Medicine VS...

[pmarank]

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Hi I am a college student going into my sophomore year and I am mostly interested in medicine because I am good at science (bio, chem, biochem) and because i have always found medicine to be an appealing career because of how hands on and concrete it is.

I am at a point in my life where i really should have a good idea of the career i am going to pursue. I am deciding between medicine and business.

I am here to get some advice and insight from people who have been where I am.

I really find medicine really interesting but if i were to go into it im not sure if I would specialize or what type of residency i would go for. As far as business goes i find accounting interesting because it seems to offer a variety of jobs that i could get.

Right now I would rather be a doctor because the science behind medicine is really interesting for me. The reason I am considering business is because medicine is a long journey and although I am not afraid to make a commitment Im scared of how much everything will cost.

In business i could get a bachelors degree and get a job making 50k a year. I could then go back and get my MBA and make even more.

To be a doctor it seems that i would have to be in school for 4 more years, which would mean far more debt, and then i would have to do a residency which also wouldn't pay that well.

I really want to be a doctor but it just doesn't seem to be a good financial action. My parents are currently paying for my college and I would love to pay them some money back, but with medicine i dont know if that would be possible.

From my perspective it seems like if i were to go into business then by the time i was 26 i would be making good money, i would be able to pay my parents back, and i would be able to start a family. I know doctors have the potential to eventually make good money, but how long does that take?

Do most med students just live at home till they are like 30? It just seems like med school is so expensive and if i were to go into it then i would have to put paying student loans in front of paying my parents back.

What do you guys think?

 

[NickNaylor]

tl;dr

Shadow and see if it's something you want to do. If you're not at least somewhat entertained and/or interested during shadowing, medicine may not be the choice for you. Certainly don't go into medicine expecting to get wealthy. It might be possible, but expecting it may be setting you up for failure.

 

[pmarank]

tl;dr

Shadow and see if it's something you want to do. If you're not at least somewhat entertained and/or interested during shadowing, medicine may not be the choice for you. Certainly don't go into medicine expecting to get wealthy. It might be possible, but expecting it may be setting you up for failure.

I have shadowed over the summer and I do find it interesting. Im not looking to get rich right away or anything i just want to be able to make enough money for the necessities (house, food, car, clothes, etc) along with being able to pay my parents back some money.

It seems like with medicine i wouldn't be able to do that till i am like 35 whereas with business it seems like i could do it at a much younger age.

 

[ILikeDrugs]

You can start making money in business at the age of 26 or you can start making money as an attending at the age of 29-30 (3-4 year residency). That is if you start med school as a traditional applicant. How long are your parents willing to wait? Can they wait an extra 3-4 years?

 

[Blonde Redhead]

No offense dude, but this is probably the wrong place to ask this question. Many of the people on this forum are in the middle of the admissions process or have definitely made their decision about pursuing a medical degree. We're pretty much pouring our hearts and souls into becoming a doctor so you're question doesn't register well. Have you asked your parents what they think? You seem quite concerned with paying them back and pleasing them. They might have some insight.

You also seem really concerned about petty stuff. You should pursue what interests you, gives you fulfillment, and all that jazz. Look at the good and the bad too. A BA in business might land you a 50K job out the gates, or it could land you back in your twin bed at your parent's house.

P.S. most med students don't live at home til they are 30. Good Lord.

 

[Astarael]

I once heard someone say that the way you could tell if you should go to medical school was, "If you can't imagine yourself doing anything else. If you can, you should do something else." I don't agree with this in principle, but it is an interesting sentiment. Medicine is a difficult field that is not easy to switch out of, so you should be pretty sure about it before doing it. If you've already done some shadowing, maybe picking up a volunteer shift at a hospital could help you make a decision. I don't think medicine is necessarily a calling, but you're right: you won't make very much money until your 4 years of undergraduate medical education and 3-8 years of residency/fellowship are done. That being said, residency salaries aren't really anything to sneeze at. $50k a year is a livable salary. The only reason people complain about it (and rightly so) is because for residents working 80 hours a week that breaks down to maybe $12-14 an hour. So, low hourly wage, but enough to live on.

 

[duckgirl24]

It definitely seems like finances are driving your career choice a little too much. Basically I think if you really want to be a doctor, you'll find a way to do so, accepting that you will have to make sacrifices (and for some people, that does mean living at their parents' house for a while).

Also, I know many people with bachelor's degrees in business that are currently unemployed, working as a receptionist or assistant for low pay, or working in a completely unrelated field (like retail) because they couldn't get a job. Unfortunately, a bachelor's degree these days usually doesn't get you very far.

 

[PremedGunner]

are you sure you want to do accounting the rest of your life?

are you worried you're going to be poor as an MD?

 

[Spleenic]

If it makes you feel good to make other people feel good, then consider medicine.

 

[dontforgetxx]

Hi I am a college student going into my sophomore year and I am mostly interested in medicine because I am good at science (bio, chem, biochem) and because i have always found medicine to be an appealing career because of how hands on and concrete it is.

Just so you know, medicine is FAR from concrete. Everyday, thousands of people are doing research and finding new methods to control/cure illnesses. What is written in medical textbooks today might not be true tomorrow (case-in-point; up until ~30 years ago, HIV/AIDS was thought to be a fatal disease, while today it can be managed with certain drugs). Medicine is changing everyday, and who knows what can happen in the next few years.

With that said, it's great that you really like science and are really interested in medicine. But I think if you're going to pursue something like medical school, you shouldn't do it unless you actually have your heart and soul devoted to it. If you do end up going to medical school, you may realize by your second year that you don't even really like it that much. You'd have spent tons of money, and spent tons of hours studying for something that you're not passionate about.

Take a step back. Forget about the money. What can you really picture yourself doing? What do you think will lead you in the direction you want to go with your life? I know that money is a big issue, especially when it comes to deciding what you want to do, but don't decide it solely based on how much money you'll make/how much debt you'll have.

 

[Quaero]

Remember that medicine is a commitment. It takes forever but that's what worthy things usually require. I you decided to do business, you could also be very successful. Have you shadowed a businessman/do an internship?

You'll never know which makes you happy until you have seen both.
The thing is: it's OK. People will change their career overtime.

If your shadowing over the summer didn't scream ",Dang I really wanna do this for the rest of my life," shadow more 🙂

 

[NickNaylor]

As a counterpoint, business - especially if you want to make the big bucks - is by no means a lovely experience either. A friend of mine is an analyst at Citigroup (graduated a year or so ago) on track to become a trader. He has absolutely no life; he works 15-16 hours a day and usually at least one day on the weekends. The last time I saw him he even mentioned that doing the job for the money absolutely sucks because he can't even spend what he earns. All this and getting promoted isn't even guaranteed. He says about half of the analysts are fired after two years while the remainder are promoted and become traders.

It's not going to be easy no matter what you want, and you're not going to be making bank as soon as you graduate if you go with business. Obviously this is only one particular track within business, but with very few exceptions, all professions/careers are going to require you to pay your dues.

 

[Web MD]

Like Cole said, there's no guarantee that you'll find a job once you graduate with your business degree. A lot of my friends who did marketing/finance/econ had to forego an internship and go straight to grad school for their MBA since no one is hiring right now. One of the main benefits of a career in medicine is that they're always hiring and the job security is one of the best out there. As far as tuition goes, there's always military scholarships if you're interested in giving back to the armed forces and there's also loan forgiveness if you work in underserved areas. That being said, it really comes down to whether or not you think you like medicine enough to stick with it through the rough patches and if you really know what being a physician entails.

 

[QuizzicalApe]

I have shadowed over the summer and I do find it interesting. Im not looking to get rich right away or anything i just want to be able to make enough money for the necessities (house, food, car, clothes, etc) along with being able to pay my parents back some money.

It seems like with medicine i wouldn't be able to do that till i am like 35 whereas with business it seems like i could do it at a much younger age.

I can't wait until I'm an attending so I can feed and clothe myself.

 

[Nilf]

Hi I am a college student going into my sophomore year and I am mostly interested in medicine because I am good at science (bio, chem, biochem) and because i have always found medicine to be an appealing career because of how hands on and concrete it is.

I am at a point in my life where i really should have a good idea of the career i am going to pursue. I am deciding between medicine and business.

I am here to get some advice and insight from people who have been where I am.

I really find medicine really interesting but if i were to go into it im not sure if I would specialize or what type of residency i would go for. As far as business goes i find accounting interesting because it seems to offer a variety of jobs that i could get.

Right now I would rather be a doctor because the science behind medicine is really interesting for me. The reason I am considering business is because medicine is a long journey and although I am not afraid to make a commitment Im scared of how much everything will cost.

In business i could get a bachelors degree and get a job making 50k a year. I could then go back and get my MBA and make even more.

To be a doctor it seems that i would have to be in school for 4 more years, which would mean far more debt, and then i would have to do a residency which also wouldn't pay that well.

I really want to be a doctor but it just doesn't seem to be a good financial action. My parents are currently paying for my college and I would love to pay them some money back, but with medicine i dont know if that would be possible.

From my perspective it seems like if i were to go into business then by the time i was 26 i would be making good money, i would be able to pay my parents back, and i would be able to start a family. I know doctors have the potential to eventually make good money, but how long does that take?

Do most med students just live at home till they are like 30? It just seems like med school is so expensive and if i were to go into it then i would have to put paying student loans in front of paying my parents back.

What do you guys think?

Don't do it man. The sacrifices are not worth it, and the benefits are rapidly shrinking.

Keep in mind that you have to sacrifice on average 10 years of your life, and likely get into significant debt. Also, career in medicine WILL adversely affect your relationships and family life.

Get a job after college, then go on to get another degree, build your network, open new opportunities, save and invest. Better yet, work for the government. Enjoy your twenties.

You are saying that 'science behind medicine is really interesting'... ROFLMAO at that... While there are scientific foundations, most of medicine is memorizing and following protocolls.

Don't get me wrong: there are good things about medicine... Myself I have a good job which I like... But the path to get here is way way WAY to long and hard to be worth taking.

I have been posting about this topic on this forum for a while. Look through my older posts. Good luck, I hope you are happy whatever you do.

 

[pmarank]

thankx for all of the info guys

you guys make me want to go into medicine, but then again this site does have a slight bias lol

i suppose i am too concerned about the money and not concerned enough about what i really want to do

i guess it's time to shadow more and take more bio classes + orgo this year, hopefully those classes will come in handy in case i change my mind 😀

btw do residents really make $50k on average?