| Is the finicial reward of becoming a doctor worth it? |
| yes |
|
64% |
[ 11 ] |
| no |
|
35% |
[ 6 ] |
|
| Total Votes : 17 |
jessb
Member
Cash: $ 2.45
Posts: 11
Joined: 05 Feb 2011
Location: north east
|
| Salaries of doctors |
 |
|
Some people were talking about becoming a doctor the other day and the discussion came to whether the work involved is equal to the pay. According to his web site, school teachers get paid more per hour than some doctors:
http://www.eyedrd.org/2011/02/deceptive-income-of-physicians.html.
Sure there are other rewards of becoming a doctor, but it sounds like you can become financially secure other ways. What does everyone think?
|
Sat Feb 05, 2011 3:19 am |
|
|
coaster
Senior Advisor
Cash: $ 1357.80
Posts: 6686
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
Location: Wisconsin
|
There are so many variables and variations on doctors' incomes it's very hard to answer a question like that about "salaries." Depends whether you're a staff doctor, private practice, attending, specialty, GP.
I read that radiologists make the most money.
Frankly, I think financial motivations are very,very poor motivations to want to become a doctor. I certainly don't want anyone treating ME who's only thinking about the bottom line.
|
|
Sat Feb 05, 2011 7:31 am |
|
|
KatherineLee88
Preferred Member
Cash: $ 22.65
Posts: 112
Joined: 10 Jan 2011
Location: Iowa
|
|
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by coaster
Frankly, I think financial motivations are very,very poor motivations to want to become a doctor. I certainly don't want anyone treating ME who's only thinking about the bottom line.
I agree with you coaster about the financial motivations. Unfortunately, working as a research assistant for the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa, and having been a student in classes alongside hundreds of pre-medicine students at the University of Minnesota, I know that the prestige of the MD title along with the promised income drives a lot of people to become MDs.
On the bright side, financial motivation isn't enough to get there. A lot of those pre-medicine students got weeded out of biology majors in the first couple years of undergraduate. Additionally, the acceptance rate for first year applicants to medical schools is about 50% (some of my friends applied to 24 schools with basically straight As in undergrad and STILL got accepted nowhere!). It's too bad these classmates that I think are completely capable of being great doctors are getting trumped out by "better applicants."
These "better applicants" are apparently very smart. So if you want to be a MD, at least you need to have "the smarts." If finances are driving these MDs, it's impossible to weed them out for that... just can weed the "intellectually insufficient" ones.
Also agree with coaster about the differences in wages. I know very well that specialities can have salaries ranging from up to 700k/year... or more if they are "heads" and such. I remember someone that called into the Suze Orman show once that was just practicing for a couple years and she was taking home 17k in pay after taxes. I'm not sure her speciality, but for just starting, that sounds dang good to me.
I could understand how some school teachers get paid more than my friend working down at the free clinic. I can also see how some teachers get paid more than doctors serving in disadvantaged countries or in basic family medicine. To me, this comparison just seems ridiculous - it seems doctors could always trump teachers in salary earnings if you lump them all in a group together, perhaps even if it was decided that we were counting "Professors" in the teacher distinction.
|
|
Sat Feb 05, 2011 3:17 pm |
|
|
coaster
Senior Advisor
Cash: $ 1357.80
Posts: 6686
Joined: 11 Oct 2005
Location: Wisconsin
|
What do you think about free government-paid education (post-graduate part, maybe) in return for going into the financially less-rewarding areas of medical service? I know there are already shortages of doctors in some areas and forecast to get worse as the differences between something like, oh say, a rheumatologist and a brain surgeon get wider.
|
|
Sat Feb 05, 2011 5:30 pm |
|
|
KatherineLee88
Preferred Member
Cash: $ 22.65
Posts: 112
Joined: 10 Jan 2011
Location: Iowa
|
|
|
|
quote:
Originally posted by coaster
What do you think about free government-paid education (post-graduate part, maybe) in return for going into the financially less-rewarding areas of medical service?
I would support this. Already there are plans that encourage teachers through student loan forgiveness to teach in lower-income/underachieving public schools. Loan forgiveness programs exist for people entering public service jobs like my friend who is going for a master's in forensic science. She'll graduate with tons of debt and has the rest of her life to look forward to a lower-paying job that her other master of science counterparts to help pay those bills. Except... she should qualify to get some of her loans from her master's program forgiven.
There needs to be some sort of incentives out their to encourage people to pursue these career paths. Although we would all like to believe that finances aren't going to determine someones career or job, it does.
From what I understand, the way they have the these types of programs set up is well-thought out. I think a student should "pay the bill" through loans and such, and upon completion of a program and starting a career in an under served field/practice there could be assistance on loan repayments.
|
|
Sun Feb 06, 2011 12:18 am |
|
|
RichS
Full Member
Cash: $ 18.90
Posts: 94
Joined: 02 Feb 2011
Location: Seattle
|
I agree with coaster and KatherineLee88 that if you are motivated to become a doctor, first and foremost, because of the money then you will become another pompous, arrogant, money grubbing medical professional. They didn't say that exactly, I did. We already have enough of them. That does'nt mean you should work for free either because it is extremely costly to become an MD. Let your conscious be your guide.
Rich CFP(r)
Writer/Publisher/Speaker
Author "Your In Simple Language Guide to Basic Investments"
www.insimplelanguage.com
|
|
Mon Feb 07, 2011 4:02 pm |
|
|
justinblake
Contributing Member
Cash: $ 6.60
Posts: 32
Joined: 11 Feb 2011
Location: Los Angeles
|
I'm surprised that teachers here can earn as much or even more than doctors do. Where I came from, doctors are always considered big earners. Doctors and lawyers earn the most money. I was even surprised to find out that dentists here earn even more than doctors!
credit repair
|
|
Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:19 am |
|
|
SweatyGirl
Full Member
Cash: $ 15.60
Posts: 77
Joined: 04 Jan 2011
|
You just need to prepare yourself completely. It's a long way to go, before you get a doctor job
Secrets on How To Make Money Fast
Top Insurance Companies
|
|
Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:18 pm |
|
|
payment proof
Senior Member
Cash: $ 196.85
Posts: 1013
Joined: 16 Jan 2011
|
I don't know if all of the long, long hours and the cost of the education is really worth it if you're just financially motivated. I think you also really need to have the desire to want to help and take care of people.
See Proof. You can make free money online.
|
|
Mon Feb 14, 2011 4:23 am |
|
|
jeffreymint
Preferred Member
Cash: $ 26.80
Posts: 131
Joined: 04 Feb 2011
Location: Kissimmee, FL
|
Seems special education teachers deserve to get that much remuneration since teaching special kids with special needs takes a lot of effort, time, energy, patience, and skills. As per the docs, no pun intended, they would just sometimes look at you and ask questions upon check up and then writes their prescription. Too easy eh, doc!
|
|
Thu Feb 17, 2011 3:22 pm |
|
|
carryjohn
Member
Cash: $ 2.00
Posts: 10
Joined: 18 Feb 2011
|
teachers should be paid high salary but Doctors are well paid and IT professionals, thats why everybody wants to be a doctor but it shoudnt be like this , they shoud choose different feilds, i believe if you work hard you get your reward
staff coaching
first aid training
|
|
Thu Feb 24, 2011 3:08 pm |
|
|
RichS
Full Member
Cash: $ 18.90
Posts: 94
Joined: 02 Feb 2011
Location: Seattle
|
Working "hard" gets you old...real quick. My father worked "hard" all his life and died at age 56 with nothing. Working "smart" gets you where you want to go. 
Rich CFP(r)
Writer/Publisher/Speaker
Author "Your In Simple Language Guide to Basic Investments"
www.insimplelanguage.com
|
|
Thu Feb 24, 2011 4:23 pm |
|
|
terrancebrandt
Full Member
Cash: $ 19.60
Posts: 93
Joined: 01 Mar 2011
|
quote:
Originally posted by RichS
Working "hard" gets you old...real quick. My father worked "hard" all his life and died at age 56 with nothing. Working "smart" gets you where you want to go.
Now that is a good advice!
True though that when people tend to overuse their brains, the cells and tissues degenerate faster than the common/average used ones. No pun intended, however, this does not apply to just by 'working hard', it also applies to the usual human nature of worrying. You may not be working hard (like doctors and teachers do) so you ain't got much too, then you worry lots. Same thing. How about trying to be optimistic sometimes (if not everyday). Happiness can relax muscles which helps us feel better. Why not? 
-------------------------------
Check out our website and find the best options of our cheap life insurance.
|
|
Tue Mar 01, 2011 1:46 am |
|
|
MrPolarZero
Preferred Member
Cash: $ 31.00
Posts: 150
Joined: 31 Jan 2011
Location: Aliso Viejo, California
|
I don't believe in this. I have a friend who is a doctor, and according to him, he earns huge salaries per month. Perhaps that article was based on low-profile doctors and hospitals.
Annuities
Best Life Insurance
|
|
Tue Mar 01, 2011 4:53 am |
|
|
|
