Why are fewer and fewer young people choosing to become doctors?

I remember starting a previous thread about whether doctors are naturally wired for negative careerism—basically, if they’re the type to jump ship the second things get messy. My take back then was that most of them are, mostly because let's face it, they make decent money by today's standards and still hold some level of prestige in the eyes of the public. But here’s the kicker: the number of kids actually trying to get into med school is cratering. Back in the 80s, you had thousands of applicants fighting over maybe 300 spots in medical school, and dental school was seeing the exact same frenzy. This year, I even heard there were people applying during the second round of admissions. 😲 So, if being a doctor is supposedly such a golden ticket, why on earth is interest hitting rock bottom? 😕
Oh, and nobody really touched on the sheer grind of it all. Whether it's the mental toll or just the pure physical exhaustion of pulling 12-hour shifts—take a surgeon, for instance; that kind of work will absolutely wreck your body. That goes for plenty of other specialties too. 😲 So, what’s the real deal? What’s driving this massive drop in interest?

Aha... based on your little poll where exactly 14 people bothered to chime in😲 saying doctors are prone to negative careerism... *slow clap*

What’s the point of all these questions? Pure curiosity, right?

I honestly doubt you'll answer, since some other forum user already asked you the same thing and got nothing.😬

I honestly can't wrap my head around why fewer and fewer people are choosing to go into medicine lately... but a professor recently mentioned to me that over at Johns Hopkins, the situation is getting so dire that professors might soon have to practically drag students into the lecture hall just to have someone to teach... because there simply won't be anyone left to instruct if this keeps up. 😁 😁 😁

Entrance Exams - Summer Session 2004 ~ number of applicants divided by available spots

I suppose people eventually start looking at the reality of the market and realize a few things:
- Medical school is brutal. It’s an endless grind of rote memorization; it isn't something just anyone can pull off. You have to be willing to bleed for it.
- It’s an incredibly long road. Between the degree itself and the years of residency and unpaid rotations, you’re looking at roughly twice the time commitment of a "standard" college degree.
- The job market is pretty grim. There are way too many doctors and dentists out there right now. If you don't have the right connections, you're basically destined to end up working in some tiny, obscure town halfway across the country—assuming you even find a job at all.
- Working conditions in healthcare are often subpar. We're talking outdated facilities, ancient equipment, a lack of basic supplies, and very little room to actually advance your skills.
- Medicine is deeply hierarchical. There is always a director, a chief, or a supervisor hovering over you, ready to lean on you whenever they feel like it.
- The whole system is disorganized. You can't just assume that finishing your studies means you'll make decent money or eventually have the capital to open your own private practice.
- The best opportunities and locations usually go to the "nepo babies"—those with the right family ties. Even if you're actually talented, it doesn't help much. And even if your patients love you? That barely moves the needle.
- Many practicing physicians find themselves squeezed between the rigid regulations of Medicare and the demands of their patients. Honestly, the whole situation can feel quite absurd.
- Medical professions are extremely restrictive when it comes to mobility. Just because you finished school in one country doesn't mean you can just pack up and move to another. You have to master a new language and face massive exams—like spending years preparing for the USMLE here in the US—just to prove you actually know what you're doing.
- The public image of doctors and the healthcare system in America is pretty poor. People see underfunded clinics, apathy, corruption, and a certain level of arrogance. It’s enough to make potential students think twice before even considering this career.

Justin Fox, everything you’re laying out isn't exactly news to me. Interest in medicine has been cooling off for a while now, and honestly, I think it’s a global trend. Let’s be real: becoming a doctor is a massive financial sinkhole—you’re looking at roughly $100,000 per person, whether the government or your family is footing the bill. You expect a decent ROI, right? But once you factor in the overhead for private practice—and man, the cost of medical tech is getting ridiculous lately—it becomes pretty obvious that you could probably make a much better buck investing that cash into almost any other business venture.👍 ,
Megan Reed, what makes you think I’m holding anything back?🙂 I’m being an open book here; just ask.👍

Why am I so obsessed with all this? Honestly, isn't it pretty obvious? I’m grinding away on a research paper—well, okay, let’s call it a "tiny little publication" if we're being modest. You know how it goes; you spend half your life just hunting down references and chasing citations. But hey, once I get this thing wrapped up, I'll finally be ready to make my big debut in Who's Who.

brightmarlin44 said:It’s pretty obvious that putting your money into a different industry would yield much better returns.👍

So... does that mean the reason everyone isn't rushing into medicine is because they aren't all looking to rake in a massive fortune? 😬

Money obviously plays a massive role here since everyone keeps bringing it up—I mean, let’s be real, at the end of the day, you just want to keep some level of respect in society,

Oh, please... 😬 This is the only place where you can just list off ten different threads dedicated solely to trashing them.

And... what's actually left after all that? 😢 😬

So, you’re a psychology student then:-)?

Not quite. I’m actually studying the exact field that fewer and fewer people want to touch, which happens to be the core issue you raised in your opening post. 😳 😁

Do you have someone in the family who's a doctor?

hmm... you're going to start polling me already? 😬 nah, I don't have any doctors in my family...

Honestly, I don't think you even realize what you're signing up for just yet.😬
I’m guessing you haven't actually done any field rotations yet, but even if you have, nothing out there prepares you for the real deal. It's a different beast entirely. But hey, if you decide this isn't for you, maybe you'll find your calling in politics instead.😁 😍

Seriously, why!!!??!!!

It's because we old-school doctors are just a bunch of corrupt, overpaid hacks 😍. Honestly, we're more like bloodsucking vampires, actually 😈
they're so terrified (scared we'll snatch away all the prestige and glamour we enjoy) that they won't even dare to set foot within a mile of a medical school 🙂
.
Happy now? 😬

I honestly think they’re going to end up quoting you in their research, mark my words! 😍 😬

Megan Reed said:I bet they’ll end up citing you in their research, for sure! 😍 😬

Let them try it! I'll sue them for copyright infringement, emotional distress, plagiarism... honestly, I'll find something else too. Between my stubborn streak and the fact that my mom is a lawyer, I've got this covered. 😈

It feels like nobody wants to put in the work anymore. Everyone’s looking for that fast track—just a quick online course or some self-teaching—and they all have their eyes on IT because they hear people pulling in $100,000. At least, that's what the majority thinks.

I live in a US city of about a million people, where most students come from Asia because it’s more affordable, life is laid back, and the universities are world-renowned.

We're seeing fewer local students too. It’s a bit concerning, but let me draw a comparison...
It's the same story with tradespeople. If someone actually wanted to continue their training, they could, but nobody wants to be a blue-collar worker anymore.

I've spent years visiting schools giving talks about career paths in the trades and what the actual working conditions are like. Everyone is busy dreaming based on what they see on TV. Back in the '80s, it was "Charlie's Angels" and everyone wanted to be a cop. Nowadays, everyone wants to be a Foresenic scientist. Most of them end up unemployed or living off their parents and social programs.
And when they do find work, they take any job they can get. Honestly, if they're lucky enough to have played competitive sports, they often end up doing better than those who actually studied or learned a trade.

Society is shifting; everyone just wants everything right now without the struggle.

🙂 😉 😎

Fewer and fewer people in America are choosing to go into medicine. The brightest students are opting for paths that are both more lucrative and significantly less grueling. If you want to be a lawyer, you’re looking at about eight years of school after high school. For a doctor? You’re staring down twelve years of training, and even then, a comfortable life isn't a given. Those massive salaries that used to be legendary now feel bloated because so much of that cash gets swallowed up by overhead. We're talking malpractice insurance, constant continuing education, specialized staff to manage books so you don't bleed money, and pros who ensure no one messes up and puts your license on the line. Not to mention paying premium rent just to get foot traffic from wealthy clients...

When young Americans do decide to pursue medicine today, they tend to gravitate toward specialties that offer a better work-life balance and minimal on-call shifts. Meanwhile, the massive physician shortage is being patched up by bringing in talent from all over the world.

The way medicine is practiced in the US nowadays is often called "defensive medicine." Clinical guidelines are frequently shaped more by the desire to dodge a lawsuit than by actual science-based evidence regarding patient outcomes.

I can't speak to the broader landscape, but when we're talking about residency, you absolutely have to factor in the availability of specializations. Specifically, the sheer impossibility of getting into the field you actually care about unless you happen to be born with high-level connections. Take one of our few female surgeons who actually made a name for herself globally; here in the States, women face massive hurdles just trying to land a surgical residency. If you don't have the right people in your corner, and you happen to be a woman on top of that... well, you know how it goes.
There are countless examples like this, and we’re already seeing the fallout in the physician shortages within specific specialties. Honestly, when mediocre types—which isn't unique to the medical field—insist on gatekeeping everything to protect their own egos, the truly talented people just look elsewhere. No one wants to wait years for a residency slot only to be forced into a specialty they have zero interest in. It seems much more logical to walk away from the career path entirely rather than spend a lifetime doing work you hate, doesn't it?