Name me ONE JOB that is better than being a PHYSICIAN

[helpfuldoc2b]

You know i see threads about doctor salaries going down, bad hours, annoying studying, time commitment. But when you work in the real world and experience the other side of life you notice, ALL JOBS SUCK MORE. THERE IS NO JOB that does not have its bad sides. I think medicine always has its positives, example Guaranteed Job regardless of where you go, able to work until late ages in life without too much strain, prestige, meaningful job (waking up knowing you are helping others). Now what job out there can compare to being a physician that pays so much and allows one to have so much personal satisfaction in what they do. I am just curious what others think.

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[deleted128562]

What about video game tester or better yet congressperson - expense accounts, very few working days, and being a lying bastard is considered the status quo

 

[emtji]

What about video game tester or better yet congressperson - expense accounts, very few working days, and being a lying bastard is considered the status quo

baseball player. football player. think about it...if you spent all the time you invested into your education working on kicking a football between two goal posts, or throwing a ball as hard as you could, you could have a decent chance. being a position player in any sport though, does require some natural talent.

 

[deleted127837]

.

 

[lord_jeebus]

Philanthropist

 

[OncoCaP]

You know i see threads about doctor salaries going down, bad hours, annoying studying, time commitment. But when you work in the real world and experience the other side of life you notice, ALL JOBS SUCK MORE. THERE IS NO JOB that does not have its bad sides. I think medicine always has its positives, example Guaranteed Job regardless of where you go, able to work until late ages in life without too much strain, prestige, meaningful job (waking up knowing you are helping others). Now what job out there can compare to being a physician that pays so much and allows one to have so much personal satisfaction in what they do. I am just curious what others think.

One of my clients used to say about the work "If it was fun, we would charge admission." If someone has to pay you to do it, it's probably not simple fun and games.

Also, if you're meant to be physician (like probably most people here), there is no better job. However, there are plenty of jobs that are easier to do and more enjoyable for most people. Here is what Money Magazine thinks. I'm sure you can find other surveys like this. It comes down to many factors, such as talents, needs, preferences, etc.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/top50/index.html
1 Software engineer 46.07% $80,427 -- Stress: B / Flexibility: B / Creativity: A / Difficulty: C
2 College professor 31.39% $81,491
3 Financial advisor 25.92% $122,462
4 Human resources manager 23.47% $73,731
5 Physician assistant 49.65% $75,117
6 Market research analyst 20.19% $82,317
7 Computer/IT analyst 36.10% $83,427
8 Real estate appraiser 22.78% $66,216
9 Pharmacist 24.57% $91,998
10 Psychologist 19.14% $66,359
11 Advertising manager 20.34% $107,049
12 Physical therapist 36.74% $54,883
13 Technical writer 23.22% $57,841
14 Chiropractor 22.40% $84,996
15 Medical scientist 34.06% $70,053
16 Physical scientist 12.18% $80,213
17 Engineer 13.38% $76,100
18 Curriculum developer 27.53% $55,793
19 Editor 14.77% $78,242
20 Public relations specialist 22.61% $84,567
21 Sales manager 19.67% $135,903
22 Optometrist 19.73% $93,670
23 Property manager 15.30% $78,375
24 Actuary 23.16% $81,509
25 Writer 17.72% $60,519
26 Social service manager 25.52% $74,584
27 Paralegal 29.75% $61,204
28 Health services manager 22.76% $92,211
29 Advertising sales agent 16.33% $112,683
30 Physician/Surgeon 23.98% $247,536 -- GRADES: Stress: D / Flexibility: D / Creativity: B / Difficulty: D

 

[8744]

You know i see threads about doctor salaries going down, bad hours, annoying studying, time commitment. But when you work in the real world and experience the other side of life you notice, ALL JOBS SUCK MORE. THERE IS NO JOB that does not have its bad sides. I think medicine always has its positives, example Guaranteed Job regardless of where you go, able to work until late ages in life without too much strain, prestige, meaningful job (waking up knowing you are helping others). Now what job out there can compare to being a physician that pays so much and allows one to have so much personal satisfaction in what they do. I am just curious what others think.

United States Marine Infantryman. Maybe it doesn't pay as well but it's a lot cooler a job, you can pull more chicks, and you don't have to fake a passion for it.

You did ask.

 

[willow18]

Mice proofer. I hear they make $100/hour. FYI, residents (other than derm) make about $8-15.

 

[helpfuldoc2b]

millionaire playboy?

GUYS, i meant attainable careers, careers you could get with your qualifications and degree(s), etc... Not random childish stuff like being a baseball player. I meant careers you can actually GET. I hear alot of people say "ya just be an investment banker if you want to be rich" But really, if it was that easy, dont you think anyone and everyone will be an investment banker. Lucurative careers are just not there and handed to you. It is extremely difficult to find a career that is both financially and personally rewarding as medicine in my opinion, and even if one did not love healthcare, how can you deny the fact that most of the top 10 paid jobs in the US are Physician related, how you will never be out of a job or worry about being laid off, you can work until 70 and not really have to work about a bad back or doing labor, you can move all across the country and always find a job, etc...

 

[OncoCaP]

GUYS, i meant attainable careers, careers you could get with your qualifications and degree(s), etc... Not random childish stuff like being a baseball player. I meant careers you can actually GET. I hear alot of people say "ya just be an investment banker if you want to be rich" But really, if it was that easy, dont you think anyone and everyone will be an investment banker. Lucurative careers are just not there and handed to you. It is extremely difficult to find a career that is both financially and personally rewarding as medicine in my opinion, and even if one did not love healthcare, how can you deny the fact that most of the top 10 paid jobs in the US are Physician related, how you will never be out of a job or worry about being laid off, you can work until 70 and not really have to work about a bad back or doing labor, you can move all across the country and always find a job, etc...

Ok, how about this (physician work is appealing to a small minority of people -- many of whom hang around here):

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/biztech/articles/060105/5careers_excellent.htm

Excellent careers for 2006
By Marty Nemko

Posted 1/5/06

Related Links
Best (and worst) careers for 2006
More from the Career Center
Audiologist. Careers in which you help people, one-on-one, are rewarding, and the work environment is usually pleasant. Audiology is my favorite. Pay and prestige are excellent, and the job market will be strong because as baby boomers age, their hearing fades. And audiologists will be offering ever better hearing aids. The annoying conventional aids are being replaced by more pleasing computer-controlled ones. A final plus is that audiology is an under-the-radar career—few people consider it, so competition isn't as keen as it deserves to be. One downside: Universities' relentless push to keep more students longer is creating pressure to make audiology programs doctoral.

To learn more
OOH profile: www.bls.gov/oco/ocos085.htm
American Academy of Audiology: www.audiology.org
Read: Survey of Audiology by David DeBonis

Optometrist. This is another one-on-one helping career that will serve the massive numbers of boomers. I like this career slightly less than audiologist because technological breakthroughs don't seem as imminent.

To learn more
OOH profile: www.bls.gov/oco/ocos073.htm
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry: www.opted.org

Veterinarian. Veterinary medicine offers substantial advantages over being a physician. You get to perform a wider range of procedures because in a number of specialties, board certification isn't required. Plus, most veterinary medicine is fee for service, so you needn't be bogged down with labyrinthine regulations and paperwork. One downside is that veterinary offices tend to be loud: lots of barking.

To learn more
OOH profile: www.bls.gov/oco/ocos076.htm
American Veterinary Medicine Association: www.avma.org
Read: True Confessions of a Veterinarian by Gene Witiak

Professor. This career offers stimulating work, lots of autonomy, status, and the comforting confines of academe. The job market has been tight, but that should start to improve–there was a wealth of hiring in the '60s, and most of those professors are approaching retirement age. Long term, the job market should remain good because we're in an era of degree proliferation: More students go on to college, and more adults return to school.

Here are the drawbacks: Colleges, more than most organizations, like to hire people part time or on a temporary basis. Over 30 percent of faculty hold part-time positions, and that percentage is increasing. It's ironic that universities decry the way management treats labor, yet when colleges hire, they assiduously try to avoid providing healthcare benefits and job security. Office politics can also be intense–in few workplaces is there as much conniving over so few resources. And finally, it's dangerous to be politically incorrect. Harvard President Lawrence Summers nearly got fired recently when he suggested, in a private brainstorming session, that genetic predisposition might help explain why there are so few female scientists. He survived after promising to spend $50 million to increase the number of women and members of minority groups on Harvard's scientific and engineering faculty.

 

[71263]

Any type of celebrity, except for the rumors and paparazzi.

 

[Wizard of Oz]

You know i see threads about doctor salaries going down, bad hours, annoying studying, time commitment. But when you work in the real world and experience the other side of life you notice, ALL JOBS SUCK MORE. THERE IS NO JOB that does not have its bad sides. I think medicine always has its positives, example Guaranteed Job regardless of where you go, able to work until late ages in life without too much strain, prestige, meaningful job (waking up knowing you are helping others). Now what job out there can compare to being a physician that pays so much and allows one to have so much personal satisfaction in what they do. I am just curious what others think.

Guaranteed job regardless of where you go? In underserved communities yes. Some specialties are limited to larger metro areas due to demand. I don't think I'd get by as a neurosurgeon in my west Kansas hometown of 20,000.

Working without too much strain? This must be a joke.

Prestige? I'll yield there, but the more prestige, the fewer hours to enjoy it.

Waking up knowing your helping others? Too idealistic. My ORL is angry when I come in saying that I have a neck problem that he can't fix. Just wants me to go away. High patient loads due to decreased insurance reimbursements really place this characteristic in question for every doc I've ever gone to. Sure I've had a couple of good ones who do want to help. Problem is, for those guys, I have to sit in the waiting room for an hour because they take more time with pts than they schedule (very common for HMO docs BTW).

Pays so much? It's not uncommon for a general pediatrician to make less than a physician assistant in my state. As for the bigger money specialties, not everybody is eligible to match them.

I've been very forward on SDN in my stance that PA's have a better lifestyle and better compensation relative to the total debt after training with respect to primary care. Thing is, where I live, enough people know this to the point where I got rejected from my school's PA program yet was accepted early on for medicine the following year. If you have somebody subsidizing your education, or you want the prestige/title, then my stance is irrelevant to you. Since you're asking my opinion, however, I'll tell you that medicine wasn't one of the top 20 careers I had in mind when I went to college.

I honestly believe that in tomorrow's world, you will have to be married to your job as a doctor if you want to get your money back from the education. As much as that doesn't appeal to me, I wasn't going to be able to pay off my previous student loans from working 70 hour weeks as a med tech either.

With no debt issue and a desire to help people with decent compensation, I'd do pharmacy or I would have stayed in science.

Twenty years ago, medicine WAS big time. Docs cashed in greatly when they were pilfering from Medicare. Uncle Sam got ticked though, and lawyers got more active. It's not the same anymore. People are starting to have a hard time paying for their end of their employer-based health insurance, and when the uninsured population continues to rise like this, people will cease preventative care, and health care costs will just continue to balloon.

 

[45408]

Playboy photographer

 

[ForbiddenComma]

Spokesmodel


in actuality, this stuff can be like crack to me, despite all the B.S. and all the malpractice lawyers and the for-profit hospital chains and the HMOs and the pharm companies and the crooked congressmen and all that. I think that's part of why the evil bastard business and gov't jerkfaces keep cutting physician compensation: they know we'll just keep coming back for more because there's nothing else we see ourselves doing.

so no matter what, I can only do the spokesmodel gig on the side.

 

[Law2Doc]

Ok, how about this (physician work is appealing to a small minority of people -- many of whom hang around here):

Agree with this.
OP, your premise is a bit off in assuming that any one job is going to be best for all people, or even that most people look at the physician job the same way as you do.
Generally everyone has their one or two hot button issues that are critically important to them in choosing an ideal form of employment. Some seek things like job security, money, lifestyle hours, enjoyment/fun, autonomy, creativity, lack of beaurocracy, collegiality, intellectual interest, travel, altruistic value, family-amenable environment, excitement, prestige, respect, etc. Looking at any one of these areas, a person can often find a job that suits him/her better than physician. There are always jobs that pay more, offer better hours, offer good job security, shorter training periods, etc. In many combinations of these determinators of what is important, one can also find job that suits them better than physician.
It is pretty shallow to assume that for all or even most people, medicine is the best path. It has its own issues, and if these are important to you, you will be less happy than on a different path without them. Anyone in medicine have no problem listing things they don't like about it. For most of the working world outside of medicine, medicine does not, in fact, represent the ideal job, and in fact does "suck more" than many other job choices. I promise you that as you miss party after party while some of your non-medical colleagues with better incomes and more leisure time are in attendance, they won't be sitting around envying you. If you are not the type who wants to "practice medicine", first and foremost, you are going to see a ton of blemishes in the field, and possibly will have to justify your decision, as you are trying to here, by some misguided notion that "all jobs suck". They don't -- at least not to everyone. You simply need a bigger frame of reference.

 

[soulbrother]

First things, there is no such thing as an ideal job, since the job perfect for you is not necesserily perfect for me.

Possibly better jobs than physician (i.e. for me)

game designer / programmer for leading software company

musician / actor / writer / painter making sufficiently to not have to do other work

architect for elite architect firm

leisure resort owner in the caribbean (or preferred region)

antiques dealer

UN diplomat

professional go player

rock band manager

psycich

well known fashion designer

Thank god I'm gonna work as a physician in the adult movie industry

But on the rizzo.. If I wasn't currently in med school, I'd go do my masters in software eng. and then design games like Monkey Island.

 

[LJDHC05]

professional beer tester

 

[deleted77919]

Personally I'd like to run a dive company on Cayman Brac (Grand Cayman would work too). But 1) start up costs are higher than I could easily borrow and 2) the risk of failure in the first few years is much higher than I am actually willing to tolerate 3) I realize ultimately I would not find the intellectual stimulation I require . . . maybe if I added basic auto repair/restoration . . . hmm . . .

 

[Taurus]

Hedge fund manager.

The best ones make $500 million to a billion per YEAR

Many make just a few million per year.

 

[DrMidlife]

Happiness and satisfaction are SO individual. For me, it's been really hard work to find out what I individually need and want. I have met very few people who know themselves at all by the time they start med school. It doesn't surprise me that people end up hating medicine: you're finding out who you are, while training for a very specific and intense career, and as both reach reality, it's unlikely they'll coincide.

But having had a whole 'nother career and life already, I've come to be disillusioned with pretty much every job that sounded interesting when I was a kid. I wanted to be a symphony conductor, a high school teacher, an actress, a restaurant owner, an architect, a shoe designer, a landscaper, a choreographer, and a software engineer (which I actually was).

The formula for me is about how high my satisfaction is with the aspects of the job I actually trained for and got hired for (coding, for example) against the aspects of the job that are negative/overhead/administrative (working with insane hostile smelly yelling people in positions of power), and with a karma factor that isn't predictable (a beautiful view from my office or some terrific daily interactions with coworkers). After 15 years my declining satisfaction with coding was completely bulldozed by the nastiness of the software industry. And its pointlessness.

I'm making a huge bet that medicine is going to be satisfying, because the job I'm training for (patient care) is endlessly fascinating, I expect this to last for the rest of my life, and I expect my satisfaction with patient care to be more important to me than the annoying crap found in every job.

 

[Filibuster]

One of my clients used to say about the work "If it was fun, we would charge admission." If someone has to pay you to do it, it's probably not simple fun and games.

Also, if you're meant to be physician (like probably most people here), there is no better job. However, there are plenty of jobs that are easier to do and more enjoyable for most people. Here is what Money Magazine thinks. I'm sure you can find other surveys like this. It comes down to many factors, such as talents, needs, preferences, etc.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/top50/index.html
1 Software engineer 46.07% $80,427 -- Stress: B / Flexibility: B / Creativity: A / Difficulty: C
2 College professor 31.39% $81,491
3 Financial advisor 25.92% $122,462
4 Human resources manager 23.47% $73,731
5 Physician assistant 49.65% $75,117
6 Market research analyst 20.19% $82,317
7 Computer/IT analyst 36.10% $83,427
8 Real estate appraiser 22.78% $66,216
9 Pharmacist 24.57% $91,998
10 Psychologist 19.14% $66,359
11 Advertising manager 20.34% $107,049
12 Physical therapist 36.74% $54,883
13 Technical writer 23.22% $57,841
14 Chiropractor 22.40% $84,996
15 Medical scientist 34.06% $70,053
16 Physical scientist 12.18% $80,213
17 Engineer 13.38% $76,100
18 Curriculum developer 27.53% $55,793
19 Editor 14.77% $78,242
20 Public relations specialist 22.61% $84,567
21 Sales manager 19.67% $135,903
22 Optometrist 19.73% $93,670
23 Property manager 15.30% $78,375
24 Actuary 23.16% $81,509
25 Writer 17.72% $60,519
26 Social service manager 25.52% $74,584
27 Paralegal 29.75% $61,204
28 Health services manager 22.76% $92,211
29 Advertising sales agent 16.33% $112,683
30 Physician/Surgeon 23.98% $247,536 -- GRADES: Stress: D / Flexibility: D / Creativity: B / Difficulty: D

This list along with most others is total BS. Please don't take this personally OncoCaP, I used to consider them accurate myself and unfortunatly based my career off from it. Stupid and naive of me.

I am a software engineer, their top choice and their description is way off. The salaries are going down. I make less money now than when I started. This is mostly due to the fact of H-1B Visas and their almost non-existant cap due to corporate lobbying. Which brings up another point. Outsourcing. Money Magazine barely even touches on this. Yet another method of driving down salaries. Also, the job can be extremely difficult as well as time consuming, not to mention very isolating, no human contact.

My point is, if they are so off base regarding what they determined to be the #1 profession, how can I believe anything else on the list. Let's face it. They compliled the list to make Money, no pun intended.

I don't know what it's going to be like to be a physician, but I know what it's like to be a software engineer and I don't like it. With the options open to physicians out there I believe I will find my niche where the job becomes less a job and more a fascinating career.

Yeah, I know. Probably being naive again

 

[Doctor Bagel]

This list along with most others is total BS. Please don't take this personally OncoCaP, I used to consider them accurate myself and unfortunatly based my career off from it. Stupid and naive of me.

And the college professor thing -- good luck getting that gig. My sister has a Ph.D. in comparative literature and majorly lucked out in getting tenure at a university. However, she had to leave her job because her husband got transferred and now she's an adjunct at a cc. She likes the work, but she has no benefits and makes very little money.

It's a great lifestyle, though. My dad was a professor, and he had tons of time to hang out with us and had a very free schedule.

 

[MDstudent79]

This list along with most others is total BS. Please don't take this personally OncoCaP, I used to consider them accurate myself and unfortunatly based my career off from it. Stupid and naive of me.

I am a software engineer, their top choice and their description is way off. The salaries are going down. I make less money now than when I started. This is mostly due to the fact of H-1B Visas and their almost non-existant cap due to corporate lobbying. Which brings up another point. Outsourcing. Money Magazine barely even touches on this. Yet another method of driving down salaries. Also, the job can be extremely difficult as well as time consuming, not to mention very isolating, no human contact.

My point is, if they are so off base regarding what they determined to be the #1 profession, how can I believe anything else on the list. Let's face it. They compliled the list to make Money, no pun intended.

Yep...very true! I am a recovering IT guy, as well, and I agree that in MY opinion, it's hardly the #1 job out there. I've also dabbled in accounting (was my minor in undergrad) as a way to pay the bills during pre-med stuff, and I'd say if I were to do something other than medicine, I'd probably go more into accounting/finance stuff. But then plenty of people would think that sucks, too.

Jobs are very personal. I've had (and LOVED) some jobs in my past that everyone considered pretty much the crap job in the company--not lacking in prestige or respect necessarily, but just very boring, repetitive, too detailed, etc. Everyone's different, so it's hard to compile such a "master list." If you like people contact and moving around during the day, don't go into software engineering. If you don't like details, don't go into accounting. Etc., etc.

 

[OncoCaP]

This list along with most others is total BS. Please don't take this personally OncoCaP, I used to consider them accurate myself and unfortunatly based my career off from it. Stupid and naive of me.

I am a software engineer, their top choice and their description is way off. The salaries are going down. I make less money now than when I started. This is mostly due to the fact of H-1B Visas and their almost non-existant cap due to corporate lobbying. Which brings up another point. Outsourcing. Money Magazine barely even touches on this. Yet another method of driving down salaries. Also, the job can be extremely difficult as well as time consuming, not to mention very isolating, no human contact.

My point is, if they are so off base regarding what they determined to be the #1 profession, how can I believe anything else on the list. Let's face it. They compliled the list to make Money, no pun intended.

I don't know what it's going to be like to be a physician, but I know what it's like to be a software engineer and I don't like it. With the options open to physicians out there I believe I will find my niche where the job becomes less a job and more a fascinating career.

Yeah, I know. Probably being naive again

I can totally see where you are coming from. While outsourcing puts pressure on software engineering, the reality is that there are more software engineering and IT jobs than ever. Yes, the competition is tough -- but not any easier in medical school. The list is pretty general, and every person needs to find what is good for them. I personally know A LOT of software engineers who are happy, earning decent money (more every year), getting promoted into management, etc. I actually did quite a bit of work in software (and I'm doing a lot in my post-doc right now), and I really enjoy it. However, it's not what I would prefer to do for the rest of my life -- yes, it's an easy fun job with great pay -- but I feel I have a calling to go into medicine, and medical oncology looks particularly interesting to me right now.

You have hit on something very important, however: DO NOT BASE YOUR CAREER CHOICE OFF SOME GENERIC LIST. While generic lists are great for comparing large segments of the working/professional population every person needs to look at their own talents and interests. I can assure that most people would not be happy as a physician (starting with the biggest complaint -- having to deal with the general public and stressful working conditions, which few people can or want to handle). The great thing about something like software engineering, is you never need to deal with the public if you can't stand people. Such a list can be useful for comparing options (maybe you're interested in two things and can't decide and could use the information in the list to help make a decision).

You picked one job which is supposedly the high flier but that you do not like. What about the two dozen other jobs that are listed? Have you considered audiology or pharmacy? What about actuary or medical scientist? You might be totally averse to the downsides of becoming and being a physician, but many people aren't so tolerant. Also, take a look at the list I posted a little later. There is a reason that dermatology and radiology are competitive -- it's not because they are more challenging than other specialties -- it's quality of life. Although I'm still very early in the process, I've been told that most medical students figure out at some point is that quality of life is very important important in determining whether a job "sucks" or not.

 

[Law2Doc]

I can assure that most people would not be happy as a physician (starting with the biggest complaint -- having to deal with the general public and stressful working conditions, which few people can or want to handle).

I again have to agree with this statement. Career choices are very personal, and the only wrong advice I've seen on this thread in terms of choosing a career is the notion that "all jobs suck" but at least medicine guarantees me X, Y and Z, variety. You pick a job based on whether it is something you will enjoy. Perqs come and go, and many are simply not that important if you don't remotely enjoy what you are going. What good is a decent salary and good job security if you are working 70 hours a week at a job you hate.

 

[OncoCaP]

Happiness and satisfaction are SO individual. ...

Yes, true. At the same time, there are some common themes of what many people hate: many people hate stress; many people hate having to deal with the general public; many people don't want to work very hard; many people want a flexible schedule so that they can have a life outside of work. Going into and staying in medicine typically requires big sacrifices, both in the education and in the ultimate job, so that's no go for most professionals.

For me, it's been really hard work to find out what I individually need and want. I have met very few people who know themselves at all by the time they start med school. It doesn't surprise me that people end up hating medicine: you're finding out who you are, while training for a very specific and intense career, and as both reach reality, it's unlikely they'll coincide.

People not really knowing what they are getting themselves into is true for medicine and probably many other careers.

But having had a whole 'nother career and life already, I've come to be disillusioned with pretty much every job that sounded interesting when I was a kid. I wanted to be a symphony conductor, a high school teacher, an actress, a restaurant owner, an architect, a shoe designer, a landscaper, a choreographer, and a software engineer (which I actually was).

The formula for me is about how high my satisfaction is with the aspects of the job I actually trained for and got hired for (coding, for example) against the aspects of the job that are negative/overhead/administrative (working with insane hostile smelly yelling people in positions of power), and with a karma factor that isn't predictable (a beautiful view from my office or some terrific daily interactions with coworkers). After 15 years my declining satisfaction with coding was completely bulldozed by the nastiness of the software industry. And its pointlessness.

Although I will do my best to stay out of the cross-fire and retreat from fights when feasible, I fully expect aspects of medicine to be as nasty or nastier than the software industry -- from people treating each other poorly -- to taking every opportunity to smack someone down to elevate oneself ... judging from what I've seen, I would say, much nastier, especially when it comes to politics. As much as I wish that medical field only allowed in the purest of the best, every profession has it's share of very bad apples ... medicine has its share.

While there are pockets of love and joy in medicine (the ROAD to happiness -- radiology, opthamology, anesthesiology, and dermatology), I get the impression it's a challenging slog for most folks. For people that thrive on stress and enjoy the challenge, it's probably a great enviroment. Also, I hear there are many hours of mind-numbing paperwork that you'll be filling out each day, etc. The most unhappy people I have ever met are in the medical field or, more general, in healthcare. In medicine (as I have done elsewhere), I will seek out the most positive and competent folks and learn as much as I can from them.

I'm making a huge bet that medicine is going to be satisfying, because the job I'm training for (patient care) is endlessly fascinating, I expect this to last for the rest of my life, and I expect my satisfaction with patient care to be more important to me than the annoying crap found in every job.

You are more courageous than me. I couldn't go anywhere near medical school unless I was 110% sure that medicine is what I should and want to do with my life. I'm going into it expecting it to be pure hell (worse and more unpleasant by far than any other job I've had -- but then again, I have had it really nice) but I have extremely thick skin and I've had a good life, so I'm doing this to serve the public and society -- to give something back -- rather than to make myself happy.

That being said, I'm already giddy happy -- I don't need a job to make me happy. I must admit that I always get a certain excitement when I'm around healthcare and physician's work in particular (a totally unexpected plus). I usually have to keep my joy under wraps because it makes all the miserable people sick to see someone enjoying a slog through the swamp. I am convinced that I can make a positive difference in several people's lives no matter how many obstacles stand in my way and no matter how badly I will be treated by some miserable and arrogant people around me; I'm really looking forward to it. I'm confident that I'll have the (hopefully more than) occasional opportunity to contribute in an area that I think is extremely important.

 

[dutchman]

This list along with most others is total BS. Please don't take this personally OncoCaP, I used to consider them accurate myself and unfortunatly based my career off from it. Stupid and naive of me.

I am a software engineer, their top choice and their description is way off. The salaries are going down. I make less money now than when I started. This is mostly due to the fact of H-1B Visas and their almost non-existant cap due to corporate lobbying. Which brings up another point. Outsourcing. Money Magazine barely even touches on this. Yet another method of driving down salaries. Also, the job can be extremely difficult as well as time consuming, not to mention very isolating, no human contact.

My point is, if they are so off base regarding what they determined to be the #1 profession, how can I believe anything else on the list. Let's face it. They compliled the list to make Money, no pun intended.

I don't know what it's going to be like to be a physician, but I know what it's like to be a software engineer and I don't like it. With the options open to physicians out there I believe I will find my niche where the job becomes less a job and more a fascinating career.

Yeah, I know. Probably being naive again

Not to divert the focus of this thread but outsourcing is a mutha****er, and if you have ever worked in the technical field you will live to fear that word.

 

[indo]

Playboy photographer

I like your style.



Speaking of that, this month's centerfold has "RESPECT" tatooed just above her shaved vagina. Ironic.


edit: ...which reminds me not to have a daughter.

 

[YouDontKnowJack]

I like your style.



Speaking of that, this month's centerfold has "RESPECT" tatooed just above her shaved vagina. Ironic.


edit: ...which reminds me not to have a daughter.

i love women who shave down there.


playboy photographers can only look, and can't touch. so it aint all that great. plus, they can't photograph the women doing spread eagles.

 

[Law2Doc]

playboy photographers can only look, and can't touch. so it aint all that great.

I suspect that telling women you can get them into playboy would be a good pick up line. More than a few photographers have dated models.

 

[BigNavyPedsGuy]

I'd be an Heiress . . . I mean really, what does Paris Hilton actually do all day? (And yes, we all know what she does all night)

 

[Church]

United States Marine Infantryman. Maybe it doesn't pay as well but it's a lot cooler a job, you can pull more chicks, and you don't have to fake a passion for it.

You did ask.

Hells yeah, Panda Bear. I might argue that Light Armored Recon is better cause you don't have to hump all that gear on your back, but that's something better discussed over drinks in the E-club.

 

[girlofdestiny]

First off, I think the OP is pretty judgey. There are plenty of jobs that are equally satisfying, it just depends on what one wants to do.

Examples:
human rights attorney (includes civil rights, etc)
Bill Gates (super rich AND does super meaningful stuff)
Oprah (same)

Other cooler jobs that I'd want
fake tv news show correspondant
Newspaper editor
real tv news correspondant (esp bbc/npr)
Chef
College professor (just like everyone else who already posted)
Short story Writer
documentarian

 

[ForbiddenComma]

My top 5 jobs would be

1. Spokesmodel
2. um... wait, i can't think of anything else. well, they pay me to be pretty, not to think.

 

[DeadCactus]

Career plans that are as surefire as Physician? (Yea, a lot of people don't make it into Med School; but it's a matter of putting in enough effort. It's not a matter of getting a chance or having the right person "discover" you.)

Engineer
Lawyer
Jet Pilot

More chancy career plans?

Astronaut
Celebrity of any kind.
Politician or Diplomat.

 

[soonereng]

Now what job out there can compare to being a physician that pays so much and allows one to have so much personal satisfaction in what they do.

Money isn't everything, so let's knock that criteria out first.

Any job that makes one happy and satisfied is just as good as being a physician. There are those who don't have the abilities (or some who do) to be doctors, lawyers, judges, etc., but they love their jobs and find satisfaction in them: teachers, chefs, musicians, social workers, etc.

 

[Elysium]

Um, jobs that are better than physician? Since my fiancee just came back from a 36 hour shift in the ICU and hasn't had a day off in 10 straight days, I dare say that it probably doesn't rank as the best job in the world. That $2000 a month loan payment and the 7 years of residency aren't all that hot either (after the 4 years of med school). The constant threat of lawsuits, ungreatful patients, over burdened healthcare system etc, declining salaries, make medicine very unlike what it was 20 years ago. I'm in PA school and while we have to deal with some of the same things that docs do, at least there isn't the debt and residency to deal with, though god knows it's not perfect either.

Better jobs I can think of (for me):

Paid writer (writing good, solid work with a 3-5 novel contract)
Working on a radio/TV show as a writer/production/talent that you love
FBI profiler (working for the govt. but incredibly interesting to me)
Being a judge (esp. a TV judge like Judge Judy - she lays the smack down)

Anyway, I have had a couple of careers, including working on movies (like "Good Will Hunting" and "Amistad") so I've done stuff that are "dream jobs" for some people are realized that they suck too. I was in line to produce a $2 million indie (my mentor is an indie film producer and wanted me to start taking projects that were too small for him) and I just realized that I didn't want that life. It's just too unstable. And unless you're talent or the director you pretty much get treated like crap (kind of like a med student or intern).

 

[southpawcannon]

potato peeler. j/k. local musician, more for fun than being really serious and trying to go big. artist. i play music and draw already. they would be fun and not so stressful. oh, adult film star also.

 

[glp]

NFL punter is the best job ever. you make 500k to kick the ball ~50-80 times each year (depend on if your offense is any good) and the rest of the time you get paid to stay in top physical shape. it doesnt have the glory or money of qb, rb, lb, or even place kicker but there is almost no stress. my dream job.

 

[LowlyPremed]

You know i see threads about doctor salaries going down, bad hours, annoying studying, time commitment. But when you work in the real world and experience the other side of life you notice, ALL JOBS SUCK MORE. THERE IS NO JOB that does not have its bad sides. I think medicine always has its positives, example Guaranteed Job regardless of where you go, able to work until late ages in life without too much strain, prestige, meaningful job (waking up knowing you are helping others). Now what job out there can compare to being a physician that pays so much and allows one to have so much personal satisfaction in what they do. I am just curious what others think.

This is quite possibly the worst place to ask this question. But I agree with you, medicine is pretty cool. Keep in mind that other factors are important to people. Dealing with the sick and dying all the time is not something everyone wants to do. Not too many people want to spend their prime couped up in a library/hospital either.

 

[soulbrother]

Celebrity of any kind.
QUOTE]

I personally think stardom is overrated. I'm a norwegian, and I've appeared on national TV. Trust me when I say that people you don't know walking up to you and talk to you like they know you, stare at you, leave you messages etc. gets old. Look at the drug abuse, suicides, etc. Not a lifestile correlated with longevity. I know a news anchor who quit to pursue academia. He's on some "save the world through science" journey.

I personally declined starring in the norwegian version of beaty and the geek in order to go to med school (something I kinda regret, could've pulled a lotta honnies that way(although I still pull'em though

Even so, celebrity comedian would be cool. But hey, even Jim Carrey suffers from depression..

 

[getunconcsious]

I think trophy wife/husband is a better profession. It's easy at least. You just have to get someone rich to fall in love with you....

 

[Law2Doc]

I think trophy wife/husband is a better profession. It's easy at least. You just have to get someone rich to fall in love with you....

It might be good while it lasts. But your career is often short, no job security, and you may end up spending years in court after trying to get your salary.

 

[PharmDstudent]

This is quite possibly the worst place to ask this question. But I agree with you, medicine is pretty cool. Keep in mind that other factors are important to people. Dealing with the sick and dying all the time is not something everyone wants to do. Not too many people want to spend their prime couped up in a library/hospital either.

What about patients dying? I work at CVS, and I know of several patients who don't get RXs because they're dead. I even saw a patient from CVS when I started working at a local hopital. He died in intensive care.

 

[IckeyShuffle]

baseball player. football player. think about it...if you spent all the time you invested into your education working on kicking a football between two goal posts, or throwing a ball as hard as you could, you could have a decent chance. being a position player in any sport though, does require some natural talent.

this is a very assanine comment. You try throwing a ball over 80 mph's much less in the nineties just by "working on it." how about kick a 55 yard field goal just by "working on it." good luck

 

[dutchman]

NFL punter is the best job ever. you make 500k to kick the ball ~50-80 times each year (depend on if your offense is any good) and the rest of the time you get paid to stay in top physical shape. it doesnt have the glory or money of qb, rb, lb, or even place kicker but there is almost no stress. my dream job.

No job security!!! Punters get changed like tampons.

 

[LJDHC05]

NFL punter is the best job ever. you make 500k to kick the ball ~50-80 times each year (depend on if your offense is any good) and the rest of the time you get paid to stay in top physical shape. it doesnt have the glory or money of qb, rb, lb, or even place kicker but there is almost no stress. my dream job.

I think backup punter is even a better position. You get to kick the ball like 3 times in a season, and still make like 300k...

 

[turkleton]

professional beer tester

amen brother.

I don't know other jobs which might be better than being a physician when factoring in everything, but these are some I would like:

writer (hopefully mildly successful one)
journalist
photographer
architect
....

or i wish i invented google

 

[Church]

this is a very assanine comment. You try throwing a ball over 80 mph's much less in the nineties just by "working on it." how about kick a 55 yard field goal just by "working on it." good luck

So what you're essentially saying is that you are born, sit on the couch till you're of college/NFL playing age, hop up and go kick the ball 55 yards for field goals without "working on it"...

You might find that quite a few professional sports players would be crap if they hadn't spent a lot of time "working on it". When I played football, there was a little thing we liked to call "practice". I think it's something like "working on it", ja?

 

[BeatrixKiddo]

GUYS, i meant attainable careers, careers you could get with your qualifications and degree(s), etc... Not random childish stuff like being a baseball player. I meant careers you can actually GET. I hear alot of people say "ya just be an investment banker if you want to be rich" But really, if it was that easy, dont you think anyone and everyone will be an investment banker. Lucurative careers are just not there and handed to you. It is extremely difficult to find a career that is both financially and personally rewarding as medicine in my opinion, and even if one did not love healthcare, how can you deny the fact that most of the top 10 paid jobs in the US are Physician related, how you will never be out of a job or worry about being laid off, you can work until 70 and not really have to work about a bad back or doing labor, you can move all across the country and always find a job, etc...

Exactly, jobs like congressman can only be acheived though genetics and contacts, whereas literally ANYONE can be a doctor if they follow a specific step by step formula. Guarenteed.