63% of doctors wouldn't recommend medicine to their kids.

[jjoeirv]

---

Members don't see this ad.

In a survey of 1,300 physicians, 63 % said they wouldn't recommend medicine as a career to their children.
http://www.careerchangeability.com/doctors/articles/changingcareers.html
===
I have always thought that medicine was a financially lucrative, stable career. I feel it is the best career to pursue. Why wouldn't doctors recommend medicine to their kids? When you are a doctor, at least you know you won't get laid off (a constant worry to millions of Americans). You can at least be proud to tell people what you do, instead of embarrassed by the fact you are only a pharmacy tech or some other low-paying position. When you are a doctor, you make tons of money and have job security.

 

[Skip Intro]

Originally posted by jjoeirv
In a survey of 1,300 physicians, 63 % said they wouldn't recommend medicine as a career to their children.
http://www.careerchangeability.com/doctors/articles/changingcareers.html
===
I have always thought that medicine was a financially lucrative, stable career. I feel it is the best career to pursue. Why wouldn't doctors recommend medicine to their kids?

Fair question.

Originally posted by jjoeirv
When you are a doctor, at least you know you won't get laid off (a constant worry to millions of Americans). You can at least be proud to tell people what you do, instead of embarrassed by the fact you are only a pharmacy tech or some other low-paying position. When you are a doctor, you make tons of money and have job security.

Whoa!! DERAILMENT!

First off, you need to get more facts before you determine that "pharmacy techs" or other people in "low-paying positions" are necessarily embarrassed by what they do. That's a fairly presumptious and arrogant misperception.

Perhaps the reason why most doctors don't recommend the career to their children is because, like yourself, they falsely assume that, after they finish med school and become a doctor, they're automatically going to be raised to the status of super-special important people who everyone worships and listens to as well as make "tons of money" (i.e., they are primarily in it for the wrong reasons). When the reality sets in that it's a hard job that requires a lot of time and isn't the wonderful, idealistic job they thought it was going to be, the advocate against their children.

 

[starayamoskva]

First let's consider that most physicians who have children old enough to be considering medical school have been practicing for quite awhile; then lets look at how medical practice has changed in the last 20-30 years.
When these doctors entered practice and more than likely through most of their carreer it was what they said goes. The patients would come to them, they would tell the patients what to do and for the most part the patient did it.
The patients didn't come in with internet research on what they thought was wrong with them, there was no insurance company breathing down their neck telling them what test they could and could not order and there certainly weren't a flock of hungry lawyers on their doorstep waiting for them to make a mistake so they could pounce.
They for the most part worked hard and were compensated nicely for their hard work. I don't think they necessarily went into medicine so they could be super important people who people worshiped and listened to, but after 20 years of being worshiped I think you would get used to it.

Then something called managed care comes along and all of the sudden they are being told how to care for their patients and to add insult to injury their pay is cut substantially. And no one likes to have their pay cut while their expenses (malpractice etc.) rise dramatically.


Now is it a financially lucrative and stable profession?
That depends on how you define lucrative and stable.
If you expect to make millions you are probably going to be disappointed. If you don't have good raport with your patients or are negligent then you can count on not having much stability.

As Skip said if you are only interested in prestige and money you are probably considering the wrong career path.

Do you mention pharmacy tech as a job because that is what you currently do and you are embarrassed by your position?

There is no shame in doing any job as long as you do your best.

 

[Street Philosopher]

I think it is because medicine is not an easy thing. Rewarding yes, but not without its struggles and sacrifices. It could be the case that many of them would personally do medicine over again if they had the choice, but would want to shield their children from hardships. It's a common parental instinct to protect their children from significant struggles in life, even though it is precisely these challenges that help build character.

 

[Skip Intro]

Excellent follow-up posts, both of you.

-Skip

 

[mamie]

Originally posted by Street Philosopher
I think it is because medicine is not an easy thing. Rewarding yes, but not without its struggles and sacrifices. It could be the case that many of them would personally do medicine over again if they had the choice, but would want to shield their children from hardships. It's a common parental instinct to protect their children from significant struggles in life, even though it is precisely these challenges that help build character.

Great post! I think my father would totally agree with your observation.

 

[beastmaster]

Isn't anyone else wondering about the 37% who would suggest medicine for their kids? That is a strong percentage. Sometimes a strong minority speaks volumes. We all know how easy it is to swing perceptions.

 

[opus03]

This is an interesting topic....

When one of my doctors found out that I was going to med school he sat down and had a 30min convo with me about why I shouldn't do it. (all of the changes that have taken place since he started to practice) He mentioned that he has 4 daughters, all either in high school or undergrad. He told them all that their entire college education would be paid for by their parents, including undergrad, grad, or professional school...all of it. However, he also said they would not receive a penny from them if they decided to go into medicine! That's a pretty strong statement and he was pretty convincing when he was just telling me!

I hope only a small part of that 67% feel this way!

 

[doc05]

Originally posted by jjoeirv
In a survey of 1,300 physicians, 63 % said they wouldn't recommend medicine as a career to their children.
http://www.careerchangeability.com/doctors/articles/changingcareers.html
===
I have always thought that medicine was a financially lucrative, stable career. I feel it is the best career to pursue. Why wouldn't doctors recommend medicine to their kids? When you are a doctor, at least you know you won't get laid off (a constant worry to millions of Americans). You can at least be proud to tell people what you do, instead of embarrassed by the fact you are only a pharmacy tech or some other low-paying position. When you are a doctor, you make tons of money and have job security.

there are few reasons for this. as other posters said, it's lots of work, and these physicians have seen earnings potential cuts by a ton over the last 15-20 years.

on top of that, I've noticed that a lot of physicians' kids are spoiled and dumb. Neither quality makes a good doctor.

finally, you should note that someone who has the "potential" to go into medicine (whatever that is) unlikely to choose "pharmacy tech" as an alternative career! Chances are that these people are going into fields like law, engineering, CS (despite the dot-com bubble, which isn't CS anyway), PhD-science, business, etc.

 

[DocWagner]

Personally I am not worried about a non-scientific poll stating 67% wouldn't want their kids to be doctors...hell 20% of Dentists wouldn't recommend Trident...who gives a ****?

I think medicine is the most rewarding field out there...I couldn't imagine doing anything else! I gave up a job as a 24 yr old 7 yrs ago making 45-50k (I make less than that now), but I wouldn't change it for the world.

If my kids wanted to become doctors like daddy, I would be the proudest poppa on earth.

 

[Primate]

I keep waiting for the Trident commercial to say that the hold-out dentist has caved in.

More to the point, and the post, I'm troubled less by the 67% figure and more by how much attention people pay to these surveys. I too gave up a good job about a decade ago to go into medicine/research. I too am making MUCH LESS than I used to. I approach practicing medicine and doing research almost as a government funded avocation (or, really, a true vocation) and have realistic expectations as to remuneration. Though not alone here, I know that MANY MANY MANY people would look at what I do as a sentence, rather than a vacation that pays.

Ahem, anyway, my point is that what makes me happy is different from what makes others happy. I thought this would be an obvious point, but it seems to be lost on many.

(As for my kids, I just hope that they're excited and happy about what they ultimately do. The strong front runner for my oldest is currently either a "constructural engineer" or a garbage man. We'll see.)

Seems that this should be preaching to the choir. Is it?

 

[SunnyS81]

I have met two groups of doctors:

1) Think they have the greatest job in the world
2) Are bitter and jaded

I'm guessing which group a person is in is a function of many things. Has anyone stopped to consider the old saying, "The grass is greener on the other side?" I had everyone tell me to stay in engineering because it is better than medicine. Go ask you local engineer what he thinks of the job outlook for engineers. My dad was an engineer and always told me not to be an engineer, but I did it anyways. Everyone likes to see the nice things in other people's lives when advising what professions to go into but not the downfalls.

 

[Biodude]

Well, this is all interesting to note, considering that I'm still pre-med, but I'm not surprised by the percentages. I'd have to agree with SunnyS81 with the two groups of doctors 😀 I've met many many docs who thought that I was crazy for wanting to go into medicine, even after they told me all of the pitfalls of the profession, and I've met some doctors who wouldn't trade anything else for the jobs they have now. They absolutely love their jobs, despite malpractice, despite pay cuts from managed care, despite lawyers wanting to grab their insurance money, etc.

As for "the grass is greener on the other side," I have found from experience and watching others' experiences that it's actually just as brown as the grass on your side, depending on your expectations. Go figure, huh? 😛

 

[UTH2003]

I would be interested in learning what percentage of the children of doctors decide that medicine is the career for them. They have seen firsthand the obligations and struggles that their parents have had to go through. It would be comforting to me to know that even after seeing how much time and stress that is involved in medicine, they still think that is the right thing for them.

 

[Doc Ivy]

Personally I am not worried about a non-scientific poll stating 67% wouldn't want their kids to be doctors...hell 20% of Dentists wouldn't recommend Trident...who gives a ****?

Not really relevant, but damn that's funny

But to be serious, my dad IS a dentist and he vehemently discouraged me as a woman into following his in his footsteps. Instead he suggested I go into medicine, less overhead, less stress of dealing with staff, and management bullsh*t, the pressure of being your own boss--at least in medicine you can be in a hospital-based specialty, and if you want to, say, take maternity leave, you can do that without losing half of your practice and all of your income. So I don't think its a coincidence that myself and my two sisters are all in med school... parental influence is a very powerful thing

Peace ~Doc

 

[Sonya]

63 % wont recommend

citation... Issues in Physician Satisfaction

doesn't it sound like a journal title that reports about problems physicians have?

 

[evescadeceus]

Whether or not 67% recommended it to their kids or not does not seem to make a difference - the medical profession has become a significantly hereditary profession. Unscientific results based on my own experience - I would say more than 1/3 of the students in my MCAT prep course this summer mentioned a parent physician. Some even mentioned wanting the same specialization as the parent. This sort of amazes me - I would think one would want to live one's own life to a greater extent.

 

[Skip Intro]

Originally posted by evescadeceus
Whether or not 67% recommended it to their kids or not does not seem to make a difference - the medical profession has become a significantly hereditary profession. Unscientific results based on my own experience - I would say more than 1/3 of the students in my MCAT prep course this summer mentioned a parent physician. Some even mentioned wanting the same specialization as the parent. This sort of amazes me - I would think one would want to live one's own life to a greater extent.

Yeah, seems to be a phenomenon. Sort of a "family business" type of mentality. It would be interesting to study to see if there are heritable traits, etc.

No one in my family is a physician. But, like other posters on this thread, I've always felt the calling to help people throughout my life - especially the underdogs and the overlooked. Like other posters, I left a very, VERY lucrative career (near six figures) to go to Ross no less. I have to agree with the two types of doctors thing, as well, that SunnyS81 mentions. (And, if you look at this forum, I often find it's pretty easy to predict which SDN members are more likely going to fall into Group 2.)

I love medicine. I've been in "the field" for the past 12 years. Of course there are frustrations. There are always going to be frustrations in life. But, if you really want a career where you have a strong possibility to make a difference, this is one of the few.

The rest of the stuff (lawsuits, managed care, odd hours, etc.) is just noise. So long as you recognize it as noise, and focus on and take pride in the people who truly appreciate you, you'll look at your vocation, as Primate said, as a paid vacation. It's probably the Type 2's who tend to do the opposite.

 

[mamie]

Originally posted by evescadeceus
This sort of amazes me - I would think one would want to live one's own life to a greater extent.

I would agree that it is possible that some children of physicians might be entering the field of medicine to please a parent, but that is not the case for most.

Being the son of a nephrologist, I basically grew up in the hospital and in his practices. I have also witnessed his fellow physicians being falsely accused of malpractice (to which no court has allowed, b/c the plaintiffs always have bogus claims), as well as witnessing their pay and decision power decrease due to the onslought of managed care.

Like it or not, many sons and daughters of physicians know the reality of the postion and it's affect on life (pertaining to family especially). I would never go into the field of my father (too much death), but I do not question those that would follow in their respective field, for they know better than most what it takes to succeed.

By the way, my parents weren't the most supportive when it came to me going into medicine, but they seem okay about it now.
However, I have been forbidden from operating my own private practice.

 

[Skip Intro]

Great quote in your tagline, mamie.

 

[CH3CH2OH]

i don't have any *official* statistics to support this, but parents encouraging their kids to go into the same profession they did is a pretty rear thing. why? there are many disadvantages in every occupation, you just happen to be very familiar with yours...

another thing that i've read, but can't remember any specific references, is that many (i'm pretty sure most) physicians would choose they same career over again, but according to these statistics wouldn't recommend it to their children

 

[ibo man]

Hee! I work as a pharmacy tech, and I love what I do. Trust me without pharmacy techs doing their job well, physicians job would be much harder. eg stat meds and stat IVs if you know what I mean.

 

[Entei]

Originally posted by evescadeceus
Whether or not 67% recommended it to their kids or not does not seem to make a difference - the medical profession has become a significantly hereditary profession. Unscientific results based on my own experience - I would say more than 1/3 of the students in my MCAT prep course this summer mentioned a parent physician. Some even mentioned wanting the same specialization as the parent. This sort of amazes me - I would think one would want to live one's own life to a greater extent.

Maybe there is a higher percentage of applicants with physician parents in the MCAT prep course because they are more likely to be able to afford to take such a course? I would imagine that if you surveyed the applicants who did not enroll in a prep course, you would find the percentage of applicants with physician parents to be lower, but that's just a guess.