What's it like to be a doctor?

In My Humble Opinion
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I’m working on my research in forest ecology, but I’m thinking of going to med school after I finally manage to get my master’s. (I might even want to shoot for an MD/PhD, since I think I’d like both treating patients and doing research.) I can find out quite a bit about what programs are available, what the requirements are, etc. by myself. What I’d like to know is what going through med school is like, and what being a doctor is like.

Those of you who are doctors–how do you like it? What’s your typical day like? Was it worth getting through med school to get to do what you do now? Is it easy enough to have an outside social life, hobbies, etc.? Do you think you get paid fairly, considering the time and effort you put into med school and your residency?

Those of you who started in med school and then left, or who were doctors and then changed careers–why did you leave, and how do you feel about that decision now?

I’d appreciate anything you can tell me. Thanks.

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Med school was hard. Mainly the hours, but also the studying. Residency was hard. Again mainly the hours, but also the responsibility, and being faced with a lot of horrendous stuff.

Then practicing for years, and discovering just what I liked and didn’t like was time-consuming and not a little stressful. But life’s like that. Eventually I earned the respect of (most of) my peers and acquired a few added professional interests and skills as I went along, often due to unexpected opportunities.

Now, over 20 years after graduating med school, it was worth it. I work 40 hours a week, see a wide variety of patients, and get paid a straight salary to do what I feel is necessary, as much or as little. So with an income above the national average for primary care physicians, good benefits, and more free time than the average doctor (and no call, I hate call), I have time to do other things.

Now, my situation is an exception to the usual doc job out there, but there are those types of jobs out there in medicine yet. Lots of MDs today are busy telling people how horrible modern medicine is, and to stay out of it. And there is some merit in what they say. But I’d say that one should follow one’s interests, and keep a sharp eye out for interesting opportunities as one goes along.

However I don’t feel at all bad that neither of my kids show any interest in becoming doctors.

And if it so happens I hit it big in the Lotto, I won’t continue practicing! There’s lots of other interesting things I’d like to do before I die.

Don’t know if that helps.

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Medical school was hard and time consuming mainly due to just the pure volume of information that you have to learn. The stuff you learn is not always that much more complicated or difficult than what you learn in undergrad, its just there is so much you have to learn in such a short period of time. Its a lot of memorization, no matter what approach or manner the med school tries to teach it in.

             Residency vaires depending on what you go into, but I have to say overall my residency program was not bad at all.  I did one year preliminary medicine and 3 of Neurology.  The first year was tough on the months I was on call every 4th or fifth night.  That was probably half the year.  The other months weren't bad.  The other three years we had about a once a week call schedule.  Some of those nights could be bad, but when you only do it once a week, its OK.  Overall, I have no complaints about the hours worked during residency.  ANd its not like I was in a poor program, either, because I just took my Board exam and I am pretty sure I did very well on it.  I would be very surprised if I did not pass.

        However, it depends on what specialty you choose.  Also, the residency program hours are being completely overhauled now because they have become very serious about truly limiting residency hours to only 80/week.  Many places are going to floating call schedules where some residents work overnight and others during the day.  The traditional overnight call in the hospital and becoming less and less the norm, for better or for worse.  I don't know how the surgery programs put up with this, but to retain accredidation anymore these rules have to be followed.  

        I have only been out six months, but I have no complains about my current job.  The pay is now well worth it despite the $100K in debt.  I would neither encourage nor discourage my children (or future children) from a job as a doctor.   

      At the same time, if something happened where I could no longer practice medicine, I would move on and could be perfectly happy doing other things.  I have other interests that could sustain me.  I love my job, but its not my only option.

      For me, the toughest part of the job, as odd as it may sound, is trying to convince people when there is really nothing wrong with them and they don't really need much done by me.  Its almost salesmanship.  When someone comes to you with a minor complaint that likely is of little consequence medically, it is tough to convince them that, while you are not ignoring their problem, they really don't need to do much about their symptom.
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I would just like to say that I truly enjoyed both of the above posts. I can’t think of another profession that I’d rather think that those in it, enjoy their jobs.

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Thanks, HomerIU and Qadgop the Mercotan.

I’ve got one more question: I’m almost 30. I’m still single and, for the moment, at least, have no family responsibilities. Am I out to lunch for even considering this?

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Hi, I was just wondering, what pre-med program did any of you choose? I am considering going into medicine but I would like a good back-up plan if you will, something so that I’ll end up with a good job that pays well.

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Damn, I hope not.(I’m 32 and actually start a premed program this past semester. On the bright side at least I require less sleep now than when I was in my early 20’s.)

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Nah, you’re not out to lunch. There were lots of people in Dr.J’s class who were in their mid-to-late-thirties. Hell, there was a guy who got into Auburn’s vet school at the age of 56 a few years ago.

I’ve never been to med school myself, but I feel fairly well qualified to tell you the basics of how it’s likely to affect your life. Think about the fastest-paced, most grueling class you ever took in undergrad. Now double that, and picture taking three of those every couple of months for two years. For the first several months, not only will you be busting your ass all the time, you will reek of formalin. There is no washing regimine known to man that will eradicate the smell of a gross anatomy student. To be perfectly honest, you’ll probably still smell somewhat for a few weeks after the anatomy block ends.

You’ll probably forge really strong friendships with your fellow med students, but your relationships with the outside world will probably suffer. School takes up so much of your time and energy that there’s just not much left over. Besides, your perspective tends to change, and it becomes a little harder to identify with people outside the field. You go out to dinner and sit around talking about your day, and wonder why nobody else is eating anymore. Geez, you’d think they didn’t enjoy hearing about the diseased lung you saw removed today. (I cannot tell you how many times this has happened to us; between his job and mine, there’s a reason nobody ever invites us to dinner.)

A lot of people quit during those first two years. They either decide they just don’t like it, or they can’t handle the demands. A lot more people’s spouses and SO’s quit; it’s awfully hard to hold together a relationship with someone who’s perpetually exhausted and has little to no time to spend with you. It’s a long hard slog, for you and for the people around you, and anyone who tells you differently is blowing smoke up your ass.

The last two years you’re on clinical rotations. Sometimes you’ll be working 9-5 M-F, other times you’ll be putting in 16 hour days 6 days a week. The rotations at each school are a little different, but you can read about Dr.J’s experiences at www.thejtrain.net in the rotation reviews. (I think he’s gotten those put back up; I haven’t been to the site for quite a while.)

Residency varies wildly by program, but any job where you talk about only working 80 hours a week isn’t exactly going to set you up for being a social butterfly. He’s in a pretty benign program, really. They’ve only had to make a few adjustments to fit the new rules. Still, a lot of people work more than 80 hours in a week, and just don’t mention it. A lot of programs are much more demanding, and residency can be even harder on relationships than med school; there are some programs where the divorce rate for married residents approaches 95%.

Academics and personal relationships aside, one of the harder things about medicine is striking that delicate balance between compassion and callousness. You have to care about your patients to be any good at this stuff, but if you let yourself care too much the constant stream of death and disability and pain will chew you up and spit you out. It’s a hard balance to strike, and everybody falls to one side or the other sometime, but it’s something you have to learn to do if you’re going to make it.

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To those who go to med school and vet school in their 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s: ROCK ON!!!

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Thanks Scribble for starting this thread. I was just accepted into medical school a few weeks ago and have been wondering about many of the same questions. Hope you don’t mind if I tag along and enjoy all these insightful posts. :slight_smile:

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You’re welcome, lilbtagna. Lurk away. Lurk to your little heart’s content. And congrats on getting into med school.

CrazyCatLady–Thanks for your insights and for the link. I went to thejtrain and read about some of the more…uh…notable patients Dr. J has had to deal with. The cocaine guy, in particular, sounds like fun.

Well, that would be a better experience than grad school’s been. I haven’t formed any kind friendship at all with anyone in my program.

I know exactly what you’re talking about! My mom used to be an EMT. When she came home after a day of calls, we’d have dinner table conversations that could gross out almost anybody else. She’d tell us all about the really neat emergency tracheotomy she did that day, or about the various injuries and deaths she saw in a traffic accident. BTW–I’ve learned not to describe a lot of what I do in detail over lunch or dinner. Some people get very grossed out by hearing about my dead beetles in antifreeze while they dine.

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Oh, and I’m glad to hear that I wouldn’t be the only so-called “non-traditional” student in a med school class.