What's with all the whining?

[Niran12]

I can't speak for everyone else, but to be frank about it I went into medicine for the money.
People who are saying doctors don't make enough are insane. Be honest guys, if you knew there was no money in medicine you wouldn't be so passionate about it . Doctors are by far the highest paid proffesions. Nothing comes even close. Name one career other than medicine where you are guaranteed a 200,000 salary. The people who are really underpaid are the the medical scientists, researchers and engineers. They're the really smart guys.They deserve a six figure salary but most don't ever come close to that. So stop whining. Medical school isn't hard at all; there's barely any thinking involved.

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[aSagacious]

...you are guaranteed a 200,000 salary

You should probably read this: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=878107

 

[MIAYO]

Please don't feed this troll like I just did. I'm assuming trolls like to be called trolls.

 

[Niran12]

You should probably read this: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=878107

I read this. It's bull. Loans are manageable. I know one doc wiho graduated with 250k loans yet he has 4 cars. And don't assume everyone is a troll...

 

[AllDaWEI]

With malpractice insurance you may end up making less.

Also looks like people want to be politically correct. Being a doctor is demanding based on the sacrifices you make. Yes you make a lot of money and help people too. I am sure many do it for the money but won't admit it. You also need to be sneaky if you are interviewing for investment banking positions. Anyone would be an idiot to think someone isn't doing it for the money, but if you say that at the interview, you are toast. You come up with stupid answers like enjoying numbers, thrill of the deal, etc. No ome in their right mind would do a job like that if it didn't pay the way it did. There are many doctors who work at free clinics or do charity care. But try going into a private practice asking for free services, and you will see first-hand how its not about the money.

PC nation.

 

[Niran12]

With malpractice insurance you may end up making less.

Also looks like people want to be politically correct. Being a doctor is demanding based on the sacrifices you make. Yes you make a lot of money and help people too. I am sure many do it for the money but won't admit it. You also need to be sneaky if you are interviewing for investment banking positions. Anyone would be an idiot to think someone isn't doing it for the money, but if you say that at the interview, you are toast. You come up with stupid answers like enjoying numbers, thrill of the deal, etc. No ome in their right mind would do a job like that if it didn't pay the way it did. There are many doctors who work at free clinics or do charity care. But try going into a private practice asking for free services, and you will see first-hand how its not about the money.

PC nation.

Exactly. And most people going into medicine are aware of the long hours, debt, and sacrifices. They claim that their passion for medicine drives them forward . The equation is really simple. People trade long hours, sacrifices, and debt for more money.

 

[NickNaylor]

Whining about whining.

Pretty meta.

 

[Niran12]

Whining about whining.

Pretty meta.

Why not add a valuable thought to the thread? You're a waste of space.

 

[NickNaylor]

Why not add a valuable thought to the thread? You're a waste of space.

Because this thread is already a waste of time, and it's pretty obvious that you're just trollololing. There's no way this thread could possibly become productive, but feel free to keep at it.

 

[Niran12]

Because this thread is already a waste of time, and it's pretty obvious that you're just trollololing. There's no way this thread could possibly become productive, but feel free to keep at it.

Do you feel guilty? It's ok to admit that you love money. Who doesn't?

 

[Knocked Up]

Do you feel guilty? It's ok to admit that you love money. Who doesn't?

I like bank vaults:

 

[druggeek]

Sounds like Canada is a much better deal.

brb graduating with barely any loans
brb even if your parents can't pay anything, highest tuition is 20k/year
brb insurance is extremely low
brb 50% of specialties in Canada make more than their American counter parts (and vice versa for the other 50%)
brb family doctors making double americans, and only 2 years residency w/ an option to do 1 year of EM and having a certificate to practice as an EM and odds of being hired are as good as actual 5 year residency board certified EMs (srs)
brb people who don't know how to manage money stirring up non sense

To sum it up... I'd say the american economy and system sucks balls, hence all these articles about teachers making more than doctors or whatever in the long run.

Go Canada Go (srs)

 

[kpcrew]

signed up in january 2012. sounds legit

 

[btown8908]

Me on becoming a physician: "I did it for the glory".

-Sir Kanye West

 

[Narmerguy]

Come-on. There's no one that legitimately believes it is a financial risk to become a doctor. Educational loans and malpractice insurance are two very known qualities that take a minimal of planning to account for. Most hospitals take care of malpractice.

With the vast majority of doctors making over 150k a year, paying off this stuff is not rocket science. Enough of the fear-mongering.

 

[varsityblue]

Me on becoming a physician: "I did it for the glory".

-Sir Kanye West

+1 ad infinitum. Kanye is God. [YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_x3pJkckRQ [/YOUTUBE]

Seriously, though, there isn't nearly as much money in medicine as there is in entrepreneurship. If money is the only reason the OP pursued medicine, I'm fairly certain OP's patients will see through him/her soon enough.

 

[Niran12]

Seriously, though, there isn't nearly as much money in medicine as there is in entrepreneurship. If money is the only reason the OP pursued medicine, I'm fairly certain OP's patients will see through him/her soon enough.

I take it that you didn't go in for the money.......?
If you really want to help people that much, why not go to Africa and set up an orphanage or something?

I expect my patients to already know I'm in it for the money. The only thing that matters is that I do my job right.

 

[SoonerFromTexas]

Sounds like Canada is a much better deal.

brb graduating with barely any loans
brb even if your parents can't pay anything, highest tuition is 20k/year
brb insurance is extremely low
brb 50% of specialties in Canada make more than their American counter parts (and vice versa for the other 50%)
brb family doctors making double americans, and only 2 years residency w/ an option to do 1 year of EM and having a certificate to practice as an EM and odds of being hired are as good as actual 5 year residency board certified EMs (srs)
brb people who don't know how to manage money stirring up non sense

To sum it up... I'd say the american economy and system sucks balls, hence all these articles about teachers making more than doctors or whatever in the long run.

Go Canada Go (srs)

Looks like Texas is cheaper. Go Texas Go

 

[DavetheMD]

I take it that you didn't go in for the money.......?
If you really want to help people that much, why not go to Africa and set up an orphanage or something?

I expect my patients to already know I'm in it for the money. The only thing that matters is that I do my job right.

How did the adcoms feel when you included that on your personal statement?

 

[Niran12]

How did the adcoms feel when you included that on your personal statement?

I stated that I wanted to be financially stable and everything went well. Also, do you think the adcoms work for free?

 

[JESSFALLING]

I like bank vaults:

My favorite restaurant is in a bank vault: http://www.thebrokerrestaurant.com/

Awesome thread, btw

 

[IMSingular]

http://www.usnews.com/education/blo...0/weigh-medical-student-debt-specialty-choice

A quote from the above.

At the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, 2009 graduates carried $213,441 of debt, on average, a reported figure higher than that at any other medical school in the country. Conversely, at the Mayo Medical School, students graduated with an average of $69,908 outstanding, the second-lowest debt statistic reported. (One school, the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Heath Sciences, is a statistical outlier. It's a military medical training facility that charges no tuition or fees—and consequently reports its students leave with $0 in debt.)

Analyse this as an investment opportunity. What difference in pay compared to you best alternative will make sense of investing in this debt say at 8% interest rate? Say your productivity is for 35 years.

Answer: $8580/year for investment of $100,000.

Even if your required rate of return is say 20% $20,034 per $100000 investment will justify the investment.

I would guess physicians earn $100,000 more than their best alternative.

You, of course, have to take your age into account and replace 35 by appropriate number.

Instead of spending too much time on this whining concentrating on getting through the curriculum will do lot of good. Biggest risk is getting through the curriculum, and not be a spendthrift during you student days.

 

[AllDaWEI]

I stated that I wanted to be financially stable and everything went well. Also, do you think the adcoms work for free?

I'm surprised by everyones reactions here. I never quite understood why any mention of money is considered taboo. I have many friends who did career fair and job interviews, and it sounds like mentioning wages/salary is the equivalent of going into an interview with your pants dropped to your ankles with your privates showing.

People interviewing for jobs are interviewing for just that, not volunteer positions. Someone needs to put food on the table. Of course there will be some doctors who will provide services for free, but we cant realistically expect doctor to stop whatever they are doing to rush into the jungles of a third world country while risking their lives to help others.

Why does talk of money create such tension? Looks like members tip toe around the political correctness line.

 

[FattySlug]

I'm surprised by everyones reactions here. I never quite understood why any mention of money is considered taboo. I have many friends who did career fair and job interviews, and it sounds like mentioning wages/salary is the equivalent of going into an interview with your pants dropped to your ankles with your privates showing.

People interviewing for jobs are interviewing for just that, not volunteer positions. Someone needs to put food on the table. Of course there will be some doctors who will provide services for free, but we cant realistically expect doctor to stop whatever they are doing to rush into the jungles of a third world country while risking their lives to help others.

Why does talk of money create such tension? Looks like members tip toe around the political correctness line.

Seriously, the need to make money is like the need to use the toilets. It is a necessity. I would not look down on any doctors who are in it for the money as long as they do their jobs properly. It would be nice if he was motivated my nobler causes, but if he does a good job and saves people then why does it matter?

 

[NickNaylor]

I'm surprised by everyones reactions here. I never quite understood why any mention of money is considered taboo. I have many friends who did career fair and job interviews, and it sounds like mentioning wages/salary is the equivalent of going into an interview with your pants dropped to your ankles with your privates showing.

People interviewing for jobs are interviewing for just that, not volunteer positions. Someone needs to put food on the table. Of course there will be some doctors who will provide services for free, but we cant realistically expect doctor to stop whatever they are doing to rush into the jungles of a third world country while risking their lives to help others.

Why does talk of money create such tension? Looks like members tip toe around the political correctness line.

I don't think anyone is saying that at all. The only thing I saw unless I missed something was that having money as a primary reason for going into medicine isn't desirable or even good. Medicine is, in the end, an occupation, and salary is obviously important.

 

[Stumpyman]

Come-on. There's no one that legitimately believes it is a financial risk to become a doctor. Educational loans and malpractice insurance are two very known qualities that take a minimal of planning to account for. Most hospitals take care of malpractice.

With the vast majority of doctors making over 150k a year, paying off this stuff is not rocket science. Enough of the fear-mongering.

Seriously, one would have to make some incredibly stupid financial investments to not be able to pay it off.

 

[jtdMU2010]

The love of money on the pre-med forum gets soooooo old. Physicians make this, physicians make that, I want six figures, would you be happy not making over 200K per year, I want four cars and a beach house, blah blah blah. You rarely see that in the med student forums. Med forums talk about the realities like boards, clinicals, specialties and the daily grind that is med school. Medicine is so much more than money. Just do it because you love medicine and want to help people. It's great we are compensated well and we should be. Just be happy you'll live a comfortable life with a physician's salary. Who cares if you have a ferrari? No one other than yourself for the most part.

Let the flaming begin...

We should stop feeding the troll that is Niran12 and kick his troll carcass off SDN.

 

[chiapet874]

I can't speak for everyone else, but to be frank about it I went into medicine for the money.
People who are saying doctors don't make enough are insane. Be honest guys, if you knew there was no money in medicine you wouldn't be so passionate about it . Doctors are by far the highest paid proffesions. Nothing comes even close. Name one career other than medicine where you are guaranteed a 200,000 salary. The people who are really underpaid are the the medical scientists, researchers and engineers. They're the really smart guys.They deserve a six figure salary but most don't ever come close to that. So stop whining. Medical school isn't hard at all; there's barely any thinking involved.

you must be new to the internet, your attempt at trolling is amateurish at best

 

[druggeek]

The love of money on the pre-med forum gets soooooo old. Physicians make this, physicians make that, I want six figures, would you be happy not making over 200K per year, I want four cars and a beach house, blah blah blah. You rarely see that in the med student forums. Med forums talk about the realities like boards, clinicals, specialties and the daily grind that is med school. Medicine is so much more than money. Just do it because you love medicine and want to help people. It's great we are compensated well and we should be. Just be happy you'll live a comfortable life with a physician's salary. Who cares if you have a ferrari? No one other than yourself for the most part.

Let the flaming begin...

We should stop feeding the troll that is Niran12 and kick his troll carcass off SDN.

I take it you haven't drove one before lolz.

 

[kristinairene]

*lurking with my popcorn*

 

[One Hip Guy]

Come-on. There's no one that legitimately believes it is a financial risk to become a doctor. Educational loans and malpractice insurance are two very known qualities that take a minimal of planning to account for. Most hospitals take care of malpractice.

With the vast majority of doctors making over 150k a year, paying off this stuff is not rocket science. Enough of the fear-mongering.

I feel as if everyone should spam quote this. Everywhere.

All of this doctor doomsday stuff is as silly as 2012 fears. Societies will ALWAYS require medical care. If being a doctor ever becomes an undesirable position, then I would suspect that no-one would wish to become one and in such an event our society would be in a hell of a lot of trouble.

 

[KLycos]

Ya the job security and pay are very good perks, but I wouldn't be pursuing medicine for just that reason. I'm just glad I like it, because I'm gonna be $$$. Some people just hatin.

 

[Slowpoke]

*lurking with my popcorn*

 

[jtdMU2010]

I take it you haven't drove one before lolz.

True about the Ferrari part. Maybe I'll have to test-drive one later in life then.

 

[Bythegraceofgod]

You may not care, but as a Non-Trad who has worked for the past 9 years making 45,000 / year with a wife and daughter, I think it is ridiculous that there is such a stigma surrounding the talk of money. I just want to say that you can be happy with 45,000 dollars per year. (You have to live within your means and sometimes those means suck! ) But Money does not equal happiness(Blah blah blah) My daughter makes me happy, the time I spend with my family makes me happy, but it is impossible for me to deny that someday when/if I am making 140,000 dollars or more a year that time I spend with my family will not be more comfortable. (Cue Violin ) I will be able to go on vacation and not worry about the bills stacking up at home, I will be able to successfully save for my little girl's college, I will be able to spoil my wife like never before. etc.. etc...

And most importantly I will have my Ferrari j/k

But I think it is important to note, that if you don't finish your degree and do jump into the real world, things can be much tougher and reality can suck a little bit more with less money. So point and case I think it is OK to acknowledge that one of the reasons you are pursuing this career is for money, even though it is probably not the only reason.

 

[AllDaWEI]

You may not care, but as a Non-Trad who has worked for the past 9 years making 45,000 / year with a wife and daughter, I think it is ridiculous that there is such a stigma surrounding the talk of money. I just want to say that you can be happy with 45,000 dollars per year. (You have to live within your means and sometimes those means suck! ) But Money does not equal happiness(Blah blah blah) My daughter makes me happy, the time I spend with my family makes me happy, but it is impossible for me to deny that someday when/if I am making 140,000 dollars or more a year that time I spend with my family will not be more comfortable. (Cue Violin ) I will be able to go on vacation and not worry about the bills stacking up at home, I will be able to successfully save for my little girl's college, I will be able to spoil my wife like never before. etc.. etc...

And most importantly I will have my Ferrari j/k

But I think it is important to note, that if you don't finish your degree and do jump into the real world, things can be much tougher and reality can suck a little bit more with less money. So point and case I think it is OK to acknowledge that one of the reasons you are pursuing this career is for money, even though it is probably not the only reason.

If I could agree with a number greater than 100%, I most definitely would! It is naive to think that no one cares about a doctor's salary. This is one topic where some members are up in arms about. Another is wondering how any prr-med could possibly do ECs for resume padding. It is walking around the obvious.

 

[Mount Sinai]

LOL at OP. Actuaries make very close to docs.

 

[bmoredoc]

the problem with this issue is that a large majority of posters on sdn arefar too proud about becoming a doctor. by this i mean they engorge themselveswith the praise for dedicating their lives to helping others. on the other handthere are posters like the one here who are far too radical about the goal of making money. in reality we are all going into medicine to one day financiallysupport our families. no one practices for free. however, i would like tobelieve that the majority of us are going through these tough years so that wecan strike common ground between helping others and being financially stable.not just the later of the two.

 

[druggeek]

You may not care, but as a Non-Trad who has worked for the past 9 years making 45,000 / year with a wife and daughter, I think it is ridiculous that there is such a stigma surrounding the talk of money. I just want to say that you can be happy with 45,000 dollars per year. (You have to live within your means and sometimes those means suck! ) But Money does not equal happiness(Blah blah blah) My daughter makes me happy, the time I spend with my family makes me happy, but it is impossible for me to deny that someday when/if I am making 140,000 dollars or more a year that time I spend with my family will not be more comfortable. (Cue Violin ) I will be able to go on vacation and not worry about the bills stacking up at home, I will be able to successfully save for my little girl's college, I will be able to spoil my wife like never before. etc.. etc...

And most importantly I will have my Ferrari j/k

But I think it is important to note, that if you don't finish your degree and do jump into the real world, things can be much tougher and reality can suck a little bit more with less money. So point and case I think it is OK to acknowledge that one of the reasons you are pursuing this career is for money, even though it is probably not the only reason.

Well according to a study happiness increases and levels off at 70k (very popular study). Of course this being a couple years old and adjusting for inflation, and then adjusting for where you live, it could be as high as 90k/year. And I don't believe it said happiness doesn't increase if you make more, it only increases marginally.

So although you can be happy with 45k, you'll always be happier with more (very obvious anyway).
In life I believe those who have the ability should strive to achieve maximum satisfaction. If you're not satisfied by living the life of a king from the medieval times while african kids live out their dreams of not dying that night... then so be it. Get a lamborghini and do what satifies you. To each their own.