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

brightmarlin44 · 2006-01-13T19:32:01+00:00

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 t…

Frank Alvarez8 Member

43 messages
joined Jun 2005

#61 · Jan 26, 2006

Angela Rodriguez2 said:The 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded to Louis Ignarro, effectively tackling the world's biggest killer—strokes and heart disease, which account for 53% of deaths... 🙂

To claim something is a "health revolution for the 21st century," you don't need an advanced degree; you just need some common sense. There are construction workers, chimney sweeps, mechanics, and plenty of others out there who have it... unlike you and people like you... 😉 😁

Setting my IQ aside, the reason he won that Nobel Prize (his discovery regarding Nitric Oxide function) has absolutely nothing to do with the link in the thread Mayo started. That whole topic is just pure HL propaganda, which is exactly why your Nobel winner pivoted toward it—to make an easy buck off gullible people.
And that’s precisely where you and your crowd make your money...

Angela Rodriguez2 Member

11 messages
joined Jan 2006

#62 · Jan 27, 2006

Frank Alvarez8 said:Setting aside my own IQ—but his Nobel win regarding the NO function discovery has absolutely nothing to do with the link in the thread Mayo started. That thread is just pure HL propaganda, which even your Nobel laureate turned to just to make an easy buck off people who are easily led.
And that’s exactly the point—you and people like you are the ones making the money here...

The insight itself—that "discovery of the NO function"—isn't enough on its own... you have to turn that insight into something practical so people can actually get some CONCRETE benefit from it. And that's precisely what Dr. Louis Ignarro did—he created a "tool" (a product) that produces the effect described in the thread, providing PROTECTION, SAFETY, and RECOVERY for heart patients... and that product has a price tag, just like anything else—like a sandwich, for instance—though obviously, given its value, the price isn't exactly the same.
Your comments are honestly pretty silly—since you don't seem to mind if "they" make money off you or if sandwich shops make money off you, as long as they're "healthier" than everything you're trying to debunk in your "brilliant" posts... 😕 👎

That's where "intelligence quotient" actually comes into play—it takes a certain level of understanding to realize this isn't about "easy money from the gullible," but rather a grueling job where we constantly run into a wall of "opinions" that have zero connection to common sense.

That’s really the whole point of this discussion—many people feel like modern medicine has hit a dead end, and they're tired of participating in a system that’s increasingly losing its core purpose: actually helping people manage their health.

And frankly, talking about Nobel laureates and their motives the way you are is just... well, let's call it "highly uncivilized"—and I'm being polite here. 👎

I don't know if the motive behind starting that NO thread was the author's personal gain or something more noble—like trying to help find the best solutions—but a smart person will just take the most useful parts and move on. Meanwhile, those who aren't... well, they'll spend forever searching for hidden agendas "between the lines," just like you're doing now.

Honestly, I really dislike people who carry themselves the way you do.... 🙂 🙂 🙂

Frank Alvarez8 Member

43 messages
joined Jun 2005

#63 · Jan 27, 2006

Angela Rodriguez2 said:bla bla bla

I'm glad. I feel the same way about you. At least we can agree on one thing. 😍

Lawrence Wells Regular

312 messages
joined Jun 2006

#64 · Mar 23, 2006

Seriously though, when are we going to stop fighting with our doctors?

Justin Fox Active Member

110 messages
joined Jan 2006

#65 · Mar 23, 2006

Never. And honestly, maybe not even then!

Sean Hernandez5 Active Member

57 messages
joined Apr 2011

#66 · Mar 23, 2006

I guess it feels like fewer and fewer young people want to go into medicine these days. It seems easier to make a decent living with other degrees, and finding an honest job without some kind of connection is becoming a real struggle—which, I suppose, is just how things work here now. It’s a shame, really. Medicine is arguably one of the toughest majors and most demanding professions out there. I mean, I'm studying law, which is definitely a grind, but I have nothing but respect for medical students. You know how lawyers think they run the world, but doctors are on another level. Personally, I always viewed being a doctor as something profoundly important and dignified. It’s tragic that the profession has been painted in such a negative light because of systemic issues they didn't even cause.

It’s much like the legal system; healthcare needs deep, fundamental reform. But in both sectors, implementing real change is incredibly difficult and slow—if it happens at all.

Justin Fox Active Member

110 messages
joined Jan 2006

#67 · Mar 25, 2006

Sean Hernandez5, please don't go around claiming med school is the hardest path out there. There are plenty of other gauntlets—law school, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering, for instance. Honestly, most med students would probably hit a wall in an engineering program because their math skills just aren't up to par. Comparing the difficulty of different majors really comes down to personal preference.

In my experience, the term "doctor" often brings to mind someone who is self-important, rigid, and entirely lacking in empathy. Of course, there are exceptions to that rule.

As for society at large, I believe the single most critical thing we can do is fix our judicial system. Without a functional court system, there are no clear rules of engagement for anything else—and that includes healthcare.

Sean Hernandez5 Active Member

57 messages
joined Apr 2011

#68 · Mar 25, 2006

Justin Fox said:Sean Hernandez5, don't go claiming medicine is the hardest major. There are plenty of others that are just as brutal, like law, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering. I guess most med students wouldn't even survive an engineering program because their math skills aren't up to par. Comparing how difficult a degree is really just comes down to personal preference.

Personally, I find the term "doctor" often describes someone who is self-righteous, rigid, and lacks empathy—though I suppose there are exceptions.

As for society at large, I believe the absolute priority should be fixing the judicial system. Without a functional legal framework, there are no clear rules for anything, including healthcare.

Like I said, I'm studying law, but medicine is harder (regardless of how much people try to deny it). And that’s coming from someone currently buried under 1,800 pages of Civil Law study material.
If you think it isn't the toughest, then tell me which one is. You basically admitted it isn't the hardest by listing other majors that are also difficult.

I've already given my take on everything else mentioned.

Sophia Martinez65 Member

45 messages
joined Jan 2006

#69 · Mar 25, 2006

Justin Fox said:Sean Hernandez5, don't go saying med school is the hardest major—there are plenty of others that'll break you, like law, mechanical engineering, or electrical engineering. Most med students wouldn't last a week in an engineering program because their math skills just aren't there. Comparing difficulty is really just down to preference.

Oh, really? Since when did we start measuring IQ solely by math skills? My take is that if you've got grit and brains, you can figure anything out.
Real intelligence is about being resourceful when things get messy—and in our healthcare system, people's lives depend on that kind of adaptability.
BTW, I always pulled straight A's in math. 🙂

Justin Fox said:Personally, I see "doctor" as a label for someone who's self-righteous, stuck in their ways, and totally cold—with the occasional exception.

Can't have a single thread without seeing this sentiment...

Justin Fox said:Regarding society at large, I think the absolute priority should be fixing the justice system. Without it, there are no clear rules of the game for anyone, including the healthcare industry.

Spot on. 👍

Megan Reed Active Member

170 messages
joined Sep 2005

#70 · Mar 25, 2006

Sophia Martinez65 said:By the way, I always pulled a C in math. 🙂

Same here. 🥳 😁

Lawrence Wells Regular

312 messages
joined Jun 2006

#71 · May 2, 2006

Justin Fox, man, you are way too full of yourself! You don't have a clue what it’s actually like to grind through med school—you're just talking trash because you're clearly dealing with some major inferiority issues!!!

Harold Mendoza3 Member

10 messages
joined Jun 2006

#72 · May 2, 2006

Lawrence Wells said:Justin Fox, you clearly have no idea what the reality of medical school is actually like; you're just talking trash because you're dealing with a massive inferiority complex.

and the mystery is solved
👍

stormylynx14 Active Member

69 messages
joined Dec 2005

#73 · May 2, 2006

Regarding those endless shifts and on-call duties, there's an interesting setup here in the States: the hospitalist. They're fully licensed doctors working strictly within the hospital, but they maintain a reasonable 42-hour work week. They skip the residencies, the research, and all that extra academic fluff. From what I gather, you also forfeit any chance at climbing the ladder to department head. The pay is better than a junior resident's, though certainly nothing legendary. They aren't treated like white-coated deities anymore—more like high-level hospital bureaucrats—but at least they actually have a life once they clock out.

Justin Fox Active Member

110 messages
joined Jan 2006

#74 · May 2, 2006

Lawrence Wells said:Justin Fox, give me a break, you're being such a loudmouth! You don't have a clue what medical school is actually like; you're just talking trash because you're dealing with an inferiority complex!!!

Lawrence Wells, let's keep it civil and stop the nonsense. I know exactly how grueling med school is. One of my closest friends is a doctor—one of those rare, genuinely honorable people in the profession—and we spent enough time hanging out for me to see the grind firsthand. It’s not just about memorizing bone names; it's the minutiae, the specific processes, the tiny protrusions and landmarks. I remember hearing them say they wouldn't even bother with the lymphatic system during certain reviews because it was too dense; if anyone pushed for more detail, they’d fail on the spot.

As for the studying part, I've seen plenty of kids who pulled straight A's in high school math only to barely scrape by with a D in engineering school. There's a fundamental shift there. When you're memorizing facts—like anatomy or certain laws—putting in more hours directly correlates to progress. But with problem-based subjects like math or physics, you can memorize the entire textbook and finish every practice set in existence, and still fail the exam. It requires a completely different way of thinking. The number of pages you've memorized isn't a valid metric for how hard a curriculum is. Once someone gets into the groove, they can memorize a lot very quickly, but there are much deeper challenges than simple rote learning.

Harold Mendoza3 Member

10 messages
joined Jun 2006

#75 · May 2, 2006

my best friend is a doctor

Isn't that essentially the root of all your frustrations? Your friend achieved exactly what he set out to do, yet you find yourself nursing a quiet envy. If you claim to possess such extensive knowledge, why not simply enroll in medical school? It's not as if the information isn't already at your fingertips.😉

Do you also advise your "friend's" patients to resort to criminal activities 🙂 should they find his services lacking?😕

when it comes to subjects based on specific problems (math, physics, etc.), you can memorize an entire textbook, solve every single problem in a workbook, and still fail the exam multiple times.

Is that really a valid excuse for why you haven't graduated yet?😬

Forget all that; just go into medicine.🙏

Susan Martin24 Active Member

79 messages
joined Apr 2006

#76 · May 2, 2006

Justin Fox, are you actually serious right now??!!?? 😲 😲 😲
I mean, you really are just a total failure of a student !!!! 😂 😂 😂

Man... everything is suddenly making way more sense to me (and honestly, to everyone else on this forum too) 😈

Chris Morgan67 Member

49 messages
joined Jul 2007

#77 · May 2, 2006

I honestly don't get where all this hostility toward doctors—or anyone else in their profession—comes from.
Everyone acts like they have all the answers and know better than the experts... as if.

Megan Reed Active Member

170 messages
joined Sep 2005

#78 · May 2, 2006

This thread needs to be shut down immediately. ASAP. ☕

Anthony Kim18 Active Member

238 messages
joined Apr 2006

#79 · May 3, 2006

College is brutal.
But hey, you can always strike it rich working the aisles at Walmart, Kroger, or Best Buy...

Anthony Kim18 Active Member

238 messages
joined Apr 2006

#80 · May 3, 2006

College is brutal.
You can get rich just by working at places like Walmart, Walmart, or even Musicland...
But those guys don't have degrees.

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

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