Is this all worth it? Really.

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Prime2000

Membership Revoked
Removed
10+ Year Member
Joined
Jun 12, 2009
Messages
88
Reaction score
0
Maybe it's a combination of lack of sleep, lack of a life, overwhelming minutiae, and hearing stories about miserable docs working long hours and constantly facing less reimbursement for their work.

Maybe I'm weak and not this ultimate med student warrior that is unphased by it all, but I question if this is all worth it in the end. Ok I get it that med school is rough, but then residency, then practice.

What keeps you going when all you read about is negative things (pay/hours) concerning the field of medicine?
 
Maybe it's a combination of lack of sleep, lack of a life, overwhelming minutiae, and hearing stories about miserable docs working long hours and constantly facing less reimbursement for their work.

Maybe I'm weak and not this ultimate med student warrior that is unphased by it all, but I question if this is all worth it in the end. Ok I get it that med school is rough, but then residency, then practice.

What keeps you going when all you read about is negative things (pay/hours) concerning the field of medicine?

I actually enjoy what I do and do not find my career miserable at all. It's nice to finally get paid for what I spent all of those years in school for. Am I wealthy? No, but I didn't enter medicine expecting great wealth. I am making a good living and enjoying my work. If not, I would do something else.
 
I'm just a mere M1, but for me, I really don't know that I'd be ultimately better off if I were doing something other than medical school.

That, and for many of us, med school is something of a leap of faith. It's an educated guess; no matter what the more idealistic premedders like to think, you never know what something is like, truly like, until you do it. I guess I'm just going on the assumption that something brought me to this instead of any other alternative I considered long and hard.
 
I actually enjoy what I do and do not find my career miserable at all. It's nice to finally get paid for what I spent all of those years in school for. Am I wealthy? No, but I didn't enter medicine expecting great wealth. I am making a good living and enjoying my work. If not, I would do something else.

Wow, I agree with everthing you said except that I'm not getting paid yet (MS 3). I enjoy what I'm doing and I don't expect to get rich, so it can only get better.
 
well its worth it if you can't see yourself really doing anything else.

if you could see yourself doing other things then it makes sense to explore that (you were supposed to have done this already though).

Personally, part of what keeps me going is thinking about what i might do instead of this, and everything else just sucks more. Thats not to say that I think med school totally sucks, i enjoy a significant number of the topics we cover although anything gets old when you have to cover it at a med school pace. The only parts of med school that genuinely irk me are standardized patient and medical interviewing exercises, i would honestly rather slam my junk in a car door. Also i do actually believe that if you pick the right specialty you're going to be pretty happy with life.
 
Medical school and what I see attendings do everyday make me more and more angry about the prospect of our administration's plan to cut reimbursement.
 
The pursuit of knowledge keeps me going for now! Man I love med school.
 
I think this question is a lot easier to answer for yourself if you've taken time off between med school and undergrad. I worked for a year, and that still is one of the biggest motivating factors that gets me through it all.

I definitely enjoy medical school better than working (at least in the chemistry field), so for me it's worth it.
 
I think this question is a lot easier to answer for yourself if you've taken time off between med school and undergrad. I worked for a year, and that still is one of the biggest motivating factors that gets me through it all.

I definitely enjoy medical school better than working (at least in the chemistry field), so for me it's worth it.

yo tambien. Working, even though for myself it was also for just a year, gives you a certain perspective on life.
 
Sitting at home and doing nothing but moping around for 6 months after undergrad...this too can provide a bit of perspective
 
I think this question is a lot easier to answer for yourself if you've taken time off between med school and undergrad. I worked for a year, and that still is one of the biggest motivating factors that gets me through it all.

I definitely enjoy medical school better than working (at least in the chemistry field), so for me it's worth it.

QFT. Med school >>> being a teacher in terms of enjoyment and hours spent working/studying.
 
It's worth it for some and not for others. At the risk of sounding incredibly hackneyed, you have to enjoy the journey (learning, training, working) itself not just the destination (being a full fledged attending, teh money, etc). I feel SDN always overstates the amount of unhappiness in medicine, among the medical students, attendings, and residents that I know from my school and the associated hospitals most are pretty happy and well adjusted.
-Roy
 
Last edited:
It's always been my dream and I finally get to live it. Being older I "know" what its like not having it.

I went back at 23-24 to get a MD/PharmD and I might actually pull it off!!


Life is greener everywhere else. I have just chosen to see life through rose colored classes!! Do what you have a passion for and work will never come...
 
What keeps you going when all you read about is negative things (pay/hours) concerning the field of medicine?
What keeps me going is that I know much of this complaining comes from physicians who were traditional students who went from college to medical school and who never held much of a real job before becoming a physician. Not that I don't respect most of these folks as physicians, but I also know that none of them have any concept of what it's like to work your *ss off in an office every day for $50K/year. Physicians tend to assume that everyone makes six figures and works less than they do.

I didn't go into medical school for money - and I certainly won't get rich in internal medicine. But I love medicine, I love taking care of patients - and, even with a large loan payment, I will be living extremely well with an almost guaranteed income.

Take it from an old man - your life could be far, far worse. Even in the difficult climate of today, being a physician is a privelege and an honor. And it puts you in the top 1-2% of the population for income.
 
Life is greener everywhere else. I have just chosen to see life through rose colored classes!! Do what you have a passion for and work will never come...

How do you do this? I'm sure I'd be happier if I could.
 
What keeps me going is that I know much of this complaining comes from physicians who were traditional students who went from college to medical school and who never held much of a real job before becoming a physician. Not that I don't respect most of these folks as physicians, but I also know that none of them have any concept of what it's like to work your *ss off in an office every day for $50K/year. Physicians tend to assume that everyone makes six figures and works less than they do.

I didn't go into medical school for money - and I certainly won't get rich in internal medicine. But I love medicine, I love taking care of patients - and, even with a large loan payment, I will be living extremely well with an almost guaranteed income.

Take it from an old man - your life could be far, far worse. Even in the difficult climate of today, being a physician is a privelege and an honor. And it puts you in the top 1-2% of the population for income.

👍
 
How do you do this? I'm sure I'd be happier if I could.

Instead of focusing on negatives...we as humans usually remember the "bad" things alot more than the "good".

I just try to remember things could always be worse...and take one day, week at a time. I also try to take little "breaks" in life for "me" time. I use it to get my focus, energy, and drive back. Life can be hard and break you down if you dont take care of yourself.

Lastly, I only try to worry about what I can control. Needless worrying is waste and drain on the soul.
 
In my opinion, health care is a good place to be.
 
Maybe it's a combination of lack of sleep, lack of a life, overwhelming minutiae, and hearing stories about miserable docs working long hours and constantly facing less reimbursement for their work.

Maybe I'm weak and not this ultimate med student warrior that is unphased by it all, but I question if this is all worth it in the end. Ok I get it that med school is rough, but then residency, then practice.

What keeps you going when all you read about is negative things (pay/hours) concerning the field of medicine?



Suck it up ya pansy, you could be a one of the 1.1 BILLION human beings who lack access to clean fresh water. You have to work to help keep our economic wheel turning and it might as well be medicine, at least youll get paid one day.
 
While I personally enjoy being an MS1 so far, I can see what you're saying.

To help keep my sanity, I have set up shadowing with my school's hospital. I figure even working in the ER once a week will help keep me focused on why we learn all these details.

Hang in there!:luck:
 
Suck it up ya pansy, you could be a one of the 1.1 BILLION human beings who lack access to clean fresh water. You have to work to help keep our economic wheel turning and it might as well be medicine, at least youll get paid one day.

haha, I knew this was bound to surface eventually. I'll get back to studying now.
 
I think this question is a lot easier to answer for yourself if you've taken time off between med school and undergrad. I worked for a year, and that still is one of the biggest motivating factors that gets me through it all.

I definitely enjoy medical school better than working (at least in the chemistry field), so for me it's worth it.
former high school teacher here.

i would rather spend a whole week in anatomy lab non-stop rather than go back to the ****hole i came from
 
The truth is any decent career is hard work, medicine or not. While many will not equal the grueling nature of residency (so Im told as Im MS1), 10+ hrs working days are the norm anymore (I say this with several years in another field before going to med school). So, if you like medicine as a career, tough it out, try to find something enjoyable in the daily grind of school and focus on it; and remember youd be working pretty hard anywhere else.
 
I think this question is a lot easier to answer for yourself if you've taken time off between med school and undergrad. I worked for a year, and that still is one of the biggest motivating factors that gets me through it all.

I definitely enjoy medical school better than working (at least in the chemistry field), so for me it's worth it.

QFT man!!!

Seriously this nails it on the head. A year of working for a corporation or any other job puts things into perspective. Any time I get that "Woe is me" atittude, I flash back to my teen years fisting chickens as the backup cook at Boston Market.
 
QFT man!!!

Seriously this nails it on the head. A year of working for a corporation or any other job puts things into perspective. Any time I get that "Woe is me" atittude, I flash back to my teen years fisting chickens as the backup cook at Boston Market.
you are trying to turn that fisting chickens thing into a meme...
 
you are trying to turn that fisting chickens thing into a meme...

What's a meme? J/K

We'll see 🙂

By the way, what did you teach and why didn't you like it? My only other option of career that I would choose would be being a high school Physics/Chem/Math/Bio teacher.
 
What's a meme? J/K

We'll see 🙂

By the way, what did you teach and why didn't you like it? My only other option of career that I would choose would be being a high school Physics/Chem/Math/Bio teacher.
TFA in the ghetto.
There's a reason certain people never make it very far in life.
Obama-worshipping idiots who expect **** to just be handed to them all their lives.
The only exercise they get is walking to the mailbox to pick up their welfare check.
 
the first two years are not that pleasant, wait til some of the clinical stuff starts popping up here and there in the first two years that might strike you as more enjoyable. Its a grind but just think of it like three years of hard work because apparently 4th year is a joke. But you are not alone anyone that has read any of my posts knows I pretty much hate school too.
 
Is it worth it or not is a universal question for any person in any field.

But to me there is a reality to being in medical school and it is dept.
Once you cross $100k there is pretty much a point of no return. If you were to leave you are pretty much screwed b/c you are not marketable for any well paying (50k+) job unless you had a good undergrad degree.
You will have a $1000+/month loan payment for the next 20 years which will eat up probably 35-45% of your paycheck.

So basically, you have to stick it out because the alternative is grim.
 
Maybe it's a combination of lack of sleep, lack of a life, overwhelming minutiae, and hearing stories about miserable docs working long hours and constantly facing less reimbursement for their work.

Maybe I'm weak and not this ultimate med student warrior that is unphased by it all, but I question if this is all worth it in the end. Ok I get it that med school is rough, but then residency, then practice.

What keeps you going when all you read about is negative things (pay/hours) concerning the field of medicine?

Having been in the military, med school really isn't that bad. Yes it sucks more than a lot of professions, but I guess my personal point of reference is always to compare it to being an infantryman. The day I crave for nothing more than a clean pair of dry socks will be the day medicine sucks. The day I'm forced to treck 30 miles with a 100 pound ruck sack on my back will be the day medicine sucks. The day I'm forced to stand in the position of attention for 3 hours will be the day medicine sucks. The day I'm forced to cuddle up with another heterosexual soldier as we sleep in the field, because it is 20 degrees and we are soaking wet and if we don't, we will probably lose our feet.... this will be the day medicine sucks.

Stop bitching it really isn't that bad.
 
Having been in the military, med school really isn't that bad. Yes it sucks more than a lot of professions, but I guess my personal point of reference is always to compare it to being an infantryman. The day I crave for nothing more than a clean pair of dry socks will be the day medicine sucks. The day I'm forced to treck 30 miles with a 100 pound ruck sack on my back will be the day medicine sucks. The day I'm forced to stand in the position of attention for 3 hours will be the day medicine sucks. The day I'm forced to cuddle up with another heterosexual soldier as we sleep in the field, because it is 20 degrees and we are soaking wet and if we don't, we will probably lose our feet.... this will be the day medicine sucks.

Stop bitching it really isn't that bad.
an extreme example of having a previous job that really makes you appreciate med. school. you better this believe this poster will never look back at what he had to do.

well said, pianoman
 
Having been in the military, med school really isn't that bad. Yes it sucks more than a lot of professions, but I guess my personal point of reference is always to compare it to being an infantryman. The day I crave for nothing more than a clean pair of dry socks will be the day medicine sucks. The day I'm forced to treck 30 miles with a 100 pound ruck sack on my back will be the day medicine sucks. The day I'm forced to stand in the position of attention for 3 hours will be the day medicine sucks. The day I'm forced to cuddle up with another heterosexual soldier as we sleep in the field, because it is 20 degrees and we are soaking wet and if we don't, we will probably lose our feet.... this will be the day medicine sucks.

Stop bitching it really isn't that bad.

Ok, we get it. You were in the military, you can stop wearing Army shirts to class.
 
Having been in the military, med school really isn't that bad. Yes it sucks more than a lot of professions, but I guess my personal point of reference is always to compare it to being an infantryman. The day I crave for nothing more than a clean pair of dry socks will be the day medicine sucks. The day I'm forced to treck 30 miles with a 100 pound ruck sack on my back will be the day medicine sucks. The day I'm forced to stand in the position of attention for 3 hours will be the day medicine sucks. The day I'm forced to cuddle up with another heterosexual soldier as we sleep in the field, because it is 20 degrees and we are soaking wet and if we don't, we will probably lose our feet.... this will be the day medicine sucks.

Stop bitching it really isn't that bad.

You cuddled with other men? Ewwww.....😛
 
Maybe it's a combination of lack of sleep, lack of a life, overwhelming minutiae, and hearing stories about miserable docs working long hours and constantly facing less reimbursement for their work.

Maybe I'm weak and not this ultimate med student warrior that is unphased by it all, but I question if this is all worth it in the end. Ok I get it that med school is rough, but then residency, then practice.

What keeps you going when all you read about is negative things (pay/hours) concerning the field of medicine?

going to my preceptor reminds me of the benefits of actually getting to work in medicine...or so i think.
 
Maybe it's a combination of lack of sleep, lack of a life, overwhelming minutiae, and hearing stories about miserable docs working long hours and constantly facing less reimbursement for their work.

Maybe I'm weak and not this ultimate med student warrior that is unphased by it all, but I question if this is all worth it in the end. Ok I get it that med school is rough, but then residency, then practice.

What keeps you going when all you read about is negative things (pay/hours) concerning the field of medicine?

At the end of the day, I think it's for you to decide.

If, based on what you can see of what your future will be like in medicine, you think it IS worth it, then stick around, work hard, and don't complain about it.

If you think it won't be worth it in the end, then quit, and good luck with your future endeavors outside of medicine.

Asking other people whether it's worth it to them won't be some kind of magical pill that'll suddenly make you realize "oh yeah, it is worth it!".

What's "worth it" varies from person to person.
 
As a former waiter and construction worker, this feels like a step up to me.
 
I'm going to once again sound my broken-record alarm that it's not worth it. I do this in the vain hope that there's a younger version of me out there who will read this and not make the same mistake I made.

The old SDN adage really is true: if you're smart enough to get into medical school, you're smart enough to do other things which you'd enjoy more and which would be more worth it.

I depart from most non-trads in saying that this is worth it only if you're a traditional student. Even then, it doesn't make sense unless medicine really is your one true passion and calling, but at least you have a chance of getting on with your life before your 30th birthday. Nothing is worth not getting to start a real life until you're 40.
 
i laugh at the posters that think people who complain about medicine never had a "real" job. what about the people that did have a "real" job and think medicine still sucks?

frankly, if i could find a job,with stability that parallels medicine's, that pays 60k, 45 hour weeks, weekends off and no take home work, i'd jump on it in a heartbeat... even if it doesnt stimulate my mind (at this point, i dont find medicine intellectually stimulating at all. it's just rote memorization) i want to spend more time with my SO, more time with friends, and more time not balls deep in medicine.

there are good things about medicine but the bad outweighs it by so much that it makes the profession difficult to enjoy. you cope, you adapt, and you find ways to deal with it but that's no way to live life, especially when this is a choice and was not forced upon you.
 
i laugh at the posters that think people who complain about medicine never had a "real" job. what about the people that did have a "real" job and think medicine still sucks?
Amen. What's especially ironic is that I was one of those people--you could search my posting history and find me saying in 2004 that the people who complain about medicine are just little snot-nosed brats who went straight from college to medical school and don't know how much every job sucks, and that they needed to listen to wise and mature older nontrads like me who somehow just knew that medicine was actually better than anything else.

Now, I say: yes, I know your boring corporate job sucks because I've been there, but trust me, medicine sucks even more.

frankly, if i could find a job,with stability that parallels medicine's, that pays 60k, 45 hour weeks, weekends off and no take home work, i'd jump on it in a heartbeat... even if it doesnt stimulate my mind (at this point, i dont find medicine intellectually stimulating at all. it's just rote memorization) i want to spend more time with my SO, more time with friends, and more time not balls deep in medicine.

Me too, and what's so frustrating is that back when I was deciding to go to medical school and people said this kind of thing, my reponse was "no, you don't understand, I have that job, but it's soooooooooooo stressful, my boss doesn't like me and thinks I'm a slacker, I could get fired anytime; medicine is MUCH better because there I'll at least make $250k/year, have 100% job stability, and all the chicks will dig me." What I didn't understand is that I'd have been much better off using the brainpower which allowed me to get a high MCAT score to creatively finagle my way into an easier, less stressful IT job, rather than using it to sign myself up for 10 years of indentured servitude.

there are good things about medicine but the bad outweighs it by so much that it makes the profession difficult to enjoy. you cope, you adapt, and you find ways to deal with it but that's no way to live life, especially when this is a choice and was not forced upon you.
Yes, nontrads, even if you find you hate medical school, things will probably work out in the end, but that's not the same as saying you'll be better off. I may ultimately be able to become an anesthesiologist and find a private practice gig that offers a lot of vacation time and be content, but that doesn't mean it made sense for me to do this.
 
I depart from most non-trads in saying that this is worth it only if you're a traditional student. Even then, it doesn't make sense unless medicine really is your one true passion and calling, but at least you have a chance of getting on with your life before your 30th birthday. Nothing is worth not getting to start a real life until you're 40.

This is correct. Medical education is best suited for the young.
 
This is correct. Medical education is best suited for the young.

This is also true not just because of the delaying-your-life factor, but because memorization is best suited for the young as well. This is another thing you're told when you're young, but can't really grasp until you start getting older and you can really feel it. The older one gets, the less patience one has for studying for studying's sake, especially studying which involves lots of rote memorzation as opposed to understanding. Don't get me wrong; I like reading about topics that are interesting to me, but the last thing you want to be doing when you're 32 is trying to memorize a list of blind facts like the steps of the TCA cycle or the names of all the bacteria that are gram positive cocci.
 
I depart from most non-trads in saying that this is worth it only if you're a traditional student. Even then, it doesn't make sense unless medicine really is your one true passion and calling, but at least you have a chance of getting on with your life before your 30th birthday. Nothing is worth not getting to start a real life until you're 40.

....what's so frustrating is that back when I was deciding to go to medical school and people said this kind of thing, my reponse was "no, you don't understand, I have that job, but it's soooooooooooo stressful, my boss doesn't like me and thinks I'm a slacker, I could get fired anytime; medicine is MUCH better because there I'll at least make $250k/year, have 100% job stability, and all the chicks will dig me." What I didn't understand is that I'd have been much better off using the brainpower which allowed me to get a high MCAT score to creatively finagle my way into an easier, less stressful IT job, rather than using it to sign myself up for 10 years of indentured servitude.

The problem with this is that traditional students saw no life until 30, while non-trads actually got to enjoy a little of life before medical school (at least one would hope). So in that sense, while traditional students can get it over at an earlier age, the grass across the fence is also a lot greener all throughout their 20s. :luck::luck::luck:

I took three years off, and I am convinced that I would have been a very mediocre medical student had I went straight from undergrad, because I would constantly be thinking of what the OP is thinking. It doesn't mean I'm completely immune now, but my reasons for later wanting to go into medicine were never about money or job stability. I didn't want to be a bum at a nice cushy job anymore (I worked in finance). Years go by fast regardless of what you do or not do. I don't want that easy IT job that you could've gotten with your MCAT brainpower. I wanted a job that was long, hard, earned and meaningful. I didn't want to feel like a damn scab to society anymore, yet I also didn't want to be some impoverished do-gooder either when I'm middle-aged. In other words, medicine cannot possibly suck for me.
 
The problem with this is that traditional students saw no life until 30, while non-trads actually got to enjoy a little of life before medical school (at least one would hope).
Sure, one would hope. But not everyone was in that position. I spent my twenties sitting at home in my apartment alone, not knowing what to do with myself, so worried and stressed about my job that I couldn't stop thinking about it and just kick back and enjoy my time off, and with no idea how to make friends or have fun. I chose medical school as a way to "kick-start" my life. Of course, it didn't work, but with the way I spent my twenties, I might as well have been in medical school and residency.

I'm aware that most people aren't like me, especially most people who go to medical school, who are usually crazy-active and ambitious achievers and go-getters. But if you spent your twenties traveling, mountain climbing, hitchhiking across Europe, sipping fine wines, learning five languages, viewing foreign films, making foreign films, going downtown to the clubs and scoring with 21-year-old hotties, whatever--if you were enjoying your life--I don't understand what you'd interrupt it so drastically by selling yourself into indentured servitude for the entirety of youre thirties.

I didn't want to be a bum at a nice cushy job anymore (I worked in finance). Years go by fast regardless of what you do or not do. I don't want that easy IT job that you could've gotten with your MCAT brainpower. I wanted a job that was long, hard, earned and meaningful.
Yeah, yeah. I said the same thing when I was in my postbac. Have you started medical school yet? If not, get back to me once you're a few years in.
 
It sure is worth it. I spent years working in offices, in IT, in landscaping, and other jobs - and being a medical student is far more enjoyable in all respects. I don't know exactly how residency will be, but since I'm going into a field of my own choosing, I hope that it isn't as bad as some make it out to be.

I hope to temper some of the negative in this thread with my positive.

I'm a non-trad, too. And I think that medical education is easier when you're young, but I also think that you're a better student as an older student. Age comes with some benefits. Sure, my brain is already starting to atrophy, but I think some life experience is very valuable in this field. Studying, for me, is a job - no more, no less. I have the wisdom to know that my self-worth is not tied up in my evals. I know when a patient is pulling my chain. And so on.
 
Wow, IMHO, it goes to show that truly having a mission for your life is what makes all the difference in the world.

Some replies seem sad and rather faithless--to me I am also wondering if this is more proof that strong, sincere, well-grounded faith gives life to the spirit, soul, and body. I know it does.

And listen, every single job/position in the world has pluses and minuses. We live in an imperfect world. Positive and negative are always bombarding us. This is part of the journey of life. I am non-trad. I am a critical care nurse with a lot of great experience. I am also a person with a lot of hard experiences, like many other folks in this world.

I have lived by this quote: "A man used to vicissitudes is not easily dejected." -- Samuel Johnson

So go ahead and cut on this and my other comments if you please. Trust me; doing so will not dissuade me.

Though seemingly oversimplistic to some, consider getting some insight and finding your life's purpose.

It's hard to get a vision for anything if you don't have a purpose and mission.

Also, for one med. student here in particular, it seems you need to find some serious play time. You need to just spend some time being a kid again. You seem older (in the sense of being miserable rather than an issue of mere age) than some 70 and 80 year olds I know.

What's more, perhaps, just perhaps, you have some emotional teeth that need pulling.

Finally, I think it might be good for you to get a physician-mentor that you enjoy and that you can really look up to for insight, direction, and guidance and some enthusiasm for impacting others in a truly productive way.

Just some suggestions. I acknowledge your freedom to file them anywhere you'd like--including the toilet. 😉


"Take care to get what you like, or you will be forced to like what you get." --George Bernard Shaw
 
Top