by F. Burgess (RN, BSN)

Created on: June 07, 2008

I do not think anyone would go through the grueling study of medicine only for the pay. Some areas of medicine pays more than others so if it were only for the pay, wouldn't most doctors be heart surgeons?

As for any job, a person must have some passion and fulfillment for a lasting career. Yes, there is no mistake that some doctors make a lot of money but what good that would do if they hate their job?

The act of helping others can be very rewarding and makes for a caring person who enjoys what they do. Now some doctors may not find a certain specialty as fulfilling as others but it is not as easy to change specialties as with nurses.

I don't believe a person would spend years training to become a physician just for the money. It would be near impossible to continue training without a compassion for helping others.

Many disease processes cannot be healed so to base a love for the field on this would be disappointing. Oncologists who care for hospice patients do not expect to heal but to comfort and allow for dying with dignity. They are not thinking about how much money they will make off the death of their patients.

We do things we love because we love doing those things and get self-satisfaction with the results of our interventions.

If, at the start of a doctor's career, he may look for a specialty that pays the most but he will definitely want one that he will enjoy for years. He must love taking care of others before his first paycheck.

As a nurse, I have always liked helping others. The first relative I cared for was my grandmother at age 14. At that time, I said, I wanted to become a nurse so when momma became elderly, I would know the proper way to provide care.

Now, I have cared for four elderly relatives without pay because that's what I love doing. It's a part of who I am as a whole. The money is good but if I were not satisfied with what I am doing, I would have to change careers.

We, the medical community, cannot heal everyone because if we believe that, we set ourselves up for disappointment. We do get a certain satisfaction when we can provide the care the patient is requesting.

I think money is an issue when young people first think of their future; they will soon find out the dedication that accompanies each career choice. It would be sad for someone to spend 8 years studying to become a doctor just because it pays better. That's a set up for failure.

Learn more about this author, F. Burgess (RN, BSN).
Click here to send this author comments or questions.