HS student questions

[doc05]

Originally posted by davidw11
There is no stereotypes here, I'm merely stating what I see. Maybe you just go to a very good school. There really isn't much usefulness on this topic, so I'll just quit.

Now regarding pre-law, that is what I'd like to do more. However, I don't want to take something where I'll only get anywhere if I get into Harvard or Yale. I could understand if you want to be the president needing to get a good top-20 education, but for just a regular lawyer? I'm not talking about making millions a year, just average lawyer salaries of like $100,000. Which seems like a lot, but law schools cost more then med schools. Not to mention doctors make more, alot more.

at this point, it is pretty obvious that money is your sole motivating factor; that, coupled with what seems to be mediocre academic credentials (and more importantly, potential), suggest that medicine is not the right field for you.

As it turns out, you can go to a middle of the road law school and end up making a reasonable salary - with time, maybe 70 or 80k per year if you work really hard. But you still have to live with the fact that you are a lawyer.

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[davidw11]

med school definitely costs more. on a per year basis, the private med schools and law schools cost a similar amount, close to 45k-50k per year with expenses.

Depends on where you go I guess. In the long wrong, Med school will definately end up costing you more. But, they have a much higher starting salary too, which offsets this much more. So, in reality law school ends up hurting you more.

at this point, it is pretty obvious that money is your sole motivating factor; that, coupled with what seems to be mediocre academic credentials (and more importantly, potential), suggest that medicine is not the right field for you.

You are so wrong, why do you say money is my sole motivating factor? It's not. That's not to say it's not a factor in the decision, as it is. Anybody else is lying. And if you're not in it for the money partly, then you better be giving free health care to inner city children before posting a reply. I can't stand doctors who say money had nothing to do with it, then drive their luxury cars back to their $700,000 houses. If you live in a modest 3BR house maybe that costs $140,000 and drive a Saturn, then I'll believe you.

 

[musiclink213]

the way you make it seem, it seems as if money is what's drivong you. and there are plenty of people that don't care about money. the reason that docs have luxury cars is cause they can. money cannot be the reason you want to be a doctor. becuase more often than not, you can't even enjoy that money cause you're always working. but seriosuly, think about it, if you were making a bunch of money a year, and you had to buy a car, why would you buy a kia or something like that when you could afford top of the line? it's human instinct to do that.

And if you're not in it for the money partly, then you better be giving free health care to inner city children before posting a reply

how do you know this isn't what some of us want to do? i know i want to do something like that once i get my liscense, and i know plenty of people who also want to do that.

don't blame the docs that have the nice cars and big houses, cause they had to work hard to get to where they are, otherwise, if money was there only factor, than they wouldn't be able to find a job anywhere, cause although they could be a competent doctor, they're definitly not going to be the greatest, and it'll be much harder to find a job. and then where does the money come from?

 

[davidw11]

the reason that docs have luxury cars is cause they can. money cannot be the reason you want to be a doctor. becuase more often than not, you can't even enjoy that money cause you're always working. but seriosuly, think about it, if you were making a bunch of money a year, and you had to buy a car, why would you buy a kia or something like that when you could afford top of the line? it's human instinct to do that.

If their sole purpose was to help people, then why wouldn't they pay all their student loans off(I'll give them that), then devote the rest of their extra money to donate to people. After all, money has absolutely positively nothing to do with it. I'm not saying it's wrong for it to have, you're just saying that it's not all a factor.

If I see a truck driver coming back to his $400,000 house and convertible, I wouldn't think twice to say these same comments. Cause they'll admit in a second that it's for the money. Yeah they may love driving, especially trucks, but moneys still a very important factor. If truck drivers made $5.50 an hour, I doubt there would be 90% of the truck drivers still driving.

So how can a doctor say money has absolutely nothing to do with it? Unless that same person would still do the job even if it payed $5.50/hr.

 

[peterockduke]

Originally posted by doc05
at this point, it is pretty obvious that money is your sole motivating factor; that, coupled with what seems to be mediocre academic credentials (and more importantly, potential), suggest that medicine is not the right field for you.

Seroiusly doc05, justify your existence.. all you do is talk pointless smack. Why do you have to be such a vicious little queen? Since you didn't grow up without money you're pretty much just talking out of your butt. How utterly selfish of you.

How many people who escape from poverty move up to middle class living or even more amazingly get to go to college? All these people telling this kid to "chill out"... You just don't get it do you? His intensity will pull him out of a bad situation if he can maintain it. For the most part, people are trying to help, but you're talking to someone whose situation you obviously don't understand one bit... Think you'll make a great doctor? Think again.

 

[davidw11]

How many people who escape from poverty move up to middle class living or even more amazingly get to go to college? All these people telling this kid to "chill out"... You just don't get it do you? His intensity will pull him out of a bad situation if he can maintain it. For the most part, people are trying to help, but you're talking to someone whose situation you obviously don't understand one bit... Think you'll make a great doctor? Think again.

You know, I'm good friends with this Sociology professor and this is all he talks about. There has been amazing research done on poverty, and virtually all poverty kids will remain in poverty. It is incredibly hard to get to middle class status, let alone become a doctor or lawyer when you grow up poor. And I mean truely poor. A family being tight so they can afford their new car payment and house mortgage is not what I call poverty.

Research is a little different for middle class status. If you're born middle class, virtually all will either remain middle class, or move up and make it further then their parents did. The percentage that move up is far greater then the percentage that move up from poverty.

So, research shows that it is easier for an average middle-class person to become a doctor and make $130,000 then it is for a kid in poverty to get to middle-class and make $40,000/yr. Alot of factors come into play.

I know, just less then a yr ago I finally was able to buy a PC for school work. It isn't anywhere near top of the line, and costed about $300 for the complete set of everything. And it took many years of saving to get it.

It's funny because before I got it, I had to work amazingly hard to get the same grade as someone else who did it very fast. I couldn't just log-on to the internet and get resources and information. I had to walk to the library(which is very far), since my parents didn't have a car. Then, I had to stay after school just to type up my report. Since I couldn't print in color, I had to manually color everything and make it very neat. And yet my neatness score was always worst then the people that just printed it off. There's a very biased system currently. Now that I have a PC, I'm amazingly got perfect neatness grades and a ton better on reports, and spent 1/100 the time I used to on stuff. I know there are alot more people out there that had to do the same.

 

[musiclink213]

Ok, david, seriously, do you want our sympathy? yes, it's difficult for students from poverty, but it's also difficult for immigrants, the children of later immigrants, people who's parents never went to college, people who live in urban areas (and these people do not all come from poverty)

basically, yes, it sucks to be poor, but it's even worse to try and get sympathy from everyone. don't get the shots cause you have no money, let them see what you've done, and then make them say, wow, this person had a hard life, look how much he's done. don't let people think 'oh, he's only got into school cause of EOP or whatever.' i dunno, i would never try to use my financial situation or social situation, or background as an excuse.

 

[davidw11]

Ok, david, seriously, do you want our sympathy?

Of course not, is that what I said? I'm saying how much more difficult it is. So "having fun" isn't going to be my main worry in life like others. Since you don't understand, there is no point to argue.

 

[musiclink213]

Of course not, is that what I said? I'm saying how much more difficult it is. So "having fun" isn't going to be my main worry in life like others. Since you don't understand, there is no point to argue.

i do understand, more than you might think. you have no clue what i've been through, and i'm not about to post my life story on the boards. fortunantly, i do not have to worry about financial issues, my family is not rich, but we have enough. i get a large scholarship, and i am able to cover the rest with my savings and my job.

but i worry about just making it through the day. to tell you why is not exactly something i want to share. do you really think i'm supposed to be having fun? i've also had to work twice as hard as my classmates to get to the same position because of outside circumstances. so what? life's a b*tch. but put things into perspective, whether or not, at the end of the day, if you have ten million dollars, or ten dollars, you're still alive, and that's reason enough to have fun and enjoy life. and you don't need money to do that, or a car, you just need your life, and the ability to enjoy it.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

david,
for answers for your law school questions, i would suggest posting at either www.infirmation.com or www.vault.com. at infirmation (aka greedy associates), the law students board is probably the best place, but the exlawyers board is also a great place to check out to see the downsides of a legal career. at vault, there's both a law forum and a law school forum, both of which could be useful.

however, at both places, i'm betting most people would agree with my previous statements that the prestige of your law school is a pretty important factor in how successful you'll be. yes, there are exceptions, but you're legal career is that much harder if you go to a lower-ranked school. if you go to a top school, you can make $100k to start with (with a miserable work-you-to-death firm, but that's another story). if you go to a lower ranked school, the statistical odds are that you'll start at around $40k, if you're lucky enough to get a job immediately after graduating, and have a very hard time ever hitting $100k.

also, here are some some facts i've gleened about the legal profession after discovering law was not for me. the vast majority of lawyers score as TJ's on the myers-briggs test. you should definitely take this test in college (it should be offered for free or nearly free at your school's career services office). especially if you're an f, you'll feel like a real oddball in the legal world. also, most content lawyers aren't idealists, which is a shame because a lot of people go to law school because of their idealism. overall, the happiest people in law are pragmatic risk-averse types, which goes against how lawyers are portrayed in the media.

the great thing about your situation is that you have a ton of time to figure these things out. you already know that you want a stable, decent income, so take the time to find what your other values are. again, most middle class and upper middle class people are not doctors and lawyers, so there are other things to do with your life.

 

[davidw11]

so there are other things to do with your life.

Yeah but I don't really have any preference for college. It's not like I love cars and what to be a mechanic, but since it's not doctor wages I won't do it. There really isn't a college degree I'd prefer. I love computers, but there is no major for that. Computer Science deals too heavy with math and technical things.

So I figure, if I have to college and take all these loans out, I better plan ahead and figure out a good path. I don't want to be 80,000 in dept from a college and be making the same salary as someone not in dept. Doesn't make much sense.