All About Physicians

When I tell people I want to become a doctor, they automatically associate it with prestige and money. Yes, physicians are respected heavily, and make on average $166,400, with a starting salary of about $134,000. But there is a reason behind it. Becoming physician is no joke. It requires that you complete your bachelor’s degree and then go to medical school for four years, and then do 2-5 years of residency-fellowship. This means a minimum of 10 years of schooling after high school. The work load is difficult. To gain acceptance into medical school, you need to have excellent grades (A’s o A-‘s) in practically every course you take in your undergraduate career. On top of that, you must have a lot of extracurricular work and experience outside of school. The biggest disadvantage to becoming a physician are the long hours. A personal life is something you’ll have to put on hold/sacrifice if you choose this career path. This is certainly not a career for everyone, and those who want to still be in the medical field but still maintain somewhat of a life should look into Physician’s assistant, physical therapists, nurses, etc. as alternatives.

-Anika H.