Would you rather be a rich housewife or a poor doctor?

Imagine a scenario where they cut doctors pay by 50% - probably will happen at some point tbh.

So you leave medical school, and someone in finance proposes to you but wants you to move to Monaco with him and you can't be a doctor anymore.

What would you do? Reject the proposal, continue working as a doctor for £20k a year or give up your job and become a trophy wife?

Does having a respectable job mean anything to anyone? Or is it all about dollar signs...

Reverse the genders if you want.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 1

drowzee

15

Pfff rich housewife ofc, what kind of question is this? Stressful job for only 20K? No thanks. If you had suggested another job, which is much less stressful, then my answer may have been different. :innocent:

Reply 2

Viva Emptiness

20

Rich housewife, obviously.

Reply 3

Awesome Genius

OP

2

The 20K and "Monaco" are exaggerations but I kid you not, this very decision or a decision very similar (when you consider the practicalities) is a choice facing a lot of female medical students at the moment.

Original post by drowzee

Pfff rich housewife ofc, what kind of question is this? Stressful job for only 20K? No thanks. If you had suggested another job, which is much less stressful, then my answer may have been different. :innocent:

Reply 4

username1221160

19

I'd say rich housewife, but the surgery and hormonal treatment I'd have to go through first are a bit off putting.

Reply 5

Awesome Genius

OP

2

Original post by Viva Emptiness

Rich housewife, obviously.

Would helping save lives not have meaning to you?

Reply 6

The Warsmith

18

I never knew you were considering being a rich housewife Awesome Genius. I guess those NHS cuts were pretty bad, eh?

Reply 7

username1904535

8

Rich housewife. Guess it could be more money than the doctor, although I don't care about money that much. And less stressful job being housewife. At least your pay won't keep getting cut and less complaints from other people being a housewife.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 8

Emily.97

21

I hate the idea of being a housewife and having tons of money isn't important to me, so id rather be a poor doctor.

Reply 9

Viva Emptiness

20

Original post by Awesome Genius

Would helping save lives not have meaning to you?

None whatsoever.

Reply 10

drowzee

15

Original post by Awesome Genius

The 20K and "Monaco" are exaggerations but I kid you not, this very decision or a decision very similar (when you consider the practicalities) is a choice facing a lot of female medical students at the moment.

Well I don't think it's just the female medical students that are reconsidering their career paths, and I don't blame them. I'm not a selfless person, so helping people isn't something that would motivate at all, especially if my pay was only 20K.

Reply 11

PPF

19

Suppose pay is cut by 50%. As the above answers indicate people would start considering alternatives. Also, the rate of return on a medical degree would fall. This would lower the expected supply of doctors. This, coupled with increased demand for healthcare would naturally raise the equilibrium pay. Hence, depending on the magnitude of this increase I may consider staying a doctor. But if this information and logic is universal then the majority is likely to stay in expectation of an increase hence I would probably leave and accept the proposal. The end answer is complicated because it depends on the ramifications of the pay cut and how it is designed.

Reply 12

Bill_Gates

21

rich housewife. Even if the doctor got paid 100k i would go with rich housewife. Cannot be dealing with people dying on me. It's the last career i would pick for money :tongue:

Reply 13

Treblebee

18

Original post by Bill_Gates

rich housewife. Even if the doctor got paid 100k i would go with rich housewife. Cannot be dealing with people dying on me. It's the last career i would pick for money :tongue:

Ditto lol. Plus, I'm too squeamish to be a doctor :tongue:

Reply 14

Hype en Ecosse

20

Rich housewife. More realistically, work in New Zealand.

Reply 15

MariaJade

5

I know it sounds awful but I don't think I could deal with being with someone infinitely more successful than I am. I want to be proud of myself and what I've achieved. My pride would rather have me live with my parents until I'm 50 as a poor doctor than receive a weekly allowance from a rich husband, anyway. If I aren't considered an equal to my partner it wouldn't work, I'm far too egotistical for that :tongue:

Reply 16

Awesome Genius

OP

2

Original post by MariaJade

I know it sounds awful but I don't think I could deal with being with someone infinitely more successful than I am. I want to be proud of myself and what I've achieved. My pride would rather have me live with my parents until I'm 50 as a poor doctor than receive a weekly allowance from a rich husband, anyway. If I aren't considered an equal to my partner it wouldn't work, I'm far too egotistical for that :tongue:

No it doesn't sound awful at all! I am exactly the same as you. I couldn't live a life which is essentially on someone else's terms on a permanent basis. I mean we all have bosses and superiors but that's at work - to have that all the time and to willingly and knowingly go into an arrangement like that would make me feel really bad about myself.

Original post by Emily.97

I hate the idea of being a housewife and having tons of money isn't important to me, so id rather be a poor doctor.