Prestige of Lawyer vs Physician

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a former BigLaw lawyer, from a top ranked law school. My good friend is an ER doctor, from a middle-ranked school.

I am blown out with respect for her. She actually can make a real difference--a life and death difference, and does all the time.

I'm almost 50 and so are many of my friends, so a common theme is: "I am entering into the second half of my life. I want to leave the planet a better place. (Besides raising good kids) What can I do to make difference?"

My doctor friend does not have to mull over this one.

I vote doctor.

You mean she is great at consults? ER docs don't deal with life and death. They exist to turf patients.

PP here. I don't get your meaning. She's often dealing with life/death situations.

No, ER docs don't. They are glorified primary care, except worse, because all they do is consult other services. Least prestigious in medicine.

Except when they aren't and they are saving your bacon while the surgeon/cardiologist/stroke specialist gets out of bed, gets in the car, and drives in to see you.

Let me guess, one of them told you that?

I'm an ER nurse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kim Kardashian makes more money than Big Law. She gets lots of free perks, such as designer clothes, luxury stays at resorts, flys in private jets, spends weeks on yachts. Way nicer than the free shuttle service and lunches for Big Law.

Her career in reality shows and sex tapes must be heads and tails more prestigious than Big Law.

And her dad was a lawyer. Although I don't think he was in Big Law, he was successful enough to become pals and represent OJ. And he certainly made enough to attract Kris and make beautiful babies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kim Kardashian makes more money than Big Law. She gets lots of free perks, such as designer clothes, luxury stays at resorts, flys in private jets, spends weeks on yachts. Way nicer than the free shuttle service and lunches for Big Law.

Her career in reality shows and sex tapes must be heads and tails more prestigious than Big Law.

And her dad was a lawyer. Although I don't think he was in Big Law, he was successful enough to become pals and represent OJ. And he certainly made enough to attract Kris and make beautiful babies.

LOL!! A lawyer that defended murderers, wow I'm so enamored. Becoming pals with OJ isn't brag worthy and who the hell was Kris when they met? They couldn't even keep tabs on there numerous children. Kim eloped at 19, Kim and Kourtney made sex tapes, they divorced so his law practice wasn't even enough to keep Kris.

But yes you can keep your inflated sense of self worth oh prestigious one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kim Kardashian makes more money than Big Law. She gets lots of free perks, such as designer clothes, luxury stays at resorts, flys in private jets, spends weeks on yachts. Way nicer than the free shuttle service and lunches for Big Law.

Her career in reality shows and sex tapes must be heads and tails more prestigious than Big Law.

And her dad was a lawyer. Although I don't think he was in Big Law, he was successful enough to become pals and represent OJ. And he certainly made enough to attract Kris and make beautiful babies.

LOL!! A lawyer that defended murderers, wow I'm so enamored. Becoming pals with OJ isn't brag worthy and who the hell was Kris when they met? They couldn't even keep tabs on there numerous children. Kim eloped at 19, Kim and Kourtney made sex tapes, they divorced so his law practice wasn't even enough to keep Kris.

But yes you can keep your inflated sense of self worth oh prestigious one.

Not talking about prestige. Just commenting that his kid never went into law and makes more money than he probably ever could for... being famous and a sell out. Just like the rest of the family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Why is everyone ignoring my examples?

A family practice DO is more prestigious than a HLS big law associate?

Because your examples are dumb.

+1 - that's not the appropriate comparison

there are various ways to look at this:

- is the average doctor considered to have a more prestigious career than the average lawyer? i think the answer to this is yes

- is the most successful lawyer considered to have a more prestigious career than the most successful doctor? i think no. maybe equivalent - but i'd think that the doctor would still win this one.

- is a low-level lawyer considered to have a more prestigious career than a low-level attorney> yeah, i think so

- is a law professor thought of as having a better career than a med school professor? this one i actually don't know the answer to. prbly equivalent?

- which one does your mom want to tell her friends about? doctor over lawyer, i think, in most cases

- if you tell someone you're a doctor or a lawyer and nothing more, which one are people more likely to be impressed by? doctor, i think

- is the most successful lawyer considered to have a better career than the least successful doctor? yes, in that case you're right, it's better to be the lawyer

signed,
former lawyer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Why is everyone ignoring my examples?

A family practice DO is more prestigious than a HLS big law associate?

Because your examples are dumb.

+1 - that's not the appropriate comparison

there are various ways to look at this:

- is the average doctor considered to have a more prestigious career than the average lawyer? i think the answer to this is yes

- is the most successful lawyer considered to have a more prestigious career than the most successful doctor? i think no. maybe equivalent - but i'd think that the doctor would still win this one.

- is a low-level lawyer considered to have a more prestigious career than a low-level attorney> yeah, i think so

- is a law professor thought of as having a better career than a med school professor? this one i actually don't know the answer to. prbly equivalent?

- which one does your mom want to tell her friends about? doctor over lawyer, i think, in most cases

- if you tell someone you're a doctor or a lawyer and nothing more, which one are people more likely to be impressed by? doctor, i think

- is the most successful lawyer considered to have a better career than the least successful doctor? yes, in that case you're right, it's better to be the lawyer

signed,
former lawyer

"- is a low-level lawyer considered to have a more prestigious career than a low-level attorney> yeah, i think so" - i meant a low-level doctor is considered to have a more prestigious career than a low-level attorney

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Why is everyone ignoring my examples?

A family practice DO is more prestigious than a HLS big law associate?

Because your examples are dumb.

+1 - that's not the appropriate comparison

there are various ways to look at this:

- is the average doctor considered to have a more prestigious career than the average lawyer? i think the answer to this is yes

- is the most successful lawyer considered to have a more prestigious career than the most successful doctor? i think no. maybe equivalent - but i'd think that the doctor would still win this one.

- is a low-level lawyer considered to have a more prestigious career than a low-level attorney> yeah, i think so

- is a law professor thought of as having a better career than a med school professor? this one i actually don't know the answer to. prbly equivalent?

- which one does your mom want to tell her friends about? doctor over lawyer, i think, in most cases

- if you tell someone you're a doctor or a lawyer and nothing more, which one are people more likely to be impressed by? doctor, i think

- is the most successful lawyer considered to have a better career than the least successful doctor? yes, in that case you're right, it's better to be the lawyer

signed,
former lawyer

"- is a low-level lawyer considered to have a more prestigious career than a low-level attorney> yeah, i think so" - i meant a low-level doctor is considered to have a more prestigious career than a low-level attorney

The thing is, most people don't really think there is a such thing as a "low level doctor." That should give you your answer right there.

[Anonymous]

Trust me, there are some pretty subpar doctors out there. Think foregn med school and failed boards a couple of times before passing. Still, subpar lawyers are a dime a dozen.

[Anonymous]

This is the awesomest trollfest.

Basically OP got a bunch of highly paid attorneys (and others) to bash their own profession for seven pages.

If there was a prize for trolling, this deserves the Nobel.

Regardless of how you feel about this non-issue, you have to give it to OP.

Take a bow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the awesomest trollfest.

Basically OP got a bunch of highly paid attorneys (and others) to bash their own profession for seven pages.

If there was a prize for trolling, this deserves the Nobel.

Regardless of how you feel about this non-issue, you have to give it to OP.

Take a bow.

Everyone who has half a brain knows lawyers are a dime a dozen around here. Everyone other than OP, I guess.

[Anonymous]

I don't care about prestige - which occupation has happier people?

It's definitely medicine.

[Anonymous]

Lawyer is only slightly more prestigious than a career in the janitorial arts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't care about prestige - which occupation has happier people?

It's definitely medicine.

There is a high suicide and substance abuse rate for lawyers. Dentists rate pretty high, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trust me, there are some pretty subpar doctors out there. Think foregn med school and failed boards a couple of times before passing. Still, subpar lawyers are a dime a dozen.

the school name matters much less for doctors than for lawyers. lawyers talk about undergrads and LSATs and HYS or whatever years after they have actually been practicing. for doctors, it's different. many highly skilled doctors went to never heard of schools (including foreign schools). that alone says a lot about the nature of the job and career. those people are actually paid and respected for the work they do, not for who they are, how smart they are etc. while performing boring work that is more often burden than a benefit to society.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, unless you've healed someone I find it hard to call a lawyer more prestigious than a doctor.

I studied business in undergrad and think you're all wasting your time - more bang for your buck in other careers. I mean as far as comp and work/life balance at least. Prestige or cachet, definitely goes to docs.