One of my coworkers just found out that the "guaranteed" funding for her job just got pulled. Most of the people at my office are paid through federal grant funds. I've heard it said many times, "They don't pay us enough, but at least we have job security." It's amazing to me how unhappy people are willing to be in order to feel secure. Fear traps us.
I'm not immune. I recognize the illogical appeal of this false sense of "security," yet I still crave it. If I put off applying to medical school for one more year, then I will be vested in the retirement program. Delaying my dream will give me a mere $308 per month in retirement. Logically, I know I will be much better off as a retired physician, but I'm human and that $308 is "guaranteed" if I just stick around another year. That's crazy! Why do I even think about it at all?
The desire for security is part of human nature; we seek security even if it requires us to trust in a broken system. But our work culture is changing. Job mobility today is akin to our ancestors' ability to follow the heard. You've got to be able to adapt, reinventing yourself and actively navigating your own career. Becoming a physician in my 40s is definitely a reinvention.
In many ways, physicians today are in the same boat as any hourly wage earner. There is always the possiblity of having your job replaced by lower-level (and less expensive) employees or becoming redundant in the face of a merger. Having said that, physicians are uniquely trained for change. Rotations and residency are all about overloading and adjusting, while learning as much as you can. I see limitless possibilities for me as a physician: practicing in small clinic, working as within a hospital system, developing quality improvement intiatives, teaching public health, administering evidence-based practices. Job wise, nothing is secure; but as a career, medicine offers an incredible breadth of opportunity. After all, in today's world, security is what you make it.
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