Just curious what type of jobs and salary you guys can get with the degrees you have.

Just curious what type of jobs and salary you guys can get with the degrees you have.

MD, psychiatry
JD, law

As a psychiatrist alone, I was making about $210,000 per year. As an attorney, I make about $110,000 per year. Now I'm slowly resuming a part-time practice (psychiatry) and will maintain a small patient base, so I expect to make more; however, the pay cut was worth it! :)

MD, psychiatry
JD, law

As a psychiatrist alone, I was making about $210,000 per year. As an attorney, I make about $110,000 per year. Now I'm slowly resuming a part-time practice (psychiatry) and will maintain a small patient base, so I expect to make more; however, the pay cut was worth it! :)

Please elaborate on why being a lawyer was worth the switch.

Please elaborate on why being a lawyer was worth the switch.

I guess, if I had to really analyze my statement, I would say that I never really wanted to be a physician. I went to college and ended up majoring in government and poli sci with the intent of going to an ivy law school afterwards. I ended up doing a post bac in biomed sciences and applying to medical school due to paternal pressure. I got accepted into a big-ten medical school, graduated with excellent grades, went on to do a combo IM/PSYCH residency, and found myself hating my job and my life.

I thought about going back to IM only, but alas...psychiatry paid the bills and wasn't bad, but I became what many therapists call a "pill pusher", doing 10-20 minute med reviews, an occasional PE, and rounding at some local hospitals, including two private psychs.

As I got older, I realized how much I really regretted not going into law. I enjoyed some of the forensic work I had been exposed to. A colleague, who is a PhD clinical psych, went back for her JD and I decided..WTF...so I did it part-time and the rest is history.

Bottom line, do what you enjoy and do it well. :)