I am a German just about to graduate with a BSc Psychology from a Scottish university. Based on my interest I have narrowed my future career down to a) medicine, or b) neuroscience research. I have been accepted into a 2-year MSc Neuroscience at NTNU and am currently doing an internship in a research institute. Alternatively I could start medical studies in Germany next year.

I have been wanting to do medicine for a long time but didn't get in immediately. Now have a place in German medical school pretty much guaranteed from next year, would take 6 years to complete. However, I would be 32 by the time I finished, work-life balance is not great, plus will have to rely on parents. So looked into neuroscience instead, which seemed interesting too.

That is until a couple of days ago. I did some research into career opportunities and it looks atrocious. Wherever you look, young scientists are struggling. PhDs take longer than I expected, then people get stuck for years in temporary postdoc contracts, all while working 50 to 60 h a week. Only a fraction manage to get tenure track positions and become lecturers, many just drop out of the system. 90% of the experiences of young neuroscientists I have come across on the internet painted a bleak picture.

So now I am reevaluating again. The reasons that made me drop my plan to do medicine seem to apply to neuroscience just as well. Doing a 2-year MSc, then 4-5 years PhD will take me just as long as doing medicine, I will start earning some sort of salary once I start a PhD, but it will be very low, I will have to work just as long hours in both professions, but at least medicine pays well and you essentially have a job guarantee.

My question is: how bad is it? In your experience, what are research conditions like (both in neuroscience and related fields)? Would you recommend research to a friend, or should I go with medicine instead?