Pre-med Just Feels Like a Rat Race... What to Do?

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GallbLad

GallbLad

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We are constantly subjugated to jumping through hoops, volunteering our own time, and risking enormous amounts of debt at our own expense.

I could have easily majored in Business & Finance and gotten an internship like my friend, senior year and be getting paid 60K base, but instead I'm in 50K debt. With medical school on the horizon, I'm not sure how I'll survive the extra 300K? (correct me if I'm wrong) Also, I won't be getting paid for another what, 4 years, only for slavery wage during residency that lasts 4-8 years?! This has to be a sick joke. What have I done...


I'll go jump back on the wheel now... *squeak!*
 
The median debt for med school graduees is just under $200k but still a lot.

Medicine isn't something to pursue if you don't find it more interesting/fulfilling than anything else. There are easier ways to a nice paycheck, prestige, etc that don't put you in a rat race for over a decade.
 
GallbLad said:
We are constantly subjugated to jumping through hoops, volunteering our own time, and risking enormous amounts of debt at our own expense.

I could have easily majored in Business & Finance and gotten an internship like my friend, senior year and be getting paid 60K base, but instead I'm in 50K debt. With medical school on the horizon, I'm not sure how I'll survive the extra 300K? (correct me if I'm wrong) Also, I won't be getting paid for another what, 4 years, only for slavery wage during residency that lasts 4-8 years?! This has to be a sick joke. What have I done...


I'll go jump back on the wheel now... *squeak!*
Click to expand...


This is why many in the profession warn premeds of the risk involved in becoming a physicians. Many don't understand the enormity of debt load on someone and how that affects and controls ones decision to withdraw from medical school should it cross their mind.

Beyond that, what's your question here?
 
There are easier ways to get rich than the medical field. You see all the hoops we have, that's why you have to be passionate about.

As far as debt goes, there is always the military which offers some pretty deals. The federal loans are also a good option. I know the finances look gloomy and your business friends have it easy, but don't give up!

If you keep putting one foot in front of another you'll be there before you even realize!
 
Money will happen eventually. Besides, what would we even spend it on when we're working 80 hours a week?
 
premedbrah said:
Well who doesn't like a pair of fresh kicks once and awhile 😉
Click to expand...

Your avatar is awesome.

And, sadly, it doesn't stop in med school. Jumping through hoops is just a way of life in this field. However, like someone said, if you stick with and tough it out, you'll look up one day in that sick white coat and be proud. If this is truly your passion, that is.
 
Sit down and reconsider whether a career in medicine is really what you want.

If you decide that it is, then don't complain; you don't deserve to.
 
Be the fastest rat? If you work hard in your preparation for medical schools (fastest rat) you can receive scholarships and significantly reduce your debt. But like everyone else has been saying, your heart needs to be there for this profession. It is not the most lucrative, rigorous and stressful, and emotionally demanding and taxing. Now there are many positives also but you sound like an individual where those positives don't matter from the way you asked this question. So, I suggest you dont go into medicine especially with that attitude because you will either drop out, or hate doing it. If you think you are immature then go get some experience shadowing and volunteering to open your eyes. Finally, it seems like everyone wants to go into medicine nowadays. Everyone says they are pre-med and you should let that guide your future plans. Not everyone can handle medicine and not everyone deserves to be in medicine.
 
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The median debt for med school graduees is just under $200k but still a lot.

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AVe201
 
Dr Granger said:
There are easier ways to get rich than the medical field. You see all the hoops we have, that's why you have to be passionate about.
Click to expand...

People always say this, but really, what other ways are "easier?"
Investment banker - years of being an analyst working 100+ hour weeks and getting treated terribly to hopefully get a high paying position
Lawyer - working like a dog for years to hopefully (not guaranteed) make partner at a successful firm
Business - MAYBE you will become very wealthy, but the chances are slim.
Majoring in business to make a ton of money is like playing the lottery. There is a CHANCE of getting a huge paycheck, but more likely than not you will end up working a desk job for about 100k for the rest of your life (which isn't bad, but it isn't necessarily anything out of the ordinary)

Medicine is the only profession, correct me if I'm wrong, that can (almost) guarantee somebody a salary of 300,000+ dollars (in certain specialties obviously)

Last time I looked at a physician compensation chart there were a lot of median salaries were between 400-500k, with some upper 90th percentiles at 1.2m per year
 
JPSmyth said:
People always say this, but really, what other ways are "easier?"
Investment banker - years of being an analyst working 100+ hour weeks and getting treated terribly to hopefully get a high paying position
Lawyer - working like a dog for years to hopefully (not guaranteed) make partner at a successful firm
Business - MAYBE you will become very wealthy, but the chances are slim.
Majoring in business to make a ton of money is like playing the lottery. There is a CHANCE of getting a huge paycheck, but more likely than not you will end up working a desk job for about 100k for the rest of your life (which isn't bad, but it isn't necessarily anything out of the ordinary)

Medicine is the only profession, correct me if I'm wrong, that can (almost) guarantee somebody a salary of 300,000+ dollars (in certain specialties obviously)

Last time I looked at a physician compensation chart there were a lot of median salaries were between 400-500k, with some upper 90th percentiles at 1.2m per year
Click to expand...
What kind of physician compensation chart were you looking at? All the ones I find online list much lower median and average salary ranges for all specialties.
 
JPSmyth said:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/60145213/2010-MGMA-Physician-Compensation-Survey-Summary

A lot of specialties in there have a median of 400-500k. I understand that there's malpractice insurance and other expenses I probably don't know about yet, but still, the numbers are there.
Click to expand...
That data is 4 years old. The numbers now are likely all different now. The specialties that have >400k are the ones you'd expect to have the highest: Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Orthopaedics, and I guess Anesthesiology for some reason. You can't claim that there "are a lot of median salaries that are 400k-500k" when only a small subset of the entire physician population fits that criteria.
 
Ace Khalifa said:
That data is 4 years old. The numbers now are likely all different now. The specialties that have >400k are the ones you'd expect to have the highest: Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Orthopaedics, and I guess Anesthesiology for some reason. You can't claim that there "are a lot of median salaries that are 400k-500k" when only a small subset of the entire physician population fits that criteria.
Click to expand...


in 4 years have they really changed that much? (this is a legitimate question. I'm not trying to be sarcastic, just curious)
 
JPSmyth said:
in 4 years have they really changed that much? (this is a legitimate question. I'm not trying to be sarcastic, just curious)
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I'm no expert on this topic, but I really think there's been a decline in salary for all specialties across the board. If there are any residents or attendings who want to chime in, feel free.
 
Ace Khalifa said:
I'm no expert on this topic, but I really think there's been a decline in salary for all specialties across the board. If there are any residents or attendings who want to chime in, feel free.
Click to expand...
:inpain: Not remotely true :nurse:
 
I think the debt is truly unfortunate. I hate borrowing money from people or owing debts, let alone the enormous debt involved in becoming a doctor.

However, I know medicine is my calling and the only career I'd find satisfaction in. I'd be a slave to debt for as long as it takes if it means I can pursue my interests, and help people in a way I find meaningful.
 
Ace Khalifa said:
That data is 4 years old. The numbers now are likely all different now. The specialties that have >400k are the ones you'd expect to have the highest: Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Orthopaedics, and I guess Anesthesiology for some reason. You can't claim that there "are a lot of median salaries that are 400k-500k" when only a small subset of the entire physician population fits that criteria.
Click to expand...
Those data are also from a source that skews towards private practice physicians.

Either way, as always gets told to premeds when they bring up looking into compensation for different fields: by the time you make it through med school and residency it could be over a decade, nobody knows what compensation will be like then.
 
Shams al Deen said:
Wow that's good money!! What other degree just guarantees that type of salary? I guess that's why getting an MD is so competitive.
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Then we have the problem of doctors just being doctors because money.

But yeah OP, I haven't enjoyed certain kinds of volunteering (moving canned goods on an "assembly line" for several hours...), but if you don't want to do things like clinical volunteering or shadowing altogether, that's kind of a red flag. 😉
 
JPSmyth said:
in 4 years have they really changed that much? (this is a legitimate question. I'm not trying to be sarcastic, just curious)
Click to expand...

obamacare with an increase in medicare which pays low compared to private insurance and insurance companies putting pressure on compensation for different things
a lot of doctors becoming employees of large medical groups and hospitals
 
Life is a rat race! 99% of the people in any field who are making the big bucks have put some serious time and effort into getting there and differentiating themselves from the rest of the crowd. Medicine is the same way. Sure you have the guarantee of someday potentially earning some great money, but that guarantee comes with the "rat race" of getting accepted into a school and a residency program, which means competing against the hoards of other incredibly qualified and talented applicants. In addition, that guarantee also comes with many years of intense education and training (without large income), which I'm sure any attending or resident can tell you, is incredibly physically, mentally, and emotionally difficult. Everybody and their mother is a pre-med in many undergraduate institutions, but the majority of people who end up going into medicine are the people willing to go those extra miles on their wheels! If you can't fathom doing anything else with your life, you'll do whatever it takes to get that wedge of cheese! 👍
 
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