Health Care Professions

HungryJoe

Just for fun, suppose you had acceptance letters from a medical school, a pharmacy school, a dental school, and a nursing program. Which profession would you choose?

Would you go for the prestige and salary of an M.D., even though you'd have a load of student debt, years of residency, and the requirement to carry a load of malpractice insurance? What specialty would you like best?

OR, would you go for dental school instead, as there's little to no time in residency (I think you actually do it as part of the four-year program), there's arguably more job growth, and lots of dentists make more than proper doctors, with less malpractice worry?

How about pharmacy? Would you be worried about encroaching automation?

If you're a guy, do you think that whatever's left of the male nurse stigma would stop you from trying for an RN?

Apreche

I would go to the pharmacy school only because it's the only one that doesn't require seeing guts and other bargle-worthy things.

ElJoe0

I'd be an MD, for the prestige and satisfaction of helping people in a hands on way.

Plus, I can't stand those watches that NHS nurses have to wear.

HungryJoe

I would go to the pharmacy school only because it's the only one that doesn't require seeing guts and other bargle-worthy things.

Encroaching automation makes pharmacy a little scary. What if a you lost your job to a robot?

Apreche

I would go to the pharmacy school only because it's the only one that doesn't require seeing guts and other bargle-worthy things.

Encroaching automation makes pharmacy a little scary. What if a you lost your job to a robot?

I'd be happy that technology was being used properly and get a computer job.

Rochelle

I would further my current career and get a degree in Medical Reimbursement or Coding certification. There will always be a need for people to be able to bill or code encounters because not all physicians care to know of the many thousands of CPT, HCPCS, or ICD-9 codes.

Cremlian

Some kind of specialist doctor, Medical Genetics would be great (because I already have a base for that with my biotechnology undergrad degree) Followed closely by Neurological surgery and Immunology.

Erwin

I would go for and MD and then go for regenerative medicine :P

Dragonmaster Lou

I'd probably be an M.D. and go into radiology. A really good friend of mine who's a research scientist in the radiology department of a major research hospital said that radiologists almost never have to deal with patients face to face (since they just look at the X-rays, CT-scans, MRI images, and so on) which allows them to avoid the emotional stress of telling patients bad news or having to look at icky guts and what not. It is apparently also one of the highest paying medical professions.

Jason

The newspaper industry is folding. I am actually thinking about going to back to school for something health-related. It's one of several options. I wouldn't mind being an RN.

Rochelle

The newspaper industry is folding. I am actually thinking about going to back to school for something health-related. It's one of several options. I wouldn't mind being an RN.

There is good money and high demand for Nurse Teachers as well.

Neito

The newspaper industry is folding.

I... That was intentional, right? Please tell me that was intentional.

gomidog

Just for fun, suppose you had acceptance letters from a medical school, a pharmacy school, a dental school, and a nursing program. Which profession would you choose?

I would probably pick pharmacy, because I am a big fat wuss baby when it comes to diseases and injuries. I am such a hypochondriac, that I would get intern syndrome so bad. My sister even gets it a little. (It's when you learn about all these really gross diseases in class and start worrying about them.) However, if I went to medical school, I would probably do okay. I would desensitize myself to injections/autopsies, and concentrate in Psychiatry. I really like learning about the brain chemistry and human psychological patterns, although I am also quite scared of brain injuries. I like talking to people and helping people who are upset.
Dentist would be third pick, because it is kind of gross to deal with spit and I would have trouble drilling and scraping teeth. The sound bothers me, and even though I am okay having it done to me, the idea of causing discomfort to people on a regular basis, especially some that makes creepy noises and smells, is distasteful to me.
Nursing would suck, because it is a lot of dealing with injections and needles, and also cleaning up people when they soil themselves. I would not like to give people shots all the time. Maybe I could practice until I didn't pass out any more, but it is not a job I would relish doing.

HungryJoe

Dentist would be third pick, because it is kind of gross to deal with spit and I would have trouble drilling and scraping teeth. The sound bothers me, and even though I am okay having it done to me, the idea of causing discomfort to people on a regular basis, especially some that makes creepy noises and smells, is distasteful to me.

Your dentist does that? Most of the time, a dental hygenist does the scraping and nasty stuff to me. Then, the dentist comes in and says, "MMM hmmm. Okay." and leaves.

Andrew

Then, the dentist comes in and says, "MMM hmmm. Okay." and leaves.

Dentists usually do all the difficult stuff like fillings, crowns, etc. Honestly, a better choice would be Orthodontist. $$$MONEYHATZ$$$

Churba

I'd probably be an MD, But I'd certainly add in other options if presented, and a Dual Degree wasn't out of the question.

gomidog

Your dentist does that?

When I got a cavity one time, my dentist drilled my tooth and put a little filling in. They also put in Novocaine shots. They do root canals to people and yank out wisdom teeth.

George Patches

When I got a cavity one time, my dentist drilled my tooth and put a little filling in. They also put in Novocaine shots. They do root canals to people and yank out wisdom teeth.

Yeah, the dentists do the hard, tricky work.

Churba

When I got a cavity one time, my dentist drilled my tooth and put a little filling in. They also put in Novocaine shots. They do root canals to people and yank out wisdom teeth.

Yeah, the dentists do the hard, tricky work.

That's weird - I used to live with a dentist in the UK, when I was living in Birkenshaw, and from the way he put it, seemed he did all his own work. Seems to be the same with dentists down here.

Rym

There are three levels.

Oral hygenists clean teeth and perform most routine prep work.
Dentists fill cavities, place crowns, and handle more advanced kinds of cleaning.
Oral surgeons perform root canals, gum surgery, etc...

There is a big overlap in between dentists and oral surgeons, and sometimes debate as to which should handle a particular procedure. The same goes for between dentists and oral hygenists.

Churba

There are three levels.

Oral hygenists clean teeth and perform most routine prep work.
Dentists fill cavities, place crowns, and handle more advanced kinds of cleaning.
Oral surgeons perform root canals, gum surgery, etc...

There is a big overlap in between dentists and oral surgeons, and sometimes debate as to which should handle a particular procedure. The same goes for between dentists and oral hygenists.

It seems to be that way in the US, Sure, but I'm not sure it's that way here - I've not noted a dentist that won't do all the same things as an oral hygienist, or that don't do such things commonly. Ditto that for the UK, but in the UK, my sample size is much smaller, so results may vary.

Apreche

It's been my experience that it depends on the size of the dental practice. A little dentist might have one assistant, and just do all the work themselves. A big time dentist in a big office will have a ton of hygenists doing all the cleanings, and they'll only spend a few minutes with cleaning patients. Then the dentist will only actually spend a lot of time with people who need drillings or pullings or whatever.

TheWhaleShark

MD, all the way. I like working with people and solving problems.

WindUpBird

Here's what I'm in the process of doing. I'm currently completing my undergrad in Molecular Bio while doing research and study abroad to gain greater knowledge in the field. After that, PhD work, probably in Bioengineering, and hopefully out in New York or Seattle (Columbia University and UWash have really good BioE programs right now). During the time I am doing said PhD work, I can retake some undergrad courses to improve my GPA and make my resume better, and I can TA some classes and work a bar job or something to make some money. Once that's done, I get a bunch of awesome letters after my name and look awesome to most med schools. I will also hopefully have accrued and invested properly as to have enough money to offset my debt significantly.

Then, provided I'm still interested in medicine, I'll go to med school. I want to eventually do my residency in Interventional Neuroradiology. Basically, you implant a stent, actively image the patient's brain and circulatory system, and insert and manipulate instruments in their brain through catheters. It's pretty much the coolest thing ever. Once my residency is done, I'll have MD/PhD qualifications, giving me full rights to stay on as an active MD and a teaching doc at any med school in the country.

I will also likely do nighthawking so that I can fly to Australia or Hawaii and read films for a bit less than full pay there. The internet is a wonderful thing.

Churba

It's been my experience that it depends on the size of the dental practice. A little dentist might have one assistant, and just do all the work themselves. A big time dentist in a big office will have a ton of hygenists doing all the cleanings, and they'll only spend a few minutes with cleaning patients. Then the dentist will only actually spend a lot of time with people who need drillings or pullings or whatever.

I'm not so sure about that - I've seen the same thing happen over various practices of various size. However, I might be wrong. I'll have to investigate and get back to you.

Victor Frost

I'd go to medical school, but with a focus in hospital administration.

Rym

Orthodontia is a hugely profitable field. It's also very important, as a very large percentage of people are born with tooth arrangement defects.

A sad but accurate use of this knowledge can be to determine whether or not a person was born into middle class or above wealth. Said people usually receive expensive orthodontic care in their youth, which is much more costly and difficult later in life. Straight, but not perfect, teeth are a good indication of a middle to upper-middle class origin.

Crooked teeth are more often than not an indicator of money problems in youth (obviously there is no other useful correlation or insight into character). Perfect teeth are often an indicator of high wealth in one's adult life, as they are extremely rare without substantial cosmetic intervention.

Churba

RANDOM DENTAL FACT - The UK's population, despite reputation, has the best teeth in the world.

Dr. Zibbelcoot PhD

I'd make sure the medical school also had PhD program attached and go for the MD/PhD all at once instead of just the PhD like I'm doing now. No loans to pay off (as long as the program is finished), get out of school much faster than with the PhD alone, and I could do more interesting research (and qualify for more grants/fellowships). It would be awesome to do more translational research or having actual patients for my data sets instead of just the cell lines I use now.

During the time I am doing said PhD work, I can retake some undergrad courses to improve my GPA and make my resume better, and I can TA some classes and work a bar job or something to make some money. Once that's done, I get a bunch of awesome letters after my name and look awesome to most med schools. I will also hopefully have accrued and invested properly as to have enough money to offset my debt significantly.

What the hell are you smoking? First, if you feel your undergrad GPA isn't high enough you're probably not going to get into graduate school, unless you already have a Science/Nature/Cell paper. Second, if your GPA isn't great are you sure you can handle graduate level courses (where anything under a 3.0 is failing)? Also, why would you retake undergrad classes when your first 1-2 years are full of graduate level classes? No one cares about your undergrad GPA after grad school, they want to see your publishing track record, presentations, fellowships, etc. Also, do you think your department will give you permission to waste time on classes that are unrelated to your thesis? How much free time do you think a graduate student has in the biological sciences? Your time will be filled with classes, rotations, thesis work, TAing, and MORE thesis work. Your PI is going to expect at least 40 hours of work from you, closer to 50-60 hours per week. That means no time for a second job when you have late night experiments, classes, or need to sleep. Not to mention, again, that anything that requires a lot of extra time (like a second job/internship) usually requires permission from your department. Lastly, graduate students do not make a decent amount of money at all. None of my classmates, or any unmarried students in my program, have paid off their undergraduate loans.

Then, provided I'm still interested in medicinesane, I'll go to med school. [...] Once my residency is done, I'll have MD/PhD qualifications, giving me full rights to stay on as an active MD and a teaching doc at any med school in the country.

Again, just because you have your MD/PhD does not qualify you for this position right out of school. A medical school is not going to hire you for a teaching position without a decent amount of experience. And if you're trying to teach with just your PhD, yeah you could probably get a few classes at a local college but, to get a professor position you'd need to have 1-2 post-docs under your belt, successful grants, and your own project to bring to the school.

WindUpBird

What the hell are you smoking? First, if you feel your undergrad GPA isn't high enough you're probably not going to get into graduate school, unless you already have a Science/Nature/Cell paper. Second, if your GPA isn't great are you sure you can handle graduate level courses (where anything under a 3.0 is failing)?

I easily have the GPA to get into and handle grad school, but med school is crazy fucking competitive now, so I'm feeling the pressure to try and boost my GPA by any means necessary. I could cover bases; but, if what you say is true, less time in academia for me. No second job? No problem. That's a kink, but whatever. It's quite possible that I can just get right into med school after a postbac, especially since my next two years are going to be spent doing research and (next year) taking med school classes and doing clinical rounds abroad. Also, I'm going graduate from my undergrad program with no loans, so I don't have to worry about stacking up backbreaking debt.

Again, just because you have your MD/PhD does not qualify you for this position right out of school. A medical school is not going to hire you for a teaching position without a decent amount of experience. And if you're trying to teach with just your PhD, yeah you could probably get a few classes at a local college but, to get a professor position you'd need to have 1-2 post-docs under your belt, successful grants, and your own project to bring to the scho

Yeah, that's true, I was blowing things out of proportion, but I couldn't care less about teaching at a med school, so that works. Even if I wanted to, I could just get to work and shoot for it again down the line. I just want to heal people. That's it. The PhD would be nice; but, I could just go for a Master's or a Premed Postbac instead. Got plenty of time to decide. I'll apply to some MD/PhDs. We'll see how it goes; I'll likely have the scores.

I'm not smoking anything. All told, I'm pretty confident in the course I have set, and even if I deviate from the path at point, it all ends with becoming a Neurorad.

Also, even if an MD and PhD is crazy, it's good to have an impossible dream. Pushing for it will be a fascinating experience, in my eyes; I don't care if I don't care if I come out with just one of the two degrees. There are some awesome premed postbacs if you prove to be correct, and plenty of research to be done. It's going to be one hell of a trip to being a doctor.

GreyHuge

I... That was intentional, right? Please tell me that was intentional.

Why yes Neito. Of course that's intentional.
It's Jason.
He knows his shit and is clever with his jokes.
--Kaptain K