Is Being A Doctor Worth It? Pros And Cons!
Since childhood, you’ve had the dream of becoming the hero doctor who saves lives and makes the world a better place.
The dream grew with you, and you’ve realized how it can also be financially rewarding.
You’re a little confused, though. Is being a doctor worth it?
If this sounds familiar, read on for an honest breakdown of the opportunities and obstacles of becoming a doctor, so you can decide for yourself.
Reasons To Study Medicine – PROs
Forget about the glamorous lives of doctors we see in TV series for a moment and let’s take a look at the real benefits of being in the medical field.
Personal Satisfaction
Doctors get a chance to influence people’s lives on a daily basis positively. If you’re a compassionate person and you’re looking for a job that’ll add meaning to your life, being a doctor will give you that.
As a doctor, you’ll be intimately involved in people’s lives. Patients will come to you with physical problems, as well as emotional ones at times. You’ll be part of promoting the well-being of people through your daily medical care and research.
You’ll never have to think about “leaving a mark” in the world because that’s what you’ll be naturally doing – improving and saving people’s lives.
A Good Salary
A decent salary is something we all look for when selecting a job. Income will vary according to the specialty and experience, however, it’s well-known that physician’s salaries are relatively high.
The reason why positions in this field are highly paid is that doctors go through extensive studying and training before they can practice. According to Glassdoor, the average salary for a Medical Doctor in the United States is $240,950 per year.
Job Security
Unless someone invents an emotionally intelligent robot who can perform delicate surgeries and diagnose rare diseases, we can’t see the world without doctors.
Doctors are always in demand. As a matter of fact, the United States is predicted to have a shortage of doctors by 2032.
Unlike other jobs that come and go with trends, medical professional positions are always relevant.
It’s also not restricted by your location, so you can practice it wherever you are in the world, given that you have a valid license.
It’s also very flexible; you can shift to administrative or research work if you’d like to. You can also change your specialty, although that takes extra time and effort.
Prestige And Influence
For many years, and in many places in the world, being a doctor is considered an outstanding accomplishment, and for a good reason.
People highly respect and appreciate doctors for their level of education and tremendous contribution to the welfare of members of society.
If you’d like to earn respect and status within your community, being a doctor is one way to do it.
Reasons Not To Study Medicine – Cons
Because we promised that this would be an honest breakdown, we’ll have to tell you that being a doctor isn’t all fun and games. It may be a little less alluring than you think.
Here are some of the disadvantages of being a doctor.
Years Of Studying
We’ve all heard of how long it takes to be a doctor. Starting from a medical school and then proceeding to a medical residency. Choosing this profession means that you have to be willing to spend years studying and training before you can practice.
In the United States, you’ll have to spend 4 years in an undergraduate program, followed by 4 years in medical school, and a few years (ranging from 3-7 depending on your specialty) in fellowships and residency.
It’s also important to bear in mind that private medical schools are very expensive and although government medical schools aren’t, they’re very difficult to get into because of the intense competition.
Long Hours Of Work
Residents in the United States are expected to work 80 hours a week in the hospital and have single shifts that can last up to 28 hours, around four times a week.
Although these hours drop to 60 per week once the training period is finished, doctors still work almost double the amount of time compared to white-collar professionals.
Being a doctor also comes with some social life sacrifices. With night shifts and working on weekends and holidays, you’ll probably miss a few events like birthdays, here and there.
High-Stress Levels
No one expects that being a doctor is a walk through the park. The amount of stress that doctors face is incomparable to office jobs.
Apart from the stress of long, night shifts, doctors carry a huge responsibility, where there’s no room for errors.
Final Thoughts
Whether or not it’s worth it being a doctor is a question that no one can answer but yourself.
Take the time to ponder over the pros and cons or read our detailed description of every doctor’s specialization. Also, you can read a closer look at “R.O.A.D. to success” specialties – dermatology, anesthesiology, ophthalmology, and radiology.
Finally, you’ll be able to make that choice by yourself.
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