Paul Morales12 said:What do you guys think of this:
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Just a quick little note—the actual vision here was to have strawberries dipped in chocolate tucked along the side, but since I didn't have any berries on hand at the moment, what you're actually looking at is an apple slice paired with a mint leaf 😍 I just wanted to get a sense of how the final presentation should look!
So, why can't pampered, self-proclaimed geniuses actually handle an emotional breakdown?
Nowadays, just being a sane human being is considered a fine art.
Besides, the isolation in cities like Chicago is brutal. You move from a small town and suddenly you don't know a soul. It’s even worse if you aren't living with roommates and instead find yourself stuck in an apartment, drifting around like a ghost. It isn't easy. Doesn't matter how smart you are or how much cash your parents wire you every month. We aren't animals; we're people.
Give her a break, seriously. She’s lost right now, and she probably hasn't even realized how fast the clock is ticking on her.
I’ve always stayed on top of my payments, so this isn't about sympathy. It’s just a fact: once you start falling behind, people stop paying attention to you.
If you need some actual encouragement: I know people who spent a few years drifting aimlessly. Once they finally snapped out of it, they finished their degrees and landed great jobs with solid salaries because they didn't burn all their resources during college.
Just so you know, everyone hits this wall at some point in college. It happened to me during my sophomore year right in the middle of finals week. I didn't even leave my dorm. I basically did nothing until the end of the year, then suddenly realized what was happening and crushed all my exams. You’re clearly in the same spot, you just haven't figured out how to handle it yet or maybe you just hate your major.
Bottom line: figure out what you actually want to do with your life. If you're over it, enroll in a different program. If not, stick it out—you can always pivot to something more creative later, but it'd be a waste to drop out when you've already put in the work.
Once you find your lane, things will settle down. Everyone loses their way sometimes. Talk to your parents; they usually understand more than you think they do, regardless of how you feel about them right now.
fadedeagle39 said:Agreed.👍Our job is genuinely great. Don't get me wrong, it's special. I'd never swap it, and I wouldn't even leave the States unless some other life thing forced my hand. Money isn't the driver. I actually turned down an offer once. I have too many personal reasons to stay here, and cash has never been the motivation. The only thing that sucks is how nobody asks us what we think. Seeing a doctor hauled off in handcuffs is disgusting, regardless of whether they took bribes or not. Taking bribes is revolting. We need to protect the dignity of this profession, and that's on us. We have to do it, because nobody else will.
Exactly. That’s the saddest part. They’ll use initials for a murderer, but for medical malpractice, they print the full name and declare them guilty before a judge even hears the case.
I don't know if anyone remembers that doctor accused of being a predator a few years back. Once he was cleared, the news buried the exoneration in tiny print in some corner of the page. As long as they got him on the front page as an accused criminal, they won't care. He'll be branded for the rest of his life.
Shouldn't medical errors be handled by professionals rather than laypeople? But then again, that's a whole different conversation...
fadedeagle39 said:I’m seriously wondering what’s going to happen in 2012 when that 48-hour work week law actually kicks in. I mean, what kind of doctor even works those hours? Doing 70 or 80 is just standard, and if you complain, people basically ask, "What are you whining about?" Am I going to get in trouble with the law if I refuse to work more than 48? Or does anyone even care? Will I be forced to leave the US if I don't move before then? Look, even putting pay aside, the real question is how we’re supposed to function. Are all these small hospitals just going to shut down? We have places where a town of 8,000 or a region of 50,000 doesn't even need its own hospital to begin with... etc.
And honestly, the pay and how doctors are treated by society is everything—but right now, there's zero motivation there. It's stupid to even bother commenting on it.
I'm also wondering about 2012... but I'm not leaving the US.
Maybe we should just open an import business instead. You see how well that works in this country. We can just hire people on minimum wage to do exactly what they do in those massive retail centers.
Regardless, I would never trade my job. It’s the best job in the world to me. My only issue is that I still rely on my parents for help because this paycheck barely covers my extra expenses.
Harold Ramirez49 said:Honestly, what is this country going to do with its doctors? Just take a look at these "brilliant" responses in the health threads—everyone thinks they’re an expert and knows everything.
Interesting points. I agree with those who said expertise is what actually matters.
But you still haven't answered me—would you personally see a gynecologist of a different race? If not, why are women on this thread specifically avoiding an African American doctor? Is there discrimination against foreigners here in America? Or will it be like how certain groups face bias in the rest of the USA?
Do you think our doctors are going to keep migrating West? Are they already leaving?
Personally, I have no idea what the future holds. But the fact remains: we're already facing a doctor shortage, and the healthcare system is a mess.
By foreigners, I mean doctors from North Mexico, Albania, or Mexico..
Sure, there are plenty of Indian doctors out there, but we won't be seeing them anytime soon since they'd rather head straight to the USA.
However, it's highly likely we'll end up being treated by foreigners because our own people will be fleeing to the European Union.
I'm looking for honest answers here. On a gynecology forum, one girl mentioned she was examined by a Black doctor (I think it was in Chicago), and none of the girls wanted to go back to him, herself included.
I’m asking because this is a probable scenario for us in a few years. This current system is basically a balloon waiting to pop.
I just hope our kids aren't the ones who suffer for it.
So, the question stands. Give me your honest thoughts.
Scott Allen10 said:The debate over salaries for any profession honestly never ends. I don't think there's a single job out there where someone would stand up and say, "You know what? I make plenty, I'm totally good with this, everything is perfect." Everyone, and I mean everyone, tells that same "it's never enough" story, whether they're tradespeople, professors, cops, military, or civil servants—including doctors. And look, there's nothing wrong with that; it's completely fair. But how realistic are some of these numbers given the current state of the US economy compared to all the other groups sucking up taxpayer money? I can see why someone in public service might feel underpaid if they're pulling in maybe $3,500 a month net. But how do you defend that when the average American income is way lower, and even that's a number most government workers can only dream of? Not to mention, for that kind of money, most people wouldn't even show up for half the month, let alone the 8 days we were talking about earlier. Sure, we can talk about the years of schooling, the sacrifices, the specializations, the endless training... all of that counts, but my take is that's exactly why doctors earn twice as much as everyone else in the public sector, no matter how much people try to deny it. At the end of the day, nobody went to med school in the last decade or so without knowing exactly what the pay looks like and what they'd have to give up. As for those who truly want to maximize their earnings through their profession, well, they've got credit lines, banks, leasing, and whatnot... buy your own scalpels, forceps, stilette, tubes, catheters, monitors, defibrillators... run ads on local radio or massive billboards... jump into the market, and if you're successful, you can make an absolute killing. It's just like any other business. But then, you're solely responsible for your own success, without relying on a guaranteed lifeline from Medicare to pay you whether you worked or not. Just a quick correction to my previous math. I heard recently that the base is now over $1667, so a specialist's pay looks like: $1,200 x 2.04 (meaning over $2,500 $0.00 without any on-call pay, bonuses, or seniority) + 0.5% per year of experience + call pay + position allowances. So, for a young specialist doing 8 shifts, we're looking at maybe $3,500-$4,000. Ultimately, I'm not against doctors making more money—far from it. I am, however, absolutely against the claim that doctors are underpaid when their income is already significantly higher than the average American salary.
YOU ARE INSANE!
1. Who in their right mind works 8 shifts a month!? That means you aren't sleeping at home twice a week. It means in one week with those shifts, you're pulling 2 + 24 hours, which is 48 hours just from two calls. And obviously, you still have to work the rest of the week, making it: 8+8+8+24+24= 72 hours a week.
Who actually wants to work at least 72 hours a week??? For peanuts?
2. The base pay for a standard 40-hour week is pathetic. Call pay is an EXTRA thing. Why would I be a sucker and take 8 shifts a week and sleep at the hospital every third day—maybe not even sleep if the ER is slammed—when primary practice doesn't even handle what it's supposed to (with exceptions)?????!
3. I haven't even factored in working Saturdays, Sundays, Christmas, or Easter.
4. This whole idea is just gross. Gross, gross, gross.
Just wanted to give another shout-out to Dubravka Dvojković over on Dalmatian Street. 👍 👍 👍
She’s incredibly thorough and diligent. Also, I had no idea my Social Security Administration coverage actually included dental cleanings 😁 every six months.
I'm covered under the SSA. I pay extra for white fillings.
I used to go to strictly private practices before this, and let me tell you, Dr. Štefanac-Papić is a disaster. 👎 👎 👎 She just uses a rotating door of inexperienced young dentists who focus on volume over quality. To make matters worse, they charge me full price as if the head doctor were doing the work herself. I have plenty more to say if anyone actually cares.
Money isn't an issue when it comes to my health, but I always had this nagging fear at those private clinics that they might accidentally "fix" a tooth that wasn't even broken in the first place.😁
Checked Dick's Sporting Goods—they only carry camping pads. I hit up TurboSport and every other sports shop around the mall, downtown, and the big shopping center. Nothing. 😢
I’m looking to start doing some Pilates at home (if anyone has a good DVD they can lend me 😁). I also need to pick up a high-quality mat. Any recommendations on which brand or type to get? Thanks for the help.
I’d like to circle back to the dentist’s post above.
The reality is that people using insurance usually just get minor work done, whereas private practitioners often overdo it—you can figure out why.
I think it’s vital to have someone who follows your dental history long-term, actually knows your teeth, and genuinely wants to help you. I don't have that kind of relationship.
My dentist is actually a former colleague since we met before she started practicing, so she goes the extra mile for me. She treats everyone well, though. I don't mind paying extra for white fillings or whatever else is necessary.
I WOULD ONLY CARE IF SOMEONE TRIED TO FIX A TOOTH THAT WAS BEYOND SAVING, OR FAILED TO FIX ONE THAT WAS CRITICAL. Or if they did a sloppy job... you get the point.
Finding a good dentist is tough. But it's necessary when you're dealing with your health.
A good dentist explains exactly why there's a cavity and how they plan to fix it. They have experience. And they aren't cheap.
coastalpanther62 said:Has anyone had experience with the Stefanec-Papac clinic in Newark? I think I spelled it right.
My experience was pretty terrible...
They mostly staff it with young dentists who don't know what they're doing, and the faces change every single year.
The fillings are bad, and Stefanec doesn't actually do anything—others do the work while she just provides the name on the door.
They try to force you into a strict six-month follow-up on a specific date. When I told them I’d call in a few months since August is vacation time, they insisted I come back on the exact day they picked in August.
A filling they did on one of my teeth is a disaster; I'll be getting it fixed as soon as I can.
And honestly, I doubt I actually had as many cavities as they claimed to find.
Personal opinion. I definitely DO NOT RECOMMEND. 👎
Let’s be real: "semi-hard" isn't actually a thing. It’s a myth. You either have soft or you have hard. What everyone keeps calling semi-hard is just hard material with high gas permeability.
wiredrider2 said:Is that one on Dalmatian Ave using Blue Cross? How are their rates?
Honestly, I haven’t had much luck with dentists so far. They were all perfectly polite, but the actual work was a disaster. Each one managed to make things worse than the last... and I'm a total phobic about this stuff. It hasn't been easy. 🙂
