JD/MD

[notsobabydoc]

Yeah, well, the business is cyclical, and 2008 is an event I think one can expect, once or twice in a career. A friend still working at YLS, recently told me that last year, there was literally 45-50 recruits on campus to every rising third year, so they do enjoy a fair amount of professional options. This is further supported, and most folks don’t realize this, but YLS has their own separate endowment and it’s rather profound, I think over a billion supporting just 700 students (JD, LLM, PhD)— so it’s the reason many grads don’t opt for big law firms and the sorts, as the loan forgiveness is both liberal and generous.

Hence, if I had to do over again on law, I would only pick YLS.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[BoolaHI]

Nah, hell no-wink. Here for my D. Actually wife and older D are docs. Youngest one is applying to dental school (don’t ask me why, she took the mcat and got a 521, I think on her first attempt, with a 3.9) but that’s her passion....

 

[notsobabydoc]

Nah, hell no-wink. Here for my D. Actually wife and older D are docs. Youngest one is applying to dental school (don’t ask me why, she took the mcat and got a 521, I think on her first attempt, with a 3.9) but that’s her passion....

Concerned parent. So you have practiced law for quite a while.

 

[BoolaHI]

Yeah, YLS is a unicorn. Pretty sure I would not get in if I applied now. I had folks in my class that had one won Pulitzer’s, were two star generals and various PhDs and MDs...

 

[notsobabydoc]

Yeah, YLS is a unicorn. Pretty sure I would not get in if I applied now. I had folks in my class that had one won Pulitzer’s, were two star generals and various PhDs and MDs...

I won the Darrow's (full ride at MLS) and went where money was, despite YLS offer... life-long mistake...

 

[BoolaHI]

Yeah, going on my 3rd decade. Here is my thing: I leave all the application and all the various motions of the process entirely to her, but I just want to be informed when she does come to talk to me...

 

[notsobabydoc]

Yeah, going on my 3rd decade. Here is my thing: I leave all the application and all the various motions of the process entirely to her, but I just want to be informed when she does come to talk to me...

typical lawyer lol. Do all your homework before court just in case...

 

[BoolaHI]

Oh, you got in at Yale—without stating the obvious, as the thing about hindsight is that it is always clairvoyant—but you should have gone!! Even if you had to take out loans initially, they would have been repaid by Yale. The biggest thing about YLS that creates separation from other tippy top schools is their ability to support your vision of a career in law, and not just with waha, but with deep tangible resources.

That said, I’m sure you are on the road where you are suppose to be...

 

[notsobabydoc]

Oh, you got in at Yale—without stating the obvious, as the thing about hindsight is that it is always clairvoyant—but you should have gone!! Even if you had to take out loans initially, they would have been repaid by Yale. The biggest thing about YLS that creates separation from other tippy top schools is their ability to support your vision of a career in law, and not just with waha, but with deep tangible resources.

That said, I’m sure you are on the road where you are suppose to be...

On student visa back then, so I couldn't afford and nowhere to borrow money without a US cosigner. So MLS was the obvious choice. I mean I actually I could've gotten some money through a different channel. but the burden was too much to bear at the time. I really didn't enjoy the midwest, coming from an Ivy school on the east coast. Plus, I was quite turned off by the competitiveness of the school and all that. On top of that was the financial crisis. So it was one disaster after another. Then I got a job at DL, and you know how that ended lol. Complete ****show for 5 years.

 

[notsobabydoc]

Oh, you got in at Yale—without stating the obvious, as the thing about hindsight is that it is always clairvoyant—but you should have gone!! Even if you had to take out loans initially, they would have been repaid by Yale. The biggest thing about YLS that creates separation from other tippy top schools is their ability to support your vision of a career in law, and not just with waha, but with deep tangible resources.

That said, I’m sure you are on the road where you are suppose to be...

as I said earlier, medicine has always been my first choice all along. So I am doing it now, albeit in my 30's.. I am glad I am doing this. Law will always stay with me. As a matter of fact, I really enjoy the pro bono part. I work at the ACLU for LGBT rights still when I am free.

 

[BoolaHI]

Rest assured you are on the right path. My best friend from law school that I originally referenced, did not attend medical school until he was in his 30s. Similar path background to you Ivy undergrad, JD and then career pivot.In fact, because he did not come from a science background, he had to do a couple of years of obtaining all the necessary classes—which I am sure was humbling. So, while not the most expedient route to medicine, he will always say, it was the best decision he ever made and has greatly enjoyed the ride...so take great joy on your journey!

 

[notsobabydoc]

Rest assured you are on the right path. My best friend from law school that I originally referenced, did not attend medical school until he was in his 30s. Similar path background to you Ivy undergrad, JD and then career pivot.In fact, because he did not come from a science background, he had to do a couple of years of obtaining all the necessary classes—which I am sure was humbling. So, while not the most expedient route to medicine, he will always say, it was the best decision he ever made and has greatly enjoyed the ride...so take great joy on your journey!

Thank you for your kind words. I luckily was a science major at undergrad so I only needed two courses over the past summer to fulfill the prereq. After DL, I actually went to get an MBA from my alma mater ivy and worked as a money manager on Wall Street. I was very good at my job so I retired a couple of years ago from Wall Street. And now I am doing what I always want to do!

 

[BoolaHI]

And I thought I had a lot of degrees....#humbled

 

[notsobabydoc]

And I thought I had a lot of degrees....#humbled

Haha, trust me, unintended. I would just love to have an MD. But now it looks like I will be one of the few with MD/JD/MBA/MS. My PhD friends are calling me going for the grand slam of professional degrees.

 

[BoolaHI]

Me—JD/LLM/MDiv.....my close friends tease, that I have replaced many a midlife crisis with superfluous degrees—lol.

 

[notsobabydoc]

Me—JD/LLM/MDiv.....my close friends tease, that I have replaced many a midlife crisis with superfluous degrees—lol.

Lol, my friends literally ask me whether I should just go get a red Ferrari instead. I thought for like a day and I said nah, I am good with my Tesla lol. Yours all from Yale? MDiv at yale is great. This time, one of my top choices of med is really Yale. I luckily have an interview coming up there so I hope I can lock that in.

 

[Jappa]

Haha, trust me, unintended. I would just love to have an MD. But now it looks like I will be one of the few with MD/JD/MBA/MS. My PhD friends are calling me going for the grand slam of professional degrees.

Me—JD/LLM/MDiv.....my close friends tease, that I have replaced many a midlife crisis with superfluous degrees—lol.

Wow, you guys are incredible lol

 

[BoolaHI]

Best of luck to you! Yup, Yale M.Div...challenging but so damn interesting. I’m not really esoteric or erudite, so much of the material was new and I had to learn from scratch—but still enjoyable. When you are learning not to pay bills, it’s takes on an entirely different hue and veneer.

 

[notsobabydoc]

Best of luck to you! Yup, Yale M.Div...challenging but so damn interesting. I’m not really esoteric or erudite, so much of the material was new and I had to learn from scratch—but still enjoyable. When you are learning not to pay bills, it’s takes on an entirely different hue and veneer.

couldn't agree more!

 

[BoolaHI]

Wow, you guys are incredible lol

Well, it seems impressive on first blush, but I am pretty long in the tooth! Let’s just say, I took notes for learned hand (look it up!) wink!

 

[notsobabydoc]

Well, it seems impressive on first blush, but I am pretty long in the tooth! Let’s just say, I took notes for learned hand (look it up!) wink!

you mean the Learned Hand? LOL

 

[BoolaHI]

Greatest name in the history of law, also not too shabby a name for a DJ....

 

[notsobabydoc]

Greatest name in the history of law, also not too shabby a name for a DJ....

always love that name indeed!

 

[BoolaHI]

And New Haven ain’t that bad. Close to NYC, pretty good food for a city it’s size, and you got great prices for condos which are fairly easy to sell once you finish...

 

[notsobabydoc]

And New Haven ain’t that bad. Close to NYC, pretty good food for a city it’s size, and you got great prices for condos which are fairly easy to sell once you finish...

It's local for me. I am in CT town next to NYC. lol, don't want to be too identifiable, though now I think every adcom can figure out who I am if they try to search me here. But hey, it's the same as my application. lol

 

[BoolaHI]

Yeah, for the last degree, most of the family was in the city (Morningside Heights) but I got a condo in New Haven—which was interesting, as one of Ds was a senior at Y and so we were roommates. Had to have interesting conversations on the potential limits of recreational weed smoking and who or who should not be randomly having Sunday coffee with us......

 

[notsobabydoc]

Yeah, for the last degree, most of the family was in the city (Morningside Heights) but I got a condo in New Haven—which was interesting, as one of Ds was a senior at Y and so we were roommates. Had to have interesting conversations on the potential limits of recreational weed smoking and who or who should not be randomly having Sunday coffee with us......

oh morningside heights, how I spent so many years there lol

 

[notsobabydoc]

Yeah, for the last degree, most of the family was in the city (Morningside Heights) but I got a condo in New Haven—which was interesting, as one of Ds was a senior at Y and so we were roommates. Had to have interesting conversations on the potential limits of recreational weed smoking and who or who should not be randomly having Sunday coffee with us......

New Haven has gotten so much better. I regularly go there for concerts and operas and very impressed by the quality. Restaurants are quite good too.

 

[BoolaHI]

MH is so underrated. Next to two great parks, close to the west side highway, and actually more restaurants than one would think. Actually one of my favs is a Dominican place called Malecon....nothing better on a fall day!

 

[notsobabydoc]

MH is so underrated. Next to two great parks, close to the west side highway, and actually more restaurants than one would think. Actually one of my favs is a Dominican place called Malecon....nothing better on a fall day!

I love MH. I used to live on 116 and Morningside Drive. Love the morning walk and everything. It's convenient and it always feels like home to me. I know every building and used to know every restaurant (most of them changed hands) Just love it, it doesn't feel Manhattan but it's so close to midtown. Those great apartments on Riverside Drive... to die for! classic 7's and 5's. Not cut up into pieces like other places yet.

 

[Engrailed]

What's classic 7s and 5s

 

[notsobabydoc]

What's classic 7s and 5s

those great pre-war apartments lol. Like you almost own a mini-house in one of those amazing buildings lol

 

[notsobabydoc]

MH is so underrated. Next to two great parks, close to the west side highway, and actually more restaurants than one would think. Actually one of my favs is a Dominican place called Malecon....nothing better on a fall day!

essentially, my husband and I could only see ourselves living in the city again if we could afford riverside drive or CPW apartments.

 

[BoolaHI]

Yeah we lucked out. Our place is right off MS Avenue. Got it post 9/11 when the city was basically giving stuff away with long-term tax abatements, so a friend of mine and I bought a four level brownstone and divided it up.....next to marrying my wife, easily the smartest decision I’ve ever made.

 

[notsobabydoc]

Yeah we lucked out. Our place is right off MS Avenue. Got it post 9/11 when the city was basically giving stuff away with long-term tax abatements, so a friend of mine and I bought a four level brownstone and divided it up.....next to marrying my wife, easily the smartest decision I’ve ever made.

wow!!! in the low 120's?? That's so amazing. yeah I bet this has turned out to be very smart investment. Old saying when there's blood, buy up!

 

[BoolaHI]

I heart riverside drive. And actually we gave it serious thought, but after a literal decade of renovating our place and the close proximity to the parks (we have two large dogs) my wife nixed that idea. Plus, the neighborhood is why you live in NYC — so mixed, still a bit gritty in a good way, but just on our block we still have historical black families, some from Africa, Russians, Chinese, Brazilians, and even some native Germans...love it!

 

[BoolaHI]

No we are in the low teens, right where morningside splits between Manhattan and Morningside Avenues split....

 

[notsobabydoc]

No we are in the low teens, right where morningside splits between Manhattan and Morningside Avenues split....

Right behind st John’s yeah it’s a very good place. So convenient to everywhere. Those brownstones are great wide ones, 20 feet? That’s the way to live in the city!

 

[BoolaHI]

Ok, now to Sunday errands. But, the very best of luck to you, but I suspect you will not need it! Go boola boola!

 

[notsobabydoc]

Ok, now to Sunday errands. But, the very best of luck to you, but I suspect you will not need it! Go boola boola!

Very nice chatting with you! Old yalie lol. Come back whenever you want!

 

[BoolaHI]

Correction, as the D would certainly mention, you are not a real Yalie unless you attended for undergrad—which I did not. Alas, in another life....wink!

 

[notsobabydoc]

Correction, as the D would certainly mention, you are not a real Yalie unless you attended for undergrad—which I did not. Alas, in another life....wink!

lol, I said the same about C. Ivy snobs...

 

[deleted804295]

That's what I told myself. Glad you don't think I am a troll anymore lol.

Very convincing story. Sorry your other country prosecutes people with your identity. It's probably tough having that on the back of your mind and having to choose a path based on survival rather than your dreams.

 

[deleted804295]

@OP JD/MD is just about one of the most useless dual degrees you can get in terms of opening up more opportunities.

Perhaps you can share what you want to do in the future to see if JD/MD would be a good fit for you?

 

[notsobabydoc]

Very convincing story. Sorry your other country prosecutes people with your identity. It's probably tough having that on the back of your mind and having to choose a path based on survival rather than your dreams.

It’s all in the past. Where I am now is fantastic. I have been fighting for LGBT rights since college. Very glad to be accepted in this country.

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

A friend of mine did the combined path. She practices medicine and basically just did the JD in case she ever wants to get out of medicine and so she can understand law better if she ever is involved with a suit.

Damn that's like getting a medical degree in case you get sick so you can understand what's going on better

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Damn that's like getting a medical degree in case you get sick so you can understand what's going on better

Considering how many people regret going into medicine or wish they could get out, it probably seemed like a decent plan to her since she thought she would have been happy doing either. I wouldn't personally do both, but I don't think it's quite as over the top as that.

 

[deleted804295]

Considering how many people regret going into medicine or wish they could get out, it probably seemed like a decent plan to her since she thought she would have been happy doing either. I wouldn't personally do both, but I don't think it's quite as over the top as that.

There are so many avenues in medicine and so many opportunities to go back to residency. When attendings complain about hating medicine their reasons always come off as whiny.

"I work too many hours" - okay... work less.

"I hate my student loan debt" - I mean most adult Americans have student loan debt.

I have more respect for people who don't find clinical work to be for them but these sorts of reasons for disliking medicine are few and far between. Even in these cases you can pursue research with an MD, open up a company, work in hospital administration, work on health policy, or work in public health.

 

[Engrailed]

There are so many avenues in medicine and so many opportunities to go back to residency. When attendings complain about hating medicine their reasons always come off as whiny.

"I work too many hours" - okay... work less.

"I hate my student loan debt" - I mean most adult Americans have student loan debt.

I have more respect for people who don't find clinical work to be for them but these sorts of reasons for disliking medicine are few and far between. Even in these cases you can pursue research with an MD, open up a company, work in hospital administration, work on health policy, or work in public health.

Agree. I think medicine (MD) is exceptional in that it opens so many avenues even if one decided patients/clinical work = no go.
Pharma, research, hospital admin, consulting, business, govt. etc...
Maybe not law (but possibly do work on patents?)

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

There are so many avenues in medicine and so many opportunities to go back to residency. When attendings complain about hating medicine their reasons always come off as whiny.

"I work too many hours" - okay... work less.

"I hate my student loan debt" - I mean most adult Americans have student loan debt.

I have more respect for people who don't find clinical work to be for them but these sorts of reasons for disliking medicine are few and far between. Even in these cases you can pursue research with an MD, open up a company, work in hospital administration, work on health policy, or work in public health.

Most adult Americans do not have 150-250k in student loan debt. That kind of debt is way different than 50-60k for undergrad. Until your loan debt is paid off, it's difficult to really work fewer hours unless you're okay with paying more in interest over the length of your loan. And minimum monthly payments for debt like that are 4 figures. Once you've got that debt, it's hard to just back out because you need the salary to pay it off. So if you've discovered in 3rd or 4th year or even during residency or early attending years that you made the wrong choice going to med school, it's easy to feel trapped in a career you don't like very much at least until you can pay off your loans. I totally empathize with someone who is ready to leave medicine completely once they don't have any debt. I've been in a career that ostensibly was good but that I really was not happy in.

And yes, there are a lot of things you can do with an MD. But that doesn't mean they are for everyone. If I ever got totally burnt out in medicine or for whatever reason didn't want to practice clinically anymore, I would have absolutely zero interest in pretty much any of your alternatives. I'd probably do something completely different.

It sounds like you're saying you lose respect for people because they would rather do something else than be involved in medicine non-clinically.