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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 9/22/2009 2:16 AM (GMT 0)
It's really hard right now for college students because of current economic conditions. It's hard to find a job, salaries are low, and costs for living and food are very expensive. I'm paying for my daughter's food, housing, and tuition. She was able to get a scholarship; so tuition is inexpensive. It's the food and living arrangements that are expensive. But I'm okay with driving my old 1996 Saturn and not having any savings if it means she will get an education. Her program is five years; four more to go...
Posted 9/22/2009 3:11 AM (GMT 0)
A relative of mine went from B.S. in mechanical engineering at MIT to law school & he then became a patent lawyer. This has given him a lot of professional satisfaction as well as flexibility with scheduling & a good income. If your son is good at math/advanced science many possibilities will crop up for him-- even sports medicine could work out if he really wants to do it for the right reasons. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])
Posted 9/22/2009 5:11 AM (GMT 0)
I work from home right now and I love this lifestyle. I know I will have to get a job eventually, I need benefits but I have to say I enjoy every single day of my life right now so much more than I did when I worked fulltime. The thing about being in medicine is that a lot of the time, the work is not in helping people but in marketing your business and managing office tasks, that is, if you're owning your own business. Working for someone else can be rewarding but your income level will always be capped. I personally hate the rat-race. I love working alone and being my own boss. Depending on your personality, you may or may not be happy taking orders. I am pretty creative and I get more done when people are off my back. I am capable of doing a lot of different things and I don't need to be directed, in fact, I dislike too much direction. I wish I owned a little shop or restaurant, that would be my dream. I want to own a business. These days we are taught to "get a job", the real winners in this country are the business owners. People travel from all over the world to start a business here in the US. Funny that most US citizens are so scared to take a risk they sit at a desk working for peanuts and put nothing into savings for retirement, we will all work until we die.
Posted 9/22/2009 6:34 AM (GMT 0)
Actually, being a non-surgical doctor could work really well with UC. MANY doctors initially go in it for the money, but many find they love the subject/classes/people after a few years of classes and residency. Doctors are in such incredibly high demand that they can really set their work conditions (again, not the case for surgeons who must be standing in an OR half the day).

Plus, pre-med classes can easily be applied to almost any major. I started pre-med and took physics, calc, biology, chem, etc my first couple years. I switched to Engineering my Junior year and still graduated on time.
Posted 9/22/2009 11:04 AM (GMT 0)
I'm a dentist married to a physician. Trust me, don't go into medicine for the money. We consider ourselves VERY lucky that we went to state schools, so our collective educational debt is just under half a million dollars. (a bargain, right?! ha ha)
Medicine is a long, hard road! The average doctor is close to 30 by the time they're finished with residencies and fellowship training. Dentists finish a little earlier (26 or so) but if you want to do a residency like orthodontics, you're looking at the same time frame as an MD.

A doctor's life is not the cushy rolling in the money lifestyle your son may be imagining. My husband does bring in a sizable income, but he works an average of 70 hours a week, with at least one night a week on call, which means rushing to the hospital at any minute during that day or night. He only gets one day off each weekend, too. I have it a little easier as a dentist; I only work 3 days a week at the moment (I am a busy mommy as well as a dentist). I still take emergency calls, though not as many as my husband.

Medicine and dentistry is best suited to the person who wants to take care of other people. If you're in it for the money you will be burned out and jaded very early. Many of our colleagues already are (we're in our early 30's-just getting started) who approached the field in this way.

If he wants to make money, he should study business or banking.

I'd never let UC dictate what career best suits me! Though, having UC and being a dentist hasn't always been easy, but most of the time it works just fine. My assistants know that sometimes I will have to step out of the room in the middle of a procedure and they're good about keeping my escapes discreet!

Good luck to your son. -Erica
Posted 9/22/2009 11:10 PM (GMT 0)
"His absolute dream job would be to be a team physician for either NBA, NFL or a college team. "

If that's the case, I would have him take a look at sports medicine or physical therapy programs. At the very worst he'd end up being a trainer for a high school team.

subdued-I just graduated and it's terrible. I'm stuck living at home because I can't find anything that pays over ten bucks an hour.

notsosicklygirl-my boyfriend does a work from home thing for awhile. I did it for about a month, but it bored me to death (it's a search engine rating job). Also, not all of us who work for someone else are playing it safe and pushing pencils at a desk job. =P
Posted 9/22/2009 11:15 PM (GMT 0)
What about veterinary medicine? Less malpractice insurance and quicker in and out time between "patients."
Posted 9/22/2009 11:26 PM (GMT 0)
Vet medicine is harder to get into, and you have to worry about tackling 80+ pound dogs. Plus the patient can't tell you what's wrong. It's much more strenuous.
Posted 9/23/2009 1:19 AM (GMT 0)

Malkavian said...
Vet medicine is harder to get into, and you have to worry about tackling 80+ pound dogs. Plus the patient can't tell you what's wrong. It's much more strenuous.

Plus, if money is a big concern then Veterinarian medicine probably isn't the best place. The average vet in the U.S. makes between $60,000 and $80,000 (depending on location). A nice salary for sure, but hardly the lap of luxury that he would be able to afford with a well-into-the-six-figures MD salary. Still, he needs to do what's right for him.
Posted 9/23/2009 2:02 AM (GMT 0)
     $60 - $80 grand a year?  Is THAT all for vets?  Coulda fooled me!  Vets here in south Jersey charge a fortune to care for pets and they want you to keep coming back to get the animals all kinds of shots.  Our two mutts lived to be 14 and 16 and with the exception of emergency treatment for the male dog (he was attacked by our neighbor's dog), they never got more than their initial shots, Rabies shots and heart worm meds.

     A tad off topic here....oops idea

Posted 9/23/2009 2:12 AM (GMT 0)
That's the average across all Veterinarians. I'm sure vets with private practices make more than those that work for companies (e.g. meat plants, farms, zoos, research vets, etc). Still, considering the average Vet graduates with ~$150,000 in debt (1/3 are well over this mark), it's obvious that they aren't doing it for the money.
Posted 9/23/2009 2:23 AM (GMT 0)

Malkavian said...

subdued-I just graduated and it's terrible. I'm stuck living at home because I can't find anything that pays over ten bucks an hour.

Yah. There are so many college-age students who are having trouble making ends meet.

Even I, with my graduate eduction and few years experience as a Web developer, am unable to save. It's not like I spend a lot of money. I was living in a one-bedroom apartment with my two daughters. The first one finished college, met someone, moved out, had a baby, and got married. I moved from Cupertino to San Jose--not a long distance--so my second could go to SJSU. She and I and her boyfriend were living in a one-bedroom apartment. I have since moved out to live with my boyfriend. I'm paying my daughter's rent, but not paying any rent to live at my boyfriend's. Her boyfriend helps by paying for some of my daughter's food and anything they need for the apartment.

I am highly educated and have a descent job, yet I'm driving an old car and have no savings. It's not like I spent a lot of money. I was living in a one-bedroom apartment since 2000. I've been driving the same car since 2000. I rarely travel. I've spent very little on furniture. I've gone without life, health, dental, and vision insurance.

I really don't know how people are surviving.

------

Being independent is a fallacy. Even if you are living in your own house, are single, and are working, you still need someone to build the house you live in, to make the food you eat, to make the clothes you wear... We need each other for jobs, food, shelter, clothing, health care...

Many people who moved to the United States from other countries are able to accumulate money by living together in one house. Being independent is not revered like it is in the United States. It used to be that kids were expected to leave home after high school and survive on their own. It was looked down upon if one stayed home after the age of 18. Now that we are competing with other people who live in other countries that attitude is changing. Living standards are balancing out globally. While poorer countries are getting richer, richer countries are getting poorer. Hopefully, in the end due to the law of comparative advantage, the average person will have more as countries focus on what they do best for the cheapest price. However, it also means that we will need to make concessions due to a lower standard of living.

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Posted 9/23/2009 4:19 AM (GMT 0)
I think that your son should try for whatever career path he desires to go for. I don't think he would last long in med school if he wanted to be a doctor just for the money though (which I bet he kinda wants to for other reasons as well :)

He sounds very bright and I'm sure he will succeed in whatever path he chooses to take. I don't think we should let our diseases limit us anymore than we have to.
Posted 9/23/2009 8:52 PM (GMT 0)
Today i wish i was a GI, I would have taken such good care of myself :-) I would suggest medical college.....let him control his health and also be what he wants to be. " Doctor for money" - he is just 18 - when i was young even i wanted to do something that would get me lots of money....as he will grow he understand what is more important in life :-) ..... intelligent doctors are always & will always be in demand :-)
Posted 9/23/2009 9:03 PM (GMT 0)
How about becoming a scientist?
Posted 9/23/2009 9:38 PM (GMT 0)
Don't let UC dictate his choice. I got UC at age 16. I was in the hospital for over a month, missed three months of school. My colitis was hot and active for years and years. Yet somehow I went to college, got a BA in Elementary Ed and I taught for nearly 40 years. Yes, I had some really tough days, but I really refused to let the disease limit me. It was not always easy but I did not want the disease to win. I am now retired. I still have UC although over the years, the symptoms became much less severe. I still substitute. Who knows what meds, what new discoveries will be made.
I had a severe case, it was pan colitis and the meds were fewer than they are now.

Let this be his choice....
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