The Difference Between Doctors and Lawyers

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Since I started my series about Medicine and the Law, I’ve been thinking a lot about a debate I used to have with my friends when I was younger. Some of my friends wanted to be lawyers, others wanted to be doctors. At that time, doctors were paid more than lawyers. Since that time, lawyers are paid more than doctors.

At the heart of this debate were a few simple questions:

  • Who works harder, doctors or lawyers?
  • Who should get paid more?
  • Whose job is most important?

I’ve always felt that doctors worked harder than lawyers. That medicine is a profession with no restrictions to work hours and that law is a corporate type of job with restrictions. I understand that in every profession there are difficult and less difficult specialties. Radiologists, physiatrists, and dermatologists are all doctors but they definitely don’t work as hard or as long of hours as surgeons, traumatologists, or intensivists. Similarly, litigators are under a lot of stress and must work after hours to prepare for cases. If clients get in trouble after hours, they must attend to them. On the other hand, there are contract lawyers that review contracts and don’t spend time in front of judges or juries. So in both professions there are those that work hard and long hours.

One key difference for me is that doctors are responsible for care at all hours of the day and night. If your doctor doesn’t see you when you need him/her you can die and bad things can happen. If your lawyer doesn’t see you, perhaps something bad can/will happen, but you can always get another attorney or if you get in trouble one will be assigned to you.

I guess both doctors and lawyers must take their work home at night. But when you are a doctor and someone is in the hospital, you must field calls from nurses all night. Lawyers don’t really have the same sort of torture and can sleep.

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Source: Brain Blogger

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