Sheldon Taub, MD, a gastroenterologist at Jupiter (Fla.) Medical Center with 45 years of experience, joined Becker’s to discuss the rewarding yet increasingly complex path of pursuing a medical career.
Editor’s note: This response has been edited lightly for clarity and length.
Question: If a student asked you today whether they should pursue a career in medicine, how would you advise them — and what experiences have shaped that perspective?
Dr. Sheldon Taub: As much as my 45 years practicing medicine has been rewarding, encouraging people to pursue a career in medicine at this time is difficult. Certainly helping people heal and improving their lives is personally rewarding. There is also job security since the demand for people in healthcare is significant. The fact that the field of medicine is constantly evolving with new technology, including AI is exciting. However, the expense encountered in becoming a physician is enormous, and it may take years to pay off this debt. You have to have a true love for wanting to become a physician to accept the responsibility. Certainly, more money can be made in other fields with less exposure. I can’t think of any other profession where the reimbursement keeps going down more than in the medical field. What keeps me involved in medicine is the frequent “thank you” from patients and the comments on how I’ve changed their lives for the better. Society as a whole has to realize and appreciate how important healthcare is, and make drastic changes both with tort reform and financial incentives to improve healthcare in the future. I hope this happens, but I’m not that optimistic.
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