The Nature of Prestige in Medicine

[armorshell]

This thread is a pretty sad commentary on medicine.

It's mostly just sad in general.

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[MonkeyNuts!]

Ugh. The last prestige in medicine thread got sent to the Lounge. Go dig for it in there, it was started by christian15213.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

Hate to break it to ya guys, but medicine is the no. 2 profession in terms of prestige and respect.

You know whose number one? Thats right, firefighters.

If you are going to post numbers, please cite your source.

Although I dont' doubt firefighters as number one. Those guys are awesome.

 

[GreyFox2002]

If you are going to post numbers, please cite your source.

Although I dont' doubt firefighters as number one. Those guys are awesome.

I don't have to. It's called Google, and there's plenty of sources.

Actually its give or take some. There both right there.

I also would put soldiers right there.

Another profession that deserves some serious respect is EMT. Sorry guys, but if my life is on the line, I want an EMT on my side.

 

[arsenewenger]

Hate to break it to ya guys, but medicine is the no. 2 profession in terms of prestige and respect.

You know whose number one? Thats right, firefighters.

you know whose pre-number one? I guess paramedics/EMT-Bs like me

 

[Eric Lindros]

So my question is, when you made your choice to pursue medicine, was "prestige" a factor? What does the "prestige" factor mean to you?

I want to be a doctor. I don't want to be a dentist. There's not much more to it than that.

 

[45408]

"Yeah, I'm a dentist and only 30. Would you like to go home with me to my million dollar home in my new porsche."

I have friends who are dentists who have used this line, but never a MD b/c it isn't possible.

Personal anecdotes are very useful for describing an entire profession. I know a neurosurgeon and a dentist who are next-door neighbors. The neurosurgeon's house is nicer, but still, they both have great places.

Your millionaire dentist with a new Porsche at age 30 is way beyond his eyeballs in debt, or his success is a result of preparation meeting nepotism.

 

[45408]

you know whose pre-number one? I guess paramedics/EMT-Bs like me

People say that about EMTs because they've never hung out at the station for very long.

 

[lsumedgirl]

How does this thread make sense to anybody. If you've ever attempted any important thing in your life, you will realize that prestige and/or money play no role in why people chose medicine.

Medicine...prestige...DDS...MD...factor -------Nonsense!

Amen! I guess some people choose medicine b/c they want prestige, but not me. I'm not about to work my butt of for four years of school, a residency, and go into an a$$load of debt, just to say, "Hey, I'm a doctor," and impress someone. I'm doing this because I want to.

 

[GreyFox2002]

Seriously though guys, having a battle over which profession is more prestigious is a total joke. Allied Health Care professionals need to work together to help further the common good of all. Physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, and biomedical scientists are all VITAL for the health of this country. Remove one profession and everything goes to hell. If it makes everyone feel better, all of these professions are among the most admired, respected, and trusted professions in the world, and will garner the "ooos and ahhhhs" of everybody you meet.

 

[armorshell]

I want to be a doctor. I don't want to be a dentist. There's not much more to it than that.

Seriously though guys, having a battle over which profession is more prestigious is a total joke. Allied Health Care professionals need to work together to help further the common good of all. Physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, and biomedical scientists are all VITAL for the health of this country. Remove one profession and everything goes to hell. If it makes everyone feel better, all of these professions are among the most admired, respected, and trusted professions in the world, and will garner the "ooos and ahhhhs" of everybody you meet.

Read the OP, I wasn't trying to start a DDS vs. MD thread. I was asking a serious question, and made the mistake of even mentioning dentistry

 

[etf]

That is why the god of medicine are blocking your attempts.

haha, low blow; but it'll work out in the end...the application process was like pulling teeth, but i'm going through it again soon so that i won't have to for a living...

 

[pyrois]

hey you started the thread buddy. Doctors and Dentists don't get to choose what is "prestigious," girls at bars do.

More true than one might think.

 

[arsenewenger]

haha, low blow; but it'll work out in the end...the application process was like pulling teeth, but i'm going through it again soon so that i won't have to for a living...

I sincerely wish you Good luck.Don't take everything I say seriously!

 

[apnea]

*rushes to get apnea his phone number and address*

so...heterosexuality is all it takes? i could be...i dunno, fat or something.
seriously, let's just break out the popcorn and watch the DDS vs MD fight. it's pretty dirty so far.

 

[Critical Mass]

My sentiments exactly.

 

[apnea]

CM! i need a favour.

Change your avatar to something less sexy.
i'm trying to study here




i swear i'm not a lesbian

 

[armorshell]

so...heterosexuality is all it takes? i could be...i dunno, fat or something.
seriously, let's just break out the popcorn and watch the DDS vs MD fight. it's pretty dirty so far.

I give up, it's impossible for a pre-dent to have a conversation about anything with a pre-med without it being med vs. dent

 

[apnea]

I give up, it's impossible for a pre-dent to have a conversation about anything with a pre-med without it being med vs. dent

i'm sure that's hardly the case. Just make naive mention of the fact that you're not a lesbian and apparently you can get all the phone numbers you want

 

[Critical Mass]

i swear i'm not a lesbian

Maybe you are and just don't know it yet.

You can send me a photo of yourself in a bathing suit (neck down), and I can make that my avatar.

 

[soeagerun2or]

I understand that, but why? What is it about prestige that makes you need it in your profession?

If you're doing a difficult extraction in your dental clinic and can't control bleeding where does the ambulance take the patient?

Prestige is being the safety net and not needing someone with another degree to pick up.

 

[apnea]

Maybe you are and just don't know it yet.

You can send me a photo of yourself in a bathing suit (neck down), and I can make that my avatar.

Did we forget about the "pasty white girl" bit last page? i'll burn out your retinas with my mighty mighty paleness! Muahahaha, etc. Oh....oh, i am so diabolical. You don't even know. Short chicks are always the unexpected ones.

 

[GoodDoctor]

hmm, girls seem impressed when they find out I am doing an orthodontic residency, and have a MS in electrical engineering, but none of this really matters as they hang on my 18 inch arms, and then go back to my place and see my boxing medals, but maybe you need your job to get girls

Dang, those are some pretty short arms....

Can you get both hands close enough together to work on someone's teeth?

 

[GoodDoctor]

Hate to break it to ya guys, but medicine is the no. 2 profession in terms of prestige and respect.

You know whose number one? Thats right, firefighters.

That's because of 9/11. People are soon to forget, and doctors will be #1 again.

Even now, though, how many of those people who voted for firefighter would prefer that thier daughter marry a firefighter rather than a doctor (or a dentist for that matter)?

 

[apnea]

Dang, those are some pretty short arms....

Can you get both hands close enough together to work on someone's teeth?

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9Z0CpPW2Fc[/YOUTUBE]

 

[SupergreenMnM]

i'm sure that's hardly the case. Just make naive mention of the fact that you're not a lesbian and apparently you can get all the phone numbers you want

Actually, it was the not a lesbian yet enjoy playing with naked girls part that caught me. Those girls are ALWAYS hot. I'm glad I'm going to be an MD so I have a chance of picking you up in a bar!

 

[apnea]

Seriously. i could be fat. Or your cousin.
Also...

buy me this and maybe we'll have something to talk about when you're a doctor drowning in cosmopolitans in the "trendy" bar

 

[SupergreenMnM]

Seriously. i could be fat. Or your cousin.
Also...

buy me this and maybe we'll have something to talk about when you're a doctor drowning in cosmopolitans in the "trendy" bar

Score!


Wheh, ok. I thought you were going to reject me, after which I would have lost all confidence in myself, dropped out of medical school, and become a dentist instead.

 

[apnea]

...well we can't have that
i'm probably not your cousin. at least not your first cousin.

 

[armorshell]

If you're doing a difficult extraction in your dental clinic and can't control bleeding where does the ambulance take the patient?

Prestige is being the safety net and not needing someone with another degree to pick up.

Ironically if that happened the patient would probably go to an oral surgeon, another D.D.S.

That being the case, replace "can't control bleeding" with "has a heart attack" and your thought experiment works: an M.D. is the last line of defense for medical problems.

THAT is the kind of response I was looking for. To you sir, I award one internet.

 

[mechie]

Hate to break it to ya guys, but medicine is the no. 2 profession in terms of prestige and respect.

You know whose number one? Thats right, firefighters.

Are you sure about that? I thought fluffers were number 1

 

[apnea]

^^They were till 9/11, then everyone went all PC and now it is only the internet that is for porn

 

[SupergreenMnM]

NUMBER 1!!

 

[apnea]

...you had me at Colbert


oook. some of us have to quit drinking and go to sleep now
this thread really needs a lock

 

[Seijitsu]

Honestly I feel like anyone who says prestige or money did not play a factor in their decision is lying to themselves.

I think prestige, money, helping people, a challanging job, a constantly changing job, job security, job portability, interest in the field, and to be honest, family pressure, all played a role in my decision.

I think the prestige factor means when you say "I'm a doctor" people are impressed. This even happens when I say I a med student. Of course the wow factor usually comes after they ask how long I have left including residency.

If money was I factor for me, I would have just played basketball or ran track in college in hopes of going professional after my four years (maybe wishful thinking).

 

[NonTradMed]

Wow, this thread went downhill fast.

Prestige is icing on the cake. I can't imagine anyone doing medicine with prestige as the sole reason or the top reason. It's may be what attracted people to the profession but it's not what keeps people in. And the whole girl in the bar thing? Whatever. Even if you can score lots of girls, you're not going to have much time as a student. It's no fun to be a med student if you're looking forward to the "Hey, i'm going to be a doc, interested?" line because you'll probably only use it a few times per semester.

Prestige is nice, but most people who are in medicine need something more tangible than prestige, like a good paycheck, ability to help people, interest in science...that sort of thing.

 

[Cirrus83]

I want to become a physician because I have a personal vendetta against evolution

Ahahaha...but wouldn't being a roboticist be even better? I mean, sooner or later one of those meteors should make short work of the carbon based life.

 

[Cirrus83]

So, being a denizen of the dental forums, I am constantly barraged with threads asking "D.D.S or M.D.", and one of the most common cited reason for pursuing medicine is "Prestige."

Before you completely freak out, realize that I to some extent understand the motivation behind this idea, but I can't get my brain wrapped completely around it.

So my question is, when you made your choice to pursue medicine, was "prestige" a factor? What does the "prestige" factor mean to you?

It means that we have the most TV shows based on our profession. That's right.

Seriously, there are (thankfully) no dentist TV shows.

There's lawyer shows, cop shows, fake psychic shows, firefighter shows, Paramedic shows, teacher/school based shows, etc...but seriously, I think doctors still win for most TV shows.

Could you imagine the kind of drama a dentist show would have?

"My tooth has been killing me these last few days, can you take a look?"
"Open wide...Oh no...you should have come to me earlier...I'm sorry to tell you the bad news but...it's too late, we have to pull it."
"NOOOOO!!!!!"

lol.

 

[nekrogg]

"Yeah, I'm a dentist and only 30. Would you like to go home with me to my million dollar home in my new porsche."

I have friends who are dentists who have used this line, but never a MD b/c it isn't possible.

did he include the part where his parent's paid for his dental school or part of his house?

if you do the math, it really doesnt add up. you finish undergrad at 22, dental school at 26, come out with a starting pay of 130k with debt from school. with the down payment on his house and his car, he is looking at close to no spending money.

ie: most dentists will never use this line

and i can very so simply easily prove you wrong that a MD will never use that line either.

 

[nekrogg]

I don't have to. It's called Google, and there's plenty of sources.

Actually its give or take some. There both right there.

I also would put soldiers right there.

Another profession that deserves some serious respect is EMT. Sorry guys, but if my life is on the line, I want an EMT on my side.

i googled "most prestigious job" clicked the 3rd one i found and got this:

http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2005-05-23-prestige-usat_x.htm

here is a summarized version for you
"Occupations with the most prestige
Scientist 52%
Doctor 52%
Firefighter 48%
Teacher 48%
Military officer 47%
Nurse 44%
Police officer 40%
Priest/minister/clergy 32%
Member of Congress 31%
Engineer 29%
Athlete 21%
Architect 20%
Business executive 19%
Lawyer 17%
Entertainer 16%
Union leader 16%
Actor 16%
Banker 15%
Journalist 14%
Accountant 10%
Stockbroker 10%
Real estate broker/agent 5%
Source: Harris Poll of 1,012 adults conducted Aug. 10-15, 2004."

a dated survey but still post 9/11.

 

[HumbleMD]

Prestige/clout/respect/whatever you want to call it are usually proportional to to suffering and time spent, or self-sacrifice. If you look at the life of an academician, such as a philosophy professor or what have you, they've given up a large amount of their life for not a lot of pay. Prestige is really all they have to assert themselves over others. Similar argument for firefighter: they put their life on the line, do the dirty work, and don't get a lot in return besides respect (although Firefighter does bring back the girl-in-a-bar argument).

Medicine is somewhat similar (although we do get somewhat high pay), but there is a large amount of sacrificie of sleep and money early on, so prestige is society's answer to this sacrifice and giving props for the amount of devotion and work.

As referenced earlier, Dentists make a lot more money a lot earlier with somewhat less effort. They don't need to make arguments of prestige because they've already got the cash.

 

[Cirrus83]

Medicine is somewhat similar (although we do get somewhat high pay), but there is a large amount of sacrificie of sleep and money early on, so prestige is society's answer to this sacrifice and giving props for the amount of devotion and work.

I think Medicine and Firefighting also get the "saving lives" bonus in prestige though, other than the suffering. I mean there are plenty of other unpleasant and suffering filled jobs, but the whole notion that you're "saving lives" is probably a big booster.

I mean, the people who work at sewage processing plants suffer plenty, but I don't think they get much prestige for it.

 

[NCF145]

Physicians save lives.
Dentists save smiles.

 

[Eric Lindros]

Read the OP, I wasn't trying to start a DDS vs. MD thread. I was asking a serious question, and made the mistake of even mentioning dentistry

I give up, it's impossible for a pre-dent to have a conversation about anything with a pre-med without it being med vs. dent

Oh come on, we see right through you. We all know your little hidden agenda was to start doctor vs dentist fight.

 

[baylormed]

I don't know about MDs and DDSs, but I have absolute respect for the people that clean the bathrooms around campus. That people, is hard, crappy work. (Yes, the pun was competely intended)

 

[NCF145]

I don't know about MDs and DDSs, but I have absolute respect for the people that clean the bathrooms around campus. That people, is hard, crappy work. (Yes, the pun was competely intended)

The janitors at Baylor do a good job. Especially the ones that work in the science building. The bathrooms are always spotless.

At least they get to use a plunger and some sort of scoopy device when they unclog the toilets. All we get is our hand and a glove when disimpacting someone else's bowel.

 

[baylormed]

The janitors at Baylor do a good job. Especially the ones that work in the science building. The bathrooms are always spotless.

At least they get too use a plunger and some sort of scoopy device when they unclog the toilets. All we get is our hand and a glove when disimpacting someone else's bowel.

True, very true. And that is where the prestige of medicine ceases to exist.

 

[HumbleMD]

True, very true. And that is where the prestige of medicine ceases to exist.

Oh rectal exams...

 

[psipsina]

I want to be a doctor. I don't want to be a dentist. There's not much more to it than that.

Yeah, thats pretty much all that decision was about for me, I'm not that into teeth.

Prestige never really came into the equation for me. I knew I loved neuroscience and psych coming into college (from an amazing high school class) so thats what I majored in. I did research to see if I liked the life of the PhD, and realized that all the grant proposal and publish or perish crap would make me a sad gal. So followed some doctors, realized that I could be happy doing their job even if it didn't end up being neuro related. Thought about dentistry (don't like teeth) & nursing (doesn't have the problem solving thing), settled on medicine. Its good money eventually, it has tons of interesting science and problem solving, and if I choose surgery or a procedural specialty it has all the hands on stuff that I like too. Don't mind the hours cause I'm the type of person that just starts doing home improvement projects if you leave me at home long enough, I'm always multitasking and working on something even in my "down time". And its nice to know that while I fulfill all these selfish needs, I have the opportunity to do some good everyday too.

 

[armorshell]

Oh come on, we see right through you. We all know your little hidden agenda was to start doctor vs dentist fight.

Clearly why I'm constantly fueling the flames, talking about how awesome dentistry is and how just awful it must be to do a residency right?

I just wanted to ask a question. I could care less what you want to do, if I'd have known some firefighters I would have asked them. At least they wouldn't have spent hours telling me that I clearly wasn't good enough to get into firefighting school, and they're going to get all the girls in all the bars.