Why do we dissuade juniors from entering this profession when there’s literally like 20 specialties to choose from?

I will concede that the study load is massive irrespective of your specialty but I still don’t get why are we still actively advising juniors to not enter.

Biology is a beautiful field. Medical science is a subset of it. Within it are some hardcore specialties like Medicine, Surgery, Ortho etc which are known to have high workload, poor work-life balance and toxicity but if this does not sound like your cup of tea then let me tell you about my Pathology JR friend who gets free at 4.30pm and my Opthalmologist cousin who has never missed a good night’s sleep now almost 7 years since PG.

Who’s asking you to become a cardioneurogastroplasty replacement surgeon? Live your life the way you want it and choose a specialty that aligns with your life goals. If you willingly enter the rat race, then thats on you.

This in no way means that system does not need changes and improvement. And I have huge respect for the doctors who are actively working to bring a positive change to this field but how will we do that if we don’t attract the best minds to our profession? What are we hoping to achieve if we scram away all the bright students towards Engg/MBA/IAS?

I will also address the topic of ‘Money’. Firstly, lot of people through indoctrination by pop culture and media have developed consumerist mentality. Capitalism will always make you feel like you have less and need more in life. In USA, leading cause of death in 18-44yr age group is Suicide.

My point is that in a country like India, the cost of living is low. One does not need to earn in lakhs to maintain good standard of living.

But yeah if you want a super luxurious lifestyle then medical field is not for you. And even then remember the only thing that made a billionaire mogul like Ambani cry, was when his son got married.

Family and relationships give deeper meaning to life, material possessions are only to give comfort to body.

In conclusion, my only message to all juniors is enter the medical field if you love the science. Do not get discouraged by the horror stories you see here.

And for those ‘I want all the money in the world types’ take a step back and think whether that is something you really want or you’re just a victim of capitalist propaganda. Remember the last time you were truly happy and did that involve outlandish requirements of wealth?

Cheers!