Negative perspectives

Is medicine worth studying?

Aditi Joshi, the president of IFMSA-USA (the Inter national Federation of Medical Students' Associations): “Most students enter training because of interest in the subject, to have a stable career, or for the love of science. As they progress, they learn that doctors in the US do not practise medicine only; much of their time is dealt with legal, business, and insurance issues. Also, because of the high media coverage of medical mistakes and the increasing access to medical information for patients on the internet, public perception has changed towards more patient autonomy and less trust in the doctor.”

What are the downsides?

Adam Levine, the immediate past delegate, Medical Student Section, American Medical Association: "The average medical student graduating this year will be more than $110'000 (£60'000; €91'000) in debt. As a result, many students will find their original altruistic visions of practising in underserved communities or primary care specialties fade. Instead, they will pursue more lucrative areas that allow them to pay off their debt while maintaining a comfortable lifestyle.

“The number of malpractice lawsuits is increasing, as are the rising costs of medical liability insurance (which can be more than $200'000) and the long work hours experienced by residents and third and fouth year medical students. These lead to an increase in burnout among young doctors. Although new national rules that limit residents to 80 hour work weeks have helped substantially, a great deal more needs to be done to make medical training a more humane process.” …