Click here if you work in healthcare. Jesda has questions.

[Jesda]

What motivates you? What compels you to do what is known to be hard and thankless? A desire for heroism? Meaning and purpose from work? Compensation? Prestige?

Open question to any healthcare or health service providers on NICO including nurses, doctors, EMTs, etc.

I've purchased and read several books and talked to doctors, nurses, advisers, and other medical students. So far, the vibe I get is that the profession of medicine, to them, is valuable because its the most important job in the world: Maintaining the species.

I regret not focusing more of my undergraduate education in liberal arts and sciences. So, any move into the field of healthcare, particularly if I intend to be an MD, requires me to nearly start over. The exception is if I study overseas and hope I do well enough on USMLEs. The problem is, I'd still be limited in my residency options and the stigma would follow me around for the rest of my career.

I had a very enlightening discussion with a premed adviser at my university. He opened up the idea of healthcare administration and healthcare economics as a way of tying in my undergraduate degree in business. He also made an excellent point: We get into what we do less as a result of circumstance and more as a result of our natural desire to do those things. So maybe the dramatic change I'm intending to make would be counter to what I'm already doing.

My ultimate goal: Create value in the world while enjoying professional fulfillment.

I could exist in perpetuity starting more businesses and earning a healthy income, or attending law school and then practicing as I intended years ago, but would it be fulfilling? So far, I've enjoyed a comfortable living, but I don't currently feel like I'm doing enough as a human being to use my intellect, skills, and abilities to create value for society.

[Normally, my answer to someone with this problem would be: "White people problems. There are people starving in this world. Stop complaining."]

My next step this summer is to do some volunteer work and internships in the interest of getting a feel for hands-on care.

Please opine!

[krimsonviper]

I am in the process of getting into the dental field, but so far, the people I work with in school and the money that's projected for me to make is what has me going into the field. I don't know how else to explain it, but you become intimate(friendship, love, or hate) with everyone you work with and it intrigues me to see what type of patients come in and see how they develop as they enter and leave the office several time in their life.

Smiles are an important part of the world, whether it's through laughing or smiling for impressing someone. I like to see someone who's shy or ashamed of their smile, smile brightly and become confident in it when their treatment is completed and done to their liking.

That and dental assisting is filled with women, and I plan on making many, many friends.

I'm here for the people I work with and work on, and money. That's it.

[Bubba1]

. because its the most important job in the world: Maintaining the species.

My ultimate goal: Create value in the world while enjoying professional fulfillment.

Very noble. But when I first read these statements I thought you were about to discuss impregnating Mandy Moore as a career goal.

[Jesda]

Very noble. But when I first read these statements I thought you were about to discuss impregnating Mandy Moore as a career goal.

I would be honored to carry on the Gulati name with her contribution, even if it takes some chloroform.

[naladude911]

My dad is the Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and all I can say is, if you dont have a partner, plan on being on call all the time and not being able to go on vacation, or spend time with your family.

[krimsonviper]

My dad is the Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and all I can say is, if you dont have a partner, plan on being on call all the time and not being able to go on vacation, or spend time with your family.

He already knows the ups and downs of it, he's looking for a person's motivation in going into the field and staying in it.

[ADDirishboy]

I'm working towards becoming a fireman and am currently talking with the hiring director to get on an ambulance squad as an EMT.

Why am I doing it? Yes, I like the fact that I will be saving lives and helping people who are in trouble. I enjoy being the person that everyone looks up to because what I do for society.

To be completely honest though, I'm doing for the rush mostly. I hate my desk job currently. I get completely restless and want to curbstomp kittens because I do the same thing every 20 minutes.

I am getting into fire fighting because I get to do something that tests you physically and mentally. Yes, we still run on the annoying fat a** who can't breathe because they choked on a twinkie. But when you get that good call, the ones where there was a large car accident and it's chaos on scene, the ones where there is a building burning to the ground. You can't beat that feeling.

You roll up on a burning house, daddy is still trapped inside. I'm the one who gets to run inside to save his life. That's a fantastic feeling, not only because I just saved a life from a fiery death, but because I just defied death myself. The human body rewards you for risking your life and getting out alive. It dumps adrenaline into your body and you feel fantastic. It's natures gold medal.

There have been very few times when I've HATED being on a scene with a crew. I've ran on scenes with dead kids. That's a feeling and a sight you can't shake. It's one thing to see a dead 25 year old, hanging out of his windshield after a bad car accident. It's sad, yes. But easy to deal with. See a kid who just drowned in a pool, that's tough. I've also been on scene during a house fire. Like the scene I described before, daddy was still inside. Flames were blowing out every window, anything still inside is dead. Family is screaming to save him, and we have to tell them no. That really hit's you.

Back to the original point though, if you're wanting to be a doc, go for it. It's lots of tough work but very rewarding. I wish you luck in whatever route you take though man.

[Jesda]

Very interesting responses. Thanks to all of you for offering input!

My dad is the Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery and all I can say is, if you dont have a partner, plan on being on call all the time and not being able to go on vacation, or spend time with your family.

I suppose it depends on the level of responsibility assumed and the workload. My mom and stepdad, for example, go together when called/paged, sometimes in the middle of the night. A nanny keeps an eye on the kids when they can't be there.

They do take several vacations, however, and have other doctors who work for them and assume the caseload in their absence.

It seems like the profitable and least stressful route is to run your own show and take patients with private insurance. And some doctors go balls-out and take on as much as they possibly can.

It seems like a diverse profession with several directions.

I am in the process of getting into the dental field, but so far, the people I work with in school and the money that's projected for me to make is what has me going into the field. I don't know how else to explain it, but you become intimate(friendship, love, or hate) with everyone you work with and it intrigues me to see what type of patients come in and see how they develop as they enter and leave the office several time in their life.

Smiles are an important part of the world, whether it's through laughing or smiling for impressing someone. I like to see someone who's shy or ashamed of their smile, smile brightly and become confident in it when their treatment is completed and done to their liking.

That and dental assisting is filled with women, and I plan on making many, many friends.

I'm here for the people I work with and work on, and money. That's it.

Dentistry -- that may be my favorite part of the human body. I'm obsessed with teeth. Its a fascinating field with a history of continuous growth and improvement. People frequently look down on dentists until they need one.

And dentists supposedly have a high suicide rate, but I suspect it may be because some of them are failed MDs who settle for the field, not people with a genuine interest in improving people's lives by enabling human expression.

[krimsonviper]

My understanding is because alot of them go into the field not expecting the total cost and know that they are belly up in loans(school, space for office, tools needed like x-rays, and other dental units.) for the first 10 years.

They're stressed about that, and a lot of them are control freaks, so they have to teach dental assistants how they want things done and kept. Then, every now and again, you'll get a dentist who's a complete a** who knows nothing of business and inflexible that has a lot of DA or RDA turnover and they get behind and off themselves.

Dentistry's lifeline is tightly gripped with money. If you're at all familliar with digital intra-oral x-rays, the sensor itself is worth $3-5,000. If the sensor isn't taken care of following manufacturers directions, they will only last 1-2 years. It's the DA's responsibility to take care of x-rays. If they are, they can last 5-7 years.

Bold=New info.
Modified by krimsonviper at 9:15 PM 4/11/2010

[Beancooker]

I am the opposite. I sell death. Actually, I don't sell it, I just make sure it is taxed, and distributed in a timely fashion. I help keep the doctors employed, and make a damn fine wage doing so.

[Jesda]

Dentistry's lifeline is tightly gripped with money. If you're at all familliar with digital intra-oral x-rays, the sensor itself is worth $3-5,000. If the sensor isn't taken care of following manufacturers directions, they will only last 1-2 years. It's the DA's responsibility to take care of x-rays. If they are, they can last 5-7 years.

Are margins that tight? Seems like 3-5k every 1-7 years is pretty minor. What do they typically have to pay their assistants?

[krimsonviper]

My margin statements are guesses because I haven't entered the field yet, but I know that a digital x-ray set up is roughly $25,000 depending on the set-up. Various machines in an office can often be in the 5 digit counts, and with your daily product uses such as temporary fillings/crowns, gloves, masks, needles, the hazardous wastes electricity, water, etc. Cost alone can become very surprising.

The most basic staff for an office is:front desk staff (9.50-12/hr depending on experience most likely), dental assitant (minimum wage to 11/hr) or a registered dental assistant ($15-20/hr starting). Totalling out to ~$3,260 for pay alone. My guess is it could take $10,000 a month just to keep the office running.

Then you have to figure in school loans, and your living expenditures and various other things I can't think of ATM.

Now, I'm not saying these offices don't make a lot, because I know that a 3-unit bridge is easily $3,000 from one patient, but to a budding dentist, the monthly costs look astronomical and building a name for yourself causes a lot of stress, and can make the DDS uptight at first and if he doesn't control it, it can lead to his downfall with DA/RDA constant turn around along with front desk staff. Constant re-training hurts your patients belief in you and you never have reliable people to help you out.

Having all of this on your back, and not knowing how to deal with it will often make the bullet look a lot better.

[Bubba1]

Dentistry -- that may be my favorite part of the human body. I'm obsessed with teeth. Its a fascinating field with a history of continuous growth and improvement. People frequently look down on dentists until they need one.

And dentists supposedly have a high suicide rate, but I suspect it may be because some of them are failed MDs who settle for the field, not people with a genuine interest in improving people's lives by enabling human expression.

I could envision you as this type of dentist.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOtMizMQ6oM

[IBCoupe]

My kid cousin's an EMT. I haven't really broached this subject with him, as it's potentially a sore spot: his dad (now divorced and not seen much) is a local firefighter, and for a long time that's what he wanted to do.

Last I heard he still wants to take the firefighter's exam, but for now he seems pretty content to be a greater-Boston area EMT.

[Jesda]

I could envision you as this type of dentist.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOtMizMQ6oM

[gwoods]

Just do what I did marry a doctor all the prestiege none of the work

Plus most people who know your spouse is a doctor just assume you must be a doctor too, they don't normally figure things out until about half way through the exam