Does a career in medicine allow for outside interests?

[Osminog]

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I'm fascinated by the complexities of the human physiology and pathology, and I truly want to work in a healthcare setting and treat patients for a living. At the same time, I'm a person with eclectic interests; I greatly enjoy learning about academic topics that tend to fall well outside the traditional realm of medicine: linguistics, political science, history, evolutionary biology, etc.

I know that there's a massive volume of medical information that one must learn to pass board exams and become an effective physician, and it's commonly said that a physician is a "life-long learner" who is constantly expanding his knowledge and perfecting his craft. By pursuing a career in medicine, will I have to completely sacrifice all of my intellectual interests that are beyond the scope of medicine?

 

[IMGASMD]

No.

 

[getdown]

Short and easy answer is NO.

A more nuanced answer will depend on your level of financial independence, which specialty you ultimately end up in, what type of group practice is available in your area and you ultimately join, your outside interests, family obligations.

 

[puahate]

This is not 1900s. We are living in a society where profit rules all. Unless you have your own money forget about it.

 

[ciestar]

Lol come on!
Why do you think ECs are important for an application? You’re ENCOURAGED to have outside interests. If your life is 100% medicine you’ll be miserable.

 

[Sephirakra]

The people responding "no" here are the ones who you should avoid at parties.

 

[Osminog]

The people responding "no" here are the ones who you should avoid at parties.

I made the rookie mistake of phrasing my question in the thread title completely differently from how I phrased it in the original post. I believe that they're answering "no" to question in the OP ("will I have to completely sacrifice all of my intellectual interests that are beyond the scope of medicine?"), not the question posed in the thread title.

 

[Sephirakra]

I made the rookie mistake of phrasing my question in the thread title completely differently from how I phrased it in the original post. I believe that they're answering "no" to question in the OP ("will I have to completely sacrifice all of my intellectual interests that are beyond the scope of medicine?"), not the question posed in the thread title.

I stand by my post.

 

[Woe_is_me23]

Definitely depends on specialty.

I’ve met a number of ER physicians who work to live, rather than vice versa. For instance, I met one who relocated his family to a Spanish-speaking country, and travelled back to the US to work for 2-week shifts.

Also there are specialties with easier lifestyles (derm)— in that case, you can definitely do other things with your time once you’re an attending.

There are many physician-writers out there — that’s interdisciplinary! And although this isn’t the 1900s... fun fact: William Carlos Williams delivered >1000 babies.

 

[863168]

@Osminog Out of curiosity, how would a job force you to forfeit your own personal interests?

 

[meronebib]

I stand by my post.

You’re saying we should avoid people at parties who claim it’s most certainly possible to have outside interests in medicine?

 

[Sephirakra]

You’re saying we should avoid people at parties who claim it’s most certainly possible to have outside interests in medicine?

I'm saying whatever you want to interpret, apparently.

 

[787593]

you have time for 3 things.

squat. bench. deadlift.

 

[Osminog]

@Osminog Out of curiosity, how would a job force you to forfeit your own personal interests?

By requiring you to constantly read career-related journals, newsletters, books, etc., outside of work so you have little to no time to pursue your other interests and hobbies? I don't know.

 

[LizzyM]

By requiring you to constantly read career-related journals, newsletters, books, etc., outside of work so you have little to no time to pursue your other interests and hobbies? I don't know.

People find time for what is important. My orthopaedic surgeon also makes time for his family, training for a marathon and painting/drawing. I've worked with a medical subspecialist who has found time for MLB and concerts and annual trips to his family's homeland. Another I worked with took dance and martial arts classes and published a novel. Another published a novel that he worked on when he wasn't working on his tan. I've known a few that had home carpentry projects as a hobby and one who enjoys working on cars.

All work and no play... Don't be that Jack.

 

[Gilakend]

I shadowed an surgeon who coached his kids little league team and never missed one of his daughters dance recitals. Which is something so many people would say is impossible as a surgeon. He said you just have to prioritize.

 

[863168]

By requiring you to constantly read career-related journals, newsletters, books, etc., outside of work so you have little to no time to pursue your other interests and hobbies? I don't know.

There are a variety of schedules depending on the hospital and your individual contract.

I was listening to a video by Buck Parker (a trauma surgeon) who was sharing that some schedules require you to work every day for six months straight, but then give you six months off. If you can't budget your interests on those six months off, then I think that there may be a personal issue with time management rather than it being an issue with a career r/t medicine.

 

[aldol16]

There are many opportunities to do things outside of medicine. You will meet many doctors with such interests, whether they involve climbing the world's peaks or even politics (Ron/Rand Paul come to mind but there are many others). The question is how much of medical practice are you willing to sacrifice. You can always make time to do something else. You just have to be willing to take the pay cut to do it and find a place that allows you that flexibility.

 

[EdgeTrimmer]

You can join university hospitals or Kaiser Permanente which allows parttime if you can work lower salary.

 

[Podstar]

The people that truthfully answer no will be in the 50% of physicians checking the “burnt out” box on their physician survey 10/20 years into practice. It’s so important to have hobbies and interests outside of medicine. If you want to accomplish or pursue something, DO IT, life is too short to say I wish.

 

[cantankerous]

Other than surgery and certain sub-specialties in medicine, physicians work less hours on average than a normal person, so yes, you will be able to pursue other interests. I suspect some physicians feel burnt out because they end up getting stuck in the rut of the same environment, same job, same patient population, same social and familial situation, etc. and end up feeling burnt out like the majority of working people who have been in their own field for 10+ years.

 

[LizzyM]

Being burned out is not from the same environment, the same job, the same patient population and the same social and familial situation.

It comes from spending more time clicking inane buttons on an electronic medical record than are spent looking at a patient, listening to them and examining them.
It comes from listening to patients tell you that you are stupid for having missed the diagnosis of a rare condition that presented in an atypical fashion, from listening to patients who already have a diagnosis thanks to webMD and who want to talk to you about why they are right, and those who reject evidence and science and anything recommended to them by a health professional and endorse whatever a social media influencer is peddling and only come to see you for your approval of their choices (please sign here, doc, so my kid can go to school).
It comes from the frustration of dealing with administrators who want you to bow to the gods of patient satisfaction surveys when you reject the notion that a patient's satisfaction is the best metric in assessing the quality of medical care.

 

[Goro]

I'm fascinated by the complexities of the human physiology and pathology, and I truly want to work in a healthcare setting and treat patients for a living. At the same time, I'm a person with eclectic interests; I greatly enjoy learning about academic topics that tend to fall well outside the traditional realm of medicine: linguistics, political science, history, evolutionary biology, etc.

I know that there's a massive volume of medical information that one must learn to pass board exams and become an effective physician, and it's commonly said that a physician is a "life-long learner" who is constantly expanding his knowledge and perfecting his craft. By pursuing a career in medicine, will I have to completely sacrifice all of my intellectual interests that are beyond the scope of medicine?

Off the top of my head, I have doctor friends who go sailing, build car models, sing, cook, are heavily engaged in their kids' activities, do church activities, an/or travel extensively. The wise @mimelim has reported that he is an avid rock climber.

So yes, you can be a doctor and have a life.