Fact: Average Doctor makes way more than Average Finance/Banker

Good luck with insurance, obamacare, declining reimbursement, etc.

My Dad was a doctor (eye surgeon) in Canada so not directly comparable but just another data point to throw into the mix. As an analyst at a HF in London (30 years old) I was making more money "all in" than my Dad made in his peak years as a surgeon. However, two points worth mentioning. First, my Dad never worried about recessions and layoffs and his earnings just kept increasing as the majority of medicine in Canada is government funded. My Dad even bought a brand new Merc in 2008 and the GFC had almost zero impact on his life/career. Secondly, I have to work in the world's most expensive cities (London or NY) whereas my Dad could set up shop in a cheap COL city where his 300K salary bought a massive house with a swimming pool and he could afford to educate four kids. My all-in number buys sweet FA in London and there is no way I could afford to raise four kids in either London or NYC.

Good to see status-seeking materialism is not exclusive to Wall Street wannabees.

Certain doctors make so much because there's such a high barrier to entry. Any tim buck two could work in finance and pick up most of it tbh if they are starting from the very bottom. To be a doctor absolutely requires almost 10 years of schooling before you can even really start your career. And a small percentage actually makes it through med school and into residency and then into becoming an actual doctor.

To be a doctor you have to slave for years with no pay. At least in banking you're compensated well for the hours and work.

Dated a medical resident for awhile and that lifestyle is crazy in a bad way. She'll make bank, unquestionably add value to society and have a very rewarding career (biggest perk IMO, no one tears up thanking an analyst for their excel work) when its over but residency is a nightmare for waitress pay.

Disagree on most points. As someone that lived in Westwood (in between Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and Brentwood) for 3 years and worked in swank, local health clubs while attending UCLA as a premed, I interacted with quite a few doctors practicing at Ronald Reagan, Cedars Sinai, etc. Frankly, their salaries don't touch what you need to buy a home in that area, let alone lead an assumedly "BeverlyHillsMD" lifestyle with the top rolled down on Wilshire. Even that plastic surgeon with his own reality show (Dr. 90201) can barely afford a decent place in Beverly Hills; I saw the episode where he bought his house in a meh neighborhood.

Another thing, doctor's lifestyles are terrible, and their job satisfaction isn't that far removed. And FYI, a lot of "brain drain" is happening now that medicine is becoming socialized whilst opportunities in tech and pharmaceutical development increase. In fact, I'd predict that you'll see premeds start coming here to learn about alternatives to medicine in pharmaceutical/healthcare-related finance as soon as they find out that they can make as much and more than physicians with less schooling, no grueling residencies, and none of the stress that goes into spending 8+ years on their medical educations after earning undergraduate degrees.

Doctor vs. Banker/Finance is the dumbest comparison I have ever heard of. Unless of course you're an lowly elitist douche canoe (which OP seems to be), they are two totally different career paths that really depend on the personality of the person.

Personally, I enjoy putting on a suit everyday, living and working in downtown, and getting into the math to close deals. I couldn't imagine working hours in a hospital and working with the human bodies. But hey, if you like science and saving lives, this might be the career for you. As I said earlier, I prefer math and the corporate atmosphere, thus finance is my choice.

Also to clear your "lifestyle" misconceptions, doctors work as hard as bankers. They work horrible hours, no matter how senior they are. My mom had leukemia when I was very young and those doctors came into the hospital at 2am when she was admitted on a regular basis. Also they give up many more years and so much money on getting through med school so when they get out, bankers are already at the Associate (maybe VP) level earning much more than a rotating physician.

The doctors like the one's who treated my mom, you know the ones who worked hard in life, are true heroes of our society. They cared and cured thousands of patients and I am forever in debt to them. So if they earn more than us, I am happy, they deserve it. However, the 'BeverlyHillsMD' type doctors are a different story. You know the type who works for one hour a day performing an unnecessary plastic surgery to make some gold digger's tits bigger (or dick, I support equality). The type who takes the rest of the day off to cruise around in his rented S600 trying to pick up chicks. And the type who when he sees the girl is with someone in finance, he'll go home to angrily create a WSO profile and rant on the entire finance community.

In other words, find another forum to jack off your feelings into OP.

This is Wall Street Oasis, go post on Web Md or tell someone who gives a shit

You shouldn't be a doctor if all that matters is money. That's what finance is for...