Time for me to give up medicine? Please give me some feedback.

[seh5408]

Hello anyone,

I'm a sophomore history major with the intention of going to medical school. But I'm having some serious doubts. I took bio last semester and got an A without to much of a struggle. However I honestly don't know if I really enjoyed it.. I enjoyed the challenge of studying for it and thinking scientifically but often times I would find myself nodding off in class.

Anyways I'm currently taking first year chemistry and I can't stand it. I'm not surprised because I have always hated math and hated chemistry in high school. I don't find it interesting at all. Again I sort of enjoy the challenge, but unlike bio I really feel overwhelmed. I just sat down to try to do homework problems and didn't really even know where to begin.

So I'm really starting to doubt if medicine is right for me. I'm naturally really good at history, poli sci, philosophy, and writing (don't judge me from the hastiness of this post). And I do enjoy those classes.

But I kind of feel like a failure giving up pre med. Deciding on becoming a doctor was really organic for me, no one ever encouraged me to do it but I still started wanting to in high school. I love helping people and I absolutely love that doctors don't just sit at desks in front of computers all day. A job like that is what I fear most.

And its not about the money either. I could become a lawyer and take over my dad's successful practice and make more than I ever would as a doctor with half the effort but I have no desire for that.

On the flipside, I do not like science. And honestly when I watch documentaries on doctors and their throwing out all this scientific terminology, my head just starts hurting. I'm a big picture type of guy I hate small details and medicine certainly has a lot of them. I would enjoy taking philosophy and history instead of my science classes. I would also have way more time for extra curriculars, and have no doubt I would graduate with honors from this path. I also really have always wanted to experience the world more, go on some sort of adventure in my youth and I feel as if med school conflicts with that.

So I guess thats pretty much it. I apologize for the length. Please let me know what you think. I'll close saying I know I could do medicine, I know I can do chemistry if I put in the ample work. Maybe I'm just afraid of being really challenged for once. Or maybe I just don't like science, and should just stop worrying about my future and let things be. Any thoughts are really welcome.

Thanks

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[Amazingmuzmo]

Sounds like you like the idea of being a doctor more than what it actually entails. Have you ever shadowed a doctor? Maybe try that out and see if you enjoy what clinicians actually have to go through on a day to day basis.

 

[Spinach Dip]

On the flipside, I do not like science.

That sounds like a problem to me. Even after getting your BA/BS and finishing the MCAT (which has loads of science questions).... the first 2 years of med school are even MORE science.



I won't say what you should or shouldn't do. But an aversion to science is not a good characteristic for a prospective doctor to have.

 

[Radon XP]

There's a difference between doing science and memorizing a bunch of stuff, though. It TC, I think you'd be one of those docs that would enjoy practice more than research. There's nothing wrong with that, although you'd still have to get there, and that involves getting through some science classes.

 

[seh5408]

Thank you guys for the feedback already. Honestly in the space since I've written that I've felt pretty bad. Not being a doctor because I don't want to work hard would haunt me forever. BUt I'm also not sure if maybe this bad feeling stems from suddenly giving up an idea of myself I've had for five years.

Regardless, thank you guys.

 

[Perrotfish]

Honestly it sounds like you're mostly frustrated with chemistry not because you don't like the sciences, but because you're facing a real academic challenge for the first time. That's not unusual in college: many people get through high school and maybe the first few semesters of college without really studying and then feel a sense of shock when they hit their first really hard class. There are a lot of physicians that flunked their first O-chem test for just that reason.

Its not unnatural to want to do what you love doing. However in college its not always a good strategy to do what you love doing in college. College is a very artificial environment where the initial run up to relatively benign, fun careers like medicine and engineering are made artificially difficult and dull, while the initial education to relatively dull, unstable, and abusive careers are made artificially easy and fun to learn.

Its important to ask yourself if you want to give up on this career because premedicine is hard right now, or because you really think that you would enjoy a non-science career more than a medical career. If you're not sure of the answer to that question (which, as a college sophomore, would imply good insight) do some shadowing and a couple of internships to help figure out what you want to do with your life. There's a very good chance the right answer isn't medicine, but not liking your chemistry class isn't a good way to decide that medicine is the wrong answer.

FWIW your chemistry class is not a particularly good proxy for either medical school or a medical career. I didn't particularly enjoy any chemistry class and I really like my job.

 

[gmcguitar4]

Shadow doctors and get clinical experience. If you like what they do, then go for it. If you don't want to goto med school cause you don't want to work hard, you have a rude awakening because anything you want to be successful at, you have to work hard for..especially in this job market.

 

[274631]

OP I had similar feelings as you during undergrad. It even caused me to seriously question whether or not I wanted to really do medicine. I didn't completely hate my science classes but I enjoyed some of my other classes a whole lot more and honestly it was very hard for me to see the connection between something like Organic Chemistry and the everyday clinical aspect of medicine. However, I still really enjoyed my clinical experiences and learning about the body and disease, etc. This was part of the reason I got interested in public health. It was a great way for me to get another perspective of medicine that I wasn't getting from my science classes.

I don't think you have to love your required science classes to want to do medicine honestly. Everybody has different things they like or don't like about the profession. Figure out if there is something about it that you still like. What drew you to medicine in the first place? It probably was not chemistry and biology. I would echo what others have said and get involved in some clinical activity to see if medicine still interests you.

There's a difference between doing science and memorizing a bunch of stuff, though. It TC, I think you'd be one of those docs that would enjoy practice more than research. There's nothing wrong with that, although you'd still have to get there, and that involves getting through some science classes.

This is a good point. This may or may not be the right attitude to have but I view those first two years of medical school as something to get through before I get to the good stuff. Just think about what the end goal would be OP. If you want what is at the end, it is worth going though all the steps to get there whether you particularly like them or not.

 

[plumhill]

Dude, intro science classes can really suck sometimes. But actual science courses and scientific activities (upper levels and research) are more representative of what you'll be doing later on. I would recommend volunteering in a hospital and/or shadowing a doctor to see if you'd enjoy that kind of environment and that kind of work. If you would, then it'll be worth pushing through the intro courses. Otherwise you have plenty of time to change your mind and explore other things.

 

[mttamgirl]

I think that a lot of people come into college with this grand idea that "I'll be a doctor!" but haven't had the exposure to college classes (science, or non-science). As a college sophomore, I really think that taking the time to figure out what you truly LOVE is what's important here. If you LOVE writing, and philosophy, and history, maybe that's something you should really consider.

Like what a few others have said, try to get some clinical time in. For many, this is a huge determining factor: do I like being in a hospital, do I enjoy interacting with patients, will I enjoy this for the rest of my life? I think what would haunt you more than changing career paths now would be finding yourself as a physician thirty years from now who dreads going to work and wished you had looked into another career path.

This is a big decision, but I think if you take the time to discern and shadow a doctor, maybe you'll have a clearer sense. Good luck!

 

[Palam]

Get a job where you're surrounded by healthcare professionals, including physicians, while you continue your academic pursuits. That will help clarify the answer.

I'd still like to become a physician, but not so much a nurse.

 

[Dooblecain]

In line with what a few others said...

-Shadow a few physicians, ideally in different areas and if you can do some of it with research departments.

-Figure out what you like in terms of academics, not everyone likes inorganic chemistry but they light up when they start biochem etc...

If after doing things like this and what other posters have said you do not find anything that is jumping out at you as something you can be passionate and driven about you may want to step back a rethink. The first two years of medschool make upper division undergrad science look like preschool for the most part and if it is not something that you can put your heart into you will not have a good time.

 

[KindofBlue]

Kind of agree with GingerGirl27.
When I was taking clinical microbiology in college or anything that had something to do with actual diseases, science classes started to feel a lot more interesting.
You may be one of those types, so you should try and figure it out.

Try finding out pathophysiologies of various diseases on-line (merck manual is pretty good I think), or things like clinical microbiology or clinical anatomy. If that still bores you out, then you might really want to reconsider.

 

[seh5408]

Thank you guys for these replies they all have the ring of truth to them.

I'm dropping chemistry for right now just because I'm in an accelerated summer course which is two fast for me. I'm taking two history classes I need for my major instead while I research careers in that field and think about medicine more.

I think shadowing a doctor really is a necessary step to this decision and one I will try to take this summer too. Thank you guys especially for that piece of advice.

 

[Urnathok]

The prerequisite courses, particularly Biology and Gen Chem, are fairly poor indicators of how you will actually do in med school, from what I've heard on several accounts. It is material you'll have to know for the MCAT, but more importantly the admission boards want to see that you can work with basic science before letting you take a crack at a school that starts out with two years of it.

That said, another part of the prerequisites is showing off your problem solving skills, more so in Organic and Physics, I think. You're a history major, so picking up on patterns in those classes will probably be your key to doing well -- play to your strengths. The Verbal part of the MCAT is there for a reason, too, and we humanities-type fellas tend to do well there.

I had a 3.5 overall in Gen Chem, and yeah, trying to keep up with a bundle of Chemical Engineering majors and whatnot is daunting, but keep up contact with the professor as much as possible if you can and figure out how you learn best. That initiative, which in turn leads to an upward trend in GPA, also looks spiffy to admissions. I liked O-chem more. Just keep a level head.

 

[sunflower18]

This thread really resonated with me, as your description of yourself sounds almost exactly like me in high school. Didn't like science, stumbled upon medicine organically, was really into humanities. I started shadowing, and LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT. That along with hospital volunteering have me a concrete vision of what I was working for.

Unlike you, however, I took chemistry my first semester of college and thought it was amazing and wonderful. But I think my love for science very well might have stemmed from the fact that I knew I loved medicine, and the two go hand in hand. Looking at science as an integral part of something I had proven that i was passionate about made it more interesting to me. Maybe you just need to put your experiences in perspective!

Good luck OP and if you decide that medicine is not for you -- that's fine!! Don't feel guilty or try to cling to a dream that you no longer love just because its easy. If you realise that you'd be happier in the long run in pursuit of other goals, then don't hesitate to change direction.

 

[The Milkman]

I would say don't let a few of the beginning science courses throw you off of an idea that you've had for years just yet. Especially chemistry. And as for the nodding off in your bio class, I love all of my science courses but I literally nod off in all of them, every day. I'd say get past these intro courses, and get into some of the more interesting higher level science courses such as your anatomy (especially the cadaver labs), physiology, and others to see stuff that relates more to the body (not saying chemistry and other intro courses don't).
As others are saying, if you haven't shadowed a doctor yet, I would definitely do so! Get to see what the career is actually like and let that decide if medicine is not for you, not just a few undergrad courses. Anyways, do what you really want to do and spend your money and time in school wisely towards something you really enjoy. If it happens that science and medicine is not that, then so be it! Just don't make any quick/rash decisions against something you've had in mind for multiple years!