Pros
1)plenty of work
2)potential to make great living 180k-800k /yr
3)no vacation requests
4)dont work holidays
5)autonomy
6)you serve the community
7)get a job almost anywhere
8)intellectual active thinking
Cons
1) you get to decide which 16 hrs of the day you get to work ( business owner. You must own to make enough income to solve item 3 below and keep item 2 above decent)
2)people are crazy. You deal with people all day every day. Crazy is multiplying ( was less of an issue yrs ago) (staff and patients)
3)larges amounts of debt are required to make a strong go at it. School400-600k business 4-700k home 400-1500k. Number can easily double if you own real-estate (many do to avoid flushing 5-6k a month down the toilet in rent)
4) you are the product. You have to be there to make $$$
5) body takes a hit over time. wear and tear in unique ways
6)school is a 8-12 yr post highschool commitment (most dont want that). No way around it.
7)malpractice (watch your back jack)
Summary its a lot of work for decent $$$ and autonomy. Its a lot of work if you care about your skill. You have to be treating patients to make $$$ . People will wear you out.