Could you describe for me exactly how interested are you in medicine?

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Hi, I'm new to the forums, and I'm a pre-med student that's wondering if being a doctor is right for me. I'm worried that I might not passionate enough to be a good doctor. So I just want to know about the rest of you. Do you guys think about medicine very frequently throughout the day? Do you look up stuff on diseases and treatments in your spare time when you're not working? Do you mostly talk about health with your friends? Do you find memorizing bones and muscles fun?

In summary, I seem to get the impression that medical students are not supposed to be normal people and that if you look at a model of the heart and don't feel the urge to cry in divine ecstasy, you're not fit to be a doctor and will probably drown in medical school. I have a feeling this is what they try to convey to premed students so that don't take the decision to go to medical school too lightly. But anyway, what are your opinions on this?

There are very excellent doctors (in terms of clinical knowledge and application) who just like science but are heavily into it for the money and dont care much about the patients. Being passionate/very interested will of course help immensely, but is not a requirement.

What is a requirement is that you need to be interested in the medical sciences/basic sciences to get you into and through med school, and then to use for your career.

Do you guys think about medicine very frequently throughout the day?
Yes.

Do you look up stuff on diseases and treatments in your spare time when you're not working?
Yes.

Do you mostly talk about health with your friends?
No, unless they ask me something.

Do you find memorizing bones and muscles fun?
Yes.

I seem to get the impression that medical students are not supposed to be normal people

Originally Posted by membername6

Hi, I'm new to the forums, and I'm a pre-med student that's wondering if being a doctor is right for me. I'm worried that I might not passionate enough to be a good doctor. So I just want to know about the rest of you. Do you guys think about medicine very frequently throughout the day? Do you look up stuff on diseases and treatments in your spare time when you're not working? Do you mostly talk about health with your friends? Do you find memorizing bones and muscles fun?

In summary, I seem to get the impression that medical students are not supposed to be normal people and that if you look at a model of the heart and don't feel the urge to cry in divine ecstasy, you're not fit to be a doctor and will probably drown in medical school. I have a feeling this is what they try to convey to premed students so that don't take the decision to go to medical school too lightly. But anyway, what are your opinions on this?

1) I think about getting into med school frequently throughout the day. Actual medicine, sure when I'm working at the hospital. Otherwise, no.

2) Nope. I'm interested in those things, but not to that extent. I read science articles, but when I'm not studying/working, I usually just read up on news, politics, sports, etc.

3) Haha, no way.

4) Sure, as fun as it can be (I do like it more than most other subjects).

I'm interested in med, but I don't spend all my free time thinking about it or researching it. To give you a general answer-- you don't need to be living and breathing medicine (as an undergraduate) to be legitimately interested in it.

OP the only way you'll actually know is if you go get some clinical experience and shadowing. You could find diseases and health the most interesting things in the world and still make a terrible doctor.

Summary: Learn what you want through your own observation, not through SDN

Originally Posted by membername6

Do you guys think about medicine very frequently throughout the day? Do you look up stuff on diseases and treatments in your spare time when you're not working? Do you mostly talk about health with your friends? Do you find memorizing bones and muscles fun?

1. Yes, but more so after going through the application cycle. During college, I would think about medicine, but it wasn't as often as everyday..I was more focused on the moment and having fun.

2. All the time

3. Rarely, unless they are friends who are also in the field of medicine

4. Ya, but I've always enjoyed this from when I started weight training a long time ago so I might be biased in that respect.

Your impression of an impassioned pre-medical student sounds more on the lines of an obsessive one. If you're a freshman, just feel things out - start getting involved with the typical pre-med activities, and see where it takes you.

No I'm not passionate about medicine, how can I be? I've only shadowed twice, and I'm still a freshman in college...to be passionate about something you need to be learned/well versed in the subject, I am not (at least not yet), nor will I pretend to be. By the way, some of the things you mentioned seem a little obsessive.

Medicine and healthcare is a huge passion of mine and an overall goal but it's not my life. I have a wide variety of friends, some of who have no interest in anything healthcare related, and focus on having a well rounded life. I do constantly think about my goals and they're what push me through on nights like tonight where I want almost nothing more then to blow off studying but push myself to keep at it, but I'm also much more then strictly a "pre-med".

And yes, I read biology and anatomy books for fun, and have memorized all the bones and muscles with the origins and insertions in preparation for my gross anatomy class this summer and am sooooo excited.

Balance and a well rounded life is key!

Also one more thing, while of course enjoying science classes (to some extent at least) is important for your sanity later on, you're most likely not applying for your Phd in biological sciences!! Do you enjoy helping people, do you like being a leader, do you like the idea of dealing with and treating people's physical illnesses for the rest of your life, do you enjoy learning? If there's a maybe anywhere in there volunteer, shadow, etc, dive right in and feel no shame if it's not a good match.

Do you guys think about medicine very frequently throughout the day?
Not medicine, specifically. I do think about medical school and my future as a physician regularly.

Do you look up stuff on diseases and treatments in your spare time when you're not working?
I do research diseases, treatments, etc. if they come up while at work or shadowing. Do I just cruise webmd during my spare time? No. I have better things to do.

Do you mostly talk about health with your friends?
No. I talk about things we have common interests in. For most of my relationships, that topic isn't medicine. Btw: having friends with other goals and interests is important. It keeps you sane.

Do you find memorizing bones and muscles fun?
Yes. In my spare time? No. Only when curiosity strikes.

I seem to get the impression that medical students are not supposed to be normal people
Med students? They are very busy and have very little free time, but the ones I have met enjoy spending time with family and friends like normal people when possible....

no I do not study bones in my spare time, however, I have little doubt I would be fulfilled in anything other than medicine.

Do you guys think about medicine very frequently throughout the day?
I think about medical school and career, but not about medicine particularly.

Do you look up stuff on diseases and treatments in your spare time when you're not working?
Yes, sometimes. Not all the time, but I do that. I researched disease and treatment much more frequently as a child than I do now.

Do you mostly talk about health with your friends?
Sometimes, if it comes up. I talk about random things and interests like everyone else.

Do you find memorizing bones and muscles fun?
Yes.

I seem to get the impression that medical students are not supposed to be normal people
They aren't. Medical students used to be normal people. After medical school, they are a whole different type of human. It's like the medical school itself changes the very DNA of the medical student.

Do you guys think about medicine very frequently throughout the day?
Yep! I am constantly contemplating my future career as a physician, and it's not unusual for me to think about various body systems and how they work as I commute between classes. Although I am pretty sure that last bit is some weird form of PTSD that follows pre-med students around for a few weeks following the MCAT.

Do you look up stuff on diseases and treatments in your spare time when you're not working?
Yes, and no. Almost all of my time goes to studying, volunteer work, research, leadership, TAing/tutoring, student org. involvement, and then social obligations. So, no, in my spare time I don't actively study disease. I use most of my spare time to relax, go to the movies, enjoy some yoga, and eat dark chocolate covered pretzels. But I do end up having to read up quite a bit on disease and treatments as part of my coursework, volunteer work, and research. I enjoy these facets of my work immensely, and sometimes go a little more in depth then necessary. I also do leisure reading when I can, and enjoy reading books based around medicine, like "The Emperor of All Maladies" and "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks."

Do you mostly talk about health with your friends?
Not unless my friends want to talk medicine, or the topic comes up as a result of some news story. I do, however, bore my poor Comp. Sci. boyfriend with the latest intriguing details of my biology classes. He's very patient with me.

Do you find memorizing bones and muscles fun?
Hell yes, actually.

In summary, I seem to get the impression that medical students are not supposed to be normal people and that if you look at a model of the heart and don't feel the urge to cry in divine ecstasy, you're not fit to be a doctor and will probably drown in medical school.

That's probably an exaggeration, but if you don't enjoy your biology classes, don't find clinical volunteering or shadowing fun, and don't enjoy reading science articles pertaining to disease, medicine probably isn't for you. Apparently, medical school and residency are hell. You can't make it through all that if you don't enjoy your work on some level.

Medicine is just an easy way to get rich quick, so it's probably not a good idea to go into it if you're passionate about it. In fact, I think your ambivalence makes you a perfect candidate. My ideal doctor is apathetic, unsatisfied, and maladaptive, so there's definitely a place for you in medicine.

I think about medicine all the time, but I've also grown up around it. Medicine absolutly facinates me and I love to learn all I can about it. My dad is a pediatrician and my mom is a Respiratory therapist, so medicine was normal dinner table conversation. and now as a Pre-Med living on my own it's still my #1 interest. I also work as a Sleep technologist so I try to stay up to date with that type of stuff too, but i'm not just limited to sleep. I try and learn about as much as I can, but I'm also someone who loves learning too. But don't get me wrong, there still has to be time for some Call of Duty and going to the bars. I'm not a freaking medical zombie

Nice try, pre-med-applying-this-year-and-looking-for-ideas-for-personal-statement.

Originally Posted by tantacles

Medicine is just an easy way to get rich quick, so it's probably not a good idea to go into it if you're passionate about it. In fact, I think your ambivalence makes you a perfect candidate. My ideal doctor is apathetic, unsatisfied, and maladaptive, so there's definitely a place for you in medicine.

I'd assume your ideal doctor is the one who sneaks away from work early and chalks up all diseases as diabetes because it's an easy default option?

Originally Posted by KLycos

Nice try, pre-med-applying-this-year-and-looking-for-ideas-for-personal-statement.

Yup.

People go into medicine for wildly different reasons. IMO, there is no "correct" formula for why you want to go into medicine. Shadow doctors of varying specialties and PCPs and see if the work appeals to you.

I think people tend to stress there are only a few "right" reasons to go into medicine, which is ridiculous, given the huge discrepancy between the work environment of doctors in different specialties. An ER doctor, a pathologist, and a plastic surgeon are all doctors, but they have completely different work environments and it is very likely that their motivations for becoming a doctor were different (although perhaps not, of course).

You guys like memorizing bones and muscles for fun?

Originally Posted by Barcu

You guys like memorizing bones and muscles for fun?

+1

a buncha lame nancies up in hurr.

Originally Posted by Blais

+1

a buncha lame nancies up in hurr.

A lame nancy who already has a significant chunk of her gross anatomy summer school work freed up, allowing her to focus more on the harder information and also helping herself in the long run for the dissections on her cadaver.

"a buncha time efficient nancies up in hurr."

;-)

Originally Posted by Praefectus

I'd assume your ideal doctor is the one who sneaks away from work early and chalks up all diseases as diabetes because it's an easy default option?

Crohns and lupus are acceptable alternatives.

Originally Posted by Ashley1989

A lame nancy who already has a significant chunk of her gross anatomy summer school work freed up, allowing her to focus more on the harder information and also helping herself in the long run for the dissections on her cadaver.

"a buncha time efficient nancies up in hurr."

;-)

Oh God.

Can't see myself doing anything other than being a physician. If not a physician, at least something in the health care field. If I don't get accepted to med school, I'll reapply if I'm still not accepted then I'll apply to PA or PT school. If not accepted to either of those, I'll get a masters in health care administration and go that route. If that doesn't work out I'll get a masters in public health and work in the CDC. If that doesn't work...

You catch my drift? lol

Originally Posted by Ashley1989

A lame nancy who already has a significant chunk of her gross anatomy summer school work freed up, allowing her to focus more on the harder information and also helping herself in the long run for the dissections on her cadaver.

"a buncha time efficient nancies up in hurr."

;-)

Well done, soldier.

LOFL @ replies.

1. No I almost never think about medicine unless I have to.
2. No, not more than anything else I look up. That includes various super powers of Marvel comic characters and celebrity trivia.
3. No, my friends talk about music, girls (and boys), video games, TV shows, hobbies, sports, whatever.
4. Memorizing is a chore but I surprisingly don't mind it.

In summary, I seem to get the impression that medical students are not supposed to be normal people and that if you look at a model of the heart and don't feel the urge to cry in divine ecstasy, you're not fit to be a doctor and will probably drown in medical school. I have a feeling this is what they try to convey to premed students so that don't take the decision to go to medical school too lightly. But anyway, what are your opinions on this?

I really don't think medicine should be considered a calling (more than anything else), because it sets the stage for lofty self-perceptions and protracted burnout, but a good portion of your classmates probably will see it as one anyway, rather than an informed career choice.

Great thread, thanks for posting.

I do think about medicine everyday, but the cause is a mix between being an EMT and just thinking about it for fun. From time to time, I will look up different medical things, but I get enough from school that I would rather spend free time doing something else. I have recently been very interested in different medical school podcasts and nonfiction. I highly recommend "When the Air Hits Your Brain." I talk about health with my friends frequently, but not too much. I do not find memorization very fun, but physiology and how stuff works can be very interesting. For example, the coronary arteries themselves aren't very interesting, but how they work and how they are affected by atherosclerosis is fascinating to me. I feel like you should be interested in science and the human body and be ready to work hard. If you are determined and interested in what you're doing, you won't be affected as much by the huge amounts of work. That being said, it's tough for anyone haha.

Originally Posted by membername6

Hi, I'm new to the forums, and I'm a pre-med student that's wondering if being a doctor is right for me. I'm worried that I might not passionate enough to be a good doctor. So I just want to know about the rest of you. Do you guys think about medicine very frequently throughout the day?

I work in a hospital and run my school's pre-med/pre-health program, so... yes, when I am working. If I am not working, I try to think about other things and go enjoy life. It's not normal to just think about work all the time. If you do, find other activities/interests and become a normal human being.

Do you look up stuff on diseases and treatments in your spare time when you're not working?

No, not usually. Although if something in a news article or on TV catches my attention, I'll look into it.

Do you mostly talk about health with your friends?

Only when at work or with pre-health students I mentor.

Do you find memorizing bones and muscles fun?

Not particularly. I enjoy phys. Anatomy is okay but way more memorization/less application than I'd prefer.

In summary, I seem to get the impression that medical students are not supposed to be normal people and that if you look at a model of the heart and don't feel the urge to cry in divine ecstasy, you're not fit to be a doctor and will probably drown in medical school. I have a feeling this is what they try to convey to premed students so that don't take the decision to go to medical school too lightly. But anyway, what are your opinions on this?

Nope. Doctors should be normal but also intelligent. We do seem to get a lot of "interesting" personalities in medicine, however. This may be due to the way the app process selects for certain types of individuals....

Originally Posted by SunsFun

Oh God.

It's because I've been Looking forward to this class for years. Nothing wrong with that.

Originally Posted by realmeaning

Great thread, thanks for posting.

Cant tell if Sarcastic or troll...

Do you guys think about medicine very frequently throughout the day?
Yes, medicine or human biology.

Do you look up stuff on diseases and treatments in your spare time when you're not working?
Yep.

Do you mostly talk about health with your friends?
Definitely not mostly - they're not interested in health/medicine/biology. But I raise the topic a lot.

Do you find memorizing bones and muscles fun?
Yep.