Doctor to Airline Pilot
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: FL370
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
JOE,
GOOO FOR ITTTTT! I worked in corporate banking for 5yrs and have a degree in finance. I moved from my lovely country of Sweden to the states and have lived and worked here for 10yrs. Even with all of the thousands of dollars I spent on my education, I have no regrets about pursuing a career in aviation as a pilot. I currently work for an airline in a different capacity but I enjoy coming to work everyday while I continue to pursue my pilot career on the side. you've got one life to live and you're the ONLY one who will get to experience it- not me or anyone else on this forum. There is no perfect job out there- I've learned what you put in is what you'll get out and being a pilot is no different.
Good luck SVENSK!
GOOO FOR ITTTTT! I worked in corporate banking for 5yrs and have a degree in finance. I moved from my lovely country of Sweden to the states and have lived and worked here for 10yrs. Even with all of the thousands of dollars I spent on my education, I have no regrets about pursuing a career in aviation as a pilot. I currently work for an airline in a different capacity but I enjoy coming to work everyday while I continue to pursue my pilot career on the side. you've got one life to live and you're the ONLY one who will get to experience it- not me or anyone else on this forum. There is no perfect job out there- I've learned what you put in is what you'll get out and being a pilot is no different.
Good luck SVENSK!
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Ireland
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Joe,
I am also a doctor hoping to change career. Finishing off my PPL now, after which I will do ATPL by distance learning and then build hours towards CPL and Multi-IR. Contrary to many of the posts the escape door out of medicine (particularly specialist medicine) is one way only. The medical profession does not tolerate doubt or disloyalty, so tread carefully! Good luck Joe - it is comforting to know someone else is in a similar position!
I am also a doctor hoping to change career. Finishing off my PPL now, after which I will do ATPL by distance learning and then build hours towards CPL and Multi-IR. Contrary to many of the posts the escape door out of medicine (particularly specialist medicine) is one way only. The medical profession does not tolerate doubt or disloyalty, so tread carefully! Good luck Joe - it is comforting to know someone else is in a similar position!
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: KT19
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
To the doctor, Joelogan I say - yep, train hard for the ratings and see where that gets you in a couple of years, using your current salary and fulfilment to see you through that phase, then decide whether to take a risk and leave doctoring to fly professionally. You will in your former profession always have a job and revenue stream to come back to if flying needs to be put down for a while or completely but never give doctoring up right now in this climate.
Treat it as an early career break, a sabbatical if you like, to pursue a long held dream. Brilliant, but keep the current job otherwise as someone has said check yourself in for psychiatric assessment.
To the police contingent who have contributed - I have had the privilege of doing the career break thing from the police and flying professionally and totally recommend it, but again, keep the current job don't chop that pension in. (Try Africa if you really have to do a career break, great place to fly,gaining loads of quality experience)
Now in a few years a new government may start to tax the commutation as they already did with some very senior people in the Met (different contract to you and me though which is why they could I think) and when they do tax it that might be the time to do some calculations and see if it makes no difference to leave at that point, preferably once 25 years done.
In the meantime do the CPL/IR training and see if in a few years when the economy has recovered a bit you can land a part time flying job (try compressed hours, 4 days a week at 10 hrs per day) to get the best of both worlds. Or retire after 30 yrs like someone I know who now flies Learjets for a living, having been a multi IR instructor for several years. Nice, and rather obscene to talk about in front of other mere mortals given our level of job security which is a bit of a rarity nowadays.
The police lot can PM me if you want more info on being paid during career breaks etc - I resigned and had to come back in but nowadays I think you don't have to leave...
Good luck everyone.
Treat it as an early career break, a sabbatical if you like, to pursue a long held dream. Brilliant, but keep the current job otherwise as someone has said check yourself in for psychiatric assessment.
To the police contingent who have contributed - I have had the privilege of doing the career break thing from the police and flying professionally and totally recommend it, but again, keep the current job don't chop that pension in. (Try Africa if you really have to do a career break, great place to fly,gaining loads of quality experience)
Now in a few years a new government may start to tax the commutation as they already did with some very senior people in the Met (different contract to you and me though which is why they could I think) and when they do tax it that might be the time to do some calculations and see if it makes no difference to leave at that point, preferably once 25 years done.
In the meantime do the CPL/IR training and see if in a few years when the economy has recovered a bit you can land a part time flying job (try compressed hours, 4 days a week at 10 hrs per day) to get the best of both worlds. Or retire after 30 yrs like someone I know who now flies Learjets for a living, having been a multi IR instructor for several years. Nice, and rather obscene to talk about in front of other mere mortals given our level of job security which is a bit of a rarity nowadays.
The police lot can PM me if you want more info on being paid during career breaks etc - I resigned and had to come back in but nowadays I think you don't have to leave...
Good luck everyone.
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: london
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Joe,
seek out Rob Liddell. He is a doc and pilot and lives in the Perth Area, flying club may know where he is. He became head of AVMED at CASA and was B727 F/O.
Good luck.
seek out Rob Liddell. He is a doc and pilot and lives in the Perth Area, flying club may know where he is. He became head of AVMED at CASA and was B727 F/O.
Good luck.
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: INDIA
Age: 38
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Plan A Or Plan B
hi there guys
I joined this forum about 7 months back and after a long time it is nice to see some optimistic replies.
I did read many post in this thread and it gave me alot of hope .
I am basically in the same boat as many people here . Always wanted to be a pilot since my childhood. I am from India.i just turned 25 years this week back. I have done my bachelors degree in Electrical and electronics engineering and have worked i dell computers for 2 years (P.S- i hate my job )I have two plans as of now . I did do my research regarding pilot training for many months .But nothing is going my way . though of taking a educational loan to do my flight training in Canada .But from speaking to people both here and some people i came to know who are in the aviation field i came to a conclusion there there is noway i could end up with a job as a pilot at the end of my training in order to pay up my loans .So here is my plan :
PLAN A- AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING
To do a course in Ame which i am very much interested in also .But from what i researched there is no masters degree in AME. There is diploma or Bsc(hons). My friends and well wishers told me its would be idiotic to do a diploma course and after finishing my Bachelors degree. But screw them i am not looking for fame or a name that a masters degree can give me here. i want to be in the field that i am interested (Aviation).
Plan B-. MASTERS IN AVIATION MANAGEMENT
I heard many people tell that in aviation everything is about networking. I did have some subjects regarding management in my last year of engineering and they were pretty interesting too. Many did advice me that this would be a better path to take compared a AME's job since geting a license as an AME takes another 2 years after working as a appearance.And also job oppurtunities of aviation management is much higher when compared to AME( Dont know if that true !!
).And people
At the end i want to become a pilot . I have cleared my class2 and class 1 medicals.The problem is i would be in a huge debt if i don get a job as a pilot once i complete my training. Both PLAN A AND PLAN B seemed to much more affordable than pilot training. I want to study in the field of aviation , get a job in aviation field collect some contact on the way if possible ,slowly but steadily do my pilot training while working.i do know it is kinda of a long shot but its definitely better than living a safe life wondering WHAT if ?? all the time .
From your experience tell me which would be a better path to take to achieve my dream (to be an commercial aviator)..PLAN A OR PLAN B. .Hope your suggestion would lead a way for me!.
And guys when I HIT my dream shot THE BEERS ON ME Thanks a million for your time ..Cheers .
I joined this forum about 7 months back and after a long time it is nice to see some optimistic replies.
I did read many post in this thread and it gave me alot of hope .
I am basically in the same boat as many people here . Always wanted to be a pilot since my childhood. I am from India.i just turned 25 years this week back. I have done my bachelors degree in Electrical and electronics engineering and have worked i dell computers for 2 years (P.S- i hate my job )I have two plans as of now . I did do my research regarding pilot training for many months .But nothing is going my way . though of taking a educational loan to do my flight training in Canada .But from speaking to people both here and some people i came to know who are in the aviation field i came to a conclusion there there is noway i could end up with a job as a pilot at the end of my training in order to pay up my loans .So here is my plan :
PLAN A- AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE ENGINEERING
To do a course in Ame which i am very much interested in also .But from what i researched there is no masters degree in AME. There is diploma or Bsc(hons). My friends and well wishers told me its would be idiotic to do a diploma course and after finishing my Bachelors degree. But screw them i am not looking for fame or a name that a masters degree can give me here. i want to be in the field that i am interested (Aviation).
Plan B-. MASTERS IN AVIATION MANAGEMENT
I heard many people tell that in aviation everything is about networking. I did have some subjects regarding management in my last year of engineering and they were pretty interesting too. Many did advice me that this would be a better path to take compared a AME's job since geting a license as an AME takes another 2 years after working as a appearance.And also job oppurtunities of aviation management is much higher when compared to AME( Dont know if that true !!
).And people At the end i want to become a pilot . I have cleared my class2 and class 1 medicals.The problem is i would be in a huge debt if i don get a job as a pilot once i complete my training. Both PLAN A AND PLAN B seemed to much more affordable than pilot training. I want to study in the field of aviation , get a job in aviation field collect some contact on the way if possible ,slowly but steadily do my pilot training while working.i do know it is kinda of a long shot but its definitely better than living a safe life wondering WHAT if ?? all the time .
From your experience tell me which would be a better path to take to achieve my dream (to be an commercial aviator)..PLAN A OR PLAN B. .Hope your suggestion would lead a way for me!.
And guys when I HIT my dream shot THE BEERS ON ME
Thanks a million for your time ..Cheers .
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: southern latitiude
Posts: 38
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I heard that a THAI airways pilot is a doctor and still a doctor. He enter the airline through cadet program so you may consider this way to be a pilot. There are some cadet pilot program now so you can apply for the one you like.
Cheers,
Rit
Cheers,
Rit
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: FL350
Posts: 127
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I then plan to get an instructor job at my local airport (Jandakot) and accumulate some hours in exchange for more money that I can put into various endorsements.
I personally think (as someone who has gone through a career change to pilot) that ditching medicine for flying is an absurd prospect. I think if you seriously want to do it, some sort of flying yourself around the outback to service communities as a doctor would be the smartest thing to do. Good luck with whatever you do!
A thought or three.
Aviation is a fantastically interesting and exciting business. Personally, I'd not want to work anywhere else - unless manned spaceflight ever becomes reasonably commonplace, in which case I'll go and do that.
It is also however, a huge and complex industry. Just in flying, there's instruction, air-taxi, emergency flying, test flying, military flying, gliding and ultralights.... ... oh yes, and flying an airliner.
And then there's aviation medicine, maintenance engineering, safety research, airborne science, aircraft design, human factors training, simulator operations - and all raft of management roles.
To the original poster (and others), there's a huge range of aviation jobs there which you may well be already 90% qualified for and get you around flying machines. If you want to fly (and I do, so to me that's perfectly understandable) there are also a huge range of jobs for pilots as well as the money-rich but in many cases lifestyle-poor role of airline pilot.
If you are an aviation enthusiast, there's still no reason to drop everything and suddenly try and train as an airline pilot - and indeed if you've not even got to PPL then frankly that would be quite silly. Get yourself into aviation, learn to fly (something, anything), see where you can move your current professional work into aviation. As you go in that direction, keep the objectives under review and if it stays the right thing to do to become an airline pilot, then go for it.
But don't burn your bridges, and don't take a huge and irreversible single step away from what you can already do. You may yet find yourself a happy airline pilot, or you may well find that you actually have a more fitting vocation within this fantastic industry.
One of the happiest people I ever met was a physician who joined the RAF as a fighter pilot. After getting his wings, he got sent into an aeromedical research job conducting experiments on pilots in the other seat of Hawk jet that he was flying. Surely that's about a thousands times more fun, for example, than being an airline pilot who has thrown away 5++ years of medical training to do a relatively routine job.
G
Aviation is a fantastically interesting and exciting business. Personally, I'd not want to work anywhere else - unless manned spaceflight ever becomes reasonably commonplace, in which case I'll go and do that.
It is also however, a huge and complex industry. Just in flying, there's instruction, air-taxi, emergency flying, test flying, military flying, gliding and ultralights.... ... oh yes, and flying an airliner.
And then there's aviation medicine, maintenance engineering, safety research, airborne science, aircraft design, human factors training, simulator operations - and all raft of management roles.
To the original poster (and others), there's a huge range of aviation jobs there which you may well be already 90% qualified for and get you around flying machines. If you want to fly (and I do, so to me that's perfectly understandable) there are also a huge range of jobs for pilots as well as the money-rich but in many cases lifestyle-poor role of airline pilot.
If you are an aviation enthusiast, there's still no reason to drop everything and suddenly try and train as an airline pilot - and indeed if you've not even got to PPL then frankly that would be quite silly. Get yourself into aviation, learn to fly (something, anything), see where you can move your current professional work into aviation. As you go in that direction, keep the objectives under review and if it stays the right thing to do to become an airline pilot, then go for it.
But don't burn your bridges, and don't take a huge and irreversible single step away from what you can already do. You may yet find yourself a happy airline pilot, or you may well find that you actually have a more fitting vocation within this fantastic industry.
One of the happiest people I ever met was a physician who joined the RAF as a fighter pilot. After getting his wings, he got sent into an aeromedical research job conducting experiments on pilots in the other seat of Hawk jet that he was flying. Surely that's about a thousands times more fun, for example, than being an airline pilot who has thrown away 5++ years of medical training to do a relatively routine job.
G
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: london
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
just look at the ads for pilots, most ask for experienced pilots.
the chance to land a job are near 0.and the job if you get one, are really bad, pay s..t, or sleep in your van...
don't listen guys who tell you to go for it and follow your dream, many don't have a job!
one of my friend tell me there are job everywhere, the funny thing, he can not get a job for himself after 2 years, and live with his mom.
When I ask him why he doesn't take the job , it' s always the same answer:
"oh, i need xxx hours, I need a work permit, need greencard, need this and that, but they hire, they hire..."
so don't be too excited about this career.
the chance to land a job are near 0.and the job if you get one, are really bad, pay s..t, or sleep in your van...
don't listen guys who tell you to go for it and follow your dream, many don't have a job!
one of my friend tell me there are job everywhere, the funny thing, he can not get a job for himself after 2 years, and live with his mom.
When I ask him why he doesn't take the job , it' s always the same answer:
"oh, i need xxx hours, I need a work permit, need greencard, need this and that, but they hire, they hire..."
so don't be too excited about this career.
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: atd
Age: 35
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hello joe,
I'm in quite a similar situation like you, I'm 22 now and in 4th yr of med school and intend to do the same as you. Infact i had almost quit med school this yr for aerospace enginnering but my father forced me not to do so. In my opinion you should go ahead for PPL righ away and see for yousrlef how u like it, If u still like it then get yourself on track for commercial flying but dont quit your job untill you're sure to get a job in flying. let us know what did u decide. regards
ssw
P.S. I joined this forum just to respond to your question
I'm in quite a similar situation like you, I'm 22 now and in 4th yr of med school and intend to do the same as you. Infact i had almost quit med school this yr for aerospace enginnering but my father forced me not to do so. In my opinion you should go ahead for PPL righ away and see for yousrlef how u like it, If u still like it then get yourself on track for commercial flying but dont quit your job untill you're sure to get a job in flying. let us know what did u decide. regards
ssw
P.S. I joined this forum just to respond to your question
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: London
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi, I was in the same situation 3 years ago. I finished my fy2 and decided that enough was enough and that I couldn't take being a gp anymore. Gained my frozen atpl this year and through some luck got in with an airline, currently line training on A320.
The main difference between the professions seems to be the hours you work. As a GP I was working 8-4 everyday now there is no pattern ( I don't enjoy the hours as a pilot) and of course the money is far less but then you don't become a pilot for the money.
I do regret making the switch sometimes.....
The main difference between the professions seems to be the hours you work. As a GP I was working 8-4 everyday now there is no pattern ( I don't enjoy the hours as a pilot) and of course the money is far less but then you don't become a pilot for the money.
I do regret making the switch sometimes.....
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Yorkshire
Age: 41
Posts: 691
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
XXPLOD,
Sir, Can you earn a wage whilst on a career break? Something that I would consider myself, I'm considering a (possible) career change but will look to do my PPL first then CPL after. How I see it the police is too secure a job to resign as like you say it is not like you will be made redundant. I've also just done my Constable to Sgt Ospre exam but fed up with the internal politics of this job, however I'm sure the Airline industry would be no different. I'm 30 yrs old so still want to keep my options open.
Sir, Can you earn a wage whilst on a career break? Something that I would consider myself, I'm considering a (possible) career change but will look to do my PPL first then CPL after. How I see it the police is too secure a job to resign as like you say it is not like you will be made redundant. I've also just done my Constable to Sgt Ospre exam but fed up with the internal politics of this job, however I'm sure the Airline industry would be no different. I'm 30 yrs old so still want to keep my options open.
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Doctor and pilot - can you really do both?
Hi all,
I am having quite a tough time with finding the answer to this, which suggests to me that it doesn't get done very often, which in turn I suppose answers my question to some point- but anyway...
I am about to qualify as a Dr, I am also a ppl, training towards cpl. Maybe unlike some others commenting on this forum, I really enjoy medicine (perhaps one day I won't), but I also really love flying. I would really like a career that let's you do both. Can anyone help me put together a list of careers that let you do that, that I can explore further? There have been some suggestions you can do this with the military, although I don't love the idea of signing up for 7 (or whatever) years of my life that I can't get out of if its not for me. Also it seems like I may be over the age limit (now almost 25yo). Others have mentioned airline pilots that also work as AMEs (not sure how they do this, I was under the impression the gmc take your license if you don't work so many hours a week for the NHS, maybe the rules are different elsewhere?). Flying doctors and repatriation medicine may be an option, but I don't know much about how to get into those.
Any info that anyone can give from knowledge, others, own experiences etc.. Would be really helpful.
Thanks all
I am having quite a tough time with finding the answer to this, which suggests to me that it doesn't get done very often, which in turn I suppose answers my question to some point- but anyway...
I am about to qualify as a Dr, I am also a ppl, training towards cpl. Maybe unlike some others commenting on this forum, I really enjoy medicine (perhaps one day I won't), but I also really love flying. I would really like a career that let's you do both. Can anyone help me put together a list of careers that let you do that, that I can explore further? There have been some suggestions you can do this with the military, although I don't love the idea of signing up for 7 (or whatever) years of my life that I can't get out of if its not for me. Also it seems like I may be over the age limit (now almost 25yo). Others have mentioned airline pilots that also work as AMEs (not sure how they do this, I was under the impression the gmc take your license if you don't work so many hours a week for the NHS, maybe the rules are different elsewhere?). Flying doctors and repatriation medicine may be an option, but I don't know much about how to get into those.
Any info that anyone can give from knowledge, others, own experiences etc.. Would be really helpful.
Thanks all
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: belgium
Age: 34
Posts: 152
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Isn't there something out like Flying doctors in Africa? I know there are several organisations which fly in Africa to deliver food and medicins. I think being a doctor would be a big +.
Minimum hour requirement is (I think) 500 hrs though.
Personally I'd stay in medicine, you will certainly earn enough to buy a very nice IFR turbo plane. If you really want to combine medicine with flying I'd look to Africa.
Minimum hour requirement is (I think) 500 hrs though.
Personally I'd stay in medicine, you will certainly earn enough to buy a very nice IFR turbo plane. If you really want to combine medicine with flying I'd look to Africa.
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks very much for your reply. I will look into that. I think perhaps doctors pay is a little more in Belgium than UK though. At aprox €22k/year it will take a while of saving before I can afford an ifr turbo!
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Australia
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ED locum?
Hey Joe
How far along are you in your career? Are you in an A&E training program yet?
I am also in the same situation, except I'm in my penultimate year of medical school. I also want to be an ED physician!
I have looked into this for a long time. In fact, I was partway through interviews for a cadetship before I decided I needed a stable alternative should the aviation industry decide to fluctuate again.
My plan is to complete my ED physician training, get my ATPL, get an airline job, and then locum for ED whenever my flying roster permits.
It's a very long-term plan but I think it could work!
Good luck!
How far along are you in your career? Are you in an A&E training program yet?
I am also in the same situation, except I'm in my penultimate year of medical school. I also want to be an ED physician!
I have looked into this for a long time. In fact, I was partway through interviews for a cadetship before I decided I needed a stable alternative should the aviation industry decide to fluctuate again.
My plan is to complete my ED physician training, get my ATPL, get an airline job, and then locum for ED whenever my flying roster permits.
It's a very long-term plan but I think it could work!
Good luck!