@marimphil wrote:
can you guys explain to me what is meant by "the golden age of medicine has passed"? Why are docs getting paid less? Why do people say that medicine as a career is going down the drain? Thats its not nearly what you thought it was before you entered med school. More disrespect?? People have said that doctors aren't doctors anymore but health care providers??? And that the future of medicine as a career is NOT like it was and is getting worst and probably will not be worth it in the future? Do you guys think its worth all the hardwork (both mental physical) time and money spent in becoming a doctor ? Do you think doctors get paid enough for the amount of time they put into their education and training? Do you think its worth it for the amount of time you put into becoming an MD?
There was a time when a Doctor was considered next to God in the Indian subcontinent... Now they are compared with politicians for fooling the public; with rich bussinesman for making a bussines out of this profession; with rickshawallahs for bargaining with patients!
Doctors in the India are paid far less compared to many other less qualified fields. Only the ones in private practice make money.
Consultants were the highest paid professionals in the NHS, UK about a decade ago. Today the managers are paid far more than the consultants. And yes the managers have more powers too, than the consultants.
Senior nurses in the NHS make more money than the SHO's. Nurses is administartion make money equivalent to the consultants!
Doctors were the highest paid professionals in the North America(US and Canada)... not anymore... Lawyers, Administrators are already far ahead and Engineers are now moving ahead too!
So the golden age for doctors has passed away.
And if a country like India continues to produce Doctors (medical gradautes) without creating enough opportunities for post graduate training and beyond, and investing more in health care... Doctors will continue to struggle. And never be paid enough...
Medicine still has many avenues unexplored and the future of medicine is still bright.
And there's hope for doctors too.
When NHS Administrators were paid more than Consultants... many consultants chose to become managers!
Doctors became Lawyers, joined the Pharma and Insurance sector in the North America's.
Medical graduates are taking up MBA's and joining the IIM's and the IIT's in India.
If there aren't enough postgraduation opportunities in India... Indian doctors have already clogged the junior doctors posts in UK, America, Australia and everywhere else.
The doctors themselves have made big superspeciality hospitals that any developed nation can be proud of!
Doctors are hardworking and highly qualified... with a little entrepreneur skills than can take over the world.
i'm 27, a junior doc from india here in UK, will be appearing for plab-2 soon, and will be appearing for the MRCS part-1 & 2 exams in jan, 2006. i had a dream to become a great general surgeon, (my dads a great, great laparoscopic surgeon, and so was my grandad a doc) but now due to certain circumstances (which i shall be mentioning in details below) i wanna be different, and do different and step aside from "standard protocol", and this pattern of "insult" to our once-upon-a-time GREAT profession, and am therefore looking at alternative career prospects, simply cos of the following:
1) i remember that, wen i and my friends had cleared the medical joint
entrance exam, we all went crazy with joy, and praised ourselves for
the big acheivement. little did we realise wat uncertainities lay ahead.
2) it was a 5.5 yr, gruelling course, which demanded many years, and
lotsa hard work. and with each university exam of the MBBS course we
cleared, we felt that greater glory, and that feeling of almost "being
there". in the meantime, all our non-medico friends, and relatives
would look up to us, and tell us how lucky we were to being to-be-docs.
a combination of all this made us feel great! little did we realise wat
uncertainities lay ahead.
3) then it was that almost-final moment of glory. we passed our final
MBBS exam, and we all enthusiastically expresssed the same feeling
from within saying....."i've done it!". little did we realise wat
uncertainities lay ahead.
4) finally.........it was that ultimate glory...moment of our lives.....the
stamp of authority....wen after our internship, we stood in that black
cloak, received our certificates, and read the oath. boy...were we
happy that day. BUT...........little did we realise wat uncertainities lay
ahead.
5) THIS IS WAT WE REALISE..........after all these moments of immense
joy. that we are NOBODY'S in todays world. just try tellin a
person/patient that you hav an MBBS degree, which you got after
clearing one of the toughest exams like the JEE's, then worked hard to
clear 4.5 years of fat books, tough exams and viva's, and then went
through a back-breaking internship year, where we had to give duties
as long as 36hrs at a stretch. that person/patient will think...."just a
simple MBBS"!!! now how is that gonna feel.....HUH? they want MD's,
MS's, etcs, etcs, OR ELSE WE ARE NOBODY'S. wat can be more unfair,
and insulting? so here's wat we all do to counter that insult.....read
on.....
6) we battle it out to give an even tougher exam, which sometime we try
to clear for years on end....the PG exams, some of us the plabs,
usmle's, amc's, royal college exams, and wat not, spending more brain
power, more time, more money, all in an effort to be able to regain wat
was so mercilessly taken from us...our RESPECT & our RECOGNITION
as being really nice, efficient, honest and hardworking guys. there is a
reward waitin for us at the end of it all.......
7) and here are the rewards..........a) work like crazy from early morning
to late night; b) see that other professions around us are getting paid
loads more with half the effort...and if you wanna equal that
pay-level...then you hav to leave hoem an 2 hours earlier in the
morning, and come back 2 hours later...trying to squeeze in more
private practice/surgeries, etc.; c) no family or social life...it makes
you a mechanical being; d) no time left for anything else in your life,
and watever money you earn...it is spent by your wife, kids, etc...cos
you donteven hav the time to spend it; e) do you get that
respect....well...how can you wen you hav a million consumer
protection acts looming down on you for the slightest unintentional
mistake...disgusting protests and abuses wen miracles dont save a
patient, even though you hav devoted yourself a billion % to save a
patient; f) you being bossed around by managers and administrators,
and being told wat to do by them, and even gettin less pay than
them...wen most of them are not even docs!; g) see that even in the
so-called developed countries like WHERE I AM NOW, that as far as
respect goes...the doctors...all these hardworking devoted doctors, are
at the BOTTOM of the ladder...they hav to be meek-health-providers to
the patients, and its as if the patients and nurses and managers rule.
they err...no prob, but you err........all hell breaks loose. you make the
tiniest of "mistakes"...as in.... talk in a bit of a grumpy way to a
patient/nurse, SIMPLY cos you hav had a long and tiring day, and
havent had the time to even grab a bite....and the patients end up
complaining that the doctor misbehaved...and wat does the doc
get........an official warning!; h) even back in india...docs just try and
earn an honest living by working that extra bit harder...and they are
branded as scrupulous/dishonest who are using their profession to
make money!!! how many people on planet earth are not into a
profession to make money? 1% i'd say. yet respect, and the nobleness
of this profession has been thrown out of the window, and
instead...sickening accusations!!!
well, thats about it from me. besides, every single bit that you others hav mentioned about the so-called "golden days" of being a doc being gone...you are truly right..and i'm sure my small article will make things all the more clearer. by the way, i do not mean to say that being a doc aint good anymore...let me make myself clear on this point that....DOCS ARE STILL THE GREATEST INDIVIDUALS ON THE FACE OF OUR PLANET, WHO SACRIFICE SO MUCH, AND GIV SO MUCH FOR HUMANITY...AND THEY'LL ALWAYS BE THAT WAY. SO ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO WANNA BE DOCS, WHO ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING DOCS, AND WHO ARE ALREADY DOCS...JUST KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, COS PLANET EARTH NEEDS YOU GUYS. ITS JUST THAT...THIS "HUMANITY", AND SOCIETY HAS TAKEN US FOR GRANTED. SO THATS WHY ALL THIS TALK ABOUT US DOCS THINKING OF LOOKING AFTER OURSELVES AND OUR LIVES NOW, BY LOOKING AT BETTER CAREER PROSPECTS, OTHER THAN MEDICINE.
me signing off for now. anyone who supports wat i say and feel, pleez feel free to discuss the issue with me, and anyone who disagrees with anything i say, pleez feel even more free to tell me where i might be wrong, and last but not the least...no offence meant to anyone.
I’m back again, after quit a bit of time, and this time as a bit of a follow-up of my previous major posting regarding ALTERNATIVE CAREER OPTIONS, and ABOUT WHERE DID DOCTORS IN TODAYS WORLD STAND. Thanks so much for writing in with your views and comments to that posting of mines I really appreciated the points you all made, and most of all, I appreciate people who are honest in airing their true thoughts and opinions, like you all. Now let me tell you a few things...
Firstly, as far as my decision about leaving medicine, and particularly surgery, was not exactly true in the truest of senses. I basically mentioned a scenario of such a possibility due to the article topic which I was discussing. But here’s why my decision is slightly different, and the following is the true and real scenario. I am not even close to having taken a decision. I am still in the UK, will be appearing for the MRCS part-2 exams this January, and most importantly of all, I am fascinated by the science of surgery, and I am sure that I will always want to learn more and more about the skills of surgery. And I’m sure I will. And how am I able to do that? Here’s how. Simply because I have earned the right to hold a scalpel in my hand, or a suture & needle and use it to save someone’s life...and that’s cos I have worked hard to become a doctor, without which learning surgery would have been a forbidden territory for me. And whats more...I will ALWAYS remain a doctor, no matter where I am, and what I do further on in life, and nothing on earth can change this fact, and neither will I let anything change this fact. And so, after completing my MRCS, fully, I will also become a qualified specialized surgeon...and so this is something I will do as well, cos as I said, surgery fascinates me, and I will not let go of it!
But what I want to do here is break away, somewhat, from this closed bubble in which most doctors live for the rest of their lives, simply cos they think that they don’t have other options as their field of study is too specialized. Who said that a doctor HAS to spend the rest of his living days working as a doctor, or for that matter...an engineer has to be an engineer for the rest of his life...or a lawyer has to be a lawyer forever. We human beings are capable of remarkable things...and WE DOCTORS are naturally the more intelligent breed than the average population, aren’t we? (anyone with objections to this statement of mines, plz feel free to speak out!). Then my whole point is that, why don’t we expand our frontiers, and use this intelligence to greater use, for our self-improvement? That’s all I am saying, and that is why, I am thinking on these lines, and taking the liberty of writing this article here. I as an individual, feel that, I am multi-talented...and I also feel that almost all of us out there (yes, I mean us docs), who have been able to see through the rigors, and processes of an extremely tough entrance exam, who have seen through a 5.5 yr intense course at medical college, and who are still giving it their best, to move forward in their professions...well, I feel that, its not only me who is multi-talented...but its all these doctors out there who possess immense talents like myself. But due to the circumstances, mindsets, and society issues, are unable to put these talents to use. Plz read on...
My thoughts are like this. Since I feel that, being doctors, we are multi-talented, I want to put these dormant talents to use, and feel that all doctors should do the same, as well. My particular area of interest is setting up a business in property investments, and also starting a media group, and channel of my own, too, which will be exclusive to health, and medicine programmes. We have animal planet...we have news channels...we have movie channels...but do we have an exclusive medical channel out there? No and I intend to create one. Big ambitions, one might say, but they are honest ambitions, I must say...and I want to see these ambitions turn to reality. I also realize that, in order to go about doing these successfully, I will need some kind of education which is different from learning how to use a laparoscope to perform a cholecystectomy...probably some kind of business/management related education is something that will fit the bill here. And that’s why I have on my mind something on the lines of an MBA. But wait...remember that we are doctors! RIGHT? And what did I say we are, as a result of being doctors? MULTI-TALENTED. That means we can easily be, and do 2, or maybe even 3 things at the same time...and unlike being a “jack-of-all-trades, master-of none”, we can be a master of more than one, cos we are the breed the world calls DOCTORS!!! And just in case if anyone has any doubts about the abilities of us docs, well, I am then going to prove it to you all out there that, we are capable, and the 1st step in proving that, would be to prove that I AM CAPABLE. So here’s a thought which I have thought about...but which I haven’t worked on yet, in details, cos I am presently focusing on my MRCS exam on 16th January. After that, I will start my “homework” in this direction, FULL SWING!!! Read on for the analogy...
Have you guys ever thought of, or wondered about those individuals who get top ranks in various exams like GMAT, etc, and in doing so, end up in some of the top institutions of the world, like Harvard, Stanford, or London school of business (and mind you...our IIM’s don’t even feature among the worlds top 20, and so I have not mentioned the CAT exams here...though no offence to our Indian management guru’s, cos I know a few IIM guys personally, and trust me, they are infinitely amazing and brilliant people, and equally capable as their foreign counterparts...and so I personally feel its probably some worldwide ranking system which manages to get the better of us, and our IIM’s )? Haven’t you ever privately and secretly said to yourselves, about these individuals…”They are THERE & we are HERE, after all we’ve done and been through…that’s just not fair”. At some point of time or the other, you possibly might have. Well, there is this general perception that these individuals are the “cream” of the brains and society, and due to this perception (which is largely true as well), they also demand some of the highest paid salaries, and some of the most respectful jobs. Citing an example here, just so that you get an idea of to what extent I am talking about...the average annual starting salary of a person having completed his MBA from Harvard, Stanford, LSB, or any of the “top-10 business schools”, is around £.110,000, that’s Rs.88 Lakhs a year! And this is only the mean average salary I’m talking about. But mind you, its ONLY people who pass from these worlds best business schools, who enjoy this kind of salary. There are thousands of institutions all over the world, and in India too, mushrooming up, and offering MBA courses...but trust me, most are useless, as far as job prospects are concerned. The message is simple. If you want to be paid £.110,000 a year for your efforts, you have to have an MBA from some of the world’s best B-schools. Even our IIM’s are easily in the top bracket, as far as salaries in our country are concerned. Read on to hear my idea...
...well, I got a bit distracted there for a while, and so lets get back to telling you what I was telling you...about us being multi-talented, our capabilities....and about the fact of me proving it to you guys, that we doctors are the BESTEST. So here’s the point. What’s so special about those guys getting their MBA’s from the “top-10 business schools”, and getting paid exorbitantly? And why do we have to spend our living days hearing society talk about them big-shot MBA’s being brilliant, super, talented individuals, when this so-called “society” actually benefits a lot more from us doctors directly, as far as “themselves”, and their biologies are concerned...and when actually these MBA’s play very little direct role in their lives? Well, enough of questions, for now…I’ll give you a chance to answer them yourselves. As of now, lemme tell you what I intend to do, or at least have thought about doing, really, really soon. Read on plz...
...since my particular ambitions later on in life are about property investments, and on owning a TV channel, they’ll naturally require a thorough learning and understanding on business and management...and so I have my eyes on an MBA, and that too, a top-notch MBA. But here’s the POINT. So all my mates here...take notice of this forum posting/article today, from just another one of you doctors, who calls himself simba_smiles. I am not going to sit and watch that “cream of the brains and society” salutation go to the non-docs only………….and so here’s what I am going to do……………. I am going to go on to get an admission in an MBA course from among the top-10 business schools in the world, and will do whatever it takes to top score in their qualifying exam, called GMAT. And that too, if possible, on a full scholarship. After that, besides bothering about my property investments, I will get that international TV channel up and running (where as you might have guessed, there’ll be lots of surgery shown!!!icon_wink.gif), just for us docs, and the rest of the world. And everyone of you guys out here, will obviously be welcome to feature in the millions of programmes I will have lined up...in fact...all of us docs will deserve it. And moreso, cos i’ll always be a doc after all, and you will all be my extended family in anything that I do, on that medical channel. At the same time, I will continue to learn, and specialize my skills in the practice of surgery, cos it’s something I love doing, and will forever love doing. Now I know that all this sounds larger-than-life, and overtly-ambitious, and many of you might be saying that this guy called Simba has gone crazy! But trust me, fellow doctors, I hereby declare to all of you out here...that I will prove it that I am capable of achieving all this...and more...cos after all, its all about self belief, and I know that I have an enormous amount of this self-belief. And I’m sure you all do, too. It’s just a matter of time before you all, and I myself see me making all this happen for real. So make sure you guys keep a really good track of what I’m upto, in the near future…just for records!
Well, that’s a lot of details from my side. Will write more later, after my MRCS exams are over. But i’d love to hear from you guys out there, and welcome any forms of support or criticism regarding my view-points here. So please do make it a point to air your comments, docs, cos it will only help me see both sides of the coin more clearly...and I need to be able to do that, before I set foot on this adventure of mines. I call this an ADVENTURE cos of the following. I’m sure that our lives are long enough, and our minds are talented & powerful enough, to experience more than one adventure in this life-time of ours. We have all been fortunate enough to experience one of these magnificent adventures...in the form of medicine. (very few on planet earth are fortunate enough to experience this vast and immense adventure called medicine). I’m just trying to experience some more. Well, that’s all for now, and all the best to all of you, and keep smiling!!!
Before I leave, I just want to add a line which I had heard in a movie or something, and which really means a lot, if you look at it from a very strong and deep perspective.....
…..”What makes a man a man? Is it his origins, or the way he starts things, or where he lives, or what he does? No. IT’S THE CHOICES HE MAKES. Not how he starts things, but how he finishes them.”
This doctor friend of your RxPG community, called simba_smiles, just wants to be able to make a choice.
Doctors can be employed at a salary. i.e. if you dont have a private practice. so at the most you can do is help treat patients as a rmo. a doctor isnt somebody who can help generate an income for the company that he works in. hospital has a fixed structure. so its no multi-million projects over here reaching out to the masses. its on person to person basis. how can a hospital afford to pay more? you arent an actor on tv which is seen by a billion with lotsa ads in it. there are limits to the benefits to the hospital. rather a "fixed income."
at the same time there r too many doctors around ..... toh apni kisiko kadar nahi ...... unless the person who is showing false appreciation wants free treatment icon_smile.gif .
even i m too sad about the whole scenario. at 17 when u decide on a branch, u know nothing where you r going, u dont understand what u r jumping into. by 23 you are too old to go into a different branch and face the slack again. and also one of the thousands of aspiring pg students. wat a dismal situation!
That was quite a candid post!.... u know u were almost there..... I mean ur gonna be a cetified surgeon that too a MRCS and still ur not satisfied.. speak volumes without saying too much... but sometimes i find people criticising this kind of attitude and approach as a defeatist or pessimistic or cowardly one.... i dont know why they think so..... i need to think more about this sigh.gif
if i were a famous personality, i'd say i've been taken out of context.....
anyways, the comment about free treatment was just a mild jest to cheer things up. Patients still appreciate if you cure them, but the payscales are going to remain low unless you r a well established (20 yrs experience) doctor.
what i was tring to explain is, as a RMO i.e. MBBS you are only a 8 hr duty officer who does not generate an income. u can have only a number of inpatients on any single day. the hospital is going to have X number of beds at any time, will not increase overnight. nor will the population in the vicinity...... its a very local, person to person thing.
the point behind mentioning mass media was that its one to many, generating income. if u build a hospital tommorow, with modest charges, u wont be able to pay your rmo much either. U might be able to pay more than generally what most ppl pay, tats true. a certain amount of bias is there against paying mbbs people.
anyways.... i think i have garbled up everything again. i'm not too good at prose anyways.
we took a decision when we were 17. now we have to face tat all our lives icon_sad.gif
just to quote an instance.. one of my batchmates..an average fella..... who justed made thru the mbbs course... he found the possibility of getting into and thru a pg course hard and unrealistic[ PEOPLE THINK DIFFERENTLY YOU KNOW!!] so he set out for a MO post in a health centre in the inward regions fo the state.....at around [10000 for full attendance]
HE made contracts with medical shops around .. and 3 place. he was alloted a clinic/ room near the medical shops. at a 4 digit pay scale EACH x3
he also married the girl he loved.. a batch mate. she also took up as a mo in another health centre...
so they took up night rmo jobs at a private hospital.. at 15 nights.. AROUND 15000 .. one of them will be there.......\ as the people around wanted this guy around.. he was given a decent house with arent of 1000 bucks.. and set up private practice there
s o after one year while we [? smart guys or...] were still neck deep in salgu and other stuff..
his typical day starts with waking up at 6am.. while 2 -3 pts are there waitign..
set off for 8 am clinic.. then from 930 to around noon.. at the health centre...
after lunch . he has 2 more clinics.. andreaches around six at home..... and then private practice.. [ OK . not that too pushy. but he does have some patients].at around 50 per pt. and almost 7 -10 night duties a month..
and plus his wife's doing the same......
he takes quite time off when needed....
with all these loans and bank support.. he's managed to buy a car. [ with his own money] all that in less than one year of starting practice...
NOW HE IS A RESPECTED DOCTOR IN HIS LOCALITY..
so the moral is.... you decide what u wannna become... look at the given options in a practical way..... there are hundreds of options out there.. even though many looks pleasing.... some will suit u and some dont. includiing the one u r in right now..
u cannot judge what u r as a failure.. even u havent even entered it.....
FOLLOW THAT VOICE DEEP DOWN INSIDE.. i know this friend of mine did. and stick to it..... there should be no regrets... if u wanna be a doctor .. be it... if u wanna be a business.. go for it.. mba, lawyer, stock market player, realestate.. banking,, corporate sector...... every thing is open. once u have this basic graduation......
SO... NOW THE BALL IS IN YOUR COURT...... ITS UPTO U......
[ ps- for those who r still confused.. trust urself.. it will become more clearer as u go on....and its never too late]
just a story that may interest u...........
The Billion-Dollar Decision
Thousands cover the landscape from New York to California,
from London to Tokyo. It doesn't matter how young or old
you are, chances are good that you've walked into one, most
likely more than once. And regardless of what you think
about its image and impact, no one can argue that McDonalds
isn't an empire in the world of business.
The point of this McDonalds's story isn't about what they
serve over the counter each day, nor does it have anything
to do with the debate over where these restaurants should
and should not be located. No, this story is different.
It's one of dreams and inspiration. And the leading role is
played by its legendary leader, Ray Kroc.
With the Olympics in Athens running along each day we are
aware that greatness often begins at an early age. We hear
of gymnasts and divers training only years after they learn
how to walk, and about track and field stars who have been
working toward the Olympic dream for decades.
This theme, success being achieved by those who started at
an early age, is found in much more than sport.
Entrepreneurs like Bill Gates of Microsoft and Phil Knight
of Nike, both beginning their drive toward success at an
early age, lead us to believe that all success follows this
path.
And if success in life requires an early start, millions
around the world have already missed their chance.
But then a man named Ray Kroc comes along and gives us
hope. He gives us proof that an early start isn't as
important as a deep desire to make the most of our lives.
When most people believe their life is winding down and
heading for retirement, Ray was just beginning to create
one of the most successful businesses in history.
To begin working toward his dream at twenty years of age
would be quite amazing given the size and success of his
company at the time of his passing. Thirty or forty years
old would be almost ridiculous.
So how old was Ray Kroc when he took the first step toward
growing McDonald's into a worldwide phenomenon?
Even now I can't believe it. But it's true, and it gives
hope to every single person out there who feels that their
time has passed. As long as you're alive and breathing,
your time will never pass.
But the history of Ray Kroc and his decision to achieve a
dream late in life is about much more than age. It's about
a lesson we all must learn if we are to be truly happy and
successful.
What's the Real Lesson?
What I want to do with this letter more than anything
else is to get one point across:---" you must take all that you
are at this moment and make the most of it."
Excuses about age, time, money, and every other item we
throw into the mix to help us feel better about putting our
dreams on hold will end up killing our hopes for a happy
and fulfilling life.
Ray Kroc teaches us that age is never an issue when it
comes to getting what you really want in life. Use his
story to inspire action if you are at an age when you felt
that your time had passed. But this is only one example.
If you look hard enough you will find a story like Kroc's
that shatters every excuse we hide behind. People from
every walk of life, facing extraordinary odds, have
achieved great things and created truly amazing lives.
Proof that you can do it as well.
Before we get to the heart of today's lesson I want to
mention one of the most important aspects of goals.
What if you don't know what you want? Few situations in
life are as confusing and frustrating as wanting a happier,
more successful life but not knowing how to make it happen.
More people than you think have trouble in this area, and
it's because the majority of us have never been given the
tools to uncover our true goals. There are specific steps
you can take that will bring to light the goals that will
give you everything you want and more.
An Exercise to Inspire Success
It's time to take what we have learned and put it to use.
If you're human, you probably have a few excuses that you
tell yourself about why you can't do something about your
goals today.
Perhaps the time isn't right or the time has already
passed. Maybe the money isn't there or the people around
you just won't support your plan. Whatever it is, I want
you to make a short list of the most powerful excuses you
tell yourself.
When you have them, I want you to do something a little
different than usual. Instead of writing down all of the
reasons why your excuses aren't true, I want you to act as
if you're giving advice to a friend who has told you about
his or her goal but ends it with the excuses you use for
putting off following through.
Think about it. What would you tell your best friend if he
or she came to you and said...
'I really want to (goal), but I can't because (excuse).'
What would you say to change their mind? What would you say
to motivate them past their excuses and onto success?
When you know what you would say to them, say it to
yourself and follow through.
The reason for this role reversal is simply that we are
great at giving advice but rarely as good at taking it
ourselves. By changing the roles you can get your best
advice out of your head and hard to work for you and your
future.
When it comes down to it, you've got to ask yourself how
much you want to change your life, how much you really want
to achieve your goals. If they are worth it, which I know
they are, put an end to the excuses and follow Ray's lead.
Accept the facts of your situation and move ahead with an
unwavering confidence.
You may not end up selling billions of hamburgers to
millions of people around the world, but you will do
something much more important - you will live your best
life.
As we wrap up today's issue I want to share an exciting
breakthrough with you. Motivation, one of the most
important skills you can have in life, isn't what you
think. Most believe it's a drive that comes and goes
without notice.
Nothing can be farther from the truth.
Feeling motivated to do the things you have always wanted
to do can happen every single day . Imagine what you could do with your
life, and the lives of others, if you knew how to get and
stay motivated to change your life and achieve your goals
for the next twenty, thirty, or forty years. And it's easy
to do!
Ray Kroc could have used his age as an excuse to pass by
the opportunity that brought him unimaginable success. He
could have shrugged his shoulders and lowered his head in
defeat. Instead, he grabbed life by the horns and plowed
full speed ahead toward the dream he was unwilling to pass
by.
Follow his lead.
Until next time, never settle for less than you want and
never overlook what you already have.
i think we are juss bein bogged down by the amount of hard work we hav to put in!but i still feel i havent done a mistake by optin for medicine.guys you have just seen the corporate world frm outside...its not sooo good as it seems to be.those ppl too hav to go thru a lot of competetion and they are made to work like dogs!in your own locality u must be knowing the doctors that live around but how many of us kno bout the techies???? are they ever recognised??and what after they retire?? we all know a doctor only retires wen he wants to.
so all professions hav good points as well as bad ones.....as vimoj said,it all depends on your attitude....
i read ur post n its v nice to know abt wat u think coz its quite true n infact i hv been pretty much thinkin on these lines for quite a while now...
i'd like to seek some guidance regarding the same...
i hv jus finished wid mbbs n gonna start intnshp n plan to major in surg as its my fav subj n jus love it....i plan to take the mle soon n am really keen on goin to the US but many ppl hv adviced me against it coz it seems gettin surg is extremely tough for non-nationals there(tough to wat extent i dunno) n weighing all the pros n cons has really left me perplexed abt my future plan of action coz i've been quite strong abt goin to the US only,rite frm the start....but dat has now left me searchin for more options for PG(tho' ill always luv surg no matter wat)....
i've developed a new-found interest in paeds n certain other things like genetics........n yeah i certainly plan to venture into research as it really intrigues me...maybe in a field related to genetics..tho' will be able to decide where my interest lies exactly only once i am in PG.......
(m sorry if this seems pretty long to read)
but at the same time wud wanna do surg as PG but wud not(maybe) research in the field...so dat leaves me wid the option of takin up a field in PG which wud be related to my future research...
n also takin into considerasation the fact dat surg in the US is the most demanding field in terms of time n energy n also replete wid litigations for every mm of 'mistake' made....n more so if one is a non-national....not forgetting the fact dat one has to put in a total of 5yrs for a surg degree as compared to 3yrs for other fields...
plus to add to it an absolutely narrowed or rather zero personal or social life....which does not sound pleasant at all!! icon_cry.gif
plz help over this as m in a real fix n dunno wat step to take.... icon_confused.gif
i'd really be obliged if u cud help me over this prob....
thanks in anticipation
surgery in stanford..hope this throws some light..
Students believe a career in surgery cuts deeper than the scalpel. According to the study, led by Susan Brundage, MD, an associate professor of surgery, students say the profession slices into family and personal time, a key factor feeding disenchantment with the field.
The study reports on a series of focus groups that zeroed in on factors influencing the career choices of 29 University of Texas-Houston med students. At the time of the study, Brundage was assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. The study, a collaboration between the University of Texas and Baylor, was published in the Tuesday issue of the Journal of Surgical Research.
Medical student interest in surgery as a career peaked in 1981, with 12.1 percent of senior med students choosing the specialty. Since then, interest has dropped, reaching a low of 5.3 percent in 2002.
“There is a concern,” said Brundage. “Surgery is a highly valuable commodity and as the numbers of surgeons are on the decline, access to surgical care will be more difficult. Even at this time in the United States, there are waiting lists of six to eight months for some non-emergency surgical procedures. Rural communities and inner cities are particularly underserved. As the numbers of surgeons decline, there is bound to be an even more pronounced shortage of surgeons.
“The profession is asking itself, why is something that's so valuable and that we enjoy so much not attractive to students in the year 2004?” Brundage added.
To get some answers, she and her colleagues staged focus groups, luring second-year medical students with free lunches. Their key finding was that perceptions of the surgeon's lifestyle turned off many to the specialty.
Students who said they were not considering surgery as a career ranked family and personal time as their top priorities. In contrast, most students interested in surgery felt the requisite sacrifice was necessary and acceptable. One female student went so far as to say, “There are video cameras to see your kids [grow up].”
Brundage said the profession does truly demand great commitment. Hours worked are generally longer than in other medical fields. Workweeks of 120 hours were common for surgery trainees until last year when the national accreditation agency for training programs limited the time to an 80-hour ceiling. Still, this workload is more grueling than that of many other specialties. For instance, dermatology residents average 42 hours per week; allergy residents average 44 hours; and emergency medicine residents average 45.
Additionally, the training period for surgery is longer than for most other disciplines. Certification as a general surgeon requires a minimum of five years. Training in a sub-specialty, such as cardiac surgery, pediatric surgery or trauma surgery, requires an additional two to three years.
“You make a minimum seven- to eight-year commitment before you can get your first real job for a clinical practice,” said Brundage. “This is in contrast to standard family practice doctors, internal medicine doctors, pediatricians or emergency medicine doctors, for example, who undergo a much shorter training period of three years.”
Brundage herself is unusual not only because she's a woman in the traditionally male field of surgery but because she has chosen the subspecialty of trauma surgery — one of the most macho subspecialties there is.
“Everyone told me not to do surgery. They warned me about the demanding lifestyle, told me that the people who do it are malicious, that it's not a good career for women. But I fell in love with it.”
Few students, male or female, have Brundage's zeal, however. “They take less of a passion and more of a lifestyle approach,” she said.
“Students today are more interested in being with their family and having free time. In some ways they are very smart,” she said. “If they can work in a less-demanding specialty to economically support the lifestyle they want, maybe the attractiveness of surgery doesn't compensate for the lost time and money.”
Some have attributed the sharp decrease in interest in surgery to the rising number of women in medical schools: Through the 1960s most medical students were male but these days close to half are female. And female students are less likely than males to choose surgery.
The reasons behind women's choices aren't known but Brundage hazards a guess. “Surgery might not appeal to women in particular since many seek careers that will give them the flexibility to be pregnant and spend time with their families,” she said.
A surgery career is hard work, but it might not be quite as tough as students imagine, said Brundage. Interaction with surgeons earlier in students' educations could dispel misconceptions, she said, noting that the students in the focus groups had not yet encountered surgeons in their classes.
Contact with surgeons might also change the perception, common among the students, that surgeons are “jerks,” a word some used in the focus groups. This impression came largely from portrayals in the media and comments made by nonsurgeon physicians and fellow students. Among the comments made in the focus groups was “I heard people say in our class, ‘I don't have to be nice, I'm going to be a surgeon.' ”
And the profession has to continue the trend toward balancing excellence in surgery with a healthy perspective regarding life outside the hospital, said Brundage.
Stanford's surgery department leads this trend, she said. Possibly as a result, the department has a greater proportion of female faculty than almost any other surgery department in the nation. Of the department's 62 professors, 17 are women.
Posts: 1
Participants: 1
Read full topic