With the amount of mental and emotional strain that saving, guiding, and restoring our lives take, it's no wonder why doctors make the big bucks. Or at least we think they do. 

It turns out that doctors everywhere and across the medical field are not all treated equally. Society needs doctors for more than just annual checkups and healthy living reminders. Within the title doctor lies a vast realm of specialties from surgeons to dermatology and dentistry. 

Doctors have everyday people covered when we get sick, have issues with our bodies when negotiating pain and suffering claims, plan a family, or need extra care for elderly loved ones. Being a doctor is one of the most challenging career paths to follow, and it takes a particular individual to give so much time and energy toward helping us at our most vulnerable.

The Importance of Location

Anywhere you go, being a doctor is a highly respected career field, but the benefits and salaries vary. Whether you're just starting in your career or are a vet in your field, it never hurts to know what benefits you're missing out on or where your money will go further.

Know Your Homebase: Doctors of America

In the United States, the highest-paid doctors on average are neurologists, who make an average of $580,362 per year, cardiothoracic surgeons, ($449,624), and general surgeons ($374,310). Even doctoral professions that don't often get the spotlight, like dentists and pediatricians, still bring in an annual six-figure income of $123,000 or more.

With doctors being a necessary profession, hearing that even the fields that get paid the least still turn out to make over $100,000 a year shouldn't be surprising. Still, with the student loans it takes to qualify for practice, it's no wonder why some doctors don't feel as if they are reaping career choice benefits.

The Cost to Practice

Being a doctor is a coveted career path for many, but knowing how much to invest in it can make the end goal even sweeter for when you get there. Tuition in America has been a hot debate topic, and making schooling affordable is a vital aspect of maintaining and improving the American economy.

The medical field's role in affecting the economy, healthcare quality, sustainable environment conservation, pandemic response, and education on a global scale can pay off to see where getting a medical degree is the most frugal. Globally the need for healthcare professionals is increasing, and trading in student loan debt for a three-year return to the States residency may be worth your time, money, and experience.

Becoming a surgeon in America at a top university such as Harvard or John Hopkins University runs students roughly around $63,400 - $54,900 a year solely on tuition. Tuition through other medical programs across the country can be sequentially less. However, even at a lower-tier medical school, American students still spend between $30,000-$50,000 annually to pursue a medical degree.

Having to pay back (depending on whether you specialize) an average of $160,000 - $201,490 in student debt can seriously delay the overall benefits and career satisfaction. Instead of needing years to pay back a student loan, considering other universities that are abroad may be the better option.

Russia

American students will spend roughly $5,450 for the average tuition, housing, and food costs at Vitebsk State Medical University and other Russian colleges. Compared to the American yearly cost, American students can obtain a medical degree in Russia for a sixth of the price, making their entire degree cheaper than possibly one year at an American institution.

China

At Anhui Medical University in China, a bachelor's degree in medicine costs between 20,00-30,000 CYN, which equates to USD $3,062.88 - $4,594.32. The fee slightly increases for graduate and Ph.D. programs, but still is only a fraction of the American costs at only USD $6,432.05. 

Europe 

American students can look forward to paying anywhere between $60,000-$150,000 in total costs for obtaining a medical degree to attend a European university. Although this may seem equal to what Americans already pay, a medical degree path in Europe is spread over six and a half to seven years as opposed to the typical American four.

The courses being more widely spread aids in making the annual costs significantly lower and reduces the years European doctors typically spend in residency compared to Americans. On average, in Europe, an American student will pay USD $21,429 per year to obtain their degree.

Japan

Beginning in the 2021 school year, the average cost of a medical degree in Japan costs 535,800 yen, coming out to $5,149.67 in U.S. dollars per year. Like Europe, it takes six years to become a practicing doctor, making the cost of a graduate medical degree around $30,898.

Where Doctors Can Get More

So what if you've already made it? Traveling for your practice can be more than just an experience. Becoming a traveling physician is useful as a method to pay your debt off faster, learning different medicine practices, and global medical field networking.

One fantastic thing about being a physician or anything within the medical field is that people require healthcare everywhere, so there's nowhere in the world where you wouldn't be able to do what you love. Whether you decide to practice remotely as a temporary or a lifelong goal, a few of these places should be at the top of your list.

Getting More Free Time

A great reason to expand your career outside of the states is that people in other countries tend to work less. On average other countries spend a minimum of five fewer hours a week working. Globally, doctors will be in a six-figure bracket, so why not make a similar amount of money while having more time to explore outside of your practice? 

Gain a Broader Perspective of Medicine

Culture influences a country's way of life, which profoundly affects the medical practices that prove ill or successful based on the people's health of that location. Learning how different lifestyles respond and depend on differentiated medical treatments will broaden your medical and cultural knowledge.

Greater Job Opportunity

Even pre-pandemic globally, various doctors from general practice to specialists are in increasing demand. With obesity and diabetes alone becoming more common, more countries are seeking international help and hiring. Using this time to network, learn, and travel while practicing medicine couldn't be easier.

Keeping all of this in mind, the countries best to fulfill traveling practitioner quality of life and career growth (in no particular order) are:

• Australia
• Switzerland
• Netherlands
• Luxembourg
• Spain
• Brazil
• Belgium
• Israel
• Canada
• Ireland
• France
• New Zealand

To Be or Not To Be

Becoming a doctor is more than just an honorable profession, it's a way of life. No matter what specialty you choose, or where you decide to practice, being in a field that is designed to help others makes the world your oyster.

There are serious decisions to make, but what to study, where, how much, and when are only the beginning. 

Danielle Beck-Hunter writes and researches for CarInsurance.org. Danielle has been a remote worker for three years and enjoys using her work as a freelancer to travel both domestically and internationally.