The truth as I see it about being a Doctor

[trailking]

I'm a mid-twenties white guy. I have a bachelors from an Ivy and a graudate
degree from a fancy private school that's considered a Cali Ivy. My
numbers are in the mid to low B range
with a first-time 34 MCAT score after
Kaplan prep course. My application is
peppered with the right stuff for extra-curriculars including some paid and unpaid research. I worked a couple of years overseas and held a paid research type job at an inner-city hospital. I guess my recommendations are O.K. My personal essay was a little quirky to get away from the typical - I want to help people shtick. I applied at the
right time, but had to wait for recommednations to trickle in. The ball got rolling in late September. No
top twenty for me or even the top 50.
I wanted to learn medicine and I already had degrees from fancy schools so I applied across the board
paying close attention to my best shot
schools for getting accepted. 30 MD
and 3 DO. Lots of secondaries and those were sent out quickly with checks attached. A two grand process. Then I waited and waited for a response. In some cases seven months. A few-we don't want you-pre
secondary and about ten-don't want
you-post secondary and the waiting
continued. At Christmas I got my first
MD invite and for New Years another
one. Then two DO invites came from the same chain, and the last invite came in March. I dropped some schools off my list.

THE COST OF IT ALL

This is a quarter of million dollars worth of training folks. The best bet
are state medical schools because they're subsidized by taxpayers and cost about 50% less for four years of
training in comparison to the private
schools. The private variety racks up
a $250,000 debt that can be paid off in ten years at $3,000 per month or
twenty years at $2,000 per month.
Lots of dollars and debt unless the family has deep pockets to pick up the tab. Is it worth it? After med school the graduate still has a minimum of 3 years of on-the-job training with a pay scale of ten bucks
an hour. Delayed gratification yes
indeed. A priomary care doc gets in the mid to upper one hundred thousand dollar range in salary at a large H.M.O. Factor in the $250,000 dollar debt load plus four years of zero
salary and three years of Starbuck wages and you can figure another $200,000 of lost income potential. So
you're in the hole for $450,000. This
buys a fancy house in a mid-west or
Southern suburb. This would generate
about $20,000 per year if invested
in bonds. The plus is the "do good"
nature of the work, the ego massage
that comes from wearing a long white
coat and job security. No layoffs in the doctor biz unless you kill the customers. Again a nurse from a 2 or
4 year RN program makes about half
the salary of a family medicine MD, but he/she can buy the fancy house
in the mid-west or Southern suburb with the savings. Cops and firemen are in the RN pay range and they may
have squeaked by with a high school
diploma. Remember - put the white
stuff on the red stuff - type of training.
Is it all worth it? Your call....

more to follow

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[IvyHopeful20]

My friends are getting a math PhD. Try making a living from that. They are intelligent enough to do a lot of things that would pay them a lot more. But they do it because they enjoy it. Might want to try that one on for size.

 

[sideways]

You lost me at mid-twenties white guy.

 

[Ischemic]

I stopped reading at truth. I'd rather live in blissful ignorance 🙄

 

[trailking]

Don't disagree. The mid-twenties is a little profiling. Lots of discussion about
money and medicine. You go into medicine because you like the work. Want money
you work for Goldman-Sachs. Initiates should have an unvarnished view of the
profession.

 

[thefritz]

Couple of things:

1. Not all public med schools are funded by taxpayer dollars. Mine isn't. It receives zero public funding.

2. Big money is made in medicine by not working on salary (i.e., running your own practice(s)) and outside consulting. In this field you have the option of getting hired by a hospital or private practice on salary or running your own practice. The government is pushing towards having most all doctors on salary. Obviously, earning potential will be less when salaried.

3. Yes, nurse specialists (cRNA) can earn 300,000 dollars a year in high demand areas, but they can't run their own practice. We do this because we want to be doctors, not because we can make more money here than anywhere else.

4. I doubt you are in medical school because in the first few months that the only driving force that can get you through this monster is a burning desire to be a doctor. Those who have thoughts like you about earning a similar living in other fields don't stay in school. This is virtually the only reason people leave medical school besides illness -- they decide they don't want to be a doctor very badly.

Think about it - 95% of matriculants into US MD schools graduate. Virtually no one fails out. This isn't because med school is easy -- it's not. The exams are extraordinary difficult and if you don't put in 10 hours a day of studying/learning, you will fail the exams and fail out of school. But that never happens because the only people in med school who wouldn't put the needed time in are those who, like yourself, aren't that thrilled about it, and they leave on their own before they are dismissed. Everybody else is so committed to becoming a doctor, that they put the time in, they pass ridiculously absurd exams, including step1, and they all graduate. The US MD admissions process is set up to only let people like this into the school.

Summary: if you enter med school obsessing about how much money it is costing and how you could be making so much money somewhere else, you won't last. Successful students only think about their debt once a year when they re-apply for finaid. You have to be willing to want this at any cost, so you just flat out don't think about money. You don't have time to.

 

[trailking]

I said only public medical schools get taxpayers money.

I also specifically stated that the cost issue should definitely be on the table
because the medical debt is as persistent as a mortgage payment.

I am fortunate because I examined the situation very carefully before I signed my
name on the loan documents. I'm ready to live in a FEMA trailer if needed because
I like the work and clearly know the glory and the pitfalls.

I'm merely trying to share some "reality" with folks who plan to enter med school
because the forum is PRE-allopathic

 

[sustentacular]

I said only public medical schools get taxpayers money.

I also specifically stated that the cost issue should definitely be on the table
because the medical debt is as persistent as a mortgage payment.

I am fortunate because I examined the situation very carefully before I signed my
name on the loan documents. I'm ready to live in a FEMA trailer if needed because
I like the work and clearly know the glory and the pitfalls.

I'm merely trying to share some "reality" with folks who plan to enter med school
because the forum is PRE-allopathic

I don't think that's true (the bolded). Also I don't think the debt associated with attending medical school and future earning potential is something that's often overlooked in this forum, but I appreciate what you sharing your thoughts/experience.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

3k a month sounds rather small when you're making 15k a month as an IM attending or 20k+ if you're in a competitive field. I understand what you're saying and Medicine is not without its faults. However in the long run medicine provides so many benefits. Of course you'll be pushing back your life by an average of 7 years and work like a slave. But when you think about the fact that your job is in high demand and you do make more money then probably 90% of the country, I think it is worth it. ( Not that I'm advocating going into medicine for money)
So for every fault medicine has I bet you can find faults more faults in other fields. Btw don't think if you're in one of those banking/economics fields you'll have a easy life in money. They work horrible hours and have very little job security.

 

[boggvir]

Aren't residencies funded by taxpayers? How would you like to pay for your residencies?

 

[trailking]

I haven't seen a cost break-down of the medical training cost besides being an
expensive proposition. The debt re-payment issue is receiving a lot of attention
in today's economy. Based on my experience, I am merely offering as a "public"
service some number to consider for folks considering a career in medicine. It's
a wonderful profession and I made the right choice regardless of monetary considerations but the lenders who are funding my loans are persistent. You
can't walk away from government sponsored student debt like a house mortgage.

 

[trailking]

Residencies are paid for by Medicare dollars. That's O.K. Public funded medical
education is also O.K. Medical education should cost 8k a year rather than the
24k minimum for public schools. Then the entire debate would become moot.
Medical education in Europe has virtually no tuition costs so the pressing debt issue
is not a factor in the medical cost equation. The crying need for Primary Care specialist is reportedly caused by graduates choosing specialties so they can pay
their medical school loans.

 

[trailking]

I'm merely relating some cost numbers that I wrestled with so new folks considering
the profession can make informed decision. I favor Zen simplicity in my life-style
so medical debt is not an issue. Again some postings talk about the big bucks in
medicine and 3k per month loan repayment is no big deal. It becomes a big deal
based on life-style choices. Join me in a FEMA trailer and everything will be fine.
Unfortunately, I am a bonafide realist and flunked the myth course in school.

 

[CaliGirl14]

Woah, total acid trip, brah.

 

[Disinence2]

There's lots of ways to make more money, faster, with less training.

Doing to medical school is about wanting to be a doctor, not wanting to be a millionaire.

 

[trailking]

Wow.......read my very modest analysis of medical school costs.....who talks about
being a millionaire? There is someone in this pre-MD forum who is seriously considering applying for medical school. What's wrong with putting facts on the table so they can question their own assumptions. I did and I'm merely sharing some
of my so-called "insights." I loved the field and I don't expect or want to be a
millionaire. I'll give my modest contribution to a 401(k) managed by Lehman
Bros or Bear Stearns and they can help me reach the goal.

 

[ILikeDrugs]

You are now realizing that you are reading/posting in a stupid thread.

 

[trailking]

I agree. I was hopeful that some of the pre-MD folks would raise some issues/concerns
about the cost of medical school training. I did and researched the matter and
wanted to share some of my so-called insights about an matter that will be a biggie
after they get the MD. The discussion in the thread has become goofy like what is being conveyed
regarding Obamacare. A sound concept that is being trounced by the ill and
mis-informed. Let the myths prevail

 

[gujuDoc]

You lost me at mid-twenties white guy.

👍👍



I agree.

 

[drdandelion]

I'm a mid-twenties white guy. I have a bachelors from an Ivy and a graudate
degree from a fancy private school that's considered a Cali Ivy. My
numbers are in the mid to low B range
with a first-time 34 MCAT score after
Kaplan prep course. My application is
peppered with the right stuff for extra-curriculars including some paid and unpaid research. I worked a couple of years overseas and held a paid research type job at an inner-city hospital. I guess my recommendations are O.K. My personal essay was a little quirky to get away from the typical - I want to help people shtick. I applied at the
right time, but had to wait for recommednations to trickle in. The ball got rolling in late September. No
top twenty for me or even the top 50.
I wanted to learn medicine and I already had degrees from fancy schools so I applied across the board
paying close attention to my best shot
schools for getting accepted. 30 MD
and 3 DO. Lots of secondaries and those were sent out quickly with checks attached. A two grand process. Then I waited and waited for a response. In some cases seven months. A few-we don't want you-pre
secondary and about ten-don't want
you-post secondary and the waiting
continued. At Christmas I got my first
MD invite and for New Years another
one. Then two DO invites came from the same chain, and the last invite came in March. I dropped some schools off my list.

THE COST OF IT ALL

This is a quarter of million dollars worth of training folks. The best bet
are state medical schools because they're subsidized by taxpayers and cost about 50% less for four years of
training in comparison to the private
schools. The private variety racks up
a $250,000 debt that can be paid off in ten years at $3,000 per month or
twenty years at $2,000 per month.
Lots of dollars and debt unless the family has deep pockets to pick up the tab. Is it worth it? After med school the graduate still has a minimum of 3 years of on-the-job training with a pay scale of ten bucks
an hour. Delayed gratification yes
indeed. A priomary care doc gets in the mid to upper one hundred thousand dollar range in salary at a large H.M.O. Factor in the $250,000 dollar debt load plus four years of zero
salary and three years of Starbuck wages and you can figure another $200,000 of lost income potential. So
you're in the hole for $450,000. This
buys a fancy house in a mid-west or
Southern suburb. This would generate
about $20,000 per year if invested
in bonds. The plus is the "do good"
nature of the work, the ego massage
that comes from wearing a long white
coat and job security. No layoffs in the doctor biz unless you kill the customers. Again a nurse from a 2 or
4 year RN program makes about half
the salary of a family medicine MD, but he/she can buy the fancy house
in the mid-west or Southern suburb with the savings. Cops and firemen are in the RN pay range and they may
have squeaked by with a high school
diploma. Remember - put the white
stuff on the red stuff - type of training.
Is it all worth it? Your call....

more to follow

Mid-20's white guy...clearly it's worth it to you cuz you're a med student! LOL! But on a serious note, why are you so caught up about the money and the debt? Not all doctors have that much debt. In fact, the majority of doctors are from privileged backgrounds and have enough capital to pay off any debt...

But if you don't like the system, why not just drop out? Clearly, doctors will always be needed regardless of how good or bad you think the "system" is, so asking us if it's worth to become a doctor is just a waste of time and energy and helps no one really. Just my 2 cents...

 

[QuizzicalApe]

I really like your original thoughts about the process that haven't been posted here and everywhere else a thousand times before, but what would be great would be to hear more biographical background irrelevant to your main point.

 

[Immutef]

I hate when people begin a statement with "the way i see it", "the truth of the matter is" or anything else to that effect. When they do, I find it hard to take anything they say serious.

 

[girlinthegarden]

I agree. I was hopeful that some of the pre-MD folks would raise some issues/concerns
about the cost of medical school training. I did and researched the matter and
wanted to share some of my so-called insights about an matter that will be a biggie
after they get the MD. The discussion in the thread has become goofy like what is being conveyed
regarding Obamacare. A sound concept that is being trounced by the ill and
mis-informed. Let the myths prevail

I'm confused - how is this discussion anything like "Obamacare" in any way shape or form? Just because everyone isn't commiserating with you doesn't mean that you have to tell everyone to essentially go eff themselves.

If medicine is not really where your head is at, it sounds like you are have the stats and the brains to get into a well-funded PhD program where you can have all the prestige, probably a similar salary if you're at a good institution, yet none of the debt. Or, you could do an MSTP program, still be a doctor and have none of the debt.

Thank you for raising the issue, but I think we are all very much aware of what we are getting ourselves into.

 

[45408]

This reads like - and is formatted exactly like - a cut-and-paste job from an e-mail forward.

 

[trailking]

The focus of the thread was initially for folks to relay their "story" with respect to
information, ideas, opinions, suggestions etc. with respect to attending medical
school. A personal vignette so folks who are considering entering the field have
a frame of reference for making an informed and conscious decision. Finances are
a factor along with other elements of the application and selection process. I was
planning to give my own personal "story" covering some of these other topics. I
was hopeful other med students would do the same in the interest of informing the
uninformed so they know the plus and the minuses they will encounter before they
go through the gauntlet. SDN is filled with repetitive questions about how the
system works. I was trying to give my own version and was hopeful that other
med students would provide their story in the public interest. Obviously, the
posts got fixated on the monetary issue. We all know that aspiring med students
come from families with big bucks so money is not an issue and they live a life
that is both warm and fuzzy. Like so much of political life today...let's keep the
public in the dark. I'm done and will stay warm and comfy in my FEMA trailer,
and pay the monthly bill for 3k of student loans, love my work and be happy.
The thread bombed and so be it.....Lets focus on stuff like.....will my 2.0 GPA
and 18 MCAT get me into Harvard Med School.

Cheers

 

[QuizzicalApe]

I'm pretty sure that
the lid was already blown
right off of this one

Here and gone again
As the tides, this topic comes.
It lacks novelty

 

[Electronegative]

is OP and Luxury4Play same person?

 

[drdandelion]

The focus of the thread was initially for folks to relay their "story" with respect to
information, ideas, opinions, suggestions etc. with respect to attending medical
school. A personal vignette so folks who are considering entering the field have
a frame of reference for making an informed and conscious decision. Finances are
a factor along with other elements of the application and selection process. I was
planning to give my own personal "story" covering some of these other topics. I
was hopeful other med students would do the same in the interest of informing the
uninformed so they know the plus and the minuses they will encounter before they
go through the gauntlet. SDN is filled with repetitive questions about how the
system works. I was trying to give my own version and was hopeful that other
med students would provide their story in the public interest. Obviously, the
posts got fixated on the monetary issue. We all know that aspiring med students
come from families with big bucks so money is not an issue and they live a life
that is both warm and fuzzy. Like so much of political life today...let's keep the
public in the dark. I'm done and will stay warm and comfy in my FEMA trailer,
and pay the monthly bill for 3k of student loans, love my work and be happy.
The thread bombed and so be it.....Lets focus on stuff like.....will my 2.0 GPA
and 18 MCAT get me into Harvard Med School.

Cheers

Hey, I'm not the enemy here. There's no need for you to be sarcastic in your post. You and everyone else should know that there is no field nor ANYTHING in this life that ONLY has a good side or ONLY has a bad side. There are pros and cons in everything, and it's up to the person to decide which pros and cons they want and are willing to deal with. Do another field, and you'll find problems with it. This is just life. Some students may know about the pros and cons of medicine, others don't. But there is one thing that the majority of students in the pre-med forum have in common: they want to pursue medicine. Above all, I see no reason for YOU in particular to have to post on this subject since you are currently in med school...unless you have some serious regrets about going to med school and plan to drop out...

I personally resent you for posting on this, because so many others would die to have your spot in medical school and would never have any doubts about the field...yet, here you are coming off as somewhat ungrateful for the position you have...you have no idea how good you have life...

 

[Ischemic]

Lets focus on stuff like.....will my 2.0 GPA
and 18 MCAT get me into Harvard Med School.

Cheers

Damn it, now i know why they rejected me ... I didn't have a 2.0 or a 18 MCAT.

 

[trailking]

I am very, very grateful as well as happy I'm in Med School. I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. I worked hard to get here along with benefiting from some "luck" along the way. I believe that every decision should be made after an objective assessment of the pros and cons. I also believe that future students can be inspired after reading
various personal accounts of a current med students adventure in the application and selection process, but the stories may also encourage them to pursue a different career path. It's merely an approach to informed decision-making. Again the
cost aspect of the training is only one factor to consider that arguably is less important than someone who is considering getting and paying for a doctorate in
Andean Folklore. I was merely trying to inspire a thread of story telling. A peak
inside of how med students reached their goals and the road they followed.

 

[drdandelion]

I am very, very grateful as well as happy I'm in Med School. I have absolutely no regrets whatsoever. I worked hard to get here along with benefiting from some "luck" along the way. I believe that every decision should be made after an objective assessment of the pros and cons. I also believe that future students can be inspired after reading
various personal accounts of a current med students adventure in the application and selection process, but the stories may also encourage them to pursue a different career path. It's merely an approach to informed decision-making. Again the
cost aspect of the training is only one factor to consider that arguably is less important than someone who is considering getting and paying for a doctorate in
Andean Folklore. I was merely trying to inspire a thread of story telling. A peak
inside of how med students reached their goals and the road they followed.

Well, I am glad! It's great to here that you have no regrets about going into medicine! 🙂 I LOVE medicine! I'm glad that you have cleared up your true intentions for creating this thread (which I don't disagree with). And by the way, I don't like how some people are getting on you about being a "mid-20's White guy." Yes, Whites in America (and arguably internationally) have historically had an upper-hand over others, but Whites are human beings who have thoughts, feelings, insecurities, are vulnerable to the same things, and will die and rot just like other human beings, regardless of socio-economic status! I hate even using racial terms to classify people, but the whole system is built around do so, so it's hard to avoid it.

 

[trailking]

that's right....my goal was very modest and non- confrontational....I identified race
because that's what needs to be checked on all application forms....I'm just a plain
vanilla guy wanting to tell my story about my medical school adventure, but nobody
wants to listen. O.K. I'm happy and closing in on my degree. That's what matters.
There's a lot more excitement and nasty remarks in other recent posts. Have at it!

 

[drdandelion]

that's right....my goal was very modest and non- confrontational....I identified race
because that's what needs to be checked on all application forms....I'm just a plain
vanilla guy wanting to tell my story about my medical school adventure, but nobody
wants to listen. O.K. I'm happy and closing in on my degree. That's what matters.
There's a lot more excitement and nasty remarks in other recent posts. Have at it!

Oh, I have at it when I see it! And for what it's worth...I LOVE me some VANILLA! 😍 😉 🙂 It's YUMMY!

 

[Pons Asinorum]

You are now realizing that you are reading/posting in a stupid thread.

Damn that was accurate...

 

[TooMuchResearch]

tl;dr

 

[wristbandMD]

Oh, I have at it when I see it! And for what it's worth...I LOVE me some VANILLA! 😍 😉 🙂 It's YUMMY!

Ohhh, I just put on some vanilla cupcake lotion 😀 It always makes me hungry.

 

[roseglass6370]

k.

 

[hockeyhy]

There's lots of ways to make more money, faster, with less training.

Doing to medical school is about wanting to be a doctor, not wanting to be a millionaire.

Please list them. As I see it, we are about to dip into a second recession.

 

[ucsfstudents]

Getting a medical degree is costly. Make sure you follow your dreams and pursue work that you will be happy doing.

 

[VikingLegacy]

baleeted

 

[yankeesmed]

OP, this is ridiculous. There is no avoiding the glaring fact that doctors are well compensated. This "disclaimer" is equivalent to saying getting a bachelors is not worth it relative to the debt. Sure, getting a bachelors puts you in debt and doesn't guarantee return, but it is a necessary gateway to gaining employment and therefore the debt is effectively ignorable. Sure, you take on a hefty debt in becoming a doctor but you also take on a guaranteed hefty salary. Doctors do not need to pretend that they are struggling economically.

This disclaimer is also equivalent to saying "ATTENTION: MONETARY RESPONSIBILITY EXISTS!!!" Many college students have never had to worry about money or supporting themselves, so having to incur a debt of 100K+ is a jarring welcome to the world of self-sufficiency. It sounds like a lot of debt, but it is nothing compared to the rewards that come with the profession. Anyone who has paid a cell-phone bill understands that entering the field of medicine is a good career move. If you think otherwise, you are oblivious.

The real issue you should be directly addressing is people who measure success by the amount of money they earn. These types of people will be unsatisfied no matter what they do. They are drawn to professions such as finance and medicine because of the high earning potential. Their dissatisfaction has nothing to do with the profession, but rather their own skewed outlook on life. With an actual desire to enter the medical profession, the debt incurred and the salary earned should be no problem. Medicine is a very human profession and anyone in it for the money will not be happy in the end. You are compensated fairly for your work. Greedy people want to be compensated more than what they deserve.

OP, to become a doctor you took on a large debt and you "lost" years of earning potential. But you are gaining a guaranteed gravy salary for the rest of your life, even if you are one of those impoverished salaried doctors you have made up. My dream is to be on staff at a medical center, on salary. I expect a lot of debt and a lot of return. And I expect to love what I do.

 

[morning]

Of course you'll be pushing back your life by an average of 7 years and work like a slave.

Your life is your life whether you're in school or working. I'm a student right now (obviously) but I don't feel like my life hasn't started yet or that I "pushed it back" by going to college. Granted, I've always been poor, and my daily life hasn't change a lot between the 5 years I spent slacking off after high school and the time since I started college, so maybe this skews my perspective. But I still can't see why everyone talks about your life not starting until after medical school - or residency - or when your kids move out - or retirement...

Isn't it possible to be happy with your life even when you don't pull a paycheck?

 

[VikingLegacy]

baleeted

 

[trailking]

I thought this thread was DOA. I was hoping for some storytelling by med students
to give folks considering the professions views from the trenches of med school.
Not so and it's became a "debate" about money. Med school is a better deal than
law school. You add a year of school and a minimum of 3 years of OJT and you
have a job and a decent wage. The guys from Law Review and a Harvard degree
get the spots in the big law firms and the road to being President. The rest of the
lawyer types hang up a shingle and hope somebody falls in the front door with
the ability to pay. Realistically, the med school debt issue can be addressed by
a frugal life-style. No Rolex watches or a Nissan Z. Maybe a house in Detroit
or a used Airstream. All the bucks earned above 70k can be used to pay off
Uncle Sugar and your home free or maybe a stint in the Army Med Corp and the
debt goes away. Money grubbers should hook up with Goldman-Sachs and a house
in the Hamptons is do-able. It's all about choices. There is no magic.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Your life is your life whether you're in school or working. I'm a student right now (obviously) but I don't feel like my life hasn't started yet or that I "pushed it back" by going to college. Granted, I've always been poor, and my daily life hasn't change a lot between the 5 years I spent slacking off after high school and the time since I started college, so maybe this skews my perspective. But I still can't see why everyone talks about your life not starting until after medical school - or residency - or when your kids move out - or retirement...

Isn't it possible to be happy with your life even when you don't pull a paycheck?

True enough. But in comparison to other careers you are pushing back a lot of the things we associate with life, such as having a family, owning a home etc. I mean to some extent being a slave or such is having a life as well. Its simply about the quality of life before, during, and after.

 

[trailking]

At first I thought his name said Troll King, then I realized it said TrailKing. I read his posts, now I know it says TrollKing. It hurts my eyes just to read his copy/paste style paragraphs and inconsistent font.

Ah ChartaBona is the trivia guy. Nothing to offer but goofy comments. Obviously,
form rather than substance commands his attention. He should stay pre-health

 

[JCLM]

"We all know that aspiring med students
come from families with big bucks so money is not an issue and they live a life
that is both warm and fuzzy."

ABSOLUTELY not true. Your view on everything is a little skewed. Just because your life has been full of mommy and daddy handouts doesnt mean that other people have been chillin and waiting to be a doctor. Some people really want this and put in alot of time and effort to achieve it. Youre clearly not one of these people (as they usually don't think about cost analysis) so I'm sorry if the message is lost on you.

PS- you ever wonder why, after 33 applications, you only got 5 interviews? your numbers and stuff lined up, adcoms just probably knew you were a douche

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

"We all know that aspiring med students
come from families with big bucks so money is not an issue and they live a life
that is both warm and fuzzy."

ABSOLUTELY not true. Your view on everything is a little skewed. Just because your life has been full of mommy and daddy handouts doesnt mean that other people have been chillin and waiting to be a doctor. Some people really want this and put in alot of time and effort to achieve it. Youre clearly not one of these people (as they usually don't think about cost analysis) so I'm sorry if the message is lost on you.

PS- you ever wonder why, after 33 applications, you only got 5 interviews? your numbers and stuff lined up, adcoms just probably knew you were a douche

This is actually an interesting point. While I disagree on the basis that he made the assertion that all medical school students are that way. I believe that statistically those who live high end lives place more emphasis on education and thus their children pursue higher end career choices. But I agree this guy is kinda lame in his view of the world.

 

[ProjectMac]

trailking, this is a good discussion thanks for posting it. I havn't seen a whole lot of discussion on where it all will put you in the long run, say 10-15- or 20 years down the line. I'd like to see a discussion addressing this. You sort of stopped at the part where you have just begun a career but are still in massive debt.

 

[Reaction]

Most of us know that if we go to med school we will end up in some serious debt and are going to lose some of the best years of our lives. Despite it all, we still intend on going into medicine. Shouldn't that mean something?=)