If you could do it over would you?

[bigmike7104]

I don't remember the numbers, but I believe surveys have been showing least 50 percent of physicians say they wouldn't recommend the profession to their children, though I could be wrong. Also the survey cited the same reasons people on here are saying and I'd assume anonymous would mean they're more likely to say how they really feel than in person.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Double Bonded]

I don't remember the numbers, but I believe surveys have been showing least 50 percent of physicians say they wouldn't recommend the profession to their children, though I could be wrong. Also the survey cited the same reasons people on here are saying and I'd assume anonymous would mean they're more likely to say how they really feel than in person.

I'd be interested to read that study. But the "online/anonymous" part was an aside, implying that people would be more likely to embellish how badly they've been treated or how "it's not worth it." The main point was that residents are in the homestretch of their training and don't really represent what a practicing physician will face. Most attendings don't have the same stresses as in their residency so that leaves the assumption that their perception of the career would differ.

 

[bigmike7104]

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiatry/PainManagement/7103
http://www.careerchangeability.com/doctors/articles/changingcareers.html

The first one doesn't cross all specialties though, only surgical and internal medicine subspecialists primary care physicians and hospital-based doctors.

 

[bigmike7104]

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiatry/PainManagement/7103
http://www.careerchangeability.com/doctors/articles/changingcareers.html

The first one doesn't cross all specialties, only surgical and internal medicine subspecialists primary care physicians and hospital-based doctors. I'm not sure on the second one.

 

[Tender2TheTouch]

I would have repeated it, but only because I ended up being fortunate enough to match into dermatology. Pre-med is rough, medical school is rougher. I know I will probably sound like a weenie, but I can think of at least 10 times I cried during medical school. I know for a fact everyone of my 5-6 close friends were the same. The first two years are very stressful, having to compete with some of the brightest and best people in the country for top grades, only to culminate with Step I (can we say high stakes test). Following this, clinical rotations can be challenging with several difficult (downright abusive in my mind) attending with long hours. Residency is even harder in most specialties. That being said, several careers can be very stressful. Make sure you give this a lot of thought before deciding. You really sign your life away. That said, I have a friend who is a neurosurgery resident and is one of the happiest individuals I've met (even though she works over 80 hours/week and is constantly berated by everyone in the hospital).

 

[hopeless 1]

Sorry to join the negative band wagon, but If I could do it all over again, I certainly would not. I would likely have chosen pharmacy or dentistry instead. The thing that I wish I knew before coming into all the debt, abuse, sleep deprivation, etc. was that all your efforts could come to a halt if you attend a malignant residency program. Unlike pharmacy and dentistry, you can not choose to not go into a residency after completing medical school(if you want a job). So if you mistakenly get on the nerves of people in power at your residency program, anytime during your 3-7 year residency program, they can all agree to write false evaluations to make it appear like you kill patients each day, and that you should never be employed ever by anyone ever, not even as a garbage collector on the street. (And yes, their false words will ALWAYS carry more weight than any true ones that you may have) And all the while, while you remain unemployable, your huge medical school debt will continue to increase regardless of your ability to work or not. It's completely depressing. I wouldn't wish the field of medicine on my worst enemy. It's truly one of the most in-humane professions around.

 

[maceo]

I wouldn't wish the field of medicine on my worst enemy. It's truly one of the most in-humane professions around.

I agree...

 

[muhali3]

I would have repeated it, but only because I ended up being fortunate enough to match into dermatology. [...] Make sure you give this a lot of thought before deciding. You really sign your life away. That said, I have a friend who is a neurosurgery resident and is one of the happiest individuals I've met (even though she works over 80 hours/week and is constantly berated by everyone in the hospital).

So are you saying you didn't like anything else except derm? Or are you saying that you are fortunate to match into derm because you didn't like the lifestyle/stress of any of the other specialties?

And how did know for sure you wanted to do medicine before you applied? Did you make the decision haphazardly or did you know 100% that this was what you wanted to do?

sry for all the questions...just need some advice right now.

 

[naus]

Dental school figures:

Tuition increased from 08/09 to 09/10 at about 5% on average for private schools, also increasing total cost at record levels at each program. Here are the top 10.

1. USC up 4.8% to $105k/yr
2. UOP up 5.4% to $96k/yr
3. NYU up 4.5% to $95k/yr
4. BU up 5.5% to $88k/yr
5. UPenn up 5% to $87k/yr
5. Tufts up 4.6% to $87k/yr
6. Temple up 4.9% to $86k/yr
7. Nova up 4% to $82k/yr
8. Pitts up 5.3% to $81k/yr
9. Case up 6.7% to $79k/yr
10. Columbia up 3% to $76k/yr

i couldnt imagine paying 100k for 1 yr of school.

That is fking insane! These schools should be ashamed of themselves. You can't even get Stafford loans to cover that.

 

[Puppet Master]

People who want to go into dentistry...why did you choose to go into medicine in the first place? I am curious why so many people want to go into dentistry because, it seems much different than their medical specialties.

I get the feeling that they went into medicine not knowing what they wanted to do and when they didn't find a specialty they were passionate about, they decided being a doctor wasn't worth it.

In my case, I have the option of going to medical school and I know I want go into a neuro specialty. There's nothing else I am interested in...I have other options for a great career in electrical engineering. This is a huge decision for me, ergo, I want to consider medicine from several perspectives.

 

[Double Bonded]

People who want to go into dentistry...why did you choose to go into medicine in the first place? I am curious why so many people want to go into dentistry because, it seems much different than their medical specialties.

It's probably because they'd rather have the patients mouth full so that they can't use it to talk.

 

[Tender2TheTouch]

So are you saying you didn't like anything else except derm? Or are you saying that you are fortunate to match into derm because you didn't like the lifestyle/stress of any of the other specialties?

And how did know for sure you wanted to do medicine before you applied? Did you make the decision haphazardly or did you know 100% that this was what you wanted to do?

sry for all the questions...just need some advice right now.

So, I actually wanted to do dermatology from the beginning, which I know is a risky prospect considering how competitive it is to match. I could have been happy with a few other lifestyle specialties as well. That being said, my threshold for stress is lower than most in medicine. Others thrive on the culture.

I was fortunate enough to work at a pharmaceutical company before going to medical school. I feel that it gave me good perspective. Most jobs require a lot of B.S. Plain and simple. I think, unfortunately, people think the grass is always greener on the other side. It's a sacrifice, for sure, but to be successful in most fields (aka rise the corporate ladder), it requires a lot of sacrifice and hard work. The nice thing about lifestyle specialties is that you pay your dues up front and then enjoy life at the end. In business, you end up having to work harder at each newly attained level.

Bottom line: do you research on a career in medicine versus non-medicine careers...understand that no job is perfect (except for dermatology....I kid...maybe)

 

[SFO-IST]

So, I actually wanted to do dermatology from the beginning, which I know is a risky prospect considering how competitive it is to match. I could have been happy with a few other lifestyle specialties as well. That being said, my threshold for stress is lower than most in medicine. Others thrive on the culture.

I was fortunate enough to work at a pharmaceutical company before going to medical school. I feel that it gave me good perspective. Most jobs require a lot of B.S. Plain and simple. I think, unfortunately, people think the grass is always greener on the other side. It's a sacrifice, for sure, but to be successful in most fields (aka rise the corporate ladder), it requires a lot of sacrifice and hard work. The nice thing about lifestyle specialties is that you pay your dues up front and then enjoy life at the end. In business, you end up having to work harder at each newly attained level.

Bottom line: do you research on a career in medicine versus non-medicine careers...understand that no job is perfect (except for dermatology....I kid...maybe)

Wow.... Here I was, reading through all 6 pages of this thread, itching to write the above response, and you've gone ahead and written it just before me!

+1 to the above post. I worked in technical sales for a couple of years before entering medicine. I worked 70 hour weeks. I had to use a horrible system called SAP to track inventory and danced through loads of paperwork after each visit. I had to spend 50% of my time - including weekends - away from home. I dealt with colleagues who were inept, disheartened, or just duchebags. I was very successful, but had to put in a mountain of work to attain that success. I couldn't just leave the work at the office. I would answer my bosses email at 10. I made bank, but at the end of the day, that didn't mean anything.

A previous poster asked someone to consider what medicine would be like doing the same thing when you're 50. Compare the lives you've touched by 50 in a career in medicine with a career selling some nameless component of some random machine which has many competitors that could have equally fulfilled the task.

Other posters complain about the debt and how that impacts your family life. That's definitely a negative, but consider the fact that that high price of entry ensures less competition for your job. To go back to the 50 year old person who has dedicated their career to selling some unimportant product, imagine the economy tanking and being laid off at 50 with no job prospects.

 

[cjw0918]

I'm a PGY-6 looking for a job once my fellowship ends in Jul 1. It's been a rough road. I spent 4 years at a quasi-malignant residency program, which was incredibly stressful. I got diagnosed with advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma right after I left, and I feel that the stress of that place contributed to my illness. I am almost one year into remission and praying that the lymphoma doesn't come back. I am much happier in my fellowship program at a different institution. I REALLY hope I find a job I enjoy after all this. I feel it almost cost me my life.

 

[Holderlin]

I think half the people misunderstood the question.

TS isn't asking would you do it again, literally, as if to go back in time and endure all the pain for a 2nd time.

I think it's more of a Nietzschian question of life affirmation e.g. the eternal recurrence....

Having accomplished the goal of becoming a Doc, would you rather have never done it? Would you erase this accomplishment and replace it with something that would have been easier?

And I think a yes answer is absurd.

 

[Tender2TheTouch]

I think half the people misunderstood the question.

TS isn't asking would you do it again, literally, as if to go back in time and endure all the pain for a 2nd time.

I think it's more of a Nietzschian question of life affirmation e.g. the eternal recurrence....

Having accomplished the goal of becoming a Doc, would you rather have never done it? Would you erase this accomplishment and replace it with something that would have been easier?

And I think a yes answer is absurd.

I think it's a disservice for people to go straight to medical school without work experience. I think it adds a lot to an applicant. I noticed I complained a lot less than my counterparts due to knowing what is "really out there."

P.S. I have a friend who was just laid off from a nice job on Wallstreet. He was working way more than 80 hours a week and now his job prospects in this economy are limited. Makes me grateful for what I do have.

 

[Holderlin]

I think it's a disservice for people to go straight to medical school without work experience. I think it adds a lot to an applicant. I noticed I complained a lot less than my counterparts due to knowing what is "really out there."

P.S. I have a friend who was just laid off from a nice job on Wallstreet. He was working way more than 80 hours a week and now his job prospects in this economy are limited. Makes me grateful for what I do have.

I'm a chemist currently (MS in Chemistry) and I'll be applying this coming Fall. I'll be 33 when I matriculate.

I've definitely been through the trenches, but the job I have now is so easy that the reality of a residency scares me. I seriously show up when I want, work out at lunch (2 hours), can go days without doing anything, but I get my projects done and I'm good at what I do.

I've always been confident in my ability to smoke any exam, but the idea of doing this on little to no sleep makes me want to drink.

And yes. What Docs have when they get out is priceless, especially in this scary economic climate, thus my motivation to make it happen.

How can anyone who's not a complete phussy "climb Everest" only to look back and say <high whiny voice> "That was too hard. I wish I didn't do that so I could have stayed home whacked off..."

 

[alwaysaangel]

Having accomplished the goal of becoming a Doc, would you rather have never done it? Would you erase this accomplishment and replace it with something that would have been easier?

And I think a yes answer is absurd.

I don't think its absurd. I never really understand when people say "its just 4 years of your life..." "its just 7 years of your life." Because its not. Its your entire life. Your whole life changes when you go to medical school, your personality and world view change.

I love medicine and I can't wait to start my intern year. But even in my 4th year...the "easy" year. I'm not sure that if I were magically transported back in time that I would do it again.

And I know plenty of classmates who actively wish they COULD go back in time and not do it because they truly dislike medicine.

 

[smq123]

How can anyone who's not a complete phussy "climb Everest" only to look back and say <high whiny voice> "That was too hard. I wish I didn't do that so I could have stayed home whacked off..."

Wait, so you haven't even BEGUN to go through this process, and you're already passing judgement on those who have been through this process and decided that they wouldn't do it again?

That's quite insulting, and your assumption that they are all whiners is pretty immature, to be honest.

None of the people who have said that they wouldn't do it again have whined that they'd rather be whacking off at home than being a doctor.

There are definitely a lot of moments when you think to yourself that it just isn't worth it. Being woken up at 2 AM for BS, having drug seekers screaming obscenities at you and your staff, having a tray of instruments thrown at your head, being threatened, being stalked by a patient (which happened to a classmate of mine by a psych patient she helped take care of), having patients die fairly painful and awful deaths because of a procedure that YOU told them to get, watching babies die...a lot of bad moments in this journey. I like what I do, and I would do it again....maybe. But I don't blame those who say that they wouldn't do it again.

 

[Giemsa]

Having accomplished the goal of becoming a Doc, would you rather have never done it? Would you erase this accomplishment and replace it with something that would have been easier?

No, the question is:

Now that you understand all of the sacrifices and the benefit, is medicine all that you hoped it would be? If you could make that decision over again, this time really knowing what you you have to give up and what you would get, would you still choose medicine?

Me, answer's no, I wouldn't choose medicine again. It's OK, but it certainly isn't great. It's rigid, it's unforgiving, and as Het Meisje met de Parel (love that painting!) points out, it can be unbelievably ugly at times*. I'd definitely choose to try a different path, if, magically, I had the choice to make again.

* If I could un-live pediatric forensic pathology, I would. In a heartbeat.

 

[igottaquestion]

How can anyone who's not a complete phussy "climb Everest" only to look back and say <high whiny voice> "That was too hard. I wish I didn't do that so I could have stayed home whacked off..."

Doing medicine to tackle a masochistic challenge is a bad idea. Be sure you have plenty of other solid reasons to choose it over your current easier, good job or else I guarantee you future regret. In your particular situation, you will probably be asked about those reasons during interviews.

Its your entire life. Your whole life changes when you go to medical school, your personality and world view change.

I didn't anticipate this happening, but it's true. In some ways for the better, in some ways not.

 

[Holderlin]

Wait, so you haven't even BEGUN to go through this process, and you're already passing judgement on those who have been through this process and decided that they wouldn't do it again?

That's quite insulting, and your assumption that they are all whiners is pretty immature, to be honest.

None of the people who have said that they wouldn't do it again have whined that they'd rather be whacking off at home than being a doctor.

There are definitely a lot of moments when you think to yourself that it just isn't worth it. Being woken up at 2 AM for BS, having drug seekers screaming obscenities at you and your staff, having a tray of instruments thrown at your head, being threatened, being stalked by a patient (which happened to a classmate of mine by a psych patient she helped take care of), having patients die fairly painful and awful deaths because of a procedure that YOU told them to get, watching babies die...a lot of bad moments in this journey. I like what I do, and I would do it again....maybe. But I don't blame those who say that they wouldn't do it again.

Sorry, but you don't know me, and what I've been through so slow down a bit cowboy(girl).

I'm sorry for being offensive. Maybe I should have backed off a bit on that post. It's more of general philosophy than an attitude specific to Doctors, which I thought gave me some license to express it.

And it was more of a rugged motivational statement than an attempt to discredit the pain you all go through.

Forgive me.

And excluding the painful baby deaths, all that stuff sounds fun.

 

[Holderlin]

No, the question is:

Now that you understand all of the sacrifices and the benefit, is medicine all that you hoped it would be? If you could make that decision over again, this time really knowing what you you have to give up and what you would get, would you still choose medicine?
Me, answer's no, I wouldn't choose medicine again. It's OK, but it certainly isn't great. It's rigid, it's unforgiving, and as Het Meisje met de Parel (love that painting!) points out, it can be unbelievably ugly at times*. I'd definitely choose to try a different path, if, magically, I had the choice to make again.

* If I could un-live pediatric forensic pathology, I would. In a heartbeat.

I think our interpretation of the question is similar. I just spun mine differently.

 

[Holderlin]

Doing medicine to tackle a masochistic challenge is a bad idea. Be sure you have plenty of other solid reasons to choose it over your current easier, good job or else I guarantee you future regret. In your particular situation, you will probably be asked about those reasons during interviews.

Yeah like I'm gonna strut in there, puff my chest and say that "I wanna be a doctor because I wanna kick ass and take names...sign me up. I'm more badass than anyone in this institution. And you, yeah you, I would totally tap you out in under a minute. Thanks I'm done, where can I get a scotch around here?"

I have my reasons. Good ones I think.

 

[smq123]

And excluding the painful baby deaths, all that stuff sounds fun.

Your idea of fun is:

- getting physically threatened by patients? Or even getting physically assaulted by patients? It was most definitely not fun, I can tell you.
- having creepy emails sent to you, and being followed TO YOUR HOUSE by a paranoid schizophrenic with psychotic episodes? Who has documented homicidal ideation?
- having a patient who was under your care die because of a treatment that you prescribed him? The last one was, let me assure you, NOT fun. I didn't sleep for a few days, I felt so sad and guilty and upset knowing that he was dying in the ICU because of something that I had recommended that he do.

You need to get out more often, if those are your idea of "fun."

And, no, I don't know who you are or what you've been through, "cowboy," but you come across as having a disturbingly blase attitude to difficult and emotionally painful situations. Maybe you are just a very poor communicator, but that's how it reads.

 

[Puppet Master]

http://www.medpagetoday.com/Psychiatry/PainManagement/7103
http://www.careerchangeability.com/doctors/articles/changingcareers.html

The first one doesn't cross all specialties though, only surgical and internal medicine subspecialists primary care physicians and hospital-based doctors.

That first study is looking at physicians 55 to 65. That's retirement age, so most people in any field are "looking to get out."

 

[eddie13231]

First off I am a 3rd year in the trenches almost 1/2 done with my 3rd year. Currently on a fairly difficult core rotation. Call Q4 (on call every 4 days). 6 days on 1 off. I work probably 70-80 hrs a week. My life is easy/cake when compared to the residents.

Please listen to these residents-they have the wisdom that many of you pre-meds reading this don't. A few of you, but not most of you, may be able to grasp the life of a physician/resident. Take it for what its worth but many of you have convinced yourselves that what they are saying is false or exaggerated-but they aren't. You will probably be unable to be swayed from your mindset. Residents may have an 80 hour work week but is that true? Are you going to leave when your patient is being coded? What about if your patient has an MI at 6PM? You won't and guess what you'll have to be back the next day at 6AM. Its not just about the hours. You will be forced to carry a huge workload while on service. You will only have 5 minutes or so with each patient each day. Many patients you will see over and over due to self-inflicted diseases or non-compliance. You will also have to occasionally endure abuse by seniors and other house-staff. Patients will also try to manipulate you and abuse you.

All the mean-while you will see health care changing so you can't treat the patient the best way you know how-you will be limited by insurance/Medicare/Medicaid. You will have decreased autonomy because these institutions tell you what you can and cannot do. I have sadness for the people that go into PCP. Their reimbursements are so low you will be forced to see a new patient every 10 minutes- which in my opinion is not enough time for the physician or the patient to be satisfied with the care provided. Your pay may take a hit every 6 months when they try to revise payments. All the mean-time NP's and other mid-levels (Optometrists, Podiatrists, etc) try to encroach on our territory without the same training or sacrifice for the same pay.

Medicine is rewarding in may ways and is also life sucking. Please know the realities of the field. I mentioned just a few things-mostly negatives. There are, however, positives. Many patients will be very grateful for their treatment-and some even say thank you. You will have a huge knowledge base and understand complex disease processes and therapies. You will have a direct impact on people's lives daily. You will have job security. Many people will automatically respect you because you're a "doctor". Please understand the realities before entering this field.

 

[Holderlin]

Your idea of fun is:

- getting physically threatened by patients? Or even getting physically assaulted by patients? It was most definitely not fun, I can tell you.
- having creepy emails sent to you, and being followed TO YOUR HOUSE by a paranoid schizophrenic with psychotic episodes? Who has documented homicidal ideation?
- having a patient who was under your care die because of a treatment that you prescribed him? The last one was, let me assure you, NOT fun. I didn't sleep for a few days, I felt so sad and guilty and upset knowing that he was dying in the ICU because of something that I had recommended that he do.

You need to get out more often, if those are your idea of "fun."

And, no, I don't know who you are or what you've been through, "cowboy," but you come across as having a disturbingly blase attitude to difficult and emotionally painful situations. Maybe you are just a very poor communicator, but that's how it reads.

I thought I explained myself....sorry...

Given "what I've been through" I think I'm more than qualified to restrain a physically threatening patient, so I personally would see it as part of my job.

Just out of curiosity, what exactly was it do you think about the interaction with the crazy patient that made him/her feel compelled to stalk the Doc? Serious question. It must be hard to find the balance between getting to close to a patient and compromising your willingness to help them....

 

[Giemsa]

what exactly was it do you think about the interaction with the crazy patient that made him/her feel compelled to stalk the doc? Serious question. It must be hard to find the balance between getting to close to a patient and compromising your willingness to help them....

Troll-icious!

 

[SilenceDoBad]

If you could do it over what would you do?

As a nontraditional premed I don't get why so many people hate being doctors, but I'll acknowledge my ignorance as I'm not a med student (but hopeful). Hospitalists in my area rake in 180-200k. Even if you racked up hundreds of thousands in debt going to med school you would still afford a quality of living far above and beyond the majority of other careers. Even assuming you make 90k as a pediatrician, you should be able to repay your student loans in short order provided you manage your money wisely. WISELY. I support a wife that doesn't work and just bought a brand new car and we are comfortable on my 50K/yr. I have to work 60+ hrs. a week and have a very stressful job but I feel lucky to have what I have. If I make it into medical school and become a doctor I don't know what I'd do with all that money. Buy a big house. Buy more stuff. Buy, Buy, Buy, Buy....
But maybe what alot of this unhappiness regarding medicine is about. Did you expect to breeze through school and then have stacks of cash shoveled into your bank accounts? That once you finished residency you deserved the BMW, Big House, etc.?
I believe that a physician should be highly compensated, as we need to attract the best and brightest minds into medicine, and that the sacrifices made to become physicians should not go unrewarded. I agree physicians face steep challenges and the future of medicine is uncertain. But you still have to admit docs make a heckuva lotta cash, and rightfully so.

So what else would you do? Would you have chosen another health profession? Been a mid-level? An engineer? I'd say just about every other profession requires advanced training and brutal hard work to succeed and few are as potentially lucrative as medicine. But then again that's just my uneducated opinion as a silly pre-med.

 

[Holderlin]

Troll-icious!

I know it looked bad when I came back and read it, but I really wasn't trying to engage with Vermeer fan.

Just curious. Because I've worked with the mentally ill and you really want to do anything you can to get them out of their personal hell, but if you do too much you will become a very important part of the hellish narrative going on their head, which can be dangerous.

I was volunteering, and I had a lady once who came in with a story about how her son fought in WWII, and she lost her house etc.. she was pretty old, like late 60s and obviously homeless, but looked as if it was a recent occurrence; good teeth decent clothes etc. She had clearly had constructed some delusion, with probably some kernel of truth, to rationalize whatever it was that had happened to her. She obviously needed to be about 120 years old to have had a son fight in WWII.

We got to a point during the conversation where she said that her son married and was in New York. I thought "great that's something..."

She then got up from the table walked over to the wall, and while facing the wall appeared to do something to her face, when she turned back around she had somehow produced red lipstick and applied it generously. She glared at me with fierce intensity and hissed in this creepy whisper

"I can see your dick."

I felt so violated and immediately went and got the girl who knew her better.

 

[igottaquestion]

If you could do it over what would you do?

As a nontraditional premed I don't get why so many people hate being doctors, but I'll acknowledge my ignorance as I'm not a med student (but hopeful). Hospitalists in my area rake in 180-200k. Even if you racked up hundreds of thousands in debt going to med school you would still afford a quality of living far above and beyond the majority of other careers. Even assuming you make 90k as a pediatrician, you should be able to repay your student loans in short order provided you manage your money wisely. WISELY. I support a wife that doesn't work and just bought a brand new car and we are comfortable on my 50K/yr. I have to work 60+ hrs. a week and have a very stressful job but I feel lucky to have what I have. If I make it into medical school and become a doctor I don't know what I'd do with all that money. Buy a big house. Buy more stuff. Buy, Buy, Buy, Buy....
But maybe what alot of this unhappiness regarding medicine is about. Did you expect to breeze through school and then have stacks of cash shoveled into your bank accounts? That once you finished residency you deserved the BMW, Big House, etc.?
I believe that a physician should be highly compensated, as we need to attract the best and brightest minds into medicine, and that the sacrifices made to become physicians should not go unrewarded. I agree physicians face steep challenges and the future of medicine is uncertain. But you still have to admit docs make a heckuva lotta cash, and rightfully so.

So what else would you do? Would you have chosen another health profession? Been a mid-level? An engineer? I'd say just about every other profession requires advanced training and brutal hard work to succeed and few are as potentially lucrative as medicine. But then again that's just my uneducated opinion as a silly pre-med.

I think a big issue here is seeing the financial reward as more of a reward than it is. It's a difficult thing to measure, but there are studies to suggest that a person gets their biggest gains to happiness at a sum well under 100k, after which money doesn't increase happiness much. So going through a lot of the crap one has to deal with in medicine (especially in primary care fields, but for me even on the wards), it becomes understandable how one would envy a job with low-responsibility and low-stress at one-third the pay and none of the debt or delayed gratification. I'm saying this as someone who's had their share of crappy, low-paying jobs.

 

[alwaysaangel]

But maybe what alot of this unhappiness regarding medicine is about. Did you expect to breeze through school and then have stacks of cash shoveled into your bank accounts? That once you finished residency you deserved the BMW, Big House, etc.?

I don't think anyone expects to breeze through medical school and MOST of us didn't go to medical school for the money (decent secure job maybe). The issue is not the money, its the change in lifestyle (and again I'm not talking about money). Your entire life becomes consumed by medicine: in med school and after. You sacrifice a huge part of yourself and your own life for the sake of being a doctor and "helping people." Its just not worth it. For a few people, who really want to put their job above their personal life for the rest of their life - it works. For a lot of other people, its hugely frustrating to give up so much.

The other problem is medicine isn't as beautiful as most people not in medicine think it is. Its depressing. Half the time you can't help the patients because of insurance or the patient themselves. The entire culture of medicine is hugely frustrating, with no improvement in sight.

Medicine isn't bad per se, its just a cost-benefit analysis...and the cost is pretty damn high.

Again, I like medicine. I can't wait to start my residency next year. I'm not sorry I'm where I am but if I were magically transported back in time I would likely choose a different path.

So what else would you do? Would you have chosen another health profession? Been a mid-level? An engineer? I'd say just about every other profession requires advanced training and brutal hard work to succeed and few are as potentially lucrative as medicine. But then again that's just my uneducated opinion as a silly pre-med.

I would have considered NP. A lot of the same social/medical benefits of being a physician without the complete loss of life. Or maybe a lab technician, still get some of the science. Sure the pay is less, but I don't need that much money to be happy and I would have so much more time!

 

[danielmd06]

Of course I would do it all over again. Why do some people regret the choice? Because they came here for the wrong reasons or were silly and picked the wrong specialty for the wrong reasons. It happens all the time.

Certain specialties are better for certain personalities than others.

The people who whine about the difficulties never should have gone into medicine (or their "chosen" specialty) in the first place.

Be honest with yourself about why you want to do this and the other factors fall into place.

 

[Grace34]

Yes, I would do it over again...
I've been "out there" working in another field and came to medicine late. As such, I already knew that I didn't want to be doing another career, and many aspects of medicine just "fit" me.
That being said, I don't know if my family would say the same thing. It is just impossible to understand the extent of the sacrifices one makes during med school and residency until those experiences are over.
Right now is probably the worst possible time for me to answer that question. I'm nearly done with residency, and although the work itself is often rewarding, I'm ready to start reaping some of the other rewards I've heard are out there.

 

[muhali3]

Of course I would do it all over again. Why do some people regret the choice? Because they came here for the wrong reasons or were silly and picked the wrong specialty for the wrong reasons. It happens all the time.

Certain specialties are better for certain personalities than others.

The people who whine about the difficulties never should have gone into medicine (or their "chosen" specialty) in the first place.

Be honest with yourself about why you want to do this and the other factors fall into place.

What specialty are you in and what specifically makes you content with it...?

 

[danielmd06]

What specialty are you in and what specifically makes you content with it...?

I am completing a fellowship in Sleep Medicine this year. I finished my residency in Neurology.

(1) The subject matter is cool. Nice blend of respiratory and neurological medicine. My residency training fits into the problems quite well. Occassional allergy, ENT, and psychiatry stuff, too. I love to read about the anatomy, new science, and case reports.

(2) You can see pediatric cases and adult cases.

(3) People usually get better. Usually fast. Instant gratification is nice. The patients are usually happy and are grateful to you.

(4) It's a nascent field with tons of research potential and cool overlap into the worlds of cardiology, pulmonary, neurology, and rheumatology, etc.

(5) SM has wonderful outpatient hours. You usually don't admit inpatients or consult on inpatients. Think dermatology. You basically live an outpatient clinic lifestyle. You don't work weekends or holidays (unless you want to).

(6) Call is usually non-existent. You are avaliable to your patients and provide shared (or solo) coverage of a sleep lab (or labs). Problems and phone calls are extremely rare.

(7) The money is good (comparable to neurology and pulmonary salaries). You won't make as much money as a cardiologist, but you can definately stay viable in private practice if you want to right now. Of course, this can change if reimbursements are altered - which is always possible.

 

[Vacant]

I love medicine and can't wait to start Internship and residency.
Sacrifice? Sure, there were some during 2nd year but can't really call it sacrifice in comparison to what average people have to go through to make a living, if they even have a job that is. I had enough free time during med school and I loved all of my 3rd year rotations. Sure, I had to sit for long and engage in the most tedious mental activity: memorization. But I wouldn't call that hardship. Maybe I'm too old school. Maybe it's because I'm from a poor family.

What I love in medicine are patient contact, possibility to improve things, and fascinating reading materials, not to mention so many things I can do for those in need not just health-wise like orphans, minorities and the poor not just in this country but in the world. If this is not exciting, what is?

I'm a 4th year.

 

[dragonfly99]

I would do it again but would go to a cheaper, less stressful medical school, and perhaps a different residency as well (maybe same specialty of internal med, maybe not). I think that unless you want an MD/PhD and/or to be a basic science researcher or really to try and make a name for yourself and be a department chair at some big name university, then going to an expensive private medical school is not necessary, and generally not worth the money.

I think that the hours in training are getting better than they used to be, but still far above what you'd work in most jobs, and the general environment can be very stressful (with your superiors, patients and families, and hospital administrator and nurses often criticizing you harshly and sometimes yelling, berating you, etc.). I think we can expect continued pressure to contain costs, which while it is understandable from a societal standpoint, will likely make our jobs less emotionally and financially rewarding.

The money is pretty good, but remember you won't be getting the real money for some time...I graduated from med school in 2004 with 130k in debt and despite paying $540/month have not made much of a dent in my debt (I think I have 118k in debt now, and am still in training so not making the big bucks). The students who are graduating now with debt inthe 200's at 6% are really not going to be able to pay down that debt while in residency, unless perhaps their spouses have a well paying job. At best they may be able to pay the interest. They won't be out of their financial hole until their 40's or 50's, I would think.

Don't forget there are many costs to being a trainee also. You'll have to buy supplies, books, equipment etc. and take many expensive certification exams costing hundreds or thousands of dollars each, and generally have to buy study materials for these which also cost hundreds of dollars. I guess the public needs some way to assure doctors have the requisite knowledge base, but to an extent it's sort of a scam.

I'm not sorry I went to med school, overall, but then I'm kind of a workaholic...LOL.

 

[muhali3]

I am completing a fellowship in Sleep Medicine this year. I finished my residency in Neurology.

(1) The subject matter is cool. Nice blend of respiratory and neurological medicine. My residency training fits into the problems quite well. Occassional allergy, ENT, and psychiatry stuff, too. I love to read about the anatomy, new science, and case reports.

(2) You can see pediatric cases and adult cases.

(3) People usually get better. Usually fast. Instant gratification is nice. The patients are usually happy and are grateful to you.

(4) It's a nascent field with tons of research potential and cool overlap into the worlds of cardiology, pulmonary, neurology, and rheumatology, etc.

(5) SM has wonderful outpatient hours. You usually don't admit inpatients or consult on inpatients. Think dermatology. You basically live an outpatient clinic lifestyle. You don't work weekends or holidays (unless you want to).

(6) Call is usually non-existent. You are avaliable to your patients and provide shared (or solo) coverage of a sleep lab (or labs). Problems and phone calls are extremely rare.

(7) The money is good (comparable to neurology and pulmonary salaries). You won't make as much money as a cardiologist, but you can definately stay viable in private practice if you want to right now. Of course, this can change if reimbursements are altered - which is always possible.

Thanks for sharing.

The bolded statements are definitely things I would like to have when I become a doctor, especially #3. Having no call, no nights, and no weekends is rare in medicine. Having patients that you can actually treat and satisfy quickly is also rare. It's nice to know that those characteristics in a specialty aren't only restricted to derm.

 

[muhali3]

.

 

[QofQuimica]

Of course I would do it all over again. Why do some people regret the choice? Because they came here for the wrong reasons or were silly and picked the wrong specialty for the wrong reasons. It happens all the time.

Certain specialties are better for certain personalities than others.

The people who whine about the difficulties never should have gone into medicine (or their "chosen" specialty) in the first place.

Be honest with yourself about why you want to do this and the other factors fall into place.

I agree with this. Speaking for myself at any rate, I felt much more confident about having made the right decision to go to medical school once I figured out what specialty and subspecialty I wanted to do. It's something I love; I have a plan to get there; and everyone else I tell about it agrees that it couldn't be a more perfect choice.

I also think that most of the people who tend to burn out or become dissatisfied in medicine are people who see it as "just a job." If you don't have some streak of altruism, some desire to do medicine at least in small part because you want to help people, then you're probably going to be unhappy much if not all of the time. Because sometimes, knowing you did what you could to help someone (even if you couldn't really do much to help, and especially if the patient didn't appreciate your effort) is the only gratification you're going to get.

 

[jam3rz]

I have to admit, as a pre-med who was just admitted to a US allopathic school this month, reading these replies as put a real damper on my excitement.

A little bit terrified now..

 

[CambieMD]

Thanks for sharing.

The bolded statements are definitely things I would like to have when I become a doctor, especially #3. Having no call, no nights, and no weekends is rare in medicine. Having patients that you can actually treat and satisfy quickly is also rare. It's nice to know that those characteristics in a specialty aren't only restricted to derm.

I disagree with the statement in green. I can think of several specialties where you can save a patient almost on the spot. Call and long days are a reality of my specialty. Call and long days don't bother me most of the time because I enjoy what I do.

Cambie

 

[JaggerPlate]

Everyone I know in Sleep Med says it rocks.

 

[daru1]

no.

 

[muhali3]

I disagree with the statement in green. I can think of several specialties where you can save a patient almost on the spot. Call and long days are a reality of my specialty. Call and long days don't bother me most of the time because I enjoy what I do.

Cambie

Yes, I agree, but to have all of those characteristics simultaneously in a specialty is rare. But yeah...if you love what you do then the hours/schedule aren't as much of a problem.

What specialty are you practicing in and what other specialties do you think have a high amount of patients that you can save on the spot?

 

[45408]

Yes, but I wish I had gone abroad in college or taken some time off to do some serious vacationing or something.

 

[45408]

If you could do it over what would you do?

As a nontraditional premed I don't get why so many people hate being doctors, but I'll acknowledge my ignorance as I'm not a med student (but hopeful). Hospitalists in my area rake in 180-200k. Even if you racked up hundreds of thousands in debt going to med school you would still afford a quality of living far above and beyond the majority of other careers. Even assuming you make 90k as a pediatrician, you should be able to repay your student loans in short order provided you manage your money wisely. WISELY. I support a wife that doesn't work and just bought a brand new car and we are comfortable on my 50K/yr. I have to work 60+ hrs. a week and have a very stressful job but I feel lucky to have what I have. If I make it into medical school and become a doctor I don't know what I'd do with all that money. Buy a big house. Buy more stuff. Buy, Buy, Buy, Buy....
But maybe what alot of this unhappiness regarding medicine is about. Did you expect to breeze through school and then have stacks of cash shoveled into your bank accounts? That once you finished residency you deserved the BMW, Big House, etc.?

It seems like it's pretty heavily contingent on the money for you. I'm looking for job satisfaction, some control over my schedule so I can be with my wife and family, as well as a nice salary.

So what else would you do? Would you have chosen another health profession? Been a mid-level? An engineer? I'd say just about every other profession requires advanced training and brutal hard work to succeed and few are as potentially lucrative as medicine. But then again that's just my uneducated opinion as a silly pre-med.

I'll tell my son to be a nurse anesthetist. Holy sweet spot of medicine.

 

[Double Bonded]

Yes, but I wish I had gone abroad in college or taken some time off to do some serious vacationing or something.

I hear this type of thing a lot when asking practicing physicians. It seems like the people who waited before matriculating are happier and can cope with the stress better. Maybe it's because they prevent themselves from getting burned out too fast from all of the hoops they need to jump through.

People who wait for a couple of years or the ones that have previous (non-medical) work seem to be happier.