Politics after Med School?

[neur0goddess]

So, you're the same person who started the thread wanting to know if you can party 5x a week in undergrad? Here, you're 17 y/o, plan to become a practicing physician and then make a lat move into politics and want to know if you can be running for president before you're old like Hilary (who is sooooo old omglol!!1!)

Seriously, 95% of students who start college as premed end up dropping it. I think getting to be president might even be more competitive. I'm sure that you are awesome and you'll do all of these things, but try to take life one step at a time rather than just let blind ambition run your day-to-day life. It is waaaaaaay to early to be thinking about your post medical career life while still in high school. Also, I realize that 68 like Hilary might seem so ancient to a 17 year old, and right now you plan on just walking into the soylent green factory on your 60th b-day, but many people still have a significant career ahead of them at that age.

You're right about it being too early to plan these things. I'm just stuck on whether or not it is even feasible to handle medicine with my political aspirations in mind. That's why I was brainstorming with forensic psych, as it seems to be in the grey area between politics/law and medicine. I don't want to start out college as a pre-med, wasting time and money on courses that I don't care about, only to drop it and switch to pre-law or something.

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[Flashfan]

Taking biology, chemistry and physics would not be a waste of time for someone in politics, though science seems to elude the current batch of politicians. As for politics, the best way to know if you will be good at it is to work on fundraising for a charity. Politicians that can't raise money can't get elected. If you are good at that, then you can be a good politician.

You seem bright and full of life. Explore a bit in college. You might find something that you like more than medicine.

 

[neur0goddess]

Taking biology, chemistry and physics would not be a waste of time for someone in politics, though science seems to elude the current batch of politicians. As for politics, the best way to know if you will be good at it is to work on fundraising for a charity. Politicians that can't raise money can't get elected. If you are good at that, then you can be a good politician.

You seem bright and full of life. Explore a bit in college. You might find something that you like more than medicine.

Thank you for the advice It is very much appreciated

 

[ConfusedChemist]

So....why MD?

You're looking for an MPH/MHA
Anyone who went MD-->politics didn't do so because of a certain MD school.

 

[neur0goddess]

(deleted)

 

[neur0goddess]

didn't do so because of a certain MD school.

Sorry, what do you mean by this?

 

[ConfusedChemist]

Sorry, what do you mean by this?

They appear to be looking for an MD school that will be best for a career in politics. Those who have done so, switched to politics, did so because of their skills and nothing to do with what MD school they went to

 

[neur0goddess]

They appear to be looking for an MD school that will be best for a career in politics. Those who have done so, switched to politics, did so because of their skills and nothing to do with what MD school they went to

That's true, but as you know, brand names are everything in politics. I'd think that the support one would find at a "top" medical school would be unparalleled in terms of distinguished alums, networking opportunistic, etc. Not to mention schools that seem to be geared towards policy, such as Gtown and JHU.

 

[feather421]

If you're passionate about a specific subset of health policy (end of life care, reproductive rights, preventative care, health disparities), it should be fairly intuitive to build a medical specialty that caters to that interest. Someone speaking from direct experience with a patient population carries a lot more weight than just having an MD behind your name.

For example, you can be a brilliant psychiatrist, but that doesn't mean you're necessarily qualified to speak about issues involving contraception access. Find out what you want to do specifically in health care policy and work backward...I don't think there's one kind of speciality that checks all the boxes. And if you want to just go into politics eventually and think of the MD as a credibility assurance, you're probably better off getting an MPH because they will focus a lot more on the stuff that interests you and you'll be able to do direct work and research in that field.

 

[Goro]

Here's one for you:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Stein

Sorry to bump this thread, but do you guys think that medicine -> residency -> career in politics is too long a path for women? I'm concerned because I don't want to get into politics at a really late age (40+). If I follow a linear path with no gap years or anything, I'll graduate from college at 21 and finish med school at 25. That leaves around 10 years for residency/a fellowship, starting a practice, and gaining political experience. Whenever I try to bring up age as a factor in choosing a specialty, SJWs and the PC-police attack me with feminist bull****. I don't want to be like Hillary Clinton, who is a LITERAL grandmother who is running for POTUS. Lets be real, women are judged by a different standard then men are. Reagan could joke about his old age and turn it into an advantage, but for HC it is a major downfall (among many other terrible traits). So is it doable? Can I become an established physician and get involved in politics before I'm too old?

 

[neur0goddess]

Here's one for you:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jill_Stein

Wow, I had never heard of her. Thank you, she's basically the epitome of everything I would like to accomplish.

 

[Goro]

Google is your friend.

Wow, I had never heard of her. Thank you, she's basically the epitome of everything I would like to accomplish.