Why you *should* go into medicine!

[Little Etoile]

To compliment my thread here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=521179

So with all of the discouraging "Whatever you do, don't go into medicine!" threads, seeing the physician I work for live her miserable life, and then the whole... you know... me not getting into medical school thing d), I'm facing some serious decisions here. Part of me is shooting up red flags saying that I should consider other career options. I need some encouragement in the other direction here!

To counter all of the negative threads, let's start a thread reminding each other why it is amazing to go into medicine and all the positives of the field. Input from experienced medical school students, residents, and practicing physicians is especially appreciated.

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[mekvol1]

I suggest you do some soul searching and determine where it is that you feel you really belong. I don't think you can go wrong with that. For me medicine is a calling, not just something I think would be interesting. I am aware of all the downsides to medicine and I realize that, as my own physician told me, I'm not gonna save the world. But I just want to do what I can with this short life I have. If other people want to live hedonistically I have no problem with that. But to me service to my fellow human being is the only life worth living.

 

[Isoprop]

in before "chicks, money, power, and chicks"

 

[Isoprop]

1. you can teach people how to take care of themselves. you can teach family members how to take care of their loved ones.

2. medicine is about helping people... not just people you like, not just people in the community, but ALL people. if you want to reach out to all kinds of people in this world, medicine might be for you.

3. medicine is always changing, and the challenge to keep up with that change is thrilling. evidence based practice means that you are constantly learning more about the science behind medicine and how to more effectively treat your patients.

4. you are privledged into the lives of complete strangers. aside from family, people want two people at the death beds of their loved ones: a priest and a doctor. you are invited to the most vulnerable stages of people's lives.

just some off the top of my head.

 

[Cataract]

5. With some common financial sense, you'll be living comfortably with some degree of job security and freedom.

I'm honestly sick of the fear mongering debt threads. Thanks for informing the naive, but we get it already; there's a lot of debt. A special thanks for the folks that get their jollies "carefully" delineating all the costs, taxes, and interests . Crunch hypothetical numbers all you want, you'll be a physician in the country with the largest GDP. You'll have the capacity to live comfortably.

 

[Wylde]

-unparalleled job security!!!

-dynamic, science-based, interesting work! (not just reading over contracts for a merger)

-many different specialties, hopefully one really clicks for you

-something you can be passionate about. Lots of successful careers demand 60 hour weeks, but how many people can become enveloped and passionate about trying and save the company money or help execute some small corner of a merger? You're going to be working a lot, but you'll be able to put your heart into it.

-money/prestige/Dr. title!

 

[Doc Henry]

because its what Jesus would do!!!

 

[doomknight]

you get the OPPORTUNITY to train under dr.house. Don't hold your breath though, it's like a 6% chance.

BTW anyone know any doctors IRL that's like house? Is there such a department as diagnostic medicine or is it just made up

 

[135892]

To compliment my thread here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=521179

So with all of the discouraging "Whatever you do, don't go into medicine!" threads, seeing the physician I work for live her miserable life, and then the whole... you know... me not getting into medical school thing d), I'm facing some serious decisions here. Part of me is shooting up red flags saying that I should consider other career options. I need some encouragement in the other direction here!

To counter all of the negative threads, let's start a thread reminding each other why it is amazing to go into medicine and all the positives of the field. Input from experienced medical school students, residents, and practicing physicians is especially appreciated.

Logically speaking, you should not go into medicine. For whatever reason people go into it anyway

 

[ilikefudge]

because its what Jesus would do!!!

 

[kevster2001]

I want to meet Mcdreamy

 

[RPedigo]

because its what Jesus would do!!!

Damn, I'd bet he'd nail the boards.

 

[Odyssean]

Damn, I'd bet he'd nail the boards.

No pun intended indeed...

 

[Little Etoile]

Damn, I'd bet he'd nail the boards.

Oh man.... that was TERRIBLE(ly good)! I am cracking up.

 

[paranoid_eyes]

Damn, I'd bet he'd nail the boards.

LOL that was brilliant

honestly, don't go into medicine if you want to help people. there are many other ways to do that. I am extremely interested in the human body, sickness, and methods to treat sickness. Im also interested in anatomy.

everyone is interested in helping other people (unless you have some psychological pathology). do it because the ACTUAL WORK interests you. Hence the reason why your most important EC should (though med schools are ignorant enough not to consider this super important) be shadowing physicians in a wide range of specialties.

 

[Isoprop]

you get the OPPORTUNITY to train under dr.house. Don't hold your breath though, it's like a 6% chance.

BTW anyone know any doctors IRL that's like house? Is there such a department as diagnostic medicine or is it just made up

probably infectious disease fellowship (under internal medicine).

 

[Little Etoile]

I'm still moving forward with reapplying, but...

Bump, since it seems like there are quite a few posts right now that might benefit from this.

 

[sirus_virus]

To compliment my thread here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=521179

So with all of the discouraging "Whatever you do, don't go into medicine!" threads, seeing the physician I work for live her miserable life, and then the whole... you know... me not getting into medical school thing d), I'm facing some serious decisions here. Part of me is shooting up red flags saying that I should consider other career options. I need some encouragement in the other direction here!

To counter all of the negative threads, let's start a thread reminding each other why it is amazing to go into medicine and all the positives of the field. Input from experienced medical school students, residents, and practicing physicians is especially appreciated.

Ditch the group hug and open your eyes. medicine is in the crappers as we speak, and it is not changing any time soon. Whatever positives you can come up with (and there are some), just remember you are taking a risk.

 

[TarHeelEMT]

Because it's fun

 

[jelly476]

money, power, chicks.

 

[greg1184]

Ditch the group hug and open your eyes. medicine is in the crappers as we speak, and it is not changing any time soon. Whatever positives you can come up with (and there are some), just remember you are taking a risk.

Then why are you here? Go find another career if you can't come up with any positives for it. You are certainly not contributing to the point of this thread. There are plenty of negative, "realistic" threads about medicine that you don't have to piss on this one. This thread is focusing on the positive aspects of medicine (DESPITE the negatives that medicine may have). It has nothing to do with opening or closing anybody's eyes.

I have had some fantastic physicians care for me throughout my life. They all have one thing in common: They love what they do. They love to care for and educate patients about their diagnosis and prognosis. They have patience and compassion for their patients, especially my former pediatrician. That is one of the reasons why I want to pursue medicine, despite the issues and problems in the medical system.

 

[Lukkie]

Damn, I'd bet he'd nail the boards.

most brilliant post i've seen here... not surprised you got into so many good schools.

 

[Alfred E Newman]

Nurses...really hot nurses.

 

[lol.psych]

Maybe it'll make me look better to the ladies

 

[bcat85]

Damn, I'd bet he'd nail the boards.

But really... why are pre-meds who *know* going into medicine is going to suck and that they are going to hate it and have a completely negative outlook on it going into medicine!? If you don't want to do it and you think you're screwed if you do, then... and see if you can follow me.. don't go into medicine.

 

[sirus_virus]

Then why are you here? Go find another career if you can't come up with any positives for it. You are certainly not contributing to the point of this thread. There are plenty of negative, "realistic" threads about medicine that you don't have to piss on this one. This thread is focusing on the positive aspects of medicine (DESPITE the negatives that medicine may have). It has nothing to do with opening or closing anybody's eyes.

I have had some fantastic physicians care for me throughout my life. They all have one thing in common: They love what they do. They love to care for and educate patients about their diagnosis and prognosis. They have patience and compassion for their patients, especially my former pediatrician. That is one of the reasons why I want to pursue medicine, despite the issues and problems in the medical system.

I am not discouraging anyone from going into medicine, just stating the facts as they stand. The fact that you love something does not mean it cant suck (in this case, it sucks gorilla nutz). Choosing a career in medicine is a high risk maneuver for this generation of physicians comming up, not so much the case for those old time physicians you speak of in your post.

 

[doomknight]

Nurses...really hot nurses.

on Hopkins episode 2, the divorcing heart surgeon asks the other dude "So tell me, where are the hot nurses. Seriously, which floor?"

I lol'd

 

[NY Musicologist]

I'm still moving forward with reapplying, but...

Bump, since it seems like there are quite a few posts right now that might benefit from this.

I'll bite, and wish you good luck for your second round:

Because human life is endlessly fascinating! Anatomy, physiology, pathology/disease processes, psychology--it's all amazing. To have the opportunity not only to gain such knowledge but eventually to be able, at least some of the time, to put it to practical use...wow.

I guess the question becomes, at least in part, at what point does the balance between time spent assimilating/applying knowledge and time spent in other endeavors (fighting insurance companies, etc.) cease to be sufficiently rewarding?

 

[ButImLETired]

Because when it's all said and done, AFTER you've spent the day fighting with insurance companies and writing checks to your alma mater, you get to go home to your nice, comfortable house in a nice side of town and realize that you've done some good. And that those friends of yours from college who did the "smart thing" and went into business might drive a cooler car and work fewer hours, but they don't get to feel that way.
And that is awesome.


now, I'm sure many will call me naive and say I'm romanticizing this field, but we're all on this forum so we all clearly love this profession, whether we want to admit to being that naive or not. So shut it.