[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FalconP As I say be a PATHOLOGIST: no patient to trouble you; instead you can have all the things a normal human being deserves: family life, leisure, dignity.

I know pathologists who work tons as well. Coroner's office, university prof, research coordinators. It can add up. It honestly depends on the amount one wants to take on...unless one is an ER doc...then things get hairy without warning

 

[J-Pak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by FalconP As I say be a PATHOLOGIST: no patient to trouble you; instead you can have all the things a normal human being deserves: family life, leisure, dignity.

Once you're established and in a decent practice, you can really set your own hours in nearly every medicine based field. I know surgeons have a tougher lifestyle.

 

[Jmmmmm]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock&Roll Ninja opthamologists and dentists are the fields to get into. Ever hear of a dentist telling a patient he has terminal cancer? Think you'll lose your visiually impared customers to Reiki faith-healers instead of getting that annual eye exam? And show me the accupuncturist who can redirect a patients chi to fill their cavity or fix their broken tooth. *Regular business hours *fewer chronic junky-sufferers looking for a fix (can you get addicted to contact lenses?) *Hard to argue about result. ("Tartar buildup? should I get a second opinion?")

Some friends and I were actually talking about that the other day, how dentistry might have been an easier way to go. However, you spend your life working in other people's nasty, filthy mouths, and that's the equivalent of torture to me. <shutters>

Quote:

Originally Posted by J-Pak Also from my short ophthal rotation the micro surgery involved is very, very intricate and can last up to 3 hours. Fortunately its one of the few surgeries you can sit down for.

You can sit down for opthalmology surgeries? Hmm, I might have to look into that... I want to go into surgery, but my back starts killing me after standing for a while...

And doctors are people too, some are better than others, some have better people skills/bedside manner than others, and they can just be in a bad mood sometimes.

 

[bLue_oNioN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by purk Yes...I respect them...but I expect them a little less here in the U.S.A. You can get identical treatment for much less elsewhere. In asia, medical doctor earns at most 3 or times than an engineer, not 10 times more than engineer like over here. Plus, you can get an almost immediate treatment not a 3 or 4 hours wait like over here.

I wonder how stock options factor into this. Salary-wise, doctors rank among the highest paid, but many engineers can easily make several times their salary when their company's stock does well. Is there something similar for doctors?

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bLue_oNioN I wonder how stock options factor into this. Salary-wise, doctors rank among the highest paid, but many engineers can easily make several times their salary when their company's stock does well. Is there something similar for doctors?

Yes. Drug research or biomedical device. Think artificial heart etc. If an MD was doing research they may have done so at an institute or university and have been wise enough to incorporate the team so that they partially or wholely own the rights to the device. If working in conjunction with a pharmaceutical or bioeng/biomedeng company, stock options may be part of the enticement.

 

[J-Pak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jmmmmm S You can sit down for opthalmology surgeries? Hmm, I might have to look into that... I want to go into surgery, but my back starts killing me after standing for a while...

Yeah at least 80-90% of their surgery (excluding lasik) is through a microscope with the eye fixated. No general anesthetic, just local.

 

[Teerawit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zanth If one REALLY wants a cushy job, they need to inherit and loaf or win the lottery and loaf, or well...just loaf and live off of welfare or whatever it is called these days. Otherwise, one is gonna have to put in the hours to get the big bucks.

or just go into dermatology or radiology.

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teerawit or just go into dermatology or radiology.

Radiology yes...but dermatology? No thanks. If one thinks dentistry is awful try looking at ***** absesses all day long and have the wonderful chore of lancing them. Heh...nope!

 

[Teerawit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zanth Radiology yes...but dermatology? No thanks. If one thinks dentistry is awful try looking at ***** absesses all day long and have the wonderful chore of lancing them. Heh...nope!

it depends on the person, but there's a reason why dermatology residencies are insanely hard to get into

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teerawit it depends on the person, but there's a reason why dermatology residencies are insanely hard to get into

Must be a US thing...in Canada they can't GIVE them away. Most communities are pining after US and International dermatologists like you can't believe.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teerawit or just go into dermatology or radiology.

A radiologist isn't a doctor. At least not here.

 

[Zanth]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock&Roll Ninja A radiologist isn't a doctor. At least not here.

What country do you live in? In the US and Canada Radiologists have to have an MD, otherwise they are radiology technicians. Big difference. One runs the machine, one reads and interprets the data.

 

[majid]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rock&Roll Ninja opthamologists and dentists are the fields to get into. Ever hear of a dentist telling a patient he has terminal cancer?

You'd be surprised. Dentists have the highest stress levels and suicide rates of any medical professionals, at least in the US.

Edit: I googled for references, and apparently recent research suggests that is *not* the case. Sorry for the red herring.

 

[Kirosia]

Had a (really) bad experience with a doctor/hospital... and no, I wasn't touched inappropriately.

Eh, I guess I respect doctors what what they do and have do deal with, but after said incident I'm quite hesitant to go to a hospital/health center.

 

[marvin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by majid You'd be surprised. Dentists have the highest stress levels and suicide rates of any medical professionals, at least in the US. Edit: I googled for references, and apparently recent research suggests that is *not* the case. Sorry for the red herring.

Yep, after gender/race corrections, dentist suicide rates aren't too much worse than the general population's suicide rate.

Doctor suicide rates are pretty high though, especially for shrinks and women.