What is a better job in the long run - doctor or software/engineer

Engineers are definitely some of the most if not the most creative people in the world.. they create things that keeps your entire world moving and do it without you even noticing. Just like "different" art: just because you don't understand it doesn't mean it isn't good. Either way art and engineering are in the industry of "creating" and yet you think there is no tie between creating and creativity.

People should take into account lifetime earnings when they compare these things. It takes from 6-10 years before you really start earning, and average med school debt is 200k. So you come out with a $2k/month loan payment while the SWE likely has over a million in the bank. That's going to take a while to make up for most.

MD easy. Can never be fired, don’t have to run the corporate rat race and worry about someone taking you out. Guaranteed money, you don’t have to worry about the company’s earnings affecting salary. Don’t have to keep up with a rapidly evolving tech field. Hardly have to work abd don’t have to bring work home. Etc etc

"My team just got re-orged and our project canceled and now I'm working on a dead-end project because my new manager doesnt like me and I was anyways about to reach my stock cliff after 5 years where my total compensation will go down 40%. So now I have to spend a couple months practicing LeetCode Hard in preparation to interview for a new job."

, said no doctor ever!

Software development is the epitome of rat race life.

The OP is asking about becoming a software engineer not a software developer. The two are related but not exactly the same. Similar to an electrician and an electrical engineer or a mechanic and a mechanical engineer.

Physics degree won't get you far in tech unless you do something really amazing. So go to medical school and start a family while doing your residency.

OP you should strongly consider where you want to settle down and target towards that. All engineering eventually funnels back to manufacturing in some way or another, so depending on what exact field you choose you will have a much easier time finding work in some parts of the country than others (remote is a cool prospect but don't 100% rely on that to get what you want out of life). In comparison a doctor could reasonably work wherever there is a clinic or hospital.

Don't take this as an endorsement from me for medical work, I just think it's a factor worth considering. I arbitrarily chose to do Chemical Engineering (very manufacturing focused) when I was 18 without thinking about this and I'm not exactly thrilled with some of the easier places I can find work (I want to move to VT...slim picking there for my degree compared to other states).

Erm... software engineering doesn't always funnel back to manufacturing. It certainly can though. I work in a software-adjacent role in the research and manufacturing world. Something like that could be a good fit for OP since he studied physics and I routinely speak to scientists to understand what they do.

Also, I've known plenty of people who studied physics or math and went on to become great SW developers or engineers. If you have an analytical mind it should be easy to pick up.

I think here you need to decide with your heart what causes passion the most. or choose the main job, and engage in other interests on the weekend

It sounds like you're in a real crossroads, but you've got some great options on the table. With your background in physics, diving into cyber security or technology could be a rewarding path. There's certainly demand and room for growth in those fields, plus the potential for remote work and a better work-life balance. As for the medical school offer, consider if that sense of duty to help people outweighs the training length and lost earnings concerns. It's a tough call, but ultimately, go with what aligns best with your passions and long-term goals.

MD here. For what its worth, the people at my age who did not go into medicine, who are killing it, are usually the best at what they do. So if chosing to forgo med school, make sure youre above average at any field. Even an averge doc takes home an average salary putting them in the higher middle class. The burnout in medicine is all too real though.

Do neither. Can’t you find a woman who married and divorced a rich man and just live off his income (misery?)

That way you can run all day and look good and sleep a ton and not deal with corporate mergers, layoffs and bad executives. If you become a doctor you will be stressed, broke for a while and deal with awful patients who think they know more than you do. A recent visit to the hospital had me thinking that being a doctor kind of sucks.

With my proposed lifestyle you can get coffee at 10am, go to matinees, hang at the gym and then go home for dinner. I know women who have this lifestyle and it seems easier to achieve than going through med school. Us guys need to find a way to make this work for us.

I wish I would have figured this out as a man in engineering in his 40’s who has been in the 9 to 5 grind since 2001 and is wondering if retirement is even a consideration once I hit 60.