Doing Physics instead of Medicine. Am I messing up?

[HughBrock]

Hi, all through high school, I was going to pursue Medicine for the job security and other perks etc. that it offers. (Note that I'm from India and out here Medicine is not a PG degree unlike in the US)
I do not have any love for the field so to speak. I do find it interesting (I find all of science interesting but in the decreasing order of Physics, Chem and Bio.) but there isn't some kind of inner fire that burns within me that urges me to become a doc.
Now all through this, I was constantly reminding myself of the fact that I wouldn't become a physicist as I had originally planned.
Now after a great deal of heartburn, I have decided that I won't do Medicine and will pursue a career in physics. Namely BSc, MSc and then a PhD.
But now I'm feeling that I'm making a huge mistake by leaving Medicine which is pretty much like a pot of gold. A job is ensured and there won't be any financial struggle either. (Again in my country we have govt. run medical colleges which can provide you a medical education for as little as 1000-2000$ a year. Of course, the entrance exams are competitive but I know I can get through.)
I'm reading up a lot on the net and people are saying that most Physics PhDs are unemployed, and all this is very discouraging. Am I making a huuuge mistake??

Also can I branch out after a Phd in physics and do anything else? eg Media, Finance or Computers. Is a Phd in CS more advisable??

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Hi, all through high school, I was going to pursue Medicine for the job security and other perks etc. that it offers. (Note that I'm from India and out here Medicine is not a PG degree unlike in the US)
I do not have any love for the field so to speak.

That is all we need to know and it is trouble. Why in the world would you want to do something for 40 years. 40 years! That you don't enjoy. That is grade A recipe for a regrettable miserable life. So many students on here make life so hard on themselves for no good reason. Read my words. DO WHAT YOU LOVE. I don't care what it is. End of story.

Make sure you read through this
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/so-you-want-to-be-a-physicist.240792/

 

[ZapperZ]

Unfortunately, the problem here is the location, i.e. where you are residing. From what I can tell, there is very limited employment opportunity for someone with a physics degree, even a PhD, in India, when compared to Medicine. So yes, you will have more significant challenge upon graduation. This is something that only YOU can decide for yourself, whether this is a risk that you are willing to take.

Now whether there is a large field of study and employment opportunity for someone with a Medical Physics degree in India, that I don't know. It might be something worth investigating and it could be the perfect marriage of the two.

Zz.