How much do doctors Really make

[lynn623la]

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You have to also think about billing codes and if the people you have in your clinic are billing the right codes and at the right prices for the procedures.

Running your own clinic and managing codes is really tough. That is why it is best to hire an outside billing service or maybe work for a hospital.

 

[StellarOrigins]

I said you would be "comfortable". That's pretty different from barely able to make a living, in my book.

But it's also a far cry from the mansions, yachts and luxury cars some people seem to envision. If you have a family, a mortgage, and student loans, in a high cost of living part of the country, a low six digit salary won't have you living large.

Rightfully so brother, or sister.

 

[Oculus Sinistra]

Cos if I am going to end up making a janitor's pay as a surgeon I will like to know now, so i can tell med schools "SCREW U GUYS I AM GOIN HOME"

About ten cents on the dollar.

You also get to drink one (1) small can of strange-flavored orange juice from the thin cans in the ER.

 

[captain bhangra]

190k for internists? I thought they made alot more than taht

 

[Ross434]

On the other hand, if you're single, pay back your med school loans as quick as you can, and go into a lucrative specialty in a less populated area, you will be living like a king.

Although a lot of doctors are salaried and paid less than they used to be, there's still a large opportunity to do your own thing, as far as business goes - there are still a lot of spine surgeons and private practice pain docs making a million a year. If you have a good amount of business sense and look for the right market niche, there's no reason why a well situated cash practice in any number of specialties wouldnt net you at least into the 300-500k range.

 

[captain bhangra]

my uncle is an internist and he has his own practice and to me it seems like hes making wayyyy more than 250

 

[somemaybedoc]

I said you would be "comfortable". That's pretty different from barely able to make a living, in my book.

But it's also a far cry from the mansions, yachts and luxury cars some people seem to envision. If you have a family, a mortgage, and student loans, in a high cost of living part of the country, a low six digit salary won't have you living large.

Most docs I've seen swing luxury cars. Especially nonprimarycare types.

 

[DoctorPardi]

my uncle is an internist and he has his own practice and to me it seems like hes making wayyyy more than 250

What should we trust? Anecdotal evidence, that is very unclear about the actual details, and may only apply to one case, or a list of average salaries from the AAMC?

 

[Law2Doc]

my uncle is an internist and he has his own practice and to me it seems like hes making wayyyy more than 250

Those numbers listed are averages. So for each person like your uncle earning way more, there are probably quite a few folks who are earning way less than that figure.

 

[somemaybedoc]

Those numbers listed are averages. So for each person like your uncle earning way more, there are probably quite a few folks who are earning way less than that figure.

At least they usually publish medians so they cut down on outliers.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

So are you all honest when asked "Are you going into medicine for the money?"

 

[Law2Doc]

So are you all honest when asked "Are you going into medicine for the money?"

Yes. Medicine is too long and hard a career if the major driving force is money. If you aren't genuinely interested or enjoy it, you will be miserable and no amount of money in the bank will get your life back.

There's a very good reason that you cannot indicate to adcoms that money is your motivating factor, and it is not that they are in denial. It is simply an immature approach to such a career. You are going to be working very long hours and doing this career for 60 hours a week for the rest of your life. That's most of your awake time for the rest of your life. So you'd better be into it. The folks that end up frustrated and bitter in this field are the ones who are never actually excited about medicine. You do a career like this because you want to practice medicine, not because you think it will get you a Lexus.

 

[DoctorPardi]

Yes. Medicine is too long and hard a career if the major driving force is money. If you aren't genuinely interested or enjoy it, you will be miserable and no amount of money in the bank will get your life back.

Law2Doc gave up an illustrious and high paying career as a big time DC malpractice lawyer to get into medicine afterall!

 

[Law2Doc]

Law2Doc gave up an illustrious and high paying career as a big time DC malpractice lawyer to get into medicine afterall!

Never did malpractice, actually.

 

[DoctorPardi]

Never did malpractice, actually.

Good to hear, you're ok in my book!

 

[Pinkertinkle]

While money shouldn't be one's only reason for doing medicine, it would be imprudent to exclude it from the list of factors considered when choosing a career.

 

[Law2Doc]

While money shouldn't be one's only reason for doing medicine, it would be imprudent to exclude it from the list of factors considered when choosing a career.

You don't exclude it from the list. It just shouldn't be prominently at the top. And ideally it's a many item list.

 

[DoctorPardi]

While money shouldn't be one's only reason for doing medicine, it would be imprudent to exclude it from the list of factors considered when choosing a career.

Certainly, the money doctors make is great. It is something to consider with everything else. This however should not be a job decision like, "well I can deal with that for THAT amount of money." You probably can't and you'll hate your life.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

You don't exclude it from the list. It just shouldn't be prominently at the top. And ideally it's a many item list.

You don't need to put it at the bottom either. Let people choose their own priorities.

 

[mvenus929]

You don't need to put it at the bottom either. Let people choose their own priorities.

I don't think they're saying it needs to be at the bottom. It just shouldn't be the major factor in the decision to pursue medical school. If you're only in medicine for money, you will probably hate your life. Besides, you can make better money doing other things.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

If you're only in medicine for money, you will probably hate your life. Besides, you can make better money doing other things.

I quote myself 2 posts up.

money shouldn't be one's only reason for doing medicine

 

[mvenus929]

I quote myself 2 posts up.

Well, I said it shouldn't be the major reason, not just that it shouldn't be the only reason. But I didn't notice your post, so I'm sorry.

 

[MJB]

I agree with you, but you do have to take into consideration the factor of spending your 20s in school and not making decent money until your 30s (or in my case, 40s.)

Plus, there are the people who went into medicine when it really was a guarantee of the Mercedes Benz, country club, vacation home, private school for the kids way of life, and have been let down. I do have sympathy for them. After all, medicine used to be a unique way for nerds who don't have the social skills to make it in the business world to nonetheless make a lot of money. If the fiduciary rewards of medicine shrink too far, we nerds will be stuck with engineering jobs that max out at $80k while the only people willing to do medicine will be people who want to do it solely as an altruistic endeavor and women who want to do it part-time while partially relying on their husbands' full-time income.

I'll just say this...I am 30...and have spent my 20's making barely enough to live on according to some on this board.

I make about 60K or so...and have owned/borrowed from the bank 3 different houses, drive a decent vehicle that I bought new and paid off (30K), am married, have put the wife through Nursing school, own Season football and basketball tickets to a local D-1 college which requires donation, and spend nearly ever summer weekend at the lake of the ozarks riding on our 2005 Waverunner.

It's not a lot, but it's certainly above "comfortable" in my opinion..so, even with about 200K in Student Loans, i'm guessing if I make 150-200K, I'll be just fine.

Like I said, it's all a matter of what you consider "comfortable"...i would say having a decent, reliable car, a decent house...a retirement account, and having some play money is "comfortable".

It seems some don't feel comfortable unless they have the best of everything. There are a TON of people in this country that survive quite well on less than 50K a year. They just don't choose to live in some of the areas that have outrageous cost of living numbers.


My biggest fear for the future of the profession is someone getting in power and being able to move us more toward socialized medicine...but that's another subject.

 

[MJB]

So are you all honest when asked "Are you going into medicine for the money?"

If I was only interested in making 6 figures, I'd go get a PhD in some completely boring division of chemistry and live out my days in the pharma industry...

I can't imagine anything more painful and mind numbing, however.

 

[Law2Doc]

I can't imagine anything more painful and mind numbing, however.

You need a better imagination. There are plenty of clerical/unskilled labor jobs where folks just check inventories, stock shelves, take tickets, pick produce, etc.

 

[MJB]

Thing is, I've done those...and enjoyed them.

Just not a fan of research...at all.

Heck, there are a ton of jobs that aren't challenging, but pay well enough to live and retire comfortably.

 

[MJB]

L2D, I'm just curious...are you in med school, done with school and in residency, practicing, applying, or preparing to apply?

You seem to answer a lot of questions as though you have experienced Med School and other things that folks that are pre-med have not.

Just wondering.

 

[Packamylase]

L2D, I'm just curious...are you in med school, done with school and in residency, practicing, applying, or preparing to apply?

You seem to answer a lot of questions as though you have experienced Med School and other things that folks that are pre-med have not.

Just wondering.

Yes, and L2D, What field are you considering for yourself?

 

[Pinkertinkle]

L2D, I'm just curious...are you in med school, done with school and in residency, practicing, applying, or preparing to apply?

You seem to answer a lot of questions as though you have experienced Med School and other things that folks that are pre-med have not.

Just wondering.

Yes, this I would also like to know.

 

[dutchman]

Maybe his law-firm is planting him in the medical field so they can use him for professional opinion whan they sue

Just kidding dude. I think that pretty cool to be MD/JD