Why cant folks on SDN give an objective answer. I did not ask for opinions on what i should care about or whether my rationale is ethical. I was under the impression that SDN is a place where one can get answers to their questions. Am I wrong?
I shadowed podiatrists, i shadowed doctors. I would be happy doing either. hence the phrase "I don't care if i am a podiatrist or MD"
So in the end, a part of my decision will rest on the dollars and cents outcome i can expect practicing in any of these fields.
I don't want to put myself through 4 years of graduate school and 3+ years residency to discover I made the wrong financial decision. Because, as much as many of you would like to disagree, becoming a physician of any kind IS (among other things) a financial decision.
Anklebreaker- thanks for the direct response to the question
It's difficult to give an objective opinion, when a poster seems only motivated by money, and it's reinforced with a screen name of "moneymoneymoney".
The problem is that there realistically is no answer to your question. Statistics in my opinion are really meaningless. It depends on your individual clinical skills, your attitude, your location, and of course some luck. I've read all the MGMA salaries and believe that you can't really base decisions on those salaries. If you look at their numbers and the numbers reported by the APMA, there is a difference.
As a GENERAL rule, pediatricians are at the lower end of the pay scale and FPs/GP's and internists also are toward the bottom of that scale. However, I know of two local pediatricians who probably bring in close to 7 figures due to some very progressive and aggressive practice management moves. Similarly, I know some podiatrists who are just scraping by, and other podiatrists who are bringing in 7 figures.
Our practice is probably in the top 1-2% in the country for revenue, but we have a high overhead and work very hard. So in addition to other factors, it depends on how much time you want to dedicate to "work".
This is NOT an insult, but my following comments are based on many years of experience and observation. You don't necessarilyl have to be a "good/quality" doctor to make a lot of money. There are many docs out there performing unnecessary surgery, taking xrays for no reason, selling quack products, less than ethical billing, etc., etc. These docs are making lots of money, but should not be emulated.
Please be very careful, because it is very easy to let money be your motivating factor in practice. I've witnessed it too many times, and ultimately those practices/doctors fail in the long run.
Yes, making a good living is important, especially with the financial investement and time dedicated to achieve the end product. But as I've stated before, if you work hard, remain ethical/honest and treat patients well, you WILL succeed and make a better than average income.
I know you are smart enough to realize that despite any comments or advice you receive regarding your ultimate career choice, there are NO guarantees regarding your future income. So once you make a decision, live with that decision and don't look back. The docs I know of all types who aren't doing well, are always complaining and finding a reason to blame someone else, AND are often the docs who don't exactly work hard. I don't know how many younger docs I've spoken with who complain of less than envious income, but go to the office at 10 am, take an hour for lunch and are done at 4 pm. That's NOT the formula for success in most instances.
Once again, make a decision, don't look back, work hard, remain honest and you'll be ahead of the curve.
