Career change?

[jstarfireb]

Ditto Rosetta and Allycat. I'm a resident now as well, and I urge anyone thinking about going into medicine to think VERY VERY hard about what they want to do. Only go into medicine if you can't see yourself doing anything else, because the training is hell, and you can do medicine-like things via other career pathways (RN, NP, PA, perfusionist, respiratory therapist, CRNA, PT, etc.). I'm happy with my decision and love what I do...but had I really known how grueling and humiliating the training is, even now in the era of work hour restrictions and my program's focus on resident well-being, I would have done something else. I've given up what should be some of the best years of my life devoting myself to a field that is largely thankless (medicine in general, not anesthesia in particular).

I see that you're not all that interested in the patient care aspect...all the more reason to go a different route. I think you can find something you love to do without going into medicine.

But I think there are two separate questions here. One is whether to change careers at all, and the other is whether to go into medicine as a career change at this point in your life. I would only encourage you to pursue medicine if there's nothing else you can see yourself doing for the rest of your career.

Also, regarding needles, I agree that we use them all the time. Some specialties more than others, but for example, I put in almost every single IV for my patients, not to mention epidurals, central lines, arterial lines, and other procedures. There are specialties that are more procedure-heavy than others, but I can think of few medical procedures that don't involve a needle. Perhaps a pathologist or a primarily outpatient-centered primary care MD might never use a needle after training, but that's more of an exception to the rule.

 

[Silvia]

Hello OP,

I'm from Australia too, worked in retail/management until I was 27. I really hated my job really considered going back to school, it took a couple of years to really decide and commit to it, as even though I was pretty smart, I was more interested in being 'cool' when I was a teenager and didn't finish year 12 and SACE.

In 2010, I got into a 'Foundation studies course', I then sat the STAT and in 2011 I completed the first year of a Bachelor of Science and this year I got accepted into a Bachelor of Engineering. It will take 4 years to complete so I will be 32. It does concern me about having a family at some stage, but I've never been a maternal person (obviously that could change). The difference in the two courses and universities are HUGE. The first one was smaller, older people, more friendlier, I managed to get HDs in everything very easily. The second Uni (a Group of 8 ) was huge, everyone was very very young (some were under 1, I joined a 'mature age association' but still found it hard to make friends and struggled with the work.

Luckily my bf is happy to support me, so I quit my job in 2010 (after pro-rata long service leave clocked up ), but with in 2 weeks I was getting phone calls from competitors and managed to get an above average wage for a casual job.

Have you sat the GAMSAT?
Is there another University that has the same programme that you can start in 2013 instead?

 

[Pandora II]

Justginer, Rosetta is in the UK.

Even here I think it depends though (just to qualify, my father, uncle, 2 aunts, 3 cousins plus FIL are all doctors and most of the other relatives are in medical fields - psychology, speech pathology, medical law etc).

One of my best friends is an OB and has just turned 30. She has had 2 children and taken a year's maternity leave for each, plus works part-time hours since having the first and it doesn't seem to have damaged her career at all. She took her Royal College exams last year and was one of the few that passed first time - pass rate of 18% so I was impressed given that her daughter isn't always easy.

 

[justginger]

Jstar, you are absolutely correct - there are two very different questions rolling around in my head. The answer to the first is a resounding yes, I do need to pursue a higher level career. I am not only bored, but wasted in my current position. I have a lot more to offer than I am able to give. Medicine specifically though? I'm not sure. I sort of feel like I am allowing myself to be pushed away from the idea, in part by experienced (well meaning!) people here. The doctors in my personal life are very encouraging, so the opinions are very much at odds. I do, of course, want necessary reality checks, but am frankly confused. It feels like being a pregnant woman trying to put together a birth plan, everyone giving varying opinions based on their experiences, but ultimately just having to decide what is best for yourself.

Silvia, there are 2 unis in Perth with postgrad medicine programs, but one is pretty pooly regarded. I'd rather take the year delay and stick to the reputable institution. I have not sat the GAMSAT, but did the MCAT years ago. By all accounts the tests are radically different, so will approach the GAMSAT next year (if I choose to go down that path) as a totally new challenge. I'm actually looking forward to it in a perverse way, it's been so long since I've actually needed to really use my mind!

Thank you all for your thoughtful questions and comments. I am appreciative, though a bit overwhelmed.

 

[jstarfireb]

It definitely sounds like you're giving this a lot of thought, which is the most important thing. You will get differing opinions, but as you said, only you can sort them out. I would hate to discourage you from doing what you really want to do...which is why my advice is "make sure you REALLY want it." But if you can be just as happy doing something else, you should do that instead. I'm in a relatively benign program as medical fields go, and I like what I do, but even then I struggle to accept the long hours, lack of control over my schedule, and hierarchical structure with ritual hazing. I know others have it far worse, though.

I should add that it might be difficult to compare medical training programs between countries. I'm in the US, and I've heard that the training is much less abusive and more humane in Europe, not to mention much less expensive. And the practice environment is much better, with shorter hours, more vacation/family leave time, etc. I hope Australia is better as well!

 

[rosetta]

Every doctor's experience will be different, but do not underestimate how hard this is. Right now, I'm putting in 12 hour days, followed by at least 4-5 hours study every day.

I cut my teeth in some of the biggest, busiest London hospitals, so my experience is pretty hard core in the UK. It didn't kill me, so it must have made me stronger!

I don't start earning any serious money until I'm a consultant and build up a private practice and I'm looking at being 33 at the earliest. I'm hoping to start a family after that, but if I end up doing a PhD as well, that's another 2-3 years. Loads of my friends are earning six figure salaries for 4-5 years already and I can't help thinking I could have done the same, with a lot less effort. I do like treating patients, but I hate the bureaucratic rubbish. And there's a lot of that!

All I'm saying, think where you want to be in 5, 10, 20 years' time and see if a career in medicine will help you achieve your goals. Think about how it will be if you have kids. I know lots of doctors do, but a lot of them spend a lot of time in daycare, and I'm not sure if I would want that for my child. What about your partner? I had to live apart from my BF (now husband) for 2.5 years because we couldnt get rotations in the same area (this is very common in the UK)

And your speciality will bear greatly on your lifestyle. Do you like high-pressure situations? How do you think you will do after severe sleep deprivation? Do you like shift work (I hate it!)

General practice is a good option if you don't like the above, and it pays very well in the UK but I don't know about Australia. I for example, could never be an a anaesthetist as I would hate night shifts.

A good friend of mine has gone back to medical school and he's in his 30s. I think he's mad, but he really wants to be a family doctor, and not just get away from a job he finds unfulfilling. So I'm supportive. He does say that it's a lot harder than he thought, and he's not even through school yet, which is the really easy part!

I'm not trying to put you off (truly!) but just urging to think twice, thrice and again about this lifelong commitment.

Let us know what you decide please!

 

[rosetta]

Rosetta: I assume you are oncology. My brother is a fellow in oncology right now. His hours are less bad (maybe 90 hours a week?) and his calls are lighter. He says it's lifestyle friendly compared to when he was in core internal medicine residency.

Yup. It's definitely less hours than internal medicine. I was a medical registrar (equivalent to resident in the US I think?) before I switched to oncology and lifestyle was definitely one factor. Much happier now.

However, the downside is that i swapped it for extra exams (in medcine, you only need to pass the MRCP, but I have to pass the much harder FRCR as well, complete with an old fashioned viva )

Now, back to work!

 

[lapelirroja]

I'm a Physician Assistant in Oncology at a major cancer center in the US.

I did a 3 year Master's Degree after my undergrad and jumped right into my career and am enjoying so far (schedule, salary, benefits) but medicine is definitely STRESSFUL!

 

[amc80]

When I was 27 or so I decided I wanted a career change. I was in finance (not a trader or anything) with a MA in Economics. I wanted to be a pharmacist. I needed to take all of the prereq science classes before even starting to apply to pharmacy schools. I was looking at 2 years for prereqs and 4 years to get my PharmD. I penciled it out and it just didn't make sense. The amount I would make as a pharmacist was more than I was making, but not so much more that it would cover the 4+ years of lost wages, student debt, etc.

I think it sort of sucks that we are forced to choose a career path at 18. I mean you major in, say, econ, but you really have no idea what that means as far as a career goes. And you really have no idea what any of those careers really do, anyway. I would love if colleges would make you take at least 1.5-2 years of general ed classes before declaring a major. Give kids some time to realize what they like, and, more importantly, how it translates into a career after graduation.

 

[icekid]

Ditto Rosetta and Allycat. I'm a resident now as well, and I urge anyone thinking about going into medicine to think VERY VERY hard about what they want to do. Only go into medicine if you can't see yourself doing anything else, because the training is hell, and you can do medicine-like things via other career pathways (RN, NP, PA, perfusionist, respiratory therapist, CRNA, PT, etc.). I'm happy with my decision and love what I do...but had I really known how grueling and humiliating the training is, even now in the era of work hour restrictions and my program's focus on resident well-being, I would have done something else. I've given up what should be some of the best years of my life devoting myself to a field that is largely thankless (medicine in general, not anesthesia in particular).

This this this. I am about 6 months out from finishing my residency, would not do it again (while I DO love my job, sometimes!), and encourage others not to go into medicine.

 

[allycat0303]

Rosetta: I really,really admire the internal/medicine commitment to learning. I feel constantly guilty because I do not study every day. I'm lucky if I can sneak 1-2 hours in a night. I'm often exhausted when I come home from work, and fall asleep with the book in my lap. I also think my program is NOT interested in teaching, which is unfortunate. I think surgery has a different mid set. There is less to know (my field is narrow), but we have to also concentrate on creating opportunities to develop our surgical skills.

Icekid: I didn't know you were so close!!!! Final stretch! Are you going to do a fellow? Or are you done? I'm ridiculously jealous of you. I'm the same as you. When people who are not in medicine ask me, I say, "Orthodontist, Dentistry, and Optometry" Those are the 3 words you need to know. I do love what I do, but it demands a huge personal and professional sacrifice. If it were not *the only thing* I wanted to do, I would choose differently. Coming into the last 6 months of research year, I realize that being in the OR is when I feel the most fulfilled. Nothing else comes close. One of the other cardio-thoracic residents posted this thing on facebook which I agreed with: " CT is like an abusive spouse, it hurts you and demeans you, but you love it and you keep coming back." Hopefully that only applies to residency and practice is a little better (At least the demeaning part).

 

[icekid]

Icekid: I didn't know you were so close!!!! Final stretch! Are you going to do a fellow? Or are you done? I'm ridiculously jealous of you. I'm the same as you. When people who are not in medicine ask me, I say, "Orthodontist, Dentistry, and Optometry" Those are the 3 words you need to know. I do love what I do, but it demands a huge personal and professional sacrifice. If it were not *the only thing* I wanted to do, I would choose differently. Coming into the last 6 months of research year, I realize that being in the OR is when I feel the most fulfilled. Nothing else comes close. One of the other cardio-thoracic residents posted this thing on facebook which I agreed with: " CT is like an abusive spouse, it hurts you and demeans you, but you love it and you keep coming back." Hopefully that only applies to residency and practice is a little better (At least the demeaning part).

No fellowship! I am under 200 days until I will be an attending hahaha, the CT residents here who have been in training for 10 years now (to my four!) figure something went wrong along the way.. Hehe

 

[coda72]

I made a career change at 34. I worked in a lab for 12 years, but got sick of dealing with bosses who were jerks, so the hubby and I bought our own business. He already had experience in running a business, and I have learned a lot in the 4 and half years since. I make a lot less money and work a lot harder, but I like it a lot more. I didn't have to go back to school, so I don't have the same situation, but if you're very unhappy with what you're doing, you should change it.