I gave up my dream of being a doctor at a local hospital just one year out of medical school. That decision cost me close to half a million dollars, but it was worth it. (2024)

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Faith Choo, 27, who left Singapore's public healthcare system and is now working as a locum doctor. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has verified her employment history.

Since I was 13, I knew I wanted to be a doctor.

I was inspired by my parents, who are doctors too. My parents find great fulfillment in their profession. Even though they've been practicing medicine for over three decades, they still love doing it.

But it was also my parents who tried to dissuade me from pursuing a career in medicine. They told me some horror stories about what being a doctor was really like and warned me about how taxing it could be.

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However, I remained deeply inspired by their careers and decided to press on.

Medical school was fun but grueling

I gave up my dream of being a doctor at a local hospital just one year out of medical school. That decision cost me close to half a million dollars, but it was worth it. (1)

The first two years of medical school felt like high school all over again. There was lots of studying as well as material to memorize.

Things got a lot more exciting but taxing from the third year onwards. That was when we got to shadow junior doctors at the hospital. We also had to spend full working days in the hospital before going home to study at night.

It dawned upon me then that we would be taking over from those junior doctors in just a few years. The burden and responsibility of having to take care of patients began to weigh on me.

Back then, our seniors in medical school would warn us about life after graduation. They would tell us about the terrible working hours that came with being on call, like having to work for two days straight without rest.

I began to worry if I could live up to the challenge. I remembered asking myself, "Can I physically cope with this? Can I mentally step up to this kind of challenge? Do I have the resilience and skills required to do this?"

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Confronting the long hours and feelings of burnout

I gave up my dream of being a doctor at a local hospital just one year out of medical school. That decision cost me close to half a million dollars, but it was worth it. (2)

Before college, I did hospital attachments and worked with general practitioners at their clinics. But even that wasn't able to give me a full taste of the role.

The biggest transition that came after graduation was the long hours. It wasn't long before the exacting routine, manpower constraints, and feelings of burnout began to pile up on me.

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The thought of leaving first crossed my mind after I clocked 19 consecutive days of work in the hospital.

At some point, you feel like you are more tired than the patients in the hospital. Even the patients get a chance to rest, but for doctors, when you're on a call, you have to make life-and-death decisions.

You are still held to a high level of accountability, and you want to do the best for your patients, but you physically can't because you are just so exhausted — and it doesn't feel safe.

I realized then that such a job wouldn't be sustainable.

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Life as a medical graduate in Singapore isn't easy

In Singapore, our medical education is heavily subsidized by the government. After graduation, students have to fulfill a service bond of five years. This is on top of the one year of residency that takes place right after graduation.

Junior doctors could put in about 60 hours of work in a good week, though that can sometimes go up to 80 or 90 hours.

This means that you could find yourself spending a huge part of your late twenties to thirties working just to fulfill your bond obligations.

This wasn't going to work for me. I didn't think I was physically or mentally able to get through that journey.

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Even though breaking my bond and leaving then would entail paying back over $375,000 — roughly $75,000 per year.

I felt that there was no use destroying my long-term health for money, which could be made back.

Surprisingly, my family, friends, and colleagues were supportive of my decision to leave. I also received overwhelming support for the move when I blogged about it.

Taking a career break and charting a new course

I gave up my dream of being a doctor at a local hospital just one year out of medical school. That decision cost me close to half a million dollars, but it was worth it. (3)

After resigning in July 2022, I took a career break to recover from the burnout and traveled for about three months.

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I now split my time between working as a locum doctor and studying for my graduate diploma in mental health. I'm not craving for a full-time role at this point because I enjoy the freedom that comes with being a locum.

For instance, I can just take leave and go off whenever. I also get to choose between working in a clinic or as a telemedicine physician.

That said, I wouldn't mind pursuing new ventures that delve into my areas of interest like lifestyle medicine or mental and preventive health.

The truth is, I don't think it's easy for governments around the world to tackle the problem of burnout and exhaustion in healthcare.

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Younger doctors now want work-life balance, and they're not afraid to speak up about it. We know that we can't set ourselves on fire to keep others warm.

Have you walked away from a job that your family really wanted you to take? We want to hear your story, especially if you're based in Asia. We're keen to hear from doctors, lawyers, family-business owners, and everything in between.

Get in touch with this reporter: ktan@businessinsider.com

I gave up my dream of being a doctor at a local hospital just one year out of medical school. That decision cost me close to half a million dollars, but it was worth it. (2024)

FAQs

I gave up my dream of being a doctor at a local hospital just one year out of medical school. That decision cost me close to half a million dollars, but it was worth it.? ›

I gave up my dream of being a doctor at a local hospital just one year out of medical school. That decision cost me close to half a million dollars, but it was worth it. Faith Choo became a doctor after she graduated from medical school in 2021.

Is medical school financially worth it? ›

The short answer to this question is yes. Medical school is worth it. Financially, going to medical school and becoming a doctor can be profitable, especially if you're able to save and invest a considerable amount of your income before retirement.

Why dream of becoming a doctor? ›

I dream of becoming a doctor because I want to help people and make a positive impact on their lives. Being a doctor allows me to use my skills and knowledge to heal and treat those who are sick or in need of medical care. The idea of saving lives and improving health motivates me to pursue a career in medicine.

Do doctors like helping people? ›

The Feeling to Help Others Efficiently

This is the sole objective of a healthcare professional. It is this objective that makes this profession so rewarding.

Is it worth becoming a doctor at 40? ›

You can still complete your education and become a doctor at 40, so if you're passionate about a potential career as a physician, you should begin your education as soon as you can. Getting started sooner means you can start contributing to a retirement plan earlier, which may result in a higher yield of savings.

What is the average debt after medical school? ›

Report Highlights. The average medical school debt is $202,453, excluding premedical undergraduate and other educational debt. The average medical school graduate owes $250,995 in total student loan debt.

Do hospitals pay off medical school debt? ›

Sources of repayment assistance

Some hospitals and other employers will offer student-loan repayment in an effort to recruit physicians.

How much debt does the average doctor have? ›

The average medical school debt is over $200,000 — a hefty amount of debt to carry at the start of your career. The expected payoff schedule can exceed the 10-year mark. During that time, you'll be paying the equivalent of an extra mortgage payment to make progress on the loan.

What are dream doctors called? ›

Oneirology is the scientific study of dreams. The term comes from the Greek oneiro which means dream. A person that studies oneirology is called an oneirologist.

What did the dream lord say about the doctor? ›

The Dream Lord describes the Doctor sarcastically as "The Oncoming Storm", a name coined by his archenemies the Daleks, and first mentioned in the Seventh Doctor novel Love and War and subsequently on-screen in "The Parting of the Ways", where it was attributed to the Daleks.

What do doctors say about dreams? ›

Dreams themselves are a little less mysterious. “Dreams are mental imagery or activity that occur when you sleep,” explains Dr. Drerup. You can dream at any stage of sleep, but your most vivid dreams typically occur in rapid eye movement sleep, or REM sleep.

Who are doctors favorite patients? ›

Most often, favorite patients are not necessarily similar to their physicians in socio-demographic characteristics, instead, they are characterized by a long-term relationship with their physicians and shared experiences with their physicians.

Are doctors happy in life? ›

Overall, more than half (51%) of physicians who responded to the poll report being “very happy” outside of work, with another 31% being “somewhat happy.” Conversely, 11% are “somewhat unhappy” and 6% are “very unhappy.” These results are relatively consistent, with at least 80% of physicians “very” or “somewhat” happy, ...

Do doctors get feelings for patients? ›

The richness of the physician-patient relationship can lay fertile ground for romantic attraction. In addition, some vulnerabilities may arise from the physician's psyche. The overworked, stressed-out, burned-out, anxious, lonely professional may feel intoxicated by a patient's gratitude and affection.

How do people survive financially in med school? ›

Physician loans, also sometimes called doctor loans, are specialized loans that can help cover tuition and loans for living expenses. A physician or “doctor” loan allows future high-income earners to access money to cover known expenses.

How do most people afford medical school? ›

Private Student Loans

Although you should start with federal loans, private loans can play an important role in paying for medical school. If you exhaust your other financing options, you can use a private student loan to cover the remaining balance that you owe so you can complete your education.

Is the money worth it as a doctor? ›

A primary care physician's average salary is about $255k. For a specialist, it's over $400k. However, while this is great money, it takes a huge investment of time and a massive opportunity cost to become a practicing physician—nearly a decade of schooling and training and hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Why is medical school debt so high? ›

Medical school is long, hard, and expensive. The median cost of a medical degree at public schools is nearly $260,000, and private schools can cost even more. As a result, the average med school student graduates with $200,000 worth of student loan debt, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.

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