<p>
[quote]
I can't afford a 48 grand a year undergrad that would give me the best shot at med school.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Most doctors will tell you then to go to a state school and get the best grades possible. Med school admissions is a numbers game above all else. Just don't let those preceeded by $ ruin it for you.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Math and science have been probably my strongest subjects, I've wanted to be one since grade school, and I like torturing myself with schooling. In short...I couldn't imagine being anything else.</p>
<p>Doctors don't make tons of money. They make good money, but not tons. Tons is 500K +. After taxes and all expenses very very very few docs take home this much. Most avg. taking home about 100-150 for more basic practices, and about 200 for more specialized things. Not bad but considering you work 60-80 hours a week, a plumber/electrician ends up making more per hour then you.</p>
<p>Realators seem to make even more. I walk outside today when the realator is visiting my place so I can take a drive in my humble 1988 Acura. There's this huge Jaguar sitting out there. Brand new. Not sure of the model, but it was one of the bigger ones. The realator had a huge diamond ring on, had a top of the line laptop, and wore a really expensive suit. I want to see this guy's house.</p>
<p>Not bad for being a salesman. It's all about what you sell, I guess. The guys at the hardware store who sell screws probably hardly make anything.</p>
<p>But still, would you really be happy in your job? If you had a job where you'd never be unhappy and you only made $60K a year, would you take that over the $500K job that you hated?</p>
<p>I'm going to be an elementary ed teacher, while continuing to do my "blue collar computer technician" work on the side. I also get a little extra cash from selling wood projects, and if I ever publish my novel I may get a few bucks (if the publishers like it). Add it all up and I'd be lucky to make $80K. Still, that stuff makes me happy. I also like older houses in areas right outside of the city, so the most I'd be paying in 2006 dollars would be about $140K. Since I want to stay somewhere for a while, I'd take out a long term mortgage (maybe 30 year if I moved in the neighborhood I really like). I also won't be buying a new car for a while (after my 1988 Acura Legend dies I will get a 1996 Volvo 850 followed by a 2004 Honda Accord--all three of those are dependable cars that should last 15-20 years each). Coupled with the fact my splurging usually is on clothes or an occasional ballgame (I don't see many movies, rarely buy a DVD, and don't want a huge TV--24" is fine) I should be fine money-wise so I can put a lot into an IRA and when I retire can get an Acura RL (or whatever replaces it by then).</p>
<p>The rich guy might not be as wise with his money (buy a huge house and a $60K+ car) and then retire unhappy, especially if he hated his work.</p>
<p>Also, I won't have med school to go to. I'm not even going to graduate school--there is no point in getting in that much debt. Masters degrees are just for show. Heck, I don't like the idea of degrees whatsoever. As long as you're competent in what you do, it shouldn't matter what education you have. I'm a "blue collar technician" and I can repair a CRT better than most "white collar technicians" can (TV repairmen usually are the best bet for CRT repair). I might not have that piece of paper that says I completed four years of education/wasted lots of cash and am therefore "certified" to be a technician, but I have the experience--all 14 years of it. I started repairs at age 6, learned because I was driven, and picked most up through trial and error. I landed a volunteer job at my school, and that experience just landed me a paying job for the summer.</p>
<p>As a teacher, I know some people look for that stupid masters degree, but my plan is to go somewhere, get built up in years, then go to the ideal school after I achieve good ratings. I'm pretty driven so I will push myself to do well. No way I'm going through any more college hell than I have to.</p>
<p>In the long run, I may die richer as a result of never going to grad school. I wish they would have just hired me as a teacher out of high school, because I really wanted to die a 100% genuine blue collar guy.</p>
<p>I DESPISE science with a flaming passion, even though my mom wants me to become a doctor. She's making me take an aptitude test. I already took an interest inventory already!!!!! :) If she forces me to major science, I swear to god, I'll seriously drop out of college and shoot myself. </p>
<p>I'm going to get my degree from UMich, then become a stockbroker/stock trader then go back to Wharton for my MBA, then become a hedge fund manager. And I'll be richer than all of my doctor friends. </p>
<p>Seriously, I'd rather become a realtor than a doctor. :)</p>
<p>I used to be on that "i wanna be a doctor" bandwagon. The truth is, I found out really quickly it's not for me. And you know so many people go into college as pre-med...not nearly as many finnish that way. I thought that liking science was enough...it's not. I found I wanted a life beyond working. I want to have a meaningful career, but when people think of me, I don't want them to think of me as the doctor.</p>
<p>Me neither. People see me as the executive or the investment banker or the hotshot stockbroker on Wall Street that makes $3MM per year and pursues nothing but money :)</p>
<p>I'm not nearly patient enough to become a doctor. Firstly I despise science. Secondly it's too much school that I'm not willing to go through. The farthest I'm going is MBA. After that, no more school for me. Thirdly, a doctor's job is boring, routine, and unfulfilling.</p>
<p>I seriously can't give up that exhilirating feeling you get when you're a stockbroker/stock trader and meet with your client to tell him/her that his/her stocks tripled in price in the past three hours, and they're a millionaire (Cha-Ching!! Fat commissions/bonuses for me!!!!) for the stupid labcoat. I simply refuse to do so. :)</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you had a job where you'd never be unhappy and you only made $60K a year, would you take that over the $500K job that you hated?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Why not do the 500k job for 2-3 years (meaning 1.5M or 25 years of 60k salary), then with your finances secure, work the 60k job? If everyone actually had such a choice in real life, most people would take the 500k a year job if for nothing else than for extreme financial security.</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>I'd gladly take the $60k job. In most of the careers I'm considering, I'd be very lucky indeed to start out making that much. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>I agree that not EVERYONE wants to be a doctor. Alot of people just have a passion for helping other people. They want to give and help improve the quality of life. Sure the money is more than good. I wouldnt be complaining, but that cant be the ONLY reason you go through years and years of schooling, and your residency just to say you make 200K a year and the vanity of having an M.D. behind your name. Your lifes work is suppoesed to be a passion. And you would still do it even if meant making far less than 200K a year.</p>
<p>all i know is, i got to have some career. I tend to enjoy my science and math classes, i tend to enjoy helping others. I was always intrigued with the line of work doctors have. I have a family that have more doctor appointments scheduled then the average family would like to have, or so i beleive. so i mean, i;ve always been interested in being a doctor, and the benefits as yall say and to shaby. I think everyone develops a passion for their life's work at some point in time, if at all they do. Making far less then 200K, dunno if i would go through with that myself, but ofcourse this is me (almost in undergrad) talking, not me(been a doc for 5-10+yrs,or so i hope) talking. i'm doing premed aswell but i doubt my major will be in science. word</p>
<p>
[quote]
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.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Do you personally know any doctors?
I do (my father's a brain surgeon) and many of his peers live comfortably. If you work in a top hospital (Like Johns Hopkins Hospital, Massachusetts General, and UCLA Medical Center) which are typically located in urban areas and work your way up (there are lots of burnouts who don't make it this far), by the time you're in your 40s you can start living quite affluently.</p>
<p>I'm part of the group that DOES NOT want to be a doctor. Playing with blood and guts is just not interesting to me.</p>
<p>I actually want to be a political journalist. Watch out Anderson Cooper. I'm coming after your job. :)</p>
<p>My one advice to pre-meds it to actually know what a real doctor typically does in a day. All these ER shows make it seem quite different from the reality. I think that many people don't realize the reality until it's too late- and then they're stuck in maybe a tolerable job, but not their first pick.</p>
<p>I would only become a doctor because of the money.</p>
<p>I was a computer across from a 12 yr old girl who told her friend about how a lot of teachers are being laid off in our district and that's why she wants to be a doctor. To me, that's really sad because if she really wants to be a teacher, then she should.</p>
<p>I dont want to be a doctor.</p>
<p>This thread is officially debunked :)</p>
<p>I DO NOT want to become a doctor.</p>
<p>I'd rather become a used car salesperson than a doctor. At least the former job doesn't require me to go through 8 years of schooling, then residency/intern and then get crapped on until I can finally save up enough money to start a practice. Besides, doctors are entrepreneurs...they eat, sleep and breathe their work.</p>
<p>Besides 8 years of school is just simply too much for me. For me undergrad someplace, investment banker (I'll go to the firm that offers me the most money), MBA, investment banker (again), and then venture capitalist (or private equity investor...if Blackstone gives me an offer, I'd be willing to give PE a shot :) )....</p>
<p>Anyways I'm going to be richer than all my doctor friends :) :)</p>
<p>I so do not want to be a doctor. </p>
<p>Never have.</p>
<p>I'd love to be a doctor, but at the same time I wouldn't mind exploring other careers. There's a part of me that always have, and always will.</p>
<p>One thing I really do have a problem is when you tell someone you don't want to be a doctor, they all of a sudden claim it's because you don't have the skills to be one. Any other careers would be a "waste of talent." I am extremely annoyed by this mind set. C'mon, there has to be others out there that has to deal with this... right?</p>