Leaving medical school... (e.g. I should be studying)

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PistolPete3

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Hi all,

Thanks in advance for responses. I hate to add to the slew of very negative posts on this forum, but I would like to air some concerns as a first year med student. I am seriously considering leaving and would like some reinforcement/strategies to help me decide.

I recently finished my first course and am now fully involved in anatomy and histo (read why I should be studying instead of surfing SDN).

Since orientation I have been strongly questioning whether or not I should pursue medical school. Coming from a successful engineering career (that I very much enjoyed), it was a huge burden taking on those first loans and giving up my professional identity. I reasoned that my concerns were normal, but they have persisted.

I find myself polishing my resume and lacking any motivation to study - a disastrous mentality for a fast paced anatomy course. If I take any time to really consider and reason out the situation I immediately conclude that this is an incorrect career move. Between the high level of stress, bureaucratic frustration, lack of professional respect, and staggering ($300k) financial burden, it really makes no reasonable sense.

The only reason I want to stay is for the emotional benefit of being a doctor (helping people and all that jazz). I'm just not sure if that future benefit is worth the immediate (and prolonged) cost.

Any thoughts? I know I'm not alone, but these concerns are starting to seriously impact my studying/morale.

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My original interest pre-dates undergrad. My decision to leave my career was rooted in personal experience in the hospital. A critically ill family member received simply incredible care though they passed away.

I feel equal parts admiration to her healthcare team and obligation to try and do for others what they did for her.
 
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Definitely don't do medical school because you feel obligated. That WILL NOT get you through it. You will break eventually.

You seem to be really concerned about the loans. If your goal is to make money and you already had a career path then sure, med school is probably not the smartest career move. I think you just need to ask yourself which side of the scale is heavier, the financial burden vs. the responsibilities and rewards that come with being a physician.
 
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My original interest pre-dates undergrad. My decision to leave my career was rooted in personal experience in the hospital. A critically ill family member received simply incredible care though they passed away.

I feel equal parts admiration to her healthcare team and obligation to try and do for others what they did for her.

A really good way to stop admiring medical teams is to become a part of one.

On a more serious note, this is a loaded question. Only you can answer it. Many people who come to med school after having a real job leave lucrative careers to come to med school. It often does NOT make financial sense. They make the decision despite the money aspect, not because of it.

I'm a couple of years away from completing my surgical training. I love what I do. The cost (financial and emotional) of this journey is one that is hard to appreciate until you've actually gone through it. I would do it again, but that's probably because I went straight from college to med school, and never had a career doing something else (so I have nothing else to compare to).

If you have a job that you really enjoy, that pays well, and you can see yourself doing that for 30+ years, then don't let the theoretical aspects of medicine make you feel less about it. The flip side of that is, you already have an acceptance to medical school, which is a once in a lifetime opportunity to become a doctor. So again, only you can decide if the financial and emotional cost of becoming a physician is worth it.
 
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When I had doubts and wanted to turn back, I had to ask myself, what were the reasons I came here? Are those reasons still valid? If so, then you have your answer.
 
My original interest pre-dates undergrad. My decision to leave my career was rooted in personal experience in the hospital. A critically ill family member received simply incredible care though they passed away.

I feel equal parts admiration to her healthcare team and obligation to try and do for others what they did for her.

how did you investigate your desire to go into medicine? did you shadow/volunteer in the hospital?

i don't know of anyone who enjoyed MS1 material, i feel nauseated just thinking about it. the point is, preclinical years are so far removed from the realities of clinical medicine. i don't think it's fair to want to quit based on not liking anatomy. i would suggest perhaps taking a few hours a here and there and shadowing to validate your continued interest in medicine.
 
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#1 If you are going to get out, get out early.
#2 MS1 is NOT medicine. MS1 is barely even what medical school is all about. It should NOT be a reason to go into medicine and it should NOT be a reason not to.
#3 This is a very personal decision. Only you can figure this out. Only you can make this evaluation.
#4 Medicine is rewarding. You will have a chance to change people's lives for the better. No, you will not do it all the time. Yes, there will be a lot of things that really suck about the path into medicine. But, if you derive pleasure from caring for the health of others, you will be rewarded.
#5 Medicine is NOT a good financial decision. One of my friends is an asset manager. His wife (got married a month ago) is an MS4 going into Pediatrics. He ran the numbers with me using a lot of different permutations for debt, different residencies and different practice setups. You can not justify going into medicine from a strictly financial perspective. The opportunity costs and the debt is simply too much.
#6 On the other hand, you will NOT starve as a physician. While you may be able to make more money doing other things and the debt is oh so very real, you will pay it off. You will be able to.

The most practical advice I can give you is, do not let MS1 impact your decision making. Do get a better idea of what you are getting into, shadow a bit, get involved in the hospital somehow. Figure this out before the end of MS1.
 
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Hi all,

Thanks in advance for responses. I hate to add to the slew of very negative posts on this forum, but I would like to air some concerns as a first year med student. I am seriously considering leaving and would like some reinforcement/strategies to help me decide.

I recently finished my first course and am now fully involved in anatomy and histo (read why I should be studying instead of surfing SDN).

Since orientation I have been strongly questioning whether or not I should pursue medical school. Coming from a successful engineering career (that I very much enjoyed), it was a huge burden taking on those first loans and giving up my professional identity. I reasoned that my concerns were normal, but they have persisted.

I find myself polishing my resume and lacking any motivation to study - a disastrous mentality for a fast paced anatomy course. If I take any time to really consider and reason out the situation I immediately conclude that this is an incorrect career move. Between the high level of stress, bureaucratic frustration, lack of professional respect, and staggering ($300k) financial burden, it really makes no reasonable sense.

The only reason I want to stay is for the emotional benefit of being a doctor (helping people and all that jazz). I'm just not sure if that future benefit is worth the immediate (and prolonged) cost.

Any thoughts? I know I'm not alone, but these concerns are starting to seriously impact my studying/morale.

cc9093d42c57a30fe3c0bfa2c7395c24948808b9cf2cccbbb3007af4535245a4.jpg
 
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YOU are asking the wrong people. Except for the med students who had a lot of clinical experience before medical school, most aren't jaded yet. Even the crazy gungho neurosurg MS1s who were all "it's not about the money or where you end up, it's about the journey" find themselves questioning their career choice by MS4. There's this one in my class who even the Neurosurg tribe thinks is too gunnerish. she admitted to me the other day that she often wonders whether it's worth it. Then she laughed that it's too late to change her destiny and that the alternatives are worse.

Look if you're doubting your decision and can have an enjoyable life outside of medicine... Run for your life b****!!! Consider this, if you're taking loans it will be too daunting to quit by the time you're into your3rd year.

635509447455312013-Nurses-attacked.JPG

(man attacking hospital staff, woman running for her life on bottom left corner)​
 
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The practice of medicine can be like getting slapped in the face by an old mans sweaty sack... just enough moisture to leave mark for the rest of your career.

High Stress = Check
Bureaucratic Frustration = Check
Lack of Respect = Check Check Check Check Check Check
Lack of Respect From Lay Public = Check Check Check
Lack of Respect From Patients = Check Check Check
Lack of Respect From Nurses = Check Check Check
Lack of Respect From Hospital Admin = Check Check Check
Financial Burden = Check Check Check Check
 
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PM me if you have any questions.
 
I'm an MS2, I've had several low moments since starting, and my friends in the class have expressed the same. The decision to stay in med school is a personal one, and not one made easy. I don't think anyone wakes up thinking "Aha, I should drop out" or "I absolutely love this and am certain this is what I want to do".

The reality is more somewhere in between, there are good days and bad, and many in between days where you're not sure if you made the right choice, but you go through the motions b/c you can tolerate it. Medical training is hard, it tests you, and it pushes you. Life is a challenge too, and it doesn't go on hold while you're dealing with med school. Some days can be amazing, everything goes your way and you think you were smart to follow this path. Other days are crushing. I had and still have severely bad days. I have some personal challenges outside of school I am struggling with right now, and with that I am trying to pass my classes and some days it piles on, and it piles on hard. Just today I couldn't take it, I wanted to leave.

But, on the flip side, I had some good friends in my class give me company tonight and we talked for hours. They understand what I'm going through, and have their own personal challenges too, and so.... through that I've gotten a sense of camaraderie and friends from my experience, and it's gotten me through some really tough times. Even though I have a test on Friday and am stressed about it, I gave myself the night off to get myself back together as much as I could. My friends in the class helped me get perspective too, and though I am not in the best state, I am reaching out for support and moving forward.

Despite all the rough days though, I am thankful for some things. Even if it turns out this was a big mistake, for the time being med school has brought some important things to my life.
-A sense of camaraderie and friends
-Something important to focus my efforts on
-Some sense of fulfillment with where I hope to go with my life

Is the sacrifice worth it? I don't know, I'm not in the best place in my life, but I am hanging in there.

Although my own experience is very different and perhaps not relevant to yours, I just wanted to show you that the doubts and fears are not uncommon, a lot of us are just really good at hiding it amongst our peers.

TLDR: You're not alone OP, many have had regrets and felt doubt. It takes a lot of self-reflection, time, and more than anything, experience to know if this was the right choice or not.

I will say though, if I left, I would probably always wonder what if. Sticking it out is a risk, but you'll never wonder if it was something you should have stuck with or not either. Keep in mind also, MS1 is not representative of being a doctor. I would suggest shadowing some working physicians who have been through it and get their perspective. I can already say, I like MS2 way more than MS1, it's challenging, but we got to learn ultrasound the other day, and the diseases and systems we're learning are starting to come together. I feel like I am actually beginning to learn medicine, so things may look up.
 
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Thanks for all the responses. I appreciate the feedback and guidance. I still find myself lacking clarity on the topic, but I have been shadowing and performing well academically.

I find myself longing for opportunities to affect the system in a positive manner. The engineer/physicist in me really dislikes the static non-evidence based nature of medical training. It will be interesting to see the future of things in ~10 years.

Again thank you for taking the time. We'll see how the next few weeks go before taking out my next set of loans.
 
The engineer/physicist in me really dislikes the static non-evidence based nature of medical training.
Just as an aside, you'll realize soon enough a LOT of medicine is non-scientifically based. Hence why clinical guidelines change back and forth depending on the seasons. If everything fit into its little boxes, medicine would be so much easier.
 
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Look on the bright side, we are almost 1/4th of the way done with pre-clinicals! One of the many things that makes me smile every day.
 
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Look on the bright side, we are almost 1/4th of the way done with pre-clinicals! One of the many things that makes me smile every day.
As evidenced by your avatar.
 
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As an MS1 I feel like I'm studying for a PhD. Nothing I'm doing (outside of a couple random standardized patient encounters) feels like Medicine. Heck, even the actors that I see, all I'm doing is memorizing questions and memorizing the specific way I should write them down (points deducted for poor penmanship!)

School sucks right now and I'm trying to lean on past experiences to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
 
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MS1 and 2 are grueling lots of memorization- i graduated 18 yrs ago had a previous career in business (ms chemistry mba finance) The business world is brutal- lay offs back stabbing and a general sense of not doing anything worthwhile at times Becoming a Dr is an accomplishment which no one can take away-I take great satisfaction in this Coupled with decent (if not lucrative) compensation and job security are other strong points And of course helping patients is wonderful

BTW for an engineer/physicist you might want to want think about radiation oncology Good luck and don't drop out I'm glad I didn't.
 
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As an MS1 I feel like I'm studying for a PhD. Nothing I'm doing (outside of a couple random standardized patient encounters) feels like Medicine. Heck, even the actors that I see, all I'm doing is memorizing questions and memorizing the specific way I should write them down (points deducted for poor penmanship!)

School sucks right now and I'm trying to lean on past experiences to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Glad somebody feels the same way I do about standardized patients!
 
Hi all,

Thanks in advance for responses. I hate to add to the slew of very negative posts on this forum, but I would like to air some concerns as a first year med student. I am seriously considering leaving and would like some reinforcement/strategies to help me decide.

I recently finished my first course and am now fully involved in anatomy and histo (read why I should be studying instead of surfing SDN).

Since orientation I have been strongly questioning whether or not I should pursue medical school. Coming from a successful engineering career (that I very much enjoyed), it was a huge burden taking on those first loans and giving up my professional identity. I reasoned that my concerns were normal, but they have persisted.

I find myself polishing my resume and lacking any motivation to study - a disastrous mentality for a fast paced anatomy course. If I take any time to really consider and reason out the situation I immediately conclude that this is an incorrect career move. Between the high level of stress, bureaucratic frustration, lack of professional respect, and staggering ($300k) financial burden, it really makes no reasonable sense.

The only reason I want to stay is for the emotional benefit of being a doctor (helping people and all that jazz). I'm just not sure if that future benefit is worth the immediate (and prolonged) cost.

Any thoughts? I know I'm not alone, but these concerns are starting to seriously impact my studying/morale.


I think that leaving a successful career that you enjoyed to become a doctor was not a good idea.

edit: this is not specific to you, but my opinion about anyone that would make a similar decision. In my opinion, leaving a career for medicine would only be reasonable if you didnt enjoy your career or were not successful at it.
 
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Hi all,

Thanks in advance for responses. I hate to add to the slew of very negative posts on this forum, but I would like to air some concerns as a first year med student. I am seriously considering leaving and would like some reinforcement/strategies to help me decide.

I recently finished my first course and am now fully involved in anatomy and histo (read why I should be studying instead of surfing SDN).

Since orientation I have been strongly questioning whether or not I should pursue medical school. Coming from a successful engineering career (that I very much enjoyed), it was a huge burden taking on those first loans and giving up my professional identity. I reasoned that my concerns were normal, but they have persisted.

I find myself polishing my resume and lacking any motivation to study - a disastrous mentality for a fast paced anatomy course. If I take any time to really consider and reason out the situation I immediately conclude that this is an incorrect career move. Between the high level of stress, bureaucratic frustration, lack of professional respect, and staggering ($300k) financial burden, it really makes no reasonable sense.

The only reason I want to stay is for the emotional benefit of being a doctor (helping people and all that jazz). I'm just not sure if that future benefit is worth the immediate (and prolonged) cost.

Any thoughts? I know I'm not alone, but these concerns are starting to seriously impact my studying/morale.


seriously if you are thinking about this in MS1, you need to go back to your previous career. MS2 is much tougher than MS1, and you'll only have more debt, and be older and more exhausted by then. If yoou have no motivation now.. how will you have motivation for 4 yrs later?? And with teh way medicine is going, it doesn't seem to be getting better in terms of salary/respect
 
Suck it up and Finish, you be good ! greatness can come out of uncertainty !
 
As an MS1 I feel like I'm studying for a PhD. Nothing I'm doing (outside of a couple random standardized patient encounters) feels like Medicine. Heck, even the actors that I see, all I'm doing is memorizing questions and memorizing the specific way I should write them down (points deducted for poor penmanship!)

School sucks right now and I'm trying to lean on past experiences to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
What are you talking about? We get all the clinical gold that is OMM.
 
As an MS1 I feel like I'm studying for a PhD. Nothing I'm doing (outside of a couple random standardized patient encounters) feels like Medicine. Heck, even the actors that I see, all I'm doing is memorizing questions and memorizing the specific way I should write them down (points deducted for poor penmanship!)

School sucks right now and I'm trying to lean on past experiences to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
That first year is like studying to get a PhD in bio... I don't understand why some people are still arguing that 4-year of med school can not be cut to 3-year.
 
If I had another job I liked, I wouldn't ever come to med school. Life's short; I'd rather spend the time with the people I love instead of sacrificing that to go through all of this. MS1 is the best time to back out if you choose to do so (you have less loans now than you will later on). By the way, MS 1&2 are nothing compared to some of the actual rotations and residency training you'll have to do later on. You've got to really enjoy being in the hospital and patient care to be happy with this med school decision.
 
For what it's worth, during M1 and a good chunk of M2 I had monthly (if not more frequent) thoughts of quitting and wondering, "what the **** did I sign up for?" It's a standard part of the process. Unfortunately, it's hard to say for sure whether or not you should quit while you're still ahead (or at the least, not that far behind) or keep your nose to the grind stone to make it to the end. Only you can make that choice, and unfortunately I don't have much to contribute on that front.

I'll agree with @mimelim's post, particularly the point about M1 not being representative of the experience. M3 sucked in many ways, but that was finally the time when I realized I made the right choice. I may not have enjoyed what I was doing specifically, but I loved the general idea of being a doctor and knew I would enjoy the work long-term - especially once I got into a field that I was actually interested in and excited about.

Will you have a similar epiphany? Who knows. That's the rub. But if you're having doubts, I would say that's normal and not unexpected.
 
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For what it's worth, during M1 and a good chunk of M2 I had monthly (if not more frequent) thoughts of quitting and wondering, "what the **** did I sign up for?" It's a standard part of the process. Unfortunately, it's hard to say for sure whether or not you should quit while you're still ahead (or at the least, not that far behind) or keep your nose to the grind stone to make it to the end. Only you can make that choice, and unfortunately I don't have much to contribute on that front.

I'll agree with @mimelim's post, particularly the point about M1 not being representative of the experience. M3 sucked in many ways, but that was finally the time when I realized I made the right choice. I may not have enjoyed what I was doing specifically, but I loved the general idea of being a doctor and knew I would enjoy the work long-term - especially once I got into a field that I was actually interested in and excited about.

Will you have a similar epiphany? Who knows. That's the rub. But if you're having doubts, I would say that's normal and not unexpected.
I'm sure there are also those who are the converse who loved M1/M2, and thought M3 sucked and realized they made the wrong choice, and didn't realize how medicine actually truly was. I also think specialty selection is a huge factor as well.

Hard for many (as demonstrated on this forum) when to keep trudging along and when to call it quits before one is too far ahead. I think there isn't a clear answer that someone can give people unfortauntely, which is what many are looking for.
 
That first year is like studying to get a PhD in bio... I don't understand why some people are still arguing that 4-year of med school can not be cut to 3-year.
Actually some have --- NYU, for example. The reason the 4th year is needed is bc not everyone is going into a specialty that is covered in MS-3 so they have to do audition electives, apply for the match, interview, etc.
 
Actually some have --- NYU, for example. The reason the 4th year is needed is bc not everyone is going into a specialty that is covered in MS-3 so they have to do audition electives, apply for the match, interview, etc.
I was talking about the first year. Every 4th year student that I talked to told me that med school can be cut to 3 years with some modifications and student won't even feel it... Lets be honest here! the first year of med school is a PhD in biology with no dissertation...
 
I was talking about the first year. Every 4th year student that I talked to told me that med school can be cut to 3 years with some modifications and student won't even feel it... Lets be honest here! the first year of med school is a PhD in biology with no dissertation...
Like I said, some med schools have cut down med school from 4 years to 3 years - NYU being one of them.

Some have cut the entire basic science curriculum from a full 2 years to 1.5 or 1 year, and thus give students either more time to do electives or more time to do research.
 
I was talking about the first year. Every 4th year student that I talked to told me that med school can be cut to 3 years with some modifications and student won't even feel it... Lets be honest here! the first year of med school is a PhD in biology with no dissertation...

I'm not sure that people "wouldn't even feel it," but it's certainly possible to compress the pre-clinical curriculum given the fact that so many schools have done it and, I imagine, will continue to do so. But you're still having to learn a ton of material, and now the time is getting even shorter to do that. Granted I haven't been at such a school, but it makes sense to me that compressing two years of pre-clinical material into one would by necessity likely be more intense. IMO that would probably be well worth the additional time you get to pursue electives, do research, etc., but I don't think it's a meaningless change with no effects.
 
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Hi all,

Thanks in advance for responses. I hate to add to the slew of very negative posts on this forum, but I would like to air some concerns as a first year med student. I am seriously considering leaving and would like some reinforcement/strategies to help me decide.

I recently finished my first course and am now fully involved in anatomy and histo (read why I should be studying instead of surfing SDN).

Since orientation I have been strongly questioning whether or not I should pursue medical school. Coming from a successful engineering career (that I very much enjoyed), it was a huge burden taking on those first loans and giving up my professional identity. I reasoned that my concerns were normal, but they have persisted.

I find myself polishing my resume and lacking any motivation to study - a disastrous mentality for a fast paced anatomy course. If I take any time to really consider and reason out the situation I immediately conclude that this is an incorrect career move. Between the high level of stress, bureaucratic frustration, lack of professional respect, and staggering ($300k) financial burden, it really makes no reasonable sense.

The only reason I want to stay is for the emotional benefit of being a doctor (helping people and all that jazz). I'm just not sure if that future benefit is worth the immediate (and prolonged) cost.

Any thoughts? I know I'm not alone, but these concerns are starting to seriously impact my studying/morale.

There's a place for everyone in life. Of course, we see and admire other people's roles and characters but sometimes we need to leave it up to others for that job. Maybe you'd be better off in doing research and looking into a PhD. Anyone in the medical field is aware of the amount of loans and time it will take to get there so that shouldn't be a concern if you want to go into medicine. It should be inside of you to want to do whatever it takes to get there. As for me I'm hoping that I will be given a chance to pursue that medicine because of my past shortcomings.
 
I was talking about the first year. Every 4th year student that I talked to told me that med school can be cut to 3 years with some modifications and student won't even feel it... Lets be honest here! the first year of med school is a PhD in biology with no dissertation...

And lord knows that 4th year med students know all. Did they bother to explain to you this magical plan where med school can be cut to 3 years and "students won't even feel it"? My guess is no.
 
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And lord knows that 4th year med students know all. Did they bother to explain to you this magical plan where med school can be cut to 3 years and "students won't even feel it"? My guess is no.
There are schools that are doing it now, so it can be done...
 
I'm not sure that people "wouldn't even feel it," but it's certainly possible to compress the pre-clinical curriculum given the fact that so many schools have done it and, I imagine, will continue to do so. But you're still having to learn a ton of material, and now the time is getting even shorter to do that. Granted I haven't been at such a school, but it makes sense to me that compressing two years of pre-clinical material into one would by necessity likely be more intense. IMO that would probably be well worth the additional time you get to pursue electives, do research, etc., but I don't think it's a meaningless change with no effects.
I wouldn't mind a little bit more intensity to save 55.5k... It's not like the 2-year preclinical is enjoyable anyway...
 
I wouldn't mind a little bit more intensity to save 55.5k... It's not like the 2-year preclinical is enjoyable anyway...

Yes because school is meant for you to have an enjoyable experience, not for setting a solid foundation so that you can take good care of your patients
 
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Yes because school is meant for you to have an enjoyable experience, not for setting a solid foundation so that you can take good care of your patients
Wut? I dont don't know how you connect the two... Anyway, people can have both. I can't because I am not as smart as some of my classmates who party every weekend and still getting Honors...

By the way, I am more concerned about the 222k of debt that I will accumulate rather than having a good time in med school...
 
Yes because school is meant for you to have an enjoyable experience, not for setting a solid foundation so that you can take good care of your patients
4168395-5165895946-Why_n.jpg

Haha it's tough, but I've had some educational and enjoyable days too.

Also, I wouldn't mind med school being shortened just from a financial stand point (one year saved on tuition is huge), and some med schools have condensed their curriculum successfully (I think Duke?). But, it's something that must be done right. And truth be told, I'm not sure if a lot of schools have the resources, time, and experience to shorten their programs properly, places like Duke may have done it, but it may not be so easy for other schools...and I could see a few schools screwing up solid programs by trying to condense them without the proper resources in place. -2cents
 
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There are schools that are doing it now, so it can be done...

The emphasis should have been on "without the students feeling it." This is absolutely not true. No matter the model, the students WILL feel it. It's impossible not to. Also, to my knowledge the programs doing med school in three years are the schools where you have to declare a track prior to starting. The focus of your education will be on that specific track. That's entirely different than doing regular med school in three years.
 
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The emphasis should have been on "without the students feeling it." This is absolutely not true. No matter the model, the students WILL feel it. It's impossible not to. Also, to my knowledge the programs doing med school in three years are the schools where you have to declare a track prior to starting. The focus of your education will be on that specific track. That's entirely different than doing regular med school in three years.
I wouldn't mind a little pain so I can save 25% in COA... Med school tuition+fees are freaking outrageous!
 
4168395-5165895946-Why_n.jpg

Haha I have rough days, but I have some fun ones too.

Also, I wouldn't mind med school being shortened just from a financial stand point (one year saved on tuition is huge), and some med schools have condensed their curriculum successfully (I think Duke?). But, it's something that must be done right. And truth be told, I'm not sure if a lot of schools have the resources, time, and experience to shorten their programs properly, places like Duke may have done it, but it may not be so easy for other schools...and I could see a few schools screwing up solid programs by trying to condense them without the proper resources in place. -2cents
I can see it being done at most schools in the near future (10+ years) with COA creeping up and decrease physician reimbursement...
 
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But even for these schools that have compressed the preclinical curriculum the entire medical curriculum is 4 years. I know there are a very small number of schools that have toyed around with the idea of a 3 year curriculum, but I don't see that becoming a trend anytime soon. Yes, it'd be nice to save the money on tuition, but you can also be productive with that time in meaningful ways if you choose to do so. If you squander the opportunity then that's your fault, not the school's.
 
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4168395-5165895946-Why_n.jpg

Haha it's tough, but I've had some educational and enjoyable days too. Also, I wouldn't mind med school being shortened just from a financial stand point (one year saved on tuition is huge), and some med schools have condensed their curriculum successfully (I think Duke?). But, it's something that must be done right. And truth be told, I'm not sure if a lot of schools have the resources, time, and experience to shorten their programs properly, places like Duke may have done it, but it may not be so easy for other schools...and I could see a few schools screwing up solid programs by trying to condense them without the proper resources in place. -2cents

Duke has shortened basic sciences to 1 year, clinicals are still 1 year, and you get 1 year for research, doing an MPH, whatever. and then 4th year. So overall it hasn't changed. Vanderbilt's preclinical is also now 1 year.
 
But even for these schools that have compressed the preclinical curriculum the entire medical curriculum is 4 years. I know there are a very small number of schools that have toyed around with the idea of a 3 year curriculum, but I don't see that becoming a trend anytime soon. Yes, it'd be nice to save the money on tuition, but you can also be productive with that time in meaningful ways if you choose to do so. If you squander the opportunity then that's your fault, not the school's.
Medical schools will be very against giving up 1 whole year of tuition and fees.
 
I can see it being done at most schools in the near future (10+ years) with COA creeping up and decrease physician reimbursement...
Your medical school could care less about your future physician reimbursement.
 
I know, but when average COA start creeping up to 350k, I guess some schools will start taking notice...
Not when it's a seller's market and not when students are forking over govt. student loan money.
 
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