Changing Career Priorities

So last week was Match Day, the day senior medical students find out where they will get their REAL medical training -- the places they'll become family docs, or pediatricians, or start out on even more training --to become cardiologists, or orthopedists. I remember the day well when my friends went through it -- and how excited Eric was when he was accepted at a Harvard program, and Barry at one run at the time by Cornell. The Ds now have friends at that age -- and D1 was happy to learn that one friend, who went to UF and then Miami medical school, would be staying right here and learning pediatrics with Dr. Barry. But oh, how times have changed. My generation is probably the last one where it was considered a really great thing to get into medical school. Changes in the profession, like managed care for instance, have taken the luster off. NONE of my doctor friends have kids who went into medicine. They would have discouraged them. The amount of school required just isn't worth it -- 4 years of school, maybe another 6 of residency and fellowship, and the salaries just no longer justify it. The Ds have lots of friends who became PAs, nurse practitioners, and other types of therapists. The number of those actually wanting medical school is small, compared to my college mates. Law school is much easier, but that has changed as well. I openly discouraged my Ds from going that route. Three years of torture with no guaranteed job at the end just don't seem to make sense. And, though it's sexist -- female friends who have practiced law full time the same length of time as my male friends just seem much worse for the wear...not something I'd choose for my Ds... I expect the pendulum will swing back. It will probably have to. As fewer young people seek medical school, and we end up with doctor shortages, something will give. But for now -- taking on huge debt without the old promises of a great paying, satisfying career discourage most. It's sad, but it's true. D1's boyfriend Joey gets it. He sees the web as the way to go. He realizes that when you own an internet company, you make money while you sleep. None of the early computer nerds I knew in college became billionaires, as far as I know, but they've had nice, low impact careers. So congratulations to the newly matched medical trainees. I wish them well. I'm happy my Ds aren't among their number...