A recent Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions survey found that although careers in law and medicine are both high paying, pre-medicine students are less motivated by the money factor than pre-law students.
"Only about half of those surveyed planning to pursue a career in medicine said that money was a big focus of theirs," said Matt Fidler, director of Pre-Health Programs for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions. "We found that really interesting because we asked pre-law students, and about three fourths were motivated by money." The surveys, which were taken after students completed MCAT and LSAT preparatory courses, asked students about drives and motivations for their intended career path, such as how long students have known what career path they wanted to take and why, Fidler said.
The surveys indicated that students who aspire to be doctors often choose such a career because of a calling or for the greater good, he added. Of those surveyed, 49 percent responded that the main reason for pursuing a career in medicine was a "desire to help others and make a difference." The second most common motivation was "an interest in and/or affinity for the sciences," followed by "personal experience with medical issues."
Caitlin Kingston, president of the Pre-Medical Society, said that a personal experience influenced her decision to want to go into medicine. "A lot of pre-med students have had an experience or something like that that encourages them to go to med school. My reason is because my grandma died of cancer," Kingston said. "Even if pre-med students were motivated by money, I don't think many would admit that." A separate study indicated that pre-law students felt that running for political office was their way of servicing the public. "We're not trying to say that some lawyers don't go on to help the public; it's just that less do so than medical students," said Fidler, a 2001 Smeal College of Business graduate. Representatives from the Multicultural Undergraduate Law Association and the Undergraduate Law Society did not return calls to comment. Research also indicated that women are more dedicated to medical careers than men. Kaplan's studies show that about 45 percent of women aspiring to be doctors have never considered a career outside of medicine whereas about 65 percent of men responded that they had.
