Advice if you would continue career

[revex]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I am in a M.D. program who finished my second year and took USMLE. After second year I took leave to do a Ph.D. in different university, as they didn't have MSTP in my school. With Obamacare coming in swing and the increase in tuition, I would like advice from residents and praticing physicians for someone in my boat. I am hoping to graduate with Ph.D. this year. Would you advise (if yourself) to return and finish the 6 years of training or switching to Pharm D, Dental, Optometry, or Podiatry.

The first two years were quite a challenge for me, and to leave medical school for Ph.D. was also to reconsider my life choices. I am not a die hard to be a physician. I realize it doesn't hold the respect people put it at and the pay with debt isn't all that layman would like to think. That said I have 2 years in....

I have interest in PM&R and intend to do pursue that upon graduating. Opinions on the future of PM&R also would be appreciated!

 

[RUOkie]

OP, I love my job. I enjoy what I do and work hard at it. 15 yrs now.

If you enjoy what you do, it is a lot easier to work long hours.

Do the changes in health care worry me? Yes.
Would I do it again? Yes.
Might I make less money in a few years? Yes.

If you are not set on being a physician, spend a few months volunteering at a physiatrist's office and make sure. The clinical years are a lot better for most of us.

Hope that helps you.

 

[PMR 4 MSK]

Medicine is a hard road with incredible investiment for diminishing returns. If you have to pay the tuition yourself - i.e. you'll be seriously indebted, I would consider an alternative career.

With your PhD, you can do academics and spend years working your way up an ever-shrinking academic mountain, or go into industry and get paid better with arguably less stability.

With other medical fields - dental,OD, etc, you best opportunity for making money is to own your own practice and build a good reputation.

If you are in it for the money, MD is not the way to go. Also if you are in it for the money, a PhD was not the way to go either.

Ultimately you have to find what you enjoy doing. No amount of money is worth an unhappy career. Anyone who picks a career for money ends up chasing money their whole career.

If you go purely on the amount of effort it requires to be an MD, yes it is very hard. It's main reward is personal satisfaction.

 

[Jitter Bug]

Do you have a spot waiting for you in a third year medical school class, or do you need to reapply to continue your degree?

 

[padresp]

Hi, I thought I'd share my two cents. I'm now a PGY-2 in PM&R and was a non-traditional med student (worked 5y before med school). I personally really liked the first two years of school, hated the 3rd, and loved the 4th. Most people who hated the first 2 years, loved the 3rd and 4th (everyone loves the 4th). Intern year is rough no matter where you go, but very rewarding when you finish, and so far PGY-2 year is excellent, though demanding.

My advice is simply to do what interests you, and follow that path with the knowledge you may have to put up with a lot of crap for a couple of years in order to get there. If you don't want to put up with it, that's completely understandable; don't do it. But there are a lot of people with PhDs who are not satisfied with their lives, just as there are a lot of MDs. Just don't fall into the "grass is always greener" mentality, because everyone has it. I'll bet you're happy to have the PhD even though there were times you questioned it.

Even though the future of medicine is murky, there will always be a need for doctors, there will always be a shortage of us, and an MD degree will always be in demand. It is a very versatile degree, even if you don't practice medicine. If I were in your shoes (and again, this is just my opinion), I'd do the 2 years and decide if you want to do residency.

 

[bedrock]

I'd do the 2 years and decide if you want to do residency.

The M.D. does open up a lot of doors even if you don't do residency. As a researcher, having an M.D. next to the Ph.D. gets you more grant money.

The M.D. opens avenues into various clinical industries that a Ph.D won't.
Hell, even if you want to be an author, blogger, etc., having an M.D. will open some doors that a Ph.D wouldn't.

Most M.D/Ph.D programs are free+stipend and you're already done the part that got you the free tuition/stipend (the ph.d) so I'd finish the last two years for your M.D. and then make your decision whether to do a residency during the early part of your last year of med school.

 

[revex]

Appreciate the advice you all gave! Thanks padresp and bedrock for encouragement - it strengthens my resolve to finish the race. 🙂

Another question, I am curious about being double boarded. Is it feasible to do an IM / PM&R double board, and what would that look like? Thank you for your insights!