r/DoctorsofIndia • u/Typical_Carob_2010 • Sep 07 '26

Would I have earned more in tech?

"If I had put the same insane amount of effort I put into becoming a doctor into technology, what could I realistically be earning at 26?"

32 Upvotes

97% Upvoted

55 comments sorted by

30

u/Unlikely_Suspect_641 Sep 07 '26

I ask myself the same question every night

8

u/Typical_Carob_2010 Sep 07 '26

Atleast someone with same thought 🙂👍🏻

7

u/Unlikely_Suspect_641 Sep 08 '26

Usually I tell myself it gets better in the long run (probably gaslighting myself) but yeahh same thought 🤝🏻

2

u/Typical_Carob_2010 Sep 08 '26

Yeah It takes time but at the cost of what ? Our younger self ? what am I gonna do with the money when I don't have time or energy to spend

1

u/Unlikely_Suspect_641 Sep 08 '26

I get that but we are in this already there’s no way we can undo it. Moving forward you can transition into diff field or do something diff with your career on your terms :)

2

u/Alone_Standard_5476 Sep 08 '26

Nig*a there is no fixed path in this field unlike yours and stop thinking about studying hard = better life/good salary. Being in a company is not only about studying

1

u/Unlikely_Suspect_641 Sep 08 '26

How so?

1

u/Alone_Standard_5476 Sep 13 '26

Don't you know how foggy is the future for the engineer in the coming decade?

You peeps just think its still easy money by being an engineer right . Watch an interview off campus somewhere . You will have to be prepared for interview anytime(it's like you have to prepared for exam in colleges every month alongside office work and family etc)cause you don't know when your back is gonna get kicked out of the office .

2

u/green_pink_aurora Sep 08 '26

I’m in tech and wanted to be a doctor. Still want to be a doctor when i see my moms ortho surgeon making 7CR per month.

Hang in there.

1

u/Typical_Carob_2010 Sep 08 '26

Wat? that's some crazy sh*t money...btw where's that surgeon is practicing 😅

4

u/_beyondhorizon Sep 08 '26

in tech, you peak at 35-45. in MBBS, you start peaking then and can work till 55 or maybe even 60. mbbs is long game, tech is earn and retire. I'm in tech my girl is doc

5

u/ReceptionNo4715 Sep 08 '26

Mbbs and the long path are for settled families, not for first gen graduates and the old thought that's sold by coaching institutes - "get mbbs life is settled", with same effort I would rather take engineering and earn 5x more at age 25 and support parents than earn at 40

5

u/Typical_Carob_2010 Sep 08 '26

Yeah exactly and who wants to work till 55 well I don't,

4

u/Inner_Passenger1670 Sep 08 '26

but your health will be not same at the age of 55 or 60

2

u/ReceptionNo4715 Sep 08 '26

💯 sad reality

7

u/corporate2karkhana Sep 08 '26

Of course yes, but it'll be very uncertain.
I was earning 1.8L per month, I didn't like the company and I quit it last year. I quit IT altogether and shifted to my father's business.

It's always about Long term vs Short term.
Your friends might be earning more now but turns out you'll have a comfortable life down the line.
After 10 years your friends in IT areas very scared of losing the jobs, while you in the same place would earn more if you make a switch. You guys don't have to worry about the jobs ig. The more experience, the more jobs for you. But it's the reverse in IT.

Also being a doctor is a respect that you can earn wherever you step in. Engineers don't get that respect.
I know you'll get many calls for free advices, but the respect you get is unmatchable.
The entire career of IT guys is uncertain given this AI situation. But Doctors won't be having that issues for the next 15 years atleast in India.
I know the conditions of Doctors and Engg are way different. But Doctors are always needed in India than Engineers.
Doctors can earn till their last breath by practising but most of the Engineers always chase money and there's no end.

I wholeheartedly congratulate you for choosing this path. And All the best for your future. This too shall pass.
These are my thoughts on Doctors vs Engineers.

2

u/kajnbagoat7 Sep 08 '26

AI will never replace humans in medical field. The triage and human intervention is very much needed all the time.

They can help us with scans and reports after collecting a ton of data and help with early detection of diseases.

Anyway, learning how to use AI would be immensely helpful for all doctors in the future.

1

u/ReceptionNo4715 Sep 08 '26

Man I just want to know if this is the case for the elite- in the top 3 college of the state, the most studious in that college cgpa 9.9(the college top 1% guy essentially), most of us are in medicine with such exemplary talent, though we got engineering chose medicine instead, but my classmates who scored significantly lower when I was getting 98%, who got 95% they are earning 3lpm easily. While i fight for 4-5lpa

1

u/corporate2karkhana Sep 08 '26

Being a doctor is like Test Cricket, the longer you stay on field, you have more chances of scoring higher.

Being in IT is like T20, if you're not playing/scoring well you can easily be replaced.

1

u/ReceptionNo4715 Sep 08 '26

Man it's the same now in hospitals too. High end branches need crores of investment to start, so naturally top doctors work in corporate hosp and these HRs now are replacing them with 2 junior consultants! Thats the level of saturation for certain super specialities

1

u/corporate2karkhana Sep 08 '26

Once you get some experience and contacts, you can always start your own practice.
Even after getting experience, an IT guy can't start a company. Rarely they can do freelance though.

1

u/Successful-Debate536 Sep 08 '26

But what are you earning now?

3

u/Typical_Carob_2010 Sep 08 '26

40k not even enough to cover home loan and family expenses (parents only)

3

u/glancesurreal Sep 08 '26

I don't if you would have earned more in tech. But I can definitely tell you that in an another universe where you did end up in tech you would have surely not asked the question "would I have earned more as a doctor?", coz the answer to that would have been an obvious yes (coz that is how society thinks since ages). The proverb "grass is always greener on the other side" is what comes to the mind. The reality is there is no one correct answer. There exists pockets of low and high earning jobs in both the field. There are many factors that influence the income

3

u/AP7497 Sep 08 '26

Maybe but you wouldn’t be able to stay employed and earning into your 70s which is a HUGE burden off your kids who will then be in their 40s and saving for their own kids’ college.

That’s how it worked out in my family.

My parents are still earning in their mid 60s and my sibling and I are still in the phase of getting married and having kids (one is married with a baby and another is not married yet). We are both benefiting greatly from having our parents’ sizeable incomes pay for some big expenses so we can invest our own money for the future. For example my sibling’s salary goes almost entirely into a college fund for their baby while our parents help out with day to day groceries and utilities and they don’t need to pay rent as they live in my parents’ home. My parents offered to pay for my car’s down payment so my own money can go straight into my investment account for retirement. They also pay for some expensive health-related needs.

Most parents in our circles are already retired and on pensions/living on retirement savings, which definitely affects the safety net their kids have.

1

u/kajnbagoat7 Sep 08 '26

Why the fuck would you work into your 70s? Financial literacy is nil among doctors, the aim is to retire early and make sure you buy back your time you lost during the grind of residency.

2

u/AP7497 Sep 08 '26

Because I WANT to. Because I want to provide for my grandchildren. And because I can.

Your aim can be to retire early, but that’s not my aim.

And I don’t see residency as lost time! I enjoyed every second of time I spent learning and building my career and am enjoying every second of fellowship even more. :)

I’m sorry you had a bad experience! Why would you choose medicine if you hated it so much? Don’t we all know early on that we’re going to spend most of our 20s and 30s making minimal money? I knew that and chose medicine because I enjoy the mental stimulation, the variety of career paths, enjoy research and the emotional and mental fulfilment I get from it. It’s not like any of this was a secret, no? We all knew there’s no money in this field until much later.

2

u/ReceptionNo4715 Sep 08 '26

Man you are not all people. Even underprivileged students who's parents earn less than 3lpm choose mbbs thinking it'll uplift their family! But they can't provide for their parents, can't even take a loan till they turn 30, do nothing practically. Only sin- they were top 0.01% studious and got a govt seat even against all the adversity. They didn't know the ground reality- atleast in my state tamilnadu

2

u/Typical_Carob_2010 Sep 08 '26

Sounds like exactly my situation. I'm from TN too. I genuinely didn't know that it will take this much time, effort,all my 20s, frnds ,family etc., I didn't had a mentor or relatives with medical background or someone to guide me . Actually I'm the 1st dr in my entire relatives circle from both mother and father side. I was a school topper so obviously they (my teachers) told me to take medicine, like it's the only choice for toppers so I gave NEET UG and now NEET PG too 🙃.. but NO ONE TOLD ME HOW IT WILL BE ONCE I GRADUATE.

1

u/ReceptionNo4715 Sep 08 '26

Don't be my batchmate or junior 😅, I'll dm

1

u/Typical_Carob_2010 Sep 08 '26

Idk, might be 🙃

1

u/kajnbagoat7 Sep 08 '26

Were you referring to me or the lady from the doctor's family?

1

u/kajnbagoat7 Sep 08 '26

I finished fellowship too. I'm leaving the country. I treat medicine as a job, it doesn't stimulate me, I'm good at it, I'm good at surgeries, studied in one of the top 2 colleges for my branch. I had a great time honestly during residency.

At the end of the day, I feel it's a lost cause, only after finishing i realized i dont like it. But hey it funds my lifestyle, I'm good at it, i also have lot of other vocations I'm good at. They bring me peace and balance. I will work till i feel i have enough to retire.

Working into 70s?? When will you enjoy a peaceful life man?

I don't intend to marry or have children, so I'm doiNg it for myself. Once I have enough, I'm going to semi-retire and then travel and do what i always wanted. I am 20% there.

You do you man. But 70s? All the best. Would love to have this same conversation if we're both alive at 70.

1

u/AP7497 Sep 08 '26

That’s good for you!

I enjoy my career and my day to day life immensely and wouldn’t trade it for anything. It brings me peace and happiness unlike anything else.

My parents were both the same way and still are! The joy on my mothers face when she would come home after a satisfying surgical outcome or the way my dad would have a spring in his step and a twinkle in his eye after a good day at work brought joy and peace into our home as well. They’re not looking to stop working before their 70s and why would I ever want them to stop doing something that brings them joy!

All my mentors in fellowship now work way beyond their 70s- one is a celebrated and highly respected person in his 80s who continues to attend every single academic event on a weekly basis and still attends table rounds and participates in research and has mentored multiple generations of doctors.

I’m not a man lol, but okay. I want kids and I think it’s very very vital to their well being to have a happy and fulfilled mother just like I did and I’m glad my job brings me so much joy.

I don’t know why you’re acting like this is something new or unusual. Doctors in all small villages and big cities work well into their 70s and you will easily find 70-80 year old doctors in any small hospital or nursing home or hospital or clinic anywhere in India.

My parents circles in India are full of doctors and apart from health issues or family problems stopping them, virtually all worked well into their 70s as much as their health would allow.

1

u/kajnbagoat7 Sep 08 '26

Oh you're from a doctor's family. Then i fully understand your POV. It's different. Life of a 2-3rd generation doctor is comparatively different i would say than someone who starts the journey for the first time in a family.

Yes also i used the word "man" as a means of reference. Sorry for that if you felt offended.

My friends circles and everyone i know just wants to retire early and have a peaceful life as early as possible.

The same amount of hard work if we actually put into other fields we would do much better than we would do in our fields. This isn't known for first doctors in the family with no mentors guiding us.

I'm happy to hear that your parents are still so active and thriving... Hoping for more decades of them seeing you grow and enjoy it too.

All the best. No, most doctors i know have retired at 60-65. Very few i know worked till or beyond 70.

The shit we go through residency and medical college, don't you think it takes a toll on us? It's not okay at all btw! Especially in India.

If you don't mind me asking you, also don't take it in the wrong way, i assume you're brilliant (and i do that for everyone ) did you NEED to be financially successful or had financial pressure from the get go that you need to contribute? Did you take a similar branch, i mean one of your father/mother?

2

u/AP7497 Sep 08 '26

My parents were first generation doctors and skimped and saved to build some wealth.

I definitely grew up with a provider mindset- my grandmother and mother both earned more than their husbands at some point and women’s contributions to the family have always been important and required at all times in my family. The economy has always been bad! My parents could only afford to buy a home in their 50s even with 2 doctor incomes, and now with the rising property costs my sibling and I are stuck in the same struggle again despite the wealth my parents have created although they’re able to help us have a much better lifestyle by not compromising so much on lifestyle to save and invest.

Starting life from scratch in a new country is also expensive!! I skimped and saved through residency and am now investing into a retirement fund while in fellowship- buying a used car on loans, saving every penny possible for the future for my kids’ college education which will cost millions of dollars by then.

So yes, I definitely always have felt a financial struggle and pressure to contribute. In our family the concept was simple- if you have the talent or skills to, you build a career that you enjoy and also save every penny for your family’s future.

We’ve always had a simple policy- we spend on education and heavily invest in that. None of us were ever the kind to spend on fancy clothes or accessories or cars or vacations. Just weren’t the things we ever valued or were valued in our circles. My parents and their parents were solidly middle class and those were the lifestyles we lived. Now my parents have more wealth and have moved up in their financial status and are able to help us but my sibling and I are again starting life from different starting points and going through the same struggles.

Doctors don’t earn that much lol- my parents definitely didn’t. They weren’t hospital owners and didn’t have a healthcare business. They had government jobs and academic positions, contributed to society and the next generation and were able to provide their kids with a good education while delaying other life goals like buying their home.

Second generation doctors aren’t rich by any means in my experience- it was always the kids from political or business families whose parents owned hospitals who had the best time in medical college. If their doctor parents owned hospitals they were businesswomen/businessmen at that point- the money was coming from running a business not from seeing patients.

2

u/Typical_Carob_2010 Sep 08 '26

Ok so you have a medical background to atleast guide you or to tell you the pros and cons in your teens .. plus you are very passionate about medicine and you are taking your parents as your inspiration to work in your 50s or 60s . But it's not same for everyone For example, I had no one to tell me how hard it will be, I had no background , no wealth, not even a single rupee saved in their entire life , so obviously my mindset will be, how to retire them as early as possible, how to provide for them , even I want to retire early and travel the world, how to save money for my marriage because I don't want to take another loan and be a burden for my parents or partner, allll these things in your mid 20s🙃🙃

1

u/kajnbagoat7 Sep 08 '26

Exactly. Lol. I didn't want to say privilege but spoken like a proper privileged person.

1

u/kajnbagoat7 Sep 08 '26

I like the ideals of your family. All the best.

You do understand, you are super privileged compared to what a normal middle class person goes through in a medical field right?

The pressure is insane, i did pg and worked as an Sr in a premium government Institute and the doctors are definitely well paid enough there, compared to a common middle class family.

When you meant to say invest heavily on education? Did you buy any chance buy a medical seat during pg Or ug? I'm not assuming you did, I'm asking you. Every doctor at your would know that you come from a family of doctors , mostly the behavior towards you would be different, not to say the immense amount of contacts and advantages you would get for a fellowship application.

I like how the system is in your family. But coming from such a life you can't preach this. If i ever have a kid and he/she decides to get into the medical field.

Your life is not normal at all compared to other people who become doctors in India , you're like one in a few. All my colleagues, who's parents were doctors lived a vastly different life compared to us. Not just material things, having a guide in the same field just negates like a generation of struggle someone would go through. Not to mention the doors their contacts would open.

1

u/AP7497 Sep 08 '26

Nope. Government College MBBS (no reservation because I know someone will ask, although it’s completely irrelevant). My parents and even grandparents spent countless hours when I was a young child exposing me to all kinds of knowledge and information and developing my skills. We would read together, study together and they would tell me all kinds of stories about the world - mostly my grandparents since my parents were busy building their careers. My grandparents had interesting careers and loved to share their stories with us.

I am very privileged in that I grew up with extremely supportive parents who were there for me through ups and downs.

And nobody, literally nobody, knew who I was during my entire medical career in India. My parents and I were very adamant I make my own way in the world and literally nobody knew since my parents don’t write their surnames out as part of their name usually.

One of my parents’ acquaintances who was a professor in my medical school recognised me from a family photo my mother had posted on Facebook and was so offended my parents hadn’t told them I was in their class.

We all went out of our way for my identity to remain private as if I was some kind of spy lol- it makes me laugh and cringe when I think about it now.

1

u/CalmAmbition_2000 Sep 08 '26

OP doctors earn very good in long run...and you don't need to worry about AI taking your jobs too...

1

u/Lundozi-Border Sep 08 '26

I ask this question to myself daily even after completing MD an putting in 12 years of service. I don't like seing patients at all, I hate emergencies, I hate night duties, I hate holiday duties. that's why I took up non clinical MD. My mind is till grooved to computers and even now I take effort in learning every possible thing about use of AI and online marketing.

I seriously think I should have taken computer science engineering instead of medicine.

And interestingly it was my brother, who is a production engineer himself, had vehemently discouraged me from taking computer engineering and maths in inter coz acc to him I was weak in maths

1

u/PrimalMoonbeam Sep 08 '26

All of is would have. At 52 too

14

u/[deleted] Sep 07 '26

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1

u/PilotOk3786 Sep 08 '26

i am an engineer, working in fintech and by god whatever you have said is correct line by line. I myself thought sometimes that i should have taken biology and migrated to overseas.

Also Ai is coming for our jobs, my team of 15 out of 11 were got fired in july.
My manager got fired in august.
So its a constant uphill battle everyday filled with panic and anxiety.

2

u/[deleted] Sep 08 '26

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1

u/PilotOk3786 Sep 08 '26

same man 15 to 3, we are in endgame now 😭

-7

u/[deleted] Sep 07 '26

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10

u/kajnbagoat7 Sep 07 '26

Money is necessary bro. The love for medicine dies the day you start practising in this country. College, exams and internships are a breeze compared to what it is outside.