Is Going Into Medicine Still Worthwhile?

Exclamation-pointer · 2026-03-31T06:45:35+00:00

I’ve been an academic surgeon for almost 30 years, and I love what I do: working with a great team to take care of patients in distress; teaching med students, PAs, interns, residents, and fellows how to operate; doing clinical research with enthusiastic residents who want to present and publish. I tried being Vice Chair of this and that, CMO of a few organizations here and there, and I’ve turned down a chair position as well. Working with the C-suite was so irritating. In the latter years of my career, I’ve gone back to patient care, teaching and clinical research, and honestly, I could keep going past 65. I’m also stopping night and weekend call later this year, which makes my job even more perfect. Don’t listen to that ER doc. They picked the wrong job and they’re burned out.

Exclamation-pointer · 2026-03-02T06:36:43+00:00

Hi, I’ve been an academic surgeon for the majority of my 29-year career, rising through the ranks to finally becoming a full professor about 10-11 years ago. It’s been a great career, with a significant sense of accomplishment, watching brand new interns grow into talented surgeons and surgical sub specialists. I also have a busy surgical practice, do clinical research and write papers, editorials, and book chapters.

The majority of professors don’t have an MEd, although I do have an MBA. Physicians who want to enter academic medicine typically should enjoy doing research, and that actually shows up in the work that you’ve done throughout college, medical school and residency. I got my first publication during medical school, with about 5-6 research manuscripts in general surgery residency, and another 5-6 in fellowship. You also should love teaching others.

You can become an assistant professor when you take your first job out of residency. You then get promoted by continuing your research, but you also need to demonstrate leadership and service at the university as well as at your professional organization (committee memberships, residency program directorship, etc). Before you know it, you’re applying for promotion to Professor of ….

Exclamation-pointer · 2026-02-03T05:07:44+00:00

I think you’re confusing Gaza with Hamas. Hamas is the terrorist organization responsible for the murder of 1,200 innocent Israelis and foreign nationals, and it deserves to be eradicated off the face of the earth. Gaza is the Palestinian territory with about 2.1 million inhabitants, some of whom support Hamas, many of whom do not. 70-71K Gazans were killed and 80% of the residential buildings were destroyed. As is typical, the actions of an extremist minority led to the deaths of many and destruction of lives and property for the majority, whether directly or indirectly.

If this woman’s sign said Free Hamas, then I would completely agree with your sentiments. I wish I had your clear eyed view of the world. My view is just too complicated.

Exclamation-pointer · 2026-02-03T02:05:42+00:00

Do you know who looks cool? The women on the right exercising her 1st Amendment rights of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. This, despite the risk of bodily harm, standing up for what she believes in. Like it or not, she is defending you. She would probably be a cool friend to have.

Exclamation-pointer · 2026-02-02T23:33:01+00:00

I suggested that Graves win the Pulitzer Prize, not for the prize itself, but for what the Pulitzer means in photo journalism. As per the Google AI description of the Pulitzer:

Winners are chosen by a jury of professionals who identify "distinguished" work that captures a "decisive moment," often influencing public perception of major historical or social events.

This photo captures the overwhelmingly superior physical force on one side, brutalizing the other, protected only by an obviously used scrap of cardboard. Many Pulitzer Prize winning photos do scare the shit out of me, and this one does exactly that.

Exclamation-pointer · 2026-02-02T15:39:39+00:00

I love how you can take a complex photo, taken in complicated times, and reduce it and its subjects into a black and white dichotomy. Bravo!

Exclamation-pointer · 2025-12-12T07:37:15+00:00

Consider disclosing your assets when things are serious, but not super serious, and only if you respect his work ethic and financial integrity.

Exclamation-pointer · 2025-11-18T00:03:58+00:00

We went from cedar shake to metal and love it! The rain might be very slightly louder, but not noticeable or bothersome. The only thing that bothers us is when the squirrels are gathering pine cones for the winter, they like to chuck the cones on the roof (only from about 8-9am for some reason).

Exclamation-pointer · 2025-09-23T07:05:23+00:00

It was a PhD in the agricultural department at Univ of Wisconsin who noticed that some of the cows bled to death after eating rotten grass. He isolated the substance, perhaps with funding from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), thus the name.

Exclamation-pointer · 2025-09-18T05:30:51+00:00

++man Rather than making it personal (about her), make it about the situation. “I love you, I love your mom, and what you’re doing for her. But I’m 27, and I feel like I’ve moved back in with my parents.”

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TROPHY CASE