What do your parents want to you to be?

[Interficere]

there's more room for monetary success (and often creativity) in other professions

This needs a huge qualifier in that every doctor will earn a lot of money. There are no poor doctors (unless you subscribe to the theory that 150k a year means you're not well off). Whilst there is a much higher ceiling in other professions, such as the millions of dollars CEOs make, the vast majority of jobs will actually earn less than a doctor would.

They gave up on me being a doctor because I suck at maths.

?!?

Okay, they gave up because I'm quite terrible at anything that isn't a humanities subject. I'm pretty much destined to be an Arts student, in that I'd never fulfill the prerequisites for any other kind of course. I dropped maths in Year 10, and would've failed Methods if I had chosen to do it this year.

[luken93]

Just curious, but does anyone have any idea of why medicine is so prestigious?

As taiga said, medicine essentially has a ceiling: whilst the average doctor earns a great salary, there's more room for monetary success (and often creativity) in other professions. I'm not sure where I'll end up, but for me at least, positions in business, research and academia, communications, analyst jobs, law and politics sound more enticing than being a GP. Being a doctor requires an immense amount of training, ridiculous hours (at least at the beginning), somewhat gruesome work and exposure (with protection) to some pretty dangerous diseases (and some pretty crazy patients). I'm not saying that no-one should be a doctor - to the contrary, I think some people would be well suited to the job and would enjoy it - but from experience, a huge proportion of "high achievers" apply for medicine. Quite honestly, I don't think that all 10 or so of last year's 99.95s are better suited for medicine than any other profession (I mean, saying 30%+ of the top achievers are very well suited to any one profession is a bit naive), so why does medicine draw in so many top students?

I think the fact that (in general) doctors are:
 - Seen as being trustworthy (those yearly surveys of who you trust the most)
 - One of the best job securities
 - Are lifesavers
 - The scores needed to get it

As much as people like lawyers are up there, many people generalise that lawyers are out there to rip people off, while doctors are essentially doing all the can for you.

Just my 2 cents.

[Graphite]

Medentry?

[appianway]

If you do med, you are guaranteed to find a job anywhere in the world

Not quite true. It depends on the certification requirements in different countries. I know of someone who did their degree overseas, and then had to repeat their training in Australia. And then you have working visa problems (I imagine it'd be verryyyy difficult to be employed as a GP in the USA as a foreigner). Expert scientists and specialist managers/lawyers would have better luck at qualifying for visas in the states.

[taiga]

I thought the MBBS  is not recognized everywhere? May be wrong

[TrueTears]

Just curious, but does anyone have any idea of why medicine is so prestigious?

As taiga said, medicine essentially has a ceiling: whilst the average doctor earns a great salary, there's more room for monetary success (and often creativity) in other professions.

true, you can make millions of profit in a matter of seconds in futures/options markets

[LOVEPHYSICS]

I have a friend who is doing bio medicine currently, with the intention of getting into med school in the future. He believes that this pathway is the surest way in getting rich before he hits 30...

[taiga]

Quite honestly, I don't think that all 10 or so of last year's 99.95s are better suited for medicine than any other profession

This also pisses me off. We really going to confine some of (what the system determines as) our greatest minds to being the local GP?

[appianway]

Quite honestly, I don't think that all 10 or so of last year's 99.95s are better suited for medicine than any other profession

This also pisses me off. We really going to confine some of (what the system determines as) our greatest minds to being the local GP?

Not all of them will be GPs, but I share the same sentiments (and I think it was more like 15 students, and a whole other bunch doing biomedicine/science with a guaranteed pathway). Society needs brilliant engineers, scientists, political advisors, politicians, diplomats, economists, journalists, historians, military strategists, psychologists, educators (and more!) as well as doctors. Yes, we need some incredibly smart surgeons and specialists, but I see it as a waste that such a huge proportion of smart kids end up in one field, especially when some have incredible talents in other domains.

[Russ]

The only way it's a waste is if you put the wants of society ahead of the wants of individuals

[luken93]

I have a friend who is doing bio medicine currently, with the intention of getting into med school in the future. He believes that this pathway is the surest way in getting rich before he hits 30...

Good luck, even if he makes Med PG he won't be an intern until he's 25...

[Zien]

My parents want me to become a doctor or an engineer (my dad for doctor, my mum for engineer). It doesn't really matter to me because I have a passion for both, but much moreso for medicine.

As for why so many people choose medicine, I'm guessing it's to do with either diversity, daily challenges of diagnosis, medical advances, job security and high average salary. If the parents are ‘encouraging’ (i.e. forcing) their children into medicine, it’s probably because of the job security, high average salary and the prestige of being a doctor. It’s not so much the ceiling-breaking salary but a stable and a high-salary job. They won't have fun at all regardless of how prestigious the position is if they don't like the stuff involved though.

[monokekie]

Rich with big houses and good cars, with lots of grandchildren for them to spoil (fail: I don't want kids)
 
Have a good successful career with "status" (i.e. High Court judge, world-class neurosurgeon, head of NASA etc.) (fail: I like languages which will get me exactly nowhere)

Also married to a handsome, rich, Chinese-speaking, smart, successful, kind and respectful man (no comment)

lolol

[appianway]

The only way it's a waste is if you put the wants of society ahead of the wants of individuals

That's true, but sometimes I wonder whether our society persuades talented individuals that medicine, business, engineering and law are the only reputable/prestigious careers. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying we shouldn't have doctors or that most medical students only choose the profession because of the associated prestige - but I do wonder how many students currently undertaking medicine would be in the same course had the ATAR requirement dropped to about 88.

There was a time a few years ago when I genuinely wanted to do medicine - I was willing to study hard for the UMAT, to consider interstate options, everything. Things changed when swine flu hit, and I started thinking about what the job actually entailed. I (thankfully, and miraculously) realised that the job wasn't for me at all: at this stage in my life, I'd prefer doing something else. I have friends who'll make brilliant doctors and who know what they're in for, but I think many medicine applicants see a glorified view of the profession and don't spend time exploring other career options. I think there's a problem when people who hate communication, biology and chemistry apply for medicine with no consideration to other careers, but meh, each to their own opinion.

Oh, and Russ, I'm seriously not trying to demean those who are pursuing a medical profession. I'm just saying that a disproportionate number of high achievers choose that path - I wonder if their talents could benefit society moreso in another profession, and I wonder whether they'd actually enjoy that more. I seriously do respect those who have a genuine passion for the practice of medicine: I doubt I'd ever be able to do it and I can see how it could be an incredibly rewarding career.

[Russ]

ur society persuades talented individuals that medicine, business, engineering and law are the only reputable/prestigious careers.

Perhaps I was overstating the ability of high school students to not be pressured into a career. I just can't help but think that nobody ends up working as a doctor if they're not passionate about it, because it's not exactly a walk in the park. I just don't think it's a waste because they'll still be doing something they enjoy even if another field might have "better" suited them.