General Discussion

coalition_unwilling

(14,180 posts)

72. Wow, thanks for that detail. I really wish I hadn't been so brash and full of myself

Fri Jun 1, 2012, 05:58 PM

Jun 2012

in my early 20s, b/c I think I probably would have made a pretty good doctor (medical, that is).

I've done various poluitical protests with Physicians for Social Responsibility and Doctors without Borders over the years, so I have met some fine specimens of the human race among the medical profession, don't get me wrong.

I should also have explained that the place where I did my undergrad degrees (Univ. of Missouri-Kansas City) had some kind of hybrid 6-year medical program where I think you earned your undergrad and medical degrees in 6 years. That's what the genetics prof was trying to recruit me into, but it would have meant several years of hard sciences and I was stupid and full of myself then and couldn't see it. (Still am somewhat I'm a bit hazy on how all the details worked b/c I never followed up on it. But I've been told I blew it by not taking advantage of it at the time, fwiw.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

99 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Only 54% of doctors would choose a career in medicine again, only 11% feel "rich" [View all] Liberal_in_LA May 2012 OP

A few years ago I broke my arm abelenkpe May 2012 #1

Education costs are through Carolina Jun 2012 #77

That's probably true. MrSlayer May 2012 #2

Cry me a river. Bunch of privileged prima donnas - n/t coalition_unwilling May 2012 #3

making $158,000 a year does not sound like a hardship to me hfojvt May 2012 #4

But they didn't start making that money until they were in their 30s mainer May 2012 #10

Plus, the financial crisis in medicine has made the field a lot less rewarding than it was. cbayer May 2012 #11

You do realize that 400k doesn't buy much in any coastal city? taught_me_patience May 2012 #12

But it's those people who complain who shouldn't be in the profession to begin with. YellowRubberDuckie May 2012 #5

Exactly! When the AMA comes out for single-payer, then coalition_unwilling May 2012 #6

AMA is an institution of dusty old farts supported by the pharmeceutical industry. hunter Jun 2012 #50

Innocent question: who or what institution has responsibiltiy for coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #54

It has a lot to do with how many residency slots are open, and in what specialties... hunter Jun 2012 #58

The AMA has significant control over "number of slots" and SharonAnn Jun 2012 #65

The AMA has this control? I think not. mainer Jun 2012 #91

And therein lies the elephant in our social living room. Egalitarian Thug May 2012 #9

Agreed. YellowRubberDuckie May 2012 #15

Four years of college, four years of medical school, 3-5 years of residency training, cbayer May 2012 #16

The AMA. Egalitarian Thug Jun 2012 #57

thank you, cbayer Carolina Jun 2012 #80

Excuse me????????? Initech May 2012 #20

No, excuse yourself. You tell me why my wife and I must either die or go coalition_unwilling May 2012 #30

I know we don't have universal health care. Initech Jun 2012 #39

It does excuse a broad-brush claim against a profession that coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #41

Been a doc 32 years Chuuku Davis Jun 2012 #46

Hello, Mr. 21-post Newbie. Sorry you're not rich. Hope that's coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #47

Sorry, if you're highly intelligent and willing to go through a decade of education and training Rittermeister Jun 2012 #63

Gee, does my 6 years of undergrad and 6 years of M.A. and partial work towards a Ph.D. coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #64

Most doctors are not in the 1% Hippo_Tron Jun 2012 #83

I imagine we often rationalize to ourselves that "giving a shit" about people is a means to an end LanternWaste Jun 2012 #42

You are goddamned right that subsistence farmers in Rwanda should be coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #55

Doctors' bills are a very small part of the cost of health insurance mainer Jun 2012 #67

your anger is misplaced Carolina Jun 2012 #82

You know, that may well be. Little story for you, though. coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #84

Like any business, there's some people who have extremely lucrative operations Hippo_Tron Jun 2012 #86

what an ignorant thing to write. unbelievably ignorant. magical thyme May 2012 #21

Are you a physician? Are you making in excess of $150,000/year? Just coalition_unwilling May 2012 #29

Only 15% of US physicians belong to the AMA. cbayer May 2012 #31

The AMA certainly acts as if it represents physicians. I'm so sick of this society's fundamental coalition_unwilling May 2012 #33

The AMA has some role in the oversight of medical schools, but they don't control the numbers. cbayer May 2012 #36

no, I am a medical lab technician magical thyme Jun 2012 #51

Look, I drive a beat-up 1993 Nissan Sentra. My earnings in 2010 (last year coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #53

I drive a beat-up 1997 Honda Civic with 215,000 miles on it magical thyme Jun 2012 #66

In my fifth year as an undergrad (majoring in English and History), I took coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #68

I went back at 55...and I regret it magical thyme Jun 2012 #71

Wow, thanks for that detail. I really wish I hadn't been so brash and full of myself coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #72

the grass is always greener on the other side, always magical thyme Jun 2012 #79

Your response would make a brilliant OP of its own (and you coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #85

thank you and you're welcome magical thyme Jun 2012 #99

I am a physician. So is my husband. We both quit the profession. mainer Jun 2012 #69

Yipes, did you bother to read the OP? The lowest paying M.D. on the coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #74

I went into publishing. mainer Jun 2012 #89

He-he. I went into publishing (but never got rich at it) and ended up wishing coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #94

Well, that's how life goes. A lot of unknowns involved. mainer Jun 2012 #96

When I was first getting started in political activism oh so long ago, one coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #97

Wouldn't it be a lot cheaper than $1000/mo if you just went in and paid cash? dkf Jun 2012 #98

All true though at least the physician once licensed treestar Jun 2012 #40

This message was self-deleted by its author Initech Jun 2012 #44

my reply was to Coalition Unwilling magical thyme Jun 2012 #52

Yeah so am I. Initech Jun 2012 #56

Oy, you might want to delete your post and re-post coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #75

Some in this thread are clueless and wrongly paint with a broad brush Carolina Jun 2012 #88

You see, there will not be physicians here on DU to argue with you, why? Burma Jones May 2012 #23

Too busy with their investments maybe. - n/t coalition_unwilling May 2012 #34

too busy... looking for tax shelters. lumberjack_jeff Jun 2012 #87

you obviously have no idea of the Carolina Jun 2012 #78

The big problem here is that those making the least are the ones who often do the most work. cbayer May 2012 #7

+1 tallahasseedem May 2012 #13

I would challenge them to spend a semester in med school magical thyme May 2012 #22

Well Said and Agreed n/t OhioChick May 2012 #28

OK. I'm a nurse,and work with a LOT of docs still paying off loans w8liftinglady May 2012 #8

One of my client's is a cardiac thoracic surgeon. His malpractice insurance is @ $1 million/yr riderinthestorm May 2012 #14

A combination of things here jp11 May 2012 #17

written like somebody who truly does not have a clue what they are writing about magical thyme May 2012 #25

Thanks for ignoring what I wrote and making excuses for the things you think I said. jp11 Jun 2012 #81

As I tell my kids.. sendero May 2012 #27

As logicians might say, Money is necessary but not sufficient for coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #48

People who say that money doesn't buy happiness don't know where to shop. KansDem Jun 2012 #61

That's cute.. sendero Jun 2012 #62

My brother's school had a strict interview policy. Initech May 2012 #18

I bet the didn't poll my doctor or dentist here in the Bay Area. 1300 bucks for a root canal. He demosincebirth May 2012 #19

Gee, I don't know, maybe he pays his staff decent wages...the slime...... Burma Jones May 2012 #24

No one working in a dental office can support a family of two. Not even in the demosincebirth Jun 2012 #59

Don't even get me started on dentistry and so-called 'dental insurance'. God, coalition_unwilling May 2012 #32

you think he simply pockets Carolina Jun 2012 #90

Awww, must be getting harder for them to steal from insurance companies and the government RB TexLa May 2012 #26

50 million Americans DO NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE and we're coalition_unwilling May 2012 #35

totally agree. demosincebirth Jun 2012 #60

Yes, we should care. Without doctors, there's no healthcare mainer Jun 2012 #70

You know, how about I just crawl off and die, since that's coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #73

Doctors aren't the ones who drive up healthcare costs. It's the cost of hospitalization. mainer Jun 2012 #92

Read the final chapters of Pearl Buck's "The Good Earth". The fate coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #95

Among all the real and imagined injustices in our society... BlueCheese Jun 2012 #37

the thing is I know a lot a non-medical doctors Johonny Jun 2012 #43

Absolutely. Your carpenter can perform brain surgery perfectly well. mainer Jun 2012 #93

My doctor's med school was completely paid for by the US Air Force kskiska Jun 2012 #38

Yes my cousin complains a lot. And she works all the time. Maraya1969 Jun 2012 #45

OT, but really enjoyed your description of your cousin, especially your coalition_unwilling Jun 2012 #49

"Only 54%"? surrealAmerican Jun 2012 #76