Hardest part of a medical career?

[chillinillinkillin007]

So what's the hardest and most challenging part of the path of being a doctor?
-medical school?
-residency?
-practicing?

I know it depends on what residency and other factors, but is the light at the end of the tunnel bright or dim? why or why not?

btw i'm not talking about salary or lifestyle. im talking about overall happiness

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[TheWeeIceMan]

Hard to quantify overall happiness across all specialties/stages.

If I had to guess, I'd say intern year probably sucks the hardest for most physicians.

Edit: Maybe 3rd year, since you are basically paying for the privelege of getting your ass handed to you.

 

[chillinillinkillin007]

Hard to quantify overall happiness across all specialties/stages.

If I had to guess, I'd say intern year probably sucks the hardest for most physicians.

Edit: Maybe 3rd year, since you are basically paying for the privelege of getting your ass handed to you.

Well at 3rd year you have the motivation to gut on through (like junior year in HS & college) since your almost a senior. btw do you have any rights as a student or resident though? I mean you obviously have them, but it seems like medicine is somewhat a heirchacy type system and if your at the bottom and someone doesn't like you, you get to boot or your in for a hell of a time

 

[hayek]

That 2nd year in medical school really sucks.

 

[Boolean]

This is quite the subjective question. Happiness is by nature very subjective. That being said, I personally feel the most stressful (n.b. this is my personal opinion) part of a medical career is the various periods of waiting. Will you get in? Will you match? What did you score? It can all be incredibly stressful. Doable, most certainly, but very stressful.

 

[xffan624]

So what's the hardest and most challenging part of the path of being a doctor?
-medical school?
-residency?
-practicing?

I know it depends on what residency and other factors, but is the light at the end of the tunnel bright or dim? why or why not?

btw i'm not talking about salary or lifestyle. im talking about overall happiness

The tunnel's always bright, if you're the right person.

 

[gumdrops]

The tunnel's always bright, if you're the right person.

I usually get annoyed with people who respond this way to such questions but for once, I like this.

 

[xffan624]

I usually get annoyed with people who respond this way to such questions but for once, I like this.

Thanks I wrote it, while getting drunk cause my boyfriend left me in the middle of anatomy lab. I think it's right, though.

Life is always gonna suck. It's how you handle it that matters. I'm sad, but I'm still happy to be in medical school.

 

[gumdrops]

Thanks I wrote it, while getting drunk cause my boyfriend left me in the middle of anatomy lab. I think it's right, though.

Life is always gonna suck. It's how you handle it that matters. I'm sad, but I'm still happy to be in medical school.

Hugs. It's clearly his loss. I'm sure he'll regret it too.

 

[Syndicate]

Just grind it out during the hard times cause if you do, you get to become that attending bossing around all the people in the hierarchy and making the big bucks.

 

[gumdrops]

Just grind it out during the hard times cause if you do, you get to become that attending bossing around all the people in the hierarchy and making the big bucks.

And if you're doing it for reasons other than money and power (just being a nudge, Syndicate ), you really can make people very happy and set them to living the lives they imagined. It's a real privilege.

 

[Perrotfish]

So what's the hardest and most challenging part of the path of being a doctor?
-medical school?
-residency?
-practicing?

I know it depends on what residency and other factors, but is the light at the end of the tunnel bright or dim? why or why not?

btw i'm not talking about salary or lifestyle. im talking about overall happiness

My unofficial estimate, based on my friends and colleages in non-surgical specialties

70% say Intern year
10% say 3rd year of medical school
10% say a year of residency that's not Intern year
5% say their first year out in practice
4% say whatever year they're currently in. Usually while explaining why you don't have a right to be miserable during your Intern year when they have it so much worse.
1% Are just happy all the f-ing time.

 

[chillinillinkillin007]

My unofficial estimate, based on my friends and colleages in non-surgical specialties

70% say Intern year
10% say 3rd year of medical school
10% say a year of residency that's not Intern year
5% say their first year out in practice
4% say whatever year they're currently in. Usually while explaining why you don't have a right to be miserable during your Intern year when they have it so much worse.
1% Are just happy all the f-ing time.

the question is are you the 1%?

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

The 1% must be heavily medicated.

 

[gumdrops]

The 1% must be heavily medicated.

Ha, I met a medical oncologist who fit into that 1%. He has ridiculous levels of energy and is a very happy person. He said that building in breaks into his schedule is what allowed him to do so well and still enjoy medical school. He would take one day a week off from studying, even up until Step 1. I know I'll need to study seven days a week but now I intend to figure out a way to integrate exercise and some breaks through the week.