What would your job/career be if you didn’t go into medicine?

[jurassicpark]

I'm Asian. My parents strongly informed me there are only four acceptable careers : Doctor, Engineer, Lawyer, or Priest/Minister. I can't do math, me no good at grammar, and God knows what I used to do at night so that only left Doctoring for me.

But that being said, I told my wife if I won the lotto, I'd quit medicine and go work at a gameshop or comic book store. Closest things these days to the computer-game shops of old.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[catnip12]

I find history, language (and how that shapes different cultures), and story telling so fascinating that I would have combined them in some way if I wasn’t in med school.

Before med school I was almost fluent in 5 languages but haven’t really had much practice, so I’m starting to struggle with higher order sentence structure in some of my nonnative languages. Heck even English has been tough recently...

 

[CidHighwind]

I'm Asian. My parents strongly informed me there are only four acceptable careers : Doctor, Engineer, Lawyer, or Priest/Minister. I can't do math, me no good at grammar, and God knows what I used to do at night so that only left Doctoring for me.

But that being said, I told my wife if I won the lotto, I'd quit medicine and go work at a gameshop or comic book store. Closest things these days to the computer-game shops of old.

Why not just work till your loans are paid off, save up some money to buy a comic book store, and do that? IMO I feel like most people wouldn’t be doctors if it paid 50-60k a year, even if the school was cheap/free.

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

Why not just work till your loans are paid off, save up some money to buy a comic book store, and do that? IMO I feel like most people wouldn’t be doctors if it paid 50-60k a year, even if the school was cheap/free.

I guarantee 99 percent of people wouldn’t be doctors If it paid that much. Money isn’t everything, but the sacrifices that are made for this job in terms of time, energy, and commitment wouldn’t be justified if one could make the same salary at a trade school job with 11-15 years less training.

 

[saadat]

I would pursue a degree in mathematics, believe it or not. I would then become a mathematician and try to solve abstract problems in the real world.

 

[Dr. Anonymouss]

I would pursue a degree in mathematics, believe it or not. I would then become a mathematician and try to solve abstract problems in the real world.

Like how Carol Baskin killed her husband

 

[ReturnToMed]

I hated the job. Felt like I did nothing and brought no value to anyone, I also felt that i wasnt making a difference or improving my organization. Thats why I chose to leave behind a cushy
9-5 to go into medicine.

I feel this on a physical, emotional, spiritual, mental,and metaphysical level. I worked in a cubicle and very few things are as soul sucking as that. After 4-5 months I was ready to jump out of a window given the isolation and inefficiency.

Bet you can guess I won't be trying for radiology come match time.

 

[libertyyne]

I feel this on a physical, emotional, spiritual, mental,and metaphysical level. I worked in a cubicle and very few things are as soul sucking as that. After 4-5 months I was ready to jump out of a window given the isolation and inefficiency.

Bet you can guess I won't be trying for radiology come match time.

Honestly, im even considering radiology. There is value to radiology and the services they provide. You read a scan you help provide a diagnosis and an answer for a patient with real consequences. I cant say the same about some of the previous white collar jobs I had. The value was soo abstracted from the day to day, that it all felt like it was just going through the motions for the sake of going through the motions.

 

[ReturnToMed]

Honestly, im even considering radiology. There is value to radiology and the services they provide. You read a scan you help provide a diagnosis and an answer for a patient with real consequences. I cant say the same about some of the previous white collar jobs I had. The value was soo abstracted from the day to day, that it all felt like it was just going through the motions for the sake of going through the motions.

I feel that. For me it's less about the impact because that's not where my issue really comes from even though it is part of it. It is more from being stuck sitting for hours in the same spot looking at a pointless spreadsheet and googling pointless stuff.

 

[Oedipa Maas]

Honestly, im even considering radiology. There is value to radiology and the services they provide. You read a scan you help provide a diagnosis and an answer for a patient with real consequences. I cant say the same about some of the previous white collar jobs I had. The value was soo abstracted from the day to day, that it all felt like it was just going through the motions for the sake of going through the motions.

Just had a radiology rotation and for the two weeks I was allowed in the reading room (before being sent home due to COVID) it was AWESOME. I have some compulsive tendencies (probably a touch of OCPD) and it was really cool to see them go through scans, figure out what was going on, and then figure out the proper way of phrasing what was going on to communicate with the patient and the providers. So much fine-tuning and editing and focus. It ended up becoming a "oh yeah I could be happy doing this" field for me. But as a matched fourth year, that's moot and ultimately I felt that way about a few fields during rotations, which I now view as a good thing (but AGONIZED about this prior to applying to residency of course).

 

[Neopolymath]

Honestly, im even considering radiology. There is value to radiology and the services they provide. You read a scan you help provide a diagnosis and an answer for a patient with real consequences. I cant say the same about some of the previous white collar jobs I had. The value was soo abstracted from the day to day, that it all felt like it was just going through the motions for the sake of going through the motions.

This is why I went into medicine versus continuing another (almost as lucrative) career path. Tangible value added to society versus the guy who sells electrical supplies for millions each year to Budweiser or whatever.

 

[Neopolymath]

Just had a radiology rotation and for the two weeks I was allowed in the reading room (before being sent home due to COVID) it was AWESOME. I have some compulsive tendencies (probably a touch of OCPD) and it was really cool to see them go through scans, figure out what was going on, and then figure out the proper way of phrasing what was going on to communicate with the patient and the providers. So much fine-tuning and editing and focus. It ended up becoming a "oh yeah I could be happy doing this" field for me. But as a matched fourth year, that's moot and ultimately I felt that way about a few fields during rotations, which I now view as a good thing (but AGONIZED about this prior to applying to residency of course).

Can you explain why you felt it was a good thing? Thanks.

 

[Oedipa Maas]

Can you explain why you felt it was a good thing? Thanks.

Well one, because I would much rather feel that I could be happy doing multiple things and take my pick of those things than feel like I wouldn't be happy doing anything. I could assess fields on things like lifestyle, pay, opportunities to work inpatient/outpatient instead of "well dang I ONLY like OB but the hours are rough". I think it also reminds me that medicine was the right career for me since I could see myself doing different aspects of it. A niche additional factor is that I am going into Psychiatry but am fascinated by radiology and would love to get into some of the fMRI research happening now, or at the very least keep up with it and the drive to do so will only make me stronger in the biological aspects of psych.

 

[deleted980662]

i would have become a genetic counselor! it has much of the same appeal that drew me to medical school—using science and communication to help patients.

this option almost derailed me from pursuing an MD, especially considering the vastly shorter training time, but i realized wouldn't be happy without broad skill-set and independence that medicine provides.

 

[CidHighwind]

I guarantee 99 percent of people wouldn’t be doctors If it paid that much. Money isn’t everything, but the sacrifices that are made for this job in terms of time, energy, and commitment wouldn’t be justified if one could make the same salary at a trade school job with 11-15 years less training.

I’m saying even if one could get into medical school right out of high school like you can in other countries, the schooling was subsidized/cheap, and it paid 50-60k, most people wouldn’t do it. They make the journey to be a physician in this country long and arduous to make sure the people responsible for our health are “top tier”. If/when medicine becomes socialized and doctors make 100k, you’ll see a lot of doctors quit.

 

[Splenda88]

I was a RN working 2 nights/wk making ~50k/yr... I hated the job, but life was great when are you are off 5 days/wk...

 

[Splenda88]

Glad I’m going into rads. IMO medicine isn’t worth it for the money if you’re doing FM/IM/Peds.

FM/IM are arguably in the top 10 specialties in medicine when it comes to lifestyle, job market and $$$. You got all 3.

 

[7331poas]

That's the thing, I'm surrounded by people that regularly put in 80 hours/week in college (and continue to do so in medical school) because they're built to grind. They'd slay it.

Facebook isn't an outlier. The Googleplex is right around the corner too and is very similar. One of her friends left to Uber for their even better offer recently. There absolutely are tons of young folks out here making high 100s to low 200s doing M-F 9-5.

Cost of living is high, but after witnessing the Valley first hand, I'd choose her gig over primary care 100%. Skip all the training and make similar to what a pediatrician or hospitalist makes anyway? That's a no-brainer. Since I am also lifestyle-oriented myself, I honestly think the only edge my MD gives me is via the highly lucrative private ROAD gigs that make a stable >400k.

Those jobs are so absurdly rare its not funny. Also the cost of living is very high in silicon valley and seattle where these jobs exist.

I will say that landing a 100k job in programming out of college is definitely very attainable. my roommate basically smoked weed and played runescape throughout college, got a CS degree, now makes 100k + benefits for a major telecomm company. I was also getting offers in that range. But 150k+? You probably need to *actually* bring something to the table.

 

[Splenda88]

The economy is going bonker now... Are jobs in the tech industry safe?

 

[efle]

Those jobs are so absurdly rare its not funny. Also the cost of living is very high in silicon valley and seattle where these jobs exist.

I will say that landing a 100k job in programming out of college is definitely very attainable. my roommate basically smoked weed and played runescape throughout college, got a CS degree, now makes 100k + benefits for a major telecomm company. I was also getting offers in that range. But 150k+? You probably need to *actually* bring something to the table.

Rarity is relative. On SDN it seems like every other poster gets multiple top 20 MD acceptances. I think a substantial proportion here would be in the Valley making 200k right now if they'd been compsci majors.

Had the same experience with a friend who dropped out of the premed coursework to be a systems engineer instead; smoked every other night, made B grades, and got hired at ~100k starting in a Chicago consulting firm.

I don't think there's any career or graduate education that holds the bar as high as the typical American medical school, not even big names in tech, consulting, finance, etc.

 

[Aleaz]

As someone who loved every minute of Trauma...Army...wounded in 2007...retired now--IF I wanted a family life with TIME and less stress...I would go the P.A. route. They have far less years of training, still get great salaries, and every year get more privileges. and they have a LIFE outside Medicine. If you do not have those type goals--then MD/DO Medicine is for you. It is many years of school, many more Residency/Fellowship...and then lawsuit country 'out there'. I joined the Army after 911 ALSO due to the ridiculous demands my hospital placed upon me (14 hour shifts, 16 by the time paperwork was done), the outrageous FEES they charged patients (I got called into the CEO office a lot for 'downgrading' my bills so the patient could actually pay it if they were uninsured...)

That's mah' 2 cents worth
aloha

 

[CidHighwind]

Those jobs are so absurdly rare its not funny. Also the cost of living is very high in silicon valley and seattle where these jobs exist.

I will say that landing a 100k job in programming out of college is definitely very attainable. my roommate basically smoked weed and played runescape throughout college, got a CS degree, now makes 100k + benefits for a major telecomm company. I was also getting offers in that range. But 150k+? You probably need to *actually* bring something to the table.

150k is usually after bonuses and stock options. You can get 300-500k in the senior jobs, but most CS people spend their careers making 70-90k.

Rarity is relative. On SDN it seems like every other poster gets multiple top 20 MD acceptances. I think a substantial proportion here would be in the Valley making 200k right now if they'd been compsci majors.

Had the same experience with a friend who dropped out of the premed coursework to be a systems engineer instead; smoked every other night, made B grades, and got hired at ~100k starting in a Chicago consulting firm.

I don't think there's any career or graduate education that holds the bar as high as the typical American medical school, not even big names in tech, consulting, finance, etc.

Agreed. It’s why MDs at decent med schools that decide to leave medicine can usually get a job at a big 4 consulting firm.

 

[ccp005]

That's the thing, I'm surrounded by people that regularly put in 80 hours/week in college (and continue to do so in medical school) because they're built to grind. They'd slay it.

Facebook isn't an outlier. The Googleplex is right around the corner too and is very similar. One of her friends left to Uber for their even better offer recently. There absolutely are tons of young folks out here making high 100s to low 200s doing M-F 9-5.

Cost of living is high, but after witnessing the Valley first hand, I'd choose her gig over primary care 100%. Skip all the training and make similar to what a pediatrician or hospitalist makes anyway? That's a no-brainer. Since I am also lifestyle-oriented myself, I honestly think the only edge my MD gives me is via the highly lucrative private ROAD gigs that make a stable >400k.

what are their job titles?

 

[Dantes]

Put more effort into my personality and try out a YouTube channel

 

[efle]

what are their job titles?

Hired at lvl 3, now lvl 5 I believe, something something Director of about 5-6 people. Lower total compensation than you'll see on levels.fyi because they're in one of the other divisions that gets less stock than software engineers do, but similar base and bonus.

 

[HowAreYaNow]

I'd have been a journalist of some kind, probably some kind of sportswriter. I really like a good story, especially when it feels like you're just spending time with a person, following them around and listening to their story.

Maybe that's why I ended up in psychiatry.

 

[Chlorophyll Oracle]

I would have liked to go into engineering or finance. I really love working with models and working out problems, and those careers are perfect for that

 

[deleted393595]

Thread title. I know a lot of people say that medicine isn’t great or they regret going into it. So I ask what field they would go into and what they would be doing right now if they weren’t in medicine/about to graduate

Garbage man or trucker. Decent salary and get to explore your surroundings

Or CRNA. Ez $$$ for no responsibility

 

[anbuitachi]

one of these? haha

 

[faceless_doc]

Psychologist or professor in philosophy or a mind science-related field!

 

[ExcitatorySynapse]

Most of my friends from college ended up in finance, so I guess I'd go there too. It's the general location for grads from my school who don't have any real passion but do have some level of ambition. If premed was never on the table, maybe I'd be a quant? I avoided the really hard math classes at school b/c the grading was not too generous, but I think the math is by far the most interesting aspect. Anything that's super logistics/human organization focused bores me.

In all honesty, my family really wanted me to become a doctor but I wish I explored things more with an open mind while I could've, even if I would come to the same conclusion as them.

 

[frog301]

Have friend working in top 4 consulting firm in chicago that was hired out of undergrad. can confirm, their firm recruited a HMS grad and did loan repayment. they offer positions for people with "APDs" (advanced professional degrees) like MD, JD, etc.. so that's probably plan B

 

[Kardio]

Most of my friends from college ended up in finance, so I guess I'd go there too. It's the general location for grads from my school who don't have any real passion but do have some level of ambition.

This man’s over 60, was recently diagnosed with COVID, and can’t wait to get back in the pit! Tell me there’s no passion in finance!

 

[numbersloth]

i would have become a genetic counselor! it has much of the same appeal that drew me to medical school—using science and communication to help patients.

Mind going a little more into the thought process here re: GC vs. MD?

 

[scoopdaboop]

I've seen too many attendings take multiple week long vacations in the year while comfortably raking in 300K + to try to do anything else.

 

[thepoopologist]

I have a relative who is a googler. Been with them since the early 2000s, started with a non-tech degree out of college. Currently makes 200k+ (this is not including stock options over several years) has 2 million in real estate. Eats for free everyday, has traveled the world to different google offices. I'm not saying there's no pressure, but there's no student loans and there's definitely not liability like a doc has liability.

I like what I do, and I make above the average of my specialty, but I'm pretty sure I'd be happy trading placing with them anyday.

 

[hrqtalwq]

Probably a vet at a wildlife rehab or rescue.

 

[jurassicpark]

Probably a vet at a wildlife rehab or rescue.

You mean like on Tiger King?

 

[acstylin]

I start med school in Aug so I’m still working in my next-best-career choice as an elevator mechanic. Here in Utah I make $150k (including benefits and retirement package) and I’m home by 3:00 everyday. It’s a great gig. In the summers between school semesters, I go to San Francisco as an elevator specialist working about 70 hrs per week plus additional perks and expenses. It ends up being about $400k per year, but I’ll make about $120k or so for the summer I’m there. If you’re unfamiliar with the COL in the Bay Area, it’s impossible to describe. Just understand I pay more to park my RV there than I pay for my mortgage in Utah. They offered me over $400k to stay and I turned it down. I’m not interested in the COL or traffic. I know people love it, but it’s a hard place to raise a family.

 

[canadapath]

I start med school in Aug so I’m still working in my next-best-career choice as an elevator mechanic. Here in Utah I make $150k (including benefits and retirement package) and I’m home by 3:00 everyday. It’s a great gig. In the summers between school semesters, I go to San Francisco as an elevator specialist working about 70 hrs per week plus additional perks and expenses. It ends up being about $400k per year, but I’ll make about $120k or so for the summer I’m there. If you’re unfamiliar with the COL in the Bay Area, it’s impossible to describe. Just understand I pay more to park my RV there than I pay for my mortgage in Utah. They offered me over $400k to stay and I turned it down. I’m not interested in the COL or traffic. I know people love it, but it’s a hard place to raise a family.

Wow. I don't want to say you're making a huge mistake to leave all this behind for med school, but...

 

[ExcitatorySynapse]

This man’s over 60, was recently diagnosed with COVID, and can’t wait to get back in the pit! Tell me there’s no passion in finance!

View attachment 301190

I guess there are always exceptions
My friends that went into non-quantitative roles like IB seem way less happy than the ones who went the technical route. I bet if my undergrad magically moved to California, we'd see them all go for tech. The very standardized pipeline to finance definitely appeals to some.

 

[Emmet2301]

I feel like finance is good for a while, but then less jobs at the top.

Tech has a lot of jobs all across the country.

 

[deleted980662]

Mind going a little more into the thought process here re: GC vs. MD?

sure.

in my opinion, the biggest draw of both careers is getting to know patients and helping them understand / cope with disease. i'm primarily interested in psychiatry, which obviously has a lot of this. but genetic counseling does, too—they spend much of their time literally counseling patients about their concerns re: genetic testing, coming to terms with results, implications for family members, and so forth. the benefit of genetic counseling over MD is the decreased barrier to entry (two years versus 7+) and lower debt. and also i just really love genetics.

the downside is that genetic counselors have less breadth of knowledge than MDs. from my perspective, they seem more tertiary to care, whereas i want a career in which i can understand and address the entire clinical picture. genetic counseling would probably be better in lifestyle terms but i would always be wishing i could do more.

who knows. maybe i'll end up going to a clinical genetics residency and working alongside some GCs. med school is rough sometimes but i'm happy with the path i chose.

 

[ThePhoenician]

Probably a chef. Worked in a handful of high-end kitchens over the years. I miss the chaos of a busy service and the heat of the grill/French top. The pressure of plating every dish while front of house are freaking out. It was fun but very low pay/high hours with little to no benefits. Gooooood times.

I've been an MA for awhile now and slowly making my way towards the big boy title.

 

[throwaway1000000]

Don't think anything else other than medicine.
If medicine wasn't an option, then probably the next thing that has potential to make a lot of money, finance or tech

 

[Emmet2301]

Don't think anything else other than medicine.
If medicine wasn't an option, then probably the next thing that has potential to make a lot of money, finance or tech

I'm not in medicine, but I still want a high paying career (dont know if this is a good or bad thing).

If I had all the moolah Id like to own a hotel or maybe a small cafe/restaurant/7-11.

 

[Laradd]

Journalist.