High School Student Interested in Physics Jobs

[Nienstien]

Well, I am a high school student who does well in sciences and math. I have respectable non-curriculum knowledge of both biology and physics and generally get marks in the order of 96%+ in the two. I know i want to work a job in sciences and my family wants me to work as a doctor. I think being an MD is a pretty good idea except for the fact that I would be far too stressed around the death and injury. I am more interested in physics, however, I don't see many career options in the field. If I were to take a career in physics i would like to do research and maybe teaching but I would also like some time for recreation. A lot of jobs in physics seem to give much lower salaries than other PhD jobs. I have considered engineering but I wouldn't know which to go into. I have also considered being a professor, but that also takes a lot of work and you don't get all that much pay. Any suggestions?

 

[fss]

A lot of jobs in physics seem to give much lower salaries than other PhD jobs.

Like what?

You shouldn't choose a career path for the money anyways. Money can be had pretty much anywhere, anytime under the right circumstances. Happiness and job satisfaction... not so much.

 

[Nienstien]

Well, I'm not saying I would choose a career because of the income. But it obviously has to be a factor in the decision.

 

[SW VandeCarr]

Well, I'm not saying I would choose a career because of the income. But it obviously has to be a factor in the decision.

Not if the income potentials in the various professions are roughly the same. How much income do you need? Medicine, at least in the US, may offer potentially higher incomes but that depends entirely on choices you make as you work toward an MD and after. The time it takes to get established must also be factored in. So consider 4 yrs college, 4 years medical school, 4 years residency and 5-10 years after that before you reach your top earning potential. You not only have to like the work, you have to love it, or you'll burn out. Many do and they end up working in salaried jobs making about as much or less than many engineers of the same age.

I know some orthopedic surgeons who are among the top earners. A typical schedule:

Mon 7am - 10pm in surgery: Tue 8am-6pm post op rounds, outpatient clinics (very busy). Wed and Fri same as Mon. Thurs same as Tue. On call for ER Tue and Thurs, Sunday all day. Sat 8-10am morning post op rounds. Typical week 65-80 hrs. Reward: maybe 500K/a or more for their families to enjoy (but that's 15-20 years after high school). If you can imagine yourself doing this, go for it.

Oh by the way, don't forget the usual and customary lawsuits. They have little to do with whether you make mistakes or not.

EDIT: Medical practice is changing. The trend is toward fewer hours but also lower incomes.

 

[Nienstien]

Not if the income potentials in the various professions are roughly the same. How much income do you need? Medicine, at least in the US, may offer potentially higher incomes but that depends entirely on choices you make as you work toward an MD and after. The time it takes to get established must also be factored in. So consider 4 yrs college, 4 years medical school, 4 years residency and 5-10 years after that before you reach your top earning potential. You not only have to like the work, you have to love it, or you'll burn out. Many do and they up working in salaried jobs making about as much or less than many engineers.

I know some orthopedic surgeons who are among the top earners. A typical schedule:

Mon 7am - 10pm in surgery: Tue 8am-6pm post op rounds, outpatient clinics (very busy). Wed and Fri same as Mon. Thurs same as Tue. On call for ER Tue and Thurs, Sunday all day. Sat 8-10am morning post op rounds. Typical week 65-80 hrs. Reward: maybe 500K or more for their families to enjoy (but that's 15-20 years after high school). If you can imagine yourself doing this, go for it.

Oh by the way, don't forget the usual and customary lawsuits. They have little to do with whether you make mistakes or not.

Well, that basically outlines why I don't want to be a doctor. I would spend all of my time pleasing other people and that would not really be something I would like to do but then again I enjoy the study of medicine and biology. I guess my question at first was more like if anyone knows any interesting physics jobs which fall under what I said above. Note I'm pretty lazy to be honest and would not much like working all day ha ha.

 

[fss]

You want a job in physics that pays well but also allows you to be lazy? If you find a job that fits this description, please let me know about it.

 

[SW VandeCarr]

Note I'm pretty lazy to be honest and would not much like working all day ha ha.

Aim for a public service union protected job like operating a commuter train with automatic controls.

 

[fasterthanjoao]

I know i want to work a job in sciences and my family wants me to work as a doctor. I think being an MD is a pretty good idea except for the fact that I would be far too stressed around the death and injury. I am more interested in physics,

This happens to many high school students, I myself was there too. You need to take a proper look at what career options involve, and what subjects you truly enjoy doing. Be careful not to just avoid things your family suggest, because they're suggesting it - it's an unconscious thing that people of high school age often do!

Sit down with a careers book and have a look at different jobs, you don't need to choose one specifically, but it helps to get a general idea of some region that you could see yourself working in.

http://prospects.ac.uk/

Is a UK resource, but has plenty of valid information that pertains to subjects rather than locations.

however, I don't see many career options in the field.

Then you simply aren't looking. A physics degree gives one a great skillset, and as such thousands of different job types are possible. I studied physics and I've worked on biomedical engineering projects, mathematics projects and physics projects. A lot of skills between these areas (that is, engineering, maths and physics) are interchangeable. This means that should it come to it, as a physicist you can easily transfer to an engineering position.

There are also lots of industry jobs for physicists. From things like working for computer hardware companies doing crystal modelling for monitor screens to designing ultrasound machines.

If I were to take a career in physics i would like to do research and maybe teaching but I would also like some time for recreation.

Me too, me too.

A lot of jobs in physics seem to give much lower salaries than other PhD jobs.

Do they? And what jobs are you comparing?

I have considered engineering but I wouldn't know which to go into. I have also considered being a professor, but that also takes a lot of work and you don't get all that much pay.

You mean a researching academic? Those jobs are extremely hard to get as it is, and I would say that they actually pay quite well. Not as well as we would like, but certainly well enough to live on. It depends what your priorities are.

On the point about considering engineering but 'not knowing which to go into' you should consider the fact that physics is essentially a general knowledge in the physical sciences degree. You learn a little bit about a lot of things. You'll do mechanics, electronics, deal with forces, understand material properties among other things. This means as a physics graduate you're in a place to go into positions in really any engineering discipline. Things will be more difficult for you than pure-graduates when you start a job, but it'll just be a case of learning the language, so to speak.