Hello everybody! Here's my situation and I'm hoping someone that has gone through a similar path can give me some advice. I enlisted in the AF when I was 19 one semester into college and now I'm 25 turning 26 in December. I always thought the AF would be easy, but from my experience it has been one of the most difficult things I've gone through. I've been deployed multiple times to Iraq and Kuwait and gone through plenty of exercises. I got out of active duty April 09 and now I'm on orders in the Air National Guard until I start school in the Spring. My boss is very supportive in my decision to go to school full time even though they would like the additional help at work. I'm a 2E2 (Computer Networking & Cryptographic Switching) and have spent a LOT of time with self studying, hands on experience, and commercial/military school. I find it very difficult to justify starting over.
The THING is I just feel like i'm not completely satisfied with what Im doing. I feel a sort of emptyness day in and day out. I am very meticulous about my work and absolutely hate the fact that after working on a project installing, configuring, and getting everything working and pretty it would have to be torn down and no longer needed a few years later or maybe months later for something better and greater. The work I was so proud of is suddenly gone and now the process repeats itself for another project. Never knowing if my work had ever really helped anybody or anything but thats how IT infrastructure and the military goes it can be constructed but may never be used.
Four months ago my cousin half jokingly told me that I should be a doctor after I had told him of my unhappiness. I laughed at it and pretty much had the notion in my head that it was impossible with my age, the difficulty of becoming a doctor, and having very little college, and being out of school for so long.
Well... I got curious and I started researching different sites and going to forums here everyday for a few months and reading any material I can find on becoming a doctor, the process involved, various peoples problems throughout pre-med to residency, and what it takes to get through medical school.
I was thinking it was probably just a phase I'm going through right now, but here I am months later still thinking about it everyday. How did you all come to the realization that becoming a doctor is something that you really wanted to do and were truly sincere about this profession, helping others, and not just for self fulfillment? I think about it all the time, like can I really do this? Am I even smart enough? Can I even get through a Biochemistry program when Ive struggled with science in High School? Its these things that weigh on my mind that I keep me up at night. (I took 4 years of Science, Math, and two years of Foreign Language in High School and struggled but finished). I went to see a college advisor today for the first time in 6 years and they seemed to be put off at the fact I havent really even attended college, have a few basic courses done, and here I am wanting to be a doctor It felt like they were trying to steer me into a different course. Maybe Im over thinking things?
I apologize for the length of the post, but I realize becoming a doctor takes a lifetime of hard work and dedication, not only that but also the cost of school. Thats why if I commit myself, I want to be sure and really do it for the right reasons. Thanks for any advice/comments you can give me. It sure is a tough decision.
The THING is I just feel like i'm not completely satisfied with what Im doing. I feel a sort of emptyness day in and day out. I am very meticulous about my work and absolutely hate the fact that after working on a project installing, configuring, and getting everything working and pretty it would have to be torn down and no longer needed a few years later or maybe months later for something better and greater. The work I was so proud of is suddenly gone and now the process repeats itself for another project. Never knowing if my work had ever really helped anybody or anything but thats how IT infrastructure and the military goes it can be constructed but may never be used.
Four months ago my cousin half jokingly told me that I should be a doctor after I had told him of my unhappiness. I laughed at it and pretty much had the notion in my head that it was impossible with my age, the difficulty of becoming a doctor, and having very little college, and being out of school for so long.
Well... I got curious and I started researching different sites and going to forums here everyday for a few months and reading any material I can find on becoming a doctor, the process involved, various peoples problems throughout pre-med to residency, and what it takes to get through medical school.
I was thinking it was probably just a phase I'm going through right now, but here I am months later still thinking about it everyday. How did you all come to the realization that becoming a doctor is something that you really wanted to do and were truly sincere about this profession, helping others, and not just for self fulfillment? I think about it all the time, like can I really do this? Am I even smart enough? Can I even get through a Biochemistry program when Ive struggled with science in High School? Its these things that weigh on my mind that I keep me up at night. (I took 4 years of Science, Math, and two years of Foreign Language in High School and struggled but finished). I went to see a college advisor today for the first time in 6 years and they seemed to be put off at the fact I havent really even attended college, have a few basic courses done, and here I am wanting to be a doctor It felt like they were trying to steer me into a different course. Maybe Im over thinking things?
I apologize for the length of the post, but I realize becoming a doctor takes a lifetime of hard work and dedication, not only that but also the cost of school. Thats why if I commit myself, I want to be sure and really do it for the right reasons. Thanks for any advice/comments you can give me. It sure is a tough decision.
