Regret

[heartOfWarmth]

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Why do so many specialists regret choosing their field or wouldn't go through it again?
Some people say its not worth it, why is that?
I'm just trying to grasp the negatives of going into medicine so i have a complete picture of the advantages and disadvantages to create a non-bias view.

 

[superpom_7]

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[Stagg737]

The most common thing I hear is that doctors regret not having enough time to spend with family/friends/just live life in general. Almost everyone knows the kind of commitment med school is when they apply, and many of us realize that residency is even worse. However, many people fail to realize that many fields of medicine continue to have ridiculous hours for the rest of their career. It's not uncommon for doctors to have 50-60 hour work weeks or more. Plus many fields also require doctors to be 'on-call', so even when you aren't at work you still might have to go in. People think that once they finish residency they'll be able to have an almost regular 40-hour-per-week job, they don't realize that even after they can finally practice as a fully licensed physician it is still more work than most other jobs. As a physician you don't really get a break or even a normal life until retirement. Plus, once someone gets through med school, they are usually in so much debt that changing careers doesn't make sense. That doesn't mean doctors don't ever get vacations or that it isn't incredibly rewarding, but if it turns out that medicine isn't a doctor's passion it's easy to see why they would regret it.

 

[peudamour]

The specialists question is a good one for practicing physicians. But as for people saying its not worth it, in today's economy, people are very wary of debt (or at least should be). Even though it makes sense to go into debt to make more money eventually, the idea of having to pay back $200,000 is quite daunting.

It seems like medicine is a field of averages. You have to be able to step back and look at the bigger picture in almost any field. Its the same thing financially. You also have to enjoy every step of the learning process and be open to the innovations of the field.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

Medicine is a difficult profession. Many people go into medical school with a very idealized view of medicine and end up disappointed by how things really are. Not only that, but medical training takes so long that many people start the journey with a certain view of their life/goals/motivations and then as the years go by, those things change. They may find that the difficult and time consuming field of medicine no longer aligns with their career and life aspirations.

Many on SDN choose to bury their heads in the sand when residents and attendings explain the difficult sides of medicine. Don't do that. Medicine may indeed be the right career for you, but everyone should be aware of both the negatives and the positives of a career as a physician.

 

[Funke]

I recommend going to each of the specialty forums, and you will inevitably find threads talking about the crappy parts somewhere down the list. It's very enlightening. You just have to remember that every job has really crappy parts. No one likes all the red tape, paper work, management, etc.

 

[styphon]

Regret or disappointment in any aspect is made up when Expectations do not meet Reality: Expectations=Reality:at least being satisfied. Remember, people are satisfied with working as waitresses or mowing lawns, etc.

Now the expectations of each people -even in the same speciality - are not the same. It depends on age, previous life experiences, their life as children, country of origin, what they expected when they got into medical school and residency.

EXAMPLE: Lots of doctors from before HMO's/Prior Auth/etc hate their current job. They were present, and miss, the days the doctors decided on what to spend, where to spend it, how much to charge - but those days are gone - now Insurance companies and Administration decide.

Others were forced into specialites they did not want to go into. Maybe someone wasn't a stellar student/test taker - wanted ortho or Plastics but ended up in General Surgery. These people are most likely bitter/angry resulting in regret and disappointment.

I am willing to bet that almost every Attending/resident can name positives and negatives about EVERY field.