Engineering or dentistry in SA?

Hi everyone,

I’ve been studying industrial engineering for the past two years, but things have been rough. I failed my second semester of second year because I completely crashed out, and I’ve decided to take a break for the 2025 academic year to regroup and think things through.

Now, I’m considering switching to dentistry instead of continuing with engineering. The main reasons for this are: 1. Better Pay – Dentistry, especially after specialising, seems to have far better earning potential than industrial engineering, particularly here in South Africa. 2. Job Security – I’ve become really concerned about the future of industrial engineering, especially with AI automating a lot of what engineers do. Dentistry feels like a safer bet in the long term because it’s hands-on and unlikely to be automated. 3. More tactile and more engaging with people - Dentisry is more hands on and as someone who values interacting with people(extroverted) I feel it would be a better fit

That being said, I haven’t made a firm decision yet. I’m planning to job shadow a dentist soon to see if this is really something I can see myself doing.

I’d appreciate any advice on this from people in either field (engineering or dentistry), or anyone who’s been in a similar position. Specifically: • Do you think switching from engineering to dentistry makes sense in terms of long-term job security and earning potential? In the South African context • What are the challenges of studying dentistry compared to engineering? • Are there any red flags I should be considering before making the switch?

I’m just trying to make a well-informed decision, and any input would mean a lot.

Thanks in advance!