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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]There was a quip about lawyers a few pages back, and being that I am one, I do feel the need to highlight that many people don’t even get to BigLaw and if they do, they don’t last long. BigLaw is generally reserved for graduates from top schools and the valedictorian of lower ranked schools. I was shocked when a friend from UVA Law told me she had multiple unemployed classmates.

I lasted in BigLaw for 6 years after graduating from HYS  - well past the typical stint of 2-3 years. I paid back my loans, bought a house and furnished it, and piled up savings. I knew going in those would be my highest earning years. Now I make $200k in house and here’s the thing - I still work hard. The law isn’t an easy job.

I used to think doctors just had it made. $300k+ guaranteed for life!  Now I see all the trade offs. Not making any real money until you are 30-35. Facing down $300k in loans at that point. Maybe moving to an undesirable suburban or rural location because they’ll pay you more and hey, maybe that’s a temporary sacrifice worth making. Challenges with making partner etc. Some specialties are better than others (Derm, ortho, surgery), but it’s not like everyone gets those.

I guess it just seems to me like no one has much of guarantee anymore, though doctors have it better than others. I look at my MD/JD/MBA friends and at 35, I can’t tell you that one path was necessarily more financially lucrative than the other. if anything the biz and legal folks had time to pay down loans before having kids and buying houses. The docs will have to tackle both sinualtenously. Maybe at 45 they’ll pull ahead? And even that probably depends heavily on the specialty and location. [/quote]

I see where you are coming from but it completely depends on your speciality. I agree with you if you are talking peds but most doctors marry other doctors and most doctors now are specialized. The worst part is the training but if you are looking to specialize the average salary is above 250k and you make that money for the rest of your life. The problem is that medicine is stressful and leads to burn out but I wouldn’t feel bad for everyone in medicine. Many of the dual physician families can make over 500k easy. [/quote]

This is my cousin. He married a peer he met in med school. They are both picking high income specialties: Him: Orthopedics Her: Anesthesiology.  And their combined student loan debt is,.....$500,000k. I think they plan to live frugally for about five years and kick out the debt. The whole field must be a labor of Love, because Good Lord, it has involved much sacrifice. [/quote]

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