The author of this article: North China
“Run if it’s time to run.”
Yan Ying (pseudonym) from a medical school in Shandong said that she is now teaching herself to program AI, and plans to pursue a career path combining medicine and engineering in the future. She does not want to be a doctor because she has been studying medicine for two years Later, I began to regret studying medicine.
On the Internet, there are still many people who regret studying medicine. Some medical students even set up a “University regret studying medicine” group on the Douban app. Distributed all over the country, they gathered here for a common reason – regretting studying medicine.
In the group, they collectively complained that the training program was too complicated, the competition in the job market was too fierce, and they regretted that they were too blind and impulsive when applying for a major. Painful, they even banned others from posting the content of “regret not studying medicine in college” in the group.
Some people in the group said that they suffered from depression because of studying medicine; some said that they felt that they had been “taken away” by medicine and that they were alienated into a tool; Pursue the knowledge you truly love in a foreign country.
And they collectively call themselves “clinical waste.”
Those who regret studying medicine: I am a “medical waste”
“At first, I thought that medicine was to save lives and heal wounds, but I was still very longing for it.” Zhang Qiang (pseudonym), who is about to be a senior, shared why she wanted to study medicine in the first place, and said that she is now very concerned about this decide to regret it.
Talking about the reasons why she regretted studying medicine, Zhang Qiang talked a lot in one breath. The torturous end of the term, the low treatment of doctors, and other small moments all made her “break her defense” because she studied medicine.
“The medical professional front is really long.” Zhang Qiang said that when she saw other friends “have started to earn money to support the family”, she felt very hurt.
In addition to this, other barriers, such as sexism, are also hitting the hearts of medical students.
“My classmate’s major is film technology, and a master’s degree woman is not as good as a junior college man.” Yan Ying can’t help laughing and laughing. Now the hospital recruits women too harshly.
In the “University Regrets Studying Medicine” group, there are not a few people like Zhang Qiang and Yan Ying who have “repeatedly broken defenses” in their lives because of studying medicine. Some people saw news of medical injuries appearing in the society again, some people lived a daily life of staying up late after going to the hospital for an internship, and some people were verbally threatened by the patient’s family members directly in the internship unit.
The Tired Doctor
Image source: Visual China
Although many people begin to regret studying medicine, most of them can only continue to study, train and engage in scientific research honestly, except to complain online.
In the “University Regrets Studying Medicine” group, although some people who have successfully changed majors and successfully changed careers expressed their successful experiences, they are glad that they changed their majors. However, in addition to admiration, praise and envy below these posts, few people are tempted to follow suit and go another way.
“There are basically no majors in medical universities that are good for employment, and it is too troublesome to change majors.” Li Zhe (pseudonym) from Shanghai said.
Not only Li Zhe, but when it comes to changing majors, several people said, “It may be too late to change majors now.” Even if they regret it, the sunk cost of studying medicine makes it difficult for them to change careers. Many times, they can only complain about it, and then continue to persevere. And the group “regret studying medicine in college” may be a way for them to vent their pain and persevere.
On the Internet, there are not only classmates who are willing to empathize with them, but also strangers who disagree with them and think that they regret studying medicine too hypocritically.
Peer Unequal Pay: From 100,000 to 200,000
The group “regrets studying medicine at university” caused controversy on the Internet after it was reported by other media. Many people expressed incomprehension and surprise that doctors regretted studying medicine.
Some netizens said that although doctors are hard work, at least they are not like other professions that “will be unemployed at the age of 35”. Many doctors can still be rehired after retirement and have a job all the time. Some netizens believe that the public nature of the hospital and the establishment of positions are worthwhile. Some netizens said that “doctors earn more money when they are old.”
Why do these netizens focus on the job stability and income of doctors? According to Caixin, the unemployment rate for youth (aged 16 to 24) in China reached 18.2% in April this year. Under the pressure of unemployment, people will naturally fluctuate when they see some people with stable jobs regretting it.
Hospital recruitment competition is fierce
Image source: Visual China
It’s just that the members of the “University Regrets Studying Medicine” group did not accept these comments. Many medical students began to refute netizens on the Internet, and the two sides argued endlessly. The opposition of their views made it seem like they were discussing two things. But in fact, because doctors are not a highly homogeneous group, the differentiation between doctors is very obvious. The two sides in the dispute are not a contest of right and wrong, but a dislocation of observation.
Just like Li Zhe would think, “Everyone’s medical filter is too thick, only the doctors at the top of the pyramid have high wages, but many people are at the bottom of the tower.” And some netizens are confused about them The doctors they saw at the outpatient clinic were all in their thirties and forties, and they were also curious about where the young doctors were staying.
From the comments made by netizens, it can be seen that one of the channels for the public outside of medicine to contact doctors is to go to the hospital to see a doctor. And those who diagnose and treat them in the hospital are the attending physicians and department directors who have been able to treat them independently.
Not to mention, there are also disparities in remuneration among doctors in different departments and regions. In the “2020 China Hospital Salary Report” released by Lilac Talent, the average salary of doctors in first-tier cities can reach 253,000, that in second- and third-tier cities is 190,000, and that in fourth-tier and other cities is 128,000. In the hospital, the salary gap between departments can also reach 20 to 75%.
2020 Chinese Hospital Salary Report
Source: Lilac Talent
In fact, there is a generation gap not only between the general public and doctors, but also among doctors themselves.
Dr. Niu Jie (pseudonym), who has worked for many years, said, “I understand the feelings of medical students who regret studying medicine, but many medical students have insufficient ideas.”
“During their internship or training, the teaching hospitals that medical students go to are all well-developed and high-level hospitals in China. The doctors working there are naturally highly paid.” Niu Jie The doctor said, “When they see the wages of these doctors in their eyes, and then see the meager wages in their hands, there will naturally be a huge gap in their hearts, which is difficult to accept.”
“It’s just that there are not many doctors who can exercise to that level.” Dr. Niu Jie believes, “Medical students should avoid being hurt by such a gap that does not actually exist, should Going to see most doctors is a normal job, not much, not much.”
When medicine is hot again: choices for the times
Not only some doctors with working experience recognize the profession of doctors, but CCTV News has also released data showing that clinical medicine has once again become one of the top ten hot search professions that people pay attention to. More and more people choose medicine.
As for why they want to study medicine, in the “University Regrets Studying Medicine” group, many people said that they chose to fill in the medical major because their parents told them that they would go to medicine after studying medicine. The hospital is very good to be a doctor, the job is stable, and the money is good.
It’s just that after they really entered this profession, they found that studying medicine did not make as much money as the older generation said.
The 2020 article “Comparative Study of Doctors’ Income Gap between OECD Countries and China” published in China Economic Health shows that the salary level of doctors in public hospitals in China is lower than that of social insurance at the lowest level In the country, the current salary system of public hospitals underestimates the true value of doctors, and doctors’ income does not match what they pay.
Zhang Jun (pseudonym) of a medical school in Jiangsu said, “When I applied for a major, I just wanted to find a cost-effective major, but when I came in, I found out that doctors live more with less money. work.”
However, Zhang Jun still believes that studying medicine is a “safer career choice”, and Yan Ying also recognizes that studying medicine can make her “Eating together during the epidemic”.
“My parents are also doctors, and I always feel that working in the county’s third-class hospital for a lifetime is very decent and stable.” Yan Ying said.
Many students look forward to entering the medical profession
Image source: Visual China
Everyone’s frequent mention and concern about “job stability” stems from the fact that it is becoming more and more difficult for college students to find employment. According to surging news reports, as of April 17, 2022, the implementation rate of the whereabouts of college graduates nationwide was 23.61%. In the current employment situation, it is reasonable for students to expect to enter the medical profession, enter the hospital in the future, and get a stable salary.
Although with the reform of the medical system, public hospitals have become self-financing public institutions, the pay gap between doctors in different hospitals, different departments and different professional titles has begun to widen. Many doctors begin to regret studying medicine because of salary, development prospects and other reasons. However, the job of a doctor is still a stable career in today’s society.
The “2021 Statistical Bulletin of my country’s Health and Wellness Development” shows that by the end of 2021, the total number of health personnel in the country will be 13.983 million, an increase of 508,000 over the previous year, and the team of doctors is still growing.
Planning: North China, Leu. ｜Producing: gyouza
Image source: Visual China
References
[1] http:https://www.nhc.gov.cn/xcs/2017lhzs/201703/9f4ef7bc87eb43789aa9be84e110afd1.shtml.
[2] Wang Liwei. Lu Feng of Peking University: China’s youth unemployment rate in April far exceeded that of the US and Europe[N]. Caixin, May 19, 2022.
[3] Lilac Talent. 2020 Chinese Hospital Salary Report[R]. Hangzhou: Lilac Garden, 2021.
[4] Dang Wangwang, Wang Zhen. A comparative study on the income gap between doctors in OECD countries and China [J]. China Health Economy, 2020, 39(3): 24-30.
p>
[5] Wu Fenglan, Shen Yong. Public hospital reform: historical evolution, institutional dilemma and path choice [J]. China Health Policy Research, 2016, 9(1): 34-39 .
[6] Zhong Yuhao. Official: As of April 17, the implementation rate of the whereabouts of college graduates nationwide was 23.6%[N]. The Paper, 2022.5.4.
[7] http:https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2022-7/12/content_5700670.htm.