are you happy? would you do it again?

[neurotrancer]

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How many current medical students are happy with their choice of proffession? I just finished reading the current TIME magazine covering the rising costs of malpractice insurance premiums ("The Doctor Is Out"). Have any of you read it and does it concern any of you? The article mentioned that in a survey conducted by the AMA of med school graduates, ONE FRIGGIN' FOURTH of all graduates said if they had the chance to repeat their education they would not do medicine. Do you guys worry about entering a profession that is certainly not what it once was - that doctors are viewed in a much more skeptical light than before, or that they are considered by many to be "overpaid", for example? Sure, in college we job shadowed and volunteered...but I doubt that as undergraduate students any of us really, truly felt the weight and burden of $150,000+ student loans, or possibly working long hours and years without any appreciation, or having to possibly contribute large fractions of personal income to malpractice insurance premiums to cover for mistakes that sometimes can't be helped. I'm idealistic and want to say, "Giving my everything for nothing in return is that much more meaningful and rewarding..." but I can't help but wonder...

Any thoughts?

 

[Hawaiiandoc04]

I just read that article as welll! i too am extremely worried that I will be the 1/4 statistic. It seems as if perhaps my main motives for going into medicine are
1: job security/ financial inc.
2: status
3: parents
bad reasons bad reasons....

 

[Primate]

Hi,

Agreed that any field where 1/4 of graduates would pick a different field may sound like a setup for a careerlong whinefest. However, there are a few points to consider in evaluating this.

1 - the "bad reasons" have always existed in medicine (part of my standard "so why do YOU want to be doctor?" rant).

2 - those that chose medicine for the wrong reasons fifty years ago didn't like it then, either.

3 - MANY other fields also have a high rate of "wish I'd done something else-itis" (a not so rare medical condition not covered in Bates). I'm speaking from experience on this one as I'm a reformed corporate stooge. 😉

4 - Medicine was never "what it used to be" and yet can still be practiced that way (however you define this nostalgic view) if you choose your setting carefully.

5 - there are not many poor doctors. Period. Even a relatively low paid doc will typically make around $100k/yr (I know there are exceptions, but they cut both ways). That's a whole lot better than many and will let you pay off your loans and still live well. If you only want HUGE $$, go into plastics or derm or, better yet, go get an MBA.

In the end, for those who want to practice medicine, this is a good way to go (remember that PAs, LPNs, etc. give medical care, too - another point in my standard rant). For those who went into it for the wrong reasons, it may be a tough road to hoe. Again, choosing the setting in which you ultimately practice medicine can greatly limit your exposure to bitter docs, even though they certainly exist.

What I think is a shame is, as pointed out, the lack of information many students seem to have when making the decision to go to med school. That said, I think most people consider the "bad reasons" in ANY career choice, and that's appropriate. What one needs in conjunction with those motives is at least some interest in clinical medicine.

It's not so much the existence of the $$/status/parental factors as it is the absence of an interest in being a clinician that (IMO) makes for an unhappy doc. Not sure where you fall on that one, HIdoc04, but I hope it works out for you.

My $0.02 (or less, since you actually paid nothing for this drivel 😉 ).

P

 

[neurotrancer]

what does "IMO" mean?

 

[tofurious]

I am surprised at the 1/4 number because I have heard that 60% of the practicing physicians would not recommend someone else to go into medicine (35% of them must want to do it themselves but don't want anyone else to go into it... ). I think the problems are many-fold, which I am sure Time has addressed (I'll have to read this article). I think it's unfair to say that physicians are or were overpaid because the amount of training and time devotion you have to put in. If you look at how much a dietician, a nurse, or a pharmacist ($90k+, $80k+, $110k+, according to a recent Time article), a physician making $100k is grossly underpaid. I don't know what you guys think, but personally I believe the whole reason behind physicians' declining wages is the horrible health care system the government has created where they decide how much you are compensated based on a screwed up formula eerily similar to the HMO system we often rant about. You can't honestly say that it's right an expert in the field gets paid the sameamount for the same procedure done by a fresh out of residency physician. They are basically paying you jack for experience and accumulated skills, and only punish you when you do something wrong. How is that a profession anyone should be encouraged to go into, with all the humanity reasons aside?

 

[Primate]

I don't disagree that there are aspects to medicine that are troubling. However, there are many people who have as much training as physicians who make less and also have limited ability to increase their income (almost any PhD). Researchers, for instance, don't typically go into it for the dough or complain about low salaries following a decade of training (say 6 for Phd and a now typical 4 year post doc, followed by a $50-80k/year job in academia). Well, maybe they do complain, but only that physicians make so much more with a similar amount of training.

My point isn't that physicians are overpaid (which I do not think is true) or that PhDs are underpaid (which I think actually IS true), but rather that one should know the score BEFORE entering a field. One can work to change the way things are, but you've got to be realistic about what the world you CHOOSE to enter looks like before you start changing it.

You can't wish medicine into a different form. The only way to change it is from within, and that means entering the field the way it is now. If the money thing still bothers you (not you personally tofurious, the general "you" as in "yous guys"), there are many fields in medicine where the paycheck is still pretty beefy. Go for one of those, if $$ is the driving force - you'll make bundles.

 

[Celiac Plexus]

The public has always been fascinated by physicians. It seems that people both idolize and criticize doctors for a variety of reasons.

The recent TIME mag article just plays in to the public's rabid interest in the lives of doctors.

The fact is that 25% (probably a lot more) of ANY field wishes they had chosen another profession.

The fact is that malpractice problems are real, and worrisome.

The fact is that you can make a lot of money in medicine, or a "resonable" income of over 100K which is still 2-3 times the average worker's pay.

The fact is that your colleagues will be, at the very least, interesting and highly educated.

The fact is that many students are graduating with 6 figure debt. But many provate practice opportunities include student loan forgiveness.

The fact is that there is a HUGE demand of doctors' services, and if you are flexible about location, when you finish residency you will find a great job that fits your lifestyle.

The fact is that medicine is "not the way it used to be" is good. Technology and research continue to make the field exciting, dynamic, and loaded with opportunities.

The fact is that your MD will confer on you a level of respect, and prestige that is still higher than other professions.

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It's great that you are asking yourself these questions. Just remember that your job choice is one of the most important choices that you will make in life. Income, prestige, and respect are relatively unimportant in the long run. Doing something that you love, and enjoy, will be the best reward.

 

[klinzou]

MBA HUGE $$$$-

Everyone stop saying this. This isn't true anymore. Everyone has an MBA, and they aren't making big$$. That was what happened in the dot.com bubble, but if you've been under a shell, that's over now. Please advise 😛

 

[Primate]

Well, the MBA isn't the ticket it used to be. However, the payout on one from a top school is still pretty tasty. The difference from medicine is that the lower tier B-schools do not pay well, whereas lower tier med school grads are still DOCTORS 😀 😀 😀 .

If you have any other experience, the MBA does pay well. I've not been under a rock here and am speaking from experience. I still get job offers regularly for pretty good dough. Not surgeon money, but when you consider the lost income over seven or eight years (9 or more total training minus the 2 for the MBA) and what you would make with the MBA, you ARE talking a serious earning difference that takes many years to make up (which likely will happen IF you choose a moderate to high paying specialty).

Really, I only invoked the MBA as a device to get people to think about why they chose medicine. You're kinda right, but only kinda. I have an MBA and I'm certainly not making much. 😉

 

[WakeMedHeel]

Yes, I am happy with my decision. Yes, I am worried about malpractice. Yes, I would do it again.