From Quantitative Research at Asset Manager to Surgical Medicine

Background: bachelors biomedical engineering (2nd tier uni., top grades), masters engineering (1st tier uni., top grades), worked as engineer (1st tier org.), transitioned to asset management (quant analyst, 2nd tier org., 80k GBP total comp). Currently in late 20s. Have option to do medicine at 1st tier uni (with view of becoming a surgeon) with partial scholarship.

Pros: get to say my undergrad is from 1st tier, no restrictive covenants, robust demand across the world, cognitive & personality attributes well aligned to succeed in surgery, can continue investing / building business whilst studying, not loosing an established career - still have much to learn as quant.

Cons: over lifetime will be ~ 20% worse off financially, not most patient individual, 5yrs of school, harder to have family, for next 10 years will have lower salary / status then now, enjoy problem solving more than cramming, a one-way choice, can't go back to quant.

Does it sound like a good idea (would appreciate non-"simply follow your passion" answers)?

1 Comments
 

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