Now I'm not religious but when someone thinks that much of you to call you that to her family, nurses and doctors, you realize how important your work is. Some doctors make a ludicrous amount of money. Lest you worry that as a patient, your doctor is distracted, it is quite the opposite. I had a patient who told my med staff "I should get preference over other patients because I've seen Dr. Bahhamburger before.". I expected medicine to be mainly about the science of medicine. Do people like you? Doctors work long hours, make personal sacrifices for their patients and sometimes no matter how hard they try, they fail. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. I would like to hear what you guys expected vs what the reality was of being a doctor. Being a doctor, pros, cons and the calling. I work on the IT side of healthcare supporting an EMR as an analyst. Medicine isn't like most careers, … (when the problem is that the patient's lack of compliance). Thanks for the help. You are in high school so you have some time to think about it. My other sister, though, decided she'd rather pursue food engineering while I'm an analyst at a bank (still considering if I want to pursue medicine in the next couple of years). Not to mention the epidemic problems of substance abuses and suicides. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. That's the best way I've come up to deal with things. At other times, it is a challenge to decide what best to do and how best to do it. Eng Lit is definitely a strength if you can spin it well. What in your opinion can be done to improve your workflow using a system and make it more usable? Being in the medical field is like being in a highly specialized service industry. If you work 4 days a week, no holidays, no weekends - expect lower pay. Fight for higher pay and refuse to take low paying positions. How can you be so sure medicine is the right career for you? That means interns become residents and residents pretend to be the real doctors. MDs share why they became doctors We gathered stories from doctors across the United States about what … Healthcare strategy consulting straight out of undergrad with a BS in Biology? Seriously, this! Then I remember the ones I helped, ones I saved and the one who called me her guardian angel. 20. State laws vary on what PAs can do on their own but here are many states where PAs can do almost anything an MD can do. All I can say is that it makes me feel so much better about myself whenever I get to that stage, knowing that I don't have to be able to know and do everything by myself, and that others have felt the same way when they were in my position. I too had spoke with a lot of doctors and did some rotations/volunteering and working in a hospital. Each state/area has differing options and costs will vary widely. For example, I get a lot of "you're a doctor? Thanks for the advice. Doctors work long hours, make personal sacrifices for their patients and sometimes no matter how hard they try, they fail. Finally, when was a time you couldn't detach vs a time you did (and if you had not, you know it would have gone horribly). Get M.A. Go for and engineering degree, take the extra classes that will get you into med school and then apply after graduating with your engineering degree. Even if you absolutely want to do it for the noble effort of helping others in need, the screwed up insurance and pharmaceutical systems have managed to even make that aspect almost entirely unbearable. “I know I want to do medicine but I’ve no idea why! 80% of the time though, I'm uncertain with my decisions, and I feel like I'm blagging my way through the day. or "I don't know why I keep coming back when you guys don't do anything for me!" Why do you want to study medicine? But I don't think I've heard of people landing consulting gigs too frequently right out of undergrad, usually I see people heading into labs. On that note, here is a list of terrible reasons to become a doctor: To make money: You will, but there are way easier and more profitable ways. None of this sounds particularly attractive to me (never mind the fact I may not even be cut out for it in the first place), but it is also very anecdotal. I would suggest looking into Physician Assistant instead. Unless if salaries have gone down significantly since 2012, this is a good gauge: http://www.forbes.com/sites#/sites/jacquelynsmith/2012/07/20/the-best-and-worst-paying-jobs-for-doctors-2/. It's funny, after my most recent physical, I came home and told my wife that more than anything else, it felt like the doctor and I were just sitting there filling out online forms together. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Please, keep in mind that most doctors are trying to help you, have sacrificed a lot of their youth to do what they do, get annihilated in residency, and somehow still have a smile and want to know how you're doing. I have never experienced that type of reward at any other job. No I will not see you sooner just because you have money. and become an anesthesiologist. You also sound like a good doctor, spending more time with patients, and catching many things that other doctors have missed! I thought that you [young female] were a nurse!" That said, I think I appreciate your way better. While I don't remember the names of the patients that I cared for who died, I remember how each one of them looked and how everything occurred. This is the definitive guide to answering the Why medicine question, in your head, on your personal statement and at interview.. Here’s a common question we’ve been getting asked on our subscriber list. Lest you worry that as a patient, your doctor is distracted, it is quite the opposite. You have such a good attitude. 4. So basically my point is that it's tough to know what you want when you're 18, so choose a degree that will give you a number of different options when you graduate rather than premed. The patients that don't treat you with respect almost always have serious substance abuse or mental health issues, but it only takes one really bad interaction (out of twenty) to ruin your day, if you can't detach. “Being a doctor was, for me, the ultimate opportunity to help others. Malpractice insurance is expensive. People who become doctors should actually do it because they give a fuck about patients and really want to help and make a difference instead of being out for a payday. Out of curiosity, how does engineering help so much? I thought that you [young female] were a nurse!" I've told this story to others before and one person asked me "you actually let the doctors talk you out of a life's dream" I said "yes, if I had really wanted it, I would have not listened to them". Yeah, that seems to be the correct answer the more I think about it. That's who I am. A little bit of a background, I became an engineer, and then did MBA. /r/medicine is a virtual lounge for physicians and other medical professionals from around the world to talk about the latest advances, controversies, ask questions of each other, have a laugh, or share a difficult moment. Some patients will still require braces though. In reality, EMR paved the way for an increase in redundant documentation. Kisses and hugs. I have the luxury of speaking outside the realm of the profession. Can you find a mentor who you can talk with and get advice from? You may struggle academically for the first time in your life. Being in the medical field is like being in a highly specialized service industry. You may take a big pay cut - Again, the same of any where. Also, other graduate programs love engineers as well and they honestly treat you different. Would you mind going into the chemical engineering stuff a bit? Oh yes I do. You have to accept it when they come home and all they want to do is Netflix and chill (and not always the fun kind). I'm in EM, so as a "frontline" doc, i think it is definitely worse for me than a lot of other specialties though. It will considerably ease your student loan burden. Why should they settle, when having a doctor's degree or high income allows them to choose? Is it worth paying for med school to earn the salaries that those professions can earn? 19. Thanks for the in-depth response. I've seen some incredibly put together F1s, and some that are much less so. Did you land that with contacts in your network somehow, or internships? 21. Could you elaborate about the finance/consulting bit? I know one in Poland, two in Romania, and one in St. Martins. As opposed to the practising doctor route, he did cancer research for a few years and is now a professor and doing his own research. The majority of my friends and people in my fraternity went into higher education for medicine, veterinary, nursing, dentistry, and some pursued academia for a PhD. Simply put, being a doctor has become a miserable and humiliating undertaking. So you see a lot of people specializing. Saving lives is a strong draw, and every kid dreams of being that person who rescues others. I've been told by several students in medical school that they are in hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt and only digging deeper, that government assistance programs are a joke, and that even if they find a good job once they leave school they will be paying off their debt for a good 10 to 20 years. My oldest sister worked in petroleum for a couple of years before deciding that she did, in fact, want to become a doctor so she's finishing her residency now. Substance abuse, mental health problems, and fucking rich people. As the resident medical school dropout, I'll say that it really depends on why you're leaving and what you're planning to do once you're "out." The short answer is yes, but the long answer is that if you're only in it for the money then do not go to med school. Not sure if it's right or effective, but it keeps me sane. The bottom line is that there are so many avenues and professions to choose from that it's really difficult to answer a simple question like "Is it worth it to be a doctor". Here are the most rewarding parts of becoming a doctor. If you don't have the passion for it, then don't do it. Doctors sacrifice the majority of their 20's and early 30's trying to pass rigorous exams throughout their undergrad, medical education, and residency. Preparing for med school, you have to do well on the MCAT. Working towards improved cancer treatments with my husband, professor Lonnie Shea, provides ongoing hope and optimism that the diseases we are studying may one day be cured.” Even more so if you don't have to take on too much debt. This is a highly moderated subreddit. I don't understand how people can take that long to pay off loans while they make $150k+. Go to med school and then join the military as a physician. If it's something you genuinely want to do, that's one thing, but it's really not something you should take on just because your parents want you to. Essentially what I'm trying to say is, do it for yourself and nobody else. Another thing that annoys me is the dislike most clinicians have for basic sciences and mathematics. or "I don't know why I keep coming back when you guys don't do anything for me!" By the virtue of their title, doctors are trusted with sensitive information that most other people would not have access to. “I like the fact that the field is one where you get to maintain health as opposed to manage sickness. Don't sweat the money, If you're smart with your money you should be able to pay off your loans in under five years. Press J to jump to the feed. Being a doctor despite the good salary does not mask or make up for mental stress and breakdowns that doctors suffer. But much of the time spent on patients is from talking with family regarding end of life care and social situations; and admission and discharges take up a ton of time due to documentation, ordering follow up referrals/tests, and med reconciliations. Thanks for letting me rant a little bit. My cousin (grew up in Georgia) and in his mid 30s now, he went through the public system in Georgia- at the time state schools were free for students who kept up certain grades, so he went from georgia tech to the Medical College of Georgia and interned at Augusta National. Are you ready to handle patients of all different types? When you are a doctor you are expected to some times perform the impossible. Through the whole thing, not much if any debt. So to make a long story short, is becoming a doctor actually worth it anymore? Because when you take time off more people die. For the dumbest and most obvious reason: Doctors go on vacation in July. So you have to decide. Less school and less "red tape", and you still get to treat patients. “Doctors are like trainers; their job is to keep you as healthy and fit as possible to avoid health problems from arising.” Communicate honestly with your doctor, who isn’t there to judge. Welcome to socialized healthcare, now sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up. A lot of the men in the class you want don't want women in the class you are (age, mostly, perhaps also appearance). Yes, a lot of doctors in this day and age commit suicide more often than police officers or dentists. Would you like us to help you ace your med school interview? 22. It does happen though. We asked that very question to a group of seasoned doctors whose insights may help reignite the spark that inspired you to start on your own path to medical school. I get it, most of the time, depending on the setting. 24. Do it because you want to help people. My roommate is applying to med schools right now, he's dug into a lot of this stuff, talked to doctors, and he's echoing a lot of the same concerns you are. What do you mean exactly? Cookies help us deliver our Services. Hi everyone, I'm not entirely sure that this is the right place to ask this, but here goes. 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