Airline Pilot Central Forums - Leaving the career for med school

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- - Leaving the career for med school (https://www.airlinepilotforums.com/leaving-career/64587-leaving-career-med-school.html)

I’m currently a psychiatric registered nurse and I’m about to start a program to receive my doctorate degree as a psychiatric nurse practitioner. I will second what others here have said regarding pursing a PA degree or RN degree. With either degree you can choose to specialize in any part of the health care field you want! The physician route, as you already know, is a long and difficult one, so I would opine that you pursue it only and only if you have that desire 100% in your heart, otherwise, it just makes more sense financially and for your own peace of mind to look at a PA or a nursing degree. Like I said, you can pretty much choose what area of medicine you want to work in, hence what kind of patient’s you want to take care of. Good luck.

I am a RN with about 15 years of experience. I have worked in both large teaching hospitals and smaller high volume ambulatory surgical clinics. If you have the means to go to medical school I think you should. Yes healthcare is changing and no physicians do not make the same amount of money they used to but neither do pilots. They still make a very comfortable living. If you want the hectic lifestyle with a pager attached to you then those jobs are out there. If you want something with less stress those are out there as well. Yes MCATs and GREs are a pain but you can be competitive with the right amount of prep; Kaplan. I say get started as soon as you can. You will also have more opportunities with those types of jobs then you EVER will with aviation. I mean there are thousands of pilots competing for a handful of jobs. 11,000 applications on file and some company is hiring 10 guys? Think of the numbers; there terrible and not in our favor. The market is not only saturated but FLOODED with qualified applicants. If so and so hires 200 pilots in 2015 are you going to be one of the 200 out of 11,000 applicants? You see where I am going with this.

You won't have this kind of competition in the medical field.

Go to med school.

Thanks

Quote:

Originally Posted by wordfromthewise (Post 1128911)

... nothing worse than doing something you hate. You only live once and it's important to enjoy life...

Those are "words from the wise". A big paycheck will not make your life enjoyable if you are miserable earning it. Even worse, you will bring that misery home from work and inflict it on your family. Then you will wonder why they are unhappy, although surrounded by wealth and comfort. :(

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomgoodman (Post 1141366)

Well said Tom. Could I make more doing something else..probably in another profession??? Perhaps..... but I enjoy my work, strive to make the industry better, my wife will tell you without a doubt that she likes the "happy flying" me, better than the bitter at home me....

Tom is right..... no amount of money is worth a miserable existence if you can not at least tolerate what you do. Life is not fair.... some will make it big in this business.....many will not.... most will enjoy what they do.....its all about choices.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wordfromthewise (Post 1128911)

It's been a long time since 'ive posted on here. But as a former pilot and current optometry student I can tell you that healthcare has its problems just as flying. Do your research before making the jump to healthcare. I've seen stats where 50-60% of MD's regret their decisions to become doctors and don't recommend their children to pursue the career. Long hours (60-80 hrs a week more common than not), pay in the 100-200k range, and dealing with sick people all while having to be on call and or work crazy shifts make it not so appealing. Optometry is nice because like dentistry or podiatry you are your own boss, work 9-5 with weekends off, get to be home every night, generally don't deal with sick people who are dying, optometry is a clean profession (no blood or guts), you make 130-175k on average if you own your own practice, and you bypass med school (optometry school is 4 yrs requiring a bachelors degree and no residencies required!) Of course this is very appealing and competition to get into optometry school is stiff. anyways...just food for thought. If you love flying then do it, nothing worse than doing something you hate. You only live once and it's important to enjoy life. I don't miss flying, it wasn't for me, thus the change in careers came easy.

What kind of impact does/will the Lasik and its successor procedures have on your occupation? And what is the pay and lifestyle like of those who don't own their own practice? I thought about entering optometry when I got out of flying but pictured myself relegated to working at some discount chain in a mall wanting to slit my wrists at night. In other words, just as miserable as I was flying.