Professional Prestige & Fulfillment | Asian American Poll

PROFESSIONAL PRESTIGE & FULFILLMENT
(Updated Tuesday, Apr 1, 2008, 05:10:01 PM to reflect the 100 most recent valid responses.)

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WHAT YOU SAY

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In terms of income of lawyers, there was a recent survey (in California) that showed that 50% of lawyers make $100K or more, while 50% make less than $100K. A vast majority of lawyers who make less than $100K make somewhere between $50K-$100K.

However, you should not go into law in order to make lots of money. Lawyers do okay, but most are not mega rich individuals.
Asian American Lawyer Thursday, January 03, 2002 at 09:40:43 (PST)

to all the people who want to be doctors!

Take note that doctors income depends many on specialy and area in which the doctor practices. However, the time and hardship required to become a doctor is very demanding. I finished medical school (internal medicine. I had a long talk with my family and girlfriend and continued my education into law school. A couple of years later, I talked a number of my fellow medical school graduates and some of them said that if had to do it over again that they would not of attended medical school. I have a orthopedic surgeon relative (private practice) who works 6 days a week sometimes works 10 hour days. To all you people who plan to attend medical school good luck. But beware of the work and long hours that most hospital make you work as a resident app 40 hours straight. The financial rewards of being a doctor is nice. But that should not be your only reason for attending medical school.
med/law Thursday, January 03, 2002 at 07:50:20 (PST)

Hey AA doc and AC Dropout,

Thanks for your personal stories and the real deal on these professions. I think the only bottom line you can draw in any of this is that whatever you do, you better make sure you really like doing it. Getting into something just for the money isn't the wisest choice if you're not willing to make the personal sacrifice and willing to put up with all the grief and time investment.

As for myself, I am a software engineer. I'll tell you a little about my career. I jumped aboard during the dot-com craze and jumped off just in time and latched onto a stable company -- Boeing!!! I work about 40-45 hours a week, make good money (although not neurosurgeon money!), get lots of respect and props from my colleagues. In short, life is peachy right now. I have no regrets, but don't think that it's an easy walk in the park either.

Just like any other profession, you have to pay your dues. Hours upon hours of staring at the screen and writing code, racking your brain for days on end trying to figure out where that elusive bug is, or developing a complex algorithm that hopefully won't break any code elsewhere. You go from the highest of highs -- watching your program build and run to perfection to the lowest of lows -- cursing the heavens because you can't get that damn program to compile or link.

This is definitely not a job for anyone. You have to train your mind to think methodically and systematically, like a machine. You have to not mind having any interaction with others (which isn't hard for me since i hate people). And you have to be able to block out everything else around you and focus on the stuff on your screen. Sometimes you're just sitting on your ass picking your nose and other times you are cranking like a mad man on speed trying to get something done. I said i work about 40-45 hours. That's pretty mellow and laid back. Sometimes it's more, sometimes less, but that's the average.

Programmers and software monkeys nowadays don't make the outrageous money and consulting rates that they did two-three years ago when dot-coms were all the rage, but it's still a pretty good future. We don't make as much as doctors and lawyers and businessmen, don't get any prestige or recognition at all, and we'll probably forever be labelled as nerds and geeks. But you know what, it's a great life. I spend enough time at work to still feel passion about what i do, yet i'm not a workaholic. I have interests outside of work and i'm not too tired to do those things when i get home. But the best part of it all -- i'm creating new technology, defining the future, and changing along with the technology at the same time.
Valley Chinese Dude Wednesday, January 02, 2002 at 22:24:37 (PST)

My father is a family practice physician and he makes about $350,000 a year. He's in private practice and works 9-5 on weekdays and 9-2 on Saturdays, with Wednesday afternoons off and every other Saturday off. We've always been really well-off, and my dad could retire now (at 55) if he wanted to. Many of my parents' friends who are also Asian doctors are also very well-off (family docs/specialists).

Granted however, my dad had to work very very hard to build up his practice and he's only slowed down (i.e. cut down the number of hours) in the last 5 to 10 years or so. Also, he has to pay a large chunk in taxes, and for the overhead (of the practice), and the receptionist. As well, my parents managed their money very well. We always buy stuff on sale, and they have done a lot of investing and saving and planning.

There are some doctors out there who are still renting their places at age 40. My dad says that they just haven't managed there money very well.

Bottom line I think is that you need to work hard and plan well.
CG Wednesday, January 02, 2002 at 18:18:39 (PST)

AA doc,

You make an good point. Insurance companies are definitely putting the squeeze on doctors. It was a point I would alway get into arguments with my parents.

I would always bring up the point that their income had shrunk during my 4 years in college and it would be best to apply my talents at another trade. They would always point to the status and higher education appeal of going into medicine.

I even remembered an interterview I had with the head of a medical school. He said "In the new landscape there will not be much room for doctors, but there will always room for good doctors."

Even the medical schools had a bleak out look in the mid 90's.

I don't even know why foriegn graduate bother sometimes. The USA medical landscape is not looking lush in the next 5 years. I've notice more and more private practices dependent on non-insured cash cases to stay a float.

Once you break the six figures mark life-style always sucks. Because at that level you are just working someone else or dependent on your own work. Even when you break the seven figure mark life-style sucks, because now you are dependent on other peoples work, but you have to manage perception and people.
AC dropout Wednesday, January 02, 2002 at 17:23:11 (PST)

AC Dropout,

You should be a role model to all the aspiring Asians who want to be successful and want to do something different other than to work in the fields of law, medicine, sciences, investment banking/corporate America or tech.

It takes a lot of courage and sacrifice for many Asians to break the mold imposed by their parents, communities and the world at large...I've seen many Asian youths become disgruntled or even dysfunctional in society not because they weren't given attention or because of racial discrimination, but simply because they were convinced that if you did not become a doctor, lawyer, investment banker, technician or an engineer, somehow you aren't a good nor respected person. I understand that there are many Asians who come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and for them to pursue a career in the above mentioned fields is indeed worthwhile. However, there are many talented and creative people in the Asian communities as well, and much of their energy could have been focused on starting a company or other forms of entreprenuership. In addition, many of the Asian neighborhoods in America like the Chinatowns could need a little more improvement/stimulus and economic development. Asians from the younger generations should look into this because much of America's Asian ethnic enclaves are run by a majority of aging and conservative Asians...Time should remedy this current situation.

AA Renaissance Wednesday, January 02, 2002 at 12:49:53 (PST)

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