am I the only med student out there that is...

[medstudent86218]

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afraid to go into Anesthesia because of the future health care reform changes that may impact the field?

I know, i know--"do what you love"...which is the only motivating factor for me to go into Anesthesia right now....

But I am so far in debt, I want to some day have a family, and I just wonder if the choice I make NOW will hurt me later.

I guess I just want to see why people who have thought this through over and over in their heads are still going into the field.... is their anyone else like me??

 

[Laryngophed]

afraid to go into Anesthesia because of the future health care reform changes that may impact the field?

I know, i know--"do what you love"...which is the only motivating factor for me to go into Anesthesia right now....

But I am so far in debt, I want to some day have a family, and I just wonder if the choice I make NOW will hurt me later.

I guess I just want to see why people who have thought this through over and over in their heads are still going into the field.... is their anyone else like me??

I'm pretty far removed from making the decision, but after having a job that I hated nearly every day for 2 years, I'd say pick the job that makes you the happiest. If you find the work fascinating or fun, do that. If the work doesn't matter to you (I find that hard to believe, but I can't speak for everyone) but having lots of money is what would make you happy, pick a field that is likely to reimburse you for your time.

For me personally, there is no amount of money (that I could reasonably make) that could make me love going to a job I hate.

There is much uncertainty around the new health care laws, and hopefully the House will de facto kill it by cutting off its funding.

Just my $0.02.

 

[BLADEMDA]

afraid to go into Anesthesia because of the future health care reform changes that may impact the field?

I know, i know--"do what you love"...which is the only motivating factor for me to go into Anesthesia right now....

But I am so far in debt, I want to some day have a family, and I just wonder if the choice I make NOW will hurt me later.

I guess I just want to see why people who have thought this through over and over in their heads are still going into the field.... is their anyone else like me??

The choice you make NOW will be huge in terms of "affecting the rest of your life."

Also, maybe you don't "love" any specialty in particular but definitely avoid those you despise. Perhaps, you can make a list of 3 "you can live with" as a choice.

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

afraid to go into Anesthesia because of the future health care reform changes that may impact the field?

I know, i know--"do what you love"...which is the only motivating factor for me to go into Anesthesia right now....

But I am so far in debt, I want to some day have a family, and I just wonder if the choice I make NOW will hurt me later.

I guess I just want to see why people who have thought this through over and over in their heads are still going into the field.... is their anyone else like me??

The only way a choice NOW will hurt you later is if you pick a field you are miserable in. If you're concerned about the pay decreasing, don't be. I expect physician salaries across the board will decline (with the exception of primary care, because they don't have far to fall). Yet people choose to go into primary care every day despite making maybe half of what an anesthesiologist does, and remain financially solvent and have families. It is certainly tougher in some specialties than others, but there are also repayment strategies and options to help you out.

I think the bigger issue is whether or not medical school will be worth it in the future if the ratio of debt:salary continues to rise. But since you're already in medical school, the horse is out of the barn on that one. I would choose what (you think) you're most interested in, and if it's anesthesia, you can at least rest easy in knowing that you'll be fairly well-compensated (at least in relation to many other fields).

 

[Bertelman]

I'd like to hear from someone who can guarantee that ANY medical specialty is immune from lower reimbursement over the next 10 or 20 years.

Until then, I'd say do what makes you happy.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

I'd like to hear from someone who can guarantee that ANY medical specialty is immune from lower reimbursement over the next 10 or 20 years.

Until then, I'd say do what makes you happy.

👍

For everyone who wonders if med school's worth it, I'm not so sure all those business/MBA grads and law grads are doing any better (actually most probably doing worse) ...

 

[Laryngophed]

👍

For everyone who wonders if med school's worth it, I'm not so sure all those business/MBA grads and law grads are doing any better (actually most probably doing worse) ...

I can't speak for everywhere, but my SO's law school class is still having trouble finding difficulty finding jobs. IIRC, something like 20% of the class had secured employment as attorneys at graduation. More than a few of the class have had to re-enroll in coursework to avoid their loans from exiting deferment. It's tough for everybody, it would seem.

 

[Bertelman]

I can't speak for everywhere, but my SO's law school class is still having trouble finding difficulty finding jobs. IIRC, something like 20% of the class had secured employment as attorney's at graduation. More than a few of the class have had to re-enroll in coursework to avoid their loans from exiting deferment. It's tough for everybody, it would seem.

I was going to post something on this today. Big article in the NYT concerning poor job market for lawyers.

As bad as you think medicine may be, until possibly the most-read english language newspaper does a multi-page article describing the lack of jobs and sellout of your profession by the educational establishment, it could always be worse...you could be a lawyer.

 

[gman33]

I think it's important to think about future income etc, only I don't think there is any way to really guess what's going to happen.

All salaries will probably take a hit.
So if that's the case, I'm just going to pick what I like doing the best.

I figure even if gas gets screwed down to crna level salaries, that's still more than many primary care docs. That doesn't make it right, but I'll still be able to pay my bills (i hope).

 

[Dirt]

I am in the exact same boat as you.

There are a few things that concern me in addition to the salary though. I like anesthesia, but I like doing, not supervising. I am slightly less concerned with the money aspects of CRNAs and slightly more concerned that my future job will consist solely of supervising. For this reason I am really looking into cardiothoracic, critical care or peds as fellowships. Although I have heard that the job market for those fellowships are decreasing and that pain (which I have little interest in) is where the jobs are.

For the record I am still considering gen surg, which I love save for the lifestyle, and EM, which I love save for the social work aspect and the drunks/druggies/psych issues.

 

[Narcotized]

am I the only med student out there that is... afraid to go into Anesthesia because of the future health care reform changes that may impact the field?

Of course you should be concerned. To not be concerned is being ignorant.

Everyting in our economy is bad, and everything is heading in a much much worse direction. The beauty of understanding economics is knowing this terrible condition we are in and knowing every idiotic idea for a quick fix from massive spending to massive tax cuts to massive money printing is digging the hole that much deeper. The downside to understanding economics is knowing this terrible condition we are in and knowing every idiotic idea for a quick fix from massive spending to massive tax cuts to massive money printing is digging the hole that much deeper.

 

[pgg]

But I am so far in debt, I want to some day have a family, and I just wonder if the choice I make NOW will hurt me later.

Honestly, I think the more important choice you make will be after completing whatever residency you choose: where you decide to live and practice.

At least within anesthesia, the pay differential between big "desirable" cities and rural "undesirable" cities is enormous. The cost of living differential is just as big. Whatever happens to healthcare and the country, that's unlikely to change.


Also - what Narcotized said. I don't believe American socioeconomic ruin is imminent, but it's coming. There are worse things to be during a depression than a doctor.

 

[RT2MD]

Have to agree with the bit about lawyers. My wife graduated from law school in May of 2009, she still has a LOT of her friends that don't have jobs (or are working retail, etc). She was one of the lucky ones to wind up with a GREAT job... which is good since she is supporting my debt-racking-@$$! 😀

As far as the debate on worrying about anesthesia? Most of my family/friends know that I'm interested in anesthesia and I kept getting bombarded by that article on CNN money a while back about Anesthesiologists being among the highest paid physicians. I just smiled and shook my head, I personally believe that the salaries aren't going to be ANYWHERE near what they are now when I'm in practice. Does that dissuade me from pursuing anesthesiology? No.

I realize that I'm only a 1st year medical student, but I have many years of working as an RT where I tried to be around anesthesiologists as much as possible. I know that I have never done the work, but I have many hours spent in the OR and I haven't seen anything about the work that I don't like. I am 100% totally fascinated by the field. I love the physiology/pharmacology knowledge that must be mastered. I love that you can see the immediate effects of your interventions. I love that the anesthesiologist is the only physician in the hospital that can do just about everything his/her self (run the vent, mix their own drips, put in lines, titrate IVs, etc).

Personally, I agree with Dirt. I know it's a long way off, but I'm considering either a critical care or cardio fellowship. I don't want to end up in a job supervising all day. There is a reason that I've never done management! I just want to end up in a career where I won't get bored. I think that anesthesiology can easily provide that, with a salary where I won't be broke.

In my honest opinion, I think that anybody who has come back to do medical school as a second career will have a different outlook on life than the "traditional" student. I believe that anybody who has been forced to go to a job that he/she didn't like will be much more likely to go after job satisfaction vs. monetary reward in a residency. I'm not saying that one is more/less "right" than the other... just different.

Best of luck!

 

[CrazyJake]

Don't believe for 1 minute Anesthesia is the only specialty feeling the crunch. I have friends who are in FM, IM, Peds, Surgery, Cards, ER, Psych..you name it, they're dreading healthcare reform and they're not expecting to make tons more $. FM $ may increase, but everyone acts like they're going from 150K to 500K - NO WAY. Maybe they get closer to 200K and deservingly so - with all the social work they do, they deserve 40K more, IMO (I think Peds deserves more $ too).

I have 2 good buddies who are lawyers and 1 is struggling to pay his bills and lives in a dump - 6 yrs out of school and the other just quit and went to work for a bank as a consultant!

I have a friend who is a pharmacist and he continually complains about how he's make 115K since graduating in 2004, not a penny more each year, and is Walgreens bitch.

The CRNA market is tightening across the country too. A recent Sr SRNA told me she struggled to find a job and was happy to take 130K and have a J-O-B. Friends of hers are doing locums b/c they couldnt' find a job.

Do what you love. Anesthesia is going to be fine and we're still going to make better than avg $. I've read most of the healthcare bill and I didn't see 1 word about tort reform, which equates to job security for us b/c bad crap happens in the OR and as long as trial lawyers exist, we have jobs..and well paying jobs at that. As said above, pick a specialty you enjoy and definitely don't go into a field for the cash!

Hope this helps,
CJ

 

[cfdavid]

Of course you should be concerned. To not be concerned is being ignorant.

Everyting in our economy is bad, and everything is heading in a much much worse direction. The beauty of understanding economics is knowing this terrible condition we are in and knowing every idiotic idea for a quick fix from massive spending to massive tax cuts to massive money printing is digging the hole that much deeper. The downside to understanding economics is knowing this terrible condition we are in and knowing every idiotic idea for a quick fix from massive spending to massive tax cuts to massive money printing is digging the hole that much deeper.

Ignorance really can be bliss.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8cq9y3QagI

 

[CrazyJake]

After previous posts, check this out. We're not the only one feeling the crunch as stated above. If Obamacare crashes medicine, which is the ultimate plan, the govt will never see a penny of all that student loan money it has loaned to students.

http://finance.yahoo.com/college-ed...ol-a-losing-game?mod=edu-continuing_education

CJ

 

[periopdoc]

Short of catastrophic changes to the system, you will always be ahead of this list as an anesthesiologist. Accept your place on the O-Line of the OR. Find a job that pays reasonably well, and realize that you will always be among the best paid workers in America. If your goal is serious money, you should realize that few make serious money from wages. For that, you need to have multiple people working for you and generating income for your business.

Top 20 Best-Paying College Degrees in 2010 - By Lynn O'Shaughnessy


- pod

 

[CambieMD]

I'd like to hear from someone who can guarantee that ANY medical specialty is immune from lower reimbursement over the next 10 or 20 years.

Until then, I'd say do what makes you happy.

You have my vote on that.

Cambie

 

[bronx43]

afraid to go into Anesthesia because of the future health care reform changes that may impact the field?

I know, i know--"do what you love"...which is the only motivating factor for me to go into Anesthesia right now....

But I am so far in debt, I want to some day have a family, and I just wonder if the choice I make NOW will hurt me later.

I guess I just want to see why people who have thought this through over and over in their heads are still going into the field.... is their anyone else like me??

What the hell? Why would you single out anesthesia, while talking about the negative impacts of health care reform on physician salary? If anything, imaging specialties like cardiology and radiology are going to get the brunt of that downsizing. Like CJ said, the real threat to a field like anesthesia is changes to tort reform, where incremental decreases in outcome will be sacrificed for cost cutting measures.