Advice to the Next Generation
Questions from Our Readers, Answers from Physicians
Question
"I've read several books that take the attitude that practicing medicine is a calling that requires doctors to sacrifice their personal lives in order to be successful physicians. I understand it's a serious job that will require more than 40 hours a week, but I wonder how much of this is the old school of medicine talking, where physicians were mostly men who never left the office and perhaps used this as an excuse for neglecting their families. I am not willing to sacrifice my family to be a doctor, nor do I want to be a radiologist, ophthalmologist, anesthesiologist, or dermatologist. Should I be considering a different career?"
– Susannah Clark, Tufts University
Answer
Yes, to some extent and at least initially. Even with the premedical curriculum, a student "sacrifices" a certain amount of her personal life; this continues (to varying degrees) in medical school and usually reaches its culmination in residency (particularly internship, the first year of post-graduate training). Thereafter, it really depends on the specialty and what you want in terms of your career (status, money, etc.). The best thing to do is talk to people in the fields you're interested in; find these people at different levels of training and in different positions and settings. Ask candidly about what their personal lives are like, what they like and dislike about their jobs (and the effect their work has on their personal lives). The bottom line, however, is an ultimate "No"; being a doctor does not mean forever sacrificing your personal life.
– Canh Vu, M.D., Attending Psychiatrist, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Chair, Harvard's Eliot House Premedical Committee.