I wanted to weigh in as someone who was set to go to med school and against the wishes of my parents, declined. Looking back, I believe it is one of the best decisions I ever made in my life. On one hand, you do miss out on having a profession that is highly respected by society and job stability as well. When I really got into the nuts and bolts of it, I found that medicine only makes sense for people who have a genuine interest in anatomy (no puns intended), helping others, are naturally good at life sciences, and have a personal reason that pushes them towards saving lives.
This post is not meant to discourage anyone from getting into medicine. If you have a strong affinity for the sciences, how the human body works, and a passion for certain fields within medicine, then I think it's worth the investment. I've known happy doctors that live fulfilled lives and the underlying theme is usually that passion for the subject. One of my friends broke his leg playing soccer and that got him to investigate medicine to the point of reading about orthopedics and various surgeries, this was in his teens. That passion carried him to learning about it even more and he ended up matching into that speciality as a result.
if you are like my friend, then go for it but I want to offer the other perspective too. Sadly, this is true for the majority of people that go into medicine. Most of them end up being quite depressed.
"Male doctors are 40% more likely to die from suicide than the general public."
Veterinarians and humanitarian workers among the professions that stand out for their impact on mental health.
www.businessinsider.com
Here are reasons I decided against med school and a career in medicine, breaking them down in bold.
Getting into the best specialities is hard and requires schooling even after med school.
In order to be a surgeon and get into some of the desired specialities like neurosurgery and orthopedics, which pay a lot, you have to do a residency for 4 years after med school and then likely do a fellowship as well (at least its strongly preferred). The years in residency are taxing, you spend long hours with little pay as you sacrifice for your career.
Most people end up not matching for the best residencies and are often doing things like Family Medicine or Internal Medicine. While you can still make a lot more when you start working than an average joe will, there is that feeling of inferiority that the community passively rubs in your face that you are in a speciality which was not that competitive compared to a surgeon.
When you break it down more, you realize how much difference there is in elitist status. How a doctor in NYC is making all of the big bucks compared to someone in small town Idaho.
You really don't make that much money.
They list surgeons and most MDs as being wealthy but the reality is, you don't actually make that much money and anyone who knows anything about finance will attest to this. While the bankers, engineers, computer science/coders and businesspeople are making the big bucks in their twenties, you graduate medical school with six figures in debt. You are not making a buck in those years and then come residency time, you are making pennies and living like a peasant. From the ages of 22-30, you are losing money while others are starting to hit their stride.
Then you factor in that doctors have to pay for malpractice insurance and a host of other things, you realize that the pay is smaller than they advertise. You are not getting it until your 30s and for the sought after surgeries, well into your mid 30s.
You lose out on time.
I get that men are supposed to peak at an older age but those years of 22-30, you are spending them in the books. Most doctors are studying hard to not just stay in med school but constantly put themselves up for the best residencies. The courses are tough and you are constantly being evaluated to see if you know what you are doing. People do this with some careers like high finance and investment banking too but the problem here is that they are actually making the big bucks in their 20s, you are not.
You also miss out on time socializing with cool girls and naturals. While they do exist, naturals are not that common in the medical world. The few who do make it into medicine actually lose their edge because their heads are in the books and not in socializing all that much. You do hear the saying that you are the average of the 5 people you spend most of your time with right? This takes me to the next point.
The people suck.
I know society portrays doctors as Angels and there are some doctors out there who are good people. Unfortunately, medicine draws in a lot of people who aren't the best people, as scary as that may be to think about. When you look up professions with the most sociopaths, surgeons are usually near the top of that list.
When I was finishing my pre-med courses, I noticed that most of the people who were taking the MCAT with me or studying for it were the following types:
1. Asian, Indian, and Jewish kids from cut-throat families that prioritize academic status and achievement above all else. Strong parental pressure is involved here to keep these kids in.
2. Kids from rich families where the parents care a lot about how their kids are perceived.
3. Small town kids and people that genuinely want to be doctors so they can help others.
I'd say the vast majority were number 1. The people who get into medicine are less into helping others and are more into how they are perceived. As tragic as it sounds, most doctors care more of what others think of their academics and how their families perceive them than actually helping anyone.
These people can also be a drain, anyone who has been around Asian and Indian people that are gung ho about their academics knows how they can get. Everyday is a social ladder climbing competition with these people and it becomes too much to deal with. When it comes to women, most of the men are not that good and their bad traits rub off on you overtime. Most doctors get gold digger trophy wives and consider that their achievement.