View Poll Results: Would you do the same again?
YES!
49
55.68%
NO!
29
32.95%
Undecided.
10
11.36%
Voters: 88. You may not vote on this poll
Would you do it again?
Nov 25th 2011, 8:24 am
#91
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Ft Lauderdale, FL
Posts: 4,792
Re: Would you do it again?
Frank, everything you wrote is unfortunately true.
Although you got one bit wrong - our CEO just upgraded his package to $21 million a year.
I will say the one thing that bothers me is the way that the major companies, especially American ones, treat the US as their core market. That is, when they develop a drug and price it, they are using US and European numbers to balance the business decisions. The basic strategy seems to be to take the American market for as much as possible and then all other global markets are a bonus.
This is one of many reasons why healthcare in the US is such a ridiculous rip-off.
One good thing about the NHS is that it's in the governments interests (somewhat) to fight against the drug companies and their price-fixing.
Although you got one bit wrong - our CEO just upgraded his package to $21 million a year.
I will say the one thing that bothers me is the way that the major companies, especially American ones, treat the US as their core market. That is, when they develop a drug and price it, they are using US and European numbers to balance the business decisions. The basic strategy seems to be to take the American market for as much as possible and then all other global markets are a bonus.
This is one of many reasons why healthcare in the US is such a ridiculous rip-off.
One good thing about the NHS is that it's in the governments interests (somewhat) to fight against the drug companies and their price-fixing.
Bet lot of the scientist engineers make $100k or less.
Reg. Frank R.
Nov 25th 2011, 8:58 am
#93
Your Fellow American
Joined: May 2007
Location: Orlando, Florida
Posts: 76
Re: Would you do it again?
I have absolutely no desire to 'go back' anywhere.. I am home already. 😉
Nov 25th 2011, 9:14 am
#95
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2008
Location: Malibu, CA
Posts: 921
Re: Would you do it again?
Having said that, a recently graduated PhD in biotech can expect to make $80-100k, which compares favourably to the $35-50k they could expect from an NIH post-doc fellowship at a university, and that's before you add in the other benefits.
I'm not sure how the MBA salaries compare to the financial sector. Either way, I hate them all and I hope they all burn in hell.
Last edited by caleyjag; Nov 25th 2011 at 9:16 am.
Nov 25th 2011, 9:46 am
#96
BE Enthusiast
Joined: May 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 709
Re: Would you do it again?
Indeed. For that reason alone I consider myself lucky. When I got sick last year which resulted in three separate trips to the ER via ambulance, I got stuck with a bill for just under $6,000.
It really is all about perspective. Having grown up here, (I left the UK when I was a child) I am familiar with the pros and cons of living in the US. There are things that I love about living here and things that I don't.
I'm just happy that I have a choice. A choice to stay and a choice to leave.
It really is all about perspective. Having grown up here, (I left the UK when I was a child) I am familiar with the pros and cons of living in the US. There are things that I love about living here and things that I don't.
I'm just happy that I have a choice. A choice to stay and a choice to leave.
Nov 25th 2011, 9:50 am
#97
Banned
Joined: Sep 2011
Location: brum
Posts: 738
Re: Would you do it again?
I said no but I mean yes as it was an adventure, but would I live in Oz compared to the UK long term...then hell NO, it was OK for a few years but i could never live there full time as it would just destroy my mind and body.
Nov 25th 2011, 10:06 am
#98
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Joined: May 2011
Location: USA
Posts: 709
Re: Would you do it again?
I'd have a lot more sympathy for the pharmaceutical companies if they didn't spend the entire GDP of a small African country on advertising. Watched any network news programme recently? Wall to wall drug ads.
My wife has a prescription that tops $400 per month for 30 pills. Is that really justifiable?
My wife has a prescription that tops $400 per month for 30 pills. Is that really justifiable?
A survey where I live showed that almost 60% of people in full time (40+ hours a week) have no benefits at all. Most of those people are making minimum wage. In Oregon, that's $8.50 per hour, a hell of a lot better than may states but not much in the big scheme of things. $1530 per month pre-tax doesn't go far, especially when you have no health insurance, sick pay or vacation pay included.
As far the "they should go to college and get a better job" argument, don't get me started. Not everyone can (or should) do that. With no disrespect to these people, society needs janitors, street cleaners, gas pump attendants (in OR anyway), kitchen hands, etc. Don't those people need access to healthcare too?
As for the unemployed, yes there are always going to be people who will take advantage of the system, but many more are in need and deserve some sort of safety net. Personally, I'd rather 10 "scroungers" got a benefit rather than 1 person genuinely in need went without. Then again, I'm a self-confessed loony left socialist.
Agreed! A completely different culture
Nov 25th 2011, 10:29 am
#99
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,097
Re: Would you do it again?
I don't think the poll is about moving to Oz.
Nov 25th 2011, 11:33 am
#103
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,160
Re: Would you do it again?
As far the "they should go to college and get a better job" argument, don't get me started. Not everyone can (or should) do that. With no disrespect to these people, society needs janitors, street cleaners, gas pump attendants (in OR anyway), kitchen hands, etc. Don't those people need access to healthcare too?
This is tangential, but relates to the idea that "if you work hard enough and go to college, you can do anything" is suitable (or even slightly a good idea) for everyone. Since my job involves attempting to shepherd people through the operative 'go to college' phase, I have to see first-hand when it all falls down. People reach natural limitations. We all have natural limitations. No matter what anyone did, no matter how hard I tried, I could not be anything more than dissatisfyingly mediocre at <insert vast list of sports, music, arts, trades, customer service
>.It is heartbreaking to see students who think they just need to try/work harder and flog themselves accordingly! Tenacity is one thing, but sometimes, no matter what they nor I do, they just aren't going to 'get' calculus. There's no two ways about it - their brain just isn't built that way. Does it make them a bad person? Does it mean they can't contribute to society in a useful way?? Absolutely not! BUT having been told their entire lives that "if you work hard enough and go to college, you can do anything", where does it leave you when you don't have the capacity to do the thing you chose? By observation, the answer seems to be 'utterly crushed.'
On the one hand, I like that US culture appreciates education (well, given how far I am on the 'correct' side of it, it would be difficult not to!) However, I think it is ridiculously blind to other vital contributions, both in terms of cultural appreciation and societal support.
Would I do 'it' again? Well, for me 'it' was 'come and work here for a while to get professional experience before going home', so yes. Was I ever going to stay? No.
Nov 25th 2011, 11:52 am
#104
Your Fellow American
Joined: May 2007
Location: Orlando, Florida
Posts: 76
Re: Would you do it again?
Horses for courses is a valid argument. I also want to throw into the mix the suggestion that if you have no aptitude for calculus it would be a bad choice to go for engineering as a degree. If people are not smart enough to realize that a language based degree holds a better chance of a good result then Darwin has to intervene... We are not responsible for the bad. Choices of other people. We can take the horse to water but we can't make it drink.
So the argument is indeed tangential.
So the argument is indeed tangential.
Nov 25th 2011, 12:02 pm
#105
Account Closed
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 0
Re: Would you do it again?
Horses for courses is a valid argument. I also want to throw into the mix the suggestion that if you have no aptitude for calculus it would be a bad choice to go for engineering as a degree. If people are not smart enough to realize that a language based degree holds a better chance of a good result then Darwin has to intervene...
We are not responsible for the bad. Choices of other people. We can take the horse to water but we can't make it drink.
So the argument is indeed tangential.
We are not responsible for the bad. Choices of other people. We can take the horse to water but we can't make it drink.
So the argument is indeed tangential.
I must be really dumb, I didn't understand this at all
