I graduated in mid 1990s. Had 2 offers, both pp and partnership after 3 years. One was in Las Vegas and offered 250k but working 12 hours a day and 5 days a week. 2nd offer was in SoCal north of LA. 125k and 4-4.5 days a week, 9 hours a day. So I took less money to stay in California. 6 years later no partnership.
I was mad, and madness makes you do crazy things. So I bought my own medallion and started a practice across the street. Borrowed against a house, had an old linac, and 9 mos in was treating 10 pts. The hospital and doc tried to kick me off the medical staff. Was barely making it but did not give up. Won enough battles to hang in and build a new center, risking everything I had again 5 years later.
15 years later, treating 30 a day, realizing how lucky I have been and love the work. Compared to the rest of the world, 300k a year would be a great living, but once you make 2-3 x that, accepting less for the same work is hard.
My one regret was in around 1998 or so Apple was selling at $6 per share. I was going to buy 10,000 shares but my bro in law talked me out of it. Mind you this was pre I-pod, pre I phone etc. Taking into account a 7x split and a later 4x split if I held all the way through ( which I doubt I would have the balls to do) I would now have 280,000 shares x 135 = 28.8 million.
So stop worrying too much about the future of rad Onc and just find the next Apple. You guys are all AOA so if you stick to good work , there will always be a way! This stupid virus has reminded me that life is short. Control what you can, then let go and be grateful you have work! The whiners at ASTRO are looking out for themselves and hard to blame them as silly as they blame us for students avoiding their trap. Rad Onc is still the greatest field in medicine and being an intimate part of a patients team while they fight cancer is certainly a privilege.
One reason I still see my patients in person for the consult. Only now my waiting room is used for consults. The patients come in one at a time through texts via the back door. No patients or staff have had COVID from the practice. Despite all the problems in our field I’m still an optimist. If patients are being cured with pancreas cancer, there is still hope for our field!