How being a Doctor Became the Most Miserable Profession

[fontaine]

When I was picking a major, I wanted to get involved strictly for the money, but I knew there was a catch.

A 100k-200k salary after 10+ years of schooling & racking up a 6 figure debt wasn't worth it to me. plus malpractice insurance and other ****

Again I was doing it strictly for the money, so a degree like accounting made much more sense for my wants. After 10-12 years you can easily be making $150k+ with ZERO debt. And then I'm in Atlanta, so I'll be extremely comfortable on that.

I just didn't love medicine enough to pursue it

@ you thinking its easy to get to $150k after ten years.

 

[jking0821]

My primary physician is worthless. I wait in the lobby for an hour, see him for 5 minutes, he pretends to care, writes down all the prescriptions I need to take and gives me referrals to specialists. Unbelievable my company pays so much in medical insurance for this crap.

And this is why I have a bad impression of doctors. I'm aware a lot of folks go to the ER for no solid reason, but at least act like you give a ****. I hurt my shin in HS and went to an ER and the doctor told me to put ice on it and stretch   Went to another doctor a week later due to pain and I had to put a cast on it. Nowadays my policy is I dont go to the doctors unless I'm about to die  , havent been to a doctors office in 4-5 years

This cycle is one of the many reasons healthcare in this country is messed up

This.
i hate my PCP too. Dude gives no dambs...i never go to the doctor and i hate it every single time i am there. I have been 2 times in 6 years

 

[normtheminotaur]

 
Great, thanks for your help docs. Picking a speciality that's right for you can be a daunting task indeed. I was also considering cardiology, but I suppose I have time to weigh my options and see whats most comfortable for me.

you're getting WAAAAAAAAAY ahead of yourself my dude. Your interests are gonna chance tremendously while in med school. I went from being into Optho, Peds, and Ortho before finally deciding on ENT. Keep an open mind. A lot will change your mind. 

 

[pdino]

I work in the hospital as a Registered Nurse. I average 5 patients per day, 2 MDs (minimum, one surgeon to check on his "work", and one hospitalist to check on everything else health-wise of the patient) see each of my patients, additional MD's will come for certain scenarios (Infectious disease MD, Nephrologist (kidneys), cardiologist, etc.). Meaning I deal with at least 10 doctors per day. Yesterday I was working and one of my doctors is a 80+ year old surgeon who loves his field. You can tell he LOVES it, he could have retired 20 years ago, he has great bedside manner, and legitimately cares for his patients. Other doctors are noticeably stressed, and others with terrible bedside manner,but this picture is being painted like all docs are miserable...

Doctors most commonly get with other doctors (at my hospital) because they are in school with each other for so long. They share private practices, and own different facilities. I'm at a top 3% hospital in the U.S, and they probably had financial issues during school, but don't get it twisted, these doctors I'm working with are ballin'. They live in the most expensive areas, with the most expensive cars.

One of my good friends father is a pediatric doctor. In his late 50's. He has a house in a very nice area in southern California where he raised 5 boys. He has another house in Laguna beach ON THE BEACH. He has Lakers season tickets for as long as I've known my friend (10+ years). He has paid for college in full for all of his sons: several went to private schools, one is currently a lawyer, one is a currently a anesthesiologist. He has 4 NICE cars. He's doing just fine financially even with all his loans and malpractice insurance. He also without a doubt, loves his job.

 

[milestailsprowe]

You can make 100 200 with no schooling. Trust me.

I know but the Doctors who Drive a new High end Benz and live in some high end neighborhood talking about their miserable and more can F outta here with that talk. I can see your job is hard but their living better then most and that right there kills all Sympathy for me.

People who live on Temp Work have it WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY harder

 

[franco23x]

I know doctors making 400k+ from there private practices.

They are still stressed because of the pressure they are under.

 

[AZwildcats]

My primary physician is worthless. I wait in the lobby for an hour, see him for 5 minutes, he pretends to care, writes down all the prescriptions I need to take and gives me referrals to specialists. Unbelievable my company pays so much in medical insurance for this crap.

And this is why I have a bad impression of doctors. I'm aware a lot of folks go to the ER for no solid reason, but at least act like you give a ****. I hurt my shin in HS and went to an ER and the doctor told me to put ice on it and stretch   Went to another doctor a week later due to pain and I had to put a cast on it. Nowadays my policy is I dont go to the doctors unless I'm about to die  , havent been to a doctors office in 4-5 years

This cycle is one of the many reasons healthcare in this country is messed up

This.
i hate my PCP too. Dude gives no dambs...i never go to the doctor and i hate it every single time i am there. I have been 2 times in 6 years

This thread sparked my curiosity, so I went and checked my medical records. Last time I went to a doctors office was for a physical for HS football. The date was July 19th, 2007. It's been 6+ years since I've seen a doctor. Don't know if I should be happy or worried

 

[beh235]

 
I work in the hospital as a Registered Nurse. I average 5 patients per day, 2 MDs (minimum, one surgeon to check on his "work", and one hospitalist to check on everything else health-wise of the patient) see each of my patients, additional MD's will come for certain scenarios (Infectious disease MD, Nephrologist (kidneys), cardiologist, etc.). Meaning I deal with at least 10 doctors per day. Yesterday I was working and one of my doctors is a 80+ year old surgeon who loves his field. You can tell he LOVES it, he could have retired 20 years ago, he has great bedside manner, and legitimately cares for his patients. Other doctors are noticeably stressed, and others with terrible bedside manner,but this picture is being painted like all docs are miserable...

Doctors most commonly get with other doctors (at my hospital) because they are in school with each other for so long. They share private practices, and own different facilities. I'm at a top 3% hospital in the U.S, and they probably had financial issues during school, but don't get it twisted, these doctors I'm working with are ballin'. They live in the most expensive areas, with the most expensive cars.

One of my good friends father is a pediatric doctor. In his late 50's. He has a house in a very nice area in southern California where he raised 5 boys. He has another house in Laguna beach ON THE BEACH. He has Lakers season tickets for as long as I've known my friend (10+ years). He has paid for college in full for all of his sons: several went to private schools, one is currently a lawyer, one is a currently a anesthesiologist. He has 4 NICE cars. He's doing just fine financially even with all his loans and malpractice insurance. He also without a doubt, loves his job.

Not to sidetrack the thread, but the first half of your post speaks to the dichotomy of the field that exists. It seems like the "old school" MD's tend to love what they do. Hence, you have 70-80+ year olds still doing it, which is great. They also tend to have better bedside manner as well and are more thorough. Then on the other hand you have the "new school" doctors who look in the PDR and google and throw meds left and right. They don't treat the patient, just the symptoms/disease in front of them. Just an observation over the years from being a patient and working with doctors. I just wonder where along the lines it went sideways in that regard. 

 

[ill steelo]

When I was picking a major, I wanted to get involved strictly for the money, but I knew there was a catch.

A 100k-200k salary after 10+ years of schooling & racking up a 6 figure debt wasn't worth it to me. plus malpractice insurance and other ****

Again I was doing it strictly for the money, so a degree like accounting made much more sense for my wants. After 10-12 years you can easily be making $150k+ with ZERO debt. And then I'm in Atlanta, so I'll be extremely comfortable on that.

I just didn't love medicine enough to pursue it

@ you thinking its easy to get to $150k after ten years.

If you have big 4 experience & a CPA it is easy to get that whether you stay put at the big 4 firm for all 10 years or if you move from company to company every few years to get your raises that way.

Look at the average salary of a senior manager at a big 4 firm, then consider how commonplace promotions are at these firms as long as you have your CPA.

Getting to partner is difficult because you actually have to formulate a business plan regarding how you'll grow the firm, but senior manager is almost entirely based on tenure & satisfactory, not even spectacular, performance evaluations.

And by easy, it's easy relative to going through medschool for a person who likes both fields equally.

 

[youngdoc]

All of the attendings who are "ballin" at my hospital made the majority of their wealth outside of medicine

Of course the people making 400K+ are more likely to be happy. The average PCP makes nowhere near that with salaries going down and patient loads going up.

 

[Comparison Ford]

All of the attendings who are "ballin" at my hospital made the majority of their wealth outside of medicine

Of course the people making 400K+ are more likely to be happy. The average PCP makes nowhere near that with salaries going down and patient loads going up.

There's truth to this.

My uncle is an orthodontist (I know...not an MD, but still), and he made about 10 times the money he made from his practice by getting involved in real estate.  Dude is a millionaire and has property all over America now.

 

[am1x90xnike]

That article makes me glad I went into Law...and that statement says a whoooollllleeeee loottttt, if you know anything about Attorneys.

 

[snax91]

Didn't know there are this many doctors on NT!

 

[utvol23]

Didn't know there are this many doctors on NT!

We roll deep around these parts and have almost every specialty covered. Im trying start my own group just call it NT. We probably break some kind of antikickback statute or stark law or something along those lines

 

[am1x90xnike]

We roll deep around these parts and have almost every specialty covered. Im trying start my own group just call it NT. We probably break some kind of antikickback statute or stark law or something along those lines

Nah...I got ya'll. I just need some equity b.

 

[utvol23]

I think these are the specialties we have but im probably leaving out a few I think the only major one we are missing is gen surg
1. Radiology
2. Emergency medicine
3. Pediatrics
4. Pediatric cardiology
5. Dermatology who also does IM
6. ENT
7. I think we have anesthesia but I cant remember who

im forgetting others but its late and I just got home been at work since before 7 am

 

[youngdoc]

I know a Gen Surg who lurks but he's switching to Anesthesia

 

[utvol23]

I know a Gen Surg who lurks but he's switching to Anesthesia

hea gotta be active but he fits one of our gaps. We are also missing path

 

[ill legal operation]

**** law and med school...

...dental school is the way to go.

All of the baggin', none of the naggin'...

 

[youngdoc]

**** law and med school...

...dental school is the way to go.

All of the baggin', none of the naggin'...

Not sure what you would have to pay to work in mouths all day but it's definitely more than average salary

Not knocking dentistry at all (several family members are dentists) but it's not for everyone

 

[3am scholar]

Leaning towards Neurology/Psychiatry.

 

[three00zeex]

I think these are the specialties we have but im probably leaving out a few I think the only major one we are missing is gen surg
1. Radiology
2. Emergency medicine
3. Pediatrics
4. Pediatric cardiology
5. Dermatology who also does IM
6. ENT
7. I think we have anesthesia but I cant remember who

im forgetting others but its late and I just got home been at work since before 7 am

Where is @Hodog16 anyways? I remember talking to him about medicine even before I started med school.

You guys known for being the doc w all the sneakers at work?

 

[girlslovewaffles]

TypeRPinoy is an anesthesia resident IIRC.

 

[xilegacy]

My friends brother is a doctor and he says the same stuff everyone is saying. His problems are worse since he knocked up this chick on a one night stand type of thing . My brother wanted to be a doctor. Told him to go the engineering route, but he decided on dual degree applied mathematics and computer science. His friend was leaning towards doctor too but decided against it after getting into MIT. Being a doctor isn't worth it if you are doing it for the money. Plenty of people going to school for less years and making more in other fields. Granted these are exceptionally bright people but people becoming doctors aren't exactly stupid.

 

[fourtyeight48]

Wheeeew. Glad I live in the city with the best hospitals in the world.

Guess I won't be getting my gynecologist certificate.