EM Doc's -- are you a happier bunch than most? are you glad you did it?

[businessmd06]

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Hello All,

I am writing to get vibes from people doing their EM residency and who are ER Attendings.... I am really excited about medicine, and EM is something I am strongly interested in, although I have a long way to go. I guess I am just wondering if you are happy with your decision? There are so many people on SDN who are very bitter about salaries, life as a doc as opposed to life they thought they would have etc... I am not an altruistic pre med... although I wish to help people, I want to pursue medicine for me too! I want to learn it, I am interested in it, and I do want to make a difference for others and for my own reasons. I am considering a career change at 28, and leaving a job I helped build and one that gives me a very nice income along with freedom and flexability. In the end no matter that I can make a lot of money and what not, I am not satisfied with this career, and I want the challenge and diversity that I think lies ahead in medical school. Since I am so interested in what you guys do, I guess I am trying to make sure that I am not crazy... I will be giving up a job that pays 150k now and has the potential to pay over 500k after about 3 yrs from now. I will be giving up personal free time, and I will go into some debt... I really feel like this is what I want to do, but there is a ton of negativity about the profession all over the place from existing docs to people on forums. I would like some insight from practitioners in the field I am really interested in and see if you are glad you did it, and do you think when someone like me is done residency in 10 yrs, will I be able to have a good life and be possibly glad I did it to?

Thanks for all the advice

 

[EPA7X1]

Dude, if I had a 150K to 500K job with "personal free time" and "freedom and flexibility" I would definitely stick with that.

If you are dead set on medicine, EM is certainly a good choice.

 

[BKN]

Biz. I think the happy docs are the ones who need to do it. The unhappy ones on these forums are generally the ones who think of medicine as a job, not a calling.

If you do this, it's gonna take years and you're apparently gonna lose money on the deal. If these things are going to bother you, don't do it.

On the other hand if you need to serve and staying up all night to save some lives and see some obnoxious drunks sounds good, welcome aboard.😉

 

[Jeff698]

After seeing the topic title, I was all set to make one of my typical unhelpful but ever-so-smart-ass comments when I read your post.

I was in almost the exact same situation as you (with the small exception of not making nearly as much as you in my former life). I decided I wanted to be a physician at 31, got in at 33, graduated at 37 and am now an intern at 38. I'll finish residency at 40 barring another sudden burst of insanity followed shortly thereafter by a fellowhip.

I'm having the time of my life, despite my current sleep deprivation. Short of marrying my wife, this has been the best decision of my life. I love being a doctor. Granted, I love it much more when I'm in the ED than, say, when on wards, but all therapeutic bitching aside, I even love it then.

Medical school was great. I, too, was looking for a challenge. While it was alot of work, it always beat the hell outta working for a living and was exactly what I wanted to do.

All of my verbosity aside, I'd say do it.

Take care,
Jeff

 

[EM_Rebuilder]

I am a third year who just got home after an 18 hour run on Internal Medicine (not as bad as the 36 hr in Surgery). I too am planning on Emergency Medicine as my career.


I am not the one you are looking to reply to this thread, but just had to chime in since just a few short hours ago we responded to an arrest where I jumped in and was pumping the chest. I have pumped several chests during this year, but this is the first one I have stopped pumping only to find a pulse! The guy lived through at least that part of it. Its times like that when a person looks back and knows they made the right decision... aside from the debt, stress, long hours, suffered friendships, etc etc.

I think this time near the end of third year is when one really starts to feel more and more like a doctor. Obviously we have tons of learning to go, but I was excited when I saw the lady in the ER who had 2 seizures today (no prior history of them). Just coming off my OB rotation, it was fresh on my mind to ask when she was last pregnant (thinking Eclampsia is a long shot). Would you believe she says 'Oh I had my first a bit over a week ago!'. Her prenatal care was minimum with mainly a midwife involved so my guess right away was that she was undiagnosed Preeclampsia. One quick search on UpToDate showed me that you can have seizures up to 4 weeks after delivery and still be considered eclamptic. Needless to say, she got started on Mag and transfered to OB.

Alas, its almost 11pm and I am to read up on TTP and of course be there by 5:30am. The joy of medicine! Good Luck, shadow many people and MAKE SURE its what you want to do.

 

[8744]

I am an intern on an internal medicine rotation and I am on call tonight. I like medicine, especially since I just matched into EM (yeah baby!) but I despise call and believe with all my being that a good night's (or day's) sleep should not be a privilege and that everybody deserves at least this.

There is also a lot of chicken**** in the medical profession and if I had been forced to stay in the Specialty That Dare Not Speak Its Name it wouldn't have been worth it.

 

[roja]

While these questions always feel complex when you are asking them, they really aren't. You have to decide if you really love medicine. Not the theory, but the practice. It is a very long road. You sacrifice alot, you bust your ass ALOT. You miss alot of fun things. But if you love it, then it doesn't matter, because you are loving what you do. And yes, there are hassles the whole way through, just like in everything. Good and bad.

But I loved every step of getting to where Iam. I love my job. alot. even when its a pain in the ass. It is definately worth it to me.

The best way to find out is to do some shadowing and talk to lots of people and then decide if its worth it for you.