At what age does a doctor's career start?

[BioDoc]

Theoretically:
Undergrad: 18-22
Med School: 23-27
Residency: 28-32
Fellowship: 33-34

So does the career of a doctor usually start in ur low/mid 30's? How do ppl feel about this? When can a doctor actually afford their own house (Move out of their parents)? At what age does do doctors have time to find love in their life? What is the average age a doctor gets married? Are doctors bummed out that they missed out on most of life in their 20's? Or is it all truly worth it at the end?

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[jjmad1201]

why does this theoretical doc take a year off every time he/she starts something new. ie med school 27 then starts residency when he/she is 28

 

[Pinkertinkle]

yah i'd say the start of residency is the start of your career, since you do get paid at that time. 18-21 college, 21-25 md school, july 25 start your career!

 

[MossPoh]

I started med school this year. Just turned 25 this weekend. You'll find much older applicants than me too.

So, best case scenario I'll be low-mid 30s when polishing off residency and worse case I'll be mid to late 30s.

During residency you aren't paying tuition. You make SOME money. I wouldn't say it is enough to live large, but it is enough to survive and not be considered a complete pauper.

Most docs I know either bought a house as soon as they finished residency and got that big paycheck or lived in a crappy apartment as an attending for a few years and stockpiled money.

You find love at any age. Half my class is in a serious relationship or married....at least. I still have time to go on dates. You have to be a human first and med student second. Am I bummed out? Sometimes, but it is only because my friends all have high paying jobs in other fields and I still feel like a poor college student. I still wouldn't change places. I've done all the things that a 20 something should. I've partied too much. I've travelled. I've dated. I've made crap decisions. So, I really don't have too much to regret.

 

[Compass]

Undergrad: 18-22
Med School: 22-26
Residency: 26-30
Fellowship: 30-32

You added in 4 gap years...

 

[ChiDO]

The avg. age of an entering first year medical student is usually ~24.

24-28 med school
28-32 residency
33-34 fellowship/long residency/attending

So, I would say by the age of ~32 you could be an attending.

 

[DrYoda]

So does the career of a doctor usually start in ur low/mid 30's? How do ppl feel about this?

You are not a doctor until you graduate med school. At what age depends on when you started, I'll be 26. When you compete your residency/fellowship depends on your speciality, 3 years I belive is the shortest. Your table is too high if someone starts college right after highschool and med school right after college.

When can a doctor actually afford their own house (Move out of their parents)?

Lol. I think most people move out of their parent's house between 17 and 20.

The feasability of owning a home depends on where you live. A resident's salary will cover a morgtage in many places. In some of the more expensive housing markets it won't.

At what age does do doctors have time to find love in their life? What is the average age a doctor gets married? Are doctors bummed out that they missed out on most of life in their 20's? Or is it all truly worth it at the end?

The answer to all of these is it depends on the individual.

 

[niblet]

It's not like you "lose" all those years.

It's a huge commitment, but you're not putting your life on hold (or at least you shouldn't be).

 

[ILikeDrugs]

why does this theoretical doc take a year off every time he/she starts something new. ie med school 27 then starts residency when he/she is 28

Nah. It just means our birthdays are in the middle of summer. 😀

 

[Van Chowder]

I started med school this year. Just turned 25 this weekend. You'll find much older applicants than me too.

So, best case scenario I'll be low-mid 30s when polishing off residency and worse case I'll be mid to late 30s.

During residency you aren't paying tuition. You make SOME money. I wouldn't say it is enough to live large, but it is enough to survive and not be considered a complete pauper.

Most docs I know either bought a house as soon as they finished residency and got that big paycheck or lived in a crappy apartment as an attending for a few years and stockpiled money.

You find love at any age. Half my class is in a serious relationship or married....at least. I still have time to go on dates. You have to be a human first and med student second. Am I bummed out? Sometimes, but it is only because my friends all have high paying jobs in other fields and I still feel like a poor college student. I still wouldn't change places. I've done all the things that a 20 something should. I've partied too much. I've travelled. I've dated. I've made crap decisions. So, I really don't have too much to regret.

👍

 

[Beta Cell]

Neurosurgery route with no breaks:

18-22 Undergrad
22-26 Medical School
26-33 Residency
33-34/35 Fellowship

 

[BlueElmo]

Neurosurgery route with no breaks:

18-22 Undergrad
22-26 Medical School
26-33 Residency
33-34/35 Fellowship

6-7 years of residency. Whew, hardcore.

 

[link2swim06]

without any breaks I feel like I would be done by 29

this means
22-26 med school
26-29 residency (emergency med)

done.

 

[littlealex]

Just because you're in school doesn't mean you're not having a good time. Med school is a riot. It's great.
Work hard play hard.

 

[NotSur]

"Are doctors bummed out that they missed out on most of life in their 20's?"

I disagree with this statement. If med school, residency, and fellowship make you feel this way then you probably shouldn't become a doc. If you feel like you're missing out on something, take time off. But I guess only in taking time off can you really realize this. 😉 I'm so ready to get this show on the road!!! And I'm looking forward to the steps to becoming a doctor as well as actually having a career. School is awesome! Academic medicine FTW!

 

[BlueElmo]

"Are doctors bummed out that they missed out on most of life in their 20's?"

I disagree with this statement. If med school, residency, and fellowship make you feel this way then you probably shouldn't become a doc. If you feel like you're missing out on something, take time off. But I guess only in taking time off can you really realize this. 😉 I'm so ready to get this show on the road!!! And I'm looking forward to the steps to becoming a doctor as well as actually having a career. School is awesome! Academic medicine FTW!

Wish I had the same feeling.🙄

 

[Rachell]

Maybe if you apply to med school in your late 20s you still get to have tons of fun in your 20s. Just an idea... =)

 

[Pinkertinkle]

Maybe if you apply to med school in your late 20s you still get to have tons of fun in your 20s. Just an idea... =)

At the cost of being bossed around throughout your training by those younger than you, and spending your 30's in school rather than 20's. I personally wouldn't be able to stand that.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

You get bossed around at a job anyways. For my medical chart prep job I did in college, my boss was younger than me (with a college degree). I didn't take it like it was anything bad. I got paid to do a job. She got paid to do a job. We both went our ways at the end of the day and did our own thing.

Everyone will have a happier life if you don't judge what you are doing in your life based on your age.

I'd much rather be bossed around by those older and more experienced in life than me, just the way I see it. Maybe you are different.

 

[BlueElmo]

I'd much rather be bossed around by those older and more experienced in life than me, just the way I see it. Maybe you are different.

Same here. I don't like being told what to do by people younger than me.

 

[NotSur]

Wish I had the same feeling.🙄

Have you taken time off?

 

[ILikeDrugs]

Maybe if you apply to med school in your late 20s you still get to have tons of fun in your 20s. Just an idea... =)

That's what I'm going. Just turned 26 and am applying next year. Hopelly matriculate just as I'm about to turn 28. 😀


I don't care about who gives me orders. If they are further up the ladder than they are further up the ladder. No biggie. I'll be comfortable in the shoes I'll be walking in because I know I'll still be achieving my goals.

 

[LAman10]

uhh what's the diff between residency and fellowship? and the diff between fellowship and actually working? and whats the purpose of fellowship?.. this is really the first time i'm hearing about it. I thought you start working right after residency. I"m wrong?

 

[crasiman]

I consider the first day of medical school as the beginning of your career. From that point forward, each of your decisions has the ability to make huge impacts on your career--and I don't just mean how well you do on tests. In whatever clinical rotations you do early on and throughout, your reputation will follow you. Before that point, though, things that you've done are more-or-less the past (except for things like publications, which stick with you).

 

[LiveUninhibited]

Are doctors bummed out that they missed out on most of life in their 20's? Or is it all truly worth it at the end?

Is time spent learning really missing out? If you don't enjoy learning, I'm not sure if medicine is optimal. But what would you be missing out on? "There's a time and place for everything and it's called college." -South Park 🙂

I have heard there's a prevailing assumption that if you cannot enjoy life in undergrad due to workload, then medical school might be too much for you... Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on that.

 

[LAman10]

Med school = learn a bunch of stuff, match into a specific area of medicine.

Residency = you learn the trade of that area of medicine that you matched into. For example, peds, internal medicine, etc.

Fellowship = you gain more expertise in a more specific area of medicine....like gastro, cardiology

For a person that matches into derm, they can do a fellowship in surgery, path (dermatopathology - one of the toughest fellowships to get in all of medicine), cosmetics

coolio, thanks! I'm assuming that means everyone who wants to specialize needs to go through fellowship then? boom. I just added 2-3 more years onto my pre-career life

 

[Beta Cell]

6-7 years of residency. Whew, hardcore.

It seems so worth it to me, though. I don't think I've ever been more enthralled than being in the OR observing neurosurgeries. I bet it would be a lot more fun to actually be performing them. If I'm lucky, 6-7 more years until I can do that. 🙂

 

[BlueElmo]

It seems so worth it to me, though. I don't think I've ever been more enthralled than being in the OR observing neurosurgeries. I bet it would be a lot more fun to actually be performing them. If I'm lucky, 6-7 more years until I can do that. 🙂

"What's your profession?"- Someone

"I'm a neurosurgeon."- Me

It sounds so badass.

 

[ULTRON]

My career will start at ~ late 30s. I was an electrical engineer who decided to attend medical school. It doesn't matter at what age your medical career starts as long as it starts. Even if you don't attend medical school, you'll still get old.

ULTRON

Theoretically:
Undergrad: 18-22
Med School: 23-27
Residency: 28-32
Fellowship: 33-34

So does the career of a doctor usually start in ur low/mid 30's? How do ppl feel about this? When can a doctor actually afford their own house (Move out of their parents)? At what age does do doctors have time to find love in their life? What is the average age a doctor gets married? Are doctors bummed out that they missed out on most of life in their 20's? Or is it all truly worth it at the end?

 

[YouNeverKnow22]

It seems so worth it to me, though. I don't think I've ever been more enthralled than being in the OR observing neurosurgeries. I bet it would be a lot more fun to actually be performing them. If I'm lucky, 6-7 more years until I can do that. 🙂

I agree neurosurgery FTW