Do you think your teen is smart enough to become a doctor*?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doctor here and I hope my kid is smart enough to become a plumber.

More money in plumbing, actually, than in some medical areas, and an apprenticeship is nearly as hard as getting through a second tier medical school. And no constant threat of being sued out of existence.

Why do people talk like this? Hyperbolic and makes you sound stupid.

...go ahead and respond how plumbers have no debt, how they're happier, find me the owner of a business that grosses $1.4M a year, blah blah.

The average plumber hates their life, struggles to pay bills, has serious health conditions by age 50, and has no college fund for the kids. Great life!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a DD who is more than smart to become a Dr. but will she put in the work? That is an issue. Everything comes so easy to her, and now when it is time to sit down and really study, for you have to study in high school and even if you are as smart as anything, unless you open the book.. Still has great grades, but that won't continue with taking so many AP and Honors classes, she has to really warm the chair, so to say. But, what is driving me crazy is FIL who is constantly telling her that she should be a PA and to stop thinking about being a medical Dr. First, it is none of his business, and second, why not aim higher and then, if it doesn't work out, there will be other options.

PA is a wise choice for a woman who wants work/life balance in the medical field. Of course, then mom and dad have to say DD is a PA, can't tell all their friends she is an MD.

MD and PA both wage slaves for Kaiser anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've learned that many intelligent people have ho-hum jobs. I'm sure some research doctors have very high IQs, but I'd guess most are of average intelligence, and above average drive to succeed.

Nope. You can't be average intelligence and pass university physics, organic chemistry, the math classes, etc. You don't have to be a genius, but you have to be able to achieve more academically (and that's not just drive, though it plays a role) than the average person can.

You don't use that in the day-to-day work, but it's the background for understanding pharmacology, for example.

[Anonymous]

You don't have to be super smart to be a Dr. You just have to have to be hardworking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doctor here and I hope my kid is smart enough to become a plumber.

So true! Insurance has ruined the medical profession.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doctor here and I hope my kid is smart enough to become a plumber.

So true! Insurance has ruined the medical profession.

All of my doctor friends with $1M-2M homes, new BMWs/Audis, country club memberships, kids in private schools, family holidays to Hawaii and Europe must not have gotten the memo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't have to be super smart to be a Dr. You just have to have to be hardworking.

Sure! You just keep telling yourself that.

It will last until you have to complete the coursework, but if you never try, that's good enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doctor here and I hope my kid is smart enough to become a plumber.

So true! Insurance has ruined the medical profession.

All of my doctor friends with $1M-2M homes, new BMWs/Audis, country club memberships, kids in private schools, family holidays to Hawaii and Europe must not have gotten the memo.

I wouldn't be so sure your physician friends are as wealthy as they appear. My FIL is on the board of a hospital. As it turns out, there are a lot of doctors with $1-$2 million homes, BMWs, etc, that have a net worth of zero. Doctors may be analytically intelligent, but that doesn't mean they're well versed in business, finance or simply knowing how to live within one's means.

[Anonymous]

My daughter has the brain power but not the physical fortitude. I have no problem saying she doesn't have what it takes because she will barf on the floor the first time she has to do an exam. She also frankly lacks the compassion I think is needed in a good doctor. Just being honest!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What's meaner is acting like every child in existence is fantastically brilliant/pretty/athletic/talented. These parents who act like their special little snowflake is the supreme in every category. Sets these kids up for failure. They're given bizarre self-deluded fantasies of their abilities and reality will eventually be pretty cruel for them. What's wrong with mentioning that a particular child isn't likely to be a doctor? Good for that parent. Only a tiny fraction of any group of kids is every going to attain that high rung, that top job, that brass ring. Isn't it ok to grow up to be an insurance agent?

Doesn't help when teachers inflate all the grades and literally every kid with a pulse has A's and B's, even 4.0's are a dime a dozen now. Unless you dive into test scores or see your kid reading for fun all the time it's really easy to become conned into thinking your kid is really smart and hard working.

You know, I find it frustrating when parents claim that nearly anyone can be an A student in high school or college. I assure you that there are plenty of kids who try hard and live with B's and C's. It's sort of insulting to imply they must be nearly subhuman to have such GPAs. Not everyone is the same.

Agree, and never mind that it is actually not true that 4.0s are dime a dozen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doctor here and I hope my kid is smart enough to become a plumber.

More money in plumbing, actually, than in some medical areas, and an apprenticeship is nearly as hard as getting through a second tier medical school. And no constant threat of being sued out of existence.

Why do people talk like this? Hyperbolic and makes you sound stupid.

...go ahead and respond how plumbers have no debt, how they're happier, find me the owner of a business that grosses $1.4M a year, blah blah.

The [b]average plumber hates their life, [/b]struggles to pay bills, has serious health conditions by age 50, and has no college fund for the kids. Great life!

And you know this how? How many plumbers have you had a longer than 5 minute conversation with, much less a meaningful one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter has the brain power but not the physical fortitude. I have no problem saying she doesn't have what it takes because she will barf on the floor the first time she has to do an exam. She also frankly lacks the compassion I think is needed in a good doctor. Just being honest!

Believe it or not most medical students are freaked out by blood . . . they get over it.

[Anonymous]

I've met a lot of Drs who are not very smart.
They are good at memorizing stuff and worked pretty hard in school.
Meh!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This was my Mom and Dad. It was clear nobody thought I was that smart and my grades were not good. I ended up with a really high SAT, went to a good college, graduated from a top law school with honors and got a job at a top firm. Even after all that I didn't really think I was smart because of the messages I got from my family. It is sad and very damaging. I think I did all that I did to try to prove something.

Well, where's the balance between being a Tiger mom pushing all the time and low expectations? My 4rth grader is a hard worker but is only ever slightly above average at whatever test he's taking whether it be in math or reading/writing. But he's got a crack analytical mind. I don't want to push him too hard but I don't want to give the impression of low expectations and have him end up like the Poster above. I think that reasonably smart people who try really really hard can get as far as the naturally gifted who are a little lazier. I just don't know where DS falls on that continuum and don't want him to think that I'm pushing him too hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doctor here and I hope my kid is smart enough to become a plumber.

More money in plumbing, actually, than in some medical areas, and an apprenticeship is nearly as hard as getting through a second tier medical school. And no constant threat of being sued out of existence.

Yes, yes. We have used a plumber who is simply brilliant. He can bang out an amazing bathroom or jerry rig an ancient sink depending on your needs/budget. His wife is a doctor.