Anonymous wrote:Physician
The work is intellectually interesting and I feel like I am doing something worthwhile. Additionally, most of the patients are delightful (or at least interesting) and they teach me so much.

BUT as time has gone on the system has evolved so that the administrators have proliferated, and they have consolidated and expanded their power. So basically I work for idiot administrators who have a business degree with no understanding of medicine (if they compare us to “highly trained technicians - like a plumber or mechanic” one more time I am going to freak out), make slightly MORE money than us (one admin said she “would not get out of bed for what they pay doctors here”), work 9-5 (and g-d forbid they work a holiday! But they’d be delighted to report me if it takes me >15 minutes to reply to a page on a holiday), and just view us as numbers (RVU generators). They also won’t come in during covid (apparently every single admin is immunosupressed?), but are happy to send us 6000 useless emails a day, I guess to prove they are actually “working” from home. But then I have to yank off all my PPE and reply to their dumb emails “in a timely fashion” so they don’t report me. The higher level admins have also begun “encouraging” the older/middle aged docs to leave, and replacing them with MDs straight out of training and PA/NPs because the old guys cost too much money. Apparently competence and experience are of no value anymore. Because $$$. And if we make more money then we can hire more administrators!

Also I have 9 years of training after college and about 15 years experience, and I make less than my friends who are govt lawyers. So, stop with your complaining lawyers!

Well, that turned into a rant. But if things continue this way then being a physician won’t make sense anymore, which is sad, because medicine can be rewarding and fun - and on a great day you can even save someone’s life. Which is pretty cool.

Anonymous wrote:My mom's a retired nurse. She remembers a time when the medical system put the patient first. As she got older, she saw the situation move in ways that seemed unsafe to her. She also saw the nurses get squeezed to accomplish more with less. She repeatedly told me to avoid nursing.

Anonymous wrote:What Career Path Did You Choose That You Strongly Advise Against?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hospitality industry. The hours are terrible and your coworkers are not the best representative of society. My brother is in a no where mid-management position. Glad I went to law school and love working as an attorney. It’s all relative.

This thread is for personal experience, not for you to crap in the choices of others, Mr. Big Shot

Before I went to law school, I waited tables in undergrad, then became a low-level manager. In my experience, the job and industry are terrible. I would stress over the job, which didn’t pay well and had no real opportunity for upward movement. Then stay out late drinking with the rest of the staff. Not a healthy life and can’t imagine it with a family. My brother has a family and it’s difficult to have such weird work times. He misses a lot.

Working as a government attorney pays decent, hours are stable, and I like the work. The government paid most of my student loans and I’ll get a decent pension. I would do it again if given the chance.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Journalism.

Lasted 20 years before leaving; should have left after 10 years at most.

Well, I did that too and have my regrets. Did not last as long as you. Wish I were better at it, honestly. I had the opportunities and education and didnt excel or persevere. If you have the steel for it, it’s a thrilling and rewarding profession. I was never in it for the money, but was able to easily double mine by hoing into communications.

Anonymous wrote:litigation support

Anonymous wrote:Physician
The work is intellectually interesting and I feel like I am doing something worthwhile. Additionally, most of the patients are delightful (or at least interesting) and they teach me so much.

BUT as time has gone on the system has evolved so that the administrators have proliferated, and they have consolidated and expanded their power. So basically I work for idiot administrators who have a business degree with no understanding of medicine (if they compare us to “highly trained technicians - like a plumber or mechanic” one more time I am going to freak out), make slightly MORE money than us (one admin said she “would not get out of bed for what they pay doctors here”), work 9-5 (and g-d forbid they work a holiday! But they’d be delighted to report me if it takes me >15 minutes to reply to a page on a holiday), and just view us as numbers (RVU generators). They also won’t come in during covid (apparently every single admin is immunosupressed?), but are happy to send us 6000 useless emails a day, I guess to prove they are actually “working” from home. But then I have to yank off all my PPE and reply to their dumb emails “in a timely fashion” so they don’t report me. The higher level admins have also begun “encouraging” the older/middle aged docs to leave, and replacing them with MDs straight out of training and PA/NPs because the old guys cost too much money. Apparently competence and experience are of no value anymore. Because $$$. And if we make more money then we can hire more administrators!

Also I have 9 years of training after college and about 15 years experience, and I make less than my friends who are govt lawyers. So, stop with your complaining lawyers!

Well, that turned into a rant. But if things continue this way then being a physician won’t make sense anymore, which is sad, because medicine can be rewarding and fun - and on a great day you can even save someone’s life. Which is pretty cool.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hospitality industry. The hours are terrible and your coworkers are not the best representative of society. My brother is in a no where mid-management position. Glad I went to law school and love working as an attorney. It’s all relative.

This thread is for personal experience, not for you to crap in the choices of others, Mr. Big Shot

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How many will say engineering. Rough road for a woman in the oversaturated male dominated industry. If it's not management diminishing your work, it would be the clients. Many days I ask myself why did I not peruse medical school. Ugh...

I have mixed feelings about this. I definitely had a rough start in a male dominated engineering career, and once I had kids the lack of flexibility was killing me. But my old boss retired and my new younger boss is definitely more flexible and doesn’t belittle my work. I make decent money and my job is stable. Maybe once all the old guys retire it won’t be so bad!

How old are the two of you? Genuinely curious.

I graduated with an engineering degree in 1989, in aeronautical engineering and have worked in defense most of my career. Rarely any women. Sometimes it's easier to be the token than it is when there are a handful of tokens who feel like they are vying for the same one slot. There's a lot of research out there on that, btw. But I suppose I digress a bit.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Women should ask themselves what the traditional male equivalent is of whatever they’re traditionally considering, and consider that instead, because it’s usually more lucrative.

Example, teacher versus tenured college professor.
Nurse versus doctor
Cosmetologist versus dermatologist
Art teacher versus engineer
Admin assistant vs program manager

Obviously these are all very different jobs, but I hope you get what I mean.

Also, women should not shy away from things or jobs with numbers in them. Data science, business analysis, finance, corporate real estate, etc. I wish as many women were interested in business school as they are law school.

Lastly, I wish more women would run for office

What? Most of these are absurd and not comparable.

Cosmetologist: 6 wks. Dermatologist: More than 10 years.

Art teacher vs engineer? That's not even worth addressing.

Anonymous wrote:Marketing: No matter how much you keep up with current trends, no matter how high-performing you are, it is a young person's game. Appearance and youthfulness matters.

Engineering: My husband would agree with earlier comments on how frustrating it is working with the long-timers, some of which continue to stay on in their 70's. They are rude, demanding and generally mess thing up all the time and don't say anything until it is too late. Then they call in my DH to fix things and blame him for the delays.