My Dilemma: Science vs Medicine

[Heiwa143]

In my previous post I asked if science is a noble profession. Now I'm struggling between choosing between the two. I believe that I would like science (specifically applied mathematics and biology) because it can have broad implications on society. However, my concern is that "for the 100s of scientific papers published only one will be significant" and that a I will become a unemployed professor or pencil-pusher for grants. Conversely in medicine for every patient you come into contact with you can make a meaningful impact on their lives (for better or worse), but I admit that you also have to deal with some bureaucracy. So my question is, are my feelings warranted? And if they are, can you offer me some sound advice?

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[Mad Jack]

You'll have to deal with bureaucracy in medicine or academic research. There is no getting around that, and there are a lot of things that are actually worse in academics and grant-writing. Just go MD-PhD dude, get the worst of both worlds.

 

[gyngyn]

You'll have to deal with bureaucracy in medicine or academic research. There is no getting around that, and there are a lot of things that are actually worse in academics and grant-writing. Just go MD-PhD dude, get the worst of both worlds.

So true!

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

You need to spend sometime figuring out what you actually like and what you are just tolerating. You don't want to be in medical school and residency and be 'tolerating' that decade of education before you can start to really focus on a career in research if that's really what you're into.

Personally I've got some academic interests but I can tell you that if I was adverse to dealing with patients and or etc I would really be hating medical school a lot more.