"Why Would Anyone Choose to Become a Doctor?"

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👍 Thanks for posting this!
 
Great article! I remember talking to the pediatrician I shadowed asking him if he'd ever do it again. He said, "Well I'm overworked, underpaid, and there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done, but yes, I'd do it again in a heartbeat". I realize that one day I won't be as enthusiastic as I am now about medicine, but hopefully I'll be able to say "yes" whenever someone asks me if I made the right decision 20 years down the road.
 
On top of that, I have to wonder about the alternatives if I gave up clinical medicine — pushing papers, sitting in endless PowerPoint meetings, crunching numbers — and realize that I am lucky and immensely privileged to be able to work directly with patients.
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👍
 
Surprisingly, I have never been told this by a physician. And I am a nontrad with years of experience working with doctors and have told many about my acceptance.

The only thing I can think of is that since I am much older than most matriculants that they don't care as much about saving me from medicine. :laugh:
 
The best part about this article are the responses. Turned 1 semi motivational speaker into many hundreds. Looking forward to medicine as always, now with a little more optimism perhaps.
 
Nice article but I don't like how the writer said that doctors are underpaid. Nearly complete BS.
 
Great article. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
 
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Thanks for this article and terrific read 👍
 
JohnnyRomanes said:
Nice article but I don't like how the writer said that doctors are underpaid. Nearly complete BS.
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Hmm. Who should I believe the practicing physician or the pre-med?🙄
 
You ask why people want to be doctors and then say "It certainly can’t be the money — Wall Street is the faster and more reliable route to wealth..." Maybe so, but I am solidly middle class and there are NO doctors living in MY neighborhood. They all live in expensive houses in exclusive areas, drive expensive cars, and many retire way before the rest of us. If that's not money, I don't know what is...
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Recommended by 98 readers (much more than any other comment)


It actually really depresses me when people assume that the options available to them--often the options they have given themselves through a lifetime of choices--are the options that others should also have.
 
Some Idiot said:
"It certainly can’t be the money — Wall Street is the faster and more reliable route to wealth, as evidenced by the skyrocketing of applications to M.B.A. programs."

Why cant it be the money? The earnings of an MD are not that bad. The stress levels are much lower than Wall Street. Plus there is greater job security. If you compare the US to Europe, where physician salaries are much lower, students are not thronging to medical schools like the US. In fact, a major reason for our health care woes is the high salaries enjoyed by physicians which subsequently leads to higher insurance costs.
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:boom:

Dunno why I even bother with NYT comments.
 
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