Why?

[gpannu]

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I'm sure this question has been examined time and time again: why medicine? In fact, today I spoke to my roomates cousin who is on an admissions commitee at a prestigous Canadian medical school. Let's just say the conversation was very hostile. Nevertheless it really made me think and ticked me inside.

I guess I want to know from most of you MD's is what motivated you to go into medicine?

In other words why did you choose medicine, over dentistry, optometrey, pharmacy, law? In all these careers you can help people. All these careers pay well. For instance, dentistry appears to offer the best return on your education four years of school and a six figure salary with 9-5 hours. All these careers have some level of prestige/status. All these career allow one to utlize their scientific background perhaps with the exception of law (not including patent or IP law). All of these careers involve interaction with people? All of these careers are very challenging and involve life long learning and intense study. All of these careers offer some degree of job security.

What is causing you pre-meds to trek on this hard and difficult journey. What inside your gut is causing you too choose medicine?

 

[Dr. Xavier]

How?

 

[gpannu]

How? what are u refering to? If you mean why the adcom guy ticked me because he made it seem as though most people applying to medicine don't consider or should never consider the financial rewards of the job. I find it hihgly unlikely that someone would go through all those intense hours of study, hard work, and sacrifice without ever considering their compensation. The guy made it seem like a sin to consider money when considering gradaute education.

 

[Primate]

Only an idiot, a very naive or a frankly un-intelligent person would undertake any of the career choices you've outlined without considering the whole package (lifestyle, personal interest in the relevant material, compensation, training, work environment, etc.). Some people go into law because they love to argue (not fight, argue - BIG difference). Some choose business because they like to build self-sustaining entities. Some choose dentistry because they like to work with their hands and are interested in science. You suggest all these fields are very similar. Having been in a couple of them, I would submit that they are actually quite different.

Medicine is great mix of the new and the time-tested, of science and art, of personal interactions, and, yes, it is not a bad way to earn a buck or two. That said, like any field, it can be only what you make of it. Going into medicine JUST for the money, however, can lead to dissappointment and a bitter practitioner (it's a long row to hoe JUST to try and make a buck). Perhaps this was the source of your contact's angst?

 

[redleft123]

Originally posted by Dr. Xavier
How?

WHY NOT?

 

[Dr. Xavier]

Not why?

 

[dacaveman]

how did i end up taking up medicine?

coz i thought the smartest people were in medicine, i thot to myself this was a smarter choice that going on a computer related career. how wrong cud i be?

hell all these guys do is memorize.

 

[gpannu]

I couldn't agree with you more. I knew that very early in highschool biology. I also talked to many docotors and medical students. The students that are humble all feel the same way: all we do is memorize. For me memory work has always been very easy. Their aren't too many professions that pay you well to memorize. It does make you wonder how smart you really are. My buddy in Surgery has the same complaint all the time. He loves his work but he admits that medicine does not require the aptitude of a rocket scientist. However, because of the voume of information one must absorb in medicine, it is unarguabely very hard work.

 

[geromine]

Well, I was gonna become a lawyer but I couldn't get a good enough price for my soul😀

 

[gpannu]

My friend your perception of what a law career involves may be misguided. Bioethics, patent law, IP law, health law, human rights law are very honourbale fields of practice. I don't know what you mean by selling your soul that's an individual choice and it is not determined by the profession one chooses to practice.

 

[geromine]

Cheer up dude, it was a joke.