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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Physician, no question.

Lawyers make more money and have better career options but prestige doesn't hinge entirely on those. A big part of prestige is the respect your profession commands, and the life-or-death quality of advice you get from these professionals. People care about their health more than about anything else in the world, and especially about the health of their children. Plus medical education is very far above the intellectual potential of most people, so people look up to doctors as the holders of privileged information. Law is tricky but I don't think most people consider themselves unable to understand it.

There are caps on the number of medical students and residencies which holds down the number of people that go to medical school. There is no shortage of qualified people applying to med school.

YES - the medical industry lobbies to cap medical school admissions thus the economics of supply and demand.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Physician, no question.

Lawyers make more money and have better career options but prestige doesn't hinge entirely on those. A big part of prestige is the respect your profession commands, and the life-or-death quality of advice you get from these professionals. People care about their health more than about anything else in the world, and especially about the health of their children. Plus medical education is very far above the intellectual potential of most people, so people look up to doctors as the holders of privileged information. Law is tricky but I don't think most people consider themselves unable to understand it.

There are caps on the number of medical students and residencies which holds down the number of people that go to medical school. There is no shortage of qualified people applying to med school.