Time after time

When I envisioned being a doctor, I dont think I really realized how time consuming it would be--in almost every field. I pictured going into work, doing some things for a little while (aka helping people) and then leaving it all behind and going home. But until last year, I also thought doctors made about $50,000.

When you talk to the last generation of docs, they are shocked we new docs want a life outside of the hospital. They were bred to live and die by that hospital. While somehow, someone, told us or showed us a life separate of the hospital, and all of a sudden we wanted it. Who wouldn't? This also means, we new docs will always be the less dedicated, less interested, and less helpful if we actually slept 6 hours and maybe went out to dinner. Which is always interesting when the old docs start bitching about how many times they've been divorced.....

But I have to say that even though we've been told or shown this outside life, the old docs and the hospital do a pretty good job of sucking us in anyway. I just finished two months of inpatient medicine. Two months of being on call every 5 days, working 6 days a week, spending ridiculous time at the hospital. As much as I fought it, I got into a pattern and it was just a way of life. This week I switched to outpatient aka the sweet life. I told a non-medical friend how happy I was to get 2 days off each week when they replied, "You mean like the rest of us? You're excited to be normal?" Yeah, I'm excited to be normal.