Anyone trying to become a doctor

[blazinrook]

Originally Posted by AntonLaVey

Originally Posted by blazinRook

Originally Posted by AntonLaVey

Originally Posted by UnkleTomCruze

Originally Posted by durty pancakes

I never really saw the point of being a PA. You're nothing more than the doctor's minion. If you're already planning on going down that road, why not put in a little more effort and have "MD" next to your name. 

Because in the short term, PA > MD.

Less debt, if any, coming outta school (most likely will accrue some debt though). Start your career faster and younger (assuming you went straight).

Make money faster.

More time for yourself/family...etc as PA programs are often 2+ years after your Bachelors, whereas an MD is 4+ years excluding residencies and all that other stuff.

Of course, this is in the short run. In the long run, an MD will gain all these benefits on top of higher pay (potentially) depending on the field they choose to specialize in.


...

If this is the case pretty much every job where u make 80-90 grand a year with minimal schooling>>>>>>>MD

i think PA's argument would be that you are still involved within the medical realm which you are "passionate" about, without the demanding commitment of an MD.

I also heard that PA's are able to switch between concentrations they're involved in without having to go back to school...while MD's have to go back.

meh, the autonomy and potential for earning is higher with MDs. Most people would not turn down med school to become PAs/RNs.


Residency/ fellowships is "training" I wouldn't refer to it as school-even tho it certainly feels that way but atleast you'll be getting paid and have way more hands on experiences and responsibility that a mere student. When you say "go back to school" you make it seem like they'll have to do med school all over again. It is impossible for a doctor to switch concentrations without getting some kind of training (not sure how PAs can afford to do this but I suppose its a testament to the level to responsibility and knowledge required of PAs).


Not tryna knock PAs at all, its a great job in a great field but it isn't a substitute for MDs. Becoming a doc takes an incredible amount of sacrifice that some people are not willing to make and honestly I don't blame them. Dental is another route one could go if they wanted to avoid a lengthy/rigorous medical training.

I agree. Didn't mean to be vague about "going back to school" for MD's...That was an argument I over heard from an aspiring PA so thats her point of view...

She also said the reason why she is gonna to be PA is because she wants to have a family, and she wants to be able to dedicate more time to her kids...
But also added that if she were a man, she would have chosen the MD route...(wifey characteristics if you ask me

)

Nothing she regrets, its just life choices...can't go wrong with either paths...

 

[antonlavey]

Originally Posted by Three00ZeeX

utvol - lol saw those vids before... hilarious because our program has a couple attendings that instead of using clinical knowlege/skill will just irradiate the crap out of anyone that comes thru the doors.

anton - youre a 4th year right? what are you going into?

nah second, start third year in July

. Got a while to go, and boards lurking.

 good luck to yall in the match and congrats for making it this far. It's no easy task you should be proud.

Right now im leaning toward rads, or a surgical subspecialty. i'm honestly open to pretty much anything but the primary care specialties.

 

[antonlavey]

Originally Posted by Three00ZeeX

utvol - lol saw those vids before... hilarious because our program has a couple attendings that instead of using clinical knowlege/skill will just irradiate the crap out of anyone that comes thru the doors.

anton - youre a 4th year right? what are you going into?

nah second, start third year in July

. Got a while to go, and boards lurking.

 good luck to yall in the match and congrats for making it this far. It's no easy task you should be proud.

Right now im leaning toward rads, or a surgical subspecialty. i'm honestly open to pretty much anything but the primary care specialties.

 

[three00zeex]

Originally Posted by AntonLaVey

Originally Posted by Three00ZeeX

utvol - lol saw those vids before... hilarious because our program has a couple attendings that instead of using clinical knowlege/skill will just irradiate the crap out of anyone that comes thru the doors.

anton - youre a 4th year right? what are you going into?

glad youre keeping your options open... im sure you will change your mind a few times by 4th year... i didnt decide ER til september of 4th year!

nah second, start third year in July

. Got a while to go, and boards lurking.

 good luck to yall in the match and congrats for making it this far. It's no easy task you should be proud.

Right now im leaning toward rads, or a surgical subspecialty. i'm honestly open to pretty much anything but the primary care specialties.

 

[three00zeex]

Originally Posted by AntonLaVey

Originally Posted by Three00ZeeX

utvol - lol saw those vids before... hilarious because our program has a couple attendings that instead of using clinical knowlege/skill will just irradiate the crap out of anyone that comes thru the doors.

anton - youre a 4th year right? what are you going into?

glad youre keeping your options open... im sure you will change your mind a few times by 4th year... i didnt decide ER til september of 4th year!

nah second, start third year in July

. Got a while to go, and boards lurking.

 good luck to yall in the match and congrats for making it this far. It's no easy task you should be proud.

Right now im leaning toward rads, or a surgical subspecialty. i'm honestly open to pretty much anything but the primary care specialties.

 

[minah86]

it irks me to always see people throw only "MD" around and forget about mentioning "DO"

 

[minah86]

it irks me to always see people throw only "MD" around and forget about mentioning "DO"

 

[nermindee]

I gave up after 3rd grade.

 

[nermindee]

I gave up after 3rd grade.

 

[frink85]

skimmed through the thread, to add on:

if you get into medicine/med school/DO school/PA school solely for the $$$, you will drop out. theres no way to go through all this crap without having a passion for it.

im in what theyre calling "death March" right now, tests 2x a day in different subjects all this crap to do, but theyd have to kick me out for me to leave

 

[frink85]

skimmed through the thread, to add on:

if you get into medicine/med school/DO school/PA school solely for the $$$, you will drop out. theres no way to go through all this crap without having a passion for it.

im in what theyre calling "death March" right now, tests 2x a day in different subjects all this crap to do, but theyd have to kick me out for me to leave

 

[typerpinoy]

Originally Posted by AntonLaVey

Originally Posted by Three00ZeeX

utvol - lol saw those vids before... hilarious because our program has a couple attendings that instead of using clinical knowlege/skill will just irradiate the crap out of anyone that comes thru the doors.

anton - youre a 4th year right? what are you going into?

nah second, start third year in July

. Got a while to go, and boards lurking.

 good luck to yall in the match and congrats for making it this far. It's no easy task you should be proud.

Right now im leaning toward rads, or a surgical subspecialty. i'm honestly open to pretty much anything but the primary care specialties.

i'm the 4th year lol
anton seems like you've changed your mind every time one of these posts pops up...i was the same way lol

 

[typerpinoy]

Originally Posted by AntonLaVey

Originally Posted by Three00ZeeX

utvol - lol saw those vids before... hilarious because our program has a couple attendings that instead of using clinical knowlege/skill will just irradiate the crap out of anyone that comes thru the doors.

anton - youre a 4th year right? what are you going into?

nah second, start third year in July

. Got a while to go, and boards lurking.

 good luck to yall in the match and congrats for making it this far. It's no easy task you should be proud.

Right now im leaning toward rads, or a surgical subspecialty. i'm honestly open to pretty much anything but the primary care specialties.

i'm the 4th year lol
anton seems like you've changed your mind every time one of these posts pops up...i was the same way lol

 

[nealraj006]

Originally Posted by UnkleTomCruze

Originally Posted by nealraj006

Originally Posted by UnkleTomCruze

Originally Posted by durty pancakes

I never really saw the point of being a PA. You're nothing more than the doctor's minion. If you're already planning on going down that road, why not put in a little more effort and have "MD" next to your name. 

Because in the short term, PA > MD.

Less debt, if any, coming outta school (most likely will accrue some debt though). Start your career faster and younger (assuming you went straight).

Make money faster.

More time for yourself/family...etc as PA programs are often 2+ years after your Bachelors, whereas an MD is 4+ years excluding residencies and all that other stuff.

Of course, this is in the short run. In the long run, an MD will gain all these benefits on top of higher pay (potentially) depending on the field they choose to specialize in.
...

Yeah, but you usually don't go into medicine for a short term job. You go into it for a career. Don't get me wrong, PA's have their place and are a great position, but this is one thing I've seen that's common. Lots of DC's and PA's tend to feel limited after a little while. They don't have the power to fully treat their patients the way they want to. Chiropractors can't prescribe medicine. PA's don't have the freedom of an MD. You can't own your own practice as a PA. Lots of them will eventually testify that if they could redo it, they'd do MD or DO.

Yes.

But just as well, most people don't venture into PA and DC programs for the short term either.

There are innumerable factors that influence these individuals who pursue these specific careers. I just think that it's silly and quite honestly, disrespectful, to relegate a PA or a DC, or any other non-MD profession that deals with patient care, to a position of inferiority--or as durty pancakes put its, a "minion" position--simply because of some bias, clearly, that you may have surrounding those career fields. Not everyone who gets into the health field wants to be a doctor; not everyone wants to prescribe medicine; not everyone want the full responsibility that an MD takes on. It's just a matter of how you CHOOSE to interpret the situation.

As for those professionals who got fed up with their PC/DC position because of the limitations in position, that's probably in the minority. And frankly, if they feel that way, then clearly they made the mistake when it came down to picking a career.

Different people have different goals. I'm not saying PAs or DCs are bad positions. They're great positions. It's not bias when it comes straight from the mouth of the PA or DC. I've met chiropractors that have confessed to me that chiropractic is not what they think it was and they advised me to not go into it. The same may apply to PA's and other health professions. I don't know, I'm just relaying information that was passed on to me. Another factor when choosing what profession to choose is the future for the job. With the way that the medical system is changing in this country, many professions are going to have a very hard time getting patients.
MD's aren't the end all be all. But they(and DO's) have the most freedom to practice in this country. Shadowing, volunteering, and working in the health field will show you that. Although they do have the largest liabilities as well, many MD's would argue that the responsibilities are worth the reward(freedom of patient care, job safety). 
Don't get me wrong, I actually like chiropractic. I thought about becoming one, but it's not for me. I've met a handful of Chiropractors, but my father has worked in the pain management field(he's an MD) for over 10 years. He knows of and works with many doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, etc. and has told me of numerous health care professionals that have wished that they earned an MD instead. Yes, there are also stories of MD's quitting to do something else, like be a drug rep for a big company. Those stories are much less common.

 

[nealraj006]

Originally Posted by UnkleTomCruze

Originally Posted by nealraj006

Originally Posted by UnkleTomCruze

Originally Posted by durty pancakes

I never really saw the point of being a PA. You're nothing more than the doctor's minion. If you're already planning on going down that road, why not put in a little more effort and have "MD" next to your name. 

Because in the short term, PA > MD.

Less debt, if any, coming outta school (most likely will accrue some debt though). Start your career faster and younger (assuming you went straight).

Make money faster.

More time for yourself/family...etc as PA programs are often 2+ years after your Bachelors, whereas an MD is 4+ years excluding residencies and all that other stuff.

Of course, this is in the short run. In the long run, an MD will gain all these benefits on top of higher pay (potentially) depending on the field they choose to specialize in.
...

Yeah, but you usually don't go into medicine for a short term job. You go into it for a career. Don't get me wrong, PA's have their place and are a great position, but this is one thing I've seen that's common. Lots of DC's and PA's tend to feel limited after a little while. They don't have the power to fully treat their patients the way they want to. Chiropractors can't prescribe medicine. PA's don't have the freedom of an MD. You can't own your own practice as a PA. Lots of them will eventually testify that if they could redo it, they'd do MD or DO.

Yes.

But just as well, most people don't venture into PA and DC programs for the short term either.

There are innumerable factors that influence these individuals who pursue these specific careers. I just think that it's silly and quite honestly, disrespectful, to relegate a PA or a DC, or any other non-MD profession that deals with patient care, to a position of inferiority--or as durty pancakes put its, a "minion" position--simply because of some bias, clearly, that you may have surrounding those career fields. Not everyone who gets into the health field wants to be a doctor; not everyone wants to prescribe medicine; not everyone want the full responsibility that an MD takes on. It's just a matter of how you CHOOSE to interpret the situation.

As for those professionals who got fed up with their PC/DC position because of the limitations in position, that's probably in the minority. And frankly, if they feel that way, then clearly they made the mistake when it came down to picking a career.

Different people have different goals. I'm not saying PAs or DCs are bad positions. They're great positions. It's not bias when it comes straight from the mouth of the PA or DC. I've met chiropractors that have confessed to me that chiropractic is not what they think it was and they advised me to not go into it. The same may apply to PA's and other health professions. I don't know, I'm just relaying information that was passed on to me. Another factor when choosing what profession to choose is the future for the job. With the way that the medical system is changing in this country, many professions are going to have a very hard time getting patients.
MD's aren't the end all be all. But they(and DO's) have the most freedom to practice in this country. Shadowing, volunteering, and working in the health field will show you that. Although they do have the largest liabilities as well, many MD's would argue that the responsibilities are worth the reward(freedom of patient care, job safety). 
Don't get me wrong, I actually like chiropractic. I thought about becoming one, but it's not for me. I've met a handful of Chiropractors, but my father has worked in the pain management field(he's an MD) for over 10 years. He knows of and works with many doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, etc. and has told me of numerous health care professionals that have wished that they earned an MD instead. Yes, there are also stories of MD's quitting to do something else, like be a drug rep for a big company. Those stories are much less common.

 

[boilermaker x]

newmoanyuh wrote:

---

Thinking about becoming a neurosurgeon, but I know I won't be winning 'til I'm in my 30's at the earliest, with no time off anywhere in between

.  I think I'm going to wait until after I'm done with my BA to decide if I'm going to med. school... If not, I'll still have my other major/alternate life-plan.


BA to neurosurgeon?  Interesting choice. 

keepzdasneakz wrote:

---

Money ain't gonna guarantee you happiness. Real talk, who knows if you're even cut out to be a doctor...they go through a whole bunch of !#+@. Go do pre-med and let us know how that works out. I was pretty much on track to do physical therapy but the unhappiness and lack of interest I have in the classes is not enough to keep me in this field...boutta do something else soon.


While I personally agree with this, saying so makes you sound like you failed at some life choices.  The only people who talk about how unrewarding money is are people without any and those preparing to die.  

(Trust me.  I've been poor like few people know and I've been...now.  I'll take unhappy in a safe home in a nice neighborhood any day.)

        

 

[boilermaker x]

newmoanyuh wrote:

---

Thinking about becoming a neurosurgeon, but I know I won't be winning 'til I'm in my 30's at the earliest, with no time off anywhere in between

.  I think I'm going to wait until after I'm done with my BA to decide if I'm going to med. school... If not, I'll still have my other major/alternate life-plan.


BA to neurosurgeon?  Interesting choice. 

keepzdasneakz wrote:

---

Money ain't gonna guarantee you happiness. Real talk, who knows if you're even cut out to be a doctor...they go through a whole bunch of !#+@. Go do pre-med and let us know how that works out. I was pretty much on track to do physical therapy but the unhappiness and lack of interest I have in the classes is not enough to keep me in this field...boutta do something else soon.


While I personally agree with this, saying so makes you sound like you failed at some life choices.  The only people who talk about how unrewarding money is are people without any and those preparing to die.  

(Trust me.  I've been poor like few people know and I've been...now.  I'll take unhappy in a safe home in a nice neighborhood any day.)

        

 

[skeetshooter]

i aint down to Fix People.... but im down to fix cars, or compooters.... i

 

[skeetshooter]

i aint down to Fix People.... but im down to fix cars, or compooters.... i

 

[nikekidwonder]

Boilermaker X wrote:

keepzdasneakz wrote:

---

Money ain't gonna guarantee you happiness. Real talk, who knows if you're even cut out to be a doctor...they go through a whole bunch of !#+@. Go do pre-med and let us know how that works out. I was pretty much on track to do physical therapy but the unhappiness and lack of interest I have in the classes is not enough to keep me in this field...boutta do something else soon.


While I personally agree with this, saying so makes you sound like you failed at some life choices.  The only people who talk about how unrewarding money is are people without any and those preparing to die.  

(Trust me.  I've been poor like few people know and I've been...now.  I'll take unhappy in a safe home in a nice neighborhood any day.)

        
This is what am saying people talk that BS about "money don't make you happy" 
It definitely does and can make you happy but it depends on what you do for the money and how much your making 

If your making enough to money buy the things you need/like and live comfortably you will be happier than compared to 

If your not making enough to buy the things you need/like and live comfortably 

 

[nikekidwonder]

Boilermaker X wrote:

keepzdasneakz wrote:

---

Money ain't gonna guarantee you happiness. Real talk, who knows if you're even cut out to be a doctor...they go through a whole bunch of !#+@. Go do pre-med and let us know how that works out. I was pretty much on track to do physical therapy but the unhappiness and lack of interest I have in the classes is not enough to keep me in this field...boutta do something else soon.


While I personally agree with this, saying so makes you sound like you failed at some life choices.  The only people who talk about how unrewarding money is are people without any and those preparing to die.  

(Trust me.  I've been poor like few people know and I've been...now.  I'll take unhappy in a safe home in a nice neighborhood any day.)

        
This is what am saying people talk that BS about "money don't make you happy" 
It definitely does and can make you happy but it depends on what you do for the money and how much your making 

If your making enough to money buy the things you need/like and live comfortably you will be happier than compared to 

If your not making enough to buy the things you need/like and live comfortably 

 

[rashi]

Originally Posted by Nikekidwonder

Boilermaker X wrote:

keepzdasneakz wrote:

---

Money ain't gonna guarantee you happiness. Real talk, who knows if you're even cut out to be a doctor...they go through a whole bunch of !#+@. Go do pre-med and let us know how that works out. I was pretty much on track to do physical therapy but the unhappiness and lack of interest I have in the classes is not enough to keep me in this field...boutta do something else soon.


While I personally agree with this, saying so makes you sound like you failed at some life choices.  The only people who talk about how unrewarding money is are people without any and those preparing to die.  

(Trust me.  I've been poor like few people know and I've been...now.  I'll take unhappy in a safe home in a nice neighborhood any day.)

        
This is what am saying people talk that BS about "money don't make you happy" 
It definitely does and can make you happy but it depends on what you do for the money and how much your making 

If your making enough to money buy the things you need/like and live comfortably you will be happier than compared to 

If your not making enough to buy the things you need/like and live comfortably 



I know plenty of Docs making upper 6 figs and some in the 7 figs and are absolutely miserable.

 

[rashi]

Originally Posted by Nikekidwonder

Boilermaker X wrote:

keepzdasneakz wrote:

---

Money ain't gonna guarantee you happiness. Real talk, who knows if you're even cut out to be a doctor...they go through a whole bunch of !#+@. Go do pre-med and let us know how that works out. I was pretty much on track to do physical therapy but the unhappiness and lack of interest I have in the classes is not enough to keep me in this field...boutta do something else soon.


While I personally agree with this, saying so makes you sound like you failed at some life choices.  The only people who talk about how unrewarding money is are people without any and those preparing to die.  

(Trust me.  I've been poor like few people know and I've been...now.  I'll take unhappy in a safe home in a nice neighborhood any day.)

        
This is what am saying people talk that BS about "money don't make you happy" 
It definitely does and can make you happy but it depends on what you do for the money and how much your making 

If your making enough to money buy the things you need/like and live comfortably you will be happier than compared to 

If your not making enough to buy the things you need/like and live comfortably 



I know plenty of Docs making upper 6 figs and some in the 7 figs and are absolutely miserable.

 

[demize]

more information on becoming a dentist and petroleum (sp?) engineering...??

 

[demize]

more information on becoming a dentist and petroleum (sp?) engineering...??