Had a doc compare Anesthesia money to garbage man wages last week...

[notdeadyet]

FINALLY...someone understands what I was thinking...I just looked at this doc DUMBFOUNDED...

One thing I've found is that the doctors that seem the happiest with their lot in life were the ones that had other careers first. If you have not had much work experience and a physician is your first permanent job, you'll probably get the feeling you're underpaid/underapprecaited. The grass is always greenest when you've never even tasted it.

Most of the docs I've met who career-changed in to medicine seem quite happy. They knew what they were getting in to and they know firsthand how it compares to the alternative. And it's favorable.

This thread went nowhere near the direction I thought it would go...

Ah, the beauty of SDN.

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[Beau Geste]

One thing I've found is that the doctors that seem the happiest with their lot in life were the ones that had other careers first. If you have not had much work experience and a physician is your first permanent job, you'll probably get the feeling you're underpaid/underapprecaited. The grass is always greenest when you've never even tasted it.

Most of the docs I've met who career-changed in to medicine seem quite happy. They knew what they were getting in to and they know firsthand how it compares to the alternative. And it's favorable.


Ah, the beauty of SDN.

Just read your mdapps -

nice to see someone else who's spent time poland and is a diver!!!!

Done hijacking thread. Just thought I'd give you a

 

[Law2Doc]

Law2Doc, you seem REALLY stuck on this whole rich garbage man thing...I would have to say that it is the norm for them to make less than 50K a year working at least 2080 hours (full time)....just a guess, however.

The focus on salary as the driving force of a profession is what fuels my remarks. Too much excitement on SDN for the supposed hundreds of thousands one will make as a physician, and the supposedly negligible earnings of everyone else, so I tried to bring it down a notch -- pointed out that on a per hour, per time value of money, point of view, some of those supposedly lowly careers are really not that far off. In fact, as a lawyer, some of the wealthier clients I got to work with were actually were very blue collar, who made quite decent money and invested it soundly over a lot of years. Some of the poorest were physicians, who bankrupted their practices. There are no guarantees in life.

 

[MJB]

Agree completely.

My FIL was a truck driver for 30 years...did it after getting his degree...retired a millionaire in his 50's..

I think you just completely missed the original point is all...

 

[notdeadyet]

Some of the poorest were physicians, who bankrupted their practices. There are no guarantees in life.

Ain't that the truth. One of the things I'm curious to see is for the many students who go from highschool --> BA--> MD --> specialty training. This is probably the majority of doctors.

I'm curious how many of them make disastrous business and investment decisions. Lots of premeds seem to have pretty type-A personalities and egos to match. I have friends who are investment bankers who said that young doctors were nightmare clients, because they assumed that their intelligence and loads of education made them qualified in all things.

I'm trying to picture myself as a 30 years old as a first year anesthesiologist who never had an income outside of medicine and all of a sudden was making $270K per year. I can't imagine how poorly I'd handle the money.

 

[MJB]

I know what I'd be like, and it wouldn't be good...

 

[Beau Geste]

But then you have nontrads like us who have done well outside of medicine and *still* didn't choose to be a garbageman

Experience does have its benefits, and learning to manage money being one of those (for those who want to learn!).

Someone who is a poor physician would probably be poor even if they chose another career path. Some people just aren't good at managing their money and can't understand "delayed gratification".

 

[MJB]

I guess I'm a little odd because the most expensive vehicle I would ever own is a 3/4 ton diesel pickup...and would be perfectly happy with the house we've got now, or our last one for the rest of my life.

now, we start talkin' boats, and I'll be in trouble.