Please I really need advise

[dentalislife237]

I am a sophomore premed/bio major and I am doing really well in school. I just got my grade back for an orgo exam and I got 100%, I should be really happy. I really enjoy school, what I study, and the rush of scoring well on classes and exams. I am in this LECOM early acceptance program at my school, so I have a seat in med school already, and for me to stay in I have to only maintain a 3.1 science gpa. I can't imagine doing anything else but medicine, but the long future ahead of me is daunting. I love science and studying for it but I really do value the nice things about life, and I definitely don't study every minute of everyday. I am worried that studying medicine will consume my life in the future, and so will the career. I eventually want to have a family and I want to be a present member in their lives. I am so conflicted on what I want to do.
I don't know if I should leave the early acceptance program and apply to med school out of the program or just stay. I kinda feel like I could be competitive for other schools, but there is a small part of me the finds the lifestyle of being a doctor to be overwhelming.
Please help I don't know what to do, I can't imagine doing anything else and I have the 4.0 gpa to do be admitted along with other things that would make me competitive as a med student applicant.
also I am only ranting I know my grammer sucks alot

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[thumbz]

Dental is life eh? Discordance abounds.

It sounds like you may be a little burnt out during undergrad right now... give yourself some more time and take a bit of a break, and see what life looks like when you re-focus. If you're still questioning if you can stomach the workload of medicine at that point you may want to consider alternatives as burn out only gets worse as you get deeper into the career.

 

[dentalislife237]

When I hear of from other people, especially mothers, say that they can do medicine and balance it with the rest of their lives, I get so happy because it just reassures me that I can do it too. But then I read stuff online about how horrible residency is and how people who are in med school are not happy. I just don't know what to do. In the school I go to everyone is premed without question, and I am one of the top in my class so I just feel obligated to study medicine too. Even in high school I was so certain. The only reason I am questioning it now is because I am worried I won't be able to have a life outside of medicine. In real life I am charismatic and out going and a people person, I also love being around people. I am easy going and definitely not the anxious premed type. I feel like there are people more invested in the career than me, and I while I do best in school compared to people in my grade, a part of me feels uncertain about the profession. I really want someone to tell me that the stories I read online are an ex

Dental is life eh? Discordance abounds.

It sounds like you may be a little burnt out during undergrad right now... give yourself some more time and take a bit of a break, and see what life looks like when you re-focus. If you're still questioning if you can stomach the workload of medicine at that point you may want to consider alternatives as burn out only gets worse as you get deeper into the career.

I don't feel burnout at all, but I am worried about it in the future. Also I used to want to be a dentist hence the name lol.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Moving to pre-med.

There's no "right" answer. It's tough to give up a guaranteed spot, but if you aren't sure you want to do medicine then you should consider it. If you embark on a career in medicine, it's a LOT of delayed gratification if you're not positive that you're passionate about it.

 

[wanderingorion]

When I hear of from other people, especially mothers, say that they can do medicine and balance it with the rest of their lives, I get so happy because it just reassures me that I can do it too. But then I read stuff online about how horrible residency is and how people who are in med school are not happy. I just don't know what to do. In the school I go to everyone is premed without question, and I am one of the top in my class so I just feel obligated to study medicine too. Even in high school I was so certain. The only reason I am questioning it now is because I am worried I won't be able to have a life outside of medicine. In real life I am charismatic and out going and a people person, I also love being around people. I am easy going and definitely not the anxious premed type. I feel like there are people more invested in the career than me, and I while I do best in school compared to people in my grade, a part of me feels uncertain about the profession. I really want someone to tell me that the stories I read online are an ex

I don't feel burnout at all, but I am worried about it in the future. Also I used to want to be a dentist hence the name lol.

It's not uncommon or a bad thing to have doubts about the path. There's a reason why there are so many obstacles and thorough vetting for applicants. It's a long and difficult process. But it's worth it in the end. You shouldn't feel obligated to keep your spot, but it's a huge weight off your shoulders to have a guaranteed spot while you figure everything out. It might be helpful to shadow/volunteer to reconnect with why you wanted to do this in the first place. It's alright to feel uncertain, you have plenty of time. I changed my path 2 years later then where you are now, so there's no rush. Feel free to PM me if you have any other questions or concerns about this.

 

[deleted859689]

I am a sophomore premed/bio major and I am doing really well in school. I just got my grade back for an orgo exam and I got 100%, I should be really happy. I really enjoy school, what I study, and the rush of scoring well on classes and exams. I am in this LECOM early acceptance program at my school, so I have a seat in med school already, and for me to stay in I have to only maintain a 3.1 science gpa. I can't imagine doing anything else but medicine, but the long future ahead of me is daunting. I love science and studying for it but I really do value the nice things about life, and I definitely don't study every minute of everyday. I am worried that studying medicine will consume my life in the future, and so will the career. I eventually want to have a family and I want to be a present member in their lives. I am so conflicted on what I want to do.
I don't know if I should leave the early acceptance program and apply to med school out of the program or just stay. I kinda feel like I could be competitive for other schools, but there is a small part of me the finds the lifestyle of being a doctor to be overwhelming.
Please help I don't know what to do, I can't imagine doing anything else and I have the 4.0 gpa to do be admitted along with other things that would make me competitive as a med student applicant.
also I am only ranting I know my grammer sucks alot

Honestly good that you are thinking about this now rather than later. Take some time to think about other career paths you may be interested in. There are specialties in the medical field that are not as time consuming as others and will allow you the time to have a family and do other things in life! Also congrats on the success so far!

 

[andalusite_angles]

Some advice I wish I would have been given when I was 18: you can pay on the front end, you can pay on the back end, but either way you’re going to pay.

In the scheme of life, 4 years of med school and 4ish years of residency is really not that long. There’s a LOT of life left after that. You will have the ability to work part time, should you choose, and STILL have a high income. I’ve worked with several part time anesthesiologists and EM physicians who have a healthy work-life balance. If you decide you hate your spouse and want to work 90+ hours, there’s that option, too. Flexibility Now, if you have a kid during residency, yes, you’re going to miss some firsts - but honestly, unless you’re a stay at home parent, you’re going to miss some firsts. Once they get into elementary and middle school they notice more and will remember whether or not you were present. Let’s say you have baby #1 when you’re an MS1 - you’ll be an attending by the time they’re 8. The worst year will be kindergarten, but they won’t know the difference. If you wait until residency, they’re not even going to remember you were ever gone.

I thought medical school and residency would get in the way of my dream of a family, so I chose a different path and have regretted it. Second worst decision of my life. Now I’m going the non traditional route as a single parent. Life gets messier as you get older, and more expensive. Ensure you have a career that will take care of you and any potential offspring - the ugly probability you may be doing it on your own one day is high enough to factor into your decision making process.

There are plenty of reasons a person may choose not to pursue medicine, but fear of not having a family life shouldn’t be one of them.

 

[Goro]

I am a sophomore premed/bio major and I am doing really well in school. I just got my grade back for an orgo exam and I got 100%, I should be really happy. I really enjoy school, what I study, and the rush of scoring well on classes and exams. I am in this LECOM early acceptance program at my school, so I have a seat in med school already, and for me to stay in I have to only maintain a 3.1 science gpa. I can't imagine doing anything else but medicine, but the long future ahead of me is daunting. I love science and studying for it but I really do value the nice things about life, and I definitely don't study every minute of everyday. I am worried that studying medicine will consume my life in the future, and so will the career. I eventually want to have a family and I want to be a present member in their lives. I am so conflicted on what I want to do.
I don't know if I should leave the early acceptance program and apply to med school out of the program or just stay. I kinda feel like I could be competitive for other schools, but there is a small part of me the finds the lifestyle of being a doctor to be overwhelming.
Please help I don't know what to do, I can't imagine doing anything else and I have the 4.0 gpa to do be admitted along with other things that would make me competitive as a med student applicant.
also I am only ranting I know my grammer sucks alot

I'm always a fan of the sure bet.

Low tuition at LECOM is a plus.

 

[hallowmann]

Its a long road. Its painful. Medical school is rough. Residency is much worse. You need to want it to make it through. I'll leave it at that.

As far as the LECOM linkage goes, I would stay in the program until you have to sign something. Keep getting good grades, then take the MCAT. If you can do well, then I'd apply to US MD schools. If you don't do well enough on the MCAT to get in to US MD schools, then you have your answer and you didn't ruin a sure thing.

 

[dentalislife237]

Some advice I wish I would have been given when I was 18: you can pay on the front end, you can pay on the back end, but either way you’re going to pay.

In the scheme of life, 4 years of med school and 4ish years of residency is really not that long. There’s a LOT of life left after that. You will have the ability to work part time, should you choose, and STILL have a high income. I’ve worked with several part time anesthesiologists and EM physicians who have a healthy work-life balance. If you decide you hate your spouse and want to work 90+ hours, there’s that option, too. Flexibility Now, if you have a kid during residency, yes, you’re going to miss some firsts - but honestly, unless you’re a stay at home parent, you’re going to miss some firsts. Once they get into elementary and middle school they notice more and will remember whether or not you were present. Let’s say you have baby #1 when you’re an MS1 - you’ll be an attending by the time they’re 8. The worst year will be kindergarten, but they won’t know the difference. If you wait until residency, they’re not even going to remember you were ever gone.

I thought medical school and residency would get in the way of my dream of a family, so I chose a different path and have regretted it. Second worst decision of my life. Now I’m going the non traditional route as a single parent. Life gets messier as you get older, and more expensive. Ensure you have a career that will take care of you and any potential offspring - the ugly probability you may be doing it on your own one day is high enough to factor into your decision making process.

There are plenty of reasons a person may choose not to pursue medicine, but fear of not having a family life shouldn’t be one of them.

Wow this response changed my life. I want to be a doctor. I took a breather since last week and I know now I can't change my dream and chose a different path just for the sake of wanting to start a family one day. I am going to regret it if I chose a different path. Thank you very much!

 

[kfcchikin]

I'd say, as long as medicine is still what you want to do, it'd be ridiculous to not keep it. My biggest regret is not applying to any BA/MD programs out of high school, which I was much more competitive for than I'll be now for med school directly. If you are concerned about studying a lot, then stay in this program and avoid the MCAT. Studying for that test is taking 4-6 months of extra pain lol. And the application cycle, getting rec letters, everything is very overwhelming, as is not knowing that you'll get in.

As for your lifestyle concerns, none of the med students I know (at a T15 school) study every minute. They go on trips, they party after big exams, and have a life. Yes, much less so than most, but don't underestimate the benefits of being a student for another 4 years while your classmates already have their full time jobs (some people would prefer the latter, but know that there are benefits to both). Plenty, if not most, people in medicine have families. Both my parents are doctors and I never needed a babysitter or anything - they were always there. Had me at 30 & 35.

Now, if you actually don't want to be a doctor, and if your confusing username indicates a real interest in dentistry, that may be more suitable lifestyle-wise for your desires and is deserving of some exploration. Good luck

 

[Fat_Albert]

Even if you opt out Lecom ain’t hard to get in the normal route lol. I’d shoot for MD. You’ll have more of a life if you don’t have to waste your time with OMM/mandatory attendance

 

[scaranju13]

Even if you opt out Lecom ain’t hard to get in the normal route lol. I’d shoot for MD. You’ll have more of a life if you don’t have to waste your time with OMM/mandatory attendance

This is not true. Ultimately it is your decision, but getting into medical school is not a guarantee by any means. Thousands of people get rejected every year, and being in a position to not have to take the MCAT is a blessing.