Family Doctor I didn't know went above and beyond to advise against medicine

[Passionseeking]

So, I'm a gap year student on a quest to find more shadowing experience before applying this summer, and the specialty that interests me the most is family medicine. I've done a lot of research on most specialties, and the reason I'm going to medical school is to become a family physician with my own DPC practice. Yea I know most med students change their mind, but I honestly think it's the best thing in medicine for me. If it wasn't an option, I don't think I'd be eager about applying to medical school.

I finally had the chance to talk to a private care physician with their own practice and he was not thrilled with his career choice. He said that in NY you can't even do the monthly version of DPC where it's a subscription-based model, (due to that being considered insurance for some reason) and that the way he makes his DPC practice work is by charging a fee per visit (150 dollars).

He also said that it's nowhere near what you would make in a hospital, and I was here under the impression that it was either a lot more or at least equal.

Finally, I asked him about his competency about being a family physician, and I expressed that I like the idea of FM because you know a good amount about a lot, but he said that he refers a lot out because most patients want to be handled by specialists, so even if you could manage the condition, you'd rarely have the chance to.

So after having this ideal version of my future career torn apart by this doctor who recommended that I apply to dentistry school instead, I feel like I want to learn a lot more about the field from other people before taking out nearly 300,000 worth of loans. Even after he said all this, he said that life as a regular insurance taking physician is much worse with seeing 4 patients per hour, and ending up working 12 hour days with almost half of that time being basically unpaid. I got a 515 on a practice FL yesterday and this really uno reversed all the motivation I had to study hard today lol, would love to hear thoughts

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[SpoiledMilk]

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[deleted903013]

So after having this ideal version of my future career torn apart by this doctor who recommended that I apply to dentistry school instead, I feel like I want to learn a lot more about the field from other people before taking out nearly 300,000 worth of loans.

To be fair in case you're considering dentistry, most state dental schools cost beyond 300k at this point, most private schools cost over 500k.

 

[Goro]

So, I'm a gap year student on a quest to find more shadowing experience before applying this summer, and the specialty that interests me the most is family medicine. I've done a lot of research on most specialties, and the reason I'm going to medical school is to become a family physician with my own DPC practice. Yea I know most med students change their mind, but I honestly think it's the best thing in medicine for me. If it wasn't an option, I don't think I'd be eager about applying to medical school.

I finally had the chance to talk to a private care physician with their own practice and he was not thrilled with his career choice. He said that in NY you can't even do the monthly version of DPC where it's a subscription-based model, (due to that being considered insurance for some reason) and that the way he makes his DPC practice work is by charging a fee per visit (150 dollars).

He also said that it's nowhere near what you would make in a hospital, and I was here under the impression that it was either a lot more or at least equal.

Finally, I asked him about his competency about being a family physician, and I expressed that I like the idea of FM because you know a good amount about a lot, but he said that he refers a lot out because most patients want to be handled by specialists, so even if you could manage the condition, you'd rarely have the chance to.

So after having this ideal version of my future career torn apart by this doctor who recommended that I apply to dentistry school instead, I feel like I want to learn a lot more about the field from other people before taking out nearly 300,000 worth of loans. Even after he said all this, he said that life as a regular insurance taking physician is much worse with seeing 4 patients per hour, and ending up working 12 hour days with almost half of that time being basically unpaid. I got a 515 on a practice FL yesterday and this really uno reversed all the motivation I had to study hard today lol, would love to hear thoughts

Do you want to be a doctor or not???

 

[Mr.Smile12]

If family medicine is what you want to do, you can get lots of help, I figure. Have you talked to any doctors who are more active in AAFP?

 

[candbgirl]

If you are even thinking about switching career paths because of one conversation maybe medicine isn’t for you. If you want to be a doctor apply, get accepted and figure out what kind of doc you want to be in a few years.Just like almost everybody else. I think you are disappointed in what this doc said to you! And I’m sorry about that. But it might be a good thing to get some experience and decide what you really want to do! Good luck.

 

[Goro]

If you are even thinking about switching career paths because of one conversation maybe medicine isn’t for you. If you want to be a doctor apply, get accepted and figure out what kind of doc you want to be in a few years.Just like almost everybody else. I think you are disappointed in what this doc said to you! And I’m sorry about that. But it might be a good thing to get some experience and decide what you really want to do! Good luck.

This.
/thread

 

[GoSpursGo]

Sounds like you met a bitter doctor who wishes they had done something else with their life.

There are also plenty of bitter dentists (and other professionals) who wish they had done something else with their lives. Every field has its downsides and nobody is happy every single day. Find the profession where you think you will be excited enough about the good parts to make it worth dealing with the bad parts.

 

[Firkin]

I received very similar advice from a 2nd year resident who is a friend, telling me that it was harder than I knew, that so much was demanded of students that it just wasn't worth it, and that there were easier ways to make a decent living. If he had it to do all over again, he might have chosen to be a physician assistant. I also know multiple docs who love their jobs. Any one person's outlook is just that: a single data point in a vast network of possibilities. Just because one person's career trajectory disappointed them doesn't mean that will be your experience. And my friend? Now works a comfy job at the VA, and loves his life.

 

[LongRoad2potential]

Sounds like two things. First, that Dr. is in denial about how close to burnout they are.

Second, they had a preconceived notion about how great it was going to be such is far from living up to the reality. You've just had that bubble popped so you know that it's not all sunshine and rainbows. To quote a teen drama from my youth "work to get in, work to stay in."

 

[Proudfather94]

So, I'm a gap year student on a quest to find more shadowing experience before applying this summer, and the specialty that interests me the most is family medicine. I've done a lot of research on most specialties, and the reason I'm going to medical school is to become a family physician with my own DPC practice. Yea I know most med students change their mind, but I honestly think it's the best thing in medicine for me. If it wasn't an option, I don't think I'd be eager about applying to medical school.

I finally had the chance to talk to a private care physician with their own practice and he was not thrilled with his career choice. He said that in NY you can't even do the monthly version of DPC where it's a subscription-based model, (due to that being considered insurance for some reason) and that the way he makes his DPC practice work is by charging a fee per visit (150 dollars).

He also said that it's nowhere near what you would make in a hospital, and I was here under the impression that it was either a lot more or at least equal.

Finally, I asked him about his competency about being a family physician, and I expressed that I like the idea of FM because you know a good amount about a lot, but he said that he refers a lot out because most patients want to be handled by specialists, so even if you could manage the condition, you'd rarely have the chance to.

So after having this ideal version of my future career torn apart by this doctor who recommended that I apply to dentistry school instead, I feel like I want to learn a lot more about the field from other people before taking out nearly 300,000 worth of loans. Even after he said all this, he said that life as a regular insurance taking physician is much worse with seeing 4 patients per hour, and ending up working 12 hour days with almost half of that time being basically unpaid. I got a 515 on a practice FL yesterday and this really uno reversed all the motivation I had to study hard today lol, would love to hear thoughts

That guy seems like the type of guy to complain about problems in his life without doing anything to rectify them. He can practice in a state that allows him to have subscription based care. He can also pick a better patient clientele that actually trusts his medical opinion.

Don't let someone with learned helplessness and an unwillingness to improve their situation talk you out of becoming a doctor.

 

[dnyal]

If you are even thinking about switching career paths because of one conversation maybe medicine isn’t for you. If you want to be a doctor apply, get accepted and figure out what kind of doc you want to be in a few years.Just like almost everybody else. I think you are disappointed in what this doc said to you! And I’m sorry about that. But it might be a good thing to get some experience and decide what you really want to do! Good luck.

I wouldn’t find this good advice, although unfortunately typical around here. Let’s not forget Yeats’s wise words: “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.” We all have doubts about our career paths at some point, and it is human and completely normal. Advice from one person is not representative of the population. If you look into pre-pandemic data from Medscape, the vast majority of family doctors were pretty content with their situation. Maybe the doctor you talked to also had a bad situation at home that was coloring his perspective at the moment; I know I’ve hated my job when things outside work weren’t ideal. Don’t be discouraged by the opinion of one person.

Now, the patient pupation is important. Yes, I’ve noticed that many PCPs are referral vending machines, but that is the case mostly in the city. If you’d be happy living in a rural(ish) area, the family doctor would still have a wide scope of practice. Don’t restrict yourself to thinking you already know what it is you want without having experienced other medical specialties. Maybe, in your rotations, you’ll realize that your thing is not family medicine but endocrinology or IM, Idk. Just don’t go with a preconditioned mind to hate everything but FM, or you might be passing over other great practice opportunities. Just keep your mind open!