IFR ticket vs. professional training (MD, PhD...)

Pilot training is vocational training. It may be a proffession, but it
is learning the trade. I have an engineering degree and nothing in
flying was as technically rigorous. Not even close. As for difficulty,
yes, it's hard, especially the IFR ticket, but I play a musical
instrument (the guitar), and I'll tell you, its harder to play a
musical instrument than fly (there are actually some similarities). One
difference, if I miss a beat on my guitar, no one dies. Flying is very
serious, if you screw up badly, there are legal reprecussions and you
may crash, injure and kill people. So in terms of responsibility, it IS
a LOT of responsibility. Also, a pro pilot is always training and
being evaluated, so you have to thrive on that.