Would You Go Into Medicine Again? A Psychiatry Perspective

[oldiebutgoodie1211]

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Wtf

 

[tbn0055]

What other job can you easily get paid in the 300s to work 40 hours a week (potentially from home if you want) and get to do something where you're actually helping improve other people's lives?

I don't see how any job out there beats psychiatry.

I truly do think it is one of the best overall jobs. The thing is the loss of youth hit hard for me... probably more than most people, and I'm still coming to terms with it. A lot of my hobbies, which defined much of my life when I was younger, are more accustomed to young people and required more time than I had while in school.

Things like loading up 3 full cars cars with your closest friends every weekend and traveling cheap to some obscure camping spot... only having to pay for gas and cliff bars is something I had to give up in medical school, while they continued it for the entirety of their 20's until they had kids. One time me and all my buddies skipped class Friday and drove 20 hours one way to a national park for the weekend... I only paid like $120 for that trip and it's the best memories I've ever had in my entire life. They've hit every national park in the continental US by now.

I also was very into combat sports and rock climbing at the time... I was anticipating being able to train more during school/residency. I had high hopes that I could have developed myself pretty decently and compete at a respectable level. that ship has sailed for the most part but I'm finally gotten to the point where I can get back into it after all of these years.

At the end of the day these are "first-world probs" and I'm very thankful for the opportunities I've been given... but that pang of nostalgia is still there. I'm sure I'll get over it one of these days. I get enjoyment from my career, which is something that I think will stick with me for a long time. That alone makes me luckier than most. I just need to become better at recognizing it.

 

[Psychresy]

I truly do think it is one of the best overall jobs. The thing is the loss of youth hit hard for me... probably more than most people, and I'm still coming to terms with it. A lot of my hobbies, which defined much of my life when I was younger, are more accustomed to young people and required more time than I had while in school.

Things like loading up 3 full cars cars with your closest friends every weekend and traveling cheap to some obscure camping spot... only having to pay for gas and cliff bars is something I had to give up in medical school, while they continued it for the entirety of their 20's until they had kids. One time me and all my buddies skipped class Friday and drove 20 hours one way to a national park for the weekend... I only paid like $120 for that trip and it's the best memories I've ever had in my entire life. They've hit every national park in the continental US by now.

I also was very into combat sports and rock climbing at the time... I was anticipating being able to train more during school/residency. I had high hopes that I could have developed myself pretty decently and compete at a respectable level. that ship has sailed for the most part but I'm finally gotten to the point where I can get back into it after all of these years.

At the end of the day these are "first-world probs" and I'm very thankful for the opportunities I've been given... but that pang of nostalgia is still there. I'm sure I'll get over it one of these days. I get enjoyment from my career, which is something that I think will stick with me for a long time. That alone makes me luckier than most. I just need to become better at recognizing it.

On the flip side I refused to give up my 20s and started med school in my early 30s. There are times I feel a little old as a resident, but I'll be finished before 40 at least. I loved my 20s, but even in my early 30s feel like I still had to give up a lot of what you're talking about. If you're active, healthy, and with a vibrant social circle I suspect you may feel that way regardless of the age you are when you start this process, so don't let it get you down too much.

 

[NontradCA]

To be fair, there's a huge difference in physical and mental difficulty... One of my closest buddies worked at the UPS warehouse in college. His work was physically tough, but he was always mentally drained after studying for physics and could barely stand it. He ended up changing his major because it was so difficult for him, but he kept his UPS job...

For someone who was really really smart, the UPS job might've been harder... but for him it wasn't

Bruh. Let me give you an analogy. You know the level of dissatisfaction from seeing patients who are not benefiting from your treatment? It’s kind of just moving the meat kind of thing. Imagine doing that for every patient and getting paid $15/hr for it.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I hate to admit it but I agree. The group I hung around before med school was very interesting and active. I still made good friends in med school but at the end of the day the majority of them defined themselves around the fact that they were med students and didn't have much anything else to show for it. I will say though, psych (in my experience), is one of the better ones though

Maybe it’s because I go to USUHS, but my school is not like this at all.

 

[tbn0055]

Bruh. Let me give you an analogy. You know the level of dissatisfaction from seeing patients who are not benefiting from your treatment? It’s kind of just moving the meat kind of thing. Imagine doing that for every patient and getting paid $15/hr for it.

Good point. I was just referring to how physical exertion is not always as exhausting as mental exertion in the strictest sense, but I agree this is a whole other aspect that could make it pretty taxing over the long term. My friend only did it part-time, which I'm sure would help greatly in this aspect

 

[Candidate2017]

That's interesting. What were your post-college jobs? You may not agree, but medical school was very draining for me. I might have spent a similar amount of time studying as I would've been working... but I think there's a difference spending 10 hours with your brain having to be completely 'on' memorizing things the whole time, than there is spending 10 hours doing tasks you already know how to do.. The first required more brain power and more rest time to recuperate. Of course in my previous office job I had to be 'on' sometimes, but there were a lot of tasks I could have complete sleepy or hungover. That's my experience. Thanks for sharing

Thanks for asking. I had a ladder-climbing career making good money, which gave me perspective on the relative ease of med school/psych training. Without that perspective, I probably would be in an intense specialty and eventuality wondering if it's worth it. Any rigorous pathway will make a young person question what they are doing, as you are figuring yourself and what you want.

I do agree it can be mentally taxing and emotionally draining. Though it is a kinder and gentler stress because the system actually wants you to make it through.

 

[PikminOC]

Thanks for asking. I had a ladder-climbing career making good money, which gave me perspective on the relative ease of med school/psych training. Without that perspective, I probably would be in an intense specialty and eventuality wondering if it's worth it. Any rigorous pathway will make a young person question what they are doing, as you are figuring yourself and what you want.

I do agree it can be mentally taxing and emotionally draining. Though it is a kinder and gentler stress because the system actually wants you to make it through.

The medical system wants you to make it through, but it's a long rigorous road. And people do get kicked out of or fail....
With large repercussions...

 

[oldiebutgoodie1211]

Thanks for asking. I had a ladder-climbing career making good money, which gave me perspective on the relative ease of med school/psych training. Without that perspective, I probably would be in an intense specialty and eventuality wondering if it's worth it. Any rigorous pathway will make a young person question what they are doing, as you are figuring yourself and what you want.

I do agree it can be mentally taxing and emotionally draining. Though it is a kinder and gentler stress because the system actually wants you to make it through.

the average MBA grinding through a corporate career is less competent/academically inclined/intelligent than the average doctor

 

[PikminOC]

the average MBA grinding through a corporate career is less competent/academically inclined/intelligent than the average doctor

And the MBA are competing with people like them whereas the docs are competing with other smarty pants docs

 

[Coupd'Cat]

No. I applied to medical school partly because I needed to leave my home state and have a set path to do so. I felt very out of place with the med school culture and medicine culture overall. Most of my classmates and attendings were white, middle-class, and came from families of physicians. They generally meant well, but it was suffocating.