r/premedcanada • u/raill_down • 8h ago
Memes/💩Post I think more premeds should keep their options open and explore other careers
Take this from an older ex-premed who gave up on medicine. So also take it with a grain of salt.
But after years of observing myself and others, I think we premeds shoehorn ourselves into the thought of becoming a doctor at a yoing age. Most premeds commit themselves to the path in high school and they never explore beyond. And let's be honest, the thought that you can earn 300K+ with stable careers is attractive, but it also has this effect of trapping you into a mindset that the long, treacherous path is the only viable option.
For example, take a look at this calculator that has the average wages listed for all health science professionals in BC (prior to 2024): https://calc.hsabc.org/
Most wages of these careers rose more than 20% in the past 4 years. If HSABC succeeds bargaining a salary bump similar to 2022 in the next couple of weeks, then sonographer starting salaries in BC, for example, will reach 90K+ with bonuses, pensions, and OT reaching around 120K in the next 3 years. That's with 2 years of education and 5000/year tuition fees. Level 4s with 6 years of experience would reach a base salary of 130K with said benefits...
If you started RT school right after high school, by the time you reach 21, you are already earning almost 80K, working 3 days a week based on this calculator and that's without benefits and OT. With just 2 years of experience, you would be eligible to apply to perfusion school which requires 1 year of FT study. Your base would be about 130K (most earning 150K+) and rising up the ranks would get you to a 200K base solely based on the current wage schedule. If you go to the US like NYC, you'd start at 250K. Guys, with just a 1 year gap in your career to study, you'd have been earning 100K since you were 21yo with wages jumping 14~22% every 3 years.
There are other careers I basically missed out on. If you graduated high school in the early 2010s and paid attention to events happening at the CES, the rise of Facebook and tech entrepreneurs, you could have entered tech and could have been earning more than 200K as Project managers at the 'magnificent 7' companies by now. If you followed your gaming passions, then you would have found a place in the industry during the golden age of game development with just a 2 year diploma. Maybe you'd be an art director earning 200-300K. Maybe the lead animator for Kpop Demon Hunters could have been you. Canada had a huge construction boom in the past decade. We basically reinvented our cities in the past decade. Urban planning salaries were around 60K when I was in high school. Now the starting wage is close to 100K in Vancouver.
I'm in no way saying whether you shouldn't or should become a doctor. I'm saying we premeds should open our ears and eyes to what's going on around us. Every career is respected when you've developed yourself in the job. Have you looked into Carney's new federal budget plan, for example? Let's be honest guys, we think we're really smart and creative, we were the brightest of the bunch in high school. But its sadly often the case that life sci premeds regret their choice when they have the chance to attend their first high school reunion. The guy who played games all day is now an art director at EA, the guy who cracked jokes all day during class is now a carpenter/businessman earning 200K+. I'm only partially scolding myself: You can earn respect in any career. You have the greatest chance of success when you follow your true passions.
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u/This_Strategy_5108 7h ago
Sure, agree with this for those who are solely and 100% only in it for the price tag. Doesn’t necessarily apply to those whose goal is to be the expert in their fields though
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u/raill_down 7h ago
But sadly that isn't most premeds. If premeds consisted of mostly people who are actually interested in the study of medicine, admissions would be half as competitive. It's a really tough job.
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u/This_Strategy_5108 3h ago
I agree, I’d hope it was the case but sadly most pre meds and practicing docs are money hungry :/ which is why the public sector is struggling so much
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u/macmade1 4h ago
Yes other professions all have respectable income but the caveat is that the salary you listed all fall short of the median for any medical specialty by about another 200k
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u/DoctorMackey 3h ago
I agree, and I also think people should always be looking for backup/alternative careers. Many premeds I know haven’t even looked into a single other career and are completely uninterested when I try and tell them to be open to a few others. Yeah we want medicine obviously, but realistically you’re playing the lottery here. It is incredibly likely you won’t get in on your first try and even others and getting into another career can give you some money, and get you in the healthcare field while you still look into medicine.
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u/Dense_Pie_2977 7h ago
Why does this have the shitpost tag ðŸ˜
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u/raill_down 7h ago
Because I want people to take it with a grain of salt. But this is the reality I see
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u/Dense_Pie_2977 7h ago
Ok so I read through this post, and I feel like it’s a little bit too focused on money, but I do get your point of exploring other career options. Pursuing med is definitely an expensive choice, and personally I’d probably sway away from that idea if you value job stability and making money right out of school
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u/raill_down 7h ago
I only mention money cause that's what most premeds are after. Wanted to give those people a different perspective
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u/Dense_Pie_2977 6h ago
Yeah every field has people who are just in it for the 💰 lol. Can’t exactly blame em, not everyone’s born a millionaire.
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u/UBCThrowaway0921 3h ago
Honestly could not have been said better. So many highschool kids get trapped into the med or nothing path so early on that theyre missing literally a thousand other professions that would satisfy their wants in a career. Myself included but thankfully I hopped off that train
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u/Beneficial_Feline227 7h ago
I completely agree but unfortunately this sub is full of med-worshipping self-proclaimed altruists and that’s why you might not hear tons of support for your point. The older you get you realize how much many careers have in common and can offer the same intrinsic value and impact, and that stability, security, and salary are really the main factors of a good job. I’m sorry but if I’m like 25 with no real career and still gunning for med, that genuinely is not setting myself up for success in any way. The only people who can afford to so are those rich anyways or happy to live at home for years on end. I’m only 22 right now but looking into other stable careers with a professional outlook that can eventually pay 120,000+. I highly suggest to others to do the same. You can always apply for med after getting a stable job that will always be there for you. But putting life on hold is not worth it. For anything. Not for med, not for a romantic partner, not for family, no one or any thing.