Reality Sets in Again

A penny for my thoughts.

I've been having a lot of talks with my peers lately, and I've been having second thoughts about which path I should take in my medical career. I thought I've decided to take up general surgery--- that's a no brainer. After all, that's the only field where I've shown much interest. But many have been saying that such a career is not such a good choice. There are already so many general surgeons in this country, that it seems not worth the amount of time you spend on training (5 years as opposed to 3 years for other residency training programs). After finishing the program, it's hard to earn money because of all the competition. Plus, there are already a lot of established surgeons out there. It's a specialty wherein there's a huge discrepancy between the supply and the demand--- unless one chooses to practice in a far flung province.... but I can't live like that. FOr a short time, maybe, but not my whole life. That's why a lot of surgeons leave the country to search for places where there's a demand for them. They have to earn to live, after all. To add to their woes, some countries prefer those who have undergone residency training in their country. I don't want to spend 5 years of my life in training, then regret it afterwards because i'm not earning enough.

If I choose a field where there's few competition or where there's such a huge demand, I know I'll make money. But I'd be stuck I'm a profession marked by tedium. I don't want to spend my whole life doing something I'm not interested in, no matter how lucrative the profession is.

Maybe I should just take a year off after passing the board exams. I'll have time to clear my head, before I start my journey to the point of no return. And I can do non medical stuff, too. I'll spend the rest of my life being a part of the medical field, having a year off from it may actually do some good. Maybe I can live someplace else for a change, some remote province, so I can think straight. or travel to another country, not one of the usual haunts. Maybe in South America, some place not vandalized by tourism so I can fully immerse myself in another culture. Taking a year off may be my last chance to do the things I've always wanted.