Future Doctors Favor Lifestyle Over Money

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

DMO

Diving Medical Officer
15+ Year Member
20+ Year Member
Joined
Sep 2, 2003
Messages
135
Reaction score
0
Check this out: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=571&e=7&u=/nm/health_doctors_lifestyle_dc


Enjoy the reading


"CHICAGO (Reuters) - The stereotype of the rich doctor might be due for some surgery.


An increasing number of medical students are picking their specialty based on the lifestyle it permits, including more time to spend with family, rather than such traditional factors as pay and prestige, according to a study published on Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (news - web sites).


"We're being told essentially that it's not the number of hours or the intensity of the work, it's the ability at the end of the day to close out the work day and go home and be away from professional responsibilities," Gregory Rutecki, one of the study's authors, said.


"The trend may also represent the increasing number of women in the profession," who seek a closer balance between family and professional duties, Rutecki said.


The finding points to potential shortages of doctors in specialties such as family practice, surgery, and obstetrics as medical students shun fields where they are required to be on-call during many off hours, the report said.


"We're going to have person-power shortages in the next 10 years in critical areas. Where are the primary care doctors going to come from?" said Rutecki, a physician and professor at Northwestern University.


The report said previous studies also have detected the trend, with students more inclined to select specialties with fewer work hours per week and fewer nights on-call.


Researchers collected six years of data from industry matching programs that direct graduating medical students to hospital residencies in their chosen specialties, with professions offering more defined hours gaining favor.


From 1996 to 2002, the percentage of students surveyed who chose anesthesiology grew to 6.4 percent from 1.1 percent, dermatology was picked by 2.3 percent up from 0.2 percent, and radiology was chosen by 6.1 percent in 2002 versus 3.3 percent in 1996. On the other hand, 9.5 percent chose family practice in 2002 compared to 16.1 percent in 1996, and 7.6 percent chose general surgery versus 10.4 percent six years earlier.


Through the length of the study, 55 percent of students' choices related to lifestyle factors, compared to 9 percent basing their decisions on potential income.


The increasing number of women doctors and general practitioners' loss of decision-making to insurance companies will likely exacerbate the trend, Rutecki said. "






Check this out 🙄 🙄
 
So I gather you are against future doctors favoring lifestyle over money?
 
For the record: I can not deny nor confirm these allegations brought up against me.

Actually, I am not at all against or for doctors choosing lifestyle over money. Everyone has there own path. Although, I would like to docs to devote a lot of their time to medicine as it is a calling for a select few.
 
There's a significant difference between devoting a lot of time to medicine and it being your life. I think lifestyle should be an important factor for all people, doctors included, because it's normal to want a relationship, a spouse, outside activities and hobbies, friends, etc. Devoting all of your time to medicine does not allow for a well-rounded fulfilling life, imo.
 
well if no one wants to be a surgeon,then good for me.

I want to be a neurosurgeon.

I will be able to work twice as hard and make twice the money!
 
I agree with you sophie. Personally, i would devote a lot of my time to medicine. 🙂
 
Lifestyle choices are extremely important. I'd much rather people make decisions based on their will and capacity to work, rather than greed.

For example, if you want to become a surgeon, an important question to ask yourself is "do I want to retire someday"?

In non-surgical branches, you have doctors practicing into their 70's and 80's. My grandfather worked until the day he died. He had no interest in retiring, because his job kept him going. But in surgery, it's tough to last past 55-60. If you'd like to keep working longer, then maybe surgery is not for you.

Needless to say, those kind of lifestyle decisions are extremely important.
 
How is family practice a specialty?
And there is on-call for family practice?
I thought family practice is more like general practitioner,
who gets their own practice.
 
Of course there's on-call for family practice.

If you don't want on-call, look into ER medicine where you get fixed hours.
 
I am told that as soon as I graduate from a medical school, I will be shackled and shoved into a confinement by one of those organizations that maintain health , are preferred and/or prepaid by patients or something like that. It is possible that I may not have any choice, be it the $ or the medical decision itself. 🙁

With all those loans that I will have to repay, without lucrative $, looks like my lifestyle would be similar to one of those livestocks. 😡

Hope that this forum is still free then. 😀
 
Originally posted by tonkatruck
well if no one wants to be a surgeon,then good for me.

I want to be a neurosurgeon.

I will be able to work twice as hard and make twice the money!

Hehe Tonka.. I don't really think working as a neurosurgeon can be compared to a local job at McDonald's. Boy, I'd love to talk to ya 10 years from now and see how your mind has changed.. 🙂
 
Originally posted by tonkatruck
I want to be a neurosurgeon.

I will be able to work twice as hard and make twice the money!

Read Atul Gawande's "Complications" before you ever say that again.
 
Top