Originally posted by MSV MD 2B
those were the cons fromt hat mommd article. here are the pros:
The Pros:
Despite the changes taking place in the profession, applications to medical schools rose to an all-time high in the late 1980's and early 1990's and while they have stabilized in the last ten years, schools still receive 3 to 5 times more applicants than they have positions for. Certainly one reason for this is that medicine is still among the highest paying and most prestigious professions in the country. The following chart shows the average salaries of US physicians:
Median Net Income of M.D.s after Expenses, in U.S. Dollars
All Physicians $160,000 Pathology $185,000
Radiology $230,000 Psychiatry $124,000
Surgery $225,000 Family Practice $124,000
Anesthesiology $203,000 Emergency Medicine $170,000
Obstetrics/gynecology $200,000 General Internal Medicine $138,000
Source: US Department of Labor, 1995
However, if you are only interested in the money, you should look for another field. MBA's have a higher entry level salary and obtain their credentials much more easily. If money is your motivating factor, you probably won't get past the med school interview, and if you do, residency will probably wash you out.
As a physician you will enjoy not only monetary rewards, but humanistic rewards which are priceless. We can all imagine how painful it must be to tell a family that their loved one has just died, but can you imagine how amazing it must feel to repair the defective heart of a tiny baby? Or to remove a malignant tumor from the brain of a young mother? Or to help an injured man to walk again, thereby giving him the gift of dignity, the ability to support his family, and the freedom to play catch with his son.
