Why do you want to be a doctor?

[JadedSurgeon]

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Be honest now...

 

[Wizard of Oz]

I wish I didn't care about the money, but I have loans to pay off, and I'll have malpractice insurance to buy. Perhaps more relevant is the fact that I may not be in it for the profit, but my group will be. Get back to me in twenty years.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Where is the option for "For the challenge of complex cases and the money"? I guess that would fall under the "For the $$$, helping patients is an extra bonus" option sort of......

 

[JadedSurgeon]

The poll is overly simplistic, and but I didn't think that many people actually did it for "personal satisfaction" since you don't know if you like solving those kind of complex problems until after 8 years of education.

 

[Tired]

The poll is overly simplistic, and but I didn't think that many people actually did it for "personal satisfaction" since you don't know if you like solving those kind of complex problems until after 8 years of education.

That's because your theory is that everyone is in it for the money. I probably agree with you more than most other posters here will. I would still argue though that the money is more of an ancillary motivation, rather than a prime motivation. Otherwise everyone here would have gone after Wall Street jobs.

I'm still arguing for ego. I think that is fundamentally different from personal satisfaction. I think people like to feel important, or feel like a bada$$, even if they give it fancy names like "helping people".

 

[JadedSurgeon]

Yeah, that is probably true, although my point was that people don't want to be doctors for altruistic reasons. I also worded the poll wrong since a lot of people here are already doctors, I tried to modify the poll, but its too late.

Its also not wrong to go into medicine for the money or power as long as it makes you a better doctor. I just hate all the people who claim that the only reason to become a doctor is to help other people. God's honest fact is that most other people don't want our help unless they absolutely need it.

 

[Tired]

Its also not wrong to go into medicine for the money or power as long as it makes you a better doctor. I just hate all the people who claim that the only reason to become a doctor is to help other people. God's honest fact is that most other people don't want our help unless they absolutely need it.

I'm with you 100% here.

However, before we dismiss every premed with a sad story about a family member who died of cancer, I will argue that they think they have purely altruistic reasons for pursuing medicine. Of course, it's easy to presume you are altruistic when it is already a given you will be clearing 100k+ per year while you are "helping people".

 

[DropkickMurphy]

since you don't know if you like solving those kind of complex problems until after 8 years of education

Unless you have 10 years of experience in critical care and emergency medicine and have been intimately involved in solving those sorts of complex problems. Speaking strictly for myself that is the case for me. If it were not for the challenges inherent in critical care and similar specialties, I'd rather have a rabid badger shoved up my ass** than be a doc.

**-This analogy pioneered by Panda Bear, MD

 

[Tired]

Unless you have 10 years of experience in critical care and emergency medicine and have been intimately involved in solving those sorts of complex problems. Speaking strictly for myself that is the case for me. If it were not for the challenges inherent in critical care and similar specialties, I'd rather have a rabid badger shoved up my ass** than be a doc.

**-This analogy pioneered by Panda Bear, MD

To switch to a personal note, didn't I read in other threads that you're applying to Osteopathic programs? Wouldn't it be a ton easier to get to a critical care fellowship with an allopathic degree?

Just curious.

 

[Hayden2102]

I'm doing it because I like hospitals and I am really interested in the human body. I like textbooks too.

 

[sirus_virus]

Did I miss something? Where is this money we are talking about?

 

[indo]

Because they've already billed me for the 2nd semester and there is only 1 way I can afford to pay them back.

 

[abecedarianMD]

Do MDs really have a theoretical "ceiling" (salary limit)?

How many docs are pulling millions per year?

I suppose it would be easier to make many millions per year doing something like business or investment banking but if you are cool with a few 100k, medicine seems to be where it is at, everyone agree?

 

[OncoCaP]

I love working with people; it's important for me to do something for which there is a consistent need, for which I believe I have a talent, and where there is enough compensation so that I can justify the time spent away from my family. Money is important for paying the basic bills in life and taking care of my family, and I'm not looking for an extravagant salary. On the other hand, if a job has a low salary, my impression is that the task is either not that important to society (not enough people care enough about it to pay a lot of money for it) or that there are more than plenty people who want to do it. Thus, while pay is not what drives me and there are many factors that go into pay, I look at it as an indicator of need (high pay suggests something is in demand and not being addressed with enough supply of people willing to do it at the quality level expected).

 

[alwaysaangel]

Yeah, that is probably true, although my point was that people don't want to be doctors for altruistic reasons. I also worded the poll wrong since a lot of people here are already doctors, I tried to modify the poll, but its too late.

Based on the poll results your point is losing.

 

[Dr Who]

To be honest... medicine allows you to direclty help people and make a difference in their lives, while at the same time earning good $$$. There is nothing wrong with wanting to earn a good living, so long as it is not your primary reason for going to med school in the first place. Believe me, if the real wages of doctors were relatively "low" most of these people who cry out so loud when $$$ is mentioned wouldnt even bother applying.

Not only is it tough to get into medical school, its tough to get through it and I havent even mentioned residency and all the crap that comes along with it. Between undergrad, medschool and residency we are talking at a minimum 11 years and for some it might be as high as 17 years! The road to become a doctor is long, difficult and expensive, its only fair that the income associated should reflect this. It might not be kosher to talk about $$$ in medicine, but its a reality that is there.

 

[emtji]

it used to be about helping people. then i did my surgery rotation.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

To switch to a personal note, didn't I read in other threads that you're applying to Osteopathic programs? Wouldn't it be a ton easier to get to a critical care fellowship with an allopathic degree?

Just curious.

I'll be applying to both allopathic and osteopathic programs, and yes, you're probably correct that an MD would make things much, much easier.

 

[Igor]

If you're in this for the money, you'll be miserable. Do something else - it's not worth it.

If you're not in this for the money, it's the most awesome job ever