The Problem with Medicine & Being a Doctor

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👋🏻 Hey everyone, this video is going to be more serious than most of my other content. We talk about the downsides to a career in medicine and being a doctor, some of the problems with UK medical training including pay, training bottlenecks, the encroachment of the doctor's role by MAP's (Medical Associate Professionals) including PA's (Physicians associates) and much more. Everyone is going to have their own opinion, particularly with such a sensitive topic, feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments down below whether you agree or disagree.
Thank you so much for watching, I'll see you in the next one ✌🏻
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🙋🏻‍♂️ My name is Nasir Kharma and I am a doctor living and working in London. This channel is dedicated to helping students pursue a career in medicine and giving them an accurate insight into what life is like as a doctor. I hope you find my videos valuable.
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Subscriber Count:
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 - 00:50 Hello & Disclaimer
00:50 - 06:56 Long, Unsocial, & Unpredictable hours
06:56 - 17:00 Stress & Responsibility
17:00 - 25:22 Intense Emotions
25:22 - 40:08 Poor Pay
40:08 - 43:08 Additional Requirements
43:08 - 44:53 Concluding Thoughts
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[@KharmaMedic]

This is probably the most serious video I’ve done on the channel, thank you for listening and watching, even if we don’t agree on some or all points. The comments section is open for discussion. I’d love to hear thoughts from everyone but especially doctors both in the UK and abroad. Thanks again to Notion for sponsoring this video and for continuing to support the channel even on controversial but important videos like this one. Join the waitlist to get early access to Notion Q&A here: ntn.so/kharmamedicQA

[@danaattar2007]

I really appreciate how you always try to show every side of being a doctor. You show your passion towards it but at the same time how exhausting it is to you. Very appreciated and makes me very very proud to see you open up to sharing this with everyone because not only is it important for you to be self aware of the situation but for everyone else who wants to take this path and become a doctor. Very inspiring 👏

[@vm3249]

I completely respect how you feel. Thank you for sharing and I totally agree doctors should be paid so much more and provided work life balance. Doctors need to feel as though their mental and physical needs are being cared for so that they can take of the health of the patients around them.

[@amplemedicallectures]

Check out our channel for latest Medical Lectures.

[@user-fi8bt3pb3j]

pay is terrible not expanding places for speciality is shocking like dangling a carrot with no end to it. study for degree in AI set up company putting in same hours with own profits at the end of it i can see why many leave this profession all them hours wasted with no profits in a way no incentives l love surgical stuff though but puts people off

[@DrGauravThakur38]

I hope you keep doing well in life man, medicine is a rough ride nowadays... ive been following you for a while now

[@M.G2103]

Hi Nasir, fellow doctor here. I have been watching your videos for a few years now and want to say that I am seriously impressed with everything you have accomplished so far and well done! In this particular video however, I couldn't help but notice a change in your demeanour, not that you have said anything wrong, your points of discussion are valid, but you look 'burnt out' and reading between the lines of what you said, paints a self explanatory picture of the harsh yet also very true reality you are facing, similar to a cry of frustration (hence the understandable rants). That is just what I noticed/ interpreted, I may be wrong and I apologise if I am. I listened to everything you said in the video, and I agree with everything. There is a fine line for doctors between carrying out your duties correctly as a healthcare professional and balancing it with your needs in your private life. Personally, if I was in your shoes, I would start investigating other countries in the world for specialty training. Many of my friends/ collegues are stuck in the NHS system for specialty progression and end up compromising the specialty of their dreams for another more accessible one, simply because of exhaustion and the progression problem. I understand and support your views, I as do you, also love this job but nowadays I think the UK is not a place that allows doctors to pursue their dreams while achieving a mental/ physically healthy life. Irrespective of this, I hope you find a way to accomplish all your goals and live the life that you want to live as a doctor, exactly as you envision it. The helpful questions to answer are, what do I want/ what are my goals?, how much I am willing to sacrifice?, what life/ career do I envision myself in when I am 50-60 years old? and what changes must be done/ risks must be taken/ goals be achieved/ changes be made (within reason) to achieve this. By no means am I saying that you need or need to follow any of this advice, and definitely not from a stranger on the other side of a keyboard somewhere around in the world, but perhaps these questions can help align the rather wobbly trajectory that a lot of doctors face nowadays, because at the end of the day, we all have one life on this earth, and we should cherish it and protect it. Unfortunately the reality is that for us doctors, it's tough, but there is always a solution to every problem, wish you all the best and stay strong, fellow colleague!

[@DanNyBxt]

well said.

[@M.G2103]

Thank you!@@DanNyBxt

[@abdishakuraden9612]

Beautifully summed up everything. That's a great advice

[@M.G2103]

Much appreciated! @@abdishakuraden9612

[@KharmaMedic]

I’ve read this comment a few times now. Thank you for taking the time to write it, I think it very well sums up how I’m feeling about my current situation and future career as a doctor. From one stranger on the internet to another, thank you!

[@zohalarbabzada9654]

My opinion is that many societies take advantage of the intrinsic altruism that doctors have which is part of the job; you're going to take care of your patients no matter what, therefore systems think they can take advantage of that by paying you less and making you do many unpaid hours that would be illegal in other professions and treating you poorly because you'll want to persist for your patients It's pretty sad that the professions that exist to help others are the ones taken advantage of e.g. doctors, nurses, paramedics, firefighters, they just expect that people will keep going out of the goodness of their hearts regardless of how they are treated. It's so frustrating!

[@tifi29]

spot on

[@nextthe9651]

But in the end, one day, they will leave medicine, as we are seeing in the US today (especially in the covid period). A lot of doctors just left the medical field.

[@emedlearning9035]

Spot on, people are taking advantage of it.

[@zingoid2710]

Well said brother! Fellow doctor here. Someone with your reach in social media had to raise awareness. Medicine is fucking tough, and the way UK Medicine has become, extremely demoralizing. I work like a dog only to count my pennies daily so that I can afford rent. Can’t buy a car, can’t do shit other than eat, drink, sleep cause the money is just enough to rent a one bedroom flat. Keep on striking hard!

[@raxeyrae9457]

Hi Nasir. I’m a forth years resident in Spain. We do 24h shifts (usually it ends up being 26-27h) and on top of that we are required to study, take courses, do a master’s degree and elaborate on conferences and research. So it’s almost 80h work week plus studying and research and a disrupted sleeping schedule for 30.000€ a year. I really like the job and the fact that a I can help people for a living in the emergency department is extremely fulfilling. But I’d also like to enjoy other things in life like exercise, playing instruments, being well rested and having time for family friends and nature on the weekends. I’m hoping I can find a proper work-life balance once I finish residency. I just came to the conclusion that in order to be happy and live a life worth living you also need to be healthy. Take care, Nasir, you’re an awesome human being.

[@jindoara2477]

It's shocking to me to know how underpaid doctors are in England. Here in Brazil, being a doctor is one of the most prosperous careers you can choose, which is why it is one of the most popular courses at public universities and the only ones who pass are those who study hard (there are people who spend years and years to pass the test to be at the university) or you must pay 10x the minimum wage monthly to take the course at a private college (which isnt for everybody). Compared to other careers, studying medicine is one of the best financially if we compare with others traditional careers

[@hayhaypanda8424]

Nasir, I'm an aspiring doctor like you. I'm currently studying my Bachelors in Australia, and I've been watching your channel for many years. This video was a true wake up call for not only your viewers as well as 'ready to emerge' doctors around the world, but also for yourself. You mention that there have been many times that you have almost broken into tears. I speak for myself and your fellow viewers that we don't want our Nasir Kharma to be the next thing to break. We are understanding and actively listening to the well articulated rant that you have posited, demanding better conditions and pay for you and your fellow doctors. We understand that you want to become a Doctor, and so do we. We've watched you from when you were an aspiring medical student at King's College recording long 'Study with me' sessions to where you are now. After admiring your passion and dedication throughout the past decade of intense study to becoming a Doctor, I can confidently say that I now see a different Nasir. I see an emotionally and physically drained Nasir, affected by the arduous working hours and conditions. I don't see the same lively dedicated character we all loved to engage with on this channel, and we're all hoping to see that smile again. While I'm only in my early years in University and cannot fully grasp what you're feeling during this speciality training period, I do believe that the best, most rewarding choice that you need to make is finding a new place to settle your medical career. Your mental, physical, and emotional health comes first above all else, and as it seems, the UK is not offering you the happiest path towards a mentally fulfilling future. There are certainly a handful of other countries that would love to appreciate you for the time and dedication you keep putting in to your clinical work. We want the best for our favourite KZbin doctor, and we want to see the happy Nasir Kharma we have all grown to love for the past decade. I hope you see this message, and I hope you make the best decision for yourself Remember Nasir... you are your most important patient.

[@missserpentiine]

Respect for calling out the specialties who give you a hard time when you call. I'm in Psychiatry, and I get all kinds of consults (warranted or unwarranted- for example; panic attack in the ED). I like to remind myself that whoever is consulting me, genuinely needs my help. That being said, I do not appreciate the sarcasm or derogatory tone when I consult other services when I am someone who will accept consults (a lot of times with the bare minimum history). I wish somebody would speak up about the double standard. The physicians I work with would never consult a surgeon for just "abdominal pain" but would easily consult psychiatry for "insomnia"......

[@americanbobtail1]

Well as a patient I see that as a good thing, since psychiatrists have to be the worst doctors on the planet. You do not do physical exams nor proper testing for brain activity as a QEEG, PET/CT Scan, Functional MRI, etc. You are absolutely clueless on the long-term effects the medication you prescribe affect your patients. Just neurologically now I have Visual Snow Syndrome with migraines, atypical facial pain, and dizzyness/vertigo due to the long-term effects of primary lamictal and anti-depressants primarily being prozac. In addition, I have Chronic/Active Epstein-Barr Virus due to the long-term effects these medications to my system. That does not include other things wrong with my gastrointestinal, muscular skeletal, and urological systems. I was specifically told from original diagnosing psychiatrist there were zero side-effects from the medication prescribed to me. Not only was he wrong, there is not one psychiatrist nor neurologist that can effectively treat me or really MD/DO due to the fact I can't majority of synthetic western medication due to the side-effects of being in a stoned/altered state for a couple of hours to a couple of days. As a profession you guys should be ashamed of yourselves.

[@huzaifa01]

Watching this video reminded me of doctors in Gaza, imagine the INSANE amount of hardship they have been going through, may Allah help them

[@bipasha.77]

I love how well reasoned out and sourced this video is. About the "low pay" section, I genuinely sympathize with NHS docs who don't have enough financial backing to pursue what would have been a dream for so many young students. I'm a med student in India, and I guess you'd be well aware that a majority of the foreign work force the NHS recruits comprises of Indians, because, as you rightly say, the situation here is much worse than in the UK. My seniors who are in the NHS now only have good things to say about the shift, so I can only imagine how hard residency in my country is going to be. What I love about your channel specifically is that your love for medicine shows in the purest form in almost every video you make. It's refreshing to see someone so inspired and hopeful! I happen to love my field too, being specifically inclined to palliative medicine, which I hope to pursue in my residency. It's people like you that make me believe that inspite of the negatives, this job is one of a kind, and worth pursuing if you genuinely love it. Thanks Nasir! Have a great year:)

[@BlushnBlue]

Wow, I cannot believe that you are on the same pay level with a PA in the UK. I'm studying to be a Nurse Practitioner and I would expect the physicians here in the US to make a good amount more. I truly hope this changes for physicians in the UK. Now, I understand why so many in the medical field finally reach their degree but quit. I could never understand why one would spend that many years and to just give it all up.

[@Reaction_channel]

New doctors actually make less than new PAs

[@sunriselotus]

Also they don’t have to do undergrad in UK you go straight to med school after high school.

[@jacobthiessen7027]

As a US med student I can say that I feel immensely for UK docs. I've been watching other KZbinrs talking about the Jr. strikes and watched a lot of MD UK students leave medicine to pursue other things and it's just a terrible situation. I regularly tell pre-meds not to go into medicine to get rich because it's not worth the stress and sacrifice for the salary (even in the US) and the fact that it is so bad in the UK just makes me sad. Not only is it your youth and talent you are sacrificing, but your whole financial security. How can the public sector not ask themselves questions like "why should a 20 something year old put in a decade of education and training just to make 20k less per year than starting salary for someone with 4yrs of college and a lunch room with a foosball table"?

[@michaelskuce3677]

bless ya so much hard work to become an dr I'm sure in end your get there i hope one day to help teach medical students as one of there body donors as I'm thermally ill young man so decided to give consent to body donation in hope to help teach medical students Anatomy i wish all well in there studies and pray you carry on to become great dr take care

[@flowting5163]

Hey Nasir, when you said "this is my calling, I love my job...", I found that to be very inspiring and I hope you can continue doing whatever you are doing and you are one of my role models in life.

[@fasikagh6192]

It is about time someone who is as accomplished as you speaks up about the down sides of the medical field. Healthcare in the UK is similar to that in Ethiopia where I live since they both give out free healthcare. I am absolutely for free health care because I have experienced people who can not afford basic healthcare where I work, which is in a Private Hospital, leave in concern for their well being. This is truly truly heart breaking. As doctors we see people in need first hand and get the opportunity to help but the main issue, which is insufficient pay gets in the way and compromises our decision of being a doctor in the first place. Thanks doc for sharing all this and I hope those in charge get to see this and make some positive changes to our sector.

[@recklinghausen1]

Hi Nasir! I'm in my intern year now and would add to your list stress from working with cranky (didn't find a better word) patients. I'm a pediatrician and have had a handful of my patients' parents who were incredibly capricious and require a lot of my attention during a day (I mean, I talked to them 10 times a day even though their kids' were stable and admitted for check-up for their chronic condition). You expain to them why their child can't have all the required tests and procedures (some requiring general anesthesia) in 2 days as though they don't see that the Unit is fully packed with patients. They catch you every time you come in on floor to ask something like "maybe we get this procedure today/tomorrow, after all? My kid and I tired from hospital". They come to doctors/residents room and start asking you some minor questions. They ask you every day if you could be in a room during the procedure and watch what it showed, and you promise them that you could (and you are really there even after a long shift). It's just demoralizing that you invest so much time and energy to explain medical information and answer to all their ever-arising minor questions but these type don't even bother to remember your name. I don't know how to explain, it's like they don't see you as a human but as a robot for answering their demands... I'm sure you are an excellent physician and really care for your patients, and wish you to accomplish whatever you dream of! (I'm not a native speaker, sorry if something is hard to understand. I live and practice in Russia)

[@HT45906]

Hi Nasir, your video really resonated with me. I am a fellow doctor, having studied and worked my foundation years in the UK. I completely understand all your sentiments, especially regarding training posts and exams! It's an absolute privilege to be doing this job and I also wouldn't do anything else. But it is also very hard financially, emotionally and physically and I think it's really important to highlight that. It can be hard for friends and family to understand what we do and the sacrifices that have to be made. I am currently working in NZ, and would say the working conditions are better but the same issues with exams/portfolio/long working hours still exist. In fact at the moment I am studying for an anaesthetics exam which takes a reported '1000 hours' to study for i.e 3 hours a day for one year on top of full time shift work.. I think what has helped me the most, is to make sure I always take some time for myself during the day and do something that I really enjoy and lets me completely switch off from medicine i.e regular exercise and/or reading a good 'non medical' book or spending a bit of time with friends and family.

[@dajana9072]

Being responsible as one single doctor for 250 to 300 patients (when I understood that correctly) is insane. Here in Germany I think it‘s normal that you have to care as one doctor for like 50 patients at the same time. This already feels unmanageable, 250 patients is just pure madness. I‘m so so sorry that you have to experience and go through this kind of broken health care system, especially as a young and highly motivated doctor. I wish you all the strength to go through this and cross my fingers that this staffing situation will get better in the future 😬

[@Sana_Masood]

I agree 100 percent with you Nasir 👍🏻👍🏻 worst decision of my life was to study medicine

[@theRAV4000]

I do psychiatry in Poland and after regular working hours there are only 2 doctors for the whole hospital (about 600 patients). The specialist is mainly responsible for admissions (because some admissions are against patients will and a psychiatrist has to sign it), so I'm basically left alone with ALL wards. Psychiatric emergencies are not that hard to handle but with this many patients, including wards with elderly people, there are all kind of things happening, from heart attacks, to strokes etc. So I can totally relate to the situation you mentioned. After a year in psychiatry though I feel like I know medicine so much better, not just psychiatry, but I do wish we had more doctors because this gets kinda ridiculous sometimes.

[@matyldakrupa3775]

I’m a 4rd year medical student from Kraków and I was wondering watching Nasir’s video- do we have a progression of salaries throughout the specialty training? Or does it depend of the hospital you do the specialty training? Also about the problem of work overload and being the only doctor of this specialty in the hospital- that’s why I’m thinking about going into Pathology. I’m just scared that bc of all of this happening in the Polish Medical system I am going to become as rude, as harsh, as uncaring as the old doctors. The doctors that traumatise the patient.moustache solely because of the stress and work overload

[@theRAV4000]

@@matyldakrupa3775 there is progression, you get paid more after 2 years but thats not a big difference. Every hospital has an option to give you some extra money apart from the regulated residency salary. In psychiatry many hospitals actually do that and it varies from one hospital to another (I have even seen about 5k zl). From what I know psychiatric clinics in bigger cities have many more doctors and usually they are apart of a multi specialty hospital. I work in a strictly psychoatric hospital in the middle of a forest and we really struggle with the amount of personnell.

[@theRAV4000]

@@matyldakrupa3775 btw I was left alone with all wards of the hospital since my first shift thay I took 3 weeks after I started to work here

[@jr4366]

Omg WHAT??? I had no idea the salary was that low - that is insane. The amount of education and the responsibility involved... i just assumed the starting salary was super high to account for all that. I am genuinely speechless

[@takoflame4948]

Yeah and the doctors here in the USA complain so much. Everywhere else doctor is normal pay.

[@anesh7824]

The additional requirements part is so true, especially with the increasing bottleneck of medical graduates and limited training posts got me considering taking an F3-F4 year to space everything out before applying to speciality training, prolonging the uncertainty even more

[@msz9523]

I relate so much to all that was said in this video. I did medicine as a graduate like you, but unlike you I had a job in consulting between my undergrad and med school and the possibility of stepping away from medicine in favour of a comfortable 9-5 for better pay is becoming ever more tempting. It has gotten to the stage now where I feel selfish to pursue working as a doctor, because I am never there for my family and partner and I cannot even compensate for that financially.

[@nurse.reen_]

Hello kuya Nasir, I’ve been a silent fan of yours. Re-watching all your videos multiple times. Today, you gave me a new motivation that the one we chose to farther walk on is the one our heart desired to. I’ve been struggling from my study as a student nurse but then I realized after watching your video that I shouldn’t settle for less for myself but instead aim more in order to a competent health worker. Thank you so much kuya for always inspiring us, who either taking medical field and other courses but being unite as one because of you. I hope I could also worked with you in the near future, Insha Allah. ✨

[@miskicamiskica4637]

Hi, fellow doctor here also. I chose not to work in practice precisely because of these reasons that Nasir stated in the video. I am employed at the Faculty of Medicine, where I work as an assistant professor. Here, where I work, I have a higher salary than doctors who work in practice, not to mention less responsibility, there are no long hours to work, no absenteeism, as much responsibility as when working in practice with patients. And I get the same per month as a specialist doctor. Many of my students feel sorry for me and say why don't you work in practice, but they are still young and do not see the background of everything. I'm a big fan of Nasir, and generally of the youtube idea where I can see how my colleagues work in different parts of the world. And I'm very sorry that more and more colleagues have burnout syndrome from being overworked. Dear Nasir and all other colleagues who find themselves in these situations, put yourself and your health first. It doesn't matter what others will say and talk about. Once you lose your health physically, but it seems to me first mentally, there is no going back, the only thing left is to regret that we didn't do anything for ourselves in time. take care everyone, big greetings ​

[@RobertShamansky]

Hello! I'm currently in my fifth year of medical school out of six in Europe. I've come to realize that I have a strong affinity for the theoretical and academic aspects of medicine. Can you please provide guidance on the appropriate steps to take in order to pursue a similar position at the university level like yours?

[@chigookpechi3796]

@@RobertShamansky following!

[@MALI-sm7zm]

What is the path you take to become an assistant professor after completing mbbs ?

[@miskicamiskica4637]

@@RobertShamansky First, I am very glad to hear that young people want to do science and advance in academic knowledge. My academic path was like this: after graduating, I worked as a general practitioner in a hospital for a year. After that, there was a competition for the admission of an assistant at the medical faculty, who applied himself. I had excellent grades at the university, so I was accepted as an assistant without any problems. In the same year, he enrolled in master's studies at the Faculty of Medicine, simultaneously working as an assistant with students. The master's study lasted 4 years, after which she defended her master's thesis and was academically awarded the title of senior assistant. after that, I started working on my doctoral dissertation, and it took about 5 years. After defending my doctoral dissertation, I was awarded the title of assistant professor, and I am currently waiting for my premature promotion to associate professor because in less than a year I have acquired the conditions for further academic advancement. What you should be aware of is that the path to academic advancement differs from country to country in some details, such as the conditions for academic advancement GOOD LUCK EVERYONE

[@miskicamiskica4637]

@@chigookpechi3796 I have replied to the previous comment

[@YZKMNY]

Such an inspiration since the beginning. Thanks for sharing your experiences!

[@dani45216]

As someone who is also a doctor in the nhs, this is 100% accurate, thanks for making this video! It’s nice to see it’s not just me

[@dongfanglin3549]

In Portugal, junior docs, even the most experienced specialists are all underpayed unless you open your own clinic. The situation is far worse than in UK

[@joshuam2962]

Thank you for everything you do on this channel. Despite the fact that I live on the other side of the world and do not work in medicine or healthcare, I have gained a great deal from your videos. You have taught me how to use Notion, inspired me to travel to Jordan (which I loved), and much more. Being from Australia, I didn't realise just how poorly doctors are paid in the UK. I admire you for continuing with this career despite there being no real financial benefit in you doing so, and, of course, for continuing to make videos when you can despite such a crazy schedule.

[@Dimen-ju7jd]

I remember watching your videos to push me for studying to get accepted into med, I am delighted to say that I am a first year med student now. I am looking forward to becoming a doctor one day.

[@user-rp3nq7eu7k]

Even with the low pay？😂

[@frikihd2325]

@@user-rp3nq7eu7k not everything in life is about money.

[@Dimen-ju7jd]

@@user-rp3nq7eu7k Where I am from Kurdistan,Iraq, The pay is good and you get a job almost immediately after graduating. But that‘s for now I hope it stays that way. The only downside is that no matter what job you have the government doesn‘t pay you every month.

[@mlyannyily]

and also the bit where: you don't get your work schedule / on call rota in advance and cannot really plan life events ahead of time; rota coordinators mostly being non-clinical staff (and do not have any insight into how it actually is on the ground); problems with not getting annual leave and study leave approved etc etc etc.....

[@nishiki393]

Wow, this was freaking eye-opening, and presented perfectly. These are very real problems, that not only affect you but UK society now, but increasingly in the future if things don't start changing quickly. UK policy towards their public workers and especially highly trained specialists such as you is completely boneheaded, you are 100% right there. I can't believe the UK public is tolerating this management of the NHS, which should be a special treasure protected by everyone! Our medical system here in the US isn't fabulous either (it has its own largely different problems, some of which are still quite significant)... but at least our medical professionals aren't paid anything close to this badly, generally speaking. You are a true angel Nasir... so committed to helping people that you are, for now, sticking with it, even though you absolutely don't have to... because you actually care about the people & the cause. This kind of selflessness is really special in today's day and age! I would have contributed some using the contribute button here, but I don't like KZbin's 30%+ cut, so instead I just became a coffee club member on Patreon, which is a much more reasonable ~12% cut. Thank you Nasir, be well good soul! I really hope things improve in the UK with regard to this. (Long-time subscriber, and plan to remain that way, of course!)

[@fatimakhalid1991]

I am a Dentist from Sudan but this was so relatable! Thank you for your honesty.

[@hermie6076]

OMG! I can fully relate to this, I think I had PTSD from my oncall phone’s ringing tone even after I moved into my next appointment.

[@Timzhil]

Every new video is like a big gift now. Thank you so much for inspiration!

[@user-zn7if9us9s]

Hi Nasir, I'm a medical doctor just like you with a little more than 1 year experience living and working in Family medicine in Zagreb, Croatia. I know that living cost in London is way much higher than here, but here for a young doctor working basic 176h work week our salary is about 1600euros which is about 19,200 euros per year which equals 16,500 British pounds per year. So yeah, there a lot more countries where doctors are as unappreciated as in GB unfortunately... :(

[@julianmartin9856]

UK medic here that switch to programming and think one important point he didn’t discuss is the post COVID paradigm. Having done Physics as an undergrad and then medicine I was quite lucky and once I saw what it was like to work in the UK hospital I decided to leave. I am currently working in a job that I luckily find super interesting in trading and modeling. I get dental, medical free breakfast higher (much high more than consultants) salary but the most important thing is the flexibility to work from the office or wherever and have travelled the world with my laptop. But the biggest thing, is I go to bed excited to work the next and since switching from Medicine haven’t felt the heart sinking feeling of having work the next day. Something needs to change!

[@sushrutdeshmukh7564]

Indian medical grad here switching to bioinformatics. I was always more inclined towards medical research rather than clinical practice and after working through covid in the emergency and critical care departments, I decided make the jump. Just got a degree in cancer research and have signed up for a course on math and coding. Your comment motivates me, hope I get to live life like you once im on the other side of things!

[@woorim8884]

@julianmartin9856. hi im currently an alevel student in the UK and I have been considering the same choice ( medic-> programming). I think after watching countless hours in the 'life of a surgeon' or ' what it is really like to work as a doctor' Ive have realised my change in my passion in wanting to become a doctor ( my initial passion for being a doctor wasn't even that strong). Being more on the introvert side and also being good and enjoying maths and problem solving ect, i think programming seems like a very fun and exciting carrer/ degree to pursue at a higher level. The main dilemma i wanted to ask you was if u think ur transition to programming and more of the tech industry was beneficial ( do you think it was a good idea )( do you have fun) ect. Thank you for spending your time reading this and i Hope to get back to you.

[@julianmartin9856]

@@woorim8884 Hi there, in short it was the best decision I've made to start programming and leave medicine. I caveate that with saying I think doctors do an amazing Job and I am lucky with all the amazing people I worked with during my time in medicine. But it's not even comparable. Speaking from the UK system (NHS). My work is a lot of fun dealing with problem-solving, geopolitics (trading), working with such bright people. a Direct comparison. My schedule is normal not night work making me depressed, I can see friends and family on weekends, I can do all the hobbies I love (piano, Spanish, Italian and BJJ consistently), I don't move round the country depending on what trust will take me, I earn A LOT more money so I can buy a house now in London none of medic friends are even close to the that. I can work from home. But most most importantly I love what I do now, all the admin hospital stuff, stress and NHS politics is now more and I'm so much much happier. But like I always say the NHS needs doctors and not everyone should or can do what I did. Anways hope that helps

[@chadcjmclean]

You deserve better. We will happily take you here in Perth, Australia!

[@user-re2bs9ql3f]

What an amazing video Nasir. So informative and eye opening. It’s really special that even though you are financially strong with work outside of medicine - you still choose to work as a Dr. As an A level student hoping to apply to medical school - you are an inspiration. Keep doing what you’re doing and ignore the haters. You can’t please everyone.

[@Dreamchaser818]

Hi Nasir I'm a student currently working in a pharmacy. Although this might not be relevant to medicine but I could sense the responsibility that doctors carry on their shoulders. Sometimes when I'm looking at the prescriptions coming through the pharmacy and looking at the medicines that were prescribed on it, you can see how tough it is being a doctor. By having to think of medicine interactions and dosing etc. I found this video really touching and I'm sure it will inspire many others!

[@Gobs68]

Love your videos, Nasir. Hang in there. I've been there. It gets much better as you rise through the ranks. I remember those sometimes dark early days as a junior doc with never ending on call and lousy remuneration. I work as a Clinical Lead in Addiction Medicine (a hugely developing area) in Ireland. You'd be most welcome here any time if ever you wanted to do a stint in the field. Keep posting the videos. They're inspirational. Garrett

[@KharmaMedic]

Thank you for the inspiring words and very generous offer! I’m staying positive, I know it will :)

[@Astrospace88]

fellow doctor here. I broke down yesterday saying almost everything you said in this video to a friend. I feel so exhausted.

[@Stellar_storyboard]

After listening to the whole video what i can figure out is to solve these problems all we need are more good doctors , one doctor for like 250 people alone is not good at all , but also the reason why there are not many doctors are somewhere these problems only which make medicine so difficult . So , ya i very hard to figure out how to make medicine at least a little be less difficult , so doctors can have a little less stressful work (and they can be a little more nice with each other too ) and a little more time to just eat a peaceful meal and live a bit healthy life . It would be really better that at least they get respect & money they deserve to go through all this and still choose to be a doctor . Yes , people need to think about it , i guess we all know that we need doctors . Thank u Nasir , you actually put the real problem in front of us in such a good way .Really your videos are always something I look up to .

[@kobehans7376]

Absolutely brilliant video very well said. The crazy part is for people that are not a medical school, that are not doctors, are not in medicine period it's like speaking to a wall. I think that public perception of what doctors do and who doctors are is so far to the left that's crazy. The idea the doctors must love their job to do it + the perception of doctors that people of gained from the movies + from the older doctors that make more comfortable salaries + the immense responsibility that if anything goes wrong in the hospital it's the doctor's fault; all these combined have completely skewed the public perception. Meaning that the government and private health care entities are allowed to get away with the very fraudulent behaviors so much so that when you talk about salary it falls on deaf ears. I was watching the UK Doctor strike and I was seeing comments like "if you don't love your job then leave it". The irony is that it was coming from the same people that we are supposed to care about. Personally, I'm done with these scare tactics. If I knew what I know now I would have made a complete u turn cuz like you said doc there are so many external factors that just that stifle the primary description of the job.

[@jaym4k]

Good luck our fav doctor!

[@EM-mk8jk]

in Australia we have sooo many Drs from the UK! it makes so much sense…

[@rubenc.5648]

WOW - thank you for sharing Nasir. I work in Healthcare admin in the USA and that is crazy to hear about Doctor pay. This is one of the problems with Universal Healthcare that no one talks about. They are trying to bring that here. I'm not saying USA has the best healthcare system, but Doctors are making way more here and that translate to better care for patients.

[@Ssgkejckfkd]

My Medical Admission test is near. I used to watch your video from school. You are always my inspiration. Thank you.🇧🇩

[@workonme5012]

Dear Nasir You explained very well life as doctor in the UK. As someone who is not from here, too feel the VERY SAME stress working in NHS...sometimes I keep asking was it all worth it moving here?...May be we might not earn as much back home but we are living here in the UK..and pay is not enough for the energy we AS HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS invest in NHS and THE MONEY not enough to bring up a family in the UK. To late to go back as we have invested lot to be here and burnt the bridges behind. So don't ask to go back or change profession. Just improve the pay and increase the number of work force. At the end it will only benefit the patients in the UK and improve NHS. I am typing this while feeling burnt out on a lawfully allocated REST DAY to rest....

[@PokhrajRoy.]

It’s nice to see the Thursday upload come back this week.

[@AC-qz3uj]

The toxic working environment with the low income made me quit residency in Germany. Not willing to give up every part of my life so I can be harassed, assaulted, belittled.... it was a hard decision but the best one in my life so far.

[@stephcurry877]

And what did U choose nxt after quiting

[@Carlitoboyhey]

Doc here, same age as u. I recognize pretty much everything when comparing to Sweden. I think the solution is taking several weeks of vacations between the jobs, and taking out as much of ”on-call” in free time.

[@tejnooreducation5502]

Hi Nasir , I get motivated from your Study with me videos only

[@lauren-zz4rw]

Big fan of yours - just one question, do you think you will continue to train in the UK?

[@imbored4615]

In italy we are paid even less, imagine. I'm gonna escape as soon as possible. If you can do a video on things to do outside of medicine I'd love that. I don't think I want to change career, but if there are some exciting options, who knows...

[@RejuvenateSimple]

great video thank you for sharing your view which I have felt even in the US!

[@sergeantmakarov2359]

I kind of understand what you mean. We had to do 12hr shifts for 90 days straight during our house job in peds and also attend rounds after night shitfs which resulted in us working for eve 18 hrs at a time. also shifts flipped every week. it was pretty traumatic honestly.

[@kk-ux9ci]

Thank you.

[@saverasavera3652]

When are you appearing in the USMLE?

[@SM-zw3on]

I respect you. The hardship we endure is not adequately paid. The amount we study and constantly work through even while being burnt out is not even valued. I hope this system atleast incentives it properly and become less harsh. I completely understand you. I wish you all the very best. I agree with you. The uk government is not doing a good job on these issues you talked about. The pay doesn’t even make sense one bit .

[@Secrets.concurseira]

very well spoken

[@epicwave7060]

That’s why I left medicine and am finishing up my teaching degree. I want a life

[@harrypewpew901]

To young people: Many paths doctor can take, GP with own Office makes good money works normal hours thats just one example, don't get scared think about money, doctors are the highest earners, ofcourse Naseer will probably not stay in Hospital, he will branch out to something else, also you have the possibility to work 80-90%, if you got what it takes medicine is def better than working some simple job for wich you will get underpaid, hard work pays out at the end and this is especially true for medicine, do not get scared by this, once you survive residency things will get alot better

[@joshbritton]

Sounds like even though the overall healthcare in the UK is better, the working conditions for the physicians is worse. I work in orthopedics as a technician in the U.S. and I can tell you that our PA’s do work on call, and on weekends, and carry a pager around with them at all times, at least in my department. That being said, they are paid less than our doctors (about 50% less) and make more than our residents who do the same work (about 33% more).

[@evitaevelynmuller1426]

Hey Nasir, final year med student here in Glasgow. Thanks so much for your helpful video, honestly helps to set my expectations about what's to come in FY1 come August and although I'd really pumped to finally start working as a medic, I definitely needed to hear and be reminded to mentally and emotionally prepare for the next two years ahead. Definitely excited for all the learning and the experiences but yeah I don't doubt that it'll be a really steep curve especially in FY1 :') Thanks again! P.S. Applied for London because I also did biomed down there before medicine so fingers crossed I'll be back down there on your side of the country! Woop and no SJTs too this time!

[@healthylifestylewithme.]

Hey 😊 hope you doing good! Can you guide me about FY1 as an IMG please 🥺

[@-kidsstories-ghadood-dodo3156]

الترجمة بالعربي حلوة كتير Good luck Nas with everything you do ❤

[@MaheraSultan-xl1sc]

Yes you are right 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@xingxing85]

Will there be a possibility to save enough and start investing in setting up your own clinic to practice medicine? Is this a possible way out to be able to earn comfortably compared to working for a public hospital in the UK?

[@markanthonyfuerte9369]

Crazy jealous of your schedule while 4th year medical students and residents here in the Philippines do 36-hr (on- to post-duty straight) and 9-hr (on call) shifts, not to mention unpaid overtime is a pretty common practice. Postgraduate medical interns have already been spared from this kind of schedule but changes here rlly need to be done. Aghk lol.

[@MrC37]

@KharmaMedic really helping me through finals

[@Thomasromer2002]

I'm a medical student, and I severely considering changing my degree! I'm lucky that in my country we don't pay directly for our education, so I don't have student loans or anything, but I already know I don't want to work in a hospital for more than 2-5 years... I really apriciate the work, giving directly purpouse, and the humanity of the job. But I have an extremly hard time, seeing positively on theese things you also talk about in this video. But then again, a job in finance or economics, would also have a lot of downside (and good things of course), so the grass isnt always greener on the other side, but IS it really worth it to become a doctor? I really dont know, and im trying to figure out, if i should change my route..

[@MrManultra]

May be less important than the medical profession but we have a similar problem going on here in Teaching. Very stressful and more and more unattractive job while nothing is done to improve it. (always available to parents via E-mail for example) Pay is pretty good as of now, but due to inflation, this job no longer offers a significant change in lifestyle (Buying a house is near financial suicide). So why go to uni and take on all that responsibility when I can have a better life doing a short bachelors degree and going corporate with work from home and other benefits etc. (Speaking for germany here as a teacher)

[@michaelmalek532]

i think you nailed it, it is the same with teaching in the czech republic

[@Tudoongie0T9]

I really related to the stress and responsibility I had four beds one after the other not even 2 minutes apart get into critical condition and being called for left and right by nurses patients and patients families at the near end of a 12 hour shift moving beds and making priority’s I got 2 beds under control and I lost one couldn’t do anything more and another bed we had to send to the ICU which also takes time so the family is just crying upset and frustrated and another needs an urgent surgery to save her life or she won’t have long all of that in one day and a span of 2 hours is extremely stressful because I didn’t even have time to register the patient that I lost which I was taking care of this was all yesterday and I still don’t have time to register because it’s my only day off and my mother is here and then I won’t see her for months I broke down a bit as I was walking back home last night

[@BBartistic]

You did amazing job! If you have problems at work you should talk with your supervisor or whatever you call them. Things must change on better.

[@Tudoongie0T9]

@@BBartistic thank you and it’s the nature of the job so I can’t really do anything about it the job is mostly rewarding as it allows me to do the thing I love most which is help people but there are times like these where it’s just really difficult

[@danaattar2007]

Love your videos so so much I’ve been watching them since your first ever video about 5 years ago. I’m aspiring to be a doctor like you, I’m 16 btw and I want to study in London at KCL. ❤

[@aryans9334]

you study at KCL as a 16 year old?

[@danaattar2007]

@@aryans9334 no 😂😂 I’m not currently studying I want to study. I’m still a student but I want to study medicine at KCL when I finish high school.

[@aryans9334]

@@danaattar2007 oh right it wasn't exactly clear in your comment before the edit.

[@danaattar2007]

@@aryans9334 yeah I know my bad 😅

[@wasg1019]

Grateful im studying medicine in Denmark. In denmark though, doctors "Life salary" is in top 5. Young doctors are paid worse obv

[@user-ec2oo2ge7t]

Amazing doctor!

[@Jeffh206]

It should be illegal to have only one doctor on call during the night shift even though there might be nights where it’s calm they should always be prepared. That’s just too much for any human being to have to take out all that and it’s just not safe for the past, or the patients or nurses or anybody around Had to deal with just one doctor and it’s not manageable and it’s it’s pitiful. With that said it’s also understandable that there’s a shortage of people needed doctors etc. in the field general but if they would do something to fix that issue and make it so that people enjoy working in the field then that would solve the shortage I would think overtime. However it should be acceptable to have one doctor on call when you have that many patients in the hospital. You seem to be able to handle most of the situations, but I do more than crying…lol

[@user-or7io1kc4x]

Come back to Canada Nasir. We need you here.

[@Yaboiilordrhoop]

Hey Nassar, been following you pretty much from the start, and you have always been a big inspiration to me. But it is clear to me in these more recent videos that you are frustrated with the system in the UK, and rightly so. I really think you should consider moving to a different country because being a doctor in the UK simply makes no sense. I know at some point you considered taking STEP and coming to the US, maybe it could be a good option (I am a current medical student in the US, and we certainly have our issues too, but I think it is a clear step up over the UK). Or if not the US then another country in Europe or maybe even Australia. The point is, I have seen how dedicated and passionate you are about this field and you deserve to be working in a country that respects the amount of effort you put in. Best of luck

[@RameshKumar-ng3nf]

I feel this is the reason why the great "Ali Abdaal" left doctor profession and became a entrepreneur. For saving lives every year he donates his earnings to charity for helping the needy patients instead of directly assisting as a doctor. I feel "Ali abdaal" decision was good. As he helps even entire world with productivity and other stuffs , rather than only doing works in hospital.

[@Stefan-vc2ef]

Stuffs and works are not nouns good sir

[@Emilybabyblue]

🕊️🐾🖤

[@zoubeirbadulla7949]

been following you for a very long time and i wish you all on this new chapter. I am currently a second year medical student now

[@ninaballou4794]

Learned SO much with this video. Like glad I’m not becoming a doctor!! I agree with every one of your points ESPECIALLY pay and hours. Do better UK😭😭😭😭

[@Yooitsmewoop]

This video is a blessing.... thank you nasir !

[@user-or7io1kc4x]

I am curious why you have not returned to Canada to practice medicine? How would the credentialing process look for a UK train physician?

[@deshaunaharper6281]

I stand with you 100%.

[@danamartha5220]

Im an intern just starting my rotations and my oncalls are the the worst..they don't even give us an off after an oncall. Like it can start at 7am on Monday until 1 pm Tuesday..then I come back to work on Wednesday morning..its horrible..but I'm trying to take things the best I can ❤

[@loredo182]

Let this be a great example for everyone who's about to begin studying any career, to first research and consult a TON how it looks to work on that particular field so you can make your decision more wisely. I'm not criticizing him at all but it looks that you are burn out of how everything has played out with your career and how being a doctor is. Being a doctor sucks tbh, I have many friends who work at hospitals and the hours are insane, low paid, no social life at all, no time to take care of yourself and so on, it literally consumes your life. Perhaps that's what being a doctor means, to give your life to save another lol just a joke but a ton to think about. I wish you the best and I'm sure you will figure out your journey. Thanks for everything.

[@patrickcrombmusic]

a high skill, high responsibility, high stress job deserves high pay. enough said. great video

[@markbersabal3831]

I worked in the NHS before in the acute setting for 7 years. Now I've moved to the US in the same setting (Med Surg, ICU). I can say the workload for doctors in the UK is 10X more and harder than our residents in the USA. Sometimes it's the location, not the profession.

[@princerajabumusic]

You seem so tired. Are you okay?😢 Please take care of yourself.😩 We love you. You are the reason I worked so hard im High School.🥺

[@vedrankaracic265]

What an absolute abysmal situation regarding the abysmal pay. Especially because if you want to raise awareness of it and fight for a better pay you need to go on strikes or leave the field or country, all of which will hurt the common people the most because they will end up not getting the treatment and care they need. Absolutely abysmal. Oh and as an office worker (software dev) I can tell you that in comparison with doctors our field is not only not important, it is absolutely inconsequential.

[@zommyt2840]

iam ready for it

[@DoctorAyesha]

As a GP in my last year I agree. Junior doctors take on a lot more responsibility than we are meant to and definitely don't get paid for. I've had a lot of people say we earn a lot. Ive literally just broken this down in my new vlog. Junior doctors earn £14. Its not fair.

[@Fuhaha098]

I love your advices❤❤❤❤❤

[@sharmilapalli333]

Absolutely true

[@francescocasareto4995]

just a heads up for more or less the equivalent junior Dr role in Italy you get paid around 20.000 euros a year.

[@Alax.12]

I take what you said as a note and i'm preparing for all stresses you've said thank you again

[@mounabenrazzouk4923]

I am a dental student and I told some of the junior oral surgeons I wanna maybe pursue that as it really intrest me. They were so quick to tell me 'please no please do a dentist or an orthodontist as they have work-life balance etc and we dont' I don't know what to do...

[@Kuoropoika1]

That depends on what you're looking for. If it's truly what you're interested in, then pursue oral surgery. Work-life balance is a tricky thing, since you really don't know how you will feel about it until you're doing it. I would think that you could do fewer hours if you wanted. There are a lot of people who pursue surgery just because of the idea of it, not because they're actually interested. So, if it truly is what you want, go for it.

[@ElDragow]

I finished my bachelors and had already done 1 semester of the masters, when i decided on the harsh decision to quit med school. Even tho i loved it, working full time as a doctor for the rest of my life wasn't the thing i wanted for myself. So i went into biochemistry and i'll eventually go into a medical related field like genetics, pharmacy etc...And after that, if i have the time, i could see myself finishing my medical degree and practice medicine part time at most. The work life balance of a doctor simply is horrible. And i realized i could help people/society without sacrificing so much of my own life.

[@salamsourjah6147]

Thank you nasir, I’m hoping to become a cardiologist in future and this helped me a lot. This video reminded me of my love❤ too whose a 4th year med student.

[@JN-kk4nk]

Sounds harsch… you did the step 1 if I remember well ? May be stick to the us ? I was also looking up where to do my residency , and excluded the UK. There are other countries available :))