instead of a doctor. This would allow me to have significantly more free time to spend with my future family and start a real estate business. 

That is my question for you guys - does becoming a dentist to provide the stability, capital, and lifestyle to start a real estate investment company sound like a good idea?  I could be a dentist by 24. I feel like if I work a normal college graduate job (ie teacher, analyst, lab technician) it would be almost impossible to get into real estate. However, I know dentists who work 3 days a week (6 hours a day) and still make six figures. 

If you were in my position (20 years old and 20k in debt with the grades to get into dental school), what would you do?

Thank!