Is medicine worth it?

10 Jun
2009

 

My top post of all time addresses this question – Why become a doctor?

I received a recent email from a 20 year old college student who asked me about this issue.  As I have pondered this email, I searched for the proper words.  Readers know that I love being a physician.  But this student asked a different question.  The problem is the classic one for all who go to medical school – can you and should you delay gratification of need? 

Going to medical school and doing residency delays adolescence.  You stay a student for your entire 20s.  Looking back from age 60 this decision seems simple.

I enjoyed the last 2 years of medical school and my residency (readers know that I hated the first 2 years of medical school.)  As a 60 year old, I guess that I missed out on my 20s – but did I really.  What did I miss?

So here is my advice to 20 somethings.  The 20s only represent 10 years of your life.  You have many years after to work and contribute.

As a physician I still feel vibrant at age 60.  I still make an important contribution to patient care.  I still influence students and residents.

I wake in the morning, look in the mirror and have a sense of purpose.

At age 60 I am not worried about employment.  I make a decent living – although have many friends (non-physicians) who make much more money.  I like working – and sometimes wonder if it is really work.

So my simple advice is that medicine is worth it – not for riches – but for the work.  Helping patients feels good every time.

I would always argue that the trade-off in your 20s is paid in multiples.

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4 Responses to Is medicine worth it?

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Brian

June 10th, 2009 at 9:23 am

What about your family life? Do you think you’ve sacrificed more than you would like for the sake of medicine, or is it a delicate balance that can be perfected with time, or perhaps choosing a field with less rigorous hours? My father is a vascular/general surgeon and I know he often regrets not being able to spend much time with my family, especially when I was younger. I’ve read that many med school students are choosing specialties that either pay out higher salaries or offer more appealing hours, which creates shortages in some physicians, such as general surgeons. This may be too broad of a question, but can the disincentives to choose a path such as radiology over general surgery be addressed properly?

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Brian

June 10th, 2009 at 9:26 am

Correction in my last sentence: it should be dealing with the disincentives to choose general surgery over radiology, as radiologists get a reputation of earning higher salaries and work less hours than general surgeons

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Bruno

June 10th, 2009 at 11:14 am

I agree fully with what you say :) :)

But your post is for the question

Is Medicine Worth in 1960s

The actual question asked is Is Medicine worth in 2010

The answer may be the same, but your explanation is totally unrelated :) :) :)

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Montse

June 16th, 2009 at 1:47 pm

I just think it is worth it if that is what you want.
I am in Med school, i have been only for a year, and I still feel confused if I chose the right option.
Anyway, I am surrounded by different kinds of people, the ones who came in Med school just for the money, because they want to change the way they live and “improve it”; other ones who had no other choice, I mean, they had no options so they chose the one they thought would be the best; and the only ones who I think should be there: the ones who love to be there, not for the money or some stupid reason, but because they feel they must be there, above all, they have got vocation.
I know this may sound old fashioned, but I think if you do not really love what you do is not worth it, no matter how much money you can earn, how many cars you can buy, how many friends you have or how many power you can get.
I simply cannot imagine my entire life doing something I do not really love, it would be awful to spend the rest of my life working (when you are doing what you love, is not a real job =) ) in something I dont like.
I think there is always something you want to do, you just feel it. Med school is not just another option, but it could also be the wrong one.
Imagine, you can like vanilla but you love strawberry. Are you willing to sacrify your chocolate for vanilla? Just because the rest of the people think that vanilla is better? Or you would go get your chocolate?
You must get to something YOU like: you go first, then everyone. Is a big desicion, that will be the rest of your life with you. Do what YOU like, go where YOU want to go and the rest will eventually come.
It is true that you must sacrify a lot of things, but if you are sure this is your passion, there is no reason to hesitate.

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