The Student Room Group

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ThisLittlePiggy
This seems like an attack on Terp, which I hope you didn't mean. I think Terp, despite hating medicine, has a game plan and to simply drop out wouldn't suit him.


I think as the above post shows, he knows me well enough to see that my comment was meant in fun! Equally, "simply dropping out" is neither what I'm doing nor what I was implying, considering I have already got a place at one of the best doctoral training centres in the country!


Terpineol
Before starting however I would like to doff my hat in the general direction of Miss Bannana for having sufficient moral substance to drop out early and not make so much mess, while sticking with something vaguely medical.


Cheers. To tell a secret I admire you for having the patience to stick it out. I can't imagine having to go into clinicals in september without having a little panic!

I also agree wholeheartedly with almost all of your points about Medicine, mostly the frustration with patients side of things. I just don't think I'm bighearted enough to deal with the majority, who suffer from diseases of their own making (smoking/obesity/alcohol/sedentary lifestyle related). I don't have so much of an issue with the earnings otherwise I wouldn't be going into research, but being able to just up sticks anywhere in the world without having to go through new exams, such as to work in the states or parts of europe, is a massive advantage of science over medicine.
michaela_banana
I think as the above post shows, he knows me well enough to see that my comment was meant in fun!



Okay, cool, didn't know that at the time though and it just seemed like a put down.

:top:
ThisLittlePiggy
This seems like an attack on Terp, which I hope you didn't mean. I think Terp, despite hating medicine, has a game plan and to simply drop out wouldn't suit him.

Terp would destroy everyone on Big Brother. :beard:
Reply 24
Please tell me you're not watching Big Brother... Zzz'sville.
Fluffy
Please tell me you're not watching Big Brother... Zzz'sville.

Not as such. I mentioned it at the time because I'd been channel hopping recently, and came across some wannabe mafia guy chatting about how everyone had gameplans. Guess it was just word association. :p:
Reply 26
Good - cos that would result in a trip to slapsville!!!! Big Brither indeed! :wink:
terpineol
Having just realised I didn't put down my thoughts on what else I would do, my current plan is to try and stick medicine out until at least I have my MbChb. Then I shall either defect to law, management, or possibly politics, perhaps though aiming for a sideline in mobile private dermatogy clinics going round the private schools of the country fleecing the eczema market.


i'll be more than happy to join you!
Reply 28
Firstly and most importantly, you will never make a decent living out of it. Things havn't been great for a generation or two, and are going downhill rapidly. Add into this the difficulties in picking where one ends up and what one ends up doing, and the situation is in essence 'you do something you hate, for pittance a year, and you'll like it or else'.

Secondly the whole subject of patients is really rather dull. With at our last lecturing on the issue 60% of meds not being taken as directed, plus the rest of their abhorrent behavior the NHS is effectively the most epic game of lemmings ever.

The third point, taken from my father (anaesthetist), and interestingly what he now tells every medical student and work experience drone he is sent, is that with the restrictions on what one can do set by cost, timetabling, etc it is really no longer a satisfying job. Decision making being effectively removed from the picture of things, and the whole affair being really rather untaxing in relation to what most people seem to be seeking. He suggests if one is capable of getting into medical school one should hopefully be capable of dealing with far more interesting challenges in the financial or legal sectors.
The quote above from Terpineol does indeed show how unsuited he is to practicing medicine. It also shows a laughably ignorant view of society, which no doubt explains his problems.

So firstly Terpineol, of course you'll make a decent living from being a Doctor. Less than 5% of the population earn above £100k. As an average GP salary is over £100k, you'll earn more than a decent salary you'll be in the top few percentile of earners.

Your attitude of sneering superiority above your patients, for their "abhorrent behaviour" would be funny if it wasn't true. If you think people are dull then it doesn't say much for your intelligence to choose a patient-focussed career :biggrin: The joy and reward in practicing medicine is in the endless variety of people, their stories, backgrounds, attitudes and beliefs and how that links into the challenge of diagnosis and treatment. From what you've said I'd doubt you've even the ability of listen to a patient, let alone be open minded enough to empathise. When you pigeon hole everyone 'beneath you' as stupid, ignorant and the same no wonder the job appears unsatisfying.

Good luck in your alternate career!
Edie_Too
The quote above from Terpineol does indeed show how unsuited he is to practicing medicine. It also shows a laughably ignorant view of society, which no doubt explains his problems.

So firstly Terpineol, of course you'll make a decent living from being a Doctor. Less than 5% of the population earn above £100k. As an average GP salary is over £100k, you'll earn more than a decent salary you'll be in the top few percentile of earners.

Your attitude of sneering superiority above your patients, for their "abhorrent behaviour" would be funny if it wasn't true. If you think people are dull then it doesn't say much for your intelligence to choose a patient-focussed career :biggrin: The joy and reward in practicing medicine is in the endless variety of people, their stories, backgrounds, attitudes and beliefs and how that links into the challenge of diagnosis and treatment. From what you've said I'd doubt you've even the ability of listen to a patient, let alone be open minded enough to empathise. When you pigeon hole everyone 'beneath you' as stupid, ignorant and the same no wonder the job appears unsatisfying.

Good luck in your alternate career!


Tell me how £100k a year is enough to provide two or three kids with a decent upbringing, house, and to fund ones wife even without paying any tax...

(assuming worst case scenario here in terms of ones local schools, if you hit it lucky in terms of local grammars £100k may stretch to be sufficient).
Edie_Too
The quote above from Terpineol does indeed show how unsuited he is to practicing medicine. It also shows a laughably ignorant view of society, which no doubt explains his problems.

Could you perhaps tell us a little bit about your experience of practicing medicine, where abouts you are on the ladder etc. so that we can assess how much weight to give to your opinion.
Spencer Wells
Could you perhaps tell us a little bit about your experience of practicing medicine, where abouts you are on the ladder etc. so that we can assess how much weight to give to your opinion.


In fairness to the chap I only take issue with his post on economic grounds, I've never (aside from to admissions) pretended to be suited for practicing medicine, let alone getting it right...
It's still one hell of an attack and really quite rude. I don't like rudeness.
Edie_Too
The joy and reward in practicing medicine is in the endless variety of people

I wouldn't be doing it if I wasn't getting paid.
Reply 34
terpineol
Tell me how £100k a year is enough to provide two or three kids with a decent upbringing, house, and to fund ones wife even without paying any tax...

(assuming worst case scenario here in terms of ones local schools, if you hit it lucky in terms of local grammars £100k may stretch to be sufficient).


Forgetting all the other points, £100,000 is more than enough to raise a family. My family earn less than half that. My parents funded three university educations, we went on family holidays amd neither my siblings or I went without.

Working as a doctor provides a very comfortable living.
Reply 35
terpineol
Tell me how £100k a year is enough to provide two or three kids with a decent upbringing, house, and to fund ones wife even without paying any tax...


I was under an impression that in this day and age most wives can 'fund' themselves. :eek: As to decent upbringing I think that we had this conversation before. Not everyone believes that you need to send your kids to an expensive private school.
Reply 36
terpineol
Tell me how £100k a year is enough to provide two or three kids with a decent upbringing, house, and to fund ones wife even without paying any tax...

(assuming worst case scenario here in terms of ones local schools, if you hit it lucky in terms of local grammars £100k may stretch to be sufficient).
Your view of how much money is enough is clearly very skewed when taken in perspective with the population as a whole. The vast majority of people manage to provide for their children, even if their wives or partners are stay-at-home mothers, on a LOT less than £100k a year. The lifestyle you are accustomed to is that of the very privileged minority and the maintenance of that privilege should not be the basis of how much doctors are paid.

Where I am professionally is no concern of yours Spencer Wells, you argue my points as you find them. Only a fool would think that a political viewpoint is strengthened by position alone.
Reply 37
belis
I was under an impression that in this day and age most wives can 'fund' themselves. :eek: As to decent upbringing I think that we had this conversation before. Not everyone believes that you need to send your kids to an expensive private school.


Ditto.

I don't expect my husband to provide me with anything financial, and my children probably won't be going to private school. Since I currently survive on about 1/20 of 100K I think I and my family will be able to live comfortably as a doctor. :rolleyes:
terpineol
Tell me how £100k a year is enough to provide two or three kids with a decent upbringing, house, and to fund ones wife even without paying any tax...


Most of Britain copes on a quarter of that.
Reply 39
becca2389
Most of Britain copes on a quarter of that.
Not quite most. The median income is just shy of £25k, but the majority of household have more than a single earner. Obviously the mean would not be accurate due to the positive skew of the top earners. The 90th percentile is just over £49k, it doesn't mention what percentile an earning of >£100k would be but I believe it is above 98th percentile.

Interestingly 'Healthcare professionals' are named as the occupation of a lot of the highest earners.

source: ONS: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=285