>I didn't say they needed violins of sympathy, but the majority of them are not the wealthy upper crust they are often perceived to be.
Sure early in their careers, just like every other well paid profession isn't "rich" early in their career. After a decade or so into their career though, they are either rich or really dumb with how they spent their money.
The worst impulse in me wants to get highly specific and detailed about how you are confidently painting with too broad of a brush, but I just don't have the energy. I'll just say two things:
1. Physicians earning story is very unique from most other professions (e.g., higher debt load; later career start; limited salary increases after starting) and doesn't correspond as well to the mental models you've constructed.
2. I'm not a physician myself, but I'm friends with several AND my professional experience includes two projects setting physician and surgeon compensation strategy across multiple geographies. I'm familiar with the macrodata and anecdata.
But I will say this: when it comes to surgeons or physicians on the "ROAD to success" (i.e., radiology [increasingly less so as the work is offshored], ophthalmology, anesthesiology, or dermatology) you are mostly right.
Sure early in their careers, just like every other well paid profession isn't "rich" early in their career. After a decade or so into their career though, they are either rich or really dumb with how they spent their money.