I have been thinking a lot about this thread. I forgot to mention in my diatribe how much my job has affected my life (drinking) and has done its best to ruin my marriage. In my industry the saying is "By 50, you will either have a heart attack, get divorced or both." When I was 23, I scoffed. Now I understand.
I asked my brother this question:
His bio:
Maxillofacial surgeon / general dentist- has a MDDS after graduating Summa toss custard Laude from Tufts Medical in Boston. Went in the Navy as a Commissioned Medical Officer so he has had zero student debt.
Owns his own dental and surgery center in Colorado Springs with 17 dental chairs, an associate dentist, a OR nurse, and twelve techs. Owns the building he is in and has four tenants.
Suffice it to say he is doing well.
His clinic is open 6 days a week works three days a week and a half day every third Friday.
He spends his free time looking at houses in Southern California -where he is retiring - and hating his job too.
He has acute tinnitus from the drill and chronic neck pain and carpal tunnel syndrome. He spent the last 22 years building his practice, in a city he hates (we grew up there so that is where he had an associate job out of school) and can't wait to leave. He says dealing with people in the medical manner has made him bitter towards the whole human race. Apparently, if you introduce tooth pain to the general public, they aren't always well behaved. Insurance companies telling him what he can or can't do for someone. Billing and collections.
Like I said the last time; it really doesn't matter what you do. Work is soul sucking.
ETA- the language filter grabbing the Latin for "with highest honors" and making it tossing custard made my whole day. Thanks
@Andrus