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Everywhere I look doctors are complaining and saying how much they hate their jobs and want to leave. I don’t know what to do. I feel like I am ruining my life and going against everything I have read by going to study medicine this September 🤷*♀️
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JourneyofSTNurse
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you can only form your own opinion when you're there. lots of nursing students say they hate the Course but I love it!
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Democracy
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(Original post by Anonymous)
Everywhere I look doctors are complaining and saying how much they hate their jobs and want to leave. I don’t know what to do. I feel like I am ruining my life and going against everything I have read by going to study medicine this September 🤷*♀️
Everywhere I look doctors are complaining and saying how much they hate their jobs and want to leave. I don’t know what to do. I feel like I am ruining my life and going against everything I have read by going to study medicine this September 🤷*♀️
You've done the hard part and got in, so you might as well give it a go and make up your own mind - if you don't like it, you can always do something else.
Not all doctors hate their work and want to leave btw. It's not an easy career, and there are some legitimately negative aspects, but it's also not as black and white as what you're saying either
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#4
thanks. by 'do something else' do you mean do a different degree? or wait to see what the job is like and leave- and do what?
(Original post by Democracy)
Let's face it, if you don't do it you'll always wonder "what if", and that'll end up bugging you instead.
You've done the hard part and got in, so you might as well give it a go and make up your own mind - if you don't like it, you can always do something else.
Not all doctors hate their work and want to leave btw. It's not an easy career, and there are some legitimately negative aspects, but it's also not as black and white as what you're saying either
Let's face it, if you don't do it you'll always wonder "what if", and that'll end up bugging you instead.
You've done the hard part and got in, so you might as well give it a go and make up your own mind - if you don't like it, you can always do something else.
Not all doctors hate their work and want to leave btw. It's not an easy career, and there are some legitimately negative aspects, but it's also not as black and white as what you're saying either
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#5
btw, i'm the same person just on my sister's laptop and her account without realising! sorry!
(Original post by Democracy)
Let's face it, if you don't do it you'll always wonder "what if", and that'll end up bugging you instead.
You've done the hard part and got in, so you might as well give it a go and make up your own mind - if you don't like it, you can always do something else.
Not all doctors hate their work and want to leave btw. It's not an easy career, and there are some legitimately negative aspects, but it's also not as black and white as what you're saying either
Let's face it, if you don't do it you'll always wonder "what if", and that'll end up bugging you instead.
You've done the hard part and got in, so you might as well give it a go and make up your own mind - if you don't like it, you can always do something else.
Not all doctors hate their work and want to leave btw. It's not an easy career, and there are some legitimately negative aspects, but it's also not as black and white as what you're saying either
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Democracy
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(Original post by Anonymous)
thanks. by 'do something else' do you mean do a different degree? or wait to see what the job is like and leave- and do what?
thanks. by 'do something else' do you mean do a different degree? or wait to see what the job is like and leave- and do what?
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Wired_1800
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(Original post by Anonymous)
Everywhere I look doctors are complaining and saying how much they hate their jobs and want to leave. I don’t know what to do. I feel like I am ruining my life and going against everything I have read by going to study medicine this September 🤷*♀️
Everywhere I look doctors are complaining and saying how much they hate their jobs and want to leave. I don’t know what to do. I feel like I am ruining my life and going against everything I have read by going to study medicine this September 🤷*♀️
I think you will be fine. You just need to be aware of the recent reality. All the best
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n.n1616
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honestly, I think everyone hates their job. No one truly enjoys working, we just do it because we get money from it.
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Sheperd23
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(Original post by n.n1616)
honestly, I think everyone hates their job. No one truly enjoys working, we just do it because we get money from it.
honestly, I think everyone hates their job. No one truly enjoys working, we just do it because we get money from it.
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#10
do you think they just think 'the grass is always greener' and people in any job will always moan about it and say they wish they were doing something else?
(Original post by n.n1616)
honestly, I think everyone hates their job. No one truly enjoys working, we just do it because we get money from it.
honestly, I think everyone hates their job. No one truly enjoys working, we just do it because we get money from it.
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n.n1616
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in my experience, yes. Its better to just go with whatever you want and just appreciate the field of work you go into, because everyone is always wishing for something else when they will probably get sick of that 'something else' eventually.
You may have moments in your medical career where your going to get annoyed, but either way I think everyone complains about work. Its better to just appreciate what you have.
That being said, it doesn't matter what you choose because work is universally disliked no matter the field, so id say go for medicine! hahaha
You may have moments in your medical career where your going to get annoyed, but either way I think everyone complains about work. Its better to just appreciate what you have.
That being said, it doesn't matter what you choose because work is universally disliked no matter the field, so id say go for medicine!
hahaha
(Original post by Anonymous)
do you think they just think 'the grass is always greener' and people in any job will always moan about it and say they wish they were doing something else?
do you think they just think 'the grass is always greener' and people in any job will always moan about it and say they wish they were doing something else?
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Ghotay
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#12
I mean, you don't have to be a doctor. You can leave at literally any stage of the process to do something else. I know people who dropped out in first year, and I know people who have left the career after becoming consultants. You can always change track if you want to.
That said I think there are two key questions you should answer:
1) What do YOU want to do?
Sure you've heard a lot of negative stuff about medicine, but there must be a reason you applied in the first place. If you feel like it's something you want to pursue, then just do it. Find out for yourself
2) if you don't want to do medicine, what do you want to do instead?
If you have a clear idea of something you'd prefer then... great! Go do that. If you don't then you may as well start your medicine course and find out what that's like.
I'm a doctor and I am really up and down with it, but on bad days I often console myself by thinking about what else I might have done. My number two choice was a chemistry secondary school teacher. Which now that I'm older I realise is probably way more stressful and underappreciated than medicine! So I doubt I'd be any happier. Every job has its pitfalls, medicine's are just... well-advertised.
That said I think there are two key questions you should answer:
1) What do YOU want to do?
Sure you've heard a lot of negative stuff about medicine, but there must be a reason you applied in the first place. If you feel like it's something you want to pursue, then just do it. Find out for yourself
2) if you don't want to do medicine, what do you want to do instead?
If you have a clear idea of something you'd prefer then... great! Go do that. If you don't then you may as well start your medicine course and find out what that's like.
I'm a doctor and I am really up and down with it, but on bad days I often console myself by thinking about what else I might have done. My number two choice was a chemistry secondary school teacher. Which now that I'm older I realise is probably way more stressful and underappreciated than medicine! So I doubt I'd be any happier. Every job has its pitfalls, medicine's are just... well-advertised.
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Etomidate
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Being a doctor is great, but working for the NHS/HEE is terrible.
My current overarching feeling is that the downsides probably slightly outweigh the good.
My current overarching feeling is that the downsides probably slightly outweigh the good.
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ecolier
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(Original post by n.n1616)
honestly, I think everyone hates their job. No one truly enjoys working, we just do it because we get money from it.
honestly, I think everyone hates their job. No one truly enjoys working, we just do it because we get money from it.
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limetang
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(Original post by Wired_1800)
Medicine is a prestigious course and being a Doctor is one of the top professions. The problem is that the current system does not appreciate them and treats them like dirt. They also don't get paid enough and work crazy hours based on the requirements to satisfy regulation than do their actual jobs.
I think you will be fine. You just need to be aware of the recent reality. All the best
Medicine is a prestigious course and being a Doctor is one of the top professions. The problem is that the current system does not appreciate them and treats them like dirt. They also don't get paid enough and work crazy hours based on the requirements to satisfy regulation than do their actual jobs.
I think you will be fine. You just need to be aware of the recent reality. All the best
The hours are long but are much better than they were say 20 years ago when shifts lasting an entire weekend were not unheard of. When it comes to how hard the job is ... it’s hard to say. There aren’t many people who can compare working as a doctor to another career so ... yeah it’s hard but increasingly most jobs are.
I think a real issue in terms of medicine as a career in this country is that we have it as an undergraduate course. I think if it were a graduate course you would narrow down the pool of people wanting to apply and I think people would wind up with a better idea of whether they ACTUALLY want to do that as a career or not.
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Wired_1800
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limetang
(Original post by limetang)
Don’t get paid enough compared to what? A doctors starting salary as graduate jobs go is good (around £27k outside london if I recall correctly) and it progresses quite quickly. Consultant pay is good and while it does take quite a few years to get to that level all things considered it’s a reasonably fast progression.
The hours are long but are much better than they were say 20 years ago when shifts lasting an entire weekend were not unheard of. When it comes to how hard the job is ... it’s hard to say. There aren’t many people who can compare working as a doctor to another career so ... yeah it’s hard but increasingly most jobs are.
I think a real issue in terms of medicine as a career in this country is that we have it as an undergraduate course. I think if it were a graduate course you would narrow down the pool of people wanting to apply and I think people would wind up with a better idea of whether they ACTUALLY want to do that as a career or not.
Fair enough and I agree with some of your points. I do think it should be a graduate professional course rather than its current form.
I think there are currently many issues from pay to hours to investment. First, their pay is not a lucrative compare to the complex and duration. Recent stats suggest that the GP numbers have sharply decreased and very few and entering to replace those retiring or quitting. As a result, many doctors are doing more work that is actually dangerous for patients.
Two, the hours are crazy. Yes, it may have been better than 20 years ago, but we are not talking about 20 years ago. Life and socio-economic conditions are different. In a time, when we are all about work-life balance, mental health, flexible working, many doctors are clocking more hours than is advised.
Finally, we see government support has been shortened based on the austerity. This has directly and indirectly affected the system. The direct effects include pay, more workers, better facilities etc. The indirect effects include more people seeking health care based on more ailments, poverty or even worse public services.
Medicine is still an elite destination for people, if the government provides sufficient support.
(Original post by limetang)
Don’t get paid enough compared to what? A doctors starting salary as graduate jobs go is good (around £27k outside london if I recall correctly) and it progresses quite quickly. Consultant pay is good and while it does take quite a few years to get to that level all things considered it’s a reasonably fast progression.
The hours are long but are much better than they were say 20 years ago when shifts lasting an entire weekend were not unheard of. When it comes to how hard the job is ... it’s hard to say. There aren’t many people who can compare working as a doctor to another career so ... yeah it’s hard but increasingly most jobs are.
I think a real issue in terms of medicine as a career in this country is that we have it as an undergraduate course. I think if it were a graduate course you would narrow down the pool of people wanting to apply and I think people would wind up with a better idea of whether they ACTUALLY want to do that as a career or not.
Fair enough and I agree with some of your points. I do think it should be a graduate professional course rather than its current form.
I think there are currently many issues from pay to hours to investment. First, their pay is not a lucrative compare to the complex and duration. Recent stats suggest that the GP numbers have sharply decreased and very few and entering to replace those retiring or quitting. As a result, many doctors are doing more work that is actually dangerous for patients.
Two, the hours are crazy. Yes, it may have been better than 20 years ago, but we are not talking about 20 years ago. Life and socio-economic conditions are different. In a time, when we are all about work-life balance, mental health, flexible working, many doctors are clocking more hours than is advised.
Finally, we see government support has been shortened based on the austerity. This has directly and indirectly affected the system. The direct effects include pay, more workers, better facilities etc. The indirect effects include more people seeking health care based on more ailments, poverty or even worse public services.
Medicine is still an elite destination for people, if the government provides sufficient support.
Last edited by Wired_1800; 3 years ago
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nexttime
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Doctors like to complain a lot. Bear in mind most of them are from quite privileged backgrounds, and haven't ever worked any other jobs before.
Equally, the NHS is a monopoly employer and can get away with whatever it wants. Pay has been objectively slashed in recent years by almost a quarter, and there are an all time high number of job vacancies, bundling the pressure on those that remain.
You'll struggle to find a more varied job with more profound interactions with people though.
Equally, the NHS is a monopoly employer and can get away with whatever it wants. Pay has been objectively slashed in recent years by almost a quarter, and there are an all time high number of job vacancies, bundling the pressure on those that remain.
You'll struggle to find a more varied job with more profound interactions with people though.
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