residents, can I get some advice

[cnw49]

Originally Posted by miasma

you want medicine for the "prestige"? are you serious? i'm not sure what to say....that's just lame dude.

i agree with miasma, sounds like you want to be a doctor for the wrong reasons. i cannot see how someone in that position would want to go through it all and make the commitment that it takes, without having their heart in it. my advice is to really think about what you want (not just in the short-term) before getting started. you dont want to be two or three years down the road in debt to med. school and then come to the realization that it is not for you. that would suck a big you-know-what.

[Gavanshir]

This is a good thread, and I dont agree with whoever said that it's wrong to enjoy the prestige that comes with practicing medicine. Prestige is nice although it shouldn't be on the very top of your list of reasons for going into medicine.

You basically have to talk to yourself and ask yourself whether your desire is strong enough, and see where your desires are stemming from. The self-fulfillment factor of helping others is a strong one in my opinion, its one of the reasons which has stronger emotional roots than the enjoyment of prestige so if you do go into medicine with your grounds built on that kind of genuine desire, you will in fact wake up every morning at 5 AM and enjoy the opportunities that you have on a day to day basis. Those opportunities include helping people, teaching others, the beauty of the science of medicine itself, self-satisfaction, prestige, power, and etc.

Another very good reason for going into medicine is if you LOVE PEOPLE. If you love people and enjoy the level of interaction that you get with them through medicine, then you'll enjoy every day of your working life.

[cnw49]

sure, we all like prestige, power and money. who doesnt want that? it is a nice return for the hard work you put in. but like gavanshir said, it shouldnt be at the very top of your list for reasons to become a doctor. i am not saying that people shouldnt become doctors so they can have status and material things, i just think you might have difficulty finding the drive and determination it takes to be a doctor if you dont truly have a passion for it. that would make the process even more unbearable. that is what i would worry about.

[philenom]

I appreciate the candor and emotional content of this author/thread starter.

Being a Realtor and director of my own real estate brokerage firm has allow me the less-than-rigid daily business regimen; and therefore question whether entering allopathic medicine is a reasonable/rational thing to do. I have been accepted at a Caribbean school; but the school is really not part of the emotional-equation. The self-examination process is good at the very onset of embarking into a career. An old country Doc said, in medicine you work yourself into the apex of the triangle; you're cornered. If have been born with a silver spoon in your mouth and independently wealthy, you may exercise the option of leaving the "apex of the triangle"; I gather the old doc meant you put in many years of education and it is difficult to switch. But, who or what will stop you from doing so?? If your friends are in the bar business, they are in the sales and promotion business and you do not need any education to do that just patience and tenacity. There is a surgeon in Hawaii who just got tired of it and became a real estate developer.

Medicine is demanding when your are surrounded by needy people not including your own family and immediate relations.

As I have gotten older, I ask myself "What am I on this earth for?" With the uncertainty of life and certainly of a medical student and career you are The Spokesman and Conscience of All Medical Students. No matter what kind of job or purpose you have for being on this earth; it will boil down to daily trudgery. There is no mistake about that.

I have had many properties, made some money and loss some money, partied with clients, the wealthy, super wealthy, driven Cadillacs and before I was aware of things; I am 57 years old. Life is very short. If you hate medicine now, you will hate it and become cynical and miserable. But then, I have no passion for real estate however I have a viable business and no top end as to the amount of money that can be made. It's not How Much You make but what you do with it. I see janitors that have a million in assets and docs that are just making it by month to month as the majority of the population and the world. There must be some other intrinsic factor for being in medicine and I believe it is in everyone that has been or is in medical school; just remember what that "first-love" was all about and perhaps try to refocus on that.

But I find joy giving flu vaccines to senior citizens as an RN the other day. There is something that is unique about medicine; that isn't much impetus to continue isn't it? There is a "thing" about being a modern day shaman and I cannot put my finger on it. .......But, experientially speaking....
There is no other work like it.

Now with Medicare cuts one might expect to be making less than a nurse someday although putting in more hours.
Perhaps, there is that sublime spiritual experience of being a participant of another's life as they transition from the now to the hereafter.
In my opinion, it is well that practitioners be grounded in some faith in God as we too will be the one's to transition.

I am asking the same questions and after all the application process may decide to continue in real estate however, I will save that until I have visited a few schools.

Your frustration is acceptable, normal, understandable, reasonable, rational and I feel the same.

Thanks for bringing out the truth and reality of the matter. The title "Dr." will grow old like after driving a luxury automobile. About 5-10 minutes..

Later,


The Old Hawaiian
and getting older by the minutel and still under construction

[alpathmd]

Originally Posted by Myxomatosis

But then I think well thats all great and its seems so cool, but what about when Im 35 or 38 and Im tired and drained from waking up EVERYDAY at 5:00a.m and having these long days.

If the hours are killing...try pathology. You can get your hands bloody by working on surgical specimens and having 9-5 days, sometimes 10-4:00 with weekends off for many and still make $200+...sounds nice to me...

We got 6 kg (~15 pounds) of abdominal fat (lipectomy) the other day. I'm sure you'll enjoy your hands covered in grease and blood, if that's what you "crave".

[nrai2001]

Is pathology competitive to match into?

[alpathmd]

Originally Posted by nrai2001

Is pathology competitive to match into?

a little but not much...mainly because it's a "gross" field to deal with as there is little/no patient contact. The microscope becomes your best friend after a while.

[Nimmuk]

Thanks for sahing your insights phil. great post.

[DrNick2006]

LOL at Myxomatosis!! RUN RUN RUN away from medicine!!!! your too selfish to do it and immature as well. But if you think making a lot of money is easy in any field, well then your right as long as your dad owns a buisness or is CEO of a company, otherwise you'll have to work hard at what ever you do. Do yourself a favor, party it up for a couple years, get it out of the system then reconsider.

[onesolo]

I think your concerns are very valid. There is a lot of money to be made in the bar industry. I personally work as a bartender right now and I've done so throughout my college career. I don't own the club that I work at yet I still bring in a ton of money on a nightly basies. The owners of the bar are twins and both are only 24 years old. I congradulate the two of them on their success and it shows every day that they are doing exactly what they what to do in life. I'll tell you this though, they work their butts off each and every day. Behind the sceens they are always at work doing something and if your friends aren't doing this then their business will surely fail. My suggestion would be to do a pros and cons list and see which would be best for you. Keep in mind however, if your accepted to medical school and decide on that route you can continue for as long as you want. If you go into the bar business the people (your customers) will decide when your done.