Future Black Doctors Thread

Student Lounge African-American Students
21

<p>^ in what way has it changed to you?</p>

<p>I’ve had my mind set on being an Internal Medicine doctor for the as long as I could remember (I blame that tv show ER lol), but recently I’ve been getting into neurodegenerative disorder research and I’m now seriously considering doing a MD/PhD track. Even though it’s crazy to have my eye set on a med school this early, I really like the Pritzker School at UChicago but truthfully I’d be glad to go to any medical school</p>

22

<p>First of all, medicine is a passion and a noble calling. I wouldn’t discourage anyone in that way.</p>

<p>I work in the medical field and see the changes up close and personal.</p>

<p>There are two main detractors caused by many factors.

  1. The pay is decreasing. If its a passion, money may not be important. Again, there are many factors behind this, too many, but you can find books on the topic. Obamacare will make this worse leading to physician shortages, longer waits and negative medical outcomes. National average annual income for a pediatrician is around $75K. Family practice is around $100K, internal medicine - $140K. Some specialties still do very well but everyone is down and continuing to decline.</p>

<ol>
<li>Autonomy is almost gone. You will told what to do by insurance companies, medical societies, hospital systems, the government and patients. You will study and work very hard and hone your skills and judgement, then when you get into the real world, bureaucrats and administrators will tell you to do and question every decision you make. You will work 80-100 hours a week and have so little time for family because you have to do so much paperwork to prevent the government from coming after you and lawyers from coming after you and at the end of the day, a patient is going to question you because of something they read on the Internet or something that happened to aunt Sally 30 years ago. It will be frustrating at times.</li>
</ol>

<p>That’s why it has to be a passion.</p>

23

<p>I would like to be an orthopedic surgeon for a professional soccer team one day, preferably Arsenal. Really would like to go to Cambridge for med school for obvious reasons. I’m much better at writing than math though so I’m not quite sure what i will end up doing. Do you guys think a proficiency in math is absolutely necessary to be one of the best surgeons</p>

24

<p>in the world? I’m willing to acquire it if that’s what it takes, just curious though because I don’t think that trig identities would be quite necessary during surgery.</p>

25

<p>Being the best in the world? I don’t know.</p>

<p>You need smarts and logical reasoning, problem solving smarts are very important.</p>

<p>Talk to other physicians. Ask your doctor.</p>

26

<p>Another aspiring orthopedic surgeon here, although I’m also interested in otolaryngology. I plan on majoring in psychology. Not sure about the college just yet.</p>

27

<p>Ajoo, you don’t have to be a math genius to be a surgeon, but you have to be good enough at math that you can get through the pre med prerequisites such as calculus and physics with good grades.
You need to go to med school in the US. Trying to get a residency and practice in the US is complicated and difficult if you are a foreign medical graduate. In addition, medical school in England is an undergraduate program.</p>

28

<p>^Well, if he wants to be a doctor for Arsenal, he would want to go to school in the UK so he could practice there. If he wants to be a doctor for DC United or Chicago Fire, he would want to go to school in the US.
I wonder where the pay would be better. Doctors are paid much better stateside, but soccer teams are paid much worse.</p>

29

<p>Wow, I’m thinking by the time a soccer player needs an orthopod, it’s not looking good. What about sports medicine , or pm&r? Won’t pay like lrtnapedic sugery, but you will be on the pitch.</p>