4 answers
chris
Student
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania
1
Question
4 answers
Anasa Lattibeaudaire
Career Counselor
24
Answers
Miami, Florida
Updated
Anasa’s Answer
Hi Chris,
Yes, becoming a doctor can be challenging due to the extensive education, training, and responsibility involved. Despite its difficulties, the potential to save and improve lives, contribute positively to the community, and achieving financial stability motivate people from various walks of life to pursue this career field. In case you were wondering, medical training will typically involve four years of undergraduate studies, followed by four years of medical school. Then, you'll spend several years in residency resulting in more than a decade of education and training post high school. This education and training can be quite expensive, too. It's considered a financial investment.
Additionally, doctors do work extensive and irregular hours, including overnight shifts and weekends, which can affect your work-life balance. Working as a doctor can lead to burnout because of a the high demand for healthcare services, and it necessitates working in a fast-paced work environment. It's truly a high stakes kind of job (as a doctor, you're responsible for the lives of others, and if something goes wrong, there are severe consequences). On the other hand, you can make a positive impact on people's lives earning respect and trust in your community and in your career field.
Yes, becoming a doctor can be challenging due to the extensive education, training, and responsibility involved. Despite its difficulties, the potential to save and improve lives, contribute positively to the community, and achieving financial stability motivate people from various walks of life to pursue this career field. In case you were wondering, medical training will typically involve four years of undergraduate studies, followed by four years of medical school. Then, you'll spend several years in residency resulting in more than a decade of education and training post high school. This education and training can be quite expensive, too. It's considered a financial investment.
Additionally, doctors do work extensive and irregular hours, including overnight shifts and weekends, which can affect your work-life balance. Working as a doctor can lead to burnout because of a the high demand for healthcare services, and it necessitates working in a fast-paced work environment. It's truly a high stakes kind of job (as a doctor, you're responsible for the lives of others, and if something goes wrong, there are severe consequences). On the other hand, you can make a positive impact on people's lives earning respect and trust in your community and in your career field.
Rita Chuang
Physician
112
Answers
Henderson, Nevada
Updated
Rita’s Answer
I think being a doctor is hard for several reasons:
1. Training is long. After high school, 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school and minimum 3 years of residency.
2. Job-All day, you have patients with multiple complaints. Usually you get about 15 minutes per patient. During this time, it could be 1-12 problems. There are refills, sending referrals, figuring out problems, etc. Besides seeing the patients, you get refill requests from the pharmacy, referral notes (you sent a patient to a specialist and now they give you a note as to what they recommended), signing home health notes etc. Next, you have patients who send messages or ask questions by telephone. You need to finish your notes before you leave.
3. If you open your own practice, it's difficult. Although inflation has increased, the amount per code that the insurance pays the providers have note. I have been practicing for 20 years and the majority of the insurances have not increased how much they pay us although the employees' salaries, utilities, rent, etc have increased. You need to see more patients each year to make the same amount of money.
4. When it was my own practice, I would get calls after hours. You are at home or at the store and patients are calling or texting you. The laboratory may call you in the middle of the night for critical results. If you decide you want to go to the hospital, you will get called from the ER or the ward about your patient.
Honestly, most physicians I know would not have their kids go into the profession. I'm 53 years old and although that may sound old to you, it's not that old. I'm probably going to retire in the next few months.
1. Training is long. After high school, 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school and minimum 3 years of residency.
2. Job-All day, you have patients with multiple complaints. Usually you get about 15 minutes per patient. During this time, it could be 1-12 problems. There are refills, sending referrals, figuring out problems, etc. Besides seeing the patients, you get refill requests from the pharmacy, referral notes (you sent a patient to a specialist and now they give you a note as to what they recommended), signing home health notes etc. Next, you have patients who send messages or ask questions by telephone. You need to finish your notes before you leave.
3. If you open your own practice, it's difficult. Although inflation has increased, the amount per code that the insurance pays the providers have note. I have been practicing for 20 years and the majority of the insurances have not increased how much they pay us although the employees' salaries, utilities, rent, etc have increased. You need to see more patients each year to make the same amount of money.
4. When it was my own practice, I would get calls after hours. You are at home or at the store and patients are calling or texting you. The laboratory may call you in the middle of the night for critical results. If you decide you want to go to the hospital, you will get called from the ER or the ward about your patient.
Honestly, most physicians I know would not have their kids go into the profession. I'm 53 years old and although that may sound old to you, it's not that old. I'm probably going to retire in the next few months.
James Constantine Frangos
Consultant Dietitian & Software Developer since 1972 => Nutrition Education => Health & Longevity.
3832
Answers
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Hi Chris! The profession of a doctor, while gratifying, can also be quite demanding. Here's why it's tough:
💪 Responsibility: Doctors carry the weight of their patients' health and well-being, which can be a daunting task. You'll need to make tough calls and be accountable for them.
📚 Constant learning: Medicine is an ever-evolving field. Keeping up with the latest studies and breakthroughs requires a dedication to lifelong learning and can take up a lot of time.
💻 Technical know-how: A good doctor needs to be well-versed in anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology. Proficiency in using medical tools and technology is also crucial.
👥 People skills: Doctors need to communicate effectively with patients, their families, and fellow healthcare workers. They also need to be compassionate and understanding, as they often handle emotionally charged situations.
💰 Financial strain: The cost of becoming a doctor can be high, considering the investment in education, equipment, and malpractice insurance. There can also be financial stress from hospitals, insurance firms, and other healthcare providers.
For more insights, check out these authoritative references:
1. "The Hardest Part of Being a Doctor" by Dr. Lisa Sanders (The New York Times, 2018)
2. "The Challenges of Being a Doctor" by Dr. Robert H. Shmerling (Harvard Health Publishing, 2019)
3. "The Emotional Toll of Being a Doctor" by Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen (The Atlantic, 2019)
I'm here if you have more questions!
Best Wishes,
James.
💪 Responsibility: Doctors carry the weight of their patients' health and well-being, which can be a daunting task. You'll need to make tough calls and be accountable for them.
📚 Constant learning: Medicine is an ever-evolving field. Keeping up with the latest studies and breakthroughs requires a dedication to lifelong learning and can take up a lot of time.
💻 Technical know-how: A good doctor needs to be well-versed in anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology. Proficiency in using medical tools and technology is also crucial.
👥 People skills: Doctors need to communicate effectively with patients, their families, and fellow healthcare workers. They also need to be compassionate and understanding, as they often handle emotionally charged situations.
💰 Financial strain: The cost of becoming a doctor can be high, considering the investment in education, equipment, and malpractice insurance. There can also be financial stress from hospitals, insurance firms, and other healthcare providers.
For more insights, check out these authoritative references:
1. "The Hardest Part of Being a Doctor" by Dr. Lisa Sanders (The New York Times, 2018)
2. "The Challenges of Being a Doctor" by Dr. Robert H. Shmerling (Harvard Health Publishing, 2019)
3. "The Emotional Toll of Being a Doctor" by Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen (The Atlantic, 2019)
I'm here if you have more questions!
Best Wishes,
James.
Hwal Lee
DMSc, MSc (PA-C)
192
Answers
Albany, New York
Updated
Hwal’s Answer
Chris,
It sounds like you may be interested in practicing medicine, if you meant a medical doctor when you mentioned a "doctor." Today's healthcare teams often have several members on them, including PAs, allopathic and osteopathic physicians, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, etc. I'm a family medicine PA, and I would say there definitely are challenges on what I do. But I find that the rewards are much greater than challenges, which makes me feel that I chose the right path. Do you have specific concerns about directs of working in health care or practicing medicine? If you do, feel free to let me know and I'll do my best to address then and share my perspective and experience with you if that's going to help.
If you're passionate about helping others, I would say medicine is a career worth considering. Good luck!
Hwal
It sounds like you may be interested in practicing medicine, if you meant a medical doctor when you mentioned a "doctor." Today's healthcare teams often have several members on them, including PAs, allopathic and osteopathic physicians, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, etc. I'm a family medicine PA, and I would say there definitely are challenges on what I do. But I find that the rewards are much greater than challenges, which makes me feel that I chose the right path. Do you have specific concerns about directs of working in health care or practicing medicine? If you do, feel free to let me know and I'll do my best to address then and share my perspective and experience with you if that's going to help.
If you're passionate about helping others, I would say medicine is a career worth considering. Good luck!
Hwal