People With $200k+ Salaries Are Sharing Their Careers, And I’m Questioning All My Life Choices

34.

“I was a general surgeon for 33 years, and am now retired. Consider that it took four years and a college degree, where you have to be near the top to get accepted to medical school. Medical school is four years of extreme studying and hard work, followed by five years of general surgery residency, which was a pyramid program (meaning that five residents were accepted for first-year positions, but by the fourth year, they only had two positions, three having been weeded out). For the 33 years of practice, I averaged a 60-70-hour work week, including weekends, holidays, and maybe all hours of the night. I never minded people who envied my income IF they also envied the 13 years of hard work it took me to get there, and the long hours I worked.”

“I was self-employed, therefore I paid ALL expenses (payroll, malpractice, office expenses, utilities, health insurance for myself, my family, and my employees). I had to make $175,000 before I reached the break-even point. My salary was what was left over, which was used to buy a house, pay off extensive college and medical school loans, raise a family (3 children), to put them through college, and to contribute to my retirement plan. I bought a new car every 10-12 years. I grossed a lot, but after expenses, netted far less (which I don’t need to divulge on Reddit) and lived frugally.”

I was in a rural community and one of two general surgeons. That meant I was on call 50% of the time (7×24=168 hours/week), so you can do the math. When on call, you are not in control of your schedule. People don’t schedule appendicitis, auto accidents, gunshots, or any other acute problem to make it convenient for the Surgeon. Would I change anything? Absolutely not! In my town, everyone knew your name, knew where you lived, ran into you at the grocery store, church, or at your kids’ sports activities—that was priceless! You felt appreciated and loved by all!”

—u/Dbsson1