*snort.
Sorry.
When my hubby and I started out on this journey, I was under this false impression too. Doctors drive fancy cars. They have big houses. They go on luxurious vacations. Little did I know what I was in for…
Let me start with a disclaimer: this blog post is not intended as a complaint, nor am I looking for pity. I’m just trying to tell it like it is, people.
Becoming a doctor is quite the expensive, trying process and I’m afraid I’m going to have to stop and explain a bit of it here. If that doesn’t interest you, please skip ahead.
A medical career begins in Undergrad. You have to get really good marks in all 4 years (like, really good) and take really hard Science courses (did I mention I majored in English?). And you should probably also volunteer somewhere (preferably medical) every year, and take interesting trips to other parts of the world. This looks good on your application.
Then you have to write the MCAT. It’s a little 8 hour exam that you have to study months in advance for. And you have to do really well (like, really really well).
Then you can apply to Medical schools. This is a laborious and fairly expensive process. If you’re lucky, you’ll get an interview (or 2 or 3). You then face a subjective panel of physicians, community members, and med students who decide if they think you should be accepted. If you do get in (some people, like my husband, have to complete a Master’s degree and apply again), you’re overjoyed, and relieved that the process is over. Think again.
Medical school is 4 years long in Canada (except for a few schools that don’t have summer breaks and git’er done in 3 years). In your second-last year you better start to figure out what you want to specialize in and start completing electives (across the country) and research projects in those specialties. This is the part no one told me. Getting into Medical school is just the beginning. You have to apply to match to a residency-training program. So even though you’re a Dr. after the 4 years, you can’t practice medicine until you complete your residency (used to be referred to as an internship).
This residency matching process is referred to as CARMS.
shudder.
The memories are still fresh.
In this process you apply to the programs that you want to match to. A residency training program is anywhere from 2-6 years long. A family medicine residency is 2. Most surgical residencies are 5.
If you get interviews (and you better hope you do), you have to fly to the different cities across the country to interview. Once your cross-Canada tour is over, you sit down and rank the programs from 1 to whatever. The program directors also sit down and rank everyone they interviewed, from 1 to whatever. Then a computer makes the best match. You log on in March and ta-da, find out where you’ll be for the next 2-6 years of your life.
What?
Yep, a computer makes the best match, and you are contractually bound to accept that match. For the next 2-6 years of your life.
Then there are fellowships, which can be completed after your residency to further specialize, but I think I’ve explained enough for now.
Let’s get back to the money.Medical school for my hubby cost about $14,000 a year. And you certainly can’t work while you’re in Medical school. Hello, line-of-credit. Then you add all the crazy expensive and intimidating textbooks. Plus any medical tools (like stethoscopes and otoscopes), also not cheap.
Remember those electives and then the residency interviews he had to fly all over the country for? Also out of our pocket.
Then my hubby began residency. Surely the money would start rolling in now.
Or not.
If we calculate my husband’s wage, based on the number of hours he works, he makes about 15$/hour. I made $16/hour as a teenager, working as a lifeguard at the YMCA.
And when he’s on-call and works 13 hours through the night, saving lives? Here’s 110 buckeroos (about 8$/hour).
Needless to say, we have a crap-load of debt. An incredibly huge crap-load.
Now when he completes residency, finds a job (yet another, not-so-easy process), and starts working as a staff doctor, yes the pay is quite good. But we have many, many years of debt to pay off.
I don’t see any fancy cars or big mansions in our near future…
Are you or your spouse in the medical profession? I’d love to hear your comments.
