A reader writes:
I just wanted to write and say thanks for your great blog. I’m considering a career in medicine, but I seriously wonder if it is worth the effort. Your info and rants on the medical business these days is very helpful to me.
What would you do if you were in my shoes, if you were twenty-two years old, with the whole world basically wide open to you? Knowing what you know now, would you think it’s worth it to sacrifice so much to be a physician?
Yes! Yes! Yes!
I do rant often about business issues in medicine ranging from the malpractice crisis to the imbalance between fees (holding steady) and overhead (increasing). I find the business of medicine disturbing in 2003.
Yet, I love being a physician. Each day when I look in the mirror, I know that my goal is to help patients, either directly or by teaching students and residents – hopefully making them better physicians. While I have a very reasonable income, I rarely think about the money in relation to the job.
Most physicians could make more money if they choose a different field. Few physicians really consider that possibility. Being a physician defines ones persona. I cannot imagine being anything else!
Medicine satisfies my quest for knowledge. Each week we learn more which we strive to use to help patients.
Patients are often like mysteries. They come to us with problems which we have to decipher. We collect clues – history, physical and appropriate diagnostic testing. Using those clues we strive to develop a management strategy which takes into consideration the patient’s desires and our best knowledge of the evidence.
But the doctor patient interaction adds a very important texture to our collective persona. When I introduce myself to a patient (as Dr. Centor), I almost always sense the patient trusting me and wanting to work with me towards the common goal of helping the patient. The doctor side of the doctor patient relationship provides me (and most physicians with whom I have discussed this feeling) a very special validation. We are fortunate that generally patients assume that we care and want to help.
Being a physician is wonderful. We have business concerns today which I believe will lessen over time. The challenge of patient care and the non-monetary rewards will continue to make medicine a wonderful field.
Finally, as I look back at my medical training I cannot really call it a sacrifice. I was generally happy during my training (well at times the 1st two years of medical school made me miserable). Even working every 3rd night as an intern, I found time for socializing, playing basketball and enjoying life.
So I recommend to everyone who asks to pursue medicine, unless their goal is to make money. One should not choose medicine for money, rather for the joy you can bring to yourself and patients.