Would you still pursue medicine if salaries were same as high school teacher level?

[anxious_101]

Honest answers please. No one will judge if you say no. I will begin: NOOOO!

[osmosis]

i would because of ultimate job security. but, i would prbly only do fam med vs looking at specialties.

[Superking25]

If the cost of education, the years of training required, and the time demands were similar, then maybe. Medicine requires significantly more training and years of my life (not earning an income), as well as higher expectations of personal sacrifice through a career - this all comes at a price.

[TheCat'sMeow]

I would if I were working similar hours as a highschool teacher.

[Wayward son]

For the same salary? No. Doctors work far more hours. For the same hourly wages? Maybe. It would depend on medical school tuition being free and other changes being made like better hours, vacation and benefits. Also shift-work would deserve a stipend.

 

My desire to be a MD has little to do with money. I quit a job in which I was taking home about as much as the average family docs does. Plus I had great benefits and worked fewer hours. I will never come close to recouping the money I am losing to do a UG and, if I am accepted, MD and residency. There is more to life than money.

[Hockey_whiz]

wooohoo, i broke the 6-6 tie, i voted yes i would still do medicine.

[Hockey_whiz]

i will add this: i wish physicians didn't have that high of salaries--( equivalent to a high school teacher's salary? no problem for me), then less people would be interested in medicine and it'd be easier for me to get in !

[Clever]

8 years of post secondary + min 2 years residency to be sub middle class? Aww hell naw! How would I get my trophy wife when I'm not earning 6 figs? I wouldn't.

[Mithril]

With all other variables constant, nope.

[psychoswim]

Money has nothing to do with why I'm doing my MD, but there would have to be some change to education cost because it would be way too hard to pay off your debts.

[Hockey_whiz]

Money has nothing to do with why I'm doing my MD, but there would have to be some change to education cost because it would be way too hard to pay off your debts.

 

+1

agreeeeeeeed

[MarathonRunner]

Money has nothing to do with why I'm doing my MD, but there would have to be some change to education cost because it would be way too hard to pay off your debts.

 

+1. If I just wanted to make money, I would have joined a civilian firm when I left the military. I would have made more than enough money to live very comfortably (especially when combined with my husband's salary).

[mechanics]

As the others have posted, as long as there is some form of change to the education costs, then I'd still pursue it.

[rmorelan]

As the others have posted, as long as there is some form of change to the education costs, then I'd still pursue it.

 

Yeah that is kind of the bottom line for me and you know the costs would fall if that would happen.

 

To put it in perspective some moderately senior teachers earn 80,000 a year and have 2 months to themselves in the summer, other holidays etc. They certainly work more than 9 to 3 during the year - I had a landlord teacher before and actually was a teacher for one year, and at night there is marking and lesson plans etc which take a while for some courses. Still the pay is quite good actually

[charmer08]

WOW! I didn't know the majority would say no. Ugh, now I wish their salaries were the same as teachers. :/

[aaronjw]

Cannot properly answer this question because heart (desire to do somethinf that really matters while on this plamet) conflicts with brain (how can i possibly pay off a $200K debt on $50K-$80K)

[Renin]

I can't make 50K a year ... and have to be in school for forever + residency

[Clever]

Yeah that is kind of the bottom line for me and you know the costs would fall if that would happen.

 

To put it in perspective some moderately senior teachers earn 80,000 a year and have 2 months to themselves in the summer, other holidays etc. They certainly work more than 9 to 3 during the year - I had a landlord teacher before and actually was a teacher for one year, and at night there is marking and lesson plans etc which take a while for some courses. Still the pay is quite good actually

 

Teachers in ontario get paid quite well, but in alberta they don't get nearly as much. I think high school teachers here get ~50k.

[obi]

For the hours you put in and the stress level that accompanies the job? Hell no.

[rmorelan]

Teachers in ontario get paid quite well, but in alberta they don't get nearly as much. I think high school teachers here get ~50k.

 

Guess our union is doing better than yours

 

On per hour basis teachers are not that far off of what family doctors were earning just a short time ago (once both were established).

[rmorelan]

WOW! I didn't know the majority would say no. Ugh, now I wish their salaries were the same as teachers. :/

 

Surprised? I am guess I wasn't - money is a very powerful motivator for a lot of people going into medicine. It isn't for a quite a number of others as well - the debate on that rages over and over again on the forum Interesting the poll is pretty much 50/50.

[markov79]

For the hours you put in and the stress level that accompanies the job? Hell no.

 

LOL. well said

[cnb88]

Teachers in ontario get paid quite well, but in alberta they don't get nearly as much. I think high school teachers here get ~50k.

 

That's starting... after about 5 years it goes up extensively. I remember our high school teacher showing us the pay scale. It also depends on your level of education and experience. 50k is for college educated teachers. After a moderate amount of time, you're making 75k and full benefits. After 20ish years you can retire with FULL pension. Not many other jobs offer that kind of benefit package. And the weekends off. And summer holidays. And EVERY holiday. I could go for that

 

 

In all seriousness, yeah, I'd still pursue medicine if it paid the same. It's not about the money. As long as I can still put a roof over my head, food on the table and clothes on my back, then that's all that matters. Everything else is just extra. It's more important to be happy with what you do as opposed to miserably making a ton of cash.

[rmorelan]

That's starting... after about 5 years it goes up extensively. I remember our high school teacher showing us the pay scale. It also depends on your level of education and experience. 50k is for college educated teachers. After a moderate amount of time, you're making 75k and full benefits. After 20ish years you can retire with FULL pension. Not many other jobs offer that kind of benefit package. And the weekends off. And summer holidays. And EVERY holiday. I could go for that

 

 

In all seriousness, yeah, I'd still pursue medicine if it paid the same. It's not about the money. As long as I can still put a roof over my head, food on the table and clothes on my back, then that's all that matters. Everything else is just extra. It's more important to be happy with what you do as opposed to miserably making a ton of cash.

 

Yeah there is the quality of life factor. If you don't have time to actually spend the money you make then you are kind of defeating the point. Oh and that pension effectively ups teachers really income quite a bit - imagine knowing up front you don't have to worry at all about retirement. No wonder the average age of retirement for teachers is below 60 year of age.

 

There is a pile of research on this stuff too by the way on income and happiness:

 

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S15/15/09S18/index.xml?section=topstories

 

Beyond a point income doesn't make you that much happier - the question is of course what is that point

[cnb88]

Yeah there is the quality of life factor. If you don't have time to actually spend the money you make then you are kind of defeating the point. Oh and that pension effectively ups teachers really income quite a bit - imagine knowing up front you don't have to worry at all about retirement. No wonder the average age of retirement for teachers is below 60 year of age.

 

There is a pile of research on this stuff too by the way on income and happiness:

 

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S15/15/09S18/index.xml?section=topstories

 

Beyond a point income doesn't make you that much happier - the question is of course what is that point

 

Yeah, my one high school science teacher said he was retiring at like 50ish. To quote "why work longer? You're just wasting your own time. Once I qualify for full pension, I'm retiring".