not sure about med school

[MrReno]

recently, i was rejected by medical schools (i admit i didn't put my best foot foward), which made me really think hard if i want to apply again. of course the application process takes a lot of energy. at the same time, i also understand that med school will suck the life out of you. also read on these forums that your life is basically put on hold for the med school and residency, which i understand as well. i am almost 29 years old, single, with no kids. if i get admitted and go through residency, i will be in my late 30's. i find myself questioning is it worth it. residents have told me to run away from medicine while i still can, or at least internal medicine. with all the problems in healthcare, sometimes i wonder if this rejection was a blessing in disguise.

at the same time, i can't tear myself away from the world of medicine. i have volunteered at the pediatric unit at my hospital for over 2 years. at first, the nurses somewhat "dismissed" me because volunteers usually last a few weeks. now every nurse knows my name, kinda like cheers. besides that point, i look foward to coming in every weekend and taking care of patients. i know its definately not the physician's workload, but the environment is what i enjoy, and i always stay until the job is done and everyone is taken care of, which usually ends up being 6-8 hours. i can't imagine myself being anywhere else. also, the nurses told me i better reapply...or else, which brought a smile to my face the day after the rejection.

my question to all the non-traditional students and graduates is at the end, is it all worth it? is it worth putting your life on hold for nearly a decade to practice as a physician? if you're already practicing, do you feel it was worth the time you put into medicine? with the way medicine works, is it worth being a physician? or should i run away as far as possible?

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[bellakk]

recently, i was rejected by medical schools (i admit i didn't put my best foot foward), which made me really think hard if i want to apply again. of course the application process takes a lot of energy. at the same time, i also understand that med school will suck the life out of you. also read on these forums that your life is basically put on hold for the med school and residency, which i understand as well. i am almost 29 years old, single, with no kids. if i get admitted and go through residency, i will be in my late 30's. i find myself questioning is it worth it. residents have told me to run away from medicine while i still can, or at least internal medicine. with all the problems in healthcare, sometimes i wonder if this rejection was a blessing in disguise.

at the same time, i can't tear myself away from the world of medicine. i have volunteered at the pediatric unit at my hospital for over 2 years. at first, the nurses somewhat "dismissed" me because volunteers usually last a few weeks. now every nurse knows my name, kinda like cheers. besides that point, i look foward to coming in every weekend and taking care of patients. i know its definately not the physician's workload, but the environment is what i enjoy, and i always stay until the job is done and everyone is taken care of, which usually ends up being 6-8 hours. i can't imagine myself being anywhere else. also, the nurses told me i better reapply...or else, which brought a smile to my face the day after the rejection.

my question to all the non-traditional students and graduates is at the end, is it all worth it? is it worth putting your life on hold for nearly a decade to practice as a physician? if you're already practicing, do you feel it was worth the time you put into medicine? with the way medicine works, is it worth being a physician? or should i run away as far as possible?

It sounds to me like you already know that you want to reapply .

I'm sorry that there are alot of complainer physicians in your midst. I think a lot of physicians are frustruated with all the healthcare problems simply because it wasnt a problem (or at least in the spotlight as much) when they went to medical school. You also must remember that people that dislike something are usually more vocal that people that like something.
Ya know, its the whole, "if someone has a bad restaurant experience they tell 20 people, if they have a good restaurant experience, they tell 3".
Just because they are unhappy with their career choice (or maybe just specialty choice), they should try to turn away everyone else who is interested in their field. For every resident you've spoken to who has told you to run the other way, there is another one who thinks you should keep going.

I also don't believe that you truely need to put your life on hold for 10 years to become a physician. I'm still just premed getting ready to apply this june, but it seems to me that you can have any kind of life you want (haha, within reason of coures!) during medical school. I know people 24 and single and I know some (males and females) who are in their late 20's early 30's and married (some even with kids) and they find a way to make it work. Yes you will spend hours each day studying, but you will still find time to hang out with friends and have fun.

 

[nlax30]

Only you can really answer this for yourself. I'd be willing to bet if you ask around you're going to responses at both extremes.... either "run away, now!" or "yea, it was totally worth it". Just take those with a grain of salt. I think we've all met physicians who fall at either end, though it is encouraging to meet one who is just totally happy and thrilled with his/her job and that comes across when talking to them.

It kind of sounds like you still want to pursue this. Something else to keep in mind, besides if this is worth it or not, is if you end of doing something else will you always regret not going into medicine? I'm quickly approaching 30 myself and was well aware of some of the downsides, but in the end there was just nothing else I could see myself being happy doing in the long term.

So don't feel like age is holding you back at this point, we have several in the same boat here as well as a few current and former students who older still.

 

[MrReno]

that's my biggest fear: regret. if medicine is totally not worth going for, then i won't regret it. i guess i haven't met a physician who is in love with his/her job. perhaps because nevada ranks near the bottom of the physician/population ratio, and their workload is crazy. who knows. that's the funny thing about medicine, and even other professions is i won't really know until i'm neck deep into it.

i hope it isn't tunnel vision, but i can't see myself doing anything else. i've always imagined myself practicing rural medicine, especially for the kids. but thanks for the comments and being a sounding board. i think i have to go with my gut feeling, like my mentor said.

 

[futureboy]

that's my biggest fear: regret. if medicine is totally not worth going for, then i won't regret it. i guess i haven't met a physician who is in love with his/her job. perhaps because nevada ranks near the bottom of the physician/population ratio, and their workload is crazy. who knows. that's the funny thing about medicine, and even other professions is i won't really know until i'm neck deep into it.

i hope it isn't tunnel vision, but i can't see myself doing anything else. i've always imagined myself practicing rural medicine, especially for the kids. but thanks for the comments and being a sounding board. i think i have to go with my gut feeling, like my mentor said.

From your posts, it seems you would really enjoy working as a physician. I say go for it.

 

[sarahg]

Based on these posts I think you'd be a great doctor

Another thing to remember when looking at medical student/physician satisfaction is that many, many of them did not go into medicine because they loved it. People who are gifted academically are often met with the attitude of "Well, are you going to med school or law school?" like anything else would be a waste. They go to med school because they like medicine more than, say, law or engineering, but not because they love it more than any other job they could do. I think it doesn't occur to some people that they could actually have been a businessperson or an english teacher or a scuba instructor or whatever until they're already in med school and have to make a doctor's salary to pay off their loans. You've tried out medicine and know you enjoy it, so I say go for it!

Also (warning: psych major here) there's a basic principle that the more you reward someone for a task the less they enjoy it. If these disgruntled doctors were making $50k chances are they'd love their jobs.

Last piece of advice: Maybe also apply to a PA school this cycle or if you don't get in this cycle, apply to PA school next. I agree that if you love medicine then med school is worth it, but you also don't want to throw away year after year trying to get into med school when you could actually be practicing medicine as a PA. Of course this might not be good advice depending on your personality (I can definitely see how someone might enjoy medicine but not enjoy being someone's assistant or taking direction all day), but if you think you'd enjoy PAing it's worth considering.

 

[futureboy]

The OP is still quite young (29), so it's reasonable to apply again to medical schools. OP, you may want to take a look at why you didn't get in, and get advice on how you can improve your application the second time around.

 

[billw]

Some day you are going to die (and possibly sooner than you expect). What do you consider most important to accomplish before then?

I find viewing things from this perspective tends to cut down on self-doubts.

 

[njbmd]

my question to all the non-traditional students and graduates is at the end, is it all worth it? is it worth putting your life on hold for nearly a decade to practice as a physician? if you're already practicing, do you feel it was worth the time you put into medicine? with the way medicine works, is it worth being a physician? or should i run away as far as possible?

I definitely did not "put my life on hold" during medical school or residency/fellowship. I enjoyed every day of medical school because I learned many great things that enabled me to be a good resident and now a good physician.

I earned my general aviation rating while in residency and got to know some of the best people of my life. We all became a big family and had some great fun while learning to be good surgeons. As we moved into our practices across the country, we keep in touch and enjoy the process of becoming attending physicians.

Medicine is not "worth it" if financial security is your main goal. Medicine is not "worth it" if you don't enjoy the practice and learning. Learning doesn't stop when you complete medical school or residency. I read a minimum of 45 journals each week in order to stay on top of my profession. I work very hard but I love what I do. If this is not the case, do something else. I would also say that everyone who thinks that they want to do medicine will not be happy with medicine. There is some talent involved here.

You don't leave medicine at the office as other professions. It's constantly with you in some form. Last week, I had 30 articles with me on the beach in Ocho Rios, Jamaica and I read all of them while sipping on rum punch. In short, to practice at a high level take work and you need to be sure that you enjoy that work.

It's easy to look around the hospital and see some attending physicians driving home in the Jags and playing golf at the country club. Keep in mind that if you don't live with them, you don't know the hours (years) that they put in to earn those things and that for you, those things might never be possible (you are going to have more debt and less salary).

Medicine is definitely loads of fun, a constant challenge and keeps me out of trouble. I spend a minimum of 12-14 hours at the hospital/clinic six days per week and teach/ do research at other times. Again, it works for me. I do see others going home early and not having to take call/prepare lectures/papers but that's not the career that I wanted.

In short, do what you want to do but there is nothing even remotely close to "putting your life on hold" about medicine. It's a career to do if you love it and that is certainly quite enjoyable.

 

[kell]

I definitely don't think that you need to put your life on hold while you're in medicine...but it can work the other way too. I know of quite a few people who did put their lives on hold while they applied year after year to med school. If you like the environment of the peds floor, don't completely rule out other professions like nursing. It doesn't always have to be med school or nothing.
Kell

 

[pdeco1]

Some day you are going to die (and possibly sooner than you expect). What do you consider most important to accomplish before then?

I find viewing things from this perspective tends to cut down on self-doubts.

I totally agree. I turn 27 this year and have at least a year ahead of me before I can apply. OP, your going to be 40 regardless, do you want to be 40 and a doctor or 40 and something else.

If you love being in the hospital and taking care of patients, maybe nursing is right for you.

 

[MrReno]

I totally agree. I turn 27 this year and have at least a year ahead of me before I can apply. OP, your going to be 40 regardless, do you want to be 40 and a doctor or 40 and something else.

i don't know why i haven't asked that question to myself. my friend, who is in dental school, asked that question to me and herself. i guess i needed a kick in the butt. i always felt limited as a nursing assistant. i think i would feel limited as an RN. not to say physicians are super-duper, but i have this urge "to know" what's wrong with the patient, and how it occurs.

thanks everyone.

 

[vargant]

I shadowed a neurologist who took him three tries to get in. Keep at it, and you will get it in.

 

[BruceBanner]

I'm in a similar spot. I'll be 28 this year and I got 1 interview out of 9 schools. I am still waitlisted but the class is full, so I have found myself asking the same question latley.

For me, it's not so much a question of can I get in, it's do I really want to undertake this again, and risk the same result? As you approach 30 you need to have a career on track. A lot of non-trads choose a mid-level profession. They pay very well, the training is shorter, and the work is similar. I guess the question I ask myself is would I be ok with deferment of ultimate responsibility, and the diagnostic aspects of an MD/DO career? Or would I see this as an asset that allows me to put more energy into other areas of my life? Tough decision. Neither one is perfect.

No one can answer this question for you. You can talk to 100 different docs and some will tell you to run for the hills, some will say be a PA/AA/CRNA, others will say go for it and dont look back. I've heard all of the above from the local rural MD to the academic service chief.

One thing I will say is if you are going to do med school, do it now rather than later. Life happens. You get married, have kids, buy property (or none of those), but it becomes less practical as you get older.

One piece of advice a good friend gave me, who happens to be an MD:

Whatever you decide to pursue, do it 110%. You cannot half-ass your way into med school, nor can you pursue 2 different career paths simultaneously and expect any real success. If you are going to do it you have to pull out ALL the stops and make whatever sacrifices are necessary. There are thousands of others who want as much or more than you, so you are wasting your time if you pursue it even remotely haphazardly.

 

[235750]

I know how you feel.

I'm an older student who's reapplied 4 times (!). When I applied I did it half-arsed like you did (sent off primary app in December or so), and didn't get great results. You really have to give it your all, and apply early (submit your apps in June/July), otherwise, don't bother.

It took a couple of part-time masters degrees to get my prereqs/GPA were it needed to be. I spent a lot of time and money to get this far

Did I make a bad decision? Ask me in 10 years

Seriously though I want to start a family before my partner and I hit 35 (which means baby-making in med school ) so I may have chose the wrong path. Do you have children or are you planning on having kids soon?

I knew that I always wanted to practice to medicine, but for me it was a really hard decision to chose between going to med school and being a PA. Have you looked into this?

I know a lot has been said on this forum about this subject, and a lot of people here are against it. Still, I would consider that path if I were you, dending on your situation. If you have kids or if you plan on having kids in the near future, it's going to be really hard. PAs are well paid, and you're only looking a slight increase in pay as a primary care doc if you think about the 6+ years more training you take, plus lost wages, etc. They aslo have an OK amount of autonomy

Ultimately I want a challenging career so that's why I chose medical school. If that's what you want then go for it again, and this time put more effort in. You sound a good person and I wish you luck in whatever you do.

By the way, 'lurking' on this message board gave me a lot of inspiration over the years. So, thanks to all of you who post and share stories

 

[BruceBanner]

I know a lot has been said on this forum about this subject, and a lot of people here are against it. Still, I would consider that path if I were you, dending on your situation. If you have kids or if you plan on having kids in the near future, it's going to be really hard. PAs are well paid, and you're only looking a slight increase in pay as a primary care doc if you think about the 6+ years more training you take, plus lost wages, etc. They aslo have an OK amount of autonomy

I have to second this.

Obviously this is SDN so you'll see the PA route get discouraged or outright trashed. But regardless of snobby pre-med opinions, It can be a great career if you are ok with a few things:

-Defering ultimate authority to a doc
-Limited diagnostics, depending on where/what you do
-A lot of "bread and butter" type work
-Salary generally less than or around 100k

Keep in mind it isnt really the 'easy' way out; PA school has become quite competitive and you still need like 1000+ hours of patient care work under your belt to apply. Granted, the GPA threshhold may be a bit lower, but a lot of folks are choosing this route so it is getting tougher.

Anesthetist programs are sweet options if you like anesthesia but dont want to do medical school. They are compensated quite well and have a near 100% placement rate from what I hear.