Reasons Not To Study Medicine

A lot is expected of doctors. Many doctors are constantly on call. Most doctors work more than 40 hours a week. Their work is stressful because they deal with sick and often frustrated people. They carry a great burden on their shoulders because people lives’ are in their hands. Numerous doctors feel overworked and stressed because of these pressures.

Reasons to Not Be a Doctor

In my last post, I shared reasons to be a doctor. The following are reasons to be not be a doctor.

The result of Medscape’s 2012 survey show that 54% of physicians would choose to enter medicine again as their committed career path. This percentage is shockingly low considering how many practicing physicians there are in our country. So why are so many doctors unhappy with their careers? Why should you not pursue becoming a doctor in the first place? Here are some reasons to not be a doctor.

1. Extensive school and training

To become a full-fledged practicing physician, you have to finish four years of college, four years of medical school, residency (lengths depend on specialty but usually at least 3 years) and sometimes a fellowship (lengths also depend on specialty). Until all of this is finished, you are not earning a doctor’s salary. Some people believe that all that time is not worth it.

2. Tremendous medical school debt

The average medical student debt in 2012 was $166,750. Because residents and fellows do not make a substantial beginning salary, it can take an incredibly long time to repay all that debt. Most likely, you will pay back at least double what you borrowed and it will take 10 plus years to pay it all off.

3. Decrease in autonomy

More and more, the ways doctors treat their patients are dictated by the insurance company’s willingness to pay for treatments or procedures. This conditional treatment frustrates doctors because they cannot offer their patients the proper health care they might need.

4. Work not worth the money

On paper, it seems like becoming a doctor is a safe way to make a lot of money. The Medscape survey, however, reveals that only 11 percent of doctors consider themselves to be rich. Many doctors feel like they are not making enough money because they are still paying off debt and spending a lot on malpractice insurance, not to mention a variety of other expenses. Doctors also think that they are being underpaid for the amount of work they do especially since the typical physician works longer than the standard 40-workweek.

5. Excess of administrative work

Most people become doctors to treat patients, not to do paperwork. Yet a third of physicians spend more than 10 hours a week fulfilling those duties.

6. Malpractice costs and lawsuits

According to the AMA, in malpractice lawsuits, the defendant (the doctor) wins 91% of the time. However, these cases can drag on for an average of four years and doctors need to pay for their defense that entire time. Malpractice insurance premiums are high and more and more patients are finding reasons to sue their doctors.

7. Stressful and demanding work

A lot is expected of doctors. Many doctors are constantly on call. Most doctors work more than 40 hours a week. Their work is stressful because they deal with sick and often frustrated people. They carry a great burden on their shoulders because people lives’ are in their hands. Numerous doctors feel overworked and stressed because of these pressures.

8. Difficulty of balancing work and life

Long hours at work means less hours at home with family and friends. Doctors can have very difficult time balancing work and outside life. This struggle plays a factor in the high divorce rate among doctors (29%).

Four Bad Reasons to Study Medicine

Are you considering a career in medicine? If so, you need to make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Medical school is a major commitment of time and money, so before you sign up for the MCAT and start practicing your interview skills, take the time to determine why you plan to study medicine. Here’s a quick overview of some of the wrong reasons and how to tell if you’re making the right decision.

There are many reasons that people decide to become doctors. Sometimes it’s a life-long dream that started with a Fischer Price doctors set. Other times, it’s the natural progression of study, personality, and career goals. But whether you spent your childhood performing open heart surgery on Barbies or are only now considering a career in medicine, it’s important to know why you’re planning to go to medical school and to make sure you’re doing so for the right reasons. Factors will differ from person to person, but before you pick up your stethoscope, make sure that these four aren’t the deciding factors in your plans.

1. Money

It’s a common misconception that doctors make a lot of money, and if the only reason you’re planning to study medicine is in the hopes of a hefty paycheck, then you need to take a big step backward in your planning. Yes, some doctors in certain fields can make staggering amounts of money, but they rarely do so straight out of medical school, and the majority of early-career doctors don’t earn impressive salaries. Nor do they have time for luxurious vacations, or in most cases, basic social lives. The reality is that practicing medicine can be stressful, laborious, and without reward, and with rising costs of medical school, crippling student debt, increased pressure from insurance companies, and the looming threat of malpractice suits, most doctors don’t see impressive financial rewards until much later in their careers, if ever. If you’re interested in biological sciences but are more concerned with the numbers in your bank account than those in a patient’s charts, consider bio-technology or pharmacy instead. But if you have a passion for clinical medicine, make sure that successful diagnosis and treatment of patients will be enough reward, and if you end up with the big house, fancy cars, and jet-setting lifestyle, consider yourself lucky.

2. Curriculum

Many students stumble into medicine because they have a knack for biological sciences and the ability to succeed in high-pressure medical studies. But practicing medicine is different than studying medicine, and it doesn’t matter if you can rattle off symptoms, cures, and drug-interactions from memory – if you faint at the sight of blood or hate interacting with people, medicine might not be the field for you. The problem is, many talented science students can make it far into medical studies before realizing that medical practice is not the right direction for them. If you’re a pre-med student considering medical school because of your grades in biology and chemistry, try to get some experience in real-world medicine. Volunteer at a local clinic or apply to shadow a doctor at a nearby hospital. See how you react when medicine moves beyond theory and into reality.

3. Hero Worship

Some people choose medicine as a career because they were inspired by the work of another physician. Having mentors and following in the footsteps of someone you admire is a great way to find a career. But if your only reason for studying medicine is because you want to be just like your beloved pediatrician or you admire the work of Doctors Without Borders, make sure that you’re actually cut out for medicine before you spend the next ten years in school. Medical studies often attract people who want to help others, people who want to make a difference, or people who feel that they need to give back because medical professionals helped them. But unless you also have the motivation and skills to complete the arduous studies, you could find yourself frustrated and disappointed. Doctors do not have a monopoly on compassion and humanitarianism, and if you want a career that will make a difference, medicine is not the only option.

4. Family Pressure

This is a big one. A lot of students who go into medical studies come from families that practice medicine or who hold medical practice in high esteem. Despite the sometimes enormous debt faced by medical students and the often less-than-glamorous working conditions, many parents (and grandparents) still see medical studies as the pinnacle of achievement for a student. But if the only reason you’re going into medicine is because your parents have been grooming you for medical school since you were three, you’re probably not doing it for the right reasons. It can be hard to go against family pressure, especially if you’re receiving financial assistance for your studies. But medical studies are tough, and the medical field has a high rate of burn-out for practicing physicians. Your family may be disappointed when you choose to study literature or computer programming or accounting instead of medicine, but the decision is yours. Besides, they won’t be any happier if you spend the next decade in medical school only to burn out after a year of practice.

The long and short of it is, medical studies aren’t easy, and you need to weigh up all the reasons you want to become a doctor before entering medical school. Don’t do it for the money, or the prestige, or because you think doctors are noble. If you go into medicine for the wrong reasons, you risk hurting yourself and others. Medical studies is about making and keeping people healthy – so start by making