People Here Amuse Me - Two Different Professions?

[DrArete]

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[schrizto]

First off, I don't claim to have a great deal of personal knowledge myself. FWIW, I'm just a non trad about to start a post bacc.

Anyhow, after starting off on the non trad forum, I have gradually migrated to the pre med allo part because people here post more.

However, the past week, I have been doing a lot of reading in the med student, resident, and attending threads...
WOW.

I mean, logically, it is totally predictable. But I really question how many people here know what they are getting into, myself included.

It reminds me of some research I did for a consulting company about changes in law school preferences and career choices a few years ago. I looked at a survey given to entering Yale Law students, where everyone wanted to go save the world and planned to work in Detroit or some crap and help people, well...three years later, the vast majority were gunning for big law jobs or prestigious clerkships.

From a sociological standpoint, it is fascinating to see the divergence between the hopes, dreams, and attitudes of the pre meds, and the realities that med student and residents face.

It is so difficult to get into med school and to get into a residency, that people assume that the result is inevitably positive.

However, the reality is different. But so many people here in the pre med section seem to think, but not for me. It won't happen to me.

There is no magical silver bullet to a great life. My 2 cents is to maintain a healthy personal life that provides you happiness, and to not expect your job to be anything more than a job, and if you are a lucky one and your job becomes more than just a grind, well, you will be surprised.

Sort of, expect the best, prepare for the worst.

Even if you managed to get a ROAD specialty or something like that, there are just as many unhappy people in those.

Although one thing that has piqued my interest are the "hospitalist" positions. It sounds pretty sweet to work 7 days on , 7 days off.

you could have said the same thing in about three sentences. it's so long winded that some people will probably miss your point the first time they read it.

 

[DrArete]

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[Catalystik]

From a sociological standpoint, it is fascinating to see the divergence between the hopes, dreams, and attitudes of the pre meds, and the realities that med student and residents face.

The happy people who maintain their world view don't need to post, whereas the uber-competitive or those with an axe to grind use these forums as a place to ventilate.

 

[DrArete]

The happy people who maintain their world view don't need to post, whereas the uber-competitive or those with an axe to grind use these forums as a place to ventilate.

Good point. I am sure there is a self selection bias to a certain extent.

 

[dw2158]

first of all, OP: it's been said.

The happy people who maintain their world view don't need to post, whereas the uber-competitive or those with an axe to grind use these forums as a place to ventilate.

probably true. the med students/residents i know IRL are not nearly as discouraging as people on SDN. i also have professional mentors who seemed to escape the bitterness as well. take everything on here with a grain of salt.

 

[Law2Doc]

you could have said the same thing in about three sentences. it's so long winded that some people will probably miss your point the first time they read it.

Agree with this. (and this is coming from the kind of long windedness).

Also OP, I think you need to step back and think about whether you really want to join a "profession" or get a "job". Because there is a big difference, despite your "a job is a job" notion. You will have significant obligations and duties in a profession that you don't in a job. You will have expectations that continue even after you punch out. I think that's what throws a lot of people who try to compare medicine, law etc to "just a job". It's not like a 9-5 stint (or "7 days on", etc) each day and then you get to forget about it. You are expected to stay up on changes in the field, you are expected to read up on your patients issues that you are unfamiliar with, and you will always be learning, even after the work day ends. And even while at work you have many professional obligations, ethical duties that would never come up in another kind of job. Can you find balance, and have, as you call it a "healthy personal life" as well as be a member of a profession? Sure, but it's a lot harder to balance things than if you had a non-professional job without all the added expectations. You tend to get there by sacrificing a lot of sleep, a lot of down time. Medicine is not a good career if you hope to dabble. If going into it your goal is to find a job that allows you "7 days on, 7 days off" then I'd probably suggest looking strongly at some non-physician paths.

You will work hard in medicine. Harder than on a consulting path. To become a hospitalist you will have to complete at least an intern year of residency where you will probably break the 80 hour/week mark at times. Most internists do a 3 year residency. And honestly, most people I've met who do the hospitalist path do so as a temporary stopping point -- you don't meet many old hospitalists in my experience.

 

[mcatismydrug]

you could have said the same thing in about three sentences. it's so long winded that some people will probably miss your point the first time they read it.

And sure won't get a very good score on verbal...

 

[jdh71]

Although one thing that has piqued my interest are the "hospitalist" positions. It sounds pretty sweet to work 7 days on , 7 days off.

Easily 8 out 10 hospitalists you talk to working in the private sector dislike to HATE their jobs, but continue to work them because the pay is currently good (or better than out-patient with only an internal med board cert). 14 shifts a month is quickly going the way of the dinosaur in competitive markets (ie. cities where you want to live - I'm sure there are still sweet gigs in Wyoming or South Dakota if you don't mind living there and most people do), and you are most likely lookingt at 18-21 shifts per month these days, many of those will be nights if you are the junior in the group. Furthermore, you basically admit ~10 disgnosises regularly to general internal medicine (get bored, get angry at the non-compliance, get frustrated by the social issues), and you will also be the dumping ground over everyone else, doing the work of most of the surgical subspecialists for them (of course you can bill for this work, but it's not satifying to be thought of as someone's bitch). As well as this you'll spend most of your time coordinating the subspecialists with panconsults, and end up doing the discharge summary. Finally adding insult to all of this injury, with mid-levels continuing to encroach in the private sector, they will edge out many hospitalists.

In my opinion private sector hospitalist is like communism . . . only looks good on paper

EDIT: And your point still stands in my opinion . . . welcome to the real world . . .

 

[Slack3r]

In my opinion private sector hospitalist is like communism . . . only looks good on paper

Like healthcare reform?

(Except it even looks bad on paper)

 

[WhizoMD]

Although one thing that has piqued my interest are the "hospitalist" positions. It sounds pretty sweet to work 7 days on , 7 days off.

sort of off topic, but are there any specialties besides IM that have this sort of schedule as an option?

 

[jdh71]

sort of off topic, but are there any specialties besides IM that have this sort of schedule as an option?

Critical Care and Emergency Med

 

[Planet Ocean]

But I really question how many people here know what they are getting into, myself included.

This👍 A lot of us really want to be doctors but It truly takes courage to examine and question what it truly entails. You are absolutely right about the silver bullet and happiness. For one I don't think there is ever a point in your life where you stop and say, "Gee, I am happy mission accomplished." Its a journey and instead you need to do what will sustain the journey towards happiness. I enjoyed your post and please never stop questioning.