Doctors don't like their job?
The doctor i was with during work experience told me that some doctors would have rather studied something instead of medicine.
I was also introduced to a junior doctor and when he found out i wanted to do medicine he said "don't do it"(although i've heard that junior doctors don't have the nicest of times).
I wasn't put off by the work experience, but it is worrying that many find its not for them after completing medical school and foundation training.
I was wondering why some don't like their jobs, and does it get better when they become consultants?
I was also introduced to a junior doctor and when he found out i wanted to do medicine he said "don't do it"(although i've heard that junior doctors don't have the nicest of times).
I wasn't put off by the work experience, but it is worrying that many find its not for them after completing medical school and foundation training.
I was wondering why some don't like their jobs, and does it get better when they become consultants?
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I've recently experienced this, during one of my work experience placements, a speciality registrar that I was shadowing seemed to really not like her job which is sad.
That's the exact same reaction I've gotten from work experience with vets, whether it was, " it's really tough, I would do something else" or "I really wouldn't recommend it or encourage it".
If you enjoyed it, there is no harm in applying for it and if you don't like it, you can always change careers. Everyone has their off days, and a career like medicine is going to be tough and stressful, but I'm pretty sure if they really really hated it they wouldn't be doing it now.
Its a demanding job, lots of patients that aren't nice, life or death decisions, there would be plenty of reasons why someone doesn't like their job, but at the same time, there are many great points to
If you enjoyed it, there is no harm in applying for it and if you don't like it, you can always change careers. Everyone has their off days, and a career like medicine is going to be tough and stressful, but I'm pretty sure if they really really hated it they wouldn't be doing it now.
Its a demanding job, lots of patients that aren't nice, life or death decisions, there would be plenty of reasons why someone doesn't like their job, but at the same time, there are many great points to
Original post by Picture~Perfect
I've recently experienced this, during one of my work experience placements, a speciality registrar that I was shadowing seemed to really not like her job which is sad.
The doctor i was with seemed a little unenthusiastic and slow with her work (maybe she was tired?). Although she said she had been a doctor for 6 years (so a registrar?) and mentioned that most juniors just want to become consultants, so maybe that's when the job gets good.
Can you think of any job where every single person loves their job? Why would medicine be any different?
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Original post by scotttb
No one enjoys their job. That's why they have to pay you to do it.
Who does? : /
Original post by Mushi_master
Can you think of any job where every single person loves their job? Why would medicine be any different?
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No one loves their job all the time, but surely you wouldn't say you would rather be doing something else?
Original post by daisychain_
The doctor i was with seemed a little unenthusiastic and slow with her work (maybe she was tired?). Although she said she had been a doctor for 6 years (so a registrar?) and mentioned that most juniors just want to become consultants, so maybe that's when the job gets good.
This is something that I've been hearing quite a lot from people. What's the motivation behind being a 'Consultant' really?
Original post by kka25
This is something that I've been hearing quite a lot from people. What's the motivation behind being a 'Consultant' really?
4-5 times as much pay as an F1, better working conditions, more respected, more responsibility but more equipped to deal with it...
There's not much that junior doctors have that consultants don't have better.
Anyway, plenty of doctors like their job, some don't, most like it a lot of the time but have bad days. The important thing is you liked the feel of it when doing your experience/shadowing things.
Original post by daisychain_
No one loves their job all the time, but surely you wouldn't say you would rather be doing something else?
Personally, I wouldn't rather be doing something else (short of being a rock star!), same goes for the vast majority of people I know. However, why should medicine be different than anything else? In any profession, including ones that require as much dedication as medicine, there will always be people asking 'what if...?'. Doesn't mean its a bad job, or that you won't enjoy it, but that's how the world works.
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Original post by kka25
This is something that I've been hearing quite a lot from people. What's the motivation behind being a 'Consultant' really?
Because that's the top of the career progression, along with being a GP. Why spend years training to do something at registrar level to not be the person in charge, making the decisions, earning your full potential and having the better lifestyle?
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Everyone says that, don't let it put you off. It wouldn't put you off in another career so why this one!
I think it's pretty bad when people say that because if they truly hated it so much they would have dropped out before they got as far as becoming a doctor.
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I think it's pretty bad when people say that because if they truly hated it so much they would have dropped out before they got as far as becoming a doctor.
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interesting post !
I remember quite vividly in my final year the junior doctor shadowing suddenly quit foundation year 1 so it does happen.
Why does this happen ?
I have done foundation training and as a junior doctor you are quite powerless. Some jobs you are abused and having to finish at 7-8pm when you supposed to leave at 5pm. If you speak out it tends to backfire as you are junior so the conclusion is often you are incompetent. Also your consultant is your supervisor so it is often not within your interest to complain. In foundation training you tend to have at least 1-2 jobs you hate so you need to expect this.
When you get to senior house officer level you have additional pressures, membership exams with pass rates only 40 percent and pressure to get registrar jobs. Many jobs at reg level - paediatric / medical reg - are barely manageable on call because of the pressure. Consultants have different problems - hospital management, responsibility for all complaints and difficulties in the service. Consultants now have more onerous on call, on call medical consultants are now doing 12 shifts on weekend
Add in normal pressures of family life, this is why many doctors are unhappy. Depression, anxiety disorders, stress, suicide and mental illness are rife amongst doctors. Very often many think there is no way out since so many years of training has got to this stage. It is not all rosey like on TV.
that said there are many good jobs where you get some work life balance and people are friendly. Psych, gp, palliative care, are good ones for this.
I remember quite vividly in my final year the junior doctor shadowing suddenly quit foundation year 1 so it does happen.
Why does this happen ?
I have done foundation training and as a junior doctor you are quite powerless. Some jobs you are abused and having to finish at 7-8pm when you supposed to leave at 5pm. If you speak out it tends to backfire as you are junior so the conclusion is often you are incompetent. Also your consultant is your supervisor so it is often not within your interest to complain. In foundation training you tend to have at least 1-2 jobs you hate so you need to expect this.
When you get to senior house officer level you have additional pressures, membership exams with pass rates only 40 percent and pressure to get registrar jobs. Many jobs at reg level - paediatric / medical reg - are barely manageable on call because of the pressure. Consultants have different problems - hospital management, responsibility for all complaints and difficulties in the service. Consultants now have more onerous on call, on call medical consultants are now doing 12 shifts on weekend
Add in normal pressures of family life, this is why many doctors are unhappy. Depression, anxiety disorders, stress, suicide and mental illness are rife amongst doctors. Very often many think there is no way out since so many years of training has got to this stage. It is not all rosey like on TV.
that said there are many good jobs where you get some work life balance and people are friendly. Psych, gp, palliative care, are good ones for this.
(edited 10 years ago)
They'd like their job more, if they were paid better than the crappy public sector pay.
If it's a matter of not liking their job, all doctors should be paid a guaranteed minimum of £100k, and it should really go up to at least £150k+, in my opinion. They damned deserve it. All nurses should be paid at least, or around, £35-70k, depending on role/skill, in my opinion.
That'd hopefully be a big enough incentive for more people to get into this extremely vital role, and more importantly to do well/become a good doctor. I really think that, in this particular case (healthcare), what'd really help is more pay. At least in this country.
But aspiring doctors should not at all go on in this field for money. They'd really need to carefully consider how bad all the stresses/pains around them are going to be. This should be an incentive to do well in the job, to stick with the job and to get more good doctors for our growing populations. If it is money you want, go to other professions, and not this one. I would be unhappy to see the quality of healthcare go down because of this; go into one of many, many other fields (and there's a growing number of them) for money.
That'd hopefully be a big enough incentive for more people to get into this extremely vital role, and more importantly to do well/become a good doctor. I really think that, in this particular case (healthcare), what'd really help is more pay. At least in this country.
But aspiring doctors should not at all go on in this field for money. They'd really need to carefully consider how bad all the stresses/pains around them are going to be. This should be an incentive to do well in the job, to stick with the job and to get more good doctors for our growing populations. If it is money you want, go to other professions, and not this one. I would be unhappy to see the quality of healthcare go down because of this; go into one of many, many other fields (and there's a growing number of them) for money.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by Mushi_master
Can you think of any job where every single person loves their job? Why would medicine be any different?
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This.
Original post by Revenged
interesting post !
I remember quite vividly in my final year the junior doctor shadowing suddenly quit foundation year 1 so it does happen.
Why does this happen ?
I have done foundation training and as a junior doctor you are quite powerless. Some jobs you are abused and having to finish at 7-8pm when you supposed to leave at 5pm. If you speak out it tends to backfire as you are junior so the conclusion is often you are incompetent. Also your consultant is your supervisor so it is often not within your interest to complain. In foundation training you tend to have at least 1-2 jobs you hate so you need to expect this.
When you get to senior house officer level you have additional pressures, membership exams with pass rates only 40 percent and pressure to get registrar jobs. Many jobs at reg level - paediatric / medical reg - are barely manageable on call because of the pressure. Consultants have different problems - hospital management, responsibility for all complaints and difficulties in the service. Consultants now have more onerous on call, on call medical consultants are now doing 12 shifts on weekend
Add in normal pressures of family life, this is why many doctors are unhappy. Depression, anxiety disorders, stress, suicide and mental illness are rife amongst doctors. Very often many think there is no way out since so many years of training has got to this stage. It is not all rosey like on TV.
that said there are many good jobs where you get some work life balance and people are friendly. Psych, gp, palliative care, are good ones for this.
I remember quite vividly in my final year the junior doctor shadowing suddenly quit foundation year 1 so it does happen.
Why does this happen ?
I have done foundation training and as a junior doctor you are quite powerless. Some jobs you are abused and having to finish at 7-8pm when you supposed to leave at 5pm. If you speak out it tends to backfire as you are junior so the conclusion is often you are incompetent. Also your consultant is your supervisor so it is often not within your interest to complain. In foundation training you tend to have at least 1-2 jobs you hate so you need to expect this.
When you get to senior house officer level you have additional pressures, membership exams with pass rates only 40 percent and pressure to get registrar jobs. Many jobs at reg level - paediatric / medical reg - are barely manageable on call because of the pressure. Consultants have different problems - hospital management, responsibility for all complaints and difficulties in the service. Consultants now have more onerous on call, on call medical consultants are now doing 12 shifts on weekend
Add in normal pressures of family life, this is why many doctors are unhappy. Depression, anxiety disorders, stress, suicide and mental illness are rife amongst doctors. Very often many think there is no way out since so many years of training has got to this stage. It is not all rosey like on TV.
that said there are many good jobs where you get some work life balance and people are friendly. Psych, gp, palliative care, are good ones for this.
Thank you for your detailed response, twas interesting read.
Is it after the foundation training that some want to quit due to pressure of the job, but feel they can't because of how long they have trained?
I kind of understand.
The reality is that when you are 18, you do not really think about money or time or anything like that.
Once, you graduate, you are not going to receive great pay considering that you will have very good grades and have spent 5 years in Uni.
Plus, all of your friends would have graduated 2 years earlier and will have good pay and hours.
On top of that, you never stop revising. You are always working for exams and etc. It never really ends.
The reality is that when you are 18, you do not really think about money or time or anything like that.
Once, you graduate, you are not going to receive great pay considering that you will have very good grades and have spent 5 years in Uni.
Plus, all of your friends would have graduated 2 years earlier and will have good pay and hours.
On top of that, you never stop revising. You are always working for exams and etc. It never really ends.
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