Is it true about those that want to save the world?

[premedrod]

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So I've heard that there are a lot of premed students who have this notion that they want to save the world by going into medicine only to find that its just one monotoned web of work that doesnt have any end in sight, which causes them to be unhappy with what they do...

Is this true? Does med school crush those dreams of wanting to help the sick? Do a lot of doctors end up hating patients like this guy???
http://www.medschoolhell.com/

I'm pretty sure that I'll do AmeriCorps to boost my application and then if I like the work, I'll move on to Peace Corps. I would like to learn tools to "save the world" like Dr. Paul Farmer, but this stuff that I've heard before is a little discouraging...

Lemme know your guys thoughts

 

[Quadratic]

I don't want to save the world with a stethoscope. Capes with face masks and superpowers are way cooler.

 

[HumidBeing]

I HOPE no one goes into thinking he can save "the world". Serving others is one thing. It's actually something doable. Saving the world doesn't even approach reality.

Americorp & Peace Corp are good things. They are good ways to serve others and learn a lot about your own place in the world.

 

[taponthecloud]

please cure cancer too while you're at it...


ps. ...and find a vaccine for HIV disease.

YAY you!!!

 

[premedrod]

oh my bad, i thought saving the world was in quotations...

also, i really meant that saving the world would be like what paul farmer did and save thousands of lives...

i really want to do community type services so that i can see if i really want to go into the business of helping others. its sad though that doctors like that person who writes the blog, didn't do peace corps and stuff like that to see if he wanted to deal with the homeless and ppl who are living lives without the privileges that he had.

i think rather than doing research, ppl should do peace corps with me! cuz frankly, im a little scared about going to a different country for two years hahaha but we'll see if i ever do that in a year or so...

 

[HumidBeing]

oh my bad, i thought saving the world was in quotations...

also, i really meant that saving the world would be like what paul farmer did and save thousands of lives...

i really want to do community type services so that i can see if i really want to go into the business of helping others. its sad though that doctors like that person who writes the blog, didn't do peace corps and stuff like that to see if he wanted to deal with the homeless and ppl who are living lives without the privileges that he had.

i think rather than doing research, ppl should do peace corps with me! cuz frankly, im a little scared about going to a different country for two years hahaha but we'll see if i ever do that in a year or so...

The confidence that you earn for yourself by doing that is part of what the Peace Corp does for YOU. The experience is both humbling and empowering. It's also scary when you realize how MUCH you're on your own with some of those missions.

 

[moe_4eva]

Is this true? Does med school crush those dreams of wanting to help the sick? Do a lot of doctors end up hating patients like this guy???
http://www.medschoolhell.com/
Lemme know your guys thoughts

That guy would be an extreme case if I've ever seen one. I've read through a bunch of his blog entries, and the conclusion I've drawn is that he entered med school without having any idea of what it's like to be a doctor. He had a romanticized view of medicine, and that view was most likely crushed in the first 10 minutes of class.

I personally don't think that med school crushes the dreams of wanting to help the sick, but it definitely puts into more of a realistic perspective. The unfortunate reality is that you cannot help everyone, some don't want your help, and others are just out to get you. If you can get past that, then there will always be people whom it is rewarding to help. Of course, not having started med school yet, I may feel differently here in a few months, but I doubt it. Years dealing with the same people I'll deal with as a physician has taught me that I still like to help people, even those that don't want my help.

 

[patrickd223]

I think that you need to approach medicine realizing that everything does not smell like roses. For example, a woman comes into tho the ER high with her kid who has a 101 fever and demands some Tylenol bc she claims she cannot afford it. Even though the pack of cigarettes in her purse cost more than a bottle she cannot see the hypocrisy. Yes, there are alot of downsides but to me the positives far outweigh them. Going in too idealistic w.o seeing the real world of medicine is not advisable IMO.

 

[Perrotfish]

The problem with those who want to "save the world" is that they´re genearlly insuferably smug about it throughout undergrad when they´re not actually doing anything (maybe they´ve wandered around the third world on their parents´ money, but that counts for very little), and then suddenly stop caring as soon as they realize they might be taking a serious income cut, sacrificing a relationship, or have to deal with monotony and frustration rather than heaps of praise. Paul Farmer slept in a Boston Church basement, never takes vacations, gets yelled at by both government officals and voodoo priests, and has very little disposable income. If you´re willing to sacrifice what he sacrifices, you can do what he does. If you´re wiliing to sacrifice some, but less, you can perform significant service in the community where you practice. The problem is that most "save the world" types generally find out that they´re not willing to sacrifice anything at all, and decide to fight for the same derm fellowship as everyone else.

So I guess the message here is: don´t be sumg/rude to other people about not wanting to save the world until you´re done with residency and actually trying to save the world.

 

[mfrizzo3]

You want to save the world......develop some kickA$$ software. Make a couple billion dollars. Start your own foundation. You aren't going to be saving the world as a physician.

 

[Maxprime]

Physicians in the US spend their days seeing a handful of patients with non life-threatening conditions . . . they are not saving the world. If you want to save the world, get a political group together that convinces someone to give Africa $1bn for food and medicine - you'll save more lives than you could in an entire career as a physician.

That being said, they obviously help people and do save lives - but if all you want to do is help people then there are MUCH better ways to do it. Look at mother theresa

 

[crut]

well said, perrotfish

 

[premedrod]

The problem with those who want to "save the world" is that they´re genearlly insuferably smug about it throughout undergrad when they´re not actually doing anything (maybe they´ve wandered around the third world on their parents´ money, but that counts for very little), and then suddenly stop caring as soon as they realize they might be taking a serious income cut, sacrificing a relationship, or have to deal with monotony and frustration rather than heaps of praise. Paul Farmer slept in a Boston Church basement, never takes vacations, gets yelled at by both government officals and voodoo priests, and has very little disposable income. If you´re willing to sacrifice what he sacrifices, you can do what he does. If you´re wiliing to sacrifice some, but less, you can perform significant service in the community where you practice. The problem is that most "save the world" types generally find out that they´re not willing to sacrifice anything at all, and decide to fight for the same derm fellowship as everyone else.

So I guess the message here is: don´t be sumg/rude to other people about not wanting to save the world until you´re done with residency and actually trying to save the world.

well i'm definitely not rude to anyone else. i mostly have a goal of being able to help a lot of other ppl. i'm just currently thinking about how i'll accomplish that. after reading half of mountains beyond mountains, it didn't seem Farmer went through things like you said...he wasnt yelled at or anything. he had the understanding of what others were going through and then through that understanding was able to change things slowly. im just saying for myself, that i would want to do these types of things in order to better serve my patients bc i've seen the worst. btw, i dont think paul farmer lacks funding...within the last 10-20 years, his foundations growth is huge and ppl donate millions. also with his own income (which is prob a few hundred K) he can do a lot with it.

You want to save the world......develop some kickA$$ software. Make a couple billion dollars. Start your own foundation. You aren't going to be saving the world as a physician.

so you're telling me i should be like bill gates haha i hate computers on that geeky level. i just think that when you have a lot of money like him in a foundation, millions are wasted bc its very hard to control that amount and oversee where it's going.

Physicians in the US spend their days seeing a handful of patients with non life-threatening conditions . . . they are not saving the world. If you want to save the world, get a political group together that convinces someone to give Africa $1bn for food and medicine - you'll save more lives than you could in an entire career as a physician.

That being said, they obviously help people and do save lives - but if all you want to do is help people then there are MUCH better ways to do it. Look at mother theresa

im confused with what you said...bc didnt mother teresa start out by just being one person and then her cause grew into something huge...(ill wiki her to make sure)

i think too many of the readers in here think that im actually talking about creating peace on earth and curing all diseases...I"M NOT hahah i'm just saying i hope that through americorp and peace corp type activities, i can learn tools to build organizations or foundations to train and save a lot more lives than just opening a practice and doing the same old stuff or being like that doctor who hates every HEP C patient in the world. i guess i dont know what to say anymore since i havent really done any of the stuff yet...i guess we'll see how things turn out in a few years and i'll return here to give my thoughts again.

 

[anomalous738232]

So I've heard that there are a lot of premed students who have this notion that they want to save the world by going into medicine only to find that its just one monotoned web of work that doesnt have any end in sight, which causes them to be unhappy with what they do...

Is this true? Does med school crush those dreams of wanting to help the sick? Do a lot of doctors end up hating patients like this guy???
http://www.medschoolhell.com/

I'm pretty sure that I'll do AmeriCorps to boost my application and then if I like the work, I'll move on to Peace Corps. I would like to learn tools to "save the world" like Dr. Paul Farmer, but this stuff that I've heard before is a little discouraging...

Lemme know your guys thoughts

"of all the professions, medicine is one of the most likely to attract people with high personal anxieties about dying. we became doctors because our ability to cure gives us power over the death of which we are so afraid."-Sherwin Nuland in How We Die

as premedical students, we believe that by going into medicine we will be able to help people, cure disease, prevent death, etc. none of us choose this career path to kill or watch patients die. however, eventually, we will all some day discover that death is inevitable, and will be a frequent event within the medical profession. as we transition from pre-medical students, to medical students, to physicians, we will all learn to endure what others consider to be inhumane.

nothing in life is perfect.

 

[Drogba]

On a related note Farmer is speaking in boston in a couple of weeks along with a lot of other great speakers. 🙂

Also, Bill Gates is paying people like Farmer to "save the world." Its great to make the money but someone actually has to do the work.

 

[searun]

If you want to save the entire world, rather than just a life here or there, probably Warren Buffet, or even Bill Gates and his wife, are better role models. But sadly, not even Buffet or Gates, can save the entire world. If the ship goes down, we probably will all go down together, gasping for air, before we drown, but we all die alone, even when we die together.

 

[Drogba]

Again someone needs to tell Bill Gates what to do with all that money. The phrase "saving the world" sounds so silly.

 

[searun]

Again someone needs to tell Bill Gates what to do with all that money. The phrase "saving the world" sounds so silly.

Drogba, you are right. It does sound silly and pretentious. Although Gates probably would not use that phrase himself. I do respect Buffet for giving almost all of his money to the Gates Foundation.

 

[Drogba]

Physicians in the US spend their days seeing a handful of patients with non life-threatening conditions . . . they are not saving the world. If you want to save the world, get a political group together that convinces someone to give Africa $1bn for food and medicine - you'll save more lives than you could in an entire career as a physician.

That being said, they obviously help people and do save lives - but if all you want to do is help people then there are MUCH better ways to do it. Look at mother theresa

Really? Money just converts itself into health does it? Who is actually going to tell people how to use that money in the most effective way? Who is going to identify and rectify the problems that aren't solely a question of money? I can point you to many examples where throwing money at a problem has not worked, and I'm sure you can think of plenty yourself.

 

[Perrotfish]

If you want to save the entire world, rather than just a life here or there, probably Warren Buffet, or even Bill Gates and his wife, are better role models. But sadly, not even Buffet or Gates, can save the entire world. If the ship goes down, we probably will all go down together, gasping for air, before we drown, but we all die alone, even when we die together.

So, I´m guessing it was either medicine or motivational speaking?

 

[Perrotfish]

well i'm definitely not rude to anyone else. i mostly have a goal of being able to help a lot of other ppl. i'm just currently thinking about how i'll accomplish that. after reading half of mountains beyond mountains, it didn't seem Farmer went through things like you said...he wasnt yelled at or anything. he had the understanding of what others were going through and then through that understanding was able to change things slowly. im just saying for myself, that i would want to do these types of things in order to better serve my patients bc i've seen the worst. btw, i dont think paul farmer lacks funding...within the last 10-20 years, his foundations growth is huge and ppl donate millions. also with his own income (which is prob a few hundred K) he can do a lot with it.

BTW if you´re a Paul Farmer fan it might make sense for you to work with PIH (his organization) rather than the Peace Corps. They have openings for 1 year volunteer positions in Peru.

 

[sultana]

As one of those pre-med students who thinks that social justice and medicine have a connection, I've come to think that you have to put "saving the world" in some perspective. No, it is not guaranteed that you will save a bazillion people in your career as a physician. But you have the ability, and a powerful social/economic position that gives you the POTENTIAL to make change, even for a single person--at least, according to the doctors I've had the opportunity to get to know. Yeah, there are a lot of problems out there with the practice of Medicine and the world in general...but change starts with one person getting into the system and working with others. Basically the potential is there...the question is what you do with the opportunity you've been given.

Just my two cents 🙂

 

[premedrod]

BTW if you´re a Paul Farmer fan it might make sense for you to work with PIH (his organization) rather than the Peace Corps. They have openings for 1 year volunteer positions in Peru.

yah i hear ya, but im assuming peace corp gives more responsibility and you're more free to do your own programs and such. if i were to work for PIH i think it would be less of an opportunity to learn how to build things on my own etc.

 

[Sir Buckethead]

Physicians in the US spend their days seeing a handful of patients with non life-threatening conditions . . . they are not saving the world. If you want to save the world, get a political group together that convinces someone to give Africa $1bn for food and medicine - you'll save more lives than you could in an entire career as a physician.

As counterintuitive as it seems, you can't solve poverty with money. In fact, many distributions of aid in africa are counterproductive (see: destruction of essential west african textile and farming industries).

I agree that people like buffet and gates can do much more than someone with just two hands and a brain. But hey, if someone's passion is to go out and help third world people directly, why should we discourage and dump on them? (not talking directly to maxprime here, but in general to the thread)

 

[pride4jc727]

I would not go into the medical interview saying that I want to be a doctor because I want to save the world. Would anybody else agree?

 

[Hurricane95]

Me am superman, me save world!!

 

[Drogba]

I would not go into the medical interview saying that I want to be a doctor because I want to save the world. Would anybody else agree?

I think if you have a tendency to articulate your aspirations in such a simplistic manner, you should probably keep them to yourself no matter what they are. 🙂

 

[TheRealMD]

Again someone needs to tell Bill Gates what to do with all that money. The phrase "saving the world" sounds so silly.

I'm pretty sure he's given away a huge percentage of his wealth to charity or the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. And the nice thing is he doesn't spoil his kids like some rich parents do. All they get is $10 million for the rest of their life.

 

[Law2Doc]

So I've heard that there are a lot of premed students who have this notion that they want to save the world by going into medicine only to find that its just one monotoned web of work that doesnt have any end in sight, which causes them to be unhappy with what they do...

Is this true? Does med school crush those dreams of wanting to help the sick? Do a lot of doctors end up hating patients like this guy???
http://www.medschoolhell.com/

I'm pretty sure that I'll do AmeriCorps to boost my application and then if I like the work, I'll move on to Peace Corps. I would like to learn tools to "save the world" like Dr. Paul Farmer, but this stuff that I've heard before is a little discouraging...

Lemme know your guys thoughts

Idealists are people who have never worked for a living. Many folks go into med school, law school, etc with hopes and dreams of doing great and amazing things. Most of them come out more jaded and realistic. It is not a function of the schools per se, or the business of medicine, but really just a function of life. Bills aren't a big deal until you have to pay them. Practicing medicine sounds fun until you truly experience what an every third day on call schedule actually involves. Real life will catch up to you. Doesn't mean you have to hate what you do, but best to be more of a realist at the onset or you will get hit with the whipsaw.

 

[Drogba]

Idealists are people who have never worked for a living. Many folks go into med school, law school, etc with hopes and dreams of doing great and amazing things. Most of them come out more jaded and realistic. It is not a function of the schools per se, or the business of medicine, but really just a function of life. Bills aren't a big deal until you have to pay them. Practicing medicine sounds fun until you truly experience what an every third day on call schedule actually involves. Real life will catch up to you. Doesn't mean you have to hate what you do, but best to be more of a realist at the onset or you will get hit with the whipsaw.

And many actually do great and amazing things. I've seen em.

 

[Law2Doc]

And many actually do great and amazing things. I've seen em.

Many in raw numbers perhaps, but not as a percentage. Most will settle into more common professional existences. Idealism dies a hard death for most.

 

[Drogba]

Many in raw numbers perhaps, but not as a percentage. Most will settle into more common professional existences. Idealism dies a hard death for most.

Thats rather irrelevant. 🙂

The "common professional existence" of a doctor is pretty impressive too in any case.

 

[WildlifeSaver]

I think everyone plays a part in the world by doing something. Hey I used to have dreams of being the next to Steve Orwin when I used to save waterfowl birds..My ultimate goal in life is to save the world (yeah I know that sounds silly), but you CAN make that difference even if its one person.

There is a difference between saving the "world" and saving a person through medicine you will have the ability to know how to save a life which makes a difference. I think your saving the world is what you make of it.

My saving of the world could be through medicine to resolve poverty health issues among individuals with inflicting disease or such which also can make an impact on conservation problems. I don't think many people even think about how eradicating food problems in undeveloped nations has on an endangered species in an undeveloped nation for example. Or help changing the ideas of what medicine does. Like places like Cambodia thinking usage of certain animals will give them great healing powers which it doesn't, education and western medicine will. I know I am a tree huger 🙂

 

[HumidBeing]

I think your saving the world is what you make of it.

My saving of the world could be through medicine to resolve poverty health issues among individuals with inflicting disease or such which also can make an impact on conservation problems.

😕 😱
Um, what you stated is not a practice that is usually condoned. Perhaps you'd like to change that wording?

 

[iA-MD2013]

😕 😱
Um, what you stated is not a practice that is usually condoned. Perhaps you'd like to change that wording?

Hahaha...I doubt WildLifeSaver meant what he/she said. But that's pretty funny.

 

[WildlifeSaver]

I knew all of you where going to be like very critical of me. Well for a while I could be a doctor in an undeveloped nation that is what I was trying to say. I am real about that. And yeah I am realistic b/c I know all the debt that comes along with going to school for 8 years just for an MD.

Maybe work close with the medical scientist doctors on Ebola and such, its realistic. Not saving I can "save the world", but make an impact I could. Does anyone else know what is going on in the world like 1/3rd of the population doesn't have excess to fresh water or doesn't have adequate medical supplies...this is my quote "dream your dream, and dream it bigger" and nothing is impossible. YOU can change things and make an impact weather you choose to help people in a hospital or private clinic or in an undeveloped country and how much you do is up to you. So be critical of me

 

[Law2Doc]

The "common professional existence" of a doctor is pretty impressive too in any case.

Sure, but that's often the opposite of doing great and amazing things for others. It is often a function of selfishness (in terms of income, ego, etc) rather than selflessness; it is the opposite of idealism. Again, it's fine to start out an idealist -- schools and the profession are well designed to break this kind of spirit. You will learn that you will be spending more time doing scut and paperwork than saving lives. You will see that medicine is far more of a business than you ever thought, with business decisions often supplanting that which is best for a given patient. You will find that you are rewarded for spending minimal time with patients and getting them off of your service in the fastest possible time. Read House of God. It is an exaggeration to be sure, but there is a glimpse of reality in that book. That is far closer to what practicing medicine is all about than a notion of saving the world. There will be 1 or 2 Farmers out there but the remaining thousands who start out with those dreams will ditch them long before graduation.

 

[camn]

Saving the world is easy. Don't let these guys get you down. Just play your position, keep a good outlook, and be good to everyone you meet. You will only get recognition form your patients. . .if that... but that is how the world is saved. One worried mother at a time.

c

 

[apricotattack]

Idealists are people who have never worked for a living. Many folks go into med school, law school, etc with hopes and dreams of doing great and amazing things. Most of them come out more jaded and realistic. It is not a function of the schools per se, or the business of medicine, but really just a function of life. Bills aren't a big deal until you have to pay them. Practicing medicine sounds fun until you truly experience what an every third day on call schedule actually involves. Real life will catch up to you. Doesn't mean you have to hate what you do, but best to be more of a realist at the onset or you will get hit with the whipsaw.

This is just one big pessimistic monologue, and there's not a lot of truth in it. I come from a pretty low-income, low-education family - I know what it's like to work for a living, I've done it since I was 14 and seen my parents work hard for not a lot, too. But I'm not going into medicine for money, and my parents don't think I am or should either. I'm going into medicine because I think it is the best way for me to be able to ..oh no, she's going to say it.. (help) save the world! By that I don't mean I'm going to personally administer vaccines to every impoverished child in the world; I mean that I"m going to do all that I can to improve the lives of a few impoverished populations throughout my career as a doctor. It's realistic, and in that village, that home, that neighborhood, you are saving the world. Anyway, it's a chain effect. Show someone that you care enough about them to make them healthier, they will care more about themselves, their self-esteem rises, their potential rises, and their opportunities multiply. You may end up saving the world if you save the life of another.

You should never try to take away someone's optimism. It's true, OP, that most medical educations do try to though. You just have to resist and keep yourself around positive influences - read Farmer's books, attend lectures from people who've done "world-saving" things, hang out with the right people.

 

[175961]

"The risk of contracting HIV from a needle stick is higher than people winning the lottery..." so he says

I read once that the odds of winning the lottery are sometimes 18 million to 1. Maybe he could have picked a better example??😕 Maybe I just missed something

 

[WildlifeSaver]

This is just one big pessimistic monologue, and there's not a lot of truth in it. I come from a pretty low-income, low-education family - I know what it's like to work for a living, I've done it since I was 14 and seen my parents work hard for not a lot, too. But I'm not going into medicine for money, and my parents don't think I am or should either. I'm going into medicine because I think it is the best way for me to be able to ..oh no, she's going to say it.. (help) save the world! By that I don't mean I'm going to personally administer vaccines to every impoverished child in the world; I mean that I"m going to do all that I can to improve the lives of a few impoverished populations throughout my career as a doctor. It's realistic, and in that village, that home, that neighborhood, you are saving the world. Anyway, it's a chain effect. Show someone that you care enough about them to make them healthier, they will care more about themselves, their self-esteem rises, their potential rises, and their opportunities multiply. You may end up saving the world if you save the life of another.

You should never try to take away someone's optimism. It's true, OP, that most medical educations do try to though. You just have to resist and keep yourself around positive influences - read Farmer's books, attend lectures from people who've done "world-saving" things, hang out with the right people.

I totally agree and your awesome, you go!

 

[da8s0859q]

As one of those pre-med students who thinks that social justice and medicine have a connection, ...

I HATE that phrase. "Social justice," meh.

As for me... I'm not out to save the world, and nowhere in my PS will you see "help people." I think that is, or should be, a forgone conclusion at this point.

 

[Drogba]

Sure, but that's often the opposite of doing great and amazing things for others. It is often a function of selfishness (in terms of income, ego, etc) rather than selflessness; it is the opposite of idealism. Again, it's fine to start out an idealist -- schools and the profession are well designed to break this kind of spirit. You will learn that you will be spending more time doing scut and paperwork than saving lives. You will see that medicine is far more of a business than you ever thought, with business decisions often supplanting that which is best for a given patient. You will find that you are rewarded for spending minimal time with patients and getting them off of your service in the fastest possible time. Read House of God. It is an exaggeration to be sure, but there is a glimpse of reality in that book. That is far closer to what practicing medicine is all about than a notion of saving the world. There will be 1 or 2 Farmers out there but the remaining thousands who start out with those dreams will ditch them long before graduation.

Hell, I'll take those odds. Farmer is only the most dramatic example. There are many physicians (and other professionals) working in global public health doing pretty fantastic things.

 

[kami333]

Talk is cheap, actually "saving the world" for the rest of your life?🙄

 

[simpler2]

I just had some thoughts on those that like to nay-say altruistic ideas and endeavors. If you really thought altruism was pointless, wouldn't it make more sense to simply ignore it? I don't find much point in coin collecting or bird watching but I don't go bashing people that enjoy these activities. No, I think that the need to nay-say comes from a bitter reality that others might be pursuing a track that is "better" than your own. Any path that threatens the validity of you own is taken as a direct insult to your chosen path. Not saying that the altruists are innocent and always victims. I've met plenty of them who believe that theres is the only "right" path. If you don't agree with someone's aspirations to save the world, why not look at them as you would a coin collector instead of trying to drag them down?
It makes sense to disagree, or voice opposition, to people who aspire to live in ways that will produce harm...but the altruist, if anything they might do some good.

 

[digitalising]

I'm currently looking for a cheerleader. I'll pop back in when I've found her.

 

[8744]

Idealists are people who have never worked for a living. Many folks go into med school, law school, etc with hopes and dreams of doing great and amazing things. Most of them come out more jaded and realistic. It is not a function of the schools per se, or the business of medicine, but really just a function of life. Bills aren't a big deal until you have to pay them. Practicing medicine sounds fun until you truly experience what an every third day on call schedule actually involves. Real life will catch up to you. Doesn't mean you have to hate what you do, but best to be more of a realist at the onset or you will get hit with the whipsaw.

And may I add that money isn't a big deal to you if you've never earned any which is why many pre-meds can blithely give away their future salaries, professing that they will be happy with some fraction of what they will actually earn? In other words, money (at least Big Money like what I will make next year) is just an abstraction to you if you are a grungy but happily impoverished college student. Hey, we've all been there. When I was in college I had a beat-up Plymouth Reliant K, never more than a couple of hundred a month in disposable income, and I lived in a ratty little apartment. But was I happy? You bet I was and I still look back at those days with fondness while at the same time being absolutely sure that now at 45 I would find that life intolerable for the same reason that I am never going to backback through Europe again.

The next time my wife and I go we're staying at nice hotels. Your tastes and your values change as you get older, as does your tolerance for roughing it.

 

[Livingapparatus]

I'm pretty sure he's given away a huge percentage of his wealth to charity or the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. And the nice thing is he doesn't spoil his kids like some rich parents do. All they get is $10 million for the rest of their life.

🙄

yea only 10 million dollars.......and the biggest finance connections in the world.

There spoiled but they have been spoiled smart.

 

[HoboCommander]

in medicine it's not about saving the world, it's about saving yourself

 

[nina7123]

oh my bad, i thought saving the world was in quotations...

i think rather than doing research, ppl should do peace corps with me! cuz frankly, im a little scared about going to a different country for two years hahaha but we'll see if i ever do that in a year or so...

If you are worried about what it might be like living abroad, why don't you try studying abroad for 6mo-1 year. It will give you a PG version of what you might be exposed to (assuming you are placed in a similar area). I never thought I would want to live in some rural village for 2 years but I studied abroad in South Africa for 6 mo and can't wait to go back!!!