In the long run...Is it worth it?

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robgarcia

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Hi guys, I have something to ask.

Today I was @ my doc because of a folliculitis that's been killing me recently. I went in, everything normal, but then, when I went to see my doc, he was like: What do you want?(In a very depressed way.) I didn't dare to ask if something was wrong, but anyway, I considered that I as a patient should not be treated this way. I almost diagnosed myself(I told him what I thought was needed to relieve it), as if, I was using him not to get advice but to get the prescription with his name on it so I could go get the medication. He didn't even checked if anything else was wrong, or something else he could do for me, etc.

Now my question, why are so many physicians so sad and depressed? My uncle is in internal medicine and he is also the same way. I remember when I was a little kid and I went to his office, he was so happy everytime. Now you can see him so "gray". I know a lot of doctors in many specialties and when they're young they are full of life, when they are experienced they look like if crazy to end their years and retire.

Is medicine worth it as a career? I DO NOT want to end like them. I want to end (not fairy tale happy) but happy nonetheless. I know there are problems but a person should not carry so much weight around (figuratively lol).

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think not everyone has a "suited" personality for medicine. It takes a kind of person (I've seen some physicians, experienced ones, that still are excited to get up and serve people like they're supposed to.).
 
I don't know dude. I know a lot of doctors in my community who are always happy and cheerful and they never seem to have a bad time. I'm sure it's just a phase or something.
 
no, you will regret everyday of your life if you become a doctor. dont do it. get away as fast as you can. run!!!!!!!
 
domainname said:
Not a phase at all. In the community where my parents live, most of the doctors are happy. Take a three hour drive south and you will see depressed and disgruntled doctors all over the place. What is the difference? The place south is academia. The place where my parents live is a large private medical practice. The cost of living where my parents live is really cheap. That isn't the case three hours south.
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Hmm...the doctors I know are a mixture of both and by community I mean my mosque.
 
domainname said:
I've been working in healthcare long enough to know I would hate so many specialites. I would suck at peds, I would get bored with internal med (the routine of things), I wouldn't want to stand all of my life to do surgery, I find looking into the eyes boring (I know it is important for health), I get sick of working long days doing the same thing over and over that doesn't require much thinking, I would get sick of telling people they have cancer stage 4, and so many other things. So, at the end of the day, I would want to go into radiology, dermatology, anesthiology, and maybe a couple of other fields. I would rather have my own talk radio show or TV show that deals with health/medical topics. But who wants to watch or listen to that after work?
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Lucky, most of what I like is not that competitive.....ER, Anes, and Psy if I do really bad!!
 
J DUB said:
It really depends on you and your expectations....I know I am gonna hate alot of it, but I cant see myself doing anything else...

I love to hate it!! 😍
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Preach it brother!😀

The thing you have to consider is whether or not you will be any happier doing something else.

Whatever you end up doing as your career you are likey to be miserable and stressed out most of the time. The question is: will you be miserable and financially secure? Or doubly miserable because you both hate your job AND are always worried about making ends meet?

In today's economy everyone has it rought to some extent, but docs less so than most. Most docs have good job security, and if they lose their jobs they know they can quickly find another one that pays very similarly.

The pay is great, (most Americans will never come close to 100K/year much less the $150K most primary care docs make).

Then consider the actual job itself, lots of paperwork? Sure Lots of stress? You bet, but guess what? Most people still have it worse than you! Even other professionals!

My mother is an ad executive at a financial firm, works 60 hrs/week, making $80K and constantly terrified of being let go, (talks of merger are ever present and 4 of her co workers were let go for no reason in the last 3 months). If she ever loser her job her pay will drop by at least 20%.

My father is an accountant, recently let go from Northwest Airlines, after the merger with Delta. He was earning $55K and will likely take a big hit when he gets another job, (likely to be over 1 year from now due to terrible job market).

We have a familt friend who's a lawyer, graduated from a very presitigious private law firm, (with $150K in debt). He started out making $60k doing background research at a law firm, then lost his job a year ago, now can't find one. This guy now works for Wal-Mart (so he can make ends meet), he's waiting for another law position to open up but isn't optimististic.

Another family friend is a doctor, told his daughter to go into business, (because that's where the real money is).

She got into Brown, did MBA, then wall street meltdown happened and she is unemployable without any experience. She ended up marrying a wealthy Spaniard, (her father arranged this) and is now a homemaker.

Don't be fooled by people saying that you can make more money in other professions. The top 1% in any field make crazy money, the median however, ie what you will likely make, is lower in almost any profession.

Bottom line, there is no such thing as poor doctor and unemployment, when it does happen, is short lived and relativly painless.

In terms of guaranteed financial security, there is no better profession. Worried about debt? Well it might suck how much debt you need to take on to become an MD, but guess what? You'll pay it off over 5-10 years and then you're set for life!

Most Americans are perpetually in debt, using credit cards to pay for basic necessities and they will never escape the debt trap.

And there is always the option to work for the government if debt is your biggest concern. Their are many loan repayment plans from the Public health service and military as well as scholarships offered from the same.

Finally there is USUHS, for those who are drawn to a career military medicine, where you not only get a free education, but they pay you $56k/year while in med school and $71 K/year during residency. (Note, the time committment is 7 years after residency so you end up spending 15 years working for the miliary, so don't do it just for the money, unless you want to be miserable, the money is a major perk, but you really need to want to do a career in military medicine if you choose this route).

Bottom line: America is a great place, but its biggest drawback is that its all about the benjamins. You need to make sure your material needs will be met in the future or you are an idiot.

Medicine is the most guaranteed way to ensure a good life, every other profession has higher wage disparities, (ie greater chance that you are stuck earning $40K and spend your entire life in debt, worrying about money) and higher, longer lasting unemployement and most other professions are not anymore fulfilling than medicine. In fact most are much worse, (my parents and our lawyer friend all hated their jobs and none of them could say they were really helping people).
 
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I think that you will find bitter people in almost all professions. With that being said, I am convinced that some people simply should have never became MDs in the first place.
 
Part of it has to do with your expectations when you start the profession.

The generation before us had a GREAT experience in medicine. They were making tons of money, getting tons of respect and admiration and such. Being "the doctor" really meant something, and it essentially meant that you were in the very highest echelon of society.

Now that's really not the case anymore. While some doctors do achieve great financial success, a lot of it is marred by issues with insurance companies, being sued by patients who still assume you're that million-dollar-house guy, etc etc.

All that being said, imagine starting your career in medicine, taking on the debt and the sleepless nights and the overwhelming amount of work, expecting that first lifestyle because that's what everyone around you has. You go through residency and your teachers drive a porsche and own a 2-mil house. In your first few years as an attending, maybe you're still young enough to get that hoshot lifestyle. But as time goes on, through the 80s and 90s, that starts to disappear. Inflation increases, but payouts don't. Insurance companies decide not to cover something you've already done, and you lose money. Taxes are up. Your savings have gone to hell because the economy tanked. And those patients who used to see you as a demi-god now sue you at every chance they get. Wouldn't you be bitter too?

We're going into medicine at kind of a crazy time. We really don't know what's going to happen next, but things are so bad to begin with and we've received so many warnings that we're basically expecting the worst. Hey, at least I am. I have heard so much crap about being miserable and poor and overworked and omg medicine sucks and omg obamacare is going to make us poor blahblah that I'm not really expecting a whole lot. I love what I'm going into, and that's the bottom line. I think the attitude we have now- well, I know there's a lot of negatives, but I guess I'm sticking with this cause I still love it- is what the past generation really didn't have. And that's probably why they're so damn angry.
 
ButImLETired said:
Part of it has to do with your expectations when you start the profession.

The generation before us had a GREAT experience in medicine. They were making tons of money, getting tons of respect and admiration and such. Being "the doctor" really meant something, and it essentially meant that you were in the very highest echelon of society.

Now that's really not the case anymore. While some doctors do achieve great financial success, a lot of it is marred by issues with insurance companies, being sued by patients who still assume you're that million-dollar-house guy, etc etc.

All that being said, imagine starting your career in medicine, taking on the debt and the sleepless nights and the overwhelming amount of work, expecting that first lifestyle because that's what everyone around you has. You go through residency and your teachers drive a porsche and own a 2-mil house. In your first few years as an attending, maybe you're still young enough to get that hoshot lifestyle. But as time goes on, through the 80s and 90s, that starts to disappear. Inflation increases, but payouts don't. Insurance companies decide not to cover something you've already done, and you lose money. Taxes are up. Your savings have gone to hell because the economy tanked. And those patients who used to see you as a demi-god now sue you at every chance they get. Wouldn't you be bitter too?

We're going into medicine at kind of a crazy time. We really don't know what's going to happen next, but things are so bad to begin with and we've received so many warnings that we're basically expecting the worst. Hey, at least I am. I have heard so much crap about being miserable and poor and overworked and omg medicine sucks and omg obamacare is going to make us poor blahblah that I'm not really expecting a whole lot. I love what I'm going into, and that's the bottom line. I think the attitude we have now- well, I know there's a lot of negatives, but I guess I'm sticking with this cause I still love it- is what the past generation really didn't have. And that's probably why they're so damn angry.
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i think a lot of new doctors are resentful, not only the old timers.
 
I wonder about the op's question from time to time because I've never seen a happy doctor...

i guess the goofiness on scrubs doesn't happen in real life
 
I shadowed 2 docs. One of them was a neurosurgeon--he urged me to do anything but medicine. The other was a family practice doc, who told me straight out that it's a hard job, but that he's very happy. He had amazing patient interactions, seemed to have a pretty good family life (met his wife and daughter while shadowing) and had a lot of crazy stories from his lifetime. He made time to be happy... I think that's a large part of being a good doctor.
 
anonymousername said:
I wonder about the op's question from time to time because I've never seen a happy doctor...

i guess the goofiness on scrubs doesn't happen in real life
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Seriously? I've met maybe one or two disgruntled doctors ever. The rest of the ones I've met love their jobs and while they acknowledge there are issues in medicine, still really appreciate the opportunity to do it.

To be honest, I know someone up there said that the "happy people" were in private practice and the rest were in academia, and that's interesting cause the only disgruntled doctors I've ever met were in private practice. I think that yeah, you make more money that way, but you also have a lot more pressure to see tons of patients in not so much time, since your livelihood and ability to pay your employees depends on it. Also, you're more personally aware of issues with Medicaid payouts and such since you deal with "the books" on a regular basis. And you have to take your malpractice insurance straight out of your salary. When you work for a big academic center, you just kinda get a paycheck, so you're more removed from a lot of the annoying practical issues.

I guess the different experiences people have had just underscores how much this is really an individual issue.
 
ButImLETired said:
Part of it has to do with your expectations when you start the profession.

The generation before us had a GREAT experience in medicine. They were making tons of money, getting tons of respect and admiration and such. Being "the doctor" really meant something, and it essentially meant that you were in the very highest echelon of society.

Now that's really not the case anymore. While some doctors do achieve great financial success, a lot of it is marred by issues with insurance companies, being sued by patients who still assume you're that million-dollar-house guy, etc etc.

All that being said, imagine starting your career in medicine, taking on the debt and the sleepless nights and the overwhelming amount of work, expecting that first lifestyle because that's what everyone around you has. You go through residency and your teachers drive a porsche and own a 2-mil house. In your first few years as an attending, maybe you're still young enough to get that hoshot lifestyle. But as time goes on, through the 80s and 90s, that starts to disappear. Inflation increases, but payouts don't. Insurance companies decide not to cover something you've already done, and you lose money. Taxes are up. Your savings have gone to hell because the economy tanked. And those patients who used to see you as a demi-god now sue you at every chance they get. Wouldn't you be bitter too?

We're going into medicine at kind of a crazy time. We really don't know what's going to happen next, but things are so bad to begin with and we've received so many warnings that we're basically expecting the worst. Hey, at least I am. I have heard so much crap about being miserable and poor and overworked and omg medicine sucks and omg obamacare is going to make us poor blahblah that I'm not really expecting a whole lot. I love what I'm going into, and that's the bottom line. I think the attitude we have now- well, I know there's a lot of negatives, but I guess I'm sticking with this cause I still love it- is what the past generation really didn't have. And that's probably why they're so damn angry.
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To paraphrase Dr. Leanord "Bones" McCoy from the last Star Trek movie,

Life is nothing but misery wrapped up in suffering swimming in a sea of frustration.

But as bad as life is, its still preferable to the alternative and as doctors at least we know we won't starve to death.😀

Take heart in that fact, and who knows, perhaps it won't be as bad as we think.

Expect the worst and you'll almost always be pleasantly surprised.😀

Signed,
the eternal optimist😀
 
It's all about where you came from and where you're expecting to go. Your life is what you make of it, you control your own destiny. It's like the idiots who are afraid they won't have a happy marriage as a doctor, all because of the "statistics." Live your life how you want and not by someone else's misfortunes.
 
anonymousername said:
I wonder about the op's question from time to time because I've never seen a happy doctor...

i guess the goofiness on scrubs doesn't happen in real life
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LOL I wish that the things that happened in scrubs could actually happen in real life!
 
I see happy doctors daily. I work in hospitals and offices every weekday. Perhaps all the unhappy ones come in on weekends...?

There are a multitude of unhappy people in whatever field you choose. Have you checked out the magnitude of people currently taking a SSRI or SNRI lately? Lots of depression throughout the population. Medicine doesn't have a monopoly on disappointment or sadness.
 
jvesco22 said:
It's all about where you came from and where you're expecting to go. Your life is what you make of it, you control your own destiny. It's like the idiots who are afraid they won't have a happy marriage as a doctor, all because of the "statistics." Live your life how you want and not by someone else's misfortunes.
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Exactly, humans are very resiliant and capable of surviving almost anything and even finding happiness in times of horrendous stress.

Besides, studies show that smiling improves your mood by releasing endorphins. This even works for the clinically depressed.

In other words, don't smile because your happy but to become happy.😀
 
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The doctors that I've come in contact with for the past couple of years seem tired, yet generally happy nevertheless. I just don't want to end up being one of those frazzled docs that is always pissed off and in a hurry all the time.
 
robgarcia said:
Hi guys, I have something to ask.

Today I was @ my doc because of a folliculitis that's been killing me recently. I went in, everything normal, but then, when I went to see my doc, he was like: What do you want?(In a very depressed way.) I didn't dare to ask if something was wrong, but anyway, I considered that I as a patient should not be treated this way. I almost diagnosed myself(I told him what I thought was needed to relieve it), as if, I was using him not to get advice but to get the prescription with his name on it so I could go get the medication. He didn't even checked if anything else was wrong, or something else he could do for me, etc.

Now my question, why are so many physicians so sad and depressed? My uncle is in internal medicine and he is also the same way. I remember when I was a little kid and I went to his office, he was so happy everytime. Now you can see him so "gray". I know a lot of doctors in many specialties and when they're young they are full of life, when they are experienced they look like if crazy to end their years and retire.

Is medicine worth it as a career? I DO NOT want to end like them. I want to end (not fairy tale happy) but happy nonetheless. I know there are problems but a person should not carry so much weight around (figuratively lol).

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think not everyone has a "suited" personality for medicine. It takes a kind of person (I've seen some physicians, experienced ones, that still are excited to get up and serve people like they're supposed to.).
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No doubt they're tired of the following:
1) getting underpaid by medicare/medicaid

2) patients who don't believe them ("I don't think I have asthma," "uhhh... you hear yourself wheezing? You see these Pulmonary Function Tests? You have asthma" "No I don't.")

3) patients who won't listen to them ("yeah, I take my daily coumadin... when I remember... which is never")

4) fighting insurance companies

5) patients who try to tell them they know what's wrong ("well, I looked at my symptoms on WebMD, and elevated blood pressure might be a pheochromocytoma," "Mr. Jones, your blood pressure is 125/82," "I think it's a pheo.")

I think it's due in part to the culture in which they're forced to practice.
 
dienekes88 said:
I think it's due in part to the culture in which they're forced to practice.
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I agree with a lot of what you said, except for this. Nobody is forcing anyone to do anything.
 
robgarcia said:
Hi guys, I have something to ask.

Today I was @ my doc because of a folliculitis that's been killing me recently. I went in, everything normal, but then, when I went to see my doc, he was like: What do you want?(In a very depressed way.) I didn't dare to ask if something was wrong, but anyway, I considered that I as a patient should not be treated this way. I almost diagnosed myself(I told him what I thought was needed to relieve it), as if, I was using him not to get advice but to get the prescription with his name on it so I could go get the medication. He didn't even checked if anything else was wrong, or something else he could do for me, etc.

Now my question, why are so many physicians so sad and depressed? My uncle is in internal medicine and he is also the same way. I remember when I was a little kid and I went to his office, he was so happy everytime. Now you can see him so "gray". I know a lot of doctors in many specialties and when they're young they are full of life, when they are experienced they look like if crazy to end their years and retire.

Is medicine worth it as a career? I DO NOT want to end like them. I want to end (not fairy tale happy) but happy nonetheless. I know there are problems but a person should not carry so much weight around (figuratively lol).

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think not everyone has a "suited" personality for medicine. It takes a kind of person (I've seen some physicians, experienced ones, that still are excited to get up and serve people like they're supposed to.).
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No....it is not worth it and is an absolutely terrible idea to go to medical school. The debt and amount of time you put in makes it a terrible idea.....not to mention all the fun you sacrifice.
 
chman said:
I agree with a lot of what you said, except for this. Nobody is forcing anyone to do anything.
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You're wrong....a doctor is forced to practice defensive medicine and now work with the government to treat someone....you are forced to practice in a certain way.
 
Naw, I don't buy it. No one is forcing you to go into medicine. If you hate it, don't do it. This is why I think it's a premed's foremost responsibility to talk to tons of doctors, keep up with the current healthcare trends, and be informed. If you go into medicine nowadays and don't have a pretty good idea of what's coming, it's your problem. No one is forcing you to go into all that debt to be that disenchanted.
 
I think ArmyDoc is referring to after you enter medicine, not whether or not you decide to enter the medical profession. But with every job, there are going to be things that you don't want to do but have to anyway because those are the rules and you have to play by them. Life is not fair. Thank you college for making that crystal clear.
 
FloatOn said:
I think ArmyDoc is referring to after you enter medicine, not whether or not you decide to enter the medical profession. But with every job, there are going to be things that you don't want to do but have to anyway because those are the rules and you have to play by them. Life is not fair. Thank you college for making that crystal clear.
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thats' why you do your homework before you go to medical school and understand both the benefits and the consequences if you make this choice to be a doctor. If you don't do that, then you have yourself to blame.


I'm amazed daily by the number of people I meet that blindly go into medicine because they want to be "a doctor" but have no idea what that means. Of course they are going to be burnt out and disappointed when there is no ferrari at the end of that pipe dream. You have to 1) understand what being a doctor will mean for your lifestyle and 2) not have such high, unrealistic expectations, and then you won't have to worry about medicine being a mistake.
 
Dr Lyss said:
thats' why you do your homework before you go to medical school and understand both the benefits and the consequences if you make this choice to be a doctor. If you don't do that, then you have yourself to blame.


I'm amazed daily by the number of people I meet that blindly go into medicine because they want to be "a doctor" but have no idea what that means. Of course they are going to be burnt out and disappointed when there is no ferrari at the end of that pipe dream. You have to 1) understand what being a doctor will mean for your lifestyle and 2) not have such high, unrealistic expectations, and then you won't have to worry about medicine being a mistake.
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I knew what I was getting into, but I did not know I was going to be working under the government. Although I am lucky that when I go to work everyday I look forward to it as opposed to hating it.
 
Dr Lyss said:
thats' why you do your homework before you go to medical school and understand both the benefits and the consequences if you make this choice to be a doctor. If you don't do that, then you have yourself to blame.


I'm amazed daily by the number of people I meet that blindly go into medicine because they want to be "a doctor" but have no idea what that means. Of course they are going to be burnt out and disappointed when there is no ferrari at the end of that pipe dream. You have to 1) understand what being a doctor will mean for your lifestyle and 2) not have such high, unrealistic expectations, and then you won't have to worry about medicine being a mistake.
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Don't want one nor did I expect to be able to afford one. I just want a good return on the investment I am making with money, hard work, and sacrifice. I do not think thats to much to ask for.
 
USArmyDoc said:
I knew what I was getting into, but I did not know I was going to be working under the government. Although I am lucky that when I go to work everyday I look forward to it as opposed to hating it.
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1. this hasn't happened, so what's to be upset about? If it does happen and it actually negatively impacts your life as a doctor (not your political views), then by all means be upset... but that won't happen anytime soon

2. We already have govt run insurance plans. Unless you don't plan on accepting medicare or medicaid, then you will have to work with the government, for better or worse unfortunately.
 
Dr Lyss said:
1. this hasn't happened, so what's to be upset about? If it does happen and it actually negatively impacts your life as a doctor (not your political views), then by all means be upset... but that won't happen anytime soon

2. We already have govt run insurance plans. Unless you don't plan on accepting medicare or medicaid, then you will have to work with the government, for better or worse unfortunately.
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Dr. Lyss,

I hate taking this road but you are a first year correct? You may understand this more when you are about to graduate and enter residency. I am amazed at how much 1st and 2nd years try to lecture people regarding what medicine is like beyond books. Its fun, but it is also really hard.
 
It's not worth it. That is why we are all pursuing it idiotically.
 
Is it worth it?

I'm just an M1, but I've met enough wonderfully happy doctors to know the answer, which is yes--if medicine is your passion. Follow your passion, and you'll have a happy life 🙂

It's as simple as that. Never go into anything primarily for the money, prestige, etc. Go into it because you love the day-to-day work and the people you'll work with everyday. If you're lucky, the money, prestige, and other things will follow.
 
robgarcia said:
Hi guys, I have something to ask.

Today I was @ my doc because of a folliculitis that's been killing me recently. I went in, everything normal, but then, when I went to see my doc, he was like: What do you want?(In a very depressed way.) I didn't dare to ask if something was wrong, but anyway, I considered that I as a patient should not be treated this way. I almost diagnosed myself(I told him what I thought was needed to relieve it), as if, I was using him not to get advice but to get the prescription with his name on it so I could go get the medication. He didn't even checked if anything else was wrong, or something else he could do for me, etc.

Now my question, why are so many physicians so sad and depressed? My uncle is in internal medicine and he is also the same way. I remember when I was a little kid and I went to his office, he was so happy everytime. Now you can see him so "gray". I know a lot of doctors in many specialties and when they're young they are full of life, when they are experienced they look like if crazy to end their years and retire.

Is medicine worth it as a career? I DO NOT want to end like them. I want to end (not fairy tale happy) but happy nonetheless. I know there are problems but a person should not carry so much weight around (figuratively lol).

Correct me if I'm wrong but I think not everyone has a "suited" personality for medicine. It takes a kind of person (I've seen some physicians, experienced ones, that still are excited to get up and serve people like they're supposed to.).
Click to expand...

Doctors are no different than any other career. Why are so many engineers depressed? Why are so many accountants depressed? Lots of people aren't healthy either. This is just life. It doesn't reflect medicine as much as it reflects American's attitudes.
 
Dr Lyss said:
thats' why you do your homework before you go to medical school and understand both the benefits and the consequences if you make this choice to be a doctor. If you don't do that, then you have yourself to blame.


I'm amazed daily by the number of people I meet that blindly go into medicine because they want to be "a doctor" but have no idea what that means. Of course they are going to be burnt out and disappointed when there is no ferrari at the end of that pipe dream. You have to 1) understand what being a doctor will mean for your lifestyle and 2) not have such high, unrealistic expectations, and then you won't have to worry about medicine being a mistake.
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Lol.

Greatest advice ever, they should post this somewhere so all the newbs can read.
 
Brent8927 said:
Is it worth it?

I'm just an M1, but I've met enough wonderfully happy doctors to know the answer, which is yes--if medicine is your passion. Follow your passion, and you'll have a happy life 🙂

It's as simple as that. Never go into anything primarily for the money, prestige, etc. Go into it because you love the day-to-day work and the people you'll work with everyday. If you're lucky, the money, prestige, and other things will follow.
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Hope you enjoy getting up at 3am in the freezing cold and running into the hospital only to get paid like crap by the govt.
 
[YOUTUBE]pDTrDqxUQNw[/YOUTUBE]
 
USArmyDoc said:
:laugh:

Have fun in your idealistic world.


Good luck
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It's funny all these bad attitudes. I've shadowed an ER doc for a dozen 6 hour shifts and he doesn't have a bad attitude. I know a handful of other docs that don't have bad attitudes. I posted this earlier in a different thread, you should read it:

from an excellent CD that teaches people about having a good attitude:


Person living in a 3rd world country:

Remove the furniture in your home, leave only a few old blankets, a kitchen table and a wooden chair, remember you've never had a bed.

Throw out your clothes, each family member can keep his/her oldest suit or dress and suit or blouse. The head of the family can keep his or her shoes.

No kitchen appliances allowed, keep a box of matches a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt, a few onions and a dish of dried beans. Rescue them older potatoes from the garbage can, they are tonight's meal.

dismantle the bedroom, shut off the running water, take out the wiring, the lights and everything that is run by electricity. Take away the house and move the family into the tool shed.

Cancel the newspaper and magazine subscriptions and throw out your books you won't miss them because you are illiterate. No radio or TV either. No more mail carrier, fire fighters, or gov't services. The 2 classroom school is 3 miles away. No hospital or doctor, the closest clinic is 10 miles away with a midwife in charge. Get there by bus or bicycle, if you have one.

... Your net worth is $5.

Start cultivating your 3 acres of land, try hard to raise $300 in cash crops of which your landlord gets 1/3 and your money lender gets 10%.

Find a way for your children to bring in a little money so that you have enough money to eat most days. But it won't be enough to keep you healthy so lop off 25-30 years of your life expectancy.

Did you know, our newspaper carriers make more money than 66% of all the working people in the world who have full time jobs?
Click to expand...

All this "it will be hell" advice is horrible. We all know doctors, lots of them happy. An ER doc of 20 years came and spoke to my state medical school's students and I was able to attend, he spends a ton of time with his family and children. His speech was about "Why to NOT go into ER medicine", as in the worst parts about his career. I can't remember the exact # of hours he works but I recall it was less than 60 hrs per week. Yeah, there are some horrible specialties out there but there are plenty of physicians who don't work over 60-70 hrs and stay in good health and have happy families!

Is this really that hard? Trade places with the people in a 3rd world country for 1 year then come back here and tell me how hard it is to study, pass exams and work 70 hrs or so a week. Big deal compared to what they go through.
 
BennieBlanco said:
It's funny all these bad attitudes. I've shadowed an ER doc for a dozen 6 hour shifts and he doesn't have a bad attitude. I know a handful of other docs that don't have bad attitudes. I posted this earlier in a different thread, you should read it:

from an excellent CD that teaches people about having a good attitude:




All this "it will be hell" advice is horrible. We all know doctors, lots of them happy. An ER doc of 20 years came and spoke to my state medical school's students and I was able to attend, he spends a ton of time with his family and children. His speech was about "Why to NOT go into ER medicine", as in the worst parts about his career. I can't remember the exact # of hours he works but I recall it was less than 60 hrs per week. Yeah, there are some horrible specialties out there but there are plenty of physicians who don't work over 60-70 hrs and stay in good health and have happy families!

Is this really that hard? Trade places with the people in a 3rd world country for 1 year then come back here and tell me how hard it is to study, pass exams and work 70 hrs or so a week. Big deal compared to what they go through.
Click to expand...

In ER you have shift work with no call at home.....listen I was like you guys at point until I went to medical school and I would say a majority of my classmates agree.
 
BennieBlanco said:
crying-baby-party-56800676.jpg


I have to work for a living? Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh.

I want to get paid well, risk nothing, work less than average, endure no hardships, and get hand outs!
Click to expand...

LOL....who said we want to work less than average hours, endure no hardships and get hand outs?

Are you kidding me?

I will be starting an IM residency next year and I can promise you that they work MUCH more than average hours. ~80 hrs per week

What hand outs do I want? And yes I want to get paid well
 
USArmyDoc said:
In ER you have shift work with no call at home.....listen I was like you guys at point until I went to medical school and I would say a majority of my classmates agree.
Click to expand...

I understand we are on the path and there is more to learn.

I guess what everyone is complaining about is certain specialties, well my answer to that is, choose your specialty wisely. I feel like I will end up in ER exactly because of this, shift work and no call.

These are things to think about. If someone choses a demanding specialty and then is upset because it is demanding, that sounds silly to me.
 
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