Basically we are saying the same things. Work more, make less money.
Unmanageable schedules and dealing with hosp and insurance bureaucracy.
It’s pretty much the same cross many medical specialties from primary care to surgery.
I personally would talk my kids out of going into medicine. It’s not for everyone.
I have family overseas-- and one family where virtually everyone is a physician (except for the pharmacist who works for big pharma in research).
They still encourage the younger members to consider medicine-- but that reveals the structural and cultural differences in medicine from the US vs. many other parts of the world.
1- It was never highly lucrative. Since WW2, most physicians were civil servants and either government employees, or employed privately but on the government pay scale. So sure- a nice middle class lifestyle with job security (unless you were reckless and/or drunk resulting in a patient’s death) nobody went into medicine looking for the huge paycheck.
2- Nobody came out of training owing anyone money. Relatively affordable tuition, little uncertainty about residency or fellowship training, you didn’t need a dime to set up a private practice since almost all young physicians joined an existing practice or joined a government hospital/clinic. No need to “buy in” to a private practice and nobody has loans.
3- The lifestyle in the early years is similar to that in the US- working holidays, bottom of the list on rotations, not great work/life balance. But it doesn’t stay that way for long-- and once you’re experienced, there’s much more control over your working life.
4-Generous parental leave policies. That’s just the way society works there.
5- The only administrative hassle is getting an experimental treatment approved (and it’s worse than dealing with an HMO or US insurance company). But otherwise- if a licensed physician deems something necessary, the patient is going to get it. Doctors don’t spend hours on the phone arguing with bureaucrats.
So I get not encouraging your kids in the US to pursue medicine. But the problem is our crazy, wacky, dysfunctional health care system, not the actual practice of healing. Because in other parts of the world, as long as you accept not making mega bucks (whether dermatology or primary care, you’re all paid at roughly the same rate) it’s a pretty great career.
Please get back to the OP about virtual shadowing. Thank you.
Your in person shadowing along with your virtual shadowing should be just fine.
It seems she has enough shadowing.
She needs to focus on clinical volunteering, given you stated she is “lacking” this and plans to do it after the mcat.
It is also unclear if she has worked with underserved populations/in underserved communities.
Your daughter will navigate all of this. Good luck!