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Is economic research as important as medical research, and why or why not?
I feel they're both important, but my mom feels that medical research is more important and more in demand, though I'm trying to convince her that I wouldn't be committing career suicide by pursuing economic research, what I'm actually interested in. I'm currently a college student, majoring in economics and mathematics. Feel free to give your lengthy, true opinion, I'd really appreciate it. I support people wanting to do medical research, but the economy would not function if everybody was in the medical field! It's annoying when my mom tries to encourage me to switch fields when I've never once been interested in the medical field for me personally, and I don't want to choose a field I hate just for the money. A top economist could make as much as a top surgeon, anyways. And it's more than the money for me, as obviously I will take on debt for all the years of college I have ahead. It's a lifestyle choice I'm making. I just need a better way to prove to my mom that I'll be fine. Again, I'm still a student, not yet an economist, so obviously I still have a lot to learn on my own, and it's why I have trouble explaining the relevance of econ to my mom beyond general things.
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Oh just shut her down. Tell her you've heard her out, and she needs to stop this now. She is not an expert on how either of these fields work and she needs to back off.
You can't argue with her reasonably. She is not arguing because of reason. She is arguing because as a lay person, she 'gets' medical research and thinks its cool. The highest bills she ever pays are for medical treatment and drugs, so she thinks that is where the money is. It's an illusion of course. Going into medical research is not a sure money maker. It's highly dependant on politics and funding. She doesn't get economics, so she thinks it's meaningless. Stop trying to convince her otherwise, and tell her she simply isn't the expert on the fields, and that it's time for her to respect your choice.
You'll be more successful at what it interests you, full stop, so stop trying to prove to her that your choice is valid. Your choice IS valid, but the only proof she is going to accept is when you stop fighting her and just live your choice with the passion and skill you've got.
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What is important her is NOT which field is of greater importance. What is important is which field is the field you will be happy working in.
You mom sees medical research as an area of greater importance as it is most likely the field that will provide you with the best income earnings ability. What mom is not taking into consideration is that a person can be earning huge sums of money and be miserable in life.
You have to follow your heart and your interests when deciding what field you want to follow. You really shouldn't have to prove to anyone, including your mom, why you have no interest in one subject and great interest in another. This is the field of interest to you. If you need to point anything out to your mother Tell her as an economist you could rise to become at some point the Chairman of the Federal Reserve setting monetary policy for this nation. That this is a position that only someone with an education and background in economics can hold.
As I said you have to do what interest you not what me, your mom or anyone else thinks is best. My son is a good example. He is a paramedic/firefighter. There are a number of people who are alive today because he was on duty when they needed a paramedic. His medical directors have suggested or told him he should advance his medical career by taking the bridge course to become a registered nurse and then a nurse practitioner.
As much as I agree with them I also know he probably won't do it. He likes being a paramedic but he loves being a firefighter. For my son being a firefighter is not a job it is a calling. He does it because he can and thankfully he is very good at it. Because for him firefighting is a calling he will not leave the job until he retires. Then maybe he will look at nursing.
For you being an economist may be your calling. Once you finish your education you may become an outstanding economist and who knows maybe you will become at some future date Chairman of the Federal Reserve.
My advice is: Do what your heart and mind tell you to do. While others may think they have your best interest in mind they really don't for they do not know what is truly in your heart and mind as a calling. Anyone can find a job but few find a calling. Being an economist just may be your calling.
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Medical research can be monetized; the research leads pretty directly toward profit so there's a lot of forces pushing it along.
Economic research is stymied by the fact that governments are the ones that set policy, not economists. The amount of influence an economist has is dependent on how much the leadership buys into the data.
Medical research saves lives, economic research has the potential to do the same but that gets blocked by government the same way climate change research does.
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