What is the best part about being a med student/resident/physician?

[Apexx]

Among all the hard work and sleepless nights what it is that you enjoy the most and what motivates you to keep moving forward.

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[FrickenhugeMD]

Knowing that someday in the distant future, I wont be at the bottom of the food chain.

That and the material is pretty interesting, and I am amazed at how much I have already learned in just 2 months

 

[SomeDoc]

Among all the hard work and sleepless nights what it is that you enjoy the most and what motivates you to keep moving forward.

The ability to help save lives and potentially improve the health of patients. The social responsibility. The ability to perhaps contribute, if permitting, (fiscally) to communities in need, closer towards the end of my career.

 

[Toohotinvegas33]

Free food at most meetings

 

[mjl1717]

1) The ability to help without making money the highest or only priority..

2) Being a learned man and knowing how to deal with people..

3)Agree, not being at the bottom of the food chain(thats funny)



4)Knowing that at a certain point you will see the light..



5)Being a "Rennasuance Man" like Sir William Osler! [dressing like him too!]

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

All of the above, although at this point I would say my accumulated debt plays a large role as well.

 

[mjl1717]

All of the above, although at this point I would say my accumulated debt plays a large role as well.

Oh boy that hurts!! ( my defense mechanism for that is denial)

 

[Rugby MD]

I held a beating human heart in my hand.

 

[Mr. Tee]

As an attending: making your med students do DREs for you.

 

[NonTradMed]

Knowing that there is a light at the end of a (very long) tunnel. That my suffering is not in vain as long as I get everything done. Knowing that I'll be a doctor. Also, just learning all the stuff in medicine is facinating and knowing that I'm expending a lot of effort on learning a useful skill that will be marketable and will contribute to society. All of these motivates me.

 

[bcat85]

I actually love medical school. The hard work isn't always a grand time, but I think the material is really interesting and its better then working some crappy biotech job.

 

[Law2Doc]

As an attending: making your med students do DREs for you.

As long as you didn't say "on you".

 

[Long Dong]

Free food at most meetings

Yep, if it's free it's for me. The hospital that I'm at now band drug reps so it's just mainly cold sandwiches now, but back in the day the food used to be really good from the drug reps.

 

[IHeartNerds]

Since our lectures are recorded and we don't have small group every day, I'll go with that I don't have to show up at any particular time, I can watch lectures at 2x, then go do whatever I want. Seriously, no job has this flexible of a schedule.

Oh, starting the clinics is going to be rough, don't get me wrong.

 

[wAyRadikull]

In this day and economy, job security is a big deal. I know people getting layed off left and right because companies are not being able to pay up. Being a physician, one will always have a job (may not make as much if the economy was booming and people didnt "think" you were overpaid without having a clue) but will always have a steady job. Just knowing that, i will always have a job in pretty comforting to me.

Oh and best thing about being a med student: When people's eyes become extremely dilated when you tell them you're in medical school and they congratulate you for "having the balls" to take up such a daunting task. Respect might not be there as much as the old days, but people still know that med school is a big deal.

 

[rachmoninov3]

as a med student: 1) I'm on the conveyor belt, I will eventually get there.
2) Much more free time, and interesting subject matter than undergrad...unfortunately, step 2 looms.

as a resident: [note, this is speculative] learning all that I can to be a good physician (see 'as a physician')

as a physician: Using my life to the fullist to try and repay a debt I know I'll never be able to repay (not talking about student loans). Also, it means that my crappy childhood had a purpose.

Of course, also knowing that I'll be financial stable helps too---or are Obama/Biden going to ask that doctors be "patriotic?"

 

[bcat85]

as a med student: 1) I'm on the conveyor belt, I will eventually get there.
2) Much more free time, and interesting subject matter than undergrad...unfortunately, step 2 looms.

as a resident: [note, this is speculative] learning all that I can to be a good physician (see 'as a physician')

as a physician: Using my life to the fullist to try and repay a debt I know I'll never be able to repay (not talking about student loans). Also, it means that my crappy childhood had a purpose.

Of course, also knowing that I'll be financial stable helps too---or are Obama/Biden going to ask that doctors be "patriotic?"

Conversely, Sarah Palin could send someone in to stand in close proximity to us for a couple of days and then take over our jobs.

 

[Dedikated2liftn]

Let's see, here's Ded's list:

1)Power
2)Money
3)Easy Ass

To be honest with ya though, #2 and #3 could easily be a tossup depending on how much I've had to drink.

 

[45408]

because I'm doing rotations and thinking "I really like doing this"

 

[Re3iRtH]

Among all the hard work and sleepless nights what it is that you enjoy the most and what motivates you to keep moving forward.

Sleepless nights? Maybe you had been watching to many movies cause
so far I don't think I've had a single sleepless night in medical school.
Having to study during the day makes you lose sleep? The more you
learn your body wants to pass out faster to organize that material.

For me, I think the best part is the knowledge, and the responsibility
that goes with being a physician. Also, no one is going to hate you
for being a doctor.

 

[78222]

I actually love medical school. The hard work isn't always a grand time, but I think the material is really interesting and its better then working some crappy biotech job.

Dude, you are an M1. So you are like what, 1 or 2 months in? The honey moon phase will probably end pretty soon...

There are times I love medicine and times I hate it. I like doing things, I hate some of the pointless intellectualizing that goes on (i.e. localizing the lesion of a stroke when it makes no ****ing difference in the treatment.)

 

[78222]

Sleepless nights? Maybe you had been watching to many movies cause
so far I don't think I've had a single sleepless night in medical school.
Having to study during the day makes you lose sleep? The more you
learn your body wants to pass out faster to organize that material.

For me, I think the best part is the knowledge, and the responsibility
that goes with being a physician. Also, no one is going to hate you
for being a doctor.

I take it you are probably in the preclinical years. Once you start M3 you will have plenty of sleepless nights.

 

[UnderdogMD]

For me, it is hands down the ability to post in the Allopathic section of SDN. It is the only reason I am going to med school.

 

[deleted77919]

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[UnderdogMD]

For me, it is hands down the ability to post in the Allopathic section of SDN. It is the only reason I am going to med school.

I was very seriously completing dropping out since I couldn't access the forums due to the server crash.

 

[illusenjester]

Lab Coats.

 

[illusenjester]

I was very seriously completing dropping out since I couldn't access the forums due to the server crash.

Are you serious? You should probably drop out anyway, I fear an unhappy future from you.

 

[alphaholic06]

For me, it is hands down the ability to post in the Allopathic section of SDN. It is the only reason I am going to med school.

I thought I was the only one.

 

[smq123]

Dude, you are an M1. So you are like what, 1 or 2 months in? The honey moon phase will probably end pretty soon...

There are times I love medicine and times I hate it. I like doing things, I hate some of the pointless intellectualizing that goes on (i.e. localizing the lesion of a stroke when it makes no ****ing difference in the treatment.)

Totally agree.

 

[badasshairday]

The constant studying.

 

[LadyWolverine]

...3rd year medicine rotation.

 

[silas2642]

Among all the hard work and sleepless nights what it is that you enjoy the most and what motivates you to keep moving forward.

The fact that I can't see myself doing anything else-- they don't pay people to sit on the couch all day in flannel boxers watching re-runs of Law and Order.

 

[LadyWolverine]

they don't pay people to sit on the couch all day in flannel boxers watching re-runs of Law and Order.

omg...I would be a millionaire by now.

 

[JeffLebowski]

I didn't have time to read this entire thread - did someone already mention the bitches?

The best part about medical school is the ****in' bitches. Fo sho.

 

[michaelrack]

Being a physician, one will always have a job .

A physician will always have a job, as long as he has a clean license-

as long as he completes residency and doesn't get fired from residency

as long as the DEA doesn't take action against him

as long as the hospital bureacracy doesn't accuse him of being a disruptive physician

as long as the state medical board doesn't put restrictions on, suspend, or withdraw his license.


A lot can happen to a physician that leaves him unable to work.

 

[loganhayes]

At this point, I have quite a bit of regrets. Hate the city, and not so passionate about the school. PBL is a joke, really. Patients think their doctors are their mom or something.. if you're fat, lose weight, dude. If you get diabetes because of your weight, you freakin' deserve it. If you're a smoker and get lung cancer, ha, you ask for it. So, stop complaining.

What keeps me going... (aside from the fact that I think about quitting almost everyday), well, I will get an MD, it's better than some aimless academic pursuit. Why do I want to become a doctor again? Just a career choice, i.e., my end game is money. I think, after 5 to 10 years of career, all we would care about is the bottom line. My family's gotta eat.

 

[45408]

Well, it's not the endless rounding or the early mornings, that's for sure...

 

[Jwax]

In this day and economy, job security is a big deal. I know people getting layed off left and right because companies are not being able to pay up. Being a physician, one will always have a job (may not make as much if the economy was booming and people didnt "think" you were overpaid without having a clue) but will always have a steady job. Just knowing that, i will always have a job in pretty comforting to me.

Oh and best thing about being a med student: When people's eyes become extremely dilated when you tell them you're in medical school and they congratulate you for "having the balls" to take up such a daunting task. Respect might not be there as much as the old days, but people still know that med school is a big deal.

Pretty much exactly how I feel on both accounts. Everytime I tell someone I'm in medical school, they look at me like I am actually contributing to the world. I wanted to save the world as a kid; now I just want to save a few lives (or at least extend them until something else kills them later).

Also, there is something unbelievably amazing about getting to know things that most people know very, very little about and getting to see things only a few people get to see.

 

[45408]

Pretty much exactly how I feel on both accounts. Everytime I tell someone I'm in medical school, they look at me like I am actually contributing to the world.

Aw, man, the novelty has totally worn off on saying "oh, yeah, I'm a med student."

Also, there is something unbelievably amazing about getting to know things that most people know very, very little about and getting to see things only a few people get to see.

Yeah, I've definitely thought that. I've seen birth, and I've seen death, and a little bit of everything in between. It's something a lot of people never experience. I could also never live my life without this kind of understanding of what's going on in my body. So many people haven't the slightest clue.

 

[footballrules]

Since our lectures are recorded and we don't have small group every day, I'll go with that I don't have to show up at any particular time, I can watch lectures at 2x, then go do whatever I want. Seriously, no job has this flexible of a schedule.

Oh, starting the clinics is going to be rough, don't get me wrong.

Actually, you are wrong. My day job requires me to be at work at certain times. However, my salaried position as a research associate (writing articles and editing and building a pathology database) allows me to work at any time I want. My medical writing jobs allow me to work at any time I want as well.

But for most of America, they don't have this type of flexibility.

 

[smq123]

Since our lectures are recorded and we don't have small group every day, I'll go with that I don't have to show up at any particular time, I can watch lectures at 2x, then go do whatever I want. Seriously, no job has this flexible of a schedule.

Oh, starting the clinics is going to be rough, don't get me wrong.

Yeah. It was a rough transition. It's sort of like....you're in your nice warm, cozy, soft bed, and in a deep sleep....when suddenly someone yanks the covers off and pours 10 gallons of ice cold water over you.

Luckily, I started clinics a few days after I took Step 1, so the transition wasn't all that traumatic for me.

 

[eforest]

I'm on the wards and I like the fact that it's different every day, I like working with patients, and I'm excited about my future career.

 

[VPDcurt]

savin' lives...one DRE at a time.

 

[mjl1717]

Anybody say- some people constantly bowing down to you...

 

[xx216xx]

getting to stare at penis and vagina pics in Moore's on a friday night instead of seeing real ones, oh wait, you said best thing....hold on, I'll think of something...nevermind

 

[mydodger]

None of you said "being just like House, M.D." or "feeling like Dr. Cox." Way to make me second guess trying to get in.

 

[45408]

getting to stare at penis and vagina pics in Moore's on a friday night instead of seeing real ones, oh wait, you said best thing....hold on, I'll think of something...nevermind

hey, I saw plenty of real penis and vagina last Friday night as we cut the clothes off the trauma patients

 

[Blesbok]

The fact that I will get to cut people with knives and have them pay me large amounts of cash to do it. How many other professions can say that people pay them large amounts of money to cut and burn them?

 

[alan06]

being able to help or make a difference in patients' lives. Of course, everyone needs motivation...for me it's how to apply basic science to help the patients. This is the main reason why I didn't enter research pathway but instead seeing the patients....more practical this way.

 

[Blesbok]

Sleepless nights? Maybe you had been watching to many movies cause
so far I don't think I've had a single sleepless night in medical school.
Having to study during the day makes you lose sleep? The more you
learn your body wants to pass out faster to organize that material.

For me, I think the best part is the knowledge, and the responsibility
that goes with being a physician. Also, no one is going to hate you
for being a doctor.

maybe you missed the "med student/resident/physician" part.