Deterred from career because of salary

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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0TopCat0

0TopCat0

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How many of you guys have been led away from something because of the salary.


I am extremely interested in neuroscience. It really is something I could see myself researching and enjoying, as long as i'm not at a gridlock on research (things are actually being discovered)


The 2010 report of the avg. neuroscientists annual salary was $86,710.


Many people would view that as a lot of money, but me, not so much.


At what limit does salary become more important than a career you think you'd really enjoy?

Of course, I also think I'd enjoy being a physician (though I'm not sure which specialty yet)
 
In the end you have to see if working a good job, but crappy pay is worth it for YOU. If you're ok with that, than go ahead. But if you're ok with working a crappy job but get paid crap load more for you to use, than pick that.
You just have to visualize how you think your life will be.

At a certain point, money DOES matter..but so does spending 8 hours of your daily life in a specific location.
Example: I would love to be a pornstar, but obviously the pay for males isn't that good.
 
I switched from a finance career that paid quite well to go into medicine. Ironically, despite being a finance guy, switching into medicine was definitely worst financial decision of my life. Thankfully, there are a things much more important than salaries.

Believe me, the last thing you want to do is choose a career based solely on salary prospects. You have probably been told this a thousand times before, I know I have and I still made the mistake of going into finance, but you don't realize until it's too late that sometimes its really not worth the money.
 
darkjedi said:
I switched from a finance career that paid quite well to go into medicine. Ironically, despite being a finance guy, switching into medicine was definitely worst financial decision of my life. Thankfully, there are a things much more important than salaries.

Believe me, the last thing you want to do is choose a career based solely on salary prospects. You have probably been told this a thousand times before, I know I have and I still made the mistake of going into finance, but you don't realize until it's too late that sometimes its really not worth the money.
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Yeah, I have, idk.


It's just that, everything and anything in this world is easier to attain with money.

It's just a really hard decision to make
 
AestheticGod said:
Example: I would love to be a pornstar, but obviously the pay for males isn't that good.
Click to expand...

False.Several--whose names will not appear in this thread--make bank bro. And think about it. No residency. 😀
 
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Potential income is an important component to any career choice. Just don't let it be the only reason for choosing or not choosing a career.
 
0TopCat0 said:
The 2010 report of the avg. neuroscientists annual salary was $86,710.
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I'm the last person who would say you shouldn't go into medicine for the money, but you come off as a huge douchebag if your only reason for being against neuroscience is the $90k/year average salary.
 
Spinach Dip said:
True, but I hear they have their own version of them MCAT that is a lot longer and harder.
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That's not the only thing that's longer and harder.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app please excuse punctuation and spelling
 
circulus vitios said:
I'm the last person who would say you shouldn't go into medicine for the money, but you come off as a huge douchebag if your only reason for being against neuroscience is the $90k/year average salary.
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That's not the only reason, as I said, I could see my self really enjoying being a practicing physician. I do think, however, that I would enjoy researching within that field more.

Along with that, I'm going to be in massive debt both from my private undergrad and med school

Along with that, I have family financial obligations that, although were never asked of me to fulfill, if I don't fulfill them, no one else will.


It's easy to throw around words when you don't know the background of someone or why they seem like a "douche-bag," it's harder to look at something with an open mind and have a comfortable conversation.

I'm not butt-hurt over it though, that's the price you pay "blogging" on the internet

Ismet said:
This.
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Same to you but I don't really care about your opinion that much
 
Even then, if my only reason was because I wanted to be filthy-rich, that would relate to my morals and values, not yours.


Try not to be so critical of everyone that is different from you dude, unless you only fill this persona online
 
I don't blame you. $80-$90k isn't a lot of money. But you should know academia/research doesn't pay (most of the time).
 
phikapdoctor said:
That's not the only thing that's longer and harder.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app please excuse punctuation and spelling
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lmao, you're just repeating his joke here, silly phika 😳
 
antonius89 said:
I don't blame you. $80-$90k isn't a lot of money. But you should know academia/research doesn't pay (most of the time).
Click to expand...
just to put things in perspective, the median household income in the US in 2011 was about $50k
 
swimmer125 said:
just to put things in perspective, the median household income in the US in 2011 was about $50k
Click to expand...

The avg. salary for a physician of any speciality is over 100k though.


I think that's what me and him are "putting things in perspective" of, since we are on a student doctor forum
 
phikapdoctor said:
That's not the only thing that's longer and harder.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app please excuse punctuation and spelling
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^Doesn't understand what a double entendre is.
 
I mean, I could understand someone not choosing a career line that doesn't make enough money to live off of (say, music or art or something). But looking down at $90k/year? Thats very 1% of you to say >.<
 
0TopCat0 said:
The avg. salary for a physician of any speciality is over 100k though.


I think that's what me and him are "putting things in perspective" of, since we are on a student doctor forum
Click to expand...

Trying to keep up with the Joneses will lead to misery and debt. Back before the recession began, I knew people who made >100k/yr but never seemed to have any money because they spent it as fast as they earned it.
 
phikapdoctor said:
That's not the only thing that's longer and harder.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN Mobile app please excuse punctuation and spelling
Click to expand...

Right, so its assumed that one would need more stamina.
 
Why don't you shoot for md/phd in an area of neuroscience? This is a real question, I don't really know how this stuff works yet 🙂
 
plumhill said:
I mean, I could understand someone not choosing a career line that doesn't make enough money to live off of (say, music or art or something). But looking down at $90k/year? Thats very 1% of you to say >.<
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Ok, I think the average graduating medical student debt right now is about $160,000. This amounts to payments of approximately 1800 a month (? Maybe Mr. Finance would be better here), or 21600 a year. I'm not exactly sure when this debt needs to be paid off (I think they give you till after residency to really be paying the money, but I'm not sure). So lets say you just don't accrue any more interest (you pay them the interest back during residency). So as a neuroscientist, you average $86,710. BEFORE TAXES: You now pull home $65110. But I'm pretty sure you are taxed on the full salary, but I may be wrong. I need to learn finances.

More perspective: If you enter medical school at age 23. 4 years of medical school + 3 years of residency (not sure about neuroscience specialty, just speaking in general) you come out at age 30. Financially, this feels like a waste of your time and dedication to pull in this amount of money when I know engineers get starting salaries ranging from roughly 65k to (n=1, lucky guy!) 80k, at ages 22-24. Also, what about having a family to help support, parents to support, ect. Larger family, more money goes out the window. Personally, I'd like to have kids (yes, plural) and be able to support them by age 30. I'm kind of giving that up, but it's what I'd prefer. The money goes away quickly. Focusing STRICTLY on a number and the median number is a tad shortsighted. Also, food for thought, does the median person go through the medical training process to make their salaries?

With all that said, I believe it's important to want to become a physician NOT because of money. However, lifestyle considerations must be made. I do not want an extravagant living, but I want a nice one. We give up A LOT to get through this whole training process. Most of it is time we can never get back. Our twenties and so on will never be given back.

ChartaBona said:
Trying to keep up with the Joneses will lead to misery and debt. Back before the recession began, I knew people who made >100k/yr but never seemed to have any money because they spent it as fast as they earned it.
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👍👍👍 Be smart people.
 
Well, this thread got volatile. :flame:

OP, choose a career you're interested in doing, which doesn't have to be based on salary.
 
People are right to say "don't pick a career based on salary" but that doesn't mean disregard salary when considering career options. At the end of the day you are going to have to pay bills and mortgages and many other things, and I can assure you these things are not charged by feels/month. While it is true you must find a career you love, you also have to think realistically and make a decision based on the type of lifestyle you want to have for yourself and your family in the future. If you want to be a rich 1%-er, do it. There's nothing wrong with that, it's perfectly acceptable. Just don't sacrifice money for happiness and vice versa. It's very feasible to have a nice medium.
 
This thread is disgusting. Just admit that most of us have financial reasons for going to med school, it just might not be our number 1 reason. I don't even care for what reason anyone goes into medicine, actually. It's their choice and others should not judge.

I feel like its very unfair that you can't want money as a doctor. I would rather hate being a doctor and make a decent paycheck than work many of the crappy jobs out there and make a crappy pay check.
 
Charles Darwin said:
-.-

No wonder pre-meds get a bad rep...

7/10, OP
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pre-meds get a bad rep because they want to make a lot of money?

I guess med students gunning for dermatology and orthopedics must all really love the skin and skeletal system!! :meanie:
 
Plue00 said:
This thread is disgusting. Just admit that most of us have financial reasons for going to med school, it just might not be our number 1 reason. I don't even care for what reason anyone goes into medicine, actually. It's their choice and others should not judge.

I feel like its very unfair that you can't want money as a doctor. I would rather hate being a doctor and make a decent paycheck than work many of the crappy jobs out there and make a crappy pay check.
Click to expand...

you-dont-say-rage-face-nic-cage-meme.png
 
Plue00 said:
This thread is disgusting. Just admit that most of us have financial reasons for going to med school, it just might not be our number 1 reason. I don't even care for what reason anyone goes into medicine, actually. It's their choice and others should not judge.

I feel like its very unfair that you can't want money as a doctor. I would rather hate being a doctor and make a decent paycheck than work many of the crappy jobs out there and make a crappy pay check.
Click to expand...

Thank you
 
Agent B said:
Well, this thread got volatile. :flame:

OP, choose a career you're interested in doing, which doesn't have to be based on salary.
Click to expand...

lol, I love how you manage to slip that flame emoticon in almost evert thread, but yea, this probably is what it will all come down to.

I wonder if Warren Buffet really ENJOYS his job
 
0TopCat0 said:
pre-meds get a bad rep because they want to make a lot of money?

I guess med students gunning for dermatology and orthopedics must all really love the skin and skeletal system!! :meanie:
Click to expand...

Nice non sequitur.

Pre-meds get a bad rep for saying things like "80-90k isn't much money". Most (All?) people want to make a lot of money, but those who say 90k isn't much are simply arrogant ignoramuses.

Oh dang, you got me. Ugh, I need to stop replying to troll threads...
 
Charles Darwin said:
you-dont-say-rage-face-nic-cage-meme.png
Click to expand...

Let me rephrase that, I'd rather hate being a doctor and make a good amount of money than do something I'd love to do and make only 35k a year. Luckily for me, I do enjoy medicine, so I got lucky there.
 
Could go into neurology and do research in clinical settings. MD/phd isnt required to do research. Lots of options for the OP here to do both.
 
Plue00 said:
Let me rephrase that, I'd rather hate being a doctor and make a good amount of money than do something I'd love to do and make only 35k a year. Luckily for me, I do enjoy medicine, so I got lucky there.
Click to expand...

So you'd rather be miserable for 40+ years and get paid than be happy and still make a modest income? Regardless of your "enjoyment of medicine," it's still very telling that'd you'd choose the former.
 
Charles Darwin said:
Nice non sequitur.

Pre-meds get a bad rep for saying things like "80-90k isn't much money". Most (All?) people want to make a lot of money, but those who say 90k isn't much are simply arrogant ignoramuses.

Oh dang, you got me. Ugh, I need to stop replying to troll threads...
Click to expand...

It's not a non-sequitur actually, considering that if 80-90k "Isn't alot of money" in someones view, that person obviously wants to make alot of money. By your own definition of what alot of money is, which you seem to believe all other people should hold, that would mean that the person wants to make A LOT of money.


Good try though, and ok, we'll wait until you're gone :laugh:
 
0TopCat0 said:
It's not a non-sequitur actually, considering that if 80-90k "Isn't alot of money" in someones view, that person obviously wants to make alot of money. By your own definition of what alot of money is, which you seem to believe all other people should hold, that would mean that the person wants to make A LOT of money.


Good try though, and ok, we'll wait until you're gone :laugh:
Click to expand...

http://www.globalissues.org/article/26/poverty-facts-and-stats

I'll leave that here. Read it if you can stomach it. Once you gain some prospective, maybe you won't consider 90k pocket change.

Best of luck to you in your quest for greed. 👍
 
Charles Darwin said:
So you'd rather be miserable for 40+ years and get paid than be happy and still make a modest income?
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm just saying that being a physician wouldn't make me unhappy though, but I can see why people would become one for the money. I would personally love to be a physician. There are people who work crappy jobs and make little money, if they can do that, I don't see why anyone would have a problem with working a crappy job and making a lot of money.

Just because something might make YOU happy doesn't necessarily mean that it will make your family happy. When you have to pay the bills, your children's college costs, etc, then you realize how much money rules your world.
 
Plue00 said:
This thread is disgusting. Just admit that most of us have financial reasons for going to med school, it just might not be our number 1 reason. I don't even care for what reason anyone goes into medicine, actually. It's their choice and others should not judge.

I feel like its very unfair that you can't want money as a doctor. I would rather hate being a doctor and make a decent paycheck than work many of the crappy jobs out there and make a crappy pay check.
Click to expand...

Money is part of why I'm interested in medicine. If you want more money, fine. If you think $90k/year isn't enough to support your lifestyle, you're doing something wrong.
 
I keep getting sucked back into this thread. :laugh: Dangit people, I have work to do!

Plue00 said:
Yes, I'm just saying that being a physician wouldn't make me unhappy though, but I can see why people would become one for the money. I would personally love to be a physician. There are people who work crappy jobs and make little money, if they can do that, I don't see why anyone would have a problem with working a crappy job and making a lot of money.
Click to expand...

Plue00 said:
Just because something might make YOU happy doesn't necessarily mean that it will make your family happy.
Click to expand...

you-don't-say.jpg (see above)

Plue00 said:
When you have to pay the bills, your children's college costs, etc, then you realize how much money rules your world.
Click to expand...
I understand the value of money. Some people, on the other hand, apparently don't.

I have no problem with people striving to make money - it promotes social mobility and helps maintain our economy. I get it. But when people say that "80-90k isn't a lot of money," that makes me wonder what kind of warped perspective they have on incomes.

Thought this was an interesting site as well: http://www.globalrichlist.com/

For reference, 90k puts you in the top 0.72% globally. But yeah, that's nothing. 🙄
 
Charles Darwin said:
I keep getting sucked back into this thread. :laugh: Dangit people, I have work to do!





you-don't-say.jpg (see above)


I understand the value of money. Some people, on the other hand, apparently don't.

I have no problem with people striving to make money - it promotes social mobility and helps maintain our economy. I get it. But when people say that "80-90k isn't a lot of money," that makes me wonder what kind of warped perspective they have on incomes.

Thought this was an interesting site as well: http://www.globalrichlist.com/

For reference, 90k puts you in the top 0.72% globally. But yeah, that's nothing. 🙄
Click to expand...

Hmmm, I wonder what you'll be doing with all your extra cash as a doctor 🙄

Actually, just keep $850/year so you can be in the 50th percentile of the world. I do agree with you that 90k is a lot of money and I never considered it not enough.
 
what is that site going off of? I typed in an annual income of 1 billion, and I'm only the 107,565 richest person in the world?
 
actually, any number you type in over a certain amount is only the 107,565fth richest person in the world, unless my internet is jacked

an annual salary of 100000000000000000000000000000000000 has me at 107,565....


Carlos slim's networth is 69 billion
 
Charles Darwin said:
I understand the value of money. Some people, on the other hand, apparently don't.

I have no problem with people striving to make money - it promotes social mobility and helps maintain our economy. I get it. But when people say that "80-90k isn't a lot of money," that makes me wonder what kind of warped perspective they have on incomes.

Thought this was an interesting site as well: http://www.globalrichlist.com/

For reference, 90k puts you in the top 0.72% globally. But yeah, that's nothing. 🙄
Click to expand...

I come from a third world country, and yet I'll still tell you that 80-90k is not enough for the lifestyle I want for my family...in the U.S. So while in a global scale 90k is filthy rich, have servants and a mansion type of money, it is not quite the same here.

Another thing to keep in mind is that basic supplies cost a heck of a lot less in other countries - as in we could buy all the groceries for my family with $3 in my home country. My family earned around ~$35 a month. If you wish to only live off of 90k, then pass on the rest of your salary to folks in other countries, they can for sure get a lot out of it.
 
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/life/commentary/price-happiness-workplace

I've always heard this over and over again. People seem to reach a limit on happiness at 70,000.


I think this is true. The number for me was 40,000 but I didn't have kids so that makes sense. At 40,000, I could go to starbucks everyday. Take a couple of vacations a year, sign up for fun activities, save plenty for my retirement, etc.

At a certain point, you stop being able to "add' stuff that makes you happy and just have to settle for upgrading what you already have.

I'll happily trade some upgrades for more workplace satisfaction.

Pre-meds often loose focus of this but the point of life is to be happy and some would say to make the lives of others better so they too can be happy.

If you have the basics in life, there is very little correlation between money and happiness.
 
Charles Darwin said:
I keep getting sucked back into this thread. :laugh: Dangit people, I have work to do!

you-don't-say.jpg (see above)

I understand the value of money. Some people, on the other hand, apparently don't.

I have no problem with people striving to make money - it promotes social mobility and helps maintain our economy. I get it. But when people say that "80-90k isn't a lot of money," that makes me wonder what kind of warped perspective they have on incomes.

Thought this was an interesting site as well: http://www.globalrichlist.com/

For reference, 90k puts you in the top 0.72% globally. But yeah, that's nothing. 🙄
Click to expand...

Comparing an amount to what global percentile that puts you in is *****ic when talking about living in the US. You can't survive here on the average global income (1k puts you in the top 44% or so, according to that site 🙄 ). If you want to talk about how much 90k is compared to the US average, you would have an argument, but comparing 90k to the entire world, much of which includes starvation and lack of sanitary water, among many, many other things that are taken for granted here, is completely pointless. Sure, sites like that above are great to show how lucky we are to be living in an industrialized country, but completely meaningless to determine how much is "a lot of money" when living in the US.👎
 
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