Are we really wasting away our prime years?

[mimelim]

I don't know a single traditional premed that I went to school with that has a successful marriage right now. I can't even count the number of my friends that are the exact same age that weren't premeds and are married with successful careers.

I've been married for 5 years and was a traditional student.

In my hospital of the traditional pathway people, more than half were married by age 28. And I'm only talking about surgery residents too. (Since those are really the only people I know)

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[bunnyg]

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[Lucca]

I think it is depressing that people think their life is over when they are 30/ when they have kids.

My parents partied every weekend and had tons of fun when I was a kid (they had me ~30) , I turned out fine and are great parents!

Same here. My parents are in their 50s and still party/hang out with friends every weekend or every other weekend. Hispanic/immigrant culture is totally different though, we're a very happy people even when we don't have jobs ot when we have 3 of them at once.

 

[Essee]

Yeah you're a 2 month old M-1 in a "true" P/F school. These are the good years in terms of controlled schedule.

All the more reason for premeds to look more closely at how curriculums are structured when choosing a school to attend.

 

[Theafoni]

Oh yeah, and don't count the cost

Excellent video.

 

[moisne]

If you are asking this question - the answer is probably yes...

 

[Holmwood]

I haven't read the rest of this thread, so I apologize in advance. Your decision to start medical school education sooner rather than later really depends on your level of personal growth.

If you're not ready to move on, then don't. It's simple. Medical training is a commitment not everyone needs to make right away. Same as marriage, having kids/adopting, etc.


As for me, I've already spent the best years of my life before college. I hanged out with buds, traveled all around asia/oceania, did some questionable things, and indulged in some of that debauchery. I'm done. Don't sign me up for 10 more years of the same stuff I've been doing for 20 years.. Im done! I'm ready to get on with my life. And luckily, there are more things to look forward to in life other than the aforementioned. You'll never find out if you never step outside of that "prime lifestyle"..

 

[DokterMom]

As others have said, if you can't figure out how to enjoy your life while you are on this path, you are doing it wrong... and one of your biggest errors is not appreciating what you do have nearly enough while you imagine how great it must be for other people.



I think this is mostly a risk for traditional students, because they lack a certain perspective and because the training for this profession encourages us to be very focused on the next goal in front of us rather than the big picture. Delayed gratification junkies. You enter this maze and all you can see ahead is the MCAT. You crush it, but at the next turn, there is the application process and interview season. You overcome each obstacle only to see the next one laid out neatly before you, always with the promise that this next accomplishment is the one that will unlock the door to happiness, success, fulfillment of your dreams.

If you run along like that the whole time, never lifting your head up to see where you are going, you can end up someplace very disappointing indeed. And you can tell yourself that you might have gone some place much better, that all the goodies you thought were waiting for you must be waiting somewhere else. If only you hadn't wasted your time running down this route, you might have found them.

If you've actually tried a few different mazes before, you will learn that someone always moves the damn cheese, and that it isn't actually that good anyway. The reason to put yourself through all of this is not for the prize at the end, but because doing it is reward enough in itself. Because this, what you do every day, is life, not just a long lead up to it. If you don't love it and wouldn't do it except for what you think is in it for you at the end, you are setting yourself up for the disappointment to come.

Very wise words @Promethean

Someone always 'moves the cheese' -- and if the cheese is the reason you're in this game, you're at high risk of not finding it all worthwhile when you finally get there. You may be expecting a mouth-watering Maytag Blue and find a runny mess of Brie instead.

But please also realize that many other life paths experience this same phenomenon to some degree. The early years in most high-paying careers are full of paddle-paddle-paddle 80 hour work weeks for not a lot of money, with lots of BS and ethically-questionable tactics to put up with -- and of course, neither the time nor money to travel. Unless, as @Promethean notes, you occasionally stick you head up out of the maze for a good look around.

You can enjoy medical school if you stick your head up every now and then. Appreciate the journey with some of the most intelligent and capable peers you will ever spend time with. Appreciate the challenge to your intellect, your creativity, your sheer stamina. Seek to learn and measure your success in knowledge gained, knowing that every other field falls far short in this regard.

And know also that life doesn't end at 30 or 40 or 50 or 60. The good times continue as long as your good attitude does --

 

[MrChance2]

People have nailed it already. Its just an investment in the future. Most stable high paying jobs require a lot of effort up front. There are exceptions but from my experience they are generally not very rewarding, unstable, or have other reasons people don't like them. I have a lot of smart friends that became school teachers or other kinda neat $40k/yr jobs you can get with an undergrad degree. Some love them but a lot are looking elsewhere after realizing where the ceiling is, while my friends that are attendings now that went straight after undergrad are generally loving life, it really is an investment.

Anyone who is used to having a social life that says on a day to day basis medical school is their favorite thing in the world is probably lying but at the same time you get to be a physician for the next 50-60 years or so. I remember a 42 year old physician bringing up EDM and one of the music festivals and when asked if they like it they said "I don't like it, I LOVE it." So there's always that route too, still not sure what that life would be like though lol.

 

[ridethecliche]

An attending friend said that her intern year was one of the most fun years of her life. She worked a crap ton, but had a blast outside of it as well.

 

[Snakes]

Someone always 'moves the cheese' -- and if the cheese is the reason you're in this game, you're at high risk of not finding it all worthwhile when you finally get there. You may be expecting a mouth-watering Maytag Blue and find a runny mess of Brie instead.

But please also realize that many other life paths experience this same phenomenon to some degree. The early years in most high-paying careers are full of paddle-paddle-paddle 80 hour work weeks for not a lot of money, with lots of BS and ethically-questionable tactics to put up with -- and of course, neither the time nor money to travel. Unless, as @Promethean notes, you occasionally stick you head up out of the maze for a good look around.

You can enjoy medical school if you stick your head up every now and then. Appreciate the journey with some of the most intelligent and capable peers you will ever spend time with. Appreciate the challenge to your intellect, your creativity, your sheer stamina. Seek to learn and measure your success in knowledge gained, knowing that every other field falls far short in this regard.

And know also that life doesn't end at 30 or 40 or 50 or 60. The good times continue as long as your good attitude does --

I think this is absolutely right. At some point (for me it was probably around mid-30s), it becomes not about the destination but the journey. At 40 I feel like I've already lived two lives. Each terrific in their own way. It's gone in places I never (NEVER!!!) would have guessed at 18 or 22. Ready for life number 3.

For me life number 1 included 100+ hour work weeks, and yes--money for travel--but never enough time to do it (unless I made time a priority). When you are 22/25, time just isn't a priority. Because you think you have tons of it. Now I am astonished at how fast time passes. And how meaningless (and meaningful) a year is. I used to think a year was an eternity when I was in my 20s. Everything is relative.

 

[Eppur Si Muove]

I'm getting a strong feeling many people feel like if they chose to not go into medicine they would be living life like Dan Bilzerian. A gap year or two can make all the difference in showing you what life outside of medicine may entail and whether or not it is for you.

 

[pathologylover]

It all depends on how you take it.
Life is what you make of it.

 

[Beargryllz]

What the hell else were you going to do with your time? Make to Gold on League of Legends? Get crunk at the club? Work retail?

Please

 

[glfarr]

Nontrads for the win!

Get chicks -> Study hard -> Party hard -> Travel -> Meet the one -> Have babies -> MCAT -> Med school.

I wonder if/how you change this sequence if you were a female...

 

[The Buff OP]

I wonder if/how you change this sequence if you were a female...

Date someone -> Med school -> Date someone -> Have a baby -> Residency -> Go on a cruise. hahaha