Do you ever wish you had become a doctor?

[BEorP]

I'm just curious to know how many people have at some point in their careers thought that maybe they should have (or should) become a doctor. I'm betting that the responses will mainly consist of people's gut reactions of loving EMS, but there must be times where you think you might be happier with an MD or DO behind your name.

Yes, EMS is great fun and seems to be an amazing career, but the shift work and lifting are hard on our bodies, working under a physician's licence we are not usually entirely autonomous providers, and it's gotta get old taking so many people to the hospital who are using the ambulance as a taxi. (Yes, there might be shift work still as a doc depending on what you go into, but you won't be spending your nights carrying people around.)

We have very smart people on this forum, but only one doc that I know of (I think there are more but I can't remember right now). I believe we also have one NP student and one guy who is playing a doctor in Iraq, both of who I am sure could have gone to med school if they wanted.

How many of you have at some point at least had the thought of med school cross your mind? What prevented you from doing it? If you could go back to earlier in your career when you didn't have family constraints and could actually just focus life on med school, would you do it?

[JimH]

When I first got into the field, I thought of med school, and later nursing, and went into a nursing program. I got my prerequesites, and was in a program and found I did not want to do it for my career.

At the time, I was beginning to get burned out of the field, and in general dealing with people.

When I left the field completely, I felt thankful that I did not have more invested- some people are right for it, some are'nt.

Medicine can be a great career if it is what you are passionate about doing, but I would not be able to work at it if my only reason was a paycheck or worse yet, to pay off my student loans.

[medic001918]

Yes, EMS is great fun and seems to be an amazing career, but the shift work and lifting are hard on our bodies, working under a physician's licence we are not usually entirely autonomous providers, and it's gotta get old taking so many people to the hospital who are using the ambulance as a taxi. (Yes, there might be shift work still as a doc depending on what you go into, but you won't be spending your nights carrying people around.)

quote]

I don't wish that I had gone on to med school. I'm rather happy being a paramedic. But I think that if I were to go back to school, it would most likely be non healthcare related. In fact, I'm considering the law school route. But I'm not 100% convinced that it's the thing for me to do yet.

As far as getting tired of taking people to the hospital who use it as a taxi, it would be just as tiring (if not more so) to be the doctor treating these people for BS complaints that their PCP should be handling. So you wouldn't get away from the routine frustrations involved, you'd just see them differently.

Shane

NREMT-P

[dzmohr]

I'm just curious to know how many people have at some point in their careers thought that maybe they should have (or should) become a doctor. I'm betting that the responses will mainly consist of people's gut reactions of loving EMS, but there must be times where you think you might be happier with an MD or DO behind your name. . .

How many of you have at some point at least had the thought of med school cross your mind? What prevented you from doing it? If you could go back to earlier in your career when you didn't have family constraints and could actually just focus life on med school, would you do it?

At one point a good friend who was rather well off and an ER Doc offered to pay my way thru med school ( was making 1.65/hr got paid for 13 of the 24 hours we were on duty cause the State said they did not have to pay for the 8 hours sleep time and 3 hour meal time we rarely got)... while it was tempting financially I have a number of Drs who were friends and I did not want the BS that THEY had to deal with either ...I took a pass and was never sorry. Continued in the field another 25 years after that.

On the other hand, as I posted in another thread a little while ago, ... I have dreamed and still wish that we would have evolved into PAs and NPs specializing in prehospital care. That would open up some AMAZING possibilities I think, including financially viable exit strategy when it was time to leave the street.

[Timmy]

Yes this has gone though my head more times than I can count! So has being a nurse, fireman, police officer, paramedic, youth worker, army medic, professional sports trainer and anything else you could think of…

Here is my problem, I HATE school! My parents and school had to make/beg me to stay this year plus I want to become a paramedic so much I thought I’d better hang in there. God 3 years at uni to become a paramedic is going to kill me. Not to mention 6 years uni then internship, residence and what ever else you have to do to become a doctor.

I don’t mind doing practical hands on stuff and learning that way but when it comes to tests and studding I’m a gonna! LOL! I only just scrapped though this year at school, good thing I don’t need an enter score to become a paramedic …

But hey, I’m sure if you put your mind to it anything’s possible?!?!

[Michael]

when it comes to testes and studying I’m a gonna

That's studding and gonad.

[Timmy]

LOL! How extremely embarrassing!!! I really should read over my posts! :oops: :oops:

[Timmy]

That's studding and gonad.

Maybe I should become a doctor and study Andrology :wink: :?

[Michael]

become a doctor and study Andrology

Depending on how you do it, that could lead you into a fertile future.

[web:4845af08a5]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4714135.stm[/web:4845af08a5]

[ERDoc]

I have thought about it on many occasions, but I'm not sure if it is the right thing to do. :wink: