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- Jun 24, 2008
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I know the majority of my threads on SDN have been geared more towards the financial aspect of medicine. I will try to make this my last.
The reason I post all these money related questions is because I cannot ask other physicians how much they make and have not come across a better forum than this for asking questions.
---
I am decent in math and science. However, I do not really have a strong passion for the sciences. I love math though, but more like what you do in AP stat or business calculus.
So, not really having a strong interest in science, at all, really kills me to boot. It isn't that I'm lazy, because I'm not, its just that I am starting to realize how difficult it is to make it in this field. I know I'm smart but you really have to be gifted to become a physician, at least in my eyes.
Another thing that has crossed my mind a million times over is:What exactly do I want?
All I want is a nice house and to be able to live comfortably. I have posted another thread about this in the All Students section. I really want to be an accountant but I also want to live where I am (New Jersey). Houses down here are VERY expensive. A nice house can sometimes max out at $980,000. It's nuts.
I have actually based all my career choices in the past two years on which ones will get me a million dollar house the quickest.
Why? Well, because that is all I really want. I just want a big house and enough money to live comfortably.
---
So why am I still on here then? Well, accounting is a pretty boring job. I mean, I can deal with it, but, eh. Even though being a physician is much more stressful, what you do day to day beats the hell out of what an accountant does day to day.
The pre med workload is very rigorous at just about every college, and that is what scares me.
I keep telling myself "Jeff, don't worry about high school, just do what you need to do to get into a good state school and just go from there."
But then I get bolted back to reality every time I go to science class. If I cannot handle an AP bio or AP chem course, how the hell will I handle medical school?
I have come to the conclusion that the only way for me to have a pray at medical school is to work day in and day out studying and studying for years and years and years. Is it even worth it?
All I want is a good income for a single person. 150k after taxes is an income I can deal with.
However, it seems that there are NO careers out there that will give me that income without 25 years or so experience. Will I have me million dollar house? Sure. Will I be driving a BMW? Why the hell not?
When? My 50th birthday it seems.
It seems like there are no careers out there besides one in the medical field that will give me the income I want in a decent amount of time. Most people coming out of residency make that much.
--
So I have come down to a couple questions.
Should I still consider medicine because I know that I will be compensated well and be able to achieve what I want?
Because medical school is so expensive, would it be wise to get a bachelors in accounting, work in NYC, and go from the ground up instead?
And (I do not expect this to be answered)
I have heard from NUMEROUS people on here that there are quicker ways to achieve my goals, yet no one has been able to give me an alternative career.
Accountants in NYC start at around 60k out of college, which is pretty good. However, lets say I have a friend who plans on becoming a physician.
Physician:
4 years UG
4 years med (120k in debt)
3-9 years residency ($40k a year, lets say)
Accountant:
4 years UG
4 years exp (about 200k in bank)
1-3 years exp additional (70-120k in bank)
By the physician friend starts practicing I could have accumulate a few hundred grand already. For the sake of argument lets say I have 200-250k in my bank.
My friend is still paying off his loans while I have a quarter mill and will become a manager next year, making 100k, which is more or less what my family physician friend now makes. Yet, I have much more money than him.
---
This is what I mean. If I can make this much money by the time I am in my 30's, why even bother becoming a doctor if I am just in it for the money?
However, my doctor friend, will more than likely make much more than me in the long run and be more financially comfortable.
I cannot hope to achieve my goal of owning a nice house down here until I am 40 which is 20 years after I graduate high school. I do not know if I should just be an accountant or shoot for the stars and become a physician.
The reason I post all these money related questions is because I cannot ask other physicians how much they make and have not come across a better forum than this for asking questions.
---
I am decent in math and science. However, I do not really have a strong passion for the sciences. I love math though, but more like what you do in AP stat or business calculus.
So, not really having a strong interest in science, at all, really kills me to boot. It isn't that I'm lazy, because I'm not, its just that I am starting to realize how difficult it is to make it in this field. I know I'm smart but you really have to be gifted to become a physician, at least in my eyes.
Another thing that has crossed my mind a million times over is:What exactly do I want?
All I want is a nice house and to be able to live comfortably. I have posted another thread about this in the All Students section. I really want to be an accountant but I also want to live where I am (New Jersey). Houses down here are VERY expensive. A nice house can sometimes max out at $980,000. It's nuts.
I have actually based all my career choices in the past two years on which ones will get me a million dollar house the quickest.
Why? Well, because that is all I really want. I just want a big house and enough money to live comfortably.
---
So why am I still on here then? Well, accounting is a pretty boring job. I mean, I can deal with it, but, eh. Even though being a physician is much more stressful, what you do day to day beats the hell out of what an accountant does day to day.
The pre med workload is very rigorous at just about every college, and that is what scares me.
I keep telling myself "Jeff, don't worry about high school, just do what you need to do to get into a good state school and just go from there."
But then I get bolted back to reality every time I go to science class. If I cannot handle an AP bio or AP chem course, how the hell will I handle medical school?
I have come to the conclusion that the only way for me to have a pray at medical school is to work day in and day out studying and studying for years and years and years. Is it even worth it?
All I want is a good income for a single person. 150k after taxes is an income I can deal with.
However, it seems that there are NO careers out there that will give me that income without 25 years or so experience. Will I have me million dollar house? Sure. Will I be driving a BMW? Why the hell not?
When? My 50th birthday it seems.
It seems like there are no careers out there besides one in the medical field that will give me the income I want in a decent amount of time. Most people coming out of residency make that much.
--
So I have come down to a couple questions.
Should I still consider medicine because I know that I will be compensated well and be able to achieve what I want?
Because medical school is so expensive, would it be wise to get a bachelors in accounting, work in NYC, and go from the ground up instead?
And (I do not expect this to be answered)
I have heard from NUMEROUS people on here that there are quicker ways to achieve my goals, yet no one has been able to give me an alternative career.
Accountants in NYC start at around 60k out of college, which is pretty good. However, lets say I have a friend who plans on becoming a physician.
Physician:
4 years UG
4 years med (120k in debt)
3-9 years residency ($40k a year, lets say)
Accountant:
4 years UG
4 years exp (about 200k in bank)
1-3 years exp additional (70-120k in bank)
By the physician friend starts practicing I could have accumulate a few hundred grand already. For the sake of argument lets say I have 200-250k in my bank.
My friend is still paying off his loans while I have a quarter mill and will become a manager next year, making 100k, which is more or less what my family physician friend now makes. Yet, I have much more money than him.
---
This is what I mean. If I can make this much money by the time I am in my 30's, why even bother becoming a doctor if I am just in it for the money?
However, my doctor friend, will more than likely make much more than me in the long run and be more financially comfortable.
I cannot hope to achieve my goal of owning a nice house down here until I am 40 which is 20 years after I graduate high school. I do not know if I should just be an accountant or shoot for the stars and become a physician.