To be or not to be...this is my question

[Biochemat]

Hello everybody

A question has been bothering me for many years so far. The time has come to where I cannot put this off anymore. Frankly, I do not know what to be.

Some background information about me. I am attending the Georgia Institute of Technology. My listed major is Biochemistry (completed minor in Biophysics). Biochemistry is a field that I love, and a field that I excel in (well, that I excel exceptionally in). My GPA is stellar, there is not a single class that I have made a "B" in. I am in the top 5% of my class. I have a low-paying, but respected job as a research assistant in the School of Chemistry, and my professors are about to transfer me to Undergraduate Research Coordinator (same pay, more prestigious).

Friends of mine, and professors have been pushing me in the direction of medicine. I will have to sign up for the MCAT in not too long (will have to start studying almost immediately). I feel I have very good chanced of getting into rather...exceptional schools of medicine (Ivy League - Harv. SanFran, Yal.). Plastic surgery is really the only field that I am considering (maybe dentistry - not so much though). I will probably attend one whether or not I go into medicine.

I have been dreaming for years now. I was hoping to be a tenured and respected Ph.D at an affluent university. However, I am considering plastic surgery as well. I have always been good with hands, in fact I do my own mechanics on my rather old and outdated car. When I think of plastic surgery, I hope to settle down in a nice neighborhood in Los Angeles, pulling in 500K-1M a year. Searches on this site, and in other places do not show me very confident figures. I have derived an average of about 100K - 300K yearly for plastic surgeons. Many respected professors make in that range, this is probably the path that I should take. But, the possibility of 500K - 1M is very appealing, especially with the conditions I have to put up with living and attending a college in Atlanta. My fees have already piled up to about $60K (minus some insignificant scholarships adding up totally to around $11K). By the time I finish undergraduate school, I will have around $80K debt, and then following a Ph.D path will put me WAY in the red (negative) zone.

It all boils down to this. Which road should I take: The Ph.D or the M.D.? One is worth more than the other only if the possibilities amount to a certain much. The responses that I have seen within the network implicate a very intelligent society. I really need some input. I have talked to my parents, my professors, my peers, my doctor(s), my priest, my friends, my fiance, and even prayed. Yet I still am undecided.

Thank you in advance to anyone who responds to my inquiry. Sorry for the long post.

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[maxheadroom]

Maybe you should bypass the lowly field of Plastic Surgery on your way to Stockholm. I'm sure that the Nobel Foundation is just waiting for the right moment to drop your medal into your dorm in Atlanta.

And why do you call it "Yal."? If you're going to hit the "." key, why not hit the "e" key?

 

[maxheadroom]

Crap, did I just fall for a troll?

 

[eight sat up]

Show me your 40+ MCAT and I'll believe you...

RAWR TROLL RAWR

 

[Pir8DeacDoc]

Crap, did I just fall for a troll?

I think so....

 

[dilated]

Crap, did I just fall for a troll?

He started his flame out by ending with "so should I do PhD or DO" but then apparently edited to MD because his DO-trolling didn't fit with his Yale-trolling.

 

[SocialistMD]

Come on, guys. You need to feed it first and see how good it can be.

Biochemat-
I think you need to decide if it is money or prestige that you want. You are obviously a very intelligent and dexterous individual, so you are really only limited by your imagination. If your chief concern is financial, you would be better suited as a plastic surgeon. Even the low end of their salary is generally higher than any PhD in the academic world will make. However, if you truly want to make a contribution and possibly end up with a building named in your honor (rather than in your memory, as only your financial contribution led to your name on the building), taking the PhD route would be best. You could always combine the best of both worlds and be a PhD in industry, navigating through the upper levels of administration so you earn the salary one of your intelligence deserves (or, better yet, start your own company) while still able to contribute using your vast biochemical knowledge in designing future therapies to eradicate the diseases that plague mankind.

 

[Biochemat]

Maybe you should bypass the lowly field of Plastic Surgery on your way to Stockholm. I'm sure that the Nobel Foundation is just waiting for the right moment to drop your medal into your dorm in Atlanta.

And why do you call it "Yal."? If you're going to hit the "." key, why not hit the "e" key?

Maybe I will. Those abbreviations are how they show up on university documents. You get used to it when you handle and process documents from research institutions from all over the world.

As far as the Nobel, if a total ***** like Al Gore could receive a seemingly prestigious award like that, anyone can.

Show me your 40+ MCAT and I'll believe you...

RAWR TROLL RAWR

I have not taken the MCAT yet, and still may not. I could make that clearer, however I assumed I was addressing an analytical audience. Your second [sentence] is quite demonstrative of your profound abilities.

He started his flame out by ending with "so should I do PhD or DO" but then apparently edited to MD because his DO-trolling didn't fit with his Yale-trolling.

The D.O./M.D. was symbolic, and did not specifically reflect any of my future plans. Upon re-reading my post, I felt that M.D. was more appropriate (my perfectionism).

What "flame"?

Come on, guys. You need to feed it first and see how good it can be.

Biochemat-
I think you need to decide if it is money or prestige that you want. You are obviously a very intelligent and dexterous individual, so you are really only limited by your imagination. If your chief concern is financial, you would be better suited as a plastic surgeon. Even the low end of their salary is generally higher than any PhD in the academic world will make. However, if you truly want to make a contribution and possibly end up with a building named in your honor (rather than in your memory, as only your financial contribution led to your name on the building), taking the PhD route would be best. You could always combine the best of both worlds and be a PhD in industry, navigating through the upper levels of administration so you earn the salary one of your intelligence deserves (or, better yet, start your own company) while still able to contribute using your vast biochemical knowledge in designing future therapies to eradicate the diseases that plague mankind.

Your sarcasm is quite pathetic. Your "feeding" example is not bad, however it is very unrealistic and abstract, therefore unconvincing all but the most juvenile trolls.
I hope that you are not a firm believer of socialism.

I could prove this with my gatech.edu email address and my student blog page, however I am not forthcoming about releasing my identity. If the responses were more confidence inspiring, I may have released verifying links and emails.

This is a waste of my time. You should consider why would I waste my time falsifying on internet forums when I have much more productive uses of my time.

 

[SocialistMD]

Your sarcasm is quite pathetic.

My sarcasm, or sarcasm in general? I feel I have a profound grasp on sarcasm, developed through years of training in a multidisciplinary place I like to call "life."

I hope that you are not a firm believer of socialism.

I hope you see I also consider myself the "resident objectivist." Appears quite the contradiction, no?

I could prove this with my gatech.edu email address and my student blog page, however I am not forthcoming about releasing my identity. If the responses were more confidence inspiring, I may have released verifying links and emails.

None of us really care.

This is a waste of my time. You should consider why would I waste my time falsifying on internet forums when I have much more productive uses of my time.

If I were really considering anything, it would be why someone of your supposed intellect would bother posting on this internet forum at all. Someone as wise as yourself should know what only you can determine what is best for you and that looking to an anonymous internet forum would have never yielded any fruitful results. Why, indeed, did you waste your time...?

 

[Moravian]

I really like the part about not wearing pants...

 

[Biochemat]

My sarcasm, or sarcasm in general? I feel I have a profound grasp on sarcasm, developed through years of training in a multidisciplinary place I like to call "life."

Sarcasm in general is an idiotic trait. I didn't find yours to be spectacular.

I hope you see I also consider myself the "resident objectivist." Appears quite the contradiction, no?

It would appear to be a contradiction. However you may state that in a satirical context (in this case: sarcasm, which you are fond of).

Example:
HomosexualMD
Perverter of Nature

...and thats why I love to spread AIDS (Signature)

A not uncommon sarcastic satirical self-styled-witty statement used to push some queer's agenda.

None of us really care.

I thought people would. However, I do know that people are intimidated by education (not necessarily intelligence - however there is a strong correlation in different areas such as mathematics, physics,and chemistry related areas), as you can see by maxheadrooms response above.

If I were really considering anything, it would be why someone of your supposed intellect would bother posting on this internet forum at all. Someone as wise as yourself should know what only you can determine what is best for you and that looking to an anonymous internet forum would have never yielded any fruitful results. Why, indeed, did you waste your time...?

I was hoping for reasoned input from [fellow] B.S.'s and maybe from some future/current plastic surgeons. I was obviously mistaken and will not return again.

 

[dilated]

Maybe we can salvage something out of this awful thread.. I've seen similar salary quotes, that established PP plastics guys are in the 300-350k range. Is this really a legitimate average? I mean, given the burden of dealing with aesthetic patients and absurd expectations I kind of expected that the private practice guys would be making, as Randy Moss says, straight cash homey. I know there are big names in LA and NY getting 10k for a rhinoplasty or whatever, but I mean the average people.

It seems like you could go academic (at certain places) or accept insurance and not make THAT much less. Or do they actually prefer the cash aesthetic patients and that's why they went into it?

 

[SocialistMD]

However, I do know that people are intimidated by education (not necessarily intelligence - however there is a strong correlation in different areas such as mathematics, physics,and chemistry related areas)

[jab] Technically, I'm more "educated" than you, so why would I be intimidated by your education when you don't even have a degree yet?[/jab]

This will really test if you...

...will not return again.

 

[PRS Man]

My plastic surgery program would never accept such an arrogant applicant. My guess is that you will quit residency after your first night on call as an intern. Be humble...you have a lot to learn. Maybe a PhD is the best route for you...

 

[Mariah246]

When I think of plastic surgery, I hope to settle down in a nice neighborhood in Los Angeles, pulling in 500K-1M a year.

I think it would be key to highlight this career goal during your medical school interview.

There is nothing more impressive than an applicant with a solid vision. It serves to differentiate you from those wishy-washy applicants who aren't even sure what field of medicine they want to pursue. Heck, I'd spend the whole interview hammering this point into the interviewer. If they attempt to change the topic, find some way to relate the questions back to the Beverly Hills area code and a 7 digit salary.

Should you move on to the next level (snickers uncontrollably), again be sure to mention this at your residency interviews.

 

[Moshe Rabbenu]

...
HomosexualMD
Perverter of Nature

...and thats why I love to spread AIDS (Signature)
...

Apparently, gay-bashing isn't a reason to be banned--big surprise there.

 

[MacBook]

I really like the part about not wearing pants...

Who's not wearing pants?

 

[plasticresident]

<--pantless.

Great fun on this blog.

PRSMan and Marriah hit the nail on the nobel prize winning head. phds applying to plastics are a dime a dozen.

To be one of the big name plastics guys pulling in truckloads of money (few and far between) you need something this guy has little of....personality. If he does get what he wants, it proves once again that good grades don't necessarily make good plastic surgeons.

He will definitely drop out after his first night of call.

 

[SocialistMD]

Who's not wearing pants?

Yeah, why doesn't my sig show up in this forum anymore?

 

[discontinuebed]

I think it would be key to highlight this career goal during your medical school interview.

There is nothing more impressive than an applicant with a solid vision. It serves to differentiate you from those wishy-washy applicants who aren't even sure what field of medicine they want to pursue. Heck, I'd spend the whole interview hammering this point into the interviewer. If they attempt to change the topic, find some way to relate the questions back to the Beverly Hills area code and a 7 digit salary.

Should you move on to the next level (snickers uncontrollably), again be sure to mention this at your residency interviews.

 

[beaverfetus]

Apparently, gay-bashing isn't a reason to be banned--big surprise there.

he wants to move to los angeles and open a plastics practice yet doesn't seem to like gay people. that's like an anti-semitic ENT moving to Long Island.

1) troll.
2) I don't get the banning policy on this site. If he hasn't broken terms of agreement he should have.
3) ok I'll bite: "queer agenda" dear god man, you need to get out of Georgia.

 

[ramblinwreckie]

0% chance you attend GA Tech.

 

[theScience]

0% chance you attend GA Tech.

You'd be surprised. That's why we went to Emory.