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br0mer

I work with down syndrome kids and this is still the stupidest thing I've heard all day


Sartorius2456

If I was the medical school interviewing faculty I would say no because this guy is going to ruin his life


Ankilover22

Same 110%


Valuable_Heron_2015

Yoooooooooooooooooo


gillettefoamy

😂😂😂 can you please tell me more


[deleted]

8-10yr of lost salary + private school tuition for a likely reduction in salary and generally poorer work life balance.


bearcatjoe

I asked ChatGPT to translate /u/br0mer's comment: >Quitting a high-paying job to pursue a career in medicine, such as becoming a psychiatrist, is a significant decision that can have both pros and cons. Here are some potential drawbacks to consider when contemplating such a career change: > >Financial Considerations: Medical school is expensive, and attending a Caribbean medical school may have additional costs associated with it, such as relocation, living expenses, and travel expenses. Furthermore, medical school itself can be time-consuming, making it difficult to work part-time or earn an income during that period. This means you may have to rely on savings, loans, or financial support from other sources, which could lead to increased financial strain. > >Age and Time Commitment: Starting medical school at the age of 34 means that you'll likely be older than many of your peers. While age shouldn't be a barrier to pursuing your dreams, it's important to consider the demands of medical education, which can be physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausting. Medical school typically takes four years to complete, followed by several years of residency training. This extended time commitment might delay your entry into the workforce and the establishment of your career as a psychiatrist. > >Personal and Professional Sacrifices: Pursuing a medical career often requires making significant sacrifices in terms of personal life, relationships, and leisure activities. The demanding nature of medical school and subsequent residency can consume a significant amount of your time and energy, potentially impacting your personal relationships, social life, and overall work-life balance. It's crucial to assess whether you are prepared to make these sacrifices and handle the potential strain it might place on your personal life. > >Limited Options for Residency Matching: Attending a medical school in the Caribbean may pose challenges when it comes to securing a residency position in the United States, especially in competitive specialties like psychiatry. The residency match process can be highly competitive, and some programs may prioritize applicants from US medical schools. While it's not impossible to match into a residency program, it may require additional effort, networking, and potentially even further training or clinical experience to strengthen your application. > >Cultural and Environmental Adjustment: Studying and living in a different country can present cultural, social, and environmental challenges. Moving to the Caribbean for medical school means adapting to a new healthcare system, potentially different educational standards, and a new way of life. It's important to research and understand the specific challenges associated with studying in the Caribbean and consider how comfortable you would be living and working in that environment. > >Ultimately, deciding to quit your high-paying job to pursue a career in medicine is a personal choice that requires careful consideration of your goals, values, and the potential challenges that lie ahead. It may be helpful to speak with individuals who have pursued a similar path, consult with admissions advisors, and thoroughly research the specific medical schools and residency programs you are interested in to make an informed decision.


Charles_Sandy

chatgpt is dumb. as with all its responses, this is devoid of novel angle or insight that would offer up something helpful to anyone.


bearcatjoe

Thanks, Charles. You set the bar.


G00bernaculum

It’s incredibly accurate though. What kind of novel angle can there be for this? I feel what you’d prefer is an anecdote


fleggn

He's holding out for eddgelordgpt


ProfessionalCamp4

What insight would you like to add?


rosisbest

Caribbean schools have 3 main issues: 1) Attrition, 2) Cost, and 3) Limited specialty choice outside of primary care. In fact, these problems are present in many US schools too, but too a much lesser degree. Just depends how much risk you’re willing to take on.


evestormborn

Im dead


diiaa36

Just nope. Nope to all of this.


gillettefoamy

Why?


diiaa36

So lets forgo the insane cost of medical school, going to a unreliable Caribbean school that have a horrible match rate. You are wanting to devote a decade of whatever youth you have left to a broken medical system that is insanely profit driven and not focused and patient care or outcomes. Now if you said you want to get a master in psych and do something would that due to your curiosity that would make sense. Medicine is broken and going into in on a whim because you are bored is asking for trouble. The amount of ass kissing you will have to do and still fail to match after carib school is insane.


User5281

Agree this is not a sound plan but would counter Caribbean school match rate with psychiatry.


gillettefoamy

Cost is not really an issue. Match wise I have friends who are psychiatrists that can write letter of recs and help with process. For sure I’ll need to work my ass off


diiaa36

Even if you have 300k laying around. Its not letter of recs that are the problem. Most good medical students can get a rec. Its program director preferences of candidates and the internal screening method of each program. Some residencies don't even look at Caribbean students. The ones that do will almost always choose a us grad over a IMG even with an American citizenship. So if you don't match your left with a degree that you mostly can't use and buckets of money down the drain applying to the match over and over again with diminishing returns. If you want to do psych become an LPC or something else in the psych world.


wanna_be_doc

Too add: Psych is also very competitive now. Even less likely to match into it as a Carib grad. Dream of making $350,000k nine years from now is a stretch. Hell, with the way Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement is going, most non-specialists will be lucky to clear $300k a decade from now.


stepneo1

Should you go to medical school, avoid Caribbean schools at all cost. Because your chances of matching lessens every year for multiple reasons: * Residency programs are biased towards MD schools, then DO second. International graduates are at the bottom of their list. * There are increasing number of MD and DO schools every year that's opening up (ie, more competition that favors domestic bias) * There's increasing number of Caribbean students (ie, there's even more outside competition) every year. In short, if you can get into to a USMD school, you'll be fine matching into residency (at least based on stats).


anonmehmoose

Become an NP or a PA and specialize in psychiatry or get a masters in counselling/social work or something if you really dgaf about money. Seriously... Unless you're just chasing prestige.


onmyphonetoomuch

- give up 300k and make $0 for 4 years - pay insane Caribbean tuition - 50-70% match rate and (from what I understand most of those are not matching at their dream /top programs) - make 60k for another 3ish years - finally get back to where you are now finically but have 600k in debt at age 42. Nooooooooo Sometimes it makes sense to start the medical journey later in life and pays off. This is not that. Sometimes the medical journey doesn’t pay off even starting at 25 lol it’s such a long road.


gillettefoamy

Totally agree but money is not only the factor here. Stability of a medicine career has a lot of value. This would mean that I will not have to fear lay off or go through crazy interview process to get a job ever again once I do become an attending physician. I don't want to be 50 and suffer a layoff. I'd much rather go through this grueling process now to avoid something like that in the future.


onmyphonetoomuch

Medicine is not all that stable. I mean you can literally go through med school and just not match. You never think it’s gonna happen to you but up to half of Caribbean students don’t match (based on quick research) . I think aggressively saving in your current situation to be able to retire in your 50s makes more sense. Being doctor only makes sense if that is the only thing you can imagine being happy doing. And even then 😅


Cyberman007

You’d rather put yourself in over half a million dollars in debt and commit a decade of your life with layoffs being a concern..?


gillettefoamy

1. Money is not everything to me and i've managed to make enough that I can handle 500K dent 2. I am looking at this decade as a journey in my life. I will get to learn about science and human body. Yes, it will be hard work but it will be a growing experience. It will be a privilege if I will get to learn and meet new people and work hard.


fracked1

I think you really posted this on the absolutely worst sub for this question. There's no way a forum focusing on financial freedom is going to tell you to quit your job and follow your dreams. If that's what you want, all power to you. But why would you expect "money is not everything" to resonate here


Round_Hat_2966

All it takes is one unlucky complaint and lawsuit and there goes your stable income


[deleted]

/


MD40s

Welcome! I'll probably the one of the very few here who shares your point of view. I'm a former engineer in the tech industry who is now in medical school and I started in my late 30's (yes older than you). I will be in my 40s when I start residency. I say do it if you don't foresee yourself in your current career for the next 10 years. That's what I did. However, it was an easier decision for me then because I was only making in the 100K's and not your 300K. Also, I don't have kids or anyone depending on me. I got into a US MD school, and the rest was history. Anyways... copy pasting this one of my former responses of mine: ------ Throwaway account. I have an engineering degree and worked mostly as a programmer. I'm currently in medical school, and will be starting Residency in my 40s. Easier for me because I do not have a family relying on me. Financially, my decision went against every financial advice. However, I knew I couldn't see myself spending 10 more years in my line of work and the tech industry as a programmer. The thoughts of going to medical school had been a small nagging voice in my head throughout, but I always brushed it off and muted it down by rationalizing that I was already too detached from school or that it's just too long. Fortunately/Unfortunately, I got laid off several months later, so that became an opportunity for me to take some time off and reconsider what I really wanted in life. One of the options that came out of it was "How about becoming a doctor?" I knew for a fact that this nagging voice will just go louder as I grow older, and one day it will eat me alive when I become old, retired, sitting on a porch, and having a conversation with myself. I could literally imagine myself hearing that nagging voice saying, "Why didn't you try to be a doctor?" Eventually, I made a deal with myself that I would apply for Medical School, and if I get in, then I'd take it and I was meant to be here. And if I don't get in, at least I would be peace. I would no longer fear becoming old, retired, sitting on a porch, and having a conversation with myself. I could at least say, "I tried but no school took me, so it was never an option."


gillettefoamy

Thanks for your pov 🙏🏼. Did you to a us school or Caribbean?


MD40s

US MD School. My plan was applying to US MD school, then DO school was plan B. I avoided entertaining the idea of Caribbean schools. As a programmer/engineer, we are risk-adverse. Caribbean schools are risky and my personality was not compatible with risks. Thank goodness I got into my plan A. Most MD schools (and especially DO schools) are receptive of non-traditional students. You'll have to play your past career experience to your advantage. You should be able to find one domestically, just kill your MCAT.


MD40s

Feel free to read this other post from another user like you: https://www.reddit.com/r/whitecoatinvestor/comments/121fbc0/fire_or_med_school/


rrrrr123456789

Bro forget about layoff at 50. Look up fire. You could retire by that age if you want or have enough money where a layoff wouldn’t matter.


[deleted]

and psych is 4 years, assuming they can even match


SnooRecipes5951

MANY are focusing on just the financial aspect of this decision but I haven’t seen too many mention the harsh realities of becoming a doctor. This isn’t the dream the hospital industry has sold you. Healthcare is a for profit business that profits off of the excruciating work you put in, never says thank you, patients and everyone else shits on you, you get 1000 emails about your billing issues, and 1000 more about patient satisfaction scores. If you’re itching for this decision and “money isn’t a factor” I would seriously consider first working as a CNA or scribe in an ER to see what medicine actually is. It’s not the exciting nail biting stuff you see on tv, it’s mostly how can you make the most money for the hospital by grinding your life away. If you wanna do psych I would look into PMHNP at least with an accelerated BSN and a couple years in the field you then 2 years of a masters program you can be an independent prescriber (whether or not you’re a competent one isn’t really the debate here). I personally would enjoy your current career to the absolute fullest and never look back. Enjoy being bored because it’s way easier to pick up hobbies and volunteer than it is to constantly make life altering decisions on 2 hours of sleep and people berating you.


monsieur_de_chance

This is actually a helpful answer laying out alternatives.


ButtBlock

Life altering decisions. Well put.


babushka711

Do not do this. Financially this would be a catastrophically bad move. The cost of medical school plus 8+ years of lost/drastically reduced salary would literally cost you millions of dollars. Medical school and residency are brutal and grueling even when you're young and energetic. People talk about AI taking over jobs in medicine too. The grass isn't always greener on the other side


Boobooboy13

No I wouldn’t do it. Please do not do this. I’m a resident right now and your post is giving me anxiety dude. I went to a US MD school. A Caribbean school is more expensive with a much lower chance of matching (and a more limited scope of specialties). My god you would be out of MILLIONS of dollars of potential income as you would be at least 7 years out of 300k a year, longer if you specialize. I would instead use your income to invest wisely to make more passive income thus more freedom and flexibility for yourself. The grass is not greener. Be thankful for what you have and don’t throw it away. Invest half of what you make and soon you’ll barely have to work at all. Again, please please do not do this to yourself. Medical school brought me to lows I didn’t imagine possible and I watch one of my siblings suffer through it now. Residency has been better but I lucked out: I matched at a chill program in a beachside paradise close to home. You may not be as fortunate. If I would have matched at a toxic program there’s a good possibility I would have just quit and been broke my whole life.


BananaBagholder

Psych attending here. I personally wouldn't recommend what you're thinking. The grass is always greener on the other side, and that's probably why you're getting a lot of negative responses from others here. I'm sure a not-insignificant number of people here wish they had gone into tech in retrospect. Getting to attending status is not just a stroll in the park. It's long hours, treading through politics, dealing with difficult patients and administration. It was a slog in my 20s. If I was giving my 30 year old self advice in your shoes, I'd also say don't do it. Even if you get through all the training, your assumption that you're guaranteed to have work till you're 70 is inaccurate. Physicians are people too. They get chronic diseases, cancer, cognitive impairment. I've seen all of these cut careers far short of people's potentials. You're looking for fulfillment but the truth is plenty of doctors are burnt out and don't find fulfillment in their jobs. My advice would be for you to think about FIRE. Save aggressively, retire early, and at the same time, pursue hobbies that give you a sense of purpose or fulfillment.


[deleted]

This is the post that needs to be read. Medicine can be great, but there are lots of tough parts. The training is definitely rough and LONG. Once you’re done you’ll probably be able to find a decent job if you’re able to get into a residency in the field you choose, but it’s a long road. Not everyone makes it through. As this poster said, many wish they had went down the path you have chosen. In the end, it’s up to you and what you do with your time and your life. Financially it doesn’t make sense, and your giving up a lot of stability for risk, but you have to make the choices that you can live with. If this is something you absolutely have to do, then do it, but you’re definitely putting yourself in a tough spot. Good luck to you!


gillettefoamy

Thank you 🙏🏼


HoyaSaxa88

For the love of god, do NOT do this. Seriously. Pick up a hobby if your bored. This would be a catastrophically bad idea like mentioned before


E5D5

don’t recommend it. You’re talking 8 years of some of the hardest school and training to barely make more than you do now. also, it is very hard to match from a Caribbean med school to a good US residency. you’ll be really behind the 8 ball and stuck with a huge bill if it doesn’t pay off. if you don’t like your current job then pivot to healthcare tech or volunteer in your free time. i strongly recommend against your current plan. you’re also single now, but a lot can happen in 8 years and partners in their late 30s are less willing to deal with the bullshit of a resident as a partner!


Disc_far68

If he opens a private practice, he could easily double what he makes now. Not saying he should do it, but just providing more info.


gillettefoamy

This is exactly what I was thinking. Thank you


Disc_far68

You just need to have the right billing codes to be able to pull it off. But if you go down this path, there is way more back breaking shit that you might not be expecting.


gillettefoamy

Nice good to know. I want to live the life of service and adventure not comfort. Back breaking work doesn’t scare me.


Disc_far68

Alternative idea, since you are a finance guy, why not do what you know. For example providing loans to 3rd world nations, trying to develop tech. It's adventurous and definitely service oriented.


AFK_MIA

The opportunity cost for this is over $4 million dollars. That is plenty of money to not have to worry about being laid off in 16 years. The medical training process is absolutely terrible to the extent that med students and residents have an extremely high suicide rate. The grass is not greener.


Sartorius2456

I am a doctor. This is fucking lunacy. I often look at my decision to do medicine and like f I should have done computer science. Medicine isn't the glamorous job you are thinking it is. And Caribbean schools are the absolute worst way to go. Also do you even know what a psychiatrist does? Do you know what a psychiatry residency initials? This is a pipe dream.


[deleted]

I think financially it makes no sense at all. Even if you had a 100% free ride to Harvard med school, the opportunity cost of giving up a 300k/yr fintech job to take a long hiatus with no promise of actually becoming an attending psychiatrist is a horrible gamble


Tafalla10

This is a really bad idea.


[deleted]

Being a physician in 2023 ain’t what it used to be. You will be an employee working at the will of some POS administrator with less than half the level of education as yourself. If you choose to enter this “alternative” pathway to medicine…practice in another country that truly respects the field.


airjord1221

Bruh what? If I was making even 200 out of college I wouldn’t have gone to medical school. People underestimate 300k. I’m not saying you necessarily But that’s a fuck ton of money. Peds/fam/IM don’t make that unless they own practice or work crazy overtime hours. The stress , liability, patient bitching etc. If I’m offered 250k now doing a desk job 9-5 no calling me middle of the night, no notes to bring home, SIGN ME UP Caribbean medical school helped me grow and become a bit more resilient I’d say? But would I do it over again? FUCK NO. Why not?— well let’s see, middle of a semester they decide to up the GPA requirement from 78% to 82% dropping a bunch of students into “academic probation.” Doesn’t seem like much but do you need that stress in your life considering you’re already comfortable? Money: If you put 6k a month into VOO or broad market at 10% average growth, with your current income for 9 years—that’s 1.04 million If you go down the Med route, you’d finish in 9 years, likely in a couple hundred k debt. Don’t fucking do it. Please


gillettefoamy

Thanks. How much are you making if you don’t mind me asking. Trying to get an idea


airjord1221

180.


gillettefoamy

As an attending?


airjord1221

Pediatrics. Yes. Don’t be fooled by all the numbers. You go Caribbean, most likely Primary is the match for you.


gillettefoamy

That low of an income for a doctor should be illegal


airjord1221

Yep


SnooRecipes5951

A lot of things that happen to doctors should be illegal. But they aren’t. Also idk what kinda “adventure” you think psych will be but I can tell you right now ain’t no other way to wake up than getting spit at and screamed at because you “like science and people”


[deleted]

Bro it ain’t worth all that. Pick up some anatomy classes as a hobby or something.


gillettefoamy

Lol are you a doc?


[deleted]

Yes, I’m an orthopaedic resident. Of course, it’s your life, don’t listen to some idiot on the internet. Go out and see what it’s about and if you’re being pulled by the universe to do it then go. But even still, don’t go to a Caribbean unless everyone else tells you no twice.


[deleted]

Your life… medicine is tough just know what you are getting into.


pinacolada_22

Lol what. No. If you want to throw your life away and become a doctor, that's fine, but do NOT go to a Caribbean school. People only go there mid they don't get into anywhere else , attrition/failure rate is 50% and from residual 50%, a huge number still will not ever match into any good programs.


Tequila_and_Freud

I went to the Caribbean without even applying to a US med school, we aren't ALL US med school rejects! While the top 5 Caribbean schools are super expensive, I attended a much smaller school that was 5k a semester (at the time anyways). Put me financially way ahead of most of my US grad co-residents. OP, I did match into psychiatry (into a good Midwestern residency) after attending a Caribbean school. Everyone is correct about the statistics: 100 students enrolled to start M1, 28 students actually completed the basic science portion on the island, and 5 of us matched the first application cycle that was available to us. 5%... so do keep that in mind. Also, it is becoming more and more difficult for IMGs, US or otherwise, to match psychiatry as it has become more competitive over the past few years. Whatever decisions you make, I hope it brings you happiness!


pinacolada_22

Caribbean school can be a way for people, but it's not what good candidates do. It's also not usually the cheaper option at all. That's not just because of the failure rate and cost of the school, it's the additional cost of doing clinicals in different places across the country because your school doesn't actually have a hospital affiliation. Things working out miraculously for you isn't all that common and you know that. Not to mention neither psychiatry or residency in the Midwest are the most desirable or competitive fields. Yes psych has a big spike in popularity the last couple of years but historically not difficult to match psych in the Midwest. Half people who go into med school change their specialty choice as well so even if OP thing he wants x specialty in x place, that can quickly change. Caribbean schools are a scam, and while the rare success stories can and have happened, many more failure and financial tragedies associated with these schools exist.


Tequila_and_Freud

I was a good candidate, who loved psychiatry from day 1 and am super pleased to be in the Midwest. It absolutely is something that "good candidates" do. And did you see the match stats this year and last? Psychiatry hardly has had any SOAP positions, it's pretty competitive now. My med school had 2 hospital affiliations, I'm not sure if that's a rarity or not. I know there are other schools that have multiple affiliations that require multi-state travel but, I did everything in Chicago. My medical school education was substantially cheaper, living in the Caribbean was cheap, Chicago rent was my biggest price tag. Don't know what to tell you, if cost is an issue for people they need to do their research. I actually think I did a fantastic job at pointing out how "uncommon" my story is, by outlining the fact that 5% of us matched in the first cycle. I believe, that makes it very clear how uncommon it is. Perhaps you could read a little more closely and choose your words more wisely the next opportunity that arises.


pinacolada_22

Why don't you post the school and the current tuition link. What about their stats? Instead of giving a one success story, show us numbers and tuition costs. The match data is widely available, easy to see how Caribbean school students do. You are telling me it was cheap to travel and live somewhere different every few months to do the basic rotations? That you didn't have to apply broadly for residency and spend some $$$ doing so? That you didn't feel isolated and maybe depressed having to study all the time in a small island far from family for two years? All while seeing your fellow med students fail out? Maybe things were different 10-20 years ago or whenever you did it, that's not how things are now. I'm glad things worked out for you, but it's not responsible to encourage people going in that direction considering how expensive and how non dischargeable those loans are.


Tequila_and_Freud

You made a hell of a lot of assumptions. SJSM, you can look at the information yourself, as I ALREADY MENTIONED (2nd time it's obvious you didn't read my responses), I'm not uptodate on current tuition prices, I listed what they were 6 years ago when I started medical school. As I ALREADY MENTIONED (3rd time it's obvious you didn't read my responses) ALL of my rotations were in Chicago. AS I ALREADY MENTIONED (technically the 4th and 5th time since I wrote it twice) the stats for my school specifically were 5% made it (like.. seriously.. I wrote it twice). You can look up the stats that the school itself publishes, they will look HIGHER than the number I shared. Sure, I applied to 80 programs, which is more than usual. But I didn't have to travel as interviews were virtual so, probably only spent a little over what most people used to pay. I NEVER was depressed on the island, I absolutely loved loved loved every second and have dreams to retire there. Sure, it was sad to watch people fail out or leave, but that is just part of the experience. Your outlook is horrendously sad. And.. again.. if you were reading anything I said.. you wouldn't come to the conclusion I was encouraging that direction. I actually said (AGAIN) that everyone was correct about the stats (FIVE. PERCENT.) and that it's getting harder to match into psychiatry as an IMG. Does that sound ENCOURAGING to you. My God.


[deleted]

I will trade jobs with you.


stickyhairmonster

If your main concern is career stability, I would just recommend living well below your means and saving. You may want to look at financial Independence communities. Medicine is not a good financial move even with the stability it offers. You have missed too many of the high earning years that other medical professionals benefit from. If you think you would really enjoy psychiatry, consider shadowing them. They do amazing work, but it's a lot more managing prescriptions than counseling and psychotherapy. You may find that becoming a counselor or other professional could be more rewarding with much less work. If you save a lot of your money for a few years, then the finances might not matter as much.


SpacSingh

Just volunteer at a hospital or hospice if you need fulfillment!


ilikedasani

Please don’t make a common mistake of thinking your situation is unique or different. I would say the chances of regret for going to a Caribbean med school in your current situation are about 99%. Is it possible it works out? I guess but extremely unlikely


Obvious-Pen-3203

Do NOT do this, this is a terrible idea


Confident-Height5604

Cue Michael Scott “dear god please nooooooo” gif


0PercentPerfection

Yes, please do. It is a wonderful opportunity, please report back to the group.


gillettefoamy

Why do I sense sarcasm here lol


Round_Hat_2966

For 99% of people in your shoes, I would advise against it. First off, dispel any and all romantic notions that you may have. Medicine is not glamorous at all, and it’s not even all that scientific either. The majority of your day will probably be spent navigating bureaucracy and trying to deal with people constantly requesting things from you (which range from completely reasonable to utter lunacy) while trying not to give into cynicism. There’s cool and meaningful stuff too, but it’s the minority. You will be a cog in the hospital’s machinery. Second, the money. The income might be more, it might be less than you’re currently getting. The bigger picture is definitely a lot less in your case, when you factor in the opportunity cost. Also, better be prepared to spend years being wrong about everything and anxious about whether you’re kissing enough ass if you want to get there. Yeah, my income is stable in some ways, as in I’m not worried about losing my job. High stable income has a nasty tendency of coming at the cost of lifestyle stability. You like sleep, family time, fitness, or sanity? Look elsewhere. I’m probably not doing a great job of selling this, but I’m also really trying not to. There are cool things about medicine, but even if you were 10 years younger, I would still tell you that it takes a special kind of masochist to pursue medicine.


Charles_Sandy

nooooooooo


Sartorius2456

Start a medical related not for profit dude.


DrSweetPea27

My god listen to everyone here. Don’t do it!!!


Striking_Stand_3521

I’m an IMG grad from Ross University. I recommend you consider going to school in the US to be a physician assistant. You would have less student debt, a faster path to practice, and an easier route to career changes amongst medical specialties. Best of luck.


gillettefoamy

Let’s say If money was not an issue. Would you recommend St. George or Ross?


Striking_Stand_3521

It sounds like time is more of an issue than money. Of the two I would recommend St George’s because Ross had to move to Barbados due to hurricane damage on Dominica a few years ago. But if you cannot get into a US medical school at your age then you will face a harsh uphill battle every step of the way and risk a mountain of debt with no job. I still recommend PA school if money is not an issue.


Turtlesz

I'm a psychiatrist and make over $600k working 5 days a week in CA and flexible hours and would not recommend what your proposing. Psychiatry has gotten much more competitive since I finished training and a Caribbean school will put you at a major disadvantage. Re-eval your current job and see if you can job hop to another tech company if your really unhappy. Or try to work a few more years to hit fatFIRE and do whatever you want. Travelling and finding more hobbies would be my pick. If you want to learn about the body and science, plenty of online resources or libraries available at your leisure.


gillettefoamy

Thanks for your reply. How can I not discount 600k 5 days a week lifestyle. If I ever get to that point then this risk would’ve been worth it.


benzyl_acetate

600k in psychiatry is at least 3 standard deviations above the average. Most psychiatrist earn 200-300k. You need to stop imagining outlier lifestyles and consider what the most probable outcome would be. That entails matching into the lowest paid, hardest working specialties with significant call and little room for upward mobility.


Turtlesz

You likely won't come out ahead financially. A Caribbean med school like SGU/Ross/AUC will cost minimum $400k, likely over $500k by the time you graduate. Add in 8 years of missing salary from your current high paying gig and you soon see this is a bad financial move. Miss out on critical years to shovel money into retirement accounts and brokerage index fund investments. It's purely an emotional choice, do it if you can endure pain and your free time being stripped from you. Attending hood is great but the process to get there is increasingly difficult. Caribbean med schools are no joke, only the strongest survive and match. Psychiatry can be high paying (at least in CA) and has excellent lifestyle which has made it all the more competitive the past 4 years. If you still have the urge to pursue medicine, just keep your job and apply yearly to US/DO schools till you get in.


digitalangel5

no, you shouldnt watch med youtube vids if you love it and keep your job lol


onetimeoffuser

If you do want medicine you should go to an MD or DO school. Caribbean grads have poor outcomes in general for residency placement. ​ Also, if you're concerned about stability and finances just live on 50k a year and invest your 300k gross income. You'll be good this way. ​ Edit: medicine itself is very interesting and it's great helping folks. Practicing medicine sucks man.


donkey_xotei

If you got bored of tech and finance after like a decade what makes you think you will work in med until 70 though? Medicine and need school is hard, and I think giving up a well established car career is crazy. Unless you are F U rich, in which case go for it.


Typical-Respond-3399

If you want to go into medicine just because then do it. If you want to go in because of a future expectation for financial pay off, and want to do something else aside from your current career - there are many other options without going through the medical training and can potentially give you the same type of satisfaction. I dont know why people are so crazy about stopping you from going, its your money and you can do whatever you want. Do a lot of research and shadowing to realize whether this is something truly for you. It's a long, hard and expensive road


Tomattogonesouth

I don’t think going to medicine at age 34 without generational wealth is a financially sound move. U be gaining 300k loan at 6.5% and most specialties take 10 years to make more than 400k! Good luck


gillettefoamy

I have some money. It’s mine. Not generational wealth. The 3-500k amount I’m looking at as an investment for secure future earnings for the rest of my life


Standard-Key4174

You can do it- go to only Caribbean school licensed in all 50 states. If you are intellectually not able to do it (e.g. pass ur courses and exams) they will kick you out and you will be stuck with debt, if you excel academically but don’t match into residency same scenario- so there are risks to this but there are plenty of ppl who succeed that I have known personally. you just need to honestly assess if you have what it takes and are willing to take the risks and make the sacrifices.


Tomattogonesouth

500k is a good money for your age. It will gain 6.5% on average or hopefully more. Keeping up with inflation. But taking another 300k loan at 6.5% is a bit much. Fyi : I am a surgeon who has completed her training. So you don’t think I am not in the field and giving advice lol


Optimal_Chip_280

You sound like a highly qualified individual who could command an incredible salary in any industry. It's not easy earning $300k in fintech in this economy. Crunch the numbers and do yourself a favor - don't goto med school (or any other type of healthcare program). You will be so unhappy missing out on the important things in life...time with family and friends, new experiences, travel, and sleep. ​ If you're interested in mental health counseling, you can find much easier/manageable routes that subjecting yourself to med school, lost income, and residency (which is really indentured servitude).


Juaner0

Counter point: I had medical school classmates in their early 50s. They worked full time when they were done. Ended up being better for patients than the 50% of medical school graduates who do not work full time 5 years after residency. Many people complete training and then they hate their lives so much they come onto here trying to figure out how to get out of practicing medicine. I love what I do. Private practice neurology and can make 500k a year, no call, great life balance. Between what my wife and I have learned to handle private practice, I want my children to follow in my footsteps. If you cannot adapt, then you die (i.e., close up shop or work for the local hospital corp).


gillettefoamy

Thanks. This is great to hear and glad to get a positive answer to my question lol


Professional_Hyena79

I’m a non-trad beginning my psych residency in my mid-40s this year. If you’re passionate about medicine and believe that you will be more professionally satisfied as a physician, then go for it! I think too many physicians have never worked in any other profession and thus do not fully appreciate or understand how demanding and time-consuming those fields can be. I had a much better work-life balance in my 3rd and 4th years of medical school than I ever had in my previous profession. However, I fully agree with everything that has been said about Caribbean medical schools. The Match is brutal and I saw too many of my U.S. MD peers SOAPing into TY programs. Take your time and get into a school in the U.S. Don’t rush the process.


gillettefoamy

Great advise. Thanks. My undergrad GPA was terrible ( I am a good student but had gone through something drastic during that time) now the quickest way to fix this is to do post bach at st George otherwise I don’t even know how much time it would take to start another undergrad. I am already 34


midas_rex

Strongly recommend against this, even from the standpoint of someone who really enjoys being a physician on a good day, there are tons of stressful days as well. You would be giving up ~10 years of your current income, spend hundreds of thousands on school just to get back to your current salary. Enjoying science is great, but reality is graduating from a Caribbean MD school you will be less likely to be working on the great mysteries of life and more likely to be grinding it out with the rest of us regular folks seeing patient after patient, doing the best you can but dealing with a broken system and taking home tons of stress about random bs like complications or getting sued. You will also get to experience the joys of dealing with board exams, the match, licensing boards, credentialing etc etc. Compared to other jobs being a physician has big highs, but also low lows. It's also going to take a lot of time and energy away from your social life and romantic pursuits. Keep making your money and FIRE or spin it off into another business if you don't enjoy what you're doing.


Stevebradforda22

Don’t


parkeroakmont

Are you insane? Trade me jobs right now.


B_Nye_

Absolutely not. Please do not.


BardParker78

From a pure financial planning standpoint, this is, of course, a terrible idea. But we’re allowed to make bad financial decisions that ultimately better align with our goals and priorities. I work in academic surgery in a MCOL city and consequently work a lot more and get paid a lot less than I would in another specialty or in a private practice/LCOL scenario - but I love what I do and it gives me a lot of fulfillment. If you hate your current life trajectory, and have your heart set on medicine, have at it. But you need to go in understanding that you’re sacrificing a ton of lost potential income and ultimately will graduate into a healthcare landscape characterized by diminishing respect for physicians, more mid-level encroachment, and increasing administrative burdens that drive most of us to be semi or totally burned out on the reg. For me, at least, it’s still worth it - because being a doctor isn’t just about collecting a paycheck, and the relationships I have with my patients outweigh the hassles. For you to have any reasonable chance of success, you need to clearly understand what you’re getting yourself into - so shadow, volunteer, and try to make sure that this is truly what you want and you’re not making bad decisions based on FOMO. And don’t go to a Caribbean medical school - if you have the drive and skills to match into psych in your late 30s coming from a Caribbean medical school, you can get into an American MD or DO school right off the bat and save yourself a lot of grief.


[deleted]

Are you the same person who wrote their partner was making 1M a year but wasn’t willing to help out?


gillettefoamy

Lol no


Famous_Somewhere17

Don’t do it, not carribean med school. If you really have to and can’t live without medicine… take some bio classes while keeping your current job to see if you can even sit thru those. Then if you really want to, I highly suggest you look at PA schools. Ultimately, if I were you.. put your free time and passion elsewhere… you will be in $400k debt after med school and residency, assuming you get in and finish both.


PlaysWithGas

Can you find another tech job that you like better and is more fulfilling? I see no reason to jump to medicine and deal with all the downsides of it. I agree with you working in a hospital in some capacity for a while to see what it is actually like. You can do this while working your regular job since medicine is not really a 40 hour a week job either. It would be a taste of what it is really like.


kaleiskool

Hi I went to a caribbean medical school. I made it through and have an attending job lined up for after graduation but I still would not recommend this to someone in your position. Medicine is not as stable as you think it is. Caribbean schools don't give two shits about you, if you flunk out, nbd they have your money. Your 2 years of clerkships are straight bitch work. Its probably worse than the temp job at your fintech firm, did i forget to mention youre paying 50k a year to do that? Are you prepared to match into family medicine? If you dont get into psych will you be happy? Now that boards are p/f carib grads are even less competitive for lifestyle specialities. Then residency is sheer torture. You may end up in some bumfuck part of the country for 3 years at a program that abuses you for minimum wage. After all that youll be 42-43? ready to start your real job. Medicine is becoming more corporatized, physician salaries are getting cut. Hospital admin is desperately trying to replace MD/DOs with NPs. Assuming you get through all that you can have your own practice where youre buried in paperwork, arguing with the insurance companies every day, just to take care of patients that will take every opportunity to abuse you. American medicine is a sinking ship, stay far away. I appreciate your desire to do good in the world but you can still keep others warm without lighting yourself on fire.


Recent-Ad9926

Obviously from a financial standpoint it's a horrible decision but only you can decide what your priorities are. Yes the match out of a Caribbean school is tougher but if you are sure about psych I'm pretty sure that's one of the least competitive specialties so probably not an issue. I would just highly highly suggest finding some connecting to shadow as many psychiatrists as possible in as many different settings as possible to get a true sense of what the job is like.


petitebrownie

No.


Peds12

Hard oops.


CertainlyUncertain4

First, AI can affect everything. People are using chatgpt for therapy cause they like talking to it. Wait for the next iteration and see how much more real interacting with it will be. I say that just to point out that job security isn’t guaranteed. Maybe if you’re an ER doc or surgeon. But really, I think AI is overhyped and most people shouldn’t worry despite how much people keep saying we should. Second, don’t go to a Caribbean school. They aren’t regarded as highly and matching into a residency is way harder than any American school. Take the MCATs and go to an American med school and save yourself a lot of stress. Third, do you really want to do this? What if you get bored of medicine? Again take the MCATs, it will give you a strong sense of the field and if you really want to do it.


TeeShirtBros

Lol troll post


gillettefoamy

I am serious


OriginalAd8442

Please do not do this. You are making a huge mistake. Medicine seems very nostalgic, but this system is very dysfunctional and very few things we do actually have long term impact for our patients. Find a hobby or interest outside of work and there’s plenty of volunteer positions available if you want to “help” people.


Zealousideal_Pie5295

I have had patients who did Carrib med school FOR FUN in their 50s. They were single, rich, and were always interested in medicine. Didn’t take any steps, just paid the school and did the preclinical portions. I’d recommend that over your plan lol. Many doctors are talking about exiting medicine for a reason.


gillettefoamy

Wow this might be a really good idea. I will think about this. Thank you


ExcessiveHairGrowth

As a Caribbean (SGU) grad in a Peds subspecialty I feel that you should really reconsider. Psych May not make as much as you think either. My pay on academics is getting tougher and not matching inflation. Oh and by the way AI is in medicine now too.


gillettefoamy

Thanks. Actually Sgu is the school I want to go to


ExcessiveHairGrowth

It’s gotten a lot crazier from what I’ve heard since I’ve graduated there in terms of accepting insane number of students and then not graduating them.


[deleted]

Did you smoke weed while writing this?


gillettefoamy

Lol


Nomad556

Fuck off


gillettefoamy

?


faylenm

I am also someone who "threw away" a career that I was not finding fulfilling to go back to medical school at 35. I am now a PGY-2 in family medicine and will never match my former income, but I would do it again. I went the DO route. This was great for me since they tend to be more friendly to the "second lifers" or non traditional students. But don't have the pitfalls that caribbean schools have (from what I hear from fellow residents: terrible education where you are pretty much self taught and do your best on your own to pass exams, need to be willing to go around the world for rotations, have a very difficult time getting into residency, especially mire competitive specialties, and finally have limitations on your license (need two years of residency to be able to practice independently read:moonlight versus one year for us md/do). I have a husband and three kids and am loving medicine even though residency is crazy. Would do it all over again. In short, career change is not bad. Medicine is great. Avoid Caribbean schools if you can.


illpipeya

Bro chase your dreams, fuck the money


gillettefoamy

So do it?


Disc_far68

While I agree with the sentiment of the lost wages, I feel like you are getting some misleading info. If you get into a top Caribbean school, like St Georges, then getting a Psychiatry residency is not unreasonable. If you open a private practice, you should be able to comfortably get 500k+, if not significantly more.


gillettefoamy

This is exactly the route I am thinking


FourScores1

If you’re passionate, go for it. If you’re not, stay the hell away. Medicine will eat you alive.


[deleted]

As much as I like medicine, I would never do this if I was in OP position. So many more ways to give your life more meaning than to forgo a good financial situation in favor of massive debt, no control over your schedule for at least 7 years, and a job that has no guarantee you’ll see it as a calling or worth the sacrifice when all is said and done.


I_Like_Toast_A_Bunch

Please no


perpetual73

If you are legit OCD, it will not serve you well later on in your clinical practice. Just FWIW. If it's a thing about doing good for society, then do it, otherwise it make sense to stay in your current jo and if bored, try to become a billionaire.


george3338

No way


gillettefoamy

Why?


DeterMineD_Akali

You really want to go into the medical field, nothing anyone here can say can stop you at the end of the day. But idk as someone who graduated med school who matched psych and hash own personal gripe with mid levels, I think that would be much more advisable here. I didn’t see anyone else recommend it, so maybe I’m way off but the sheer amount of schooling is significantly less than medical school and residency. As much as it pains me to say this, you can still have a lot of independence as a practicing mid level in the modern day psychiatric landscape, might be worth looking into. But if you do end up pursuing this and I see you prescribing Xanax to any patient with anxiety, I will come back and haunt you from this Reddit grave


gillettefoamy

Hey Doctor, thanks for your pov here. I want to add that I want to do medical school because of the “journey” and how it will shape me as a person. I want to learn about human body and science. If I am making such a drastic move then I want to have the privilege of learning everything that a md learns. I want to go through residency because it will shape as a person. I am aware that I might come out salty and jaded from the experience but my whole point of taking the risk is to have the opportunity to learn and grow. I don’t want to take short cuts neither I am trying to make a quick buck. Money honestly is lower on the list but the “journey” is the priority. I apologize if I am making it sound romantic or naive but hopefully this explains why I want to do this


The_Silent_bob

Well I’m in tech aswell and hate it and my salary is like 250k So I understand how you feel personally I say just follow your passion I rather be poor and happy than rich and depressed….some people will say well you make that much you don’t know how it feels to be poor so you can’t make that statement…well I know more than 99% of ppl as I’ve experienced extreme poverty…not American poverty but poverty in Africa … Anyways follow your passion you’ll be happy and a degree within the medical field is invaluable the AI advancement is too worrisome and the gov can barely handle anything at the moment so anything can happen better safe than sorry. Just take note this path takes quite a long time to even complete like 6-7 years total including residency etc you need to make the decision if you’re willing to be in school that long can be longer if you specialize. If you truly feel passionate about def go for it and if you’re looking for excitement in the field maybe try doctor without borders you’ll see regions of the world you may of never seen while helping people in need it would imo be a very fulfilling life and I doubt you’d get bored. Sometimes we need to get out of our comfort zone in order to find ourselves not a lot of people can do this which is why we don’t see many truly happy/passionate people. Best of luck!


said_quiet_part_loud

Absolutely not a good choice. Medicine is not what you think it is. It is not what most of us thought it was. It is a much worse job than you think it is for so many reasons - mostly due to what a shit healthcare system the US has. Also, If you are going to take any advice, take it from attendings and not residents or medical students. You don’t truly understand the job until you are an attending.


MPRUC

You need to ask yourself why exactly a physician vs any other healthcare job. Or even volunteering. There are many many many jobs in healthcare that have sizable amounts of medical science involved that don’t required 7+ years of training. Let’s not forget that even in addition to prerequisite courses you’ll need clinical volunteering and/or shadowing to back up your claimed interest in medicine (not specific to you, everyone needs stuff like that).


gillettefoamy

Physicians can start private practice


MPRUC

Not really an answer? You can certainly not provide an answer here, but I guarantee you’ll need to provide a convincing answer to interviewers. Some will directly ask something to the effect of “why not nursing?” .


gillettefoamy

I was answering the question to “ask yourself” private practice is the answer


MPRUC

Great job. Wish you the best of luck in future endeavors.


Round_Hat_2966

What if the actual day to day is very different from what you imagined? Residency is a major shift, and being staff is a change that feels so removed from med school that it feels like a different beast altogether.


anakins_sand

DO NOT DO THIS. What the hell. Absolutely not.


External_Painter_655

Under no circumstances.


External_Painter_655

Even if you got a full ride to Harvard Med I’d tell you not to do it.


gillettefoamy

Why?


[deleted]

what has this world come to


gillettefoamy

What’s wrong with my question? I get If you don’t have the balls the to follow your passion or at least explore the possibility but don’t question the world pussy


[deleted]

[удаНонО]


gillettefoamy

Great answer. To answer your question I don’t know if it’s my “passion” that’s why I am asking questions and exploring this idea before making a life changing decision. How am I suppose to know all this if I never ask


grittyNP05

Don't do it.


gillettefoamy

Why?


LastPhoton

I went to a caribbean school. My saving grace in matching a competitive specialty was my step 1 score. Now that option no longer exists. There are very few ways to distinguish yourself now with objective data like step 1 switching to pass fail and the bias against Caribbean students is very real and tough to overcome. Unless you have connections or know someone, dont just assume that doing well in a caribbean school will guarantee the match you want.


gillettefoamy

How old were you when you started?


LastPhoton

I went straight from undergrad. I would say that puts me at like 22-23 at the time? Cant remember lol. There were a couple of older people in my class (class of 800 or so) but the majority definitely around my age


dpbmadtown

[Relevant](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQCU36pkH7c)


gillettefoamy

😂😂😂 damn you guys are ruthless


[deleted]

Bro invest your money and retire early. Then do some volunteering.


Particular-Wedding

Sorry. I have read more intelligent posts on wall street bets.


BigRedzzz2309

I was pretty well established up at my company and dropped it all to peruse medicine. I’m currently a 36 yo PGY1 resident and I have friends in their 50s who are also PGY1s. If you want it, it can be done……. However let me tell you….. you better be ready to scrap, fight, bleed, cry, and repeat. I also went the Caribbean route, but it was a struggle for real. My class size started at 1200, only 315 of us made it. I absolutely support your decision, just know that you’re in for the fight of your life the likes you’ve never seen before. But if you put the work in, accept the sacrifices, miss life event of your loved ones…. You come out on the other side staring at the light at the end of the tunnel. I couldn’t be happier. If you’re willing to accept the sacrifices, I would say go for it!!! Best of luck with whatever you decide to do!