Interesting Post I found on Reddit.

Hey guys, post just came up on this reddit page I follow. This guy is basically saying that going to med school is the best way to make a lot of money, more so than finance/law. He even mentioned banking and consulting, figured you guys might wanna check it out.

https://www.reddit.com/r/changemyview/comments/8o…

What do you guys think?

9 Comments
 

This discussion has been had on the forum before. I think that the poster underestimates how hard it is to 'jump through the hoops' to become a doctor, but I don't know anything about what the most lucrative career is. I think it depends on what you want to do. Also the guy who thinks that CPAs are 'almost guaranteed to start above 100k', lol

 
Most Helpful

Becoming a doctor is difficult. Most who do become family practice physicians and earn less than $200k. They start earning a wage a lot later than someone in finance.

To get a specialty is harder and takes more time. $200k is not very much money. Double that with a specialty and take into account the ten years plus more of schooling and residency, and it’s hard to justify the medical route on money alone.

I will give it credit for job stability. I would probably push my kids tht route.....simply because I don’t want to be a backstop and the future of finance is uncertain (as always). That is, unless I can determine they can sell well and i’ll Push them to do that.

 

You don't think doctors - who are essentially very highly-trained and specialized mechanics - are going away in the future too? Probably not before mechanics - but still

heister: Look at all these wannabe richies hating on an expensive salad. https://arthuxtable.com/
 

I think it speaks to an "efficient market" of risk-reward. The alpha in this case being some super skill and the rest of the noise luck. Medicine is most likely the best choice for the majority of people on a risk-adjusted basis unless one has "alpha" aka some huge competitive advantage like going to harvard for undergrad etc. that makes finance less risky with a higher chance of success. Luck is another curveball in the equation.

 

There are https://www.aamc.org/data/workforce/reports/458480/1-1-chart.html</a">860,000 Active US Physicians

This https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Ke329tesUgcsdcxlAPpV5VFr5C5Sp7O…</a">2016 MGMA Report report accurately depicts physician median reimbursement separated by specialty

The front office headcount at the top 12 investment banks totals https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/05/23/investment-banks-have-c…</a">54,800

Medicine has several exams one must pass- MCAT, STEP 1, STEP 2, STEP 3, and Medical Boards.

Finance can pick from any major and have them learn the material rather quick. This shows that there are several qualified applicants for few spots. Hence why going to prestigious school and forming relationships/connections matter.

Yes, medicine may have good payouts; however, it lacks the scalability of finance, which explains why there are not as many jobs in Finance vs Medicine.

 

If you assume that you in fact do end up graduating and jumping through all the hoops to become a doctor, sure, the average income for MDs is probably higher than the average BS in finance or accounting (especially early in the career). But taking into account the cost of an MD, plus the number years it takes... it's a massive investment. Some of those MDs are graduating with 200k+ in debt. You need to make serious coin to justify that.

I will agree that law degrees aren't necessarily as valuable as they used to be.

 

You'd be better off just doing what you want and letting the money follow. Are there really people who are capable and pursue a career they're good at and like but still are lacking money? Wouldn't you rather not dislike your days than make 15% more?

heister: Look at all these wannabe richies hating on an expensive salad. https://arthuxtable.com/
 
[Comment removed by mod team]
 

Placeat voluptas aut ut in quam maiores unde vel. Molestiae beatae nostrum dolorem qui sunt corrupti. Impedit quod non facilis enim expedita blanditiis quia. Qui fuga non consequuntur incidunt.

Corrupti in voluptate dolorem nam incidunt. Laudantium quaerat eveniet atque ducimus. Aliquam voluptatem accusamus voluptatibus.

Ut eos aut est porro quia eligendi earum. Ab omnis ipsum perspiciatis at. Saepe harum ipsam cupiditate nihil. Illo placeat harum illo. Tenetur eveniet quia est saepe cum eligendi. Tempore corrupti et odio doloremque adipisci nulla sint. Similique vitae ut illo autem.

Voluptatem perferendis quod voluptas est quod sunt. Aliquid quod beatae harum. Ab nostrum enim mollitia porro. Qui eum velit repellat excepturi.

heister: Look at all these wannabe richies hating on an expensive salad. https://arthuxtable.com/

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (47) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (74) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”