Having doubts about medicine as a career...

[leechy]

Well, this is an interesting (and disturbing) thread. There's another thread in the general residency forum, by the way, dealing with a resident who really wants to quit. That's another good thread to look at if you want to learn more about the dark side of medicine.

I also went through a long period of doubt about what to do with my life. I wondered, what profession would make be happiest? I researched and spoke with people in a variety of careers - lawyers, consultants, academics, doctors, even a journalist and a musician. And guess what? With a few exceptions, they all hated their jobs. Lawyers and consultants complained about type A colleagues, the struggle to make partner, long meetings where people just want to hear themselves talk, office politics, long hours, lack of control over lifestyle. Academics complained about the struggle for tenure, having to slave for their PIs for almost no money and no guarantee of a job when all was said and done, while others their age were supposedly making good livings. Even the journalist and the musician weren't happy. The journalist chose to go to law school, and the musician told me she wished she had gone to medical school. 🙄

Then there are some people I know who consciously chose to "cop out", selecting 9-5 jobs in industry where they could make a decent living and have a nice lifestyle. Contrary to expectations, they complained that they were bored numb, and felt they were wasting their abilities doing meaningless work in a cubicle, and weren't getting the appreciation they deserved.

As for doctors' complaints, you know already what those will be.

Likewise, there were a few satisfied people in every profession. It made me wonder the extent to which happiness is innate, rather than environmentally driven. Granted, there are some uniquely terrible and gruesome things about medicine that cause unhappiness - but I also think pretty much any profession where you're working excessive hours under stress and not getting enough sleep/rest is not exactly conducive to mental health. I had a financial analyst tell me she was on SSRIs ONLY because she couldn't handle the stress of her job.

So, the conclusion to my very scientific survey? All professions suck (at least to an extent). With happiness out of the picture, I decided to weigh other factors, such as how interested I was in the intellectual aspect of the field. I knew I was far more interested in biology and medicine than in any other field. I hope that (among other things) will help sustain me when the going gets tough. And after several years of weighing the options, I settled on medicine. That's my story (or part of it). 🙂 Sure, doubts resurface every now and then, but I figure if I go in expecting to be miserable, and knowing that I would have been miserable in any other profession, then I won't be that disappointed, eh? (Note: I'm being facetious. Sort of).

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Smooth Operater]

I was actually one of those type-A pre-med you guys talking about. Then I re-evulated what I really want in my life then switched to a pre-dent route. Now my life is less stressful and I am enjoying it more. WVmed, have you ever considered dentistry? It pretty much fullfill what you want from a career listed above, good autonomy, money, security after 4 years of hell in dental school, which will make you satisfied that you have acheived something great. If you have your own private practice, you don't have to deal with type-A bosses or co-workers cuz you are your own boss. There are scarifices to be made in every career. But I think only yourself can decide how much scarifice you can make to attain what you want from med. Just my 2nd cent.

 

[medmo]

It made me wonder the extent to which happiness is innate, rather than environmentally driven.

I agree that's a big part of it. I think you have to find the profession that gives you the most opportunity to make yourself happy. I don't believe that a job will do it all for you.

 

[Saved Satan]

I was actually one of those type-A pre-med you guys talking about. Then I re-evulated what I really want in my life then switched to a pre-dent route. Now my life is less stressful and I am enjoying it more. WVmed, have you ever considered dentistry? It pretty much fullfill what you want from a career listed above, good autonomy, money, security after 4 years of hell in dental school, which will make you satisfied that you have acheived something great. If you have your own private practice, you don't have to deal with type-A bosses or co-workers cuz you are your own boss. There are scarifices to be made in every career. But I think only yourself can decide how much scarifice you can make to attain what you want from med. Just my 2nd cent.

That's what I've been telling people. Go into Dentistry. You will be far happier and satisfied. Medicine will increasingly be for those who have specific reasons for studying medicine, not for money, lifestyle or anything else. The burden and stress coming from legal and administrative issues will be just too much to bear.

 

[thirdunity]

Hi, I hope this helps a bit.

Some of what's propelling me toward medicine, away from my old career:

I was a computer contractor, in software QA, and I also worked in graphic arts (for the dotcoms).

* was tied to living in one specific area
* had to work *long* hours
* was constantly scrambling around for the next contract - there was no security
* I had to put hellaciously long hours of training in, on a regular basis, on my off time, that I wasn't being paid for - only to have that same knowledge go obselete two months later, and have to start from scratch
* didn't get to have a life
* partner works in IT and has a lot of the same problem with being able to relocate/find work - he's not able to move when I transfer to 4-year

I know that medicine will have some of the same things as above - such as long hours, no life. But, studying the science/math foundations will actually *get* me somewhere (and it's not turning out to be *more* study than I did in computers! Honestly!) instead of keeping me in the same no-security job for the rest of my life, that eventually is going to get exported to the Philippines anyway. And I'll be able to work anywhere in the country. I didn't respect myself working in computers; I didn't feel like I was contributing to society in the least. I just felt like a *****.

Some of the trade-offs are going to be the same in *any* career - it may as well be something where you will still respect yourself.

 

[Andrew_Doan]

That's not to mention the nightmare of managed care and HMO contracts that await and basically sign your life away to some rich CEO who decides when and where you will practice.

WVmed, you need to do what makes you happy. It sounds so simple, yet people have a difficult time. Why? Because the work and money may seem to be major barriers.

I recommend that you find something you love to do (if it's being a physician- then great). If you love what you do, then you'll never work another day of your life and the money is icing on the cake. If you hate it, then money binds you to the thing you despise.

I love being a doctor; however, I do agree with you about being controlled by someone else and being in the "rat race". However, with financial intelligence, which schools do not teach students, you can work your day job and have financial freedom. Read this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=194496

Good luck! I love practicing as an ophthalmologist.

 

[WVmed]

WVMed, to be honest, if I went into med school with your mentality, I probably would not have made it even this far (end of third year). Let alone through intern year, which some say is even harder on you. You seem to be over-emphasizing the logistical issues. And I don't know if that will sustain you. To me, the core elements of medicine are the satisfaction of understanding pathophysiology and using that to help (or rarely cure) someone. I find that to be good at something, I have to work extremely hard. To do that, I have to enjoy it most of the time. Otherwise, I get resentful and bored, won't pay attention, screw up, get miserable, etc.

But, I've only read your posts. There may be something that's not coming through.

medmo, thanks. You're right, enjoying medicine will require more than just satisfaction derived from the various comforts of the field: job security, freedom to practice in almost any location, "meaningful" career, and a decent salary. There has to be something that makes you smile or chuckle every now and then while at work. Or even better, something that gives you a rush and makes hours feel like minutes. My true passion is teaching, and organic chemistry would be my subject of interest. However- when I step back, look down on the big picture of life, and think about what is accomplished by being a great professor, I am left feeling empty. Sure, you make a few students "change their lives" and become such and such professional. But who really cares about that?

Similar dark thoughts about the accomplishments of a medical career often cross my mind. "Who cares if you help cure 1,000 people? Someone else would have if I hadn't!" Thoughts like that will manifest when you are studying for block exams, I am aware of this. Don't get the wrong idea, I truly enjoy sharing ideas with people and helping them understand (whether its organic chemistry or the cardiovascular system). I've looked at this a lot, and I see quite a few similarities between being a physician and being a professor. You give helpful facts to people (sometimes very bad and sad news), and its up to you how you present and highlight those facts. You also perform operations and use scientific knowledge to make decisions and observations. The combination of these elements is far too tempting for me to take any other route. Also the possibility of academic medicine (teaching and having patients) is so bright I can't see myself doing anything else.

Some people are happy-go-lucky just mopping floors, man. Just happy to be here, I guess. I am not the simple man I wish I was, smiling through the drudgery of life. Knowing that, I can't depend on happiness by putting it into a neatly wrapped box called medicine.

 

[doc2tlk2]

I started med school after a year of being waitlisted and LOVED the idea of it. Now almost done with 2nd year and still haven't gotten over the complaining. I just don't seem to think ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL this studying is worth it! I feel like I have gone from someone with spunk and personality who used to love to listen to people (Psych was what propelled me to med school) to another annoying whiny complaining med student and cant stand it. And I am terrified of burning out before Boards....I guess I need to ask:
1. How do you stop complaining? Cuz I do have that problem CHRONICALLY
2. Where does it end---I mean when do you say I am glad I am in this field--
some days when I am in my shadowing fam doc sessions I really love it, like the patients, the problem solving etc but some days I just HATE ABSOLUTELY SHOVING SOOOOOOOO MUCH INFO IN my brain!!!!
3. What are the motivating factors you guys?????????????? $$$$$$$$$???
Helping someone??????????? Career satisfaction???????????????????
I am running out of options to stay positive................................... please share ur thoughts. Appreciate it!