giving up on med school

[Dr 14220]

So i've read/heard so many stories/suggestions about med students/residents/physicians regretting going into medicine. After hearing of all the "medicine is not what it used to be" and "i wish i had never gone into medicine" and "i would quit medicine now but im in too much debt stories"----ive finally been convinced to NOT follow through with medical school. Instead, I will accept an offer i have to a PA school and withdraw my accepted position at a SUNY med school for next fall. I hope this is a decision that i wont regret. Im hoping that PA will offer a good degree of job satisfaction, an interesting career, a good salary, and most importantly--time to pursue a life outside of said career. Mainly, i feel that i will have a happier, more balanced life as a PA than i could as an MD.

Have these forums and personal stories ever convinced anyone else around here that medical school isnt for them afterall, even after being accepted or confident of receiving an acceptance??

Anyone think Im making a terrible mistake?

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[bcat85]

Anyone think Im making a terrible mistake?

yep

 

[Daydreamer2008]

So i've read/heard so many stories/suggestions about med students/residents/physicians regretting going into medicine. After hearing of all the "medicine is not what it used to be" and "i wish i had never gone into medicine" and "i would quit medicine now but im in too much debt stories"----ive finally been convinced to NOT follow through with medical school. Instead, I will accept an offer i have to a PA school and withdraw my accepted position at a SUNY med school for next fall. I hope this is a decision that i wont regret. Im hoping that PA will offer a good degree of job satisfaction, an interesting career, a good salary, and most importantly--time to pursue a life outside of said career. Mainly, i feel that i will have a happier, more balanced life as a PA than i could as an MD.

Have these forums and personal stories ever convinced anyone else around here that medical school isnt for them afterall, even after being accepted or confident of receiving an acceptance??

Anyone think Im making a terrible mistake?

is PA school 4 years? if so, why???

 

[LikeClockWork]

Anyone think Im making a terrible mistake?

We'll see. Stick around the boards so we can have a counter point to all the "I wish I'd quit" posts.

 

[KECKington]

yep

It all depends on if youll be happy. But IMHO...YEs!!

 

[drkewl]

most docs I know love what they do....

Um, I also think its unwise to make any life-altering decisions based on info from a message board..



just my 2 cents

 

[coldweatherblue]

If your goal of practicing medicine is dissuaded by personal accounts from an internet forum, then maybe withdrawing your acceptance is the right thing for you. I would advise not letting a forum hold such weight in your decisions though.

 

[littlealex]

If you want time to yourself, go into dentistry.

 

[supafield]

Would you regret it...
I have back up plans.... but I know if I got into physiotherapy and one day worked in a hospital I would not only be envious of the doctors but I would think I belonged there....

The idea that I could possibly 10 years from now regret the decision I made is more motivation than anything to get it done now...

But in the end, while input is nice.... you have to figure this one out for yourself

 

[sawood]

So i've read/heard so many stories/suggestions about med students/residents/physicians regretting going into medicine. After hearing of all the "medicine is not what it used to be" and "i wish i had never gone into medicine" and "i would quit medicine now but im in too much debt stories"----ive finally been convinced to NOT follow through with medical school. Instead, I will accept an offer i have to a PA school and withdraw my accepted position at a SUNY med school for next fall. I hope this is a decision that i wont regret. Im hoping that PA will offer a good degree of job satisfaction, an interesting career, a good salary, and most importantly--time to pursue a life outside of said career. Mainly, i feel that i will have a happier, more balanced life as a PA than i could as an MD.

Have these forums and personal stories ever convinced anyone else around here that medical school isnt for them afterall, even after being accepted or confident of receiving an acceptance??

Anyone think Im making a terrible mistake?

I think its important to consider what doctors are saying about the realities that they see around them. To completely ignore what they say would be sticking your head in the sand.

That said, pick a career and I can find some people in that career that wish they never would have gotten into it. Go to the non-trad forum and ask those people (I am one of them) why they are choosing to give up the careers they had. Most of us had a lot of financial security and stability, and yet for a lot of us that wasn't enough and there was something missing / unbearable in those careers too.

Of course medicine is not what it used to be, but what does that really mean? Our country is not what it used to be, technology is not what it used to be, etc.

My suggestion: hold on to your acceptance for a little while longer, don't throw it away. In that time, really examine what your expectations are around what being a doctor will be like and what being a PA will be like. Talk face to face to doctors from both camps: those who love their careers and those who wish they would have done it differently. Ask them what their expectations were of the field prior to becomming a doctor.

No one can tell you what the right decision is. But just make sure that your decision is coming from a place of calm evaluation of your life's priorities and goals, and not out of a place of fear for the future.

 

[Wylde]

most docs I know love what they do....

Um, I also think its unwise to make any life-altering decisions based on info from a message board..



just my 2 cents

agreed, especially because the loud (minority) is usually not the majority!

Dont base your future off of SDN

 

[Old Grunt]

Good luck to the OP.

I still don't know why people feel the need to make these "I decided not to go to Med School" threads.

It's your own life and you don't need anyone elses affirmation except your own.

 

[Jolie South]

Good luck to the OP.

I still don't know why people feel the need to make these "I decided not to go to Med School" threads.

It's your own life and you don't need anyone elses affirmation except your own.

yea, i agree, but it's sometimes hard to admit to yourself that something that you've wanted and thought about for so long isn't really for you. letting go can be difficult.

 

[rochagurl89]

think about it long and hard....pa's (physician assistant right?) have to work rly hard as well...just make sure you won't regret it later...

 

[patrickd223]

and the fortune cookie reads: follow your heart and good things will follow.
Seriously, if you want PA, do PA. You have good points.

 

[UVAbme2009]

If it's not for you, then it's not for you.

 

[spo01]

I think its important to consider what doctors are saying about the realities that they see around them. To completely ignore what they say would be sticking your head in the sand.

That said, pick a career and I can find some people in that career that wish they never would have gotten into it. Go to the non-trad forum and ask those people (I am one of them) why they are choosing to give up the careers they had. Most of us had a lot of financial security and stability, and yet for a lot of us that wasn't enough and there was something missing / unbearable in those careers too.

Of course medicine is not what it used to be, but what does that really mean? Our country is not what it used to be, technology is not what it used to be, etc.

My suggestion: hold on to your acceptance for a little while longer, don't throw it away. In that time, really examine what your expectations are around what being a doctor will be like and what being a PA will be like. Talk face to face to doctors from both camps: those who love their careers and those who wish they would have done it differently. Ask them what their expectations were of the field prior to becomming a doctor.

No one can tell you what the right decision is. But just make sure that your decision is coming from a place of calm evaluation of your life's priorities and goals, and not out of a place of fear for the future.

you took the words right out of my mouth! great advice. to go along with this, there is absolutly nothing wrong with being a PA and many people go into it for the reasons you described (actually it is probably the main reason). but be honest with yourself and dont let fear of failure hold you back from doing what you really want and certaintly don't let others tell you what to do, do what you want. if there were no 'job TITLES' and just 'jobs with salaries' what would you do? in 20 years can you picture yourself happy being a PA?

there will always be a hierarchy in the health field and any field: "you want to be a nurse? make sure it is RN and not LPN. no no no, forget nursing why not a PT or PA?! you want to be a PT or PA? why not a dentist or pharmacist? nah that is not 'good enough' why not just be a doctor? why DO, go MD! what, you want to go into family practice or internal medicine? what is wrong with you? why not surgery, maybe brain surgery? what the hell man, a brain surgeon?! what is wrong with you, why not cure cancer? you havent cured cancer yet, what is wrong with you?!!!"

 

[ufgrad00]

Anyone think Im making a terrible mistake?

First off, Congrats with your SUNY acceptance.

I think, if you have to ask like this, then you probably are going to do something that you regret. Also, most of the threads of dread and doom on this forum are a lot of exaggerations and just people venting their frustrations. Remember the old cliche "misery loves company"?

I personally love the irony of this at my work. Some of the physicians and other staff where I work have been very supportive and absolutely love their job, while other physicians there get pissed off when the smallest thing doesn't go their way, and say "Oh you are stupid for wanting to go into medicine." Something tells me that those same physicians that work there and complain all the time, would be the type to complain and b*tch regardless of the field profession they would work in.

I also love to see the same physicians with negative attitudes complain that their is not enough money in their field; however, one in particular, who has been the most negative about medicine, comes to work at 10am trailering his 26' Proline center console behind his Escalade and leaves the practice by 3pm everyday.

Of course there are things that are happening in medicine which makes it suck a lot of the time, and you would be delusional to think every thing is swell. But also don't take the threads you read on the internet about the bad parts of medicine too seriously. Keep that SUNY acceptance and try to gain some more experience, before making a serious decision.

 

[MEDIC GOIN MD]

I'm glad this point was brought up. I push myself everyday to get a solid GPA. Then I go to work and talk to the docs in the ER and they always say the same thing, "just go to PA school". I know why I want to be doctor and I know eventually I will be one, whether it means going overseas, DO, being ridiculously in debt or whatever. I just want to know what is it that lies on the other side that keeps making the pro's (I call doc's the pros) say things like " I regret going to medical school" or "just go to PA school"

 

[volley1]

This reminds of a question I was recently asked in a med-school interview, which was "How do you expect to handle the challenge of medical school and your following career..." My answer was the challenges (i.e. time-consuming, emotional/ethical difficulties) is only worth it if you know that you will love your job as a physician. If you have doubts, then it's probably not for you! Congrats on getting into med-school AND PA school! and Good Luck!

 

[etf]

in my experience, when people say "medicine isn't what it used to be," they're usually referring to the compensation aspect. sometimes the bureaucratic b.s. that's been creeping up too. but people throughout history have chosen the profession because it's a way to use science to help people/relieve suffering. YES!!!! I FINALLY GOT TO USE THAT CLICHE!!! all the same, i really can't picture myself doing anything else, and trust me, i've tried.

 

[majik1213]

you're not .. people here would die for your spot and so they'll say that you should really respect what you got ..

if you're not happy, you're not happy .. end, done, finito (b/c you can support your life in another better way)

in that light, what's there to debate?

 

[MSU2012]

I was in a similar situation - I had been planning on PA school, in fact, until this past June. My primary motivation was wanting to keep my family at the top of my priority list. After doing some heavy self-reflection and having a lot of conversations about it with my soon-to-be husband, I decided that it would be better for both myself and my family in the long run if I felt fulfilled and challenged in my career. I'm not saying that the role of a PA isn't fulfilling or challenging - just that I know I would have trouble working my whole life "beneath" doctors when I am equally smart and capable.

That said - there are many advantages to the PA route. PA school is 2-3 years. Those years are certainly hard...but it's 2-3 years. Not the minimum of seven for the med school/residency route. One in the working world, PAs often have fewer responsibilies with call, insurance, etc. than doctors do. The PAs in offices I worked in always struck me as much more human than the doctors...

For me, all of this was overriden by the fact that I would probably regret not having lived up to my full potential, so to say. You need to examine yourself. If you're a really chill person who's fine with filling a niche in patient care and not having ultimate responsiblity and who wants to have a real life, PA school is probably a great fit. Only you can decide.

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Chuckwalla]

I also love to see the same physicians with negative attitudes complain that their is not enough money in their field; however, one in particular, who has been the most negative about medicine, comes to work at 10am trailering his 26' Proline center console behind his Escalade and leaves the practice by 3pm everyday.

What specialty is this?

OP, many people who aren't right for medicine go into it every year. Of course they are going to complain, they messed up on the career planning.

I couldn't stand going into business but I almost did it anyway. If I had followed through I would be complaining about it, but my opinion wouldn't exactly be valid.

Think hard before you decline the medical school acceptance. If lifestyle is the main thing you are looking for in a career than maybe you got the right idea. But if you care about advancing and having influence you will never have it as a PA. As a PA you will ALWAYS be second fiddle. When you are 55 that 28 year old doctor have the final say, not you.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

I have one word for you: regret.

 

[NonTradMed]

If you are convinced to not go to medical school based on an anonymous forum, then you probably already have doubts about going in the first place and it's probably a good idea you decline your acceptance.

That said, I really think you should take what's said on SDN with a grain of salt. The forum is self-selecting. Everyone here seems to have 33+ MCAT and 3.8+ GPA (nationwide, that is not true).

People tend to gripe a lot. But if you go to any forum, you will probably hear people complaining. People like to vent. And it's usually the wilder stories that gets told.

There was a thread a while back in the nontraditional forum where the OP asked to share their IT to medicine stories. Last I checked, it was already 4 pages long and still going filled with how miserable people were in IT---but that doesn't mean it's a horrible field...it was a self-selecting population of people who, for various reasons, quit their well paying job in IT to go to medical school. That doesn't mean a computer science student should quit his major, because there was a thread of people who said they quit that field to do something else---this will happen in any field. In this forum, we get PAs who ask about switching to medicine, does that make PA a horrible field too?

As others have suggested, shadow/speak with some doctors before making the decision, don't let SDN give you the final say on the subject.

Also, perhaps as a basis of comparison, go to a physician assistant forum to see what PAs have to say about their jobs.

Just remember that this is a pretty big decision you are making. Don't be hasty, and try as many different avenues of opinions as possible.

 

[patiencebites]

Is it SUNY Buffalo? If so, definitely give up that spot


Seriously, I let haters (inc. my parents) talk me out of medicine the first time around. Do I regret it? Not really, the fact that I could be convinced is only part of the reason I wasn't ready. Now I'm back, older and more mature- and ready this time.

I don't know your deal, but I suspect you have time to figure it out, and if it is right for you you will come back to it.

But seriously, give up that spot.

 

[brianmartin]

Don't give up the spot!

Maybe you are getting cold feet after receiving your MD acceptance?

"Oh no, I got into medical school...now I really have to be serious but is this what I really want? So much work...I don't know....maybe I'm not cut out for this...I'm scared...maybe I'll just go PA."

Make DAMN sure this isn't the reason, because if it is, you'll regret it forever. Don't talk yourself out of it. I think everyone gets a little scared when they see that first acceptance, like, uh-oh, this is REAL now...

The question is whether you are just getting cold feet, or you have serious doubts about being a doctor and having that lifestyle. I would be interested to know why you applied to both PA school and medical school, if you really just wanted to go PA. At some point you must have wanted to go the MD route, but now that you have acceptance you want to turn it down? Sounds like cold feet to me...don't short change yourself.

 

[notdeadyet]

I think, if you have to ask like this, then you probably are going to do something that you regret.

I disagree. Medicine is a long, hard, largely irreversible road. Even folks who are 100% for it going in sometimes regret it later. Going in unsure is a recipe for disaster.

You can become a PA and go into medicine down the road if you want. But if you go down the medicine route, it's very hard to get out of it due to loans.

OP (and others)- Do not go to medical school unless you're sure it's the right decision. If you're unsure, sit it out until you are.

 

[dienekes88]

Did you ask them why they went into medicine in the first place? If their response is "money and prestige"... there's an entire thread about that. Physicians made serious bank in the '80s, but with HMOs and PPOs restricting physician reimbursement and fighting with patients about procedures... paperwork is piling up and salaries are going down.

You really can't go into medicine for the money. You'd do a disservice to both your patients and yourself.

However, if you can come up with a good reason that you think will weather med school and residency, then I'd say go MD.

Having said that, though... a couple friends of mine are PAs, and they love it. The advantages you stated are legit. They tell me to become a PA for those exact reasons.

There'll probably be a little doubt no matter what you choose. It's the "grass is greener" phenomenon.

 

[ufgrad00]

I disagree. Medicine is a long, hard, largely irreversible road. Even folks who are 100% for it going in sometimes regret it later. Going in unsure is a recipe for disaster.

You can become a PA and go into medicine down the road if you want. But if you go down the medicine route, it's very hard to get out of it due to loans.

OP (and others)- Do not go to medical school unless you're sure it's the right decision. If you're unsure, sit it out until you are.

Yea, I agree with you on the above. But I just meant that the OP should not take the responses he gets from anonymous posters on an internet forum too seriously or else he might do something he regrets.

 

[brianmartin]

Going in unsure is a recipe for disaster.

I think you are mostly right, but there are exceptions, maybe more than we think. I know doctors who told me they were never "really sure" until 10 years out of residency, and they are great docs today. I still maintain that one should not "talk themselves out of it" unless they have really good reasons, i.e serious concrete doubts about their ability to handle medicine. Simply being "unsure" is, I think, somewhat normal. This is like how there are very successful arranged marriages.

the OP should not take the responses he gets from anonymous posters on an internet forum too seriously or else he might do something he regrets.

This is worth repeating 1000x. The opinions you see on SDN are often from disgruntled people who just want to vent. The fact that the OP is letting these opinions influence the decision is a problem, especially when you consider that in real life, nearly every doctor I've spoken with loves their job.

I talked to a Kaiser FP last week who was so enthusiastic. And this is coming from a generalist working for an HMO! I'm telling you, it all depends on the person. You can take two people, each doctors making $200k/year doing the same job, and one will hate it and the other will love it. From what I've seen, most love it, and a very few are just burned out.

 

[ufgrad00]

What specialty is this?

Its a practice that specializes in Oncology/Hematology and Rad Onc.

 

[paranoid_eyes]

So i've read/heard so many stories/suggestions about med students/residents/physicians regretting going into medicine.

ive also heard MANY stories from physicians saying medicine is the best thing in the world. There are two sides to every story. analyze them both before making a decision that you may regret later on in life.

 

[mbe36]

You will always hear more complaints.

Random, miserable people will always use this forum as an outlet when they are unhappy with their career decision. It seems like this forum gets one of those every couple of months. The fact is, these people are unhappy because they picked the career for the wrong reasons. Every professions is going to have their group of disgruntled individuals.

It is just one of their poor attempts to "get back".

 

[al112987]

I personally wouldn't do it. Its one thing to wish that maybe you should have followed your college buddies into I-banking or consulting, but to pass up med school to be a PA is completely different.

You may not feel this way, but if I followed this career path, I would, for the rest of my life, look back and think "what if...", and to me, thats the worst feeling in the world.

 

[J1515]

So i've read/heard so many stories/suggestions about med students/residents/physicians regretting going into medicine. After hearing of all the "medicine is not what it used to be" and "i wish i had never gone into medicine" and "i would quit medicine now but im in too much debt stories"----ive finally been convinced to NOT follow through with medical school. Instead, I will accept an offer i have to a PA school and withdraw my accepted position at a SUNY med school for next fall. I hope this is a decision that i wont regret. Im hoping that PA will offer a good degree of job satisfaction, an interesting career, a good salary, and most importantly--time to pursue a life outside of said career. Mainly, i feel that i will have a happier, more balanced life as a PA than i could as an MD.

Have these forums and personal stories ever convinced anyone else around here that medical school isnt for them afterall, even after being accepted or confident of receiving an acceptance??

Anyone think Im making a terrible mistake?

You're posting in a forum where people would sell their soul to the devil and sacrifice their first born child just to have prestige and tell people they are an MD. Don't listen to anyone here (including myself). Do what makes YOU happy. Anyone telling you not to give up the medical school spot is just jealous that you've achieved what they are working so hard for and dream of getting and now you are turning it down. After all, these people don't even know anything about you, your personality, your interests, or your motives for entering the healthcare profession. Do what makes you happy.

PS- only 2 years of school ,less debt, no residency, sounds like a deal to me

 

[Law2Doc]

I disagree. Medicine is a long, hard, largely irreversible road. Even folks who are 100% for it going in sometimes regret it later. Going in unsure is a recipe for disaster.

Agree. If you think you could be happy doing something else, you should do so. Congrats on PA school. Don't spend time worrying about paths not taken.

 

[Top Gun]

To the OP:

Only you can decide if you really want to become a physician. You have to look at what you like about medicine and what you don't like about it. Along with that, you need to weigh the pros and cons of being a PA. Know this, though. In every profession, there are always plenty of people who complain about their jobs. If you decided to go into engineering, you'd probably find plenty of engineers who gripe about their jobs and discourage you from going into the field. Same thing with being a PA. Their are positives and negatives for every career. You have to decide for yourself if the positives of becoming a physician outweigh the negatives, and also if the positives of becoming a PA outweigh the negatives. For the record, even though I'm perfectly aware of the negatives of being a physician (malpractice, long hours, etc...), I do not regret having become an MD. I still have the chance to study something which is fascinating, and also to do work that truly makes a difference in the lives of others. That makes it easier to deal with the cons of becoming a physician.

 

[njbmd]

So i've read/heard so many stories/suggestions about med students/residents/physicians regretting going into medicine. After hearing of all the "medicine is not what it used to be" and "i wish i had never gone into medicine" and "i would quit medicine now but im in too much debt stories"----ive finally been convinced to NOT follow through with medical school. Instead, I will accept an offer i have to a PA school and withdraw my accepted position at a SUNY med school for next fall. I hope this is a decision that i wont regret. Im hoping that PA will offer a good degree of job satisfaction, an interesting career, a good salary, and most importantly--time to pursue a life outside of said career. Mainly, i feel that i will have a happier, more balanced life as a PA than i could as an MD.

Have these forums and personal stories ever convinced anyone else around here that medical school isnt for them afterall, even after being accepted or confident of receiving an acceptance??

Anyone think Im making a terrible mistake?

Only you know your life and what you want from a career. No person who is outside of your body and consciousness can "tell" you what is right for you. You have to make your own decisions.

I have never regretted a single moment that I have spent in medicine or medical school. I have a "kick-A" career that challenges me on many levels that I enjoy tremendously. This is me and what is right for me.

You have to make your own decisions and if you have regrets, then you have regrets but don't take anything that you read on a message board (even this one) and attempt to make something as important as a career decision based on this.

Everyone at times has thrown up their hands and said, " Man, do I hate my job" but actually they don't . There is no movement afloat where thousands of physicians are leaving medicine because they hate it. Applications to medical school are high this year and thus plenty of people are seeking this job and certainly, the residency programs at my institution are not looking for candidates.

This "balance in life" that you seek is a product of you and your priorities rather than your career. If something is important to you, no matter if you are an worker in environmental services, you will make it a priority.

 

[sejongcamus]

I was in a similar situation - I had been planning on PA school, in fact, until this past June. My primary motivation was wanting to keep my family at the top of my priority list. After doing some heavy self-reflection and having a lot of conversations about it with my soon-to-be husband, I decided that it would be better for both myself and my family in the long run if I felt fulfilled and challenged in my career. I'm not saying that the role of a PA isn't fulfilling or challenging - just that I know I would have trouble working my whole life "beneath" doctors when I am equally smart and capable.

That said - there are many advantages to the PA route. PA school is 2-3 years. Those years are certainly hard...but it's 2-3 years. Not the minimum of seven for the med school/residency route. One in the working world, PAs often have fewer responsibilies with call, insurance, etc. than doctors do. The PAs in offices I worked in always struck me as much more human than the doctors...

For me, all of this was overriden by the fact that I would probably regret not having lived up to my full potential, so to say. You need to examine yourself. If you're a really chill person who's fine with filling a niche in patient care and not having ultimate responsiblity and who wants to have a real life, PA school is probably a great fit. Only you can decide.

Good luck with your decision.

If you're still around, could you comment on what you think of your post here now in retrospect? I figure you must be halfway through residency now.