Man, we all make too much money. I'm definitely not poor but I do have $200,000 in student loans to pay back.
I appreciate Bert noting that my salary isn't as high as everyone thinks it is. I've got a lot of colleagues who don't get near the 200k mark as general surgeons. Part of that is because my malpractice is 5x what my family practice buddy pays. Part is because general surgeons didn't make it to the round table when someone assigned RVUs to what we do.
Salaries are a weird thing to me. My radiology buddies had a comparatively easy residency to mine, worked less hours, still work less hours, less emergencies, not a lot of calls to the E.R. at 2am for a GSW on a "self pay" gang banger, etc but expect to make (and do make) a lot more money than general surgeons do.
As far as money goes, I was an idiot for choosing general surgery. Lower reimbursements, worse hours, painful calls, some pretty disgusting operations.
But, no matter what Obama does, I still enjoy my job and my patients. Hopefully everyone (including the American people) remembers that is why we do what we do (I just wish they wouldn't think we were soooo rich). I don't apologize for wishing to be well compensated for a job that causes me to lose a lot of sleep (from call and from stressing about my patients).
should have been a hospital administrator
