Comments on: Yes! It is worth it

By: Elliot

Elliot — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 07:21:03 +0000

You could NOT have said it any better: “Donâ€™t pursue a career in medicine because you think it would be a good idea. Donâ€™t do it because you want to. Donâ€™t do it because you love it. Do it because you cannot possibly imagine being happy doing anything else.”

By: erscutmonkey

erscutmonkey — Wed, 23 May 2007 02:10:39 +0000

I feel P. Bear’s pain. I would have agreed with everything he said when I was a resident. I was overworked and burned out.

As an attending, I love my job and thank God that I stuck it out. I’m an EM physician and I can’t imagine any other specialty as challenging, entertaining (exciting in EM is usually bad) or rewarding.

By: ScutMonkey

ScutMonkey — Tue, 22 May 2007 02:39:35 +0000

I am happy to hear that 3rd year gets better, because I fit your description to a “T”. I had to be idealistic to start med school in my 30′s, but I can tell you that I am as cynical and jaded now as I have been in a LONG time.

About Emergency Medicine, I hear the comment a lot about no relationships with patients. As an EMT before this, I disagree. In many primary care settings people see patients for years, but there are few acute events that warrant serious introspection on either part, patient or MD. In EM, you have but moments with some patients. But due to the situation, often, those patients open up their hearts, fears and show you not only what matters, but sometimes what they are ashamed of in hopes of somehow attaining redemption for their sins before they die. It is very humbling and I find I am very close to patients I saw as an EMT. I still think about many and I hope I never STOP remembering them.

Praying for 3rd year….. ScutM

By: MLO

MLO — Mon, 21 May 2007 16:49:40 +0000

Just a question: Do you mean passion in the same way some mean “calling”?

By: P. Bear

P. Bear — Mon, 21 May 2007 15:19:11 +0000

I don’t have any angst. I was just pointing out some of the potential economic consequences a career in medicine.

I would also say that the physicians with passion are a minority, at least if you define passion the way I think you mean it, that is as something other than liking your job.