Kerry Petsinger is a physical therapist and can be reached at her self-titled site, Kerry Petsinger.
When my kids were born (3 within 19 months), one thing became very clear: there was only one way that I could possibly accomplish all of my goals. I wanted a fulfilling, successful career, with big aspirations. I also wanted to be really happy and present in my personal life. I didn’t want to sacrifice my career and didn’t want to sacrifice my personal life. I wanted success and fulfillment …
“I would never do this again,” he said.
“And,” he continued, “I’d never recommend this path to anybody else either.”
At that time, I worked as a physical therapist and strongly considered returning to school to become an MD or DO.
I took the MCAT, got accepted into my favorite schools, and shadowed a variety of physicians.
“Do not go,” they told me, over and over.
In fact, 19 of the 20 physicians I sat …
You stand up from your desk, take a deep breath, and get to work.
It’s business as usual.
There are exams to perform, test results to review, referrals to be made, and patients to console.
A patient’s son is on the phone, concerned about his mom’s upcoming procedure.
The lab values on the new gentleman down the hall are worse than you thought they’d be, and medications need to …
When I was accepted to medical school, I debated — hard — whether or not to attend.
Out of the physicians I shadowed and interviewed, 19 out of 20 advised me not to become a physician.
Their dissatisfaction was rampant.
Over and over, I was told, “Don’t be a doctor. Medicine’s not what it used to be.”
They spoke of concerns ranging from unreasonable work expectations to inhumane conditions. They described insurmountable pressure, decreasing …
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