<p>if ure a guy and a gynae...</p>
<p>Money. Looking at my uncle who is a doctor makes me want to become one for that reason. But I know my heart isn't in it, so I won't be a doctor, but still most people are probably in it for the money.</p>
<p>Hmmmnnn... What Type Of "trader" Are We Talking About Here?</p>
<p>Stock/Currency/Mortgage trader. You know, the type of trader that works at MorganStanley, Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, etc.</p>
<p>I want to be an Emergency Pediatric Physician because I love to help, period. I love kids especially and I love the adrenaline rush an emergency room can provide. What turns me off is the admission into med school! Other than that, I would love it.</p>
<p>money, money, money...and more money</p>
<p>At my HS everyone is saying how they are doing pre-med in college next year. But none of them seem genuinely interested in helping people. They all want to become doctors because
1. It pays a lot
2. To have the title Dr. When you say 'hi, i'm Dr. ____" people automatically assume you are intelligent (rightfully so, doctors are very smart)
3. The general 'prestige' of being a doctor</p>
<p>I don't understand why everybody thinks becoming a doctor for those reasons is bad... To each his own.</p>
<p>You don't understand why being materialistic and superficial is bad?</p>
<p>well, I've always wanted to become a doctor since I was a very young child...I remember wanting to go to Emory for medical school when I was like 10 years old and my parents have been supporting my "dream" ever since. But as my senior year in HS school comes to an end I find myself questioning my motives. I'm VERY gifted in science and writing, but I'm HORRIBLE in math, so I'll be a Psychology/pre-med major...I've become very interested in the field of Psychology lately and I think that it might be the field I belong in...but I'm still doing the pre-med program...so if I lose my interest in medicine later down the road I'll just stick with Psychology and go to graduate school to get my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology...I think that's what I really want to do...but I'm honestly scared to tell my parents that because they tell everyone "my son wants to be a neurosurgeon...blah blah blah" and I'm leaning more towards psychology</p>
<p>Well, realistically, everyone is materialistic and superficial to SOME extent, and I don't think that's going to change anytime (I don't think it's all that terrible, either, IMHO). I'm going to have to agree with makshim on this one; to each his own. Besides, it's better for us non-doctors that there are a lot of doctor wannabees anyway. Bigger applicant pool = more competition = better doctors, period.</p>
<p>Well, realistically, everyone is materialistic and superficial to SOME extent, and I don't think that's going to change anytime</p>
<p>True. But the people I am talking about genuinely DO NOT care about helping people nor are they passionate about medicine (sans a select few). Their decision to become a doctor is based purely on the social and economic standing you get as a doctor.</p>
<p>hmm...I don't</p>
<p>Reasons:</p>
<p>1) I don't like talking to people
2) Too much work. Not worth the money.
3) Risks - malpractice litigations etc.
4) Not a big fan of biology, chemistry etc.
5) Don't like sick people or to be around them</p>
<p>"But the people I am talking about genuinely DO NOT care about helping people nor are they passionate about medicine (sans a select few). Their decision to become a doctor is based purely on the social and economic standing you get as a doctor."</p>
<p>Why is this so bad? This "superficial" doctor won't be any worse at treating patients than a non superficial one. Nor will this doctor love his job any less than one who likes treating people. If prestige and money are what a person looks for in a job, who are we to criticize what makes them happy?</p>
<p>haha doctor. yeah of course who doesnt want to be one? talk to any high school kid and its premed premed premed (especially asians). give me a frigin break. then by the time med school comes around, 80% of those "premeds" in high school are already out. i would not want to be a doctor. it takes too many yhears of schooling and at this point being a doctor is not well paying. you'd make more money blue collar with the amount of debt u gotta pay off from med school.</p>
<p>Who doesn't want to be one?</p>
<p>Me, my sister, and most of my friends. And I'm asian, so that's like heretic. </p>
<p>Me in 20 years:
37-year-old Spoiled rotten Wharton MBA
Hedge Fund Manager making $2MM/yr.
Married with two spoiled rotten kids.</p>
<p>My Sister in 20 years:
31-year-old Spoiled rotten Harvard Law Grad
Associate at Corporate Law Firm making $300k/yr.</p>
<p>My friend E. in 20 years:
38-year-old Actress raking in huge amounts of money.</p>
<p>My friend J. in 20 years:
38-year-old Architect
Partner of a huge firm, makes tons of money</p>
<p>My friend S. in 20 years:
38-year-old peace activist</p>
<p>So, believe me, there are plenty of people who DON'T want to become doctors.</p>
<p>i think its about either money or helping ppl.</p>
<p>And nowadays you can scratch the money aspect. Today its about medicine in general. Thats it, the money is gone for the most part. Sure you aren't poor but affording more then 2 fairly nice cars and more then one modest house is really pushing it. You won't be running around driving Ferraris living in McMansions that cost 2 mil a piece. Just won't be the case anymore.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Everyone wants to be a doctor at first, then come bad grades, hard classes realization of the MCAT. 4 Years of med school. 3 years minimum residency with REALLY crappy pay. Then even more for other specialties, then debts, then malpractice, realization that you usually can't hold a marriage unless you luck out. People think they want to do it. The difference is when push comes to shove half the people back out.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>There are lots of reasons why so many kids start off pre-law or pre-med, but probably the number one reason is that they don't know any better. Very few people have it entirely figured out when they start, and even then they dont' know everything they possibly could do. I came to undergrad pre-med and I graduated on my way to med school (I'm an M1 now). If I wasn't doing this, I would probably be working on my master's in educational psych and then move on for my PhD in student services/college administration hoping to become the head of Greek (Fraternity and Sorority) Life at some university...a job that I never even realized existed while in HS, and one that I didn't even figure out I would enjoy until my Junior year. </p>
<p>While it may seem like everyone is pre-med now, they'll begin to change their mind pretty soon. For some it will come with that first gen chem test, others their first bio lab, and some might actually make it through Organic before deciding that biochem or genetics really sucks. And still after all that, only about 1/2 that make it through will get accepted to medical school.</p>
<p>And then whoever said residents get paid really poorly doesn't understand the nature of the beast. Yes, on a $/hr basis, not that great, but with the 80hr/wk cap that's gotten a lot better. Second, you're still living like a student while a resident, so you're living pretty cheap, and just throwing tons of money at your loans. Finally there will be money in medicine in 10 years. If anything, 10 years from now, we will have figured out the malpractice insurance BS and premiums for those will be under control, adding to your ends.</p>
<p>I don't care about the so called prestige of being a doctor. Some of the many reasons I have for becoming a doctor is that it would make my parents, immigrants from Pakistan, immensely happy. A doctor can choose to live anywhere in the world. This is big for me because I love traveling and want to get out of the United States some day. The pay is good and it should be, I will never have to worry about being able to take care of my parents and my family and I will be able to contribute the rest to worthy causes. You get to help people, but you also will see a lot of death and sadness. I think that is good to because it keeps you in touch with your own mortality. I think that I am mentally and emotionally capable of getting there so I feel that I should do it.</p>
<p>I used to want to be a doctor because I want to help people, especially children. However, I'm from a upper-middle class family. I can't afford a 48 grand a year undergrad that would give me the best shot at med school. I also would be piled high in debt coming out of med school. It takes decades to come out from under that kind of debt, even if you are a doctor. I also realized I don't have the interest in science that I thought I did. I really didn't want to not have a true career until my late 30's. By then almost half my life would have been spent in school. Doctors don't really get to spend a whole lot of time with the patient anymore. Think about it: when you go to the doctor's office when you're sick, how long is the doc actually in the room? I go to one of the best practices in the state, and the doc is usually in the room about 5-10 minutes.
I came into college undeclared, but quickly found a major. I'm now a communication sciences and disorders major, and plan to become a speech pathologist. I'll really get to help children, and get to spend time helping them. It requires about 6 years of higher education (including masters), and is a field with great demand. Depending on the setting I work in I have the potential to make a fairly decent living. I'm very excited about it, and so are my parents, because my debt when I start my life will be minimal, and I'll be doing something that (I think) I'll love</p>