Engineer to doctor, worth it?

[namllus13]

Hello,

I am 28 years old. Working as a mechanical engineer at a decent company in Ohio. I make 85K and get 3 weeks of vacation, etc. Im single.

I have lately become tired of the engineering world. The work I do is not too bad. However, I believe I have reached my career peak unless I move into management. I look at the senior engineers here and cant see myself doing this for the rest of my life. Accordingly, you never know when engineers can get laid off. Especially when you start making real money. Our jobs rely on the economy and the mercy of corporate decision making.

I have always been allured with the thought of medical school and becoming a doctor. Not entirely for the whole “helping others” aspect. More for the financial rewards, career flexibility. Doctors will never have to worry about being laid off and make enough money to live a great lifestyle.

I would have to take my pre reqs and take Mcat. Get into medschool at around 31. Graduated at 35. Finish residency at 39.

I know some of you will think Im being an dingus and 85K is a great salary. Attending’s of reddit….would it be worth it to make the switch at this point?

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[gamieg]

this isn't reddit. but then again I'm not an attending.

you sound like you're interested in medicine because you're dissatisfied with your current career. you'll probably find this out for yourself if you decide to gain more understanding and exposure to medicine, but medicine isn't really for the commitment-averse. you'll be committing 10+ years at essentially negative income, be pretty uncomfortable that entire decade, and realize that still nothing is guaranteed. I'd also like to point out that physicians also tend to be "at the mercy" of a lot of factors, not the least of which include the amazing political struggles we've been seeing lately.

I'm not saying you shouldn't pursue a career in medicine, but I AM saying that you shouldn't pursue a career in medicine for your current reasons. I'm not sure how long it took you within mechanical engineering to realize that it may not be the right path for you, but I'd recommend equal exposure in the form of healthcare-related community service, shadowing, and patient contact before you decide to make this huge shift.

 

[cabinbuilder]

Talk to @JustPlainBill.

 

[namllus13]

My bad on the reddit thing....used to reddit and new to sdn

 

[namllus13]

cabinbuilder Ive heard of your story before. Very inspirational. Why did you want to be a doctor?
You definitely seem to have the career freedom that I would want.

 

[JustPlainBill]

Well -- I don't think you're a dingus -- to reach that exalted position, you have to pull a Tiger Woods and be married to a model-beautiful wife making millions of dollars a year playing a freakin' game and then decide to blow it with a skank in a motel room AND record the event on your cell phone -- that's a real dingus --
No, I think you're a reasonable, forward thinking young man who recognizes the end-game of his current profession. I was 39 when I was laid off after 17 years of electrical engineering -- my career consisted of writing a ton of code for defense and telecomm -- I wound up training the 3 guys that took my job to India at NORTEL, went to INET doing software configuration management and got laid off after 2 years. 6 months later, my job was posted at half of my salary wanting people with the same level of experience. Being an engineer, you are at the mercy of whatever corporate bean counter decides who to keep and who to let go -- trust me on this, there's always a rank list of your group and when the corporation decides to lay off 10%, the bottom 10% go --- you're always watched and it's a political game also. Now, unless you're willing to open up your own shop, it'll get worse as you get older.
Now, I went to med school at 42 and was done with residency by the time I turned 50 (late birthday). I didn't come from a name university but got my undergrad from DeVry and did my prereqs at community colleges. Got a 25P on the MCAT. It was a God thing and I got into my first choice of medical schools. The reason I struggled was I had it in my head that 1) medicine was hard 2) I had to know EVERYTHING 3) I didn't belong in this career due to my family background 4) Other people in class were smarter than I was 5) there was some "magic" study method that other people had and I needed to use that method and I would be successful --- So, to start with, resolve those types of issues now -- I can say with some authority now that if you can walk and chew gum on a level surface with a mild headwind, you can do medical school quite easily. The material is NOT hard, there's just a lot of it and a lot of important details. Also recognize most of the "professors" are researchers or practicing clinicians who have no idea how to really teach anyone. You will teach yourself and the key is figuring out what's important to retain and what you'll be tested over -- there's ways to do that.
As far as a nice career -- yes, you will be making a decent amount of money, no matter what specialty you wind up in --- don't let the neurotic 22 year olds who want to believe they know what's up fool you --- as a physican, you'll be fine financially. The real difference is the ability to decide your own financial fate once you're out of residency. Never again will your family's ability to eat be determined by some faceless beancounter. If you have to, you can see patients in your garage for cash on the barrelhead.
At 28, single, and burned out on engineering, I'd be jumping at the idea of going to med school -- go back and get your prereqs from a 4 year university, do well, take out the loans you need (screw that working while taking night classes garbage, you need to do well in prereqs) and then get after the MCAT. Use the health professions advising to get your letters, volunteer hours and help keep you on track.
Let me know if I can help. I WISH I had done this in your position -- heck, I'd be an ortho surgeon (or trauma surgeon) right now with 15 years of practice behind me --

 

[AlteredScale]

Closing. Please do not cross post. Conversation can be seen here: Engineer to doctor, worth it?