There’s a ton of negativity online about becoming a doctor, and it feels like every week, someone new is explaining why they quit medicine. But is being a doctor really so terrible?
Although there are certainly downsides and plenty of ways our current healthcare system needs to improve, being a doctor is still an amazing career choice with quite a bit to be excited about.
So, why is being a doctor so great today?
1 | Advancements in Technology
The first reason is technological advancements.
The Electronic Medical Record, or EMR, alone has revolutionized the way physicians work.
Many aspects of the job can now be completed remotely, such as sharing images and test results with patients and colleagues and gathering input. Quickly retrieving comprehensive patient histories, imaging, and lab results enables faster and more informed decision-making.
Before the EMR, doctors had to stop what they were doing to go to the radiology department to get physical films or consult the radiologist in person. Now, imaging results can be viewed from the comfort of your computer.
Essential and sometimes life-saving data are now easily accessible across authorized healthcare providers in different settings and locations.
EMRs also reduce medical errors, as they incorporate automated safety features that alert for allergies and complications from drug interactions. Plus, there are no errors from illegible handwriting. After all, doctors aren’t exactly known for their penmanship.
Additionally, automation streamlines burdensome administrative tasks and provides reminders for screenings, follow-up appointments, and vaccinations.
However, there are some downsides, including increased time spent behind a screen inputting data, which increases the risk of burnout, and the fact that much of the EMR is optimized for billing, so it doesn’t streamline patient care as much as it should. And although it reduces errors from poor handwriting, it introduces another problem: incorrect data entry. After all, it’s still humans who are entering the information, and these humans are exhausted by the time they get to their charting and administrative work.
There are countless technological advancements in every area of medicine each year that we don’t have time to cover in this article. If you’d like us to cover the latest medical advances, let us know in the comments.
Though, we can’t discuss what’s great about medicine in 2025 without mentioning AI.
2 | AI Assistance
The next reason is AI assistance. Artificial intelligence is already helping doctors and other healthcare professionals reduce repetitive and burdensome parts of the job. AI reduces the administrative time required for necessary charting by scribing and automating organizational tasks.
The work AI can help doctors with and the effectiveness of that help is only going to improve in the years to come as AI technology advances.
For example, radiology is an area of medicine where we’re seeing significant advances in what AI is capable of. Advanced AI models can identify negative studies and autogenerate reports, which alleviates the workload of radiologists. This frees up their time for more complex results and positive cases and helps to mitigate the current radiologist shortage.
AI is also capable of prioritizing studies with a higher likelihood of positive findings, ensuring the radiologist reviews these first. It can also optimize patient scheduling to maximize scanner usage and efficiency.
3 | Stable Job in an Unstable Job Market
The third reason is job security. Being a doctor is a stable job in an unstable job market.
We are currently in what experts are calling the Great Detachment, as more and more employees are disengaged from their work. Unlike the Great Resignation that occurred during and just following the pandemic, this time, employees are sticking it out in their current role because the job market is stagnant.
But this is far from the case for doctors. According to the AAMC, “the United States will face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036.”
While there has always been a demand for doctors, it’s especially true today.
So, you can rest assured that your job isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Even with AI advancements looming, we will see many other careers become obsolete before AI can replace doctors. It’s especially a long way off from replacing surgical specialties, and robots lack the human touch necessary to deliver life-altering medical news to patients.
This peace of mind can allow you to focus on doing your job to the best of your ability rather than worrying about whether or not robots will displace you in ten years.
4 | Instant & Unlimited Information
Next is instant and unlimited information.
While lifelong learning has always been a hallmark of the pursuit of medicine, it’s more the case than ever now as advancements continue to develop at a faster and faster rate. Petabytes of information are available at your fingertips at any moment, and as a physician, it’s your responsibility and privilege to stay current and know as much about your field as possible.
The number of medical papers published each year continues to rise due to the ease of online publishing, the rapid pace of technological advancements, and the increasing importance of publications for those applying to medical school and residency.
For example, the average number of research items of successful plastic surgery applicants was 19.1 in 2020, compared to 34.7 in 2024. That’s an increase of over 15 research items in only four years. Neurosurgery went from 23.4 in 2020 to 37.4 in 2024.
Research is a soft component that continues to differentiate both medical school and residency applicants. What’s great for those who prioritize and invest in research is that it’s the only extracurricular that carries over across all of your stages of training. All publications, presentations, and abstracts from college, medical school, and onward will stack up in your CV, helping you get into not only medical school, but also elevate your application for residency, fellowship, and academic jobs.
Whether you’re just starting out in research or looking to master more advanced research skills, the Med School Insiders Ultimate Premed & Medical Student Research Course will meet you where you are and help you maximize your potential as a more competitive medical school or residency applicant.
All three of the courses co-creators, including yours truly, each earned over 60 publications, abstracts, and presentations before graduating from medical school. And you can bet that research was one of the strongest components in our residency applications that opened many doors to incredible opportunities.
We’ll show you how it’s done step by step so that you not only master research but also learn to enjoy it, too.
5 | Career Versatility
Next is career versatility. There are so many different career paths for doctors today, and there continue to be more and more emerging fields of medicine.
You’re able to completely design your career around your strengths, interests, and lifestyle. There are more and more ways to further subspecialize as well as many emerging fields.
Virtual medicine, or telehealth, allows doctors to see patients virtually from the comfort of their own homes or private offices.
Longevity medicine is another emerging and trendy field of medicine. Longevity specialists focus on helping patients decrease the rate of decline as they age, as well as prevent or minimize the effects of age-related diseases.
Lifestyle medicine and sleep medicine are also gaining popularity, with more and more avenues opening up to pursue these fields.
Stay tuned for our upcoming So You Want to Be episode on Sleep Medicine later this year. This series takes a deep dive into specific doctor careers to help you choose the best path for you. Subscribe to hear about upcoming episodes and to participate in polls that determine what medical careers we’ll cover next.
6 | Entrepreneurship Opportunities
Lastly, entrepreneurship is easier today than ever before—especially for physicians. Today’s doctors have countless entrepreneurship opportunities to build and enhance their careers.
From social media to online courses to coaching to private practice, online platforms and tools make it easier than ever before to start a side hustle. You could teach other physicians in your field how to start a private practice. You could coach struggling medical students or residents, or, just like I did, you could share your medical journey and experiences on YouTube.
Additionally, investing in or being a physician advisor to a medical startup can be both lucrative and rewarding. You’ll have an impact in developing new medical devices and services and be at the forefront of medical advancement.
Even back when I was in medical school, I started a biomedical incubator and was able to model mine after Stanford’s Biodesign because the information was at my fingertips. There are so many amazing books and online resources available at very low cost or no cost—and this was ten years ago. Access to information is easier, cheaper, and faster than ever before.
What do you think? Is being a doctor better in 2025 or back in the day? Which parts do you think are better or worse? Let us know in the comments.
