hey, what a great time to change careers and become a doctor

to get an understanding of the comedy of errors that is my life, take a look at this post on decling physician compensation.

FUCK.

while i was in college, undiligently studying computer science and biophysics, people in the real world were minting money in IT and biotech. when i graduated, i stepped right into a really fun recession that forced me to work 80 hour weeks for partially subsidized diet coke and trail mix, while all my doctor friends were pouring out pellegrino for their homies that couldn't make it to the top tax bracket. now, i'm applying to medical school right as a mini-boom in IT is heating up and doctors are getting squeezed. FUCK!!!!!

Despite an overall national trend of rising income and general economic prosperity in the late 1990s, and first three years of the new century, physician net income from the practice of medicine declined markedly and their private office overhead as a percentage of revenue surged to an estimated 54%, a substantial rise from 36% in 1997, and more than twice the 1980 median of 25%. (1)

Between 1995 and 1999, with CPI inflation averaging 2.5%, the average United States’ Professional Technical worker income rose 3.5%. In comparison, the percent change in average income decreased by 5.0% for all physicians, 6.4% for Primary Care physicians and 4.0% for Specialists physicians.

In addition, there is an increasing and demoralizing disparity between provider workload and compensation. The American College of Physicians (ACP noted that between 1999 and 2000, physician income declined by 13.9%, while total hours worked underwent a 6.7% increase.

but s'okay mang! i'm going into medicine for my niggas in the struggle!!

a bunch of other interesting figures in the post, check it out when you get a chance.