Reasons to Not Get Into Medicine 

Bad Reasons to Want to Get Into Medicine 

If you are motivated to become a doctor by the money, you should not get into Medicine at all. I don't mean this as a criticism to those of you who are motivated by money, because it is a very important aspect of modern society. Money may not buy happiness, but nice mansions and vacations in the Caribbean can't be all bad.

Is that really what your life is like as a doctor? No — being a doctor does not automatically mean you will be well-off financially.

In Medicine, most young physicians are almost $1 million dollars in debt and have to work miserable hours every week with only 1 month off as vacation time every year broken up in 1 week periods. Most residents are required to work around 100 grueling hours per week and make less than a teacher would.  

Relationships and social lives suffer when you are a resident, and it is often a miserable 4 years of anyone's life. If you want money, I recommend a career in absolutely any field except for Medicine. Even those students who are more concerned with the next keg party or what sorority has the next "Grab-a-Date" in Undergrad may have a pretty well-paid job on Wall Street, and can have a much better life than you, materially speaking at least. If you have even half-a-clue of what to do on the Stock Market, you can easily make a nice profit in a short amount of time and can do this from the comfort of a tropical beach.  

You may make more money — but having to pay at least $50,000 a year in malpractice coverage, needing to fight with insurance companies to reimburse you for some procedures, or dealing with the bureaucracy of the Hospital Administration can make any doctor unhappy. As a new doctor, your phone will always be ringing and you may have problems trying to find the time to be there for your family.  

READ Questions To Ask Yourself When Wanting To Study Medicine

Medicine is not a glamorous profession and even if you may think it is one full of dignity and respect, all that comes at a price. As someone deciding to become a doctor, you sacrifice a lot, may not have much appreciation, and are yelled at more often than you are thanked. It is those small moments when you aren't scrambling to finish a patient discharge, or running up the stairs to help the nurse figure out how to manage hypertension, when you may see a glimpse of a patient who knows and understands that you are doing your best for them.

The most important thing for you, as you choose whether to go into the medical field, is if you are willing to take all the negatives that come with Medicine and be satisfied with the few positives that come with the field.