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haha, get through two years of college and think about this. Everyone starts university as "pre" something and 90% drop it.
Plus your question is fairly ridiculous, lawyer vs doctor? Come on, they are not even remotely similar fields, you should start thinking about what you really want to do instead of money, because thats not gonna be enough to keep you motivated through college.
If you are seriously asking a question like this, just take some courses in both and start getting an idea of what you like better and move into that direction.
Plus your question is fairly ridiculous, lawyer vs doctor? Come on, they are not even remotely similar fields, you should start thinking about what you really want to do instead of money, because thats not gonna be enough to keep you motivated through college.
They're more similar than you think. Both appeal to risk-averse, academically competitive types. You get a decent paycheck with little risk once you're in your career. It's safe in the sense that if you do well on standardized tests, work hard throughout school, you are rewarded an upper middle class lifestyle. Compare that to starting a business where there are so many variables outside your control that can sabotage the best laid plans. Starting a business may have a far higher upside (millions, billions), but the downside is barely coming out even or bankruptcy. The bulk of all small businesses fall in the latter. Just because someone is book smart and hardworking doesn't necessarily mean they have business acumen (and they know it).
Even the corporate world has greater risk than medicine. There's no guarantee you would ever move out of the cubicle. Most people hit a wall at some point. When you're a doctor, you're still a doctor seeing your own patients. There's a certain satisfaction to that.
They're more similar than you think. Both appeal to risk-averse, academically competitive types. You get a decent paycheck with little risk once you're in your career. It's safe in the sense that if you do well on standardized tests, work hard throughout school, you are rewarded an upper middle class lifestyle. Compare that to starting a business where there are so many variables outside your control that can sabotage the best laid plans. Starting a business may have a far higher upside (millions, billions), but the downside is barely coming out even or bankruptcy. The bulk of all small businesses fall in the latter. Just because someone is book smart and hardworking doesn't necessarily mean they have business acumen (and they know it).
Even the corporate world has greater risk than medicine. There's no guarantee you would ever move out of the cubicle. Most people hit a wall at some point. When you're a doctor, you're still a doctor seeing your own patients. There's a certain satisfaction to that.
Risk averse?? Law firms ARE a business, if you don't keep a constant flow of clients then you're not going to make any money. As for physicians, the decisions they make can literally mean life or death, and your successful medical career is always one frivolous malpractice suit away from going in the toilet. Maybe you oughta check out the job market for lawyers these days, it's not exactly as simple as "get good grades and you're set."
What's the verdict on which of two to go into for a hardworking college student with good grades and balanced academics in both science and humanities?
A target salary of over $160k is desired (for the opportunity cost of law or med school and the debt to be worthwhile).
Which has more job stability and career growth?
What's the long-term (25 years out) prospects for either career?
Does law require a lot of patience? I've heard my cousins describe doing discovery, doc review, drafting for big law firms, and it often sounds really dry and tedious, to an outsider at least. Is this just the nature of corporate law? Or do cases get more exciting as you move up the ladder?
Do you have time for family if you do medicine? I know residency has grueling 80 hour work weeks, but does it get better when you're an attending? I like the nature of work in medicine more, but am also a little afraid of what health care in America would like like in 25 years.
I could not see doing either if you are just in it for the money. This is mainly because of the large time and financial investment you have to make in education and the amount of time you will have to spend practicing in your career. I am not so sure about medicine, but with law burnout is fairly common, especially at biglaw. Essentially, if you do something like law for the money and are successful in the goal of landing a high paying biglaw associate position out of school (which is far from assured), if you do not like what you are doing chances are you will not be doing it a few years down the road pay notwithstanding.
Maybe you oughta check out the job market for lawyers these days, it's not exactly as simple as "get good grades and you're set."
One of my friends has been temping since she took the bar. It's tough for a lot of people right now. I also fail to see significant similarities between medicine and law, in practice and in academia.
I've been practicing law for over thirty years. I also know my share of doctors. Most of the observations you make about both professions have some validity to them. There are lots of areas of legal practice that are tedious, soul-crushing, and place you in the position of defending and representing the interests of some of the worst elements of society. There are times when you're training for and practicing medicine that are fatiguing, stressful, mind-numbingly boring, and sometimes distasteful, disgusting, and dangerous.
Both professions also offer the opportunity for reasonable to extraordinary financial rewards, intellectual challenge, creativity, and real service to your fellow human.
Tons of lawyers are out of work right now. I could cite sources, but really there are so many that all you need to do is go on the Forbes website and search. There are a lot of articles about this. Anyway, it is logical. Think about how many attorneys have practices based in real estate? My husband is a lawyer, and we are doing ok....but that is because he works for the Federal Government and did before all of this went bust. His buddy is doing well too.....because he is living off of bankruptcies.
I am a practicing attorney and I do recommend it for someone who is highly motivated and has the sort of skills that will allow him or her to develop a client network of their own. In my opinion though, its pretty silly to judge the profession by the salaries of a few lawyers who work for big law firms in NY or any other major city. This represents a very small percentage of attorneys overall. The odds of landing such a job (and keeping it) are small. Further, many of those who do land these jobs regret it. The work hours as an associate attorney are just staggering. Most associate attorneys with such a firm are expected to bill in excess of 40 hours per week. Since alot of time is simply not billable (organizing time, conferring with associates, firm meetings) this usually means an associate attorney must work approximately 60 hours a week. Some work longer than that. The stress on family and personal life is enormous and contributes to a super-high rates of divorce and depression.
The real opportunities for lawyers are in other places. Many lawyers work for themselves (like I do). I am certainly not rich. However, I do earn an average of over six figures a year and the quality of my life is unbelievable. I can go to work late and take my daughter to school mornings. I can come home early to help my kids with other activities. Best of all, I am my own boss and can turn any case down I do not wish to pursue and I do this frequently. My clients are not Fortune 500 companies. They are ordinary people who have had a problem that has upset their lives. Those problems may be auto accidents, divorces, DUI, or the need for probate because a family member has died. Most of my clients make up the great middle class in our country. I protect them and their legal rights. No greater honor exists than working for such people. Getting to where I did in life though wasn't particularly easy. I have been an attorney for 25 years and I'm 50 now. However, I would not trade my job for any other in this world.
Other attorneys I know work for state, county, and city government. Many of these people earn about as much as I do except they have some pretty good benefits--which I don't being self-employed. These are good jobs though and I have noted a high level of job satisfaction among the attorneys who do this work. These attorneys prosecute criminals, help develop and enforce zoning laws, defend government against lawsuits, and provide legal advice to councils and commissions so that government stays within the law.
I know people who have gone into medicine. I'm sure its a fine career. However, remember that about 1/2 of all doctors are primary care physicians. Primary care physicians where I live earn approximately what I earn and begin their practice with huge debts. Worst of all, do you really want to sit in a clinic all day seeing six patients every hour? I'd venture that upwards of 60% of these patients have infectious diseases that you get and take home to your own family. Medical school is no picnic to get into. Society only wants its best and very most capable people serving as physicians, so the competition for medical school is often extreme. The economic cost of medical school is high and many doctors end up serving in the military to pay for it. Right now that often means deployment to Afghanistan or Iraq. Is that what you want?
These are just considerations. Remember that earning a comfortable living is important, but ultimately what is most important is your quality of life. Good luck.
If you like figuring out the why and being able to do something about it, go into medicine.
If you like navel-gazing and arguing for arguing sake (being naturally adversarial), go into law.
Everything else varies depending on what you actually choose to do in either profession. For instance if you're not a people-person and you go into medicine, you can specialize in diagnostic radiology and not deal with a single patient. If you like science and technology and you go into law, you can do patent law.
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