| Topic Name: |
Career change from medicine to consulting |
| Message Name: |
Reply to "Dr Kildare" |
| Date Posted: |
03/27/2001 |
| In Reply To: |
Thanks very much to all who have responded to my original message. As I'm sure anyone can see, there's a split between those who are doctors in the U.K. NHS and those who view being a doctor from the outside. Lots of reasonably qualified people go into it for the "right" reasons. Some might even be naive enough to think they're going to "save lives". What most of us realise once the relatively stimulating trip through medical school is over is that the NHS wants its' pound (if not several kilo's) of flesh. When I've been up for 36 hours seeing my millionth gomer I don't feel an inner sense of reward-only an inner sense of despair and nausea! Ask the chocolate factory worker if he or she likes chocolate. I can't remember the last time I saved anyone's life. I can remember the last time I patched up chronic illness without gratitude from the person or family concerned. Unfortunately the above is compounded by the state of U.K. nursing. It's utterly crap and despite government flannel will continue to be so. It's them and us - an attitude that is now almost taught in nursing "degrees". Both medicine and nursing have suffered from weak, gutless leadership such that the NHS will die. The general public are just as guilty and deserve the pay per view system they're in the throws of creating. Add in our glorious scandal seeking press (dedicated to rooting out the evil that doctors clearly represent), and you've lit the touchpaper. Kick a dumb animal (me or the NHS) once too often and it says fuck this for a laugh..I'm off!
Enough bitter rambling. My advise to the previous contributor is without doubt to find out about anything, yes anything that you could reasonably do apart from medicine. This assumes (I expect correctly) that you (a) like to do your work well if not excellently (b) don't want to become a cynical SOB such as myself (c) derive some gratitude from being appreciated for doing a good job (whatever the task) (d) have the feeling that you (like a lot of sensitive and fed up doctors)can do many things and not just medicine. Please also do not be under any illusion that senior consultants are just kind people trying to get out. Most that I know have either sold they're soul or have buried their heads (into selected orifice) such that they have become weak and voiceless collaborators and/or casualties of the system. Please ask me any specific questions-would be glad to help.
I'm still very interested in any further opinions, particularly if they are from doctors who have made the change (no, not gender reassignment). Hope there's room on the board left. |
| Message: |
You're absolutely right, of course, on all counts. One of the consultant neurosurgeons (a job most of my year would salivate over) at Addenbrookes overheard a conversation about alternative careers; his advice was to leave, leave soon and don't come back as the lifestyle sucks, the pay sucks, the hours suck and the feeling that you're "making a difference" is a myth. I have to say I really enjoy medical school; getting to see a huge variety of patients, including all the rarities is fun. However when I join consultants on their routine ward rounds or clinics, it is apparent that 99% of the job is seeing the same thing, over and over again. It ceases to be problem solving and just becomes pattern recognition.
I would be interested to know what stage you are at, and when you decided that you didn't want to keep going in medicine. At 32, you must be quite close to becoming a (medical!) consultant; is this no incentive to stick it out?
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