<p>can someone give me a brief of what med school is like?</p>
<p>There are lots of good books on this topic. Try "White Coat." Also, look at the thread on this forum called "good books about medicine" or something along those lines.</p>
<p>Seriously, why would you want to go to med school today? Doctors don't even make much money anymore, and you have to be a resident first, which involves 80 hour weeks.</p>
<p>Mensa160, the average 1st year doctor earns around $150,000 and experienced doctors can earn up to $300,000 depending on what they specialize in - so, sorry, but I beg to differ.</p>
<p>Do they really make that much? I've never though about being a DR,. but maybe I should try with that Kind of salary.</p>
<p>Most people (hopefully) are not in it for the money. I want to become a doctor because I believe that it is important for people to have excellent medical care and I want to be part of the solution to the problems in health care today. I want to educate my patients about how to prevent disease and how to take care of themselves to the best of their abilities. I want to make a difference in my patients lives. I want to challenge myself to use and increase my knowledge everyday. I want to be a doctor so that I can grow as a person. I want to help people, and help people help themselves. I want to lead a team, and I want to learn from others. This is why I want to be a doctor.</p>
<p>If I can support my family as well, it's an added bonus. But I'm not doing it for the money. There are enough good reasons to be a doctor that the financial aspect doesn't have to be one of them.</p>
<p>yah, they really make that much...sometimes even more. But, the money shouldn't be the incentive to pursue a medical career. I'm sure you already know that, though;).</p>
<p>By the time a doctor after med school will enjoy that 6 figure salary, they'll already be in their mid-30's. I suspect that most doctors are too busy with their work to REALLY enjoy that kind of money for themselves and their families, anyways.</p>
<p>heh, well now that we settled that you can make a lot of money as a doctor, but there is much more in it than money...</p>
<p>what is it like to go through the stressful and competive school of medicine?</p>
<p>I didn't try to say in my post about salaries that people should become doctors because of the salary. In fact, I think most of the salary would go to paying off medical school debts, buying a new home, car, etc. And above all, you're losing nearly 7 additional years to education and the opportunity to start a family and such. There's only a genuine devotion to medicine that can drive a person - not the money.</p>
<p>"devotion to medicine"-- everyone i know that are premeds are going into it for the money. i really don't know how devoted u can be to medicine to sleep 5 hours a day or less for 6 years or so. i mean everyone will write the bullcrap about how they love medicine and saving lives on their apps.
i'm applying because i don't really have to put up with the promotion ********, no sucking up to the boss. u are well respected as a doctor, paid well and u can retire without any financial worries. there are very few pofessions in this world where u can be guaranteed a 100 k job after any type of training.</p>
<p>Lawyers make at least as much if they are any good.</p>
<p>Your argument turns against you - why would you want to sleep less than 5 hours per day for 6 years if you don't love medicine? If you hated medicine, you might end up quitting med school since it sucks and is hell for you.</p>
<p>Huh? What's that got to do with my post. I was talking about law.</p>
<p>We posted right after each other mensa...of course, I'm not referring to you. :)</p>
<p>if u are getting a phD in some field, u will be sleeping that many hours as well. there are postdocs that i know who are in the lab 20 hours a day. but they are not paid nearly as well as the MDs. not saying that u can be a doctor if u don't like anything with sciences. for me, getting a phD would make me about 80 k a year starting tops. an MD would make much much more. i'm not sure poor kids in the US would give up a good job offer to accept 150,000 in loans and the hell of medical school without the incentive to rise in the social ladder and make life better for their own kids. i don't think these people would do it out of a "love" for medicine.</p>
<p>yea they make that much but the workload is freakin CRAZY...</p>
<p>Spaulding, I don't think your going to find an answer to your post on CC. Most of us are either pre-meds or high school students who want to be doctors. I don't think anyone who posts on CC is in med school because, frankly, if they were they would be too engaged in med school to be on CC. </p>
<p>There is a website where you might be able to find a satisfying answer to your question. It's
<a href="http://www.studentdoctor.net/diary/%5B/url%5D">http://www.studentdoctor.net/diary/</a><br>
Click on medschooldiary</p>
<p>Mediterranean, a first year doc. after med. school does not make that much. You only start making within that range after years of residency. And that is an average, so most people who become general practitioners will not likely make that much, while others like surgeons might, but it also depends on what part of the country you are in.</p>
<p>Well, obviously you won't earn anything signifcant after a residency and internship....</p>
<p>Those salaries are AFTER a residency and internship; because, technically, residencies and internships are part of a doctor's training still...therefore, they'd be a "real" 1st year doctor once they completed those 2, and they would be earning 130K+</p>
<p>thanks Private_Joker</p>