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Comment by newzisforsukas | Hacker News Reader

Why do doctors have families on top of a demanding career then complain about it when they are over burdened? They put themselves in that situation. They can also leave that situation whenever they want.

Then to go on sadfishing with this border-line masochism in a blog post...

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I'm not sure they really can leave whenever they want. I think once you're far down the education track you will probably feel like you're trapped into continuing even if you decide you don't want to do it anymore, because the education loans will kill you and you need the big income on the other end to fix this. That probably contributes to the creation of a lot of miserable and crappy doctors.

> because the education loans will kill you and you need the big income on the other end to fix this

Being a surgeon doesn't have the same level of demand as a role in family medicine. Both roles provide an income for sustaining oneself, even through student loans. Also, the subject in this article has "been a doctor for 13 years".

Kinda what I was thinking -- why not retire or change careers? Being a doctor for many years presumably affords one that option.

THAT is your take away?

Not, I don't want a surgeon pushed past the point of exhaustion and sanity operating on you?

Not much can be done to change the ethical stance of the hospital or the surgeon that decides to work for them.

I assume many doctors and hospital administrators, like the overall population, are money or status hungry, and they are willing and able to hurt people to maintain their lifestyles.

There are no regulations enforcing transparent reporting of less than optimal surgical outcomes or what those optimal results are. I would be more worried about that.

you forget that doctors go way into debt for their education and training. so no, they might not be able to leave that situation quite so easily.

why would you blame someone for wanting to have a family? do you hang out with the grinch?

> do you hang out with the grinch?

I don't presume anyone can have and do everything. There are constraints on life, and concessions need to be made for certain goals.

next month you'll be complaining that there are no doctors in your area willing to see you inside of a month?

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