How to convince Asian family I don't want to do Med?

[dc302]

I hate asian parents. They think they understand what's best for you but they're just thinking what they would have done themselves. My aunt was telling me I have to be a surgeon because it's the 'best occupation', whereas she knows NOTHING about what a surgeon does and their lifestyle. She looks at the number on a salary site and bam--it's the best job. Some asian parents are seriously crazy and very ignorant.

[aes_999]

^Agreed. Mum was disappointed when
I didn't pick any sciences, because she
wanted me to become a doctor. As if I am
smart enough to get the ATAR...

[nacho]

Although not 100% sure when i say this,
but actuaries make like 150k+ and easily get 200K late career.
Whilst there aren't that many, it's because its a demanding career, as opposed to lack of job opportunity, is it not?
doubt you'd have to move to china or america to find a job in actuary

also you are correct about the 'older actuaries' thing.
I say, go to your parents and tell them why you honestly don't want to be a doctor?
Is it the blood? or just the type of work?
Go to them and say "I can't handle that type of work, and even if I became a doctor, I'd make a shit one. I can't take the stress of seeing death all around me""
Then pump out suicide statistics for doctors.
Also, i've heard (posted this in a recent thread too) that it's getting harder and harder to get an internship for doctors.

In addition, in regards to the doctor title thing, tell them you can just get a phd and get the "Dr" title.
And doctor really isn't that great pay in the beginning, and overall probably less than actuary unless you go into a specialisation, which is harder to get than actuary, therefore this would void the argument of you being stupid and not good enough to compete with smart people.. (although this is obviously not true lol)

in addition show them this thread

[ulbasour]

Become an investment banker, earn 500,000k + working hard but playing hard at the same time (i.e. going out, corporate events, international travel, snorting coke off rippers bootys etc)

[tram]

Become an investment banker, earn 500,000k + working hard but playing hard at the same time (i.e. going out, corporate events, international travel, snorting coke off rippers bootys etc)

Please, people at IBs don't have time to play hard, they are literally working 100 hour weeks, and making 100k for the first two years which is as long as most people last haha

[shinny]

Then pump out suicide statistics for doctors.
Also, i've heard (posted this in a recent thread too) that it's getting harder and harder to get an internship for doctors.

Doctors actually have about the same suicide rate as the national average. However, interestingly, they have a much much higher successful suicide rate. As for the internships, they're not going to run out any time soon for local students. Internationals were off the list a long time ago, but interstate students have only just lost their guaranteed status as of this or next year I think it was.

As for convincing them, most Asian parents are just plain stubborn. I second the idea to flunk your interview. Then once the result comes, just tell your parents you gave it your best but I guess that even the interviewers thought you didn't make the cut. It'll save you a lot of unwanted arguing and stress this way.

[dc302]

^ At least we can suicide properly.

[ulbasour]

Become an investment banker, earn 500,000k + working hard but playing hard at the same time (i.e. going out, corporate events, international travel, snorting coke off rippers bootys etc)

Please, people at IBs don't have time to play hard, they are literally working 100 hour weeks, and making 100k for the first two years which is as long as most people last haha

http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-10-14/wall_street/30278492_1_banks-anti-bonus-bloomberg

^^^^^

[Truck]

Well I called up Dr. He and although he hasn't completely convinced them it's hopefully better than before (I think). The main thing he was trying to tell them was that they should let me do something I enjoy. Though they still think it's a shitty career because when they asked Dr. He about job opportunities, he (no pun intended) replied that there aren't many places in Australia that require actuaries and they only require one or two so it's hard to find a job in Australia; you would have to go to America or China or other places where the economy is bigger. With that said, now my mum keeps stressing about how it's really hard to find a job as an actuary because job opportunities are limited while as a doctor, it's really easy because you just open your own clinic and life is pretty much chill from there (so much ignorance...)

The other thing my mum keeps telling me why doctor is better is because she thinks that actuaries will get phased out when they get older because the young ones will take their place while if you are a doctor you can still be a doctor for many years even when your really old. I don't really know how to explain to them why this is not true. I've told them that actuaries as they get older they get more experienced and get higher positions within the company but they don't understand.

Another argument she has is that as a doctor you can be self-employed so you are your own boss while if you are an actuary you will always be under someone else. Seriously I don't care if i'm not my own boss and I also told her that actuaries can be self-employed but she still thinks its the typical commerce job where you have to rise up the ranks as a little business worker...
and she doesnt care if i dont mind not being my own boss because she thinks im still inexperienced and dont understand

Also I told them that heaps of kids in the past that got higher than me in ATAR, even those that got 99.95, chose to do actuarial studies over med. But then my mum just gives the argument that they are smarter than you so they can succeed. You will have to compete with those guys and you'll be the dumbest of all the actuarial students so you'll struggle...

Could they be less supportive? Jesus christ lol, you got 99.35, if you can't do it nobody can .

[Starlight]

tell them you'll do engineering or dentistry instead

[Hotdogs753]

Get a part time job in the afternoon or at night so you can still go to uni full time and just move out now. That's what I'm working on even tho my parents don't force me to do anything I still have the feeling that they are trying to push me in a certain direction.