Eurofag here, is med school generally worth it?

So, what about medicine?
>unless you're European
Which I am, could you elaborate about the available jobs after an MS?
There are lots of interesting industries it seems you could get into with a degree in one of those sciences, including the AI/ML meme, data mining, fintech, materials, biomedical/biotech...
>business / finance
Thing is, I tried that out (business) and I wanted to kill myself from boredom. I could go for comp sci, but being a code monkey seems like a last resort option.

For me it's worth it, but it depends from person to person. You can ask people or go shadow a doctor but this way you can get only a very superficial impression about this job.
The truth is, you can only know if it was worth it after finishing the university. Sometimes we have to make important life choices without being able to make an informed decision and you don't have that much control over your life as you think
t. neurosurgery resident Lieutanant Colonel Linkmarine

True. At this point I'm a bit desperate to find something that finally clicks. I'm almost 22, and up to now I've been hopping from major to major or taking gap years without being able to commit to anything because I just don't have a 'calling'
Maybe I'll just do it, finish it, and then find out if it was worth it.
>neurosurgery resident
Just from your personal experience, what would you say are the most difficult aspects of medical studies?

To me medicine seems like a huge amount of work and, more importantly, personal devotion. It's going to be your life, and unless you really, really want that (and are willing to slog through med school and beyond) it's not a good idea. It's very important to examine your personal motivations carefully when making a decision like this. Doing things "because they seem interesting" can lead to disaster several years down the line when you realise that you actually hate what you're doing, but are in too far to get out.

An MS or a PhD will get you research jobs. Some countries are much better at getting their graduate students hired than others (Germany being very good about this because of the close connection between research and industry). I guess even if you aren't German you could try to find work in Germany.

AI/ML, data mining, and fintech are all comp sci topics. Materials and biomedical / biotech would require graduate degrees in science or engineering, but to be honest I don't know much about the availability of jobs in those fields. You'd have to do some research on potential universities, their connection to industry, how often those industries hire people, etc.

In general I'd advise that you be very, very careful about choosing a field just because you're interested. The whole point of university these days is to get a job. Focus most of your effort on figuring that out, and use that to inform your choice of field.

Sure, studying for 10 years and then working 60 hour weeks is great.

Go for IT, idiot.

>I just don't have a 'calling'
Begging your pardon, but that's just retarded. And you're 22? My advice is this. Talk to your peers, especially ones who have graduated, and see who is making the most money in a field where it's not too hard to get hired and with a decent work-life balance. Go for that, and when you've got a stable job that pays the bills with money left over use your spare time to explore around for a "calling". Trust me, you do not want to be off the employment ladder in this day and age.

>examine your personal motivations
I want to end up in a career path that pertains to a field I enjoy, doing something reasonably lucrative. Aside from that, I'm not sure of anything, even though I've spent enough time introspecting trying to find what I want from life.
>slog through
Correct me if I'm wrong but there's no satisfying career that doesn't involve high effort. I could settle for an associate's degree in IT/SE and get hired by the gov doing 9 to 5 sysadmin or software maintenance, but that's depressing.
I don't like IT.
>that's just retarded
When your work requires effort and you have zero interest in it, isn't that a perfect recipe for burnout?
>who is making the most money
Among the people I know, those who make the most money and aren't overworked studied law, med (but not surgery), work in front-office banking, or got lucky/smart with a business of their own. There really aren't many outliers, everyone with an enviable situation belongs to one of those four categories.

>I want to end up in a career path that pertains to a field I enjoy, doing something reasonably lucrative.
The problem is that you're kind of doing it the wrong way. You want something to "click", that you'll instantly love the moment you see it. Unfortunately, that almost never happens. Plenty of people love their jobs, but if you ask them if they knew they'd end up in those positions often they'll tell you that actually, they had no idea it would be like what it is. It's going to take work to get to a point where you can actually determine whether or not a career is satisfying. That's why I'm telling you to focus on a job that satisfies material wants for the most part. Pick one of the four categories that suits you best, ask around a bit to try to get more details, and then stick with it.

You might burn out, but then again you probably won't as long as you've done your research beforehand and understand exactly what kind of work you need to put into it.

Just to make sure I understand what you're saying: instead of looking for a field of study I like, I should just look at whatever makes good money and doesn't look boring, determine if the lifestyle seems to suit me, and just go with it?

Essentially yes, because you don't actually know for sure whether or not you like a field of study until you're actually in it. Running around trying to catch that moment of divine inspiration where everything falls into place and makes sense and it's all rainbows and sunshine afterwards is usually a fruitless endeavour. Your life isn't a movie, it's just your life and you need to take care of yourself.

Yeah, I think I get it.
Even taking that into account, I'm still attracted to med.
As you said, I do have to make sure I can handle the "slogging through 10 years of studying" part before going for it, but it still seems like the best choice I could make considering the other options.

Talk to your peers in med school, look up if burnout is a problem with doctors in your country, look up the academic requirements to see if you'll make it, do the math regarding losing 10 years of earning potential vs. a doctor's salary, figure out exactly what branch of medicine to aim for, etc. Also gauge just how enthusiastic and focused they are on medicine. If your levels of enthusiasm aren't anywhere near as high you might want to consider your options since the field is competitive.

>if burnout is a problem with doctors in your country
Not really, except for surgeons, but the burnout usually happens in med school. Not due to the difficulty, but the sheer amount of work.
My grades and overall level in the sciences are really good, what I need but lack is discipline
>losing 10 years of earning potential
Putting aside trades, any other options that pay well require a master's, so practically speaking, wouldn't the actual loss of earning potential be around five years?

>wouldn't the actual loss of earning potential be around five years?
Dunno, you do the research.

>what I need but lack is discipline
If you can't shape up to it then you might want to do something else. But anyway, you're 22. If you can't figure out at least a decently steady work ethic by now, you're toast. And you'll need work ethic in spades to get through med school.

>you'll need work ethic in spades to get through med school.
I've never crammed before, but it seems like something you either choose to do even if you don't want to, or don't, but there's no magic recipe to suddenly develop a work ethic.

if all you care about is money, then compsci, accounting, or masters in data/stats is fine. you will need internships and by get a decent wagie job and live comfortably.

Docfag here, can confirm.
I just wanted to help people and make a living out of it.
After a while you begin to realize diseases aren't the biggest problem but the patients and the rest of your coworkers are.
Don't regret it at all but some people will make you hate medicine for its worst aspects and others will give you a satisfaction I don't think any other career has.