To think medicine isn't a great career choice

[Medicmog]

Growing up, I dreamed of being a doctor. I was bright and motivated, and worked hard at school, and did lots of volunteering, extra curricular activities, and work experience, to gain admission to medical school. It was encouraged by my school and parents, as something worthwhile to aspire to.

I worked hard to complete six years of medical school, while non-medical friends graduated after three or four years and walked into highly paid jobs (generally £40k+). Two or three extra years studying, and I started on little over half this (plus an antisocial hours allowance on some jobs). Fine, I never went into medicine for the money.

What I find difficult is that doctors (and moreover all public sector workers) are so vulnerable due to current politics, public confidence in the progression is at an all time low, bullying in the progression is rife, and it is such an absolutely thankless job, where your employer treats you appallingly.

I have been injured at work, due to my workplaces negligence, and they illegally docked my pay subsequently, despite my continued working. I have been sick, and had consultants say they don't care about occupational health recommendations.

I had a serious illness, and when I emailed work, together with a sick note, I was told that it would be a great inconvenience, and to get back as soon as possible.

I have felt unwell at work and told that I wasn't allowed to sit down.

I have been shouted at and bullied by colleagues.

I have been threatened by patients and relatives.

I have been pressured to do physical work while pregnant that endangered my health.

When I went on maternity leave I didn't get so much as an email wishing me well, let alone a card.

My children have suffered from the long antisocial hours, including the significant amount of unpaid overtime I have done.

I'm at breaking point, and genuinely dreading going back to work after maternity leave. Why would I want to leave my baby, in order to pay more for childcare than I earn, and be treated like shit?

I realise this is a self indulgent post, but in some ways it is cathartic to share. I wouldn't ever recommend someone to join this profession, and I think young people considering it should be given a balanced perspective.

Change trusts
Go private
Specialise

I really feel for you

I know someone who left and became a medical adviser to a big firm instead.

Any options in private work?

I’m so sad that healthcare workers feel this way. Your post made me think of the Joanna Cannon book due out, Breaking and Mending.

Thank you for your work

I have spent my life married to a medic - I cannot recommend it as a career.

Agree OP. In very much the same boat and struggling to see a way out.

Can I ask what area of medicine you work in? I’m guessing it’s in a hospital setting rather than in general practice?

I agree, doctors get a hard time like other healthcare professions.

I disagree that most graduates walk into 40k jobs though!

It sounds like you have been spectacularly unlucky in your current role but YABU to write off medicine as a career completely without exploring options of a different specialism or trust as PP has mentioned

I am a healthcare professional working in the NHS so appreciate that it has its challenges but I don't know any doctors who earn less than the cost of childcare (unless you have 3 or more kids in full time nursery!)

YANBU. I got divorced from my ExH medic, as I realised I would always come second place to his job.

I hope my kids never want to go into medicine. I certainly won’t be encouraging it.

Sorry to hear all you have been through OP

while non-medical friends graduated after three or four years and walked into highly paid jobs (generally £40k+)

Sounds utterly shit OP. YANBU

non-medical friends graduated after three or four years and walked into highly paid jobs (generally £40k+).
This is NOT typical. Many many graduates get stuck in entry level admin jobs at 20k level or end up on nmw for years in retail and hospitality.

I’m sure being a junior doctor is very very tough but those I know at consultant level have a good career.

I'm with you. I struggle terribly with it too. The blame, the fear, the knowledge that 100% is never enough. That all your work could be scrutinized with a hindsight you didn't have the luxury of at the time. I want to walk away but ultimately am good at and enjoy what my job was supposed to be. I'm very part time now (which is also a henious crime in the eyes of the public ) because I never saw my children and after tax and 7-7 (minimum) childcare and insurance was bringing home about £100/week for 60 + hour weeks.. no thanks.. but I still have crushing anxiety every day I go to work.

Change trusts. Some are horrific. I'm sorry you've been through this x

Also in the same boat, would never recommend this career.
Currently 2 weeks from next rotation and still don't have a rota so cannot organise childcare. This happens every 4 months. Not sure I'll be able to see out speciality training.

No advice just solidarity

I am relatively junior, so the option to go private isn't there in any meaningful way. Yes, I work in a hospital setting, I am a speciality trainee.

I agree, most graduates, don't walk into £40k plus jobs, but those I knew at my (well regarded) university did.

YANBU. It’s a fucking awful job. Made worse by the general attitude that it is a good / lucrative job so there is very little public sympathy.

I’m a HCP but not a doctor. I advise anyone considering it to run a mile.

These days I also don’t think you can cling on to it getting better at consultant level. In many (most?) specialities it doesn’t.

I'm not a doctor but do work clinically in the NHS. The changes for doctors over the years have left them without stability, isolated, under increasing pressure and undermined in the media. It's a huge sacrifice to do your job. It makes me angry what has happened to a career people put their all into.

Nah you’ll be all right later on. Consultant + some private sessions and you’ll be on £150k if you play the private work stream right.

I was in a similar situation/frame of mind to you 8 years ago.

I was a GP and absolutely hated it - I hated how little time I had to spend with patients, the box ticking, the abuse from certain patients etc.

I decided to go back to university and get my masters in CBT, as mental health had always been something I was especially interested in.

Now I’m my own boss - I’m a self-employed private CBT therapist. I set my own hours and can spend as long with patients as I want to.

We have doctors in the family. I’ve always thought of it as almost a calling. It’s a long slog, costs £££ (or $$$$$ in US) then really long hours and low pay.
It sounds like you should consider moving to another hospital? Health centre? Take a sabbatical? Job share?

I agree that being a doctor (or any healthcare professional) can be soul-destroying. I do have a friend who is a Locum GP and is quite happy but it’s taken her a few years to get there.

What job IS a good career though these days? I also know of graduates earning 22k in office admin roles and working for £8.70 an hour as baristas. Nobody seems particularly happy with their lot.

Given that it sounds like you have health challenges of your own, have you considered maybe switching from hospital work to general practice?

I’m not saying that everything’s rosy as a GP, but you can at least sit down for most of the day.

And I think, in general, there’s less of a hierarchy than in hospitals. Once you’re a qualified GP that’s it - you can be earning the same as the senior partner.

I disagree that most graduates walk into 40k jobs though!

Same.

One of my best mates is Head of Sourcing for a large tech business and he says this is possible for exceptional graduates, especially when armed with ideas or innovations that are likely to being immediate value, but not the norm.

Yes agreed. I would not recommend it to anybody in the uk, different story abroad. However some specialties are better than others.

I have considered gp training but I know that general practice has its own challenges. I also don't know if I'm even capable of completing the speciality training at this point, I feel so utterly destroyed.

Basket that hasn't been the case for the graduates I know. If it makes a difference, I live in London, and graduates tend to earn very well, provided they have a well regarded degree.