Do An Increasing Number Of Doctors Today Regret Going To Medical School And Going Into Medicine?

This question was originally posted on Quora.com and was answered by Brence Sell, M.D. Medical School, Emory University (1981)



The short answer is yes. Current physicians who are over 50 years old feel betrayed by our legal and political system. They were the best and brightest. And, as a group, they worked harder than most people can imagine.

No other profession requires the work and sacrifices that medicine required. 100 to 130 hour work weeks were the norm in good residency programs and medical schools. The laziest student in med school studied more and worked harder than the hardest working student in other professions.

Now, the threat of lawsuits is ever present. There’s almost continuous talk of “Medicare for all”, which means physicians will become government workers. At current Medicare rates, physicians would make about $100/hour. Less in many specialties. Attorneys easily make 3 times as much. With much less training, and they are NEVER working at 2 AM, or on Christmas Day, or on weekends.

It’s discouraging to realize you’re the best, brightest, hardest working…… and your life is under the control of bureaucrats.

Most physicians are discouraging their children from going into medicine.

I actually encouraged my daughter to go to med school, but I told her if she wanted to make a lot of money, she should get a degree in finance. For the amount of effort she will put into medicine, she could make 10 times as much money on Wall Street.

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