<p>Well I read the reciprocal thread started by another high school student considering a career as a doctor and NCG's response was rather disheartening, even though many of us inwardly acknowledge what he said. So, how about we discuss all the reasons one SHOULD become a doctor? Namely, why should one become a doctor instead of, say, a chemical engineer who makes about as much (if not more, after you account for malpractice insurance and other such fees), works reasonable hours, has a family life, and still gets to be involved in science (which, presumably, he loves)?</p>
<ol>
<li>Panty peeler.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>You get to wear one of these:</li>
</ol>
<p>Amazon.com:</a> Trust Me I'm A Doctor T Shirt Small Thru 5X: Apparel</p>
<p>^ that shirt reminds me of the tshirt for the pre-med volunteering org on campus that says "Trust me. I'm Pre-Med"....Sorry, as if I'd trust pre-meds. They'd all probably be competing to put the bandage on me so they can write something on their resume/application, lol. :P</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Because it's effing awesome to know you made a difference in someone's life. Chemical engineers won't directly see the fruits of their labor affect the average Joe.</p></li>
<li><p>You get called Dr. ___ or ____, M.D.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>My reason: you're the person people turn to on the worst day of their lives. When everything else has screwed up, when nobody else around them knows what to do, they will turn to you and you will be responsible for either fixing the problem or sending them home broken -- sometimes worse than when they came to you. You are a person's last line of defense.</p>
<p>(Obviously only applies to some specialties.)</p>
<p>My Dad's reason: Physicians are privileged with the most intimate moments of the lives of others: births, deaths, saying goodbye to loved ones, making decisions that will change the rest of your life forever. You are not just a scientist -- you are a counselor and a witness to some of the most sacred things in people's lives. In a very real way, physicians have replaced the priesthood.</p>
<p>My Grandfather's reason: Physicians have an obligation to be non-partisan, and therefore nobody will force you to take sides against somebody else. He was trained as a physician during a civil war, and he noticed that he was often asked to mediate among very divisive splits. Nobody cared how he was going to vote; what mattered was that he was responsible for treating people on both sides of the battle lines and, more importantly, that nobody would ever question him for doing so. Taking care of an enemy soldier is not aiding and abetting -- it is your first responsibility as a physician. Humanitarian work, no matter what somebody's income, politics, or religion, is a physician's obligation and -- therefore -- a physician's right.</p>
<p>My Grandfather's friend's reason: Medicine is very, very stable. This is not so unique in modern American society, but it could be true amidst much more frightening scenarios. If you're stranded after a plane crash, or a civil war breaks out, or you are caught up in a revolution and exiled to the country -- what you know will still be carried with you no matter where you go. It is, in a way, a meta-financial stability: even if all else fails, you will still be needed.</p>
<p>You will always have a job... especially with the aging baby-boomers.</p>
<p>That's easy. For the free stuff.</p>
<p>Next.</p>
<p>Free stuff? What like scrubs and alcohol pads?</p>
<p>No. Scrubs aren't free. But sometimes pharmaceutical reps give out like pens and things.</p>
<p>The pay is also pretty good compared with other jobs.</p>
<p>(Great now people are gonna be yelling at me.)</p>
<p>No yelling. Just math.</p>
<p>Total lifetime income after taxes and time-value of money are accounted for:</p>
<p>Auto Mechanic: $563K
Chemical Engineer: $539K
Family Practitioner: $641K
Corporate Attorney: $707K
Interventional Cardiologist: $771K
Neurosurgeon: $862K
Corporate Finance: $1.8M</p>
<p>free pens woohoo...my dad comes homes home with like a million pens. hey its free school supplies lol. </p>
<p>Pay is good too. there science if anyone wants to yell at u they can yell at me 2 lol</p>
<p>I'm going to third the "free stuff/free pens".</p>
<p>Thanks to my dad, I've got a sweet pen with a laser pointer at the other end and free USB flash drives.</p>
<p>You see, were I a doctor I would gladly prescribe a med based on how much cool stuff I got from the pharm company that made it.*</p>
<ul>
<li>Disclaimer: not really</li>
</ul>
<p>One reason: as a doctor, you can feel that you personally made a difference in someone's life. I don't think that you can get that satisfaction in corporate finance, even if the salary is twice as high.</p>
<p>And, yeah, free stuff too. Can't discount that. Some of those reps give out really, really nice pens.</p>
<p>#5(bluedevilmike)...Well</a> done...very well done!</p>
<p>Love your answers in #5 bluedevilmike - I hope any doctors treating my family have the reasons your family have for choosing their careers.</p>
<p>chicks, money, power and chicks</p>
<p>Thanks to all for the compliments, but you'll notice that none of the three of us have the same reason -- and, frankly, for none of us do the other two reasons apply. It's a deeply personal decision, and I hope sincerely that I haven't just given ammunition for plagiarization. Goodness knows that anybody would be hard pressed to take somebody else's writing and integrate it well with their own in an essay.</p>
<p>Whether you say it or someone else bdm, people will always lie, cheat, and plagiarize. You needn't worry about contributing to an unfortunately well-established practice. </p>
<p>Personally, I respect your reasoning and I believe that it is the authentic kind that all physicians should (and that many do) adopt; however, I simply can't understand how the preservation of others' lives takes precedence over your own wellbeing and that of your family. You sound like you're living more in a novel than in real life. In real life, very real conditions would change the minds of most individuals. Your logic, ironically, though passionate and benevolent, is actually kind of selfish because in helping the helpless, you're hurting both yourself and others (not so much financially, but in terms of the stress you will place on yourself and your family, etc). </p>
<p>My advice to the OP is to avoid medicine unless you are truly and totally compelled to practice it (and, like any other profession, you should understand what you're getting yourself into before you do it). Professions aren't chosen based upon the intelligence and capability of the chooser; they go by what you will enjoy doing in life and how easy your life will become with the chosen profession. Since your life will become harder as a doctor, you must decide whether you will enjoy medicine enough that it will outweigh the stress involved. And, remember that around 70% of doctors are depressed (be it because of stress or unhappiness). </p>
<p>Many people like to think that they are good people (and many are); but deep down inside, we are all motivated by factors such as money and the pursuit of ease of life. Don't make a decision you may regret later on.</p>
<p>Physiology, pharmacology, molecular biology and genomics are seriously interesting (as interesting as real analysis and topology IMHO).
You get vast quantities of cakes and Swiss chocolates at Christmas.
Pastors come to you when they have crises in their personal lives.
You save a life a week ( at least).</p>
<p>And the money is ok, though you will never be able to afford a Zonda.</p>