If you won $10 MILLION+... would you continue?

[OnMyWayThere]

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Obviously we aren't in it for the money, because the money is just not that good right now in medicine. Still though, if you were to win the lotto in excess of $10 MILLION, would you still pursue medical school and all?

 

[Medikit]

yeah, it would be great because I wouldn't need to take out loans.

 

[BenzML320]

When you say in excess of $10 mill do you mean $10.1 million or like $150 million?

 

[IndyZX]

I wouldn't go to medical school, but I'd still work in healthcare. Perhaps, politics.

 

[dr.z]

I still would goto medical school. $10 million is nice, but its still not a degree.

 

[ndn diva]

I would still go to medical school and donate all the money to cancer research. (Okay...maybe I'll keep a mil or two or five for hard times )

 

[Dr Dean]

I'd be rich. RARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

 

[Utopify]

Whatever knowlege we attain in this life, we take with us into the next. The aquisition of knowlege is second to no amount of money.

Money will get spent. Then what? Unless you use it on a degree, or on your children's degrees, who cares? You die with a yacht, you still die. You die an MD, you are still an MD, and again...whatever knowlege we attain here, we keep - forever.

My .02

-utopify

 

[2badr]

Yes! It would make life a little easier because the loans wouldn't stress me out. Heck, I'd have no loans and I'd get to do what I enjoy.

I wouldn't have to do all this cost of living per city, worry about the greatest financial package etc. I wouldn't entertain the thought of working when possible during school either. It would be really nice to move my parents near me or one of my sisters or brothers. I would also take in 2 nephews and a niece. After all, there would be room in my *mansion*, right? 😀

Sure would take the load of trying to buy them (my parents) a new house off my shoulders, too. 😳

I would definitely continue. It would hopefully make doing this a little better. (I know it would on the financial end.) 😉

Edit: Come to think of it, I'm more afraid of not doing this than I am of doing it. 🙂

 

[rockstar2525]

yeah, I'd still go, what else would I do all day? Lounging by my new pool in my new house would be fun for awhile, but I don't think I could do that forever without becoming horribly bored. I'd use the money to pay for school and when I got done maybe only work around 35 hrs/week.

 

[uclabruin2003]

hmm with 10 million....id try to bribe a school into letting me in. then i would sit back and relax and study my four years away. open up a non-proft free/reduce rate clinic and help the poor...

 

[dankev]

Am I the only one here who looks at medicine as a career? Granted, it's one I am excited about, but work is work. Med school is hard, and if I knew I'd never have to worry about money, I wouldn't work so hard.

 

[Alwayshope]

I would still go to medical school, but then I'd go work in Africa or some where else that needs serious help.

 

[Singing Devil]

Have any of you ever known the children of millionaires? I've known several, and I have to say that many of them were still ambitious, despite their considerable fundage. If I won 10mill, I'd look at it like I just became rich, but that's it. I'd still want to be a doctor--the money just wouldn't be part of the equation any more.

 

[leechy]

For me, it's a tough question. I would still want to use my life to do something for the good of society, but it might not be medicine.

 

[thewzdoc]

I?d continue to pursue medicine?it?s a passion after all not just a job/career. It would be nice to know that I didn?t have huge loans to pay at the end of school?

Wow?. the thought of ?just? going to school and not having to work at all during?

I would volunteer my services to my local Children?s Hospital.

 

[xaelia]

PGA Tour all the way.

At least, I'd take a year off and see how close I could get... 🙂

 

[xSTALLiONx]

Whatever knowlege we attain in this life, we take with us into the next. The aquisition of knowlege is second to no amount of money.

Money will get spent. Then what? Unless you use it on a degree, or on your children's degrees, who cares? You die with a yacht, you still die. You die an MD, you are still an MD, and again...whatever knowlege we attain here, we keep - forever.

My .02

-utopify

haha.. money is same as knowledge.. you can only aquire a finite amount of money in your life and you can only aquire a finite amount of knowledge in your life..
think about what a "degree" is.. it's a piece of paper blessed with the institution's approval of you jumping through the correct hoops..
if you give that same piece of paper to a poor child in Africa.. it's just a piece of paper to wipe his ass with..
gonna be interesting when you talk to people and they ask how you like sky diving or how many times you have sex a week and you'll respond with.. "i don't.. but i can do the square root of 600 in my head!" you'll impress a lot of people..

I hope your degree keeps you warm in your casket .. cause the $10 mil yacht will keep me warmer..

With that said, I'll still pursue medicine until i reach the $10 mil point.. it also gives me that tingle in my heart when I help someone.. 😍

Nurse help people too. They get out of school and are helping earlier than med students.. yet people want to become doctors because they WANT to help people.. but don't mind the pay and prestige of the associated with the degree..

 

[vhawk]

Wait a sec Stallion...are you implying that some people are...full of it? And that they actually do like the money and presitge of being a doctor, and not just the selfless act of saving people? GASP! Thats something likely to get you killed around here, cause there are some self-deluded people who get all riled up when you consider medicine to be a JOB, and a damn good one at that. And thanks also for eliminating this notion that money is somehow evil and inferior to everything else. You are absolutely right that a degree is just a sign of accomplishment, same as money, and it doesnt have any intrinsic value besides what it says to you about yourself or to others about you. DING! Bonus points...

 

[MEG@COOL]

If I had a billion dollars I would hire an army to fire bomb all the mediacal schools so my asian parents wouldnt force me to become a doctor. Then I would hang myself from the rafters with hooks all throughout my body.

 

[Kazema]

I would still go to medical school, but then I'd go work in Africa or some where else that needs serious help.

Yeah, I'd do the same, but probably would work in an underserved population in the US.

I think I'd get bored doing nothing and start to feel kind of guilty if I just partied all my money away for the rest of my life.

Or maybe I could be like that one guy who plays poker all the time and just donates his winnings to charity.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

I would still become a doctor, and use the $10 million to feed my insatiable drug habbit (which conviniently becomes easier to score as a doctor)

 

[marr]

I would still become a doctor, and use the $10 million to feed my insatiable drug habbit (which conviniently becomes easier to score as a doctor)

👍 👍

 

[JennaK]

Yep, My dreams are still the same the only change if I won that kind of money would be setting up a clinic oversees where medicine is needed most

 

[leechy]

I would still become a doctor, and use the $10 million to feed my insatiable drug habbit (which conviniently becomes easier to score as a doctor)

👍 You would then have quite a stash. Mind sharing? 🙂

 

[Fed Meat]

Obviously we aren't in it for the money, because the money is just not that good right now in medicine.

Why do people keep saying this? Name me one profession that pays more. And no, "professional athlete" doesn't count.

 

[OnMyWayThere]

Why do people keep saying this? Name me one profession that pays more. And no, "professional athlete" doesn't count.

I was making more as a fairly small business owner than I probably ever will in primary care.

 

[IndyZX]

There are exceptions to the rule, but doctors are the highest paid people in the country.

 

[G-Dubya]

If I won 10 million dollars I would do a happy little dance, pay off all my loans, and keep going to med school

 

[Darko]

I'd definitely keep going. Being unemployed sucks, even if you have $10M to your name.

 

[SlopinMunkyDude]

I have to say that 10-million dollars in my lap would spell the end of my medical career. I'd rather go do research in the rainforest or something like that. No way I'm going to stay inside all that time and sacrifice all those years of my life when I have no need for monetary compensation and can still do something meaningful with my life.

 

[UTHoustonAggie]

I just started med school today and I have to say that I would quit immediately. I'm not saying that I'm in it only for the money, but I could probably do just as much good in this world with $10mil+ than I could by working my ass off for forever. But I don't have that money so I'll have to keep going...

 

[OnMyWayThere]

There are exceptions to the rule, but doctors are the highest paid people in the country.

I don't think that is true nowadays. Maybe the most stable income, but not the highest paid people in the country.

 

[Reimat]

Wow, I think if money wasn't an issue, I'd get my MD, go for a few PhD's and then finish up residency and go split my time between research and practice. Maybe just become a teacher. But I agree with the comment that medicine isn't the most lucrative career path- probably business or certain branches of law if you're smart and charismatic enough. CEOs make millions, while in corporate law, those lawyers get large cuts of those millions...

 

[EvoDevo]

Yes! It would make life a little easier because the loans wouldn't stress me out. Heck, I'd have no loans and I'd get to do what I enjoy.

I wouldn't have to do all this cost of living per city, worry about the greatest financial package etc. I wouldn't entertain the thought of working when possible during school either. It would be really nice to move my parents near me or one of my sisters or brothers. I would also take in 2 nephews and a niece. After all, there would be room in my *mansion*, right? 😀

Sure would take the load of trying to buy them (my parents) a new house off my shoulders, too. 😳

I would definitely continue. It would hopefully make doing this a little better. (I know it would on the financial end.) 😉

Edit: Come to think of it, I'm more afraid of not doing this than I am of doing it. 🙂

Exactly! 🙂

 

[IndyZX]

I don't think that is true nowadays. Maybe the most stable income, but not the highest paid people in the country.

Nope. It's still true... and, it's really not close. I'm not sure when this became accepted knowledge amongst those entering the medical profession. Relative pay has gone down since the 80s, but don't fool yourself: you'll be making mega-bucks.

Who are the highest paid people in America? If you said doctors, you'd be correct. Surgeons ranked No. 1 among the highest-paid professions in the U.S. with an average salary of $190,280 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Anestheiologists were second with pay of $184,880 per year. Obstetricians and gynecologists were third with an average of $180,660. General internists came in fourth with $160,130 and general pediatricians were in the fifth spot with annual pay of $143,300.

from http://207.21.203.96/salary.html

 

[soreed]

becoming a doctor would be like winning a $10million dollar lottery every day i work...




















...do i get in now?













hhahahaahahhhahaah j/k

 

[ritalingirl]

Guys, what kind of question is that? Sure, it would be nice not to have to take out loans and stuff, but really, if you have a job you love, you've achieved a kind of success few people get to experience. Knowing that you're truly in your element, that you are a competent, valuable member of an amazing profession...dude, can you really choose the 10 million over your own self-worth?

Just a different perspective.

Later...
Ritalingirl

 

[soreed]

Nope. It's still true... and, it's really not close. I'm not sure when this became accepted knowledge amongst those entering the medical profession. Relative pay has gone down since the 80s, but don't fool yourself: you'll be making mega-bucks.


from http://207.21.203.96/salary.html

hours worked also needs to be considered

 

[xSTALLiONx]

Guys, what kind of question is that? Sure, it would be nice not to have to take out loans and stuff, but really, if you have a job you love, you've achieved a kind of success few people get to experience. Knowing that you're truly in your element, that you are a competent, valuable member of an amazing profession...dude, can you really choose the 10 million over your own self-worth?

Just a different perspective.

Later...
Ritalingirl

yes

 

[Radio Edit]

go to bally's and put it all on red. 😱 😱 😱 😎 😱

 

[IndyZX]

hours worked also needs to be considered

ok... youre probablyl referring to airline pilots making more per hour.

two things
1) its incredibly difficult to become an major commercial airline pilot (think military, connections, etc) - not just anyone who wants to do it, can. i know, i know, medicine is kind of the same way, but there are many more doctors than pilots
2) pilots are required by law to work under a certain number of hours for safety reasons, so their earnings potential is limited.

that said, being a pilot would be pretty f'ing sweet in terms of lifestyle.

also, im not accusing you of it, but it seems that premeds totally downplay the compensation aspect of medicine, maybe cause they feel guilty or because they still consider "saving the world" as their primary motivation?

 

[WalterSobchakk]

If I had 10 million, I'd do two chicks at the same time.

 

[rockstar2525]

also, im not accusing you of it, but it seems that premeds totally downplay the compensation aspect of medicine, maybe cause they feel guilty or because they still consider "saving the world" as their primary motivation?

I agree, but I think that is partly due to lack of knowledge about just how problematic this is. Currently I work for a AAOMS (medical association) and am in charge of a survey regarding taking/not taking trauma call in the ER. Most of the doc's reasons for not taking call/trying to get out of it is lack of compensation. Of the 1200 respondents so far, $40,000/yr is the average loss on trauma call alone. Some of them are performing $150,000 worth of procedures they are not being paid for. All of these doctors have primary practices elsewhere, so working trauma call is in addition to the 60+ hours they work at their private practice. I'm not sure I'd be willing to stay up all night, stay away from my family to perform surgeries for free...
I'm still applying, but I feel much more aware of the downside and why some doctors must be frustrated.

BTW sorry to be so vague about the stats, the survey results are not published yet

 

[vhawk]

Walter,

You mean, besides two chicks at the same time? Nothing.

 

[mooklyster]

On answer, i don't care what all of the do gooders on here say, but hell no. If I could win enough to be comfortable for life, spend my days on the golf course and be relatively stress free...only a fool would continue.

 

[tgerwuds]

I don't think there would be anything else that I would do. I would actually probably stay in school and possibly get a PhD in immunology in addition to the MD and try to cure diseases.

Oh yeah... I would also probably get a PhD in history and become a historian or something and maybe also become an art historian like the "Robert Langdon" in The Da Vinci Code.

I don't think I would ever stop going to school.

I am proud to be a nerd. (chicks dig it )

 

[Fermata]

I'd also get a PhD in History and teach.

 

[xaelia]

Why do people keep saying this? Name me one profession that pays more. And no, "professional athlete" doesn't count.

...except for the fact that we're skipping out on many income-generating years, paying out the nose for college + medical school. I think we had a presentation at the beginning of our first year regarding the malpractice crisis, and one of the misc. items they touched on was the "myth" of the lucrative physician career - a physician incurring average debt and making an average salary and taking the average number of years to complete their education and training doesn't catch a plumber starting work in a union after high school until like age 50.

 

[leechy]

Nope. It's still true... and, it's really not close. I'm not sure when this became accepted knowledge amongst those entering the medical profession. Relative pay has gone down since the 80s, but don't fool yourself: you'll be making mega-bucks.


from http://207.21.203.96/salary.html

As a pure class, it seems reasonable that doctors would be the highest paid - more so than MBAs and JDs, which encompass a much wider range of incomes (because MBAs include those from the U of Phoenix and those from Wharton). The thing I'm curious about is comparing the income of top ten MBA and JD school grads with doctors from any school. For many pre-meds considering other careers, the choice is not between any old JD and any old MD, but say, between a top ten law school versus any old MD. Money wise, I'd wager it comes closer (though doctors would still be on top).