I often find comments to articles more interesting than the article itself. The comment I've quoted below really resonated with me. I know I'm only a rising MS1 and everyone's going to tell me that I have no idea what I'm talking about, but to this I'm going to say: honestly, whatever you are in life, don't kid yourself thinking you won't have to work extremely hard. That's what EVERYONE spends their youth doing. I have friends who are in nursing and the hours are just awful. They work a lot more than they log and the QOL for a nurse isn't much better than it is for a resident. And if you think a kid fresh out of business school or someone working for google has a better life, get your head out of the sand. Their first few years are just as important, tiring, and grinding as medical school. As a young person, if you want to be successful, you have to put in the time whatever you do. The hours are the same in every field. I know med students, residents, and physicians who are really happy. None of them went into medicine for the money or for the prestige. They all chose medicine because of the intellectual appeal of the profession and they haven't been disappointed. Some of them are family members and family friends.
Comment on that article: "Interesting read, but I think you missed a few points here. I am sorry that so many of your friends who are doctors or who are training to be doctors are unhappy and it is very unfortunate if this is because they did not know what they were getting into. However, based on my own experience and my conversations with my medical school classmates, I think that this is not the case for the majority of physicians in training.
1. Many medical students and residents enjoy the process. I am much happier as a medical student than I was as an undergraduate even though I work much harder now. I am excited about what I am learning. I don’t resent the fact that I have less time for partying or that I now go on a daily 30 minute run instead of spending 90 minutes playing soccer every afternoon like I did as an undergrad. To me, the trade off is worth it. I think many of my classmates feel the same way. Although I have definitely interacted with some overworked, overtired residents, most of the residents and fellows that I interact with are still passionate about what they do and excited about their jobs. I would also like to add that about half of my class is in a committed, long-term relationship with a significant other. Quality of life is a subjective measure (they even teach you that in medical school). While the author of this article may think physicians have a poor quality of life, there are many medical students and physicians who think that their quality of life is excellent.
2. While there is some overlap between what nurses, PAs, and doctors do, there are also some significant differences. I will use an example to illustrate my point. I was recently in clinic and my team saw a patient with a very rare disease. The PA on the team (who is truly excellent at her job) saw the patient first and did a basic physical exam. If you just want to see patients and do physical exams, then maybe becoming a PA is the right job for you. The doctor then saw the patient and, because the patient’s disease is very rare, was unsure what the best course of action was. He then went back to his office and started delving into the scientific literature, reading case reports and reading about clinical trials conducted in patients with a disease that has a different presentation, but a similar etiology. The doctor decided the patient should undergo genetic testing and then did some more research to decide exactly what testing should be done. Nurses and PAs do not get to go on information hunts like this. The reason I and many of my classmates have chosen to pursue an MD is because although we want to be involved in patient care, we also want to work through problems like this.
3. Bench research. I have never heard of a nurse or PA who has a wet lab. If you want a balance of basic science or translational research and patient care, then you need to get an MD or MD/PhD ( although I know many physicians without a PhD who run labs).
In conclusion, I agree that one shouldn’t go to medical school to make a lot of money or if the only reason they want to become a doctor is to “help people.” But, if you are a curious person who finds medicine, pathology, and the human body fascinating and enjoys being intellectually challenged, then don’t let this article scare you away. While medical students, residents, and young physicians are not rich, most of us did not go into this profession with the intention of becoming rich. So shadow several physicians and talk to medical students and residents before you apply to medical school. Try working in a lab. It doesn’t take that much effort to get a pretty good idea of what life as a physician is like or what training to be one involves."
awesome addition.
