<p>It doesn’t have them reitiring at 45… the graph stops at 45 because after 45 the net life time earnings of a doctor and a ups driver meet. After they meet, it is obvious what the rest of the graph will look like so there’s no point in adding it. What is fake about the data? Years after high school is fake? The years listed on the doctor’s side are factual. The whole point of the site is to show how long it would take doctors to catch up to an average job. Since you obviously didn’t really look at the site here are a few more reasons why an average job would out earn a doctor for over 30 years:</p>
<p>1# did not consider the interest that doctors pay on their student loan debts. This interest often leaves doctors with more than their original debt at the end of their residency years. Thus, while they may make $160,000 (total) during a four-year residency, they may leave it with $130,000 of debt.</p>
<p>2# I calculated this comparison using a four-year residency program during years 9 through 12. Some residency programs are shorter, but many are longer (thus keeping doctors relatively impoverished for a longer time). Furthermore, many students take longer than eight years to complete college and medical school—and those are the lucky ones who make it. Most students who try to become doctors never succeed, thus incurring debt for a career that never materializes.
3# The average doctor salary may not even be $180,000. Some sources pegged it at $160,000.</p>
<p>4# Doctors do not earn their average salary the first year they begin working as an attending (year 13 in this example). It typically takes several years for their income to plateau. I began working for less than half (even adjusting for inflation) what I would ultimately earn as my peak income five years later.</p>
<p>5# Doctors sometimes must “buy into” the practice they wish to join. They can’t just show up and say, “OK, I’m working now, so start paying me.” For that privilege, they may have to shell out $100,000 or more, which is sometimes demanded as an up-front fee. Few young doctors have that kind of money, so they usually must borrow it—further increasing their debt.</p>
<p>6# Because of their schooling, the earning years for doctors are compressed into a shorter period of time, thus increasing their income tax rates relative to UPS drivers. Translation: Even if the doctor earns the same total amount of money as a UPS driver, the doc’s tax rate will be higher, leaving him with less after-tax income.</p>
<p>7# Doctors must pay steep licensing fees to state and federal government regulatory agencies. They could also be sued and lose everything they’ve ever made.</p>
<p>8# Students often receive money from relatives and sometimes family friends because they are needy students. UPS drivers, and most other adults, are not similarly showered with such money. This money is rarely reported to the government or included in statistical analyses, so the educational cost is actually higher than you may think.</p>
<p>9# The burnout rate for doctors in some specialties is so high that doctors may quit well before age 65. For example, the average longevity for ER doctors is nine years.</p>
<p>10# Doctors do not work anything close to a 40-hour week! I worked about 110 hours per week (see * below) during my training. As an attending physician, I averaged about 40 hours per week of paid work and 15 to 20 (or more) hours per week of unpaid but mandatory work, such as working past the end of my shift to “clean up” (complete the care for) patients, do dictations, sign medical records, fill out insurance and other forms, attend various staff and committee meetings, participate in CME (continuing medical education) activities, and on and on. To make this a fair comparison for income potential, we should consider what a UPS driver could make if he worked two shifts (or another job) for years 1 through 12, then a half-time job in addition to his primary UPS job. Therefore, after 12 years such a UPS driver who worked as many hours as I did could have made $1,440,000. After 18 years, the total income would be $1,980,000, easily surpassing the total doctor income. The doctor might catch up after 27 years, if not for the aforementioned factors.</p>
<p>Now, OP, it should be clear that there just isn’t that much money in Medicine. Now, compared to the average person, sure but compared to other high earning fields it is not worth it. Not to mention as we move closer and closer to universal health care the average Doctor’s salary will drop even more. Oh and just to bring the point home this post was made by AN ACTUAL DOCTOR.</p>