Biggest Fear

Started by Yourmother
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Yourmother

Yourmother

I'm Chris Hansen..
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Okay, I admit my biggest fear for my future in medicine is the financials. Its bad enough that I'm in my 30s and applying but the fact that I'm looking at loans of $200,000 to $300,000! What if I hate medical school, want to quit and simply become a slave because of all the debt? What if I don't like working 70+ hours per week? What if national healthcare comes marching in and wrecks my future income?

I know, everyone thinks that money won't be a problem but now I've read that loan can't be deferred during residency. wtf- I'm going to have to forget buying a house until I'm 40+

What is your biggest fear?
 
nematodes. I'm terrified of nematodes.

and...what you said. I'm in my mid-thirties, no savings, been living at home in fact. Boo! What if I get there and my balding flabby androgynous body can't hack the sleepless nights? Happy Halloween. My attention span can't keep pace with the seemingly endless drone of histology slides, anatomical plates and virii. The treat must be that the worst day of medical school beats the best day without it. Let them bring the pain! we will be the painkillers.
 
Hi! I'm new. Been reading for a while and tought I'd delurk when I saw your post. I'm in my late 30s...and the financial scenario scares the crap out of me as well. I wish I wanted to do something else but wanting to be a doctor just keeps rearing it's ugly head. 🙂
 
Yourmother said:
What if I hate medical school, want to quit and simply become a slave because of all the debt? What if I don't like working 70+ hours per week? What if national healthcare comes marching in and wrecks my future income?
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This isn't a nontrad issue -- it's a lack of informed research issue. Lots of traditional med students hit the first year angst during med school and start wondering if this is really what they want to do with their lives, but by then they are $40k in the hole and no marketable skills so they can't get out. Trads are frequently better off because the looked before they leaped and often have other skills so they could go get a real job if they needed to. However, it's best to spend a ton of time researching the decision, learning what medicine is all about through shadowing, volunteering and most importantly talking to lots of recently minted physicians about what they like and dislike about their jobs. The consideration of med school should take years, not be done on a whim. Once you are sure, and not before, you are ready to take the plunge.

In terms of healthcare reform, you have to understand that medicine isn't quite the gravy train it was for prior generations (although still quite comfortable, it has been falling behind other professions with reference to inflation over the past decade) and is not really predicted to stay at the current level. Physicians still earn six digits but given the years of training and opportunity costs, many many nontrads knowingly have to switch to medicine at a big loss with respect to lifetime earnings. So you really have to decide if this is the path that will make you happy, because given the fewer years of employment many nontrads have, this is likely not the path that will make you richest. I would put that low in your consideration of whether this is the right path for you -- it should be a nice perq if it works out, but not something driving the decision.
 
It's about job satisfaction for me. While I would need the higher salary to pay for student loans, malpractice insurance, the cost of running an office, etc. . . with all things being equal I would be a doctor even if it wasn't a salary increase.
 
Good advice Law2doc, thanks. I'm doing my best at the moment to figure out what exactly being a doctor really means, and why I'm considering it.
 
Law2Doc said:
This isn't a nontrad issue -- it's a lack of informed research issue. Lots of traditional med students hit the first year angst during med school and start wondering if this is really what they want to do with their lives, but by then they are $40k in the hole and no marketable skills so they can't get out. Trads are frequently better off because the looked before they leaped and often have other skills so they could go get a real job if they needed to. However, it's best to spend a ton of time researching the decision, learning what medicine is all about through shadowing, volunteering and most importantly talking to lots of recently minted physicians about what they like and dislike about their jobs. The consideration of med school should take years, not be done on a whim. Once you are sure, and not before, you are ready to take the plunge.

In terms of healthcare reform, you have to understand that medicine isn't quite the gravy train it was for prior generations (although still quite comfortable, it has been falling behind other professions with reference to inflation over the past decade) and is not really predicted to stay at the current level. Physicians still earn six digits but given the years of training and opportunity costs, many many nontrads knowingly have to switch to medicine at a big loss with respect to lifetime earnings. So you really have to decide if this is the path that will make you happy, because given the fewer years of employment many nontrads have, this is likely not the path that will make you richest. I would put that low in your consideration of whether this is the right path for you -- it should be a nice perq if it works out, but not something driving the decision.
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👍 Excellent answer from someone who is doing it and has acutally made the career switch from a reputable career. Many talk of making the switch but procrastination and comfort sets in. Thank you Law2Doc for the great insights.
 
Really nasty debt and becoming disabled right when I can start earning money.

The debt scares the crap out of me.
 
TexasTriathlete said:
My biggest fear is someone pouring molten lava on my balls.
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😱

My biggest fear is urinary catheters. Been through it once, never again, I'd rather wet the bed. A foot long piece of tubing was NOT meant to be put in there!

Also childbirth (thank god I'm a guy and my gf isn't interested in children, at least for now). I understand the physiological stuff behind it but come on, babies are about the size of footballs. I'm perfectly happy to believe that storks drops off the baby off at the hospital and the doctor just does a little sleight of hand.
 
Empi said:
Really nasty debt and becoming disabled right when I can start earning money.

The debt scares the crap out of me.
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Education debts (including medical school ones) can be discharged for death or permanent total disability. Depending on how your interest rates are, pay it off as slow as you can and it's kind of like having some life insurance (assuming you save the extra money you would have put towards the payments).
 
Yourmother said:
What is your biggest fear?
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Being a bitter a-hole physician is my biggest fear. 🙁

A few months ago my biggest fear was doing poorly in my pre-req classes. That has now changed. I have been doing an internship (Americorps..basically the Peace Corps for the US) at a clinic for 3 months now and I have seen so many things that have really opened up my eyes. I can not begin to tell you how many rude and unprofessional healthcare workers I have met along the way. It can be so discouraging...I know that they are very stressed and have to deal with so many things throughout their day, but some can be so rude.

Now, I can really say, that my biggest fear is to become so unhappy and so tired and stressed by my job that I would let it affect my personality. I think with any profession it can happen, but in healthcare its tough, and I see it every single day working with doctors directly.

Its funny though because my other big fear is being too emotional. I fear that I might be too kind hearted to be in this profession. Is that even possible??? Perhaps being affected too easily by the desperate situation a patient may be in and being too hard on myself if I can't do much more than what I could.

I guess being too kind hearted can trick you into perhaps thinking you should be tougher and in turn coming off as being rude?? Which might be the reason why some physicians might be that way (or at least I would hope) rather than because they are naturally rude.

Anyone else fear being too kind hearted/emotionally attached or becoming rude and impatient?

Sorry for the long post...my fingers tend to run across the keyboard and have a hard time stopping! lol..
 
My worst fear is that I'll end up like some of the pts I see volunteering, 80+, in pain, not in my right mind, and with no family or friends, not even a neighbor to bring me an overnight bag and my glasses.
 
Other than the lava thing, which keeps me awake some nights..:laugh:


I am afraid of not being accepted.

I don't know the shrink term for it- my family is superficially supportive. They will say things like, "We know you can do it honey! You're brilliant!" and "We know that you can do anything that you put your mind to!"

and then they will say, "Why don't you set your goals on something more achievable?" and,"Why couldn't you be happy being a nurse?" and, "You're going to be 40 by the time you finish your residency, you know."

So while no one would say "I told you so" in my family, they would say, "well now you can move on to something easier."



Shan:luck:
 
You can always kill your family if they are a pain in the ass. Or just don't talk to them. But if someone pours molten lava on your balls, there's no going back.
 
I'm afraid of the little steps getting to the end result.

When I look at the big picture, I'm gung-ho on getting through med school and getting through residency.

When I break it down and think about the smaller steps, like passing 1st year or Step 1, I start to cringe and get nervous. Not enough to not want to do it though!
 
My biggest fear is also not getting in, after all as a non-trad I've given up a couple of years taking pre-req's and spent a couple thousand that could have been spent on my kiddo's and you just can't put a price on spending time with the little ones.

If I get in it was all a sacrifice so I could work in rewarding field, and my kiddo's would have a better chance at success. Kind of a bummer if you think about it!

Now back to o-chem
 
My biggest fear is that I don't take action and follow my heart courageously because I am afraid to fail.

Doing the numbers for medicine doesn't make very good business sense. That at times holds me back. But I know that in the end I will regret no following my heart and just doing something for the money.
 
michael515 said:
My biggest fear is that I don't take action and follow my heart courageously because I am afraid to fail.

Doing the numbers for medicine doesn't make very good business sense. That at times holds me back. But I know that in the end I will regret no following my heart and just doing something for the money.
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You need some theme music for your post. I swear I heard "battle hymn of the republic" pipe up in the background
 
Empi said:
Really nasty debt and becoming disabled right when I can start earning money.

The debt scares the crap out of me.
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I have a disability going into med school, aquiring debt, etc., so don't let the idea of something happening to you physically freak you out too much. There are more and more disabled doctors now a days 🙂)I'm just trying to offer some solace so there might be one less thing to worry about in the already overcrowded arena of future paranoia).
 
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