Making Ends Meet 

 
 




 
There is a notion amongst the general public that an MBBS degree pretty much guarantees a good income and a luxurious life. There is a certain lifestyle expected from a doctor. But the reality does not always match up with expectation. 

First of all, the cost of an MBBS degree is continuously increasing. In order to afford this, you either need to have very good financial support from your family, possibly sell some old family property or take an education loan. The last option means that you will effectively be working to make someone else money once you get your degree.

Secondly, the early 20s is a difficult phase to go through. Responsibilities increase. From a relative carefree life as a student, you have to start worrying about being competent at your job and managing things at home. And if you're like me, a single child who lost one parent and saw the other become bedridden within the space of a year, then you are always trying to make ends meet. 

Sure, a doctor makes decent money compared to others. But a doctor is only valuable if he keeps working. At the top hospitals, the pressure to perform is intense. If one chooses a less taxing environment, the pay may be unreliable. As unlikely as it may seem, a time in the not too distant future may see doctors finding it difficult to find a job. The ever increasing number of medical colleges which prioritize profitability over providing quality education makes this scenario a distinct possibility. 

That's not to say that I don't enjoy my job. I do. It's this idea that I should be extravagantly flaunting my supposed wealth that gets to me. I'm not rich. I'm barely making ends meet. And I know colleagues who have a much tougher job than me as well. 

This a job like any other - rewarding but only in proportion to the work you put in. What is left in life after work?

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