Doctors saying it's not worth it

[Smb8041]

I'm pre-med right now, about to start a post bacc. program this summer. A lot of doctors I talk to tell me it's just not worth it to go into medicine and if they had it to do all over again, they're not sure if they would have done it. When I ask why, the only answer I really hear is that they lost the last 10 years of their life, and they'll never get that time back. I was wondering if anyone else has run into doctors who have said the same thing. The only person that actually told me to be a doctor was my dad who was a urologist, but I went into nursing instead. Should have listened to you dad!

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[amph119]

There will be nay-sayers in all careers and walks of life. Shoot me down as a pre-clinical years medical student if you want, but I've never been swayed when I heard this type of thing said to me.

 

[Geekchick921]

There will be nay-sayers in all careers and walks of life. Shoot me down as a pre-clinical years medical student if you want, but I've never been swayed when I heard this type of thing said to me.

Agreed.

Also, I can't help but feel like a lot of those doctors went into the career for the wrong reason (family pressure, allure of imagined wealth and lifestyle, pick your poison) and are now bitter about it. I had a plastic surgeon go off on a diatribe on how much I'd be ruining my life if I went to medical school. I just wanted to tell him just because he hates his life doesn't mean I'd hate mine.

He's a jerk anyway, and has been at least since he was a resident and yelled at my mom, a nurse working in the same unit 25 or 30 years ago. True story.

 

[rHinO1]

I think some of it is a product of people not realizing how good they have it.

Short anecdote: I work in a hospital and I was on call. I got called in at 2:30 in the morning along with a surgeon, anesthesiologist, scrub tech, and a RN. After the case the surgeon asked me if I was applying to med-school soon. After I said yes he proceeded to tell me that he felt he was under paid for a job where he was called in to work at 2:30 am 😎. I guess he didn't realize that I was called in too, along with the RN and scrub tech for a lot less $$$. Sure doctors work hard and don't get paid enough... a lot of people in other professions would say the same thing about their jobs too.

 

[Bernoull]

I'm pre-med right now, about to start a post bacc. program this summer. A lot of doctors I talk to tell me it's just not worth it to go into medicine and if they had it to do all over again, they're not sure if they would have done it. When I ask why, the only answer I really hear is that they lost the last 10 years of their life, and they'll never get that time back. I was wondering if anyone else has run into doctors who have said the same thing. The only person that actually told me to be a doctor was my dad who was a urologist, but I went into nursing instead. Should have listened to you dad!

I hope u didn't go into nursing bcos the other doctors dissuaded u. Soon u'll find nurses who say nursing is horrible bla bla bla, what then??

 

[CaliSurferDoc]

Hope you made the right choice!

You will be changing a patient's diaper and bathing him or her one day and ask yourself this..

 

[rHinO1]

no wonder we have so any people on here b-itching about their verbal score on the mcat. . . it is not surprising 🙄.

 

[morning]

Couple thoughts I've had...

1) Wonder what NON-TRADS who became doctors think? Is there a significant percentage who regret it?


2) No matter how bad old school docs think they have it, new school docs will not share the sentiments to the same degree, because they won't know what it was like in the golden days of yore. And honestly, residents used to work even longer hours and hospitalists were a mere twinkle in some administrator's eye. There are negatives and positives to the changes happening in medicine.

 

[mfrizzo3]

no wonder we have so any people on here b-itching about their verbal score on the mcat. . . it is not surprising 🙄.

Are you one of many? Now STFU.

 

[rHinO1]

Are you one of many? Now STFU.

Didn't mean to hit a nerve. Thanks for spell checking me btw.

 

[mubaby]

I've had one of my ENT doctors tell me not to go into medicine, but then I had the other one tell me it's great. They're both about the same age. I'm sure you'll find some who don't like what they do and some who love it. I listen to those who love it 🙂

 

[Cleavername]

how much do doctors pay in mal-practice insurnances per year? i am asking this because i think alot of the reasons is that doctors get charged way too much for it, thus making their life incredibily miserable on top of their hectic work schedule.

 

[rama kandra]

Letsg et ready to rumble!!!!

 

[JokerMD]

i actually don't see many other profession that have it as good as doctors do, especially in terms of job security.

only down side i really see is the ridiculous cost of a medical education

 

[MadRadLad]

how much do doctors pay in mal-practice insurnances per year? i am asking this because i think alot of the reasons is that doctors get charged way too much for it, thus making their life incredibily miserable on top of their hectic work schedule.

Depends on the specialty. Anesthesiologists and OB/GYNs have very high malpractices, usually nonsurgical are lower. Also depends on the area.

 

[Geekchick921]

how much do doctors pay in mal-practice insurnances per year? i am asking this because i think alot of the reasons is that doctors get charged way too much for it, thus making their life incredibily miserable on top of their hectic work schedule.

Don't quote me on this, but I'm pretty sure the salaries you see for physicians are AFTER malpractice rates are concerned, and sometimes (often?) hospitals will cover the malpractice rates for their doctors.

 

[MossPoh]

I think some of it is a product of people not realizing how good they have it.

Short anecdote: I work in a hospital and I was on call. I got called in at 2:30 in the morning along with a surgeon, anesthesiologist, scrub tech, and a RN. After the case the surgeon asked me if I was applying to med-school soon. After I said yes he proceeded to tell me that he felt he was under paid for a job where he was called in to work at 2:30 am 😎. I guess he didn't realize that I was called in too, along with the RN and scrub tech for a lot less $$$. Sure doctors work hard and don't get paid enough... a lot of people in other professions would say the same thing about their jobs too.

Yes, but that getting called in at 2:30 a.m. in the morning 20 years into medicine is a little different. That is especially true when you throw in the free post-operative care and the list of other things. In many hospitals, if a nurse or someone else is called in then they may get at least overtime pay. Any surgery that happens at that time pays much much less.

If you honestly think working all day and then getting called in for surgery at 2:30 a.m. and then having to the next day is having it "good" then you are one masochistic person. That passion will probably fall off after 30 years of it happening.

Regardless, there are people in EVERY job that don't like what they don't do. It is just the nature of the beast. It is common in medicine because you spend so much damn time training and are fairly committed due to the financial constraints and the fact that a medical degree doesn't really translate into other areas with the same income potential.

 

[rockaction]

Back when the mid-career doctors were in college, you could decide on med school in a whim, apply, and get in. Nowadays, it takes way more dedication to get in the field so the applicants are far more aware of what the profession entails. So I wouldn't worry about their opinions.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Practitioner]

Couple thoughts I've had...

1) Wonder what NON-TRADS who became doctors think? Is there a significant percentage who regret it?

Good question. I've had similar responses (more often jokingly and not serious) as OP (Smb), but I also have a lot of doctors who say it's great I've had my years off and they wish they could have had similar experiences before committing to medicine.

 

[morning]

Good question. I've had similar responses (more often jokingly and not serious) as OP (Smb), but I also have a lot of doctors who say it's great I've had my years off and they wish they could have had similar experiences before committing to medicine.

I am a non-trad myself (sortof...I didn't exactly have a career, I just chilled and did very little for a few years after high school) and I definitely view it as an advantage when I'm not kicking myself for not at least getting SOME classes out of the way. I can see how people could get burnt out going from kindergarten to elementary school to middle school to high school to college to medical school to residency. It's an even stranger situation for me because I was homeschooled until middle school, so I have roughly 6 years of formal education in me. And I'm not yet scared of all the years of schooling I have in front of me.

 

[SusGob711]

Back when the mid-career doctors were in college, you could decide on med school in a whim, apply, and get in. Nowadays, it takes way more dedication to get in the field so the applicants are far more aware of what the profession entails. So I wouldn't worry about their opinions.

Just my 2 cents.

That's a very interesting point. There are many docs I have talked to who admitted how much harder admission is these days--not to say they didn't work hard too though. I think a poster on a different thread commented saying that to get into medical school these days you have to be a freaking saint, lol. However I'm sure there are still people who will be miserable because they have intentionally disregarded all of the commonly quoted negatives. I.e. you will work excessively and at times wish you hadn't done this to yourself. You will also work like a dog for the first few years and be poorly compensated. It's the intrinsic rewards that should keep us going, in theory at least.

 

[cbear]

Weird. At all of my interviews and shadowing experiences, the doctors never seemed to feel like they "lost 10 years of life." Medical school is like a job. Residency is a job. Just jobs. The rest of your life doesn't go on hold. One of my interviewers ran marathons with a bunch of his classmates while in med school. Most of my friends currently in med school are in happy relationships and spend time with their parents and families. It seems like people forget that if you don't go to med school, you will still probably have to work hard. Many jobs, especially ones making anywhere near a doctor's salary, will require you to put in lots of hard work, and will take time away from your enjoyment of life. As a doctor I shadowed put it, no matter what you do, you have to approach work with a positive attitude and be jealous of your free time. Have fun with your job (even if it's learning the TCA cycle, running labs for attendings, etc.) he said, and you won't regret any of it.

 

[Hifey]

I think that sometimes people tend to think of the lifestyle and money that comes with medicine before thinking of the long hours you have to put in to get there.

However, I have never had a doctor tell me not to go into medicine, and I know a few. In fact, my PCP was also a family friend and she convinced her friend's daughter to do medicine instead of nursing since it was only a couple more years and that girl is now in med school. Every career (except maybe ice cream tasters mmm) has people who hate it and those who love it. If someone feels so strongly about it as to offer unsolicited advice to stay away, then you can bet they fall into the hate it category.

Life, and your career, is what you make of it. A good life for you and your family doesn't come without sacrifices and, in a culture where everything comes easily, we rarely think we need to work very hard. Of course there are exceptions, but in general, a good percentage of Americans are rather spoiled.

 

[Cleavername]

i actually don't see many other profession that have it as good as doctors do, especially in terms of job security.

only down side i really see is the ridiculous cost of a medical education

other jobs dont get Sued as much lol.

 

[Old Grunt]

how much do doctors pay in mal-practice insurnances per year? i am asking this because i think alot of the reasons is that doctors get charged way too much for it, thus making their life incredibily miserable on top of their hectic work schedule.

Somehow, I doubt that insurance premiums are the root of all misery.

 

[FIREitUP]

Somehow, I doubt that insurance premiums are the root of all misery.

yeah only half the misery (if you are a surgeon). the other half goes to dealing with insurance companies that deny claims every chance they get.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I guess it shouldn't surprise me that there's such a strong outcry against these doctors who try to steer you away from the profession. Regardless of whether you end up agreeing with them or not, they have infinitely more perspective on the issue than you would as a pre-med, so simply brushing their opinions aside as biased, jaded, or whatnot is a poor move, to say the least. I don't suggest letting them totally sway you one way or another, but a little research into what they're saying couldn't hurt. Stubbornly charging ahead without considering the other side is just plain bad planning.

 

[rama kandra]

This is why I don't trust anybody who is not a doctor, on healthcare issues and reform. Politicians don't know a thing about healthcare, let alone most of the things they are in office ranting about. Healthcare debate is best done with people who work in health, and serve the public who asks for it. Not an elected official or media sensation. Welcome to the new zoo.

 

[Ag2007]

I'm pre-med right now, about to start a post bacc. program this summer. A lot of doctors I talk to tell me it's just not worth it to go into medicine and if they had it to do all over again, they're not sure if they would have done it. When I ask why, the only answer I really hear is that they lost the last 10 years of their life, and they'll never get that time back. I was wondering if anyone else has run into doctors who have said the same thing. The only person that actually told me to be a doctor was my dad who was a urologist, but I went into nursing instead. Should have listened to you dad!

i think people say stuff like this because the grass is always greener in other pastures.

If I had to go back to school right now or start over, I'd go for something like pe (petro. engineering) or mechanical. Engineers are always in need. Right now I'm in corporate financial reporting and the market is in too much flux right now. (clarification, i am stating medical school this fall. however, if I was not interested in medicine and I just planned on getting an undergrad degree, I'd go with engineering though now that I think of it, I know one person who had to leave PE back in the 80's to enter banking/insurance because the job market for pe crashed.)

even though they're fully licensed physicians, I could talk them out of trying to enter the business world since that's more of where my knowledgebase is centered just like they could very easily talk me out of medicine because that's where their knowledgebase rests.

 

[SusGob711]

Regardless of whether you end up agreeing with them or not, they have infinitely more perspective on the issue than you would as a pre-med, so simply brushing their opinions aside as biased, jaded, or whatnot is a poor move, to say the least. I don't suggest letting them totally sway you one way or another, but a little research into what they're saying couldn't hurt. Stubbornly charging ahead without considering the other side is just plain bad planning.

I can't speak for others but I guess I tend to brush them off because I don't want to believe them. There isn't anything else I can think of that would make me happy so it's incredibly sad to hear that I might be unhappy. Pre-meds and students beyond sacrifice so much and work so hard to earn this and end up miserable? 🙁 Aside from that, these opinions aren't just concerned warnings...most of the negative sentiments I hear are accompanied by angry, bitter rants that perhaps suggest that maybe these are just jaded, screwed over docs. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't question this...that I don't wish I wanted something else but I haven't come up with even a close second yet :/

 

[psipsina]

In my opinion satisfaction is entirely dependent on expectations. A lot of the old school docs entered medicine when it was very different and their expectations don't line up with the current reality. Reimbursements and respect are down while the work is just as hard. Its valuable to listen to the things that they are frustrated with and make sure that you are ok with that reality.

Being a physician is no longer a guarantee of a mega-salary and demi-god like social status. You have to love the science and the act of caring for people and be wiling to accept long hard hours (at least for training), a solid but not always spectacular salary, a lot of debt, and the fact that some of your patients will not only not be in awe of you but in fact treat you terribly and that society in general mistrusts you and thinks that you make too much money for what you do (of course having no idea what it is that you do). I know many who are happy in their career but they weren't expecting these things to be different. Once you're on this path its easy to feel trapped by the debt and thats a formula for misery if you're expectations aren't met.

 

[deuce924]

Back when the mid-career doctors were in college, you could decide on med school in a whim, apply, and get in. Nowadays, it takes way more dedication to get in the field so the applicants are far more aware of what the profession entails. So I wouldn't worry about their opinions.

Just my 2 cents.

Just because it was easier to get in to medical school back then doesn't make their many years of experience any less validated. I strongly disagree that a pre-med applying now has more insight into what being a doctor entails than a doctor who has worked for 10 - 20 years.

Most people brush off the negative opinions because they don't want to believe them yet take all the positive opinions as affirmation that you made the right career choice. Take all the opinions from people with more experience than you with a grain of salt because you don't know what they have gone through but don't just brush it aside because it doesn't agree with your view of the occupation.

 

[FIREitUP]

Just because it was easier to get in to medical school back then doesn't make their many years of experience any less validated. I strongly disagree that a pre-med applying now has more insight into what being a doctor entails than a doctor who has worked for 10 - 20 years.

Most people brush off the negative opinions because they don't want to believe them yet take all the positive opinions as affirmation that you made the right career choice. Take all the opinions from people with more experience than you with a grain of salt because you don't know what they have gone through but don't just brush it aside because it doesn't agree with your view of the occupation.

I completely agree with this post. But, I also think that it's difficult to heed certain advice when you are idealistic, as we all are.

 

[rama kandra]

speak for yourself dawg

 

[morning]

In my opinion satisfaction is entirely dependent on expectations. A lot of the old school docs entered medicine when it was very different and their expectations don't line up with the current reality. Reimbursements and respect are down while the work is just as hard. Its valuable to listen to the things that they are frustrated with and make sure that you are ok with that reality.

Being a physician is no longer a guarantee of a mega-salary and demi-god like social status. You have to love the science and the act of caring for people and be wiling to accept long hard hours (at least for training), a solid but not always spectacular salary, a lot of debt, and the fact that some of your patients will not only not be in awe of you but in fact treat you terribly and that society in general mistrusts you and thinks that you make too much money for what you do (of course having no idea what it is that you do). I know many who are happy in their career but they weren't expecting these things to be different. Once you're on this path its easy to feel trapped by the debt and thats a formula for misery if you're expectations aren't met.

This echoes my feelings exactly...like, to a T. It's nice to hear it from a medical student.

Look at pediatricians...they make the least and often have the highest job satisfaction. Some docs will ALWAYS be making more than the general pediatrician...but they are going nuts and warning everyone to beware, stay away, turn back. It's all a matter of perspective.

 

[Old Grunt]

This is why I don't trust anybody who is not a doctor, on healthcare issues and reform. Politicians don't know a thing about healthcare, let alone most of the things they are in office ranting about. Healthcare debate is best done with people who work in health, and serve the public who asks for it. Not an elected official or media sensation. Welcome to the new zoo.

Welcome to the life of a soldier.

Nonetheless, nobody in our society gets to live in a vacuum and your life, regardless of occupation, is very much influenced by the opinions of laymen.

You can bemoan it all you want, but it's not going to change and it certainly isn't a "new" phenomenon.

 

[Old Grunt]

yeah only half the misery (if you are a surgeon). the other half goes to dealing with insurance companies that deny claims every chance they get.

Wow. You mean to tell me the almighty Insurance Cosa Nostra is really pulling the strings of the medical community to the extent that they directly influence an individual's personal happiness?

That's as asinine as blaming lawyers for all the troubles of medicine.

Happiness comes from between your ears. If a person is miserable, they have no one to blame but themselves.

If the greatest surgeon in the world hates medicine, secretly wants to be a librarian, but remains in his profession for financial reasons, why is that anyone else's fault?

Furthermore, what does it have to do with anyone else?

I find whining by adults about their chosen profession to be completely uninspiring. No one is making someone remain in medicine.

 

[Old Grunt]

I guess it shouldn't surprise me that there's such a strong outcry against these doctors who try to steer you away from the profession. Regardless of whether you end up agreeing with them or not, they have infinitely more perspective on the issue than you would as a pre-med, so simply brushing their opinions aside as biased, jaded, or whatnot is a poor move, to say the least. I don't suggest letting them totally sway you one way or another, but a little research into what they're saying couldn't hurt. Stubbornly charging ahead without considering the other side is just plain bad planning.

I am sorry, but I don't buy that. I certainly respect their experience, but they only speak for themselves.

Furthermore, the penchant for physicians to come onto the pre-allo form and start preaching to a subgroup of people who they know aren't physicians and then pulling out the "you aren't a Dr. so what do you know?" card when anybody dares to question them is entirely lame.

I am not going to hand anyone the power of fiat.

I agree that more research is important, but how can you quantify or research individual happiness?

 

[Old Grunt]

In my opinion satisfaction is entirely dependent on expectations. A lot of the old school docs entered medicine when it was very different and their expectations don't line up with the current reality. Reimbursements and respect are down while the work is just as hard. Its valuable to listen to the things that they are frustrated with and make sure that you are ok with that reality.

Being a physician is no longer a guarantee of a mega-salary and demi-god like social status. You have to love the science and the act of caring for people and be wiling to accept long hard hours (at least for training), a solid but not always spectacular salary, a lot of debt, and the fact that some of your patients will not only not be in awe of you but in fact treat you terribly and that society in general mistrusts you and thinks that you make too much money for what you do (of course having no idea what it is that you do). I know many who are happy in their career but they weren't expecting these things to be different. Once you're on this path its easy to feel trapped by the debt and thats a formula for misery if you're expectations aren't met.

This.

 

[morning]

Furthermore, the penchant for physicians to come onto the pre-allo form and start preaching to a subgroup of people who they know aren't physicians and then pulling out the "you aren't a Dr. so what do you know?" card when anybody dares to question them is entirely lame.

I didn't actually think about it this way until I saw it laid out like that, but it now occurs to me that it might be a way to feel some of the power/prestige they intended to have as doctors. They're going to the place where they can feel above or superior to everyone else and preaching the way they envisioned they would be able to preach as a doctor.


I agree with MilkmanAl that stubbornly charging ahead is never a good thing, of course, but I also refuse to allow negative people to drag me down into their misery.

 

[FIREitUP]

Wow. You mean to tell me the almighty Insurance Cosa Nostra is really pulling the strings of the medical community to the extent that they directly influence an individual's personal happiness?

That's as asinine as blaming lawyers for all the troubles of medicine.

Happiness comes from between your ears. If a person is miserable, they have no one to blame but themselves.

If the greatest surgeon in the world hates medicine, secretly wants to be a librarian, but remains in his profession for financial reasons, why is that anyone else's fault?

Furthermore, what does it have to do with anyone else?

I find whining by adults about their chosen profession to be completely uninspiring. No one is making someone remain in medicine.

I was simply responding to your formulaic retorts about how malpractice isn't the sole cause of all problems in medicine.

I just find it unfortunate that when one goes into medicine, hoping to do what they love, and get bogged down in all this bureaucratic nonsense of having to receive authorization and then being denied, etc., etc. I would suspect that that would definitely weigh down on someone's constitution, even if he/she finds medicine to be immensely rewarding.

 

[Miykael]

Happiness comes from between your ears. If a person is miserable, they have no one to blame but themselves.

Yes, maybe we should all take serotonergic drugs and be happy despite having legitimate, external reasons for being dissatisfied. Besides, we all know change does not happen when people are vocal about perceived problems.

</sarcasm>

In all seriousness, Old Grunt, you can't expect the entire world to have that kind of military, "suck it up" attitude. Let's get real.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I am sorry, but I don't buy that. I certainly respect their experience, but they only speak for themselves.

Furthermore, the penchant for physicians to come onto the pre-allo form and start preaching to a subgroup of people who they know aren't physicians and then pulling out the "you aren't a Dr. so what do you know?" card when anybody dares to question them is entirely lame.

I am not going to hand anyone the power of fiat.

I agree that more research is important, but how can you quantify or research individual happiness?

Wait...so what part do you not agree with, again? It sure sounds to me like we're saying the same thing except for your addition of the power play stuff (which is, indeed, super lame*). I figured what said is essentially a truism.

*However, they are actually sort of right, in the general sense. You figure out very quickly how much more the people ahead of you in the medical game know once you get going. It's just really arrogant and petty to cruise by, make an inflammatory statement, and totally disregard everyone else's perspective, especially when the issues at hand don't require you to be a physician to understand thoroughly.

 

[Old Grunt]

In all seriousness, Old Grunt, you can't expect the entire world to have that kind of military, "suck it up" attitude. Let's get real.

It has nothing to do with the military. It's just life. You alone decide your* own attitude. It's not anyone else fault if you choose to walk around in a funk.

Even if you are a pleasant person and you have come to hate your chosen profession for whatever reason, then get a new job.

Don't blame the entire system for choosing to be an indentured servant for whatever reason.

It's also silly to assume that, just because you are unhappy with X,Y, or Z, that the rest of the profession is too.

*That's the proverbial you.

 

[Old Grunt]

I was simply responding to your formulaic retorts about how malpractice isn't the sole cause of all problems in medicine.

I just find it unfortunate that when one goes into medicine, hoping to do what they love, and get bogged down in all this bureaucratic nonsense of having to receive authorization and then being denied, etc., etc. I would suspect that that would definitely weigh down on someone's constitution, even if he/she finds medicine to be immensely rewarding.

That's not unique to medicine. Paperwork, idiotic rules, and litigation are part of every occupation.

I don't understand why some people in healthcare think they are the only ones that have to deal with it.

 

[Old Grunt]

Wait...so what part do you not agree with, again? It sure sounds to me like we're saying the same thing except for your addition of the power play stuff (which is, indeed, super lame*). I figured what said is essentially a truism.

*However, they are actually sort of right, in the general sense. You figure out very quickly how much more the people ahead of you in the medical game know once you get going. It's just really arrogant and petty to cruise by, make an inflammatory statement, and totally disregard everyone else's perspective, especially when the issues at hand don't require you to be a physician to understand thoroughly.

Yeah. I think we actually said the same thing by the time I finished making my post. I should have cleaned it up.

Like I said, I respect their experience, but I am not going to hand them the power of fiat on what will and will not determine my own happiness.

I believe I know myself better than they do.

 

[IMDoc607]

I guess it shouldn't surprise me that there's such a strong outcry against these doctors who try to steer you away from the profession. Regardless of whether you end up agreeing with them or not, they have infinitely more perspective on the issue than you would as a pre-med, so simply brushing their opinions aside as biased, jaded, or whatnot is a poor move, to say the least. I don't suggest letting them totally sway you one way or another, but a little research into what they're saying couldn't hurt. Stubbornly charging ahead without considering the other side is just plain bad planning.

👍

I think if you know what you are getting yourself into then its all good. I think the root of the problem is because you get disenchanted. Doctors moan about how bad things are and it rubs off on you especially when you are looking at large amount of debt and poor salary until you are an attending.

I enjoy it sooo much tho...thank god because now I know what people mean when they say if you are in it for the money/prestige then you won't make it.

 

[rama kandra]

One thing that sort of shocked me, and this is personal, is how little exposure you get to the real thing. No matter how much you volunteer or research it does not get you to understand the HMO stuff, or how billing works, auth, prior auth... whatever.

And phone tag. Don't get me started - I Hate being on the phone, playing phone tag, relays, waiting for automated messages, hitting numbers in frustration. That is a lot of time that no pre med would know firsthand. I only see how frustrating it is to be on the phone with the pharmacist 10 times a day over silly stuff. Being a doctor is great but small stuff like being on the phone all the time, not my bag. I still want to do it, but there are things in medicine that nobody is capable of being prepared for until they get hit in the face.

 

[siliso]

I've met plenty of happy and fulfilled doctors (primary care doctors serving impoverished communities even)...and then there are brilliant go-getters who end up killing themselves shooting up propofol in the hospital janitor's closet. Life is what you make of it.

 

[rama kandra]

yeah thats a classic.