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

[Mithril]

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

So money can't be a factor at all? Medicine provides a unique mix of money, ingenuity, financial security, intellectual stimulation, socioeconomic status, ability to make a difference in other people's lives, etc. Only a small number of careers provide a similar mix. However, the compensation of spending the best years of your youth with your head burrowed into the books has to be worth it for me. There also comes the risk of communicable diseases when dealing with patients and the risk of malpractice lawsuits.

[<abstract>]

I actually have an interest to become a teacher as well as a family physician. If all else were equal, I still don't know what career path I would choose because both I find interesting and engaging. I think that ultimately medicine would still be my desired career path, however teaching would be a good fall back just incase it doesn't work out.

[coastalslacker]

I bet most of the "yes" votes are from pre-meds, those starting med school in the fall, and first/second year med students...

 

If I got paid a high school teacher's salary as a med student instead of accumulating over 100k in debt, had a pension waiting for me after 30 years, and only had to work, say, 50 hours a week (with no call), I would definitely do it. I wouldn't even need summers off.

[Jochi1543]

Depends. If the amount of effort and money needed to obtain the training was the same, I'd probably pick something else. If the training was compatible to that of a HS teacher, then why not.

[mechanics]

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

 

My backup is physics and grad-school would be "free" with a stipend and would roughly take the same amount of time as medical school+Family med residency (2 years masters and an average of 5 years for a phD). The average pay is like 50k (post-docs is 30K) for a research job in physics after the phD, so it seems teachers are doing much better off than many physicists in terms of financial compensation.

[RyanMaverick]

Not a freakin' chance. I'm all for loving what you do, but when you consider the debt level, level of performance and responsibility required, and ridiculous amounts of personal sacrifices I expect to be compensated very well in my future profession.

[anxious_101]

Well that was actually closer than I would've predicted. I anticipated the vast majority would pick NO.

[mm88]

Hell no. I wouldn't ditch my current stable job, leave my family and significant other to move away to study.....only to be in huge amounts of debt.

The opportunity cost is just too damn high.

[sleeping_sickness]

for me, the answer is variable. It's not so much about the repaying debt but rather about practicality. being a physician is what i really want to do and, if at a lower salary, i could still afford to take care of my family and myself, then i would definitely do it. however, it really wouldn't be worth it if you were struggling to eke out a living just to feed your family. it doesn't seem right that a person could spend so much time in school pursuing their career of choice only to have to struggle in the future.

[Robin Hood]

Becoming a high school teacher takes 4 years at university and then you can start working, while becoming a doctor takes 4 to 9 (if you have to do an UG) years of university + 2 to 5 years of university + stress + debt (not as high as other provinces but still) + having to study while you have a family (in some cases) + having to study and work like a crazy (you're literally sacrificing years of your life), so if medicine had the same wage as high school teacher, then it will be a hell no.

[Leon]

Medicine provides a unique mix of money, ingenuity, financial security, intellectual stimulation, socioeconomic status, ability to make a difference in other people's lives, etc. Only a small number of careers provide a similar mix. However, the compensation of spending the best years of your youth with your head burrowed into the books has to be worth it for me.

 

+1

10chars

[thatonekid]

...

So money can't be a factor at all? Medicine provides a unique mix of money, ingenuity, financial security, intellectual stimulation, socioeconomic status, ability to make a difference in other people's lives, etc. Only a small number of careers provide a similar mix. However, the compensation of spending the best years of your youth with your head burrowed into the books has to be worth it for me. There also comes the risk of communicable diseases when dealing with patients and the risk of malpractice lawsuits.

Agreed.

[apache]

i'd prefer to be a high school teacher at equal pay

[Cerena]

Absolutely yes, I would still pursue medicine.

[AccountantGirl]

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.

 

 

 

+1 I'm pretty sure everyone is going to think I'm insane if they find out what I'm trying to do. But it doesn't matter. My good paying job doesn't do anything for my sense of desire to make a difference to people. How can I teach my kids to find passion in their lives when I have none in mine, aside from them and my marriage.

[smile101]

Yes, absolutely! But the funnier question is: would you pursue becoming a teacher if the salary was the same as a doctor. Hahaha. I don't think any amount of money could convince me to become a high school teacher

[apache]

d u know i have a friend who's mother is a plastic surgeon in china that ended up in medicine because she couldn't get into teacher's school, which is far more prestigious than medicine there... she makes a cool half a mil, no biggie... i'd def be a teacher for anything over 100 k

 

Yes, absolutely! But the funnier question is: would you pursue becoming a teacher if the salary was the same as a doctor. Hahaha. I don't think any amount of money could convince me to become a high school teacher

[future_doc]

Absolutely yes, I would still pursue medicine.

 

I am in total agreement.

[staradmiral]

Absolutely NOT!

 

I didn't work this hard to make what someone with a few years of university makes. Money is important. It allows people to live their dreams, travel where you want. Money is freedom, you don't have to think about affording this and affording that. If you want to go to Disney World every year, you just go! a teacher could only afford to go once in a decade...

 

Money is also very important for family. I am not married yet, but I intend to have a wife and kids, and as a responsible man, husband, and father it is my duty to provide for my family. I would not be happy with myself if all I brought home was a teacher's salary. I don't want my kids to have to loan money for university like I had to. I wanna be able to take them to disney world, hawaii, China, anywhere they want to go. You also never know what medical troubles your family may run into. What if your pathetic teacher's medical insurance does not cover an important procedure?

 

When one chooses a career, you cannot only think about doing what you love, but also think about the family you must take care of as well.

[MarathonRunner]

For those who voted YES and intend not to have kids then go right ahead. But if you wanna have a family, then that comes with responsibility. A responsible parent must think about their spouse and kids first and foremost, and doing what they love second. I like medicine, but I would never pursue a low paying job at the expense of my children.

 

Well, some of us have spouses that have very high-paying jobs. As well, some of us non-trads worked for years, making very good money, so have considerable savings in the bank.

 

I could easily make more money by just staying in my current field (especially if I went and obtained an MBA). Instead, I have decided to pursue medicine because it interests me, not because of the paycheque.

[aaronjw]

Well, some of us have spouses that have very high-paying jobs. As well, some of us non-trads worked for years, making very good money, so have considerable savings in the bank.

 

I could easily make more money by just staying in my current field (especially if I went and obtained an MBA). Instead, I have decided to pursue medicine because it interests me, not because of the paycheque.

 

Well said. Agreed!

[garret9]

I put indifferent but I would actually say maybe is my true answer.

There are other rewards to any and all carreers besides finances. On the other hand, being secure and provide for yourself/family is very benificial and helps out weigh a lot of the large and common sacrifices created by medicine (examples: high student debt, on-call, >>>40 hour weeks).

I do know one thing: it be a harder decision to make.

[obi]

Yes, absolutely! But the funnier question is: would you pursue becoming a teacher if the salary was the same as a doctor. Hahaha. I don't think any amount of money could convince me to become a high school teacher

 

Hell yes I would... Gimme a FamDoc Salary as a highschool teacher and i'd be the most bad-ass physics teacher there ever was

[rmorelan]

Hell yes I would... Gimme a FamDoc Salary as a highschool teacher and i'd be the most bad-ass physics teacher there ever was

 

 

Challenge accepted.

 

(ok, technically a chemistry teacher but still I couldn't resist)

[Cerena]

Well, some of us have spouses that have very high-paying jobs. As well, some of us non-trads worked for years, making very good money, so have considerable savings in the bank.

 

I could easily make more money by just staying in my current field (especially if I went and obtained an MBA). Instead, I have decided to pursue medicine because it interests me, not because of the paycheque.

 

Cyber high-five