Comments on: When To Get Out of Medicine If You’re Unhappy http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/03/04/when-to-get-out-of-medicine-if-youre-unhappy/ A Cynical Look At Medical School and Medical Training Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:55:44 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Emergency Medicine, MD, MBA http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/03/04/when-to-get-out-of-medicine-if-youre-unhappy/comment-page-1/#comment-76575 Emergency Medicine, MD, MBA Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:20:44 +0000 http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/03/04/when-to-get-out-of-medicine-if-youre-unhappy/#comment-76575 Practicing medicine traditionally can be very rewarding. EVERYONE in medicine thinks at some point or most points during medical school and residency that it is tough and maybe they should go into something else. One bit of advice; don’t throw away what you’ve done. You obviously are very bright despite how well you do in medical school. Think of all the students you outperformed in college to get where you are. Those at your level and your drive usually do very well in other careers. Yes, they did get a head start on you. But, you have something they don’t have. You have the potential to get an MD after your name which does open a lot of doors. If you don’t like practicing clinical medicine, think outside the box a bit. Your MD can take you in many directions and pay you a lot more. I went to business school after medical school, not to “get out of medicine” but to enhance my career. Here are some of the options I’ve encountered. Consulting: A friend of mine dropped out of residency after his intern year, got his license, and started working at Cowen. He still works hard, has regular hours, travels a lot, and makes about double what a CT surgeon makes. Public Health: another friend of mine, ID guy, now works in public health. He travels the world, gives talks, does research, and really doesn’t earn much more than when he was as a clinician. I’m more of an entrepreneur. I started two medical device firms, an NGO (501c3), and a wine firm. I do that AND Emergency Medicine. I would say the MD behind my name helps whether I’m negotiating a contract with a vineyard in Italy, talking to an engineer about what I want my device to do, or seeing patients. Being a doctor doesn’t mean you are a clinician. No one in medical school will teach you about being an MD in investment banking, law, acquisitions, or even Pepsi… If you can think of how you and your MD can add value to a company, you may have just created a job there for you. That job will be a lot better given you have an MD behind you name. Practicing medicine traditionally can be very rewarding. EVERYONE in medicine thinks at some point or most points during medical school and residency that it is tough and maybe they should go into something else. One bit of advice; don’t throw away what you’ve done. You obviously are very bright despite how well you do in medical school. Think of all the students you outperformed in college to get where you are. Those at your level and your drive usually do very well in other careers. Yes, they did get a head start on you. But, you have something they don’t have. You have the potential to get an MD after your name which does open a lot of doors. If you don’t like practicing clinical medicine, think outside the box a bit. Your MD can take you in many directions and pay you a lot more.

I went to business school after medical school, not to “get out of medicine” but to enhance my career. Here are some of the options I’ve encountered.

Consulting: A friend of mine dropped out of residency after his intern year, got his license, and started working at Cowen. He still works hard, has regular hours, travels a lot, and makes about double what a CT surgeon makes.

Public Health: another friend of mine, ID guy, now works in public health. He travels the world, gives talks, does research, and really doesn’t earn much more than when he was as a clinician.

I’m more of an entrepreneur. I started two medical device firms, an NGO (501c3), and a wine firm. I do that AND Emergency Medicine. I would say the MD behind my name helps whether I’m negotiating a contract with a vineyard in Italy, talking to an engineer about what I want my device to do, or seeing patients.

Being a doctor doesn’t mean you are a clinician. No one in medical school will teach you about being an MD in investment banking, law, acquisitions, or even Pepsi… If you can think of how you and your MD can add value to a company, you may have just created a job there for you. That job will be a lot better given you have an MD behind you name.

]]> By: John C http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/03/04/when-to-get-out-of-medicine-if-youre-unhappy/comment-page-1/#comment-71496 John C Sun, 04 Apr 2010 15:46:48 +0000 http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/03/04/when-to-get-out-of-medicine-if-youre-unhappy/#comment-71496 Boy... Would I hate to be in your shoes... Boy… Would I hate to be in your shoes…

]]> By: SKgirl http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/03/04/when-to-get-out-of-medicine-if-youre-unhappy/comment-page-1/#comment-71336 SKgirl Thu, 01 Apr 2010 13:40:50 +0000 http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/03/04/when-to-get-out-of-medicine-if-youre-unhappy/#comment-71336 Hey, Paulina. Thanks for sharing your story, and for responding to my post. I had forgot to check on this website for quite some time. As an update: I matched into Peds at my first choice. The excitement gave me a high for quite a while, considering my family's happiness and the prospect of returning home to a potentially good career. However, my doubts still plague me and part of me knows that I am continuing because I simply feel trapped. I am not sure what do now, but I am considering deferrment so I have some time to feel this out. It's hard to think about this at work, because you are constantly doing something or distracted. Overall, it boils down to this: I've had to give up things I'm naturally good at, and now I don't know how to get out or what else to do career-wise. I am scared of disappointing everyone I know and dealing with the massive debt I've now accumulated. However, I'm more scared of continuing on for years and years, wondering if I'll ever truly be happy. I don't want to look back on my life with regret, I am now in a tough spot. Lastly, I don't want to constantly feel guitly for having turned my back on helping others. If you, or anyone else, have any further suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate your insight. Thanks, and I hope you are doing well. Hey, Paulina. Thanks for sharing your story, and for responding to my post. I had forgot to check on this website for quite some time. As an update: I matched into Peds at my first choice. The excitement gave me a high for quite a while, considering my family’s happiness and the prospect of returning home to a potentially good career. However, my doubts still plague me and part of me knows that I am continuing because I simply feel trapped. I am not sure what do now, but I am considering deferrment so I have some time to feel this out. It’s hard to think about this at work, because you are constantly doing something or distracted. Overall, it boils down to this: I’ve had to give up things I’m naturally good at, and now I don’t know how to get out or what else to do career-wise. I am scared of disappointing everyone I know and dealing with the massive debt I’ve now accumulated. However, I’m more scared of continuing on for years and years, wondering if I’ll ever truly be happy. I don’t want to look back on my life with regret, I am now in a tough spot. Lastly, I don’t want to constantly feel guitly for having turned my back on helping others. If you, or anyone else, have any further suggestions, I’d greatly appreciate your insight. Thanks, and I hope you are doing well.

]]> By: anonimity http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/03/04/when-to-get-out-of-medicine-if-youre-unhappy/comment-page-1/#comment-67072 anonimity Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:35:17 +0000 http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/03/04/when-to-get-out-of-medicine-if-youre-unhappy/#comment-67072 By the way, I'm already planning my "career change" (if I ever had a f*ng career...) and I feel this huge sense of relief. Applied to a bunch of research jobs today, started looking at graduate programs (just for the fun of it, oh California....I see myself there next year :-) Not kidding, my boyfriend is moving back there at the end of this year and is gonna wait for me). I just want to work for a couple of years and live life like a "normal" person, might get the PhD (or Masters or none), who knows... I just know that I actually have this feeling, oh man, what is that? dude, this is new! oh yeah! I forgot how it felt! I'm friggin feeling HAPPY! LOL. People, you know, the light at the end of the tunel might be the incoming train, or it might just be that, the light at the end of the tunnel. By the way, I’m already planning my “career change” (if I ever had a f*ng career…) and I feel this huge sense of relief. Applied to a bunch of research jobs today, started looking at graduate programs (just for the fun of it, oh California….I see myself there next year :-) Not kidding, my boyfriend is moving back there at the end of this year and is gonna wait for me).
I just want to work for a couple of years and live life like a “normal” person, might get the PhD (or Masters or none), who knows… I just know that I actually have this feeling, oh man, what is that? dude, this is new! oh yeah! I forgot how it felt! I’m friggin feeling HAPPY! LOL.

People, you know, the light at the end of the tunel might be the incoming train, or it might just be that, the light at the end of the tunnel.

]]> By: anonimity http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/03/04/when-to-get-out-of-medicine-if-youre-unhappy/comment-page-1/#comment-67037 anonimity Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:22:15 +0000 http://www.medschoolhell.com/2007/03/04/when-to-get-out-of-medicine-if-youre-unhappy/#comment-67037 Glad to see I'm not the only one....Due to health reasons I had to take a LOA for a year, and they MADE me take another year of LOA. All this time has given me time to rethink my career goals and let me tell you that I'm not gun-ho about medicine anymore. And this is coming from somebody that almost finished medschool in another country, and I finished my MSII here in the US. I have a $hitload of loans to pay back but I am having SERIOUS doubts about going back. Actually, I don't want to go back. It's not worth it in the end. I was even "adviced" to take yet another year and of course, I would have to reapply to return to medschool. And I rather shoot myself in the foot than doing that again. So now I'm trying to get a job in research, get experience, and probably get into a PhD program. It sickens me, trust me, to be in this situation, I'm in my 30's already and I spent so much time, money and mental sanity in medical school. So I don't think I would regret not going back, I've had plenty of time to think about it. I still have a few more months before I "technically" have to return (provided they clear me medically), so I don't give a $hit anymore. Medical school sucked the life out of me, my marriage (now a divorce), my sanity, and my financed. God only knows how I'm gonna pay back those loans but I'm sure as hell I'll be a happier person and HAVE A LIFE. Good luck to all of you trying to get through it and sucking it up, I admire you. But as far as I'm concerned, I AM DONE. Glad to see I’m not the only one….Due to health reasons I had to take a LOA for a year, and they MADE me take another year of LOA. All this time has given me time to rethink my career goals and let me tell you that I’m not gun-ho about medicine anymore. And this is coming from somebody that almost finished medschool in another country, and I finished my MSII here in the US. I have a $hitload of loans to pay back but I am having SERIOUS doubts about going back. Actually, I don’t want to go back. It’s not worth it in the end. I was even “adviced” to take yet another year and of course, I would have to reapply to return to medschool. And I rather shoot myself in the foot than doing that again. So now I’m trying to get a job in research, get experience, and probably get into a PhD program. It sickens me, trust me, to be in this situation, I’m in my 30’s already and I spent so much time, money and mental sanity in medical school. So I don’t think I would regret not going back, I’ve had plenty of time to think about it. I still have a few more months before I “technically” have to return (provided they clear me medically), so I don’t give a $hit anymore. Medical school sucked the life out of me, my marriage (now a divorce), my sanity, and my financed. God only knows how I’m gonna pay back those loans but I’m sure as hell I’ll be a happier person and HAVE A LIFE. Good luck to all of you trying to get through it and sucking it up, I admire you. But as far as I’m concerned, I AM DONE.

]]>