Which would you rather be - a dermatologist, an actuary, or a software engineer?

I am currently in college and trying to figure out which major I want to do.


Pros/Cons of each:


Dermatologist -


Pros: highest salary ($200,000 - 300,000), high prestige.


Cons: $200,000 of debt for med school bills, 4 years of med school plus 3-5 years of residency. hardest residency to obtain out of all the specialties.





Actuary:


Pros: you control your advances and have much flexibility in career prospects. Very easy to obtain job (actuaries are in high demand) and can work after graduating with an undergrad degree. Can reach six figure salary ($150,000+) if you become an actuary fellow.


Cons: You don%26#039;t make as much money as dermatologists.





Software engineer:


Pros: good career prospects, interesting subject matter, more casual work environment than those of actuaries or dermatologists. Can try to get a start-up and make new and innovative products.


Cons: You don%26#039;t make as much money as dermatologists or actuaries (median salary is about $85,000).





There are also the factors of stress level and career satisfaction.





I am currently double majoring in Computer Science and Statistics and am wondering if I should add in pre-med requirements to my schedule.|||I think you should be an actuary. I actually want to be one too. They make good enough money without having to go to school for that long. They earn while they learn instead of paying to learn ( going to med school) so you wont have debts. And 6 figures is pretty good...i think you can live well off that.. you will survive with less than $300k a year...no biggie. Do what you like to do and what suits your skills. Good Luck !|||My uncle is an actuary and he is 47 years old. He could retire right now if he wanted to. He lives in a huge house. No joke.|||hi there! ;o)





honest opinion.... Dermatologist by FAAAAR





think about it .... yes you have a lot of study fees to pay off .... but, your work will consist of not just analyzing skin conditions and working out vaccines etc .... but you will have the opportunity to further build your career in research .... something meaningfull .... something always interesting and there are so many fields to choose from .... but that%26#039;s just me ....





oh and yes the residency and all will most propably be the hardest .... but its worth it .... it%26#039;ll pay off in the long run .... all of it....