Is Medicine right for me?

technodoc

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Hello,
Im new to this forum, and you probably get this question a lot, so I will cut right to the chase.

Im a 17 year old senior, and Im interested in medicine, but Im not sure if I wanna do it for the right reasons, consequently, if it's even good for someone like me. See, Im a planner kinda guy, and I will never have peace of mind unless Im 100% sure that medicine is right for me,.

Here are the reasons that cause me concerns:

-First of all, I want to point out that my mom is a gynecologist, but Im not sure if its because she always wanted me to become a doctor that I feel like I have to go into medicine. *Also, my uncles and aunts think that I should go into medicine*. They would support anything I would end up studying though, but thinking about them wanting me to do medicine still influences me a little. I stay open minded though, as I know that I should study whatever makes me happy.
-Another reason I want to become a doctor in general is because I am attracted to hospitals.:laugh:. Yeah I know its weird, but its the only place I would like to see myself working when Im like 43. I just like them.😀 I know that there are other options in healthcare, and Im also considering them. But since I would like to be a leader *as in highest level*at my career choice, being a doctor would be my best choice in heathcare.
-As for one of those " I like to help people" type my reasons. Im not gonna spend too much time on those because I feel like anyone considering medicine should have them. So yeah.
-Another reason would be because I want to have a rewarding and lucrative career, and I work hard in school for it. I know there are other options, but the careers in Business, Law, and most of the ones in Engineering sound boring to me -___-.
I have other career choices, but I will talk about them later.

I may have sounded confusing but lemme summarize. Its pretty much that I think that medicine is good for me, but Im not sure if my reasons are appropriate. I dont wanna regret going into a career that makes me miserable, yet, there is this little voice that tells me that I should go for it. I can't really explain it.

About my other career options.

I like to build stuffs, and be creative. Also I like computer modeling, animations and programming video games. Therefore I'm also interested into become a mechanical engineer (because they build robots and stuffs), a computer engineer(they program video games and stuffs), a computer scientist, an animator. These careers all interest me and they keep popping up in my mind whenever I have the "What if?" moments about medicine. But here are the reasons why I always go back to medicine.
1) Job security. They are all good careers with good pay, but the job prospects are not as good as medicine. Furthermore, I could get fired easily in them and not find a job for months whereas there are jobs pretty much everywhere in medicine.
2) Engineering sounds fun, but I dont see myself study Heavy math in college for 4 years. I know that I will encounter math everywhere. But for engineering its different. Its what they do ALL THE TIME, and its pretty hardcore. I am not bad in math, heck, Im really good at it.*if I practice a lot ;D*. But I dont think Im good at it enough for engineering. Like I said before Im good at it if I practice a lot, and since math ,engineering level, is much more difficult, I think I will be struggling for my whole 4 years of undergrad study, which I would not like.
3) Whenever I tell my parents that I wanna animate characters, and program video games, they dont like it very much, because they think that its not a *how can I say that?* serious/challenging/ lucrative career. They would say that "Im too smart to go study that". I know that their point of view is not good, but when I think about it, I would be happier doing something more challenging with better job security. In these careers, creativity and art skills matter more that anything else. Also, the older you get, the more likely you will get fired. (according to what I read online).
4) I have also considered other careers that combine all of my options together and so far, biomedical engineering is the perfect match. Unfortunately though, getting a job in that field is super hard and the major itself is considered a jack of all trade master of none. meaning that I will have to study traditional engineering majors then master in it. Also, most of the jobs available in that field a research jobs, and I don't see myself doing research in a lab as job... so yeah.
Back to medicine, Im currently trying to find a hospital where to volunteer, and a physician to shadow over the summer.
So, after all of that confusing reading (sorry for the length), what do you guys think? Am I going into medicine for the right reasons?🙂 or should I look elsewhere?
 
Yes, I think you have been honest with yourself and are taking the right steps toward finding out if medicine is right for you.

We're actually quite similar (except I turned 18 this month) 😛

For me, I would not want to make a career out of my other serious hobbies/interests because... that would ruin the fun out of them.
I'd do them for free if I had the chance.

So I decided that I'd set a high and mighty goal, make myself happy doing that lucrative career (because it is we who control our happiness), and enjoy working hard and using that money however I want (I currently have projects I truly believe in and would like to sponsor).

From my previous posts, you could have found out that I switched from Biomedical Engineering (yes, it was the "perfect match") to Biology because I knew it would make myself have more time to improve myself personally as well as would prepare me for future career-related exams.
Well, me not liking math and physics also has played a part in that decision 😛


PS - I really like how you typed
See, Im a planner kinda guy, and I will never have peace of mind unless Im 100% sure that medicine is right for me,.
 
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Lol 😀 Thanks a lot for the feedback Hillo! It really helped!
 
Are you Asian? "stuffs" gave it away.

Go to college first, then worry about this. Don't go into medicine to make your parents happy. That rarely works out well.
 
Take some more classes in college and see if you like life science (bio, biochem, genetics) more or less than math/physics/chemistry, which is heavier in engineering. Try doing some research if you can find a lab and see what interests you. It's totally okay to not know what you want to do yet. Most people don't. I changed my mind several times about career paths during undergrad before finally settling on medicine during third year.

Just be sure to try hard and do well in your classes from the very beginning so that you can always have that option if you really want to apply to medical school later on.

Most importantly, don't go into medicine just because other people tell you to or because it's practical; do it because there's nothing else you'd rather do. If there is anything else you'd rather do, do that instead, or you might end up being miserable in medicine. It's not for everyone. There are plenty of other rewarding careers that have good job security and fair wage and are intellectually challenging.
 
Are you Asian? "stuffs" gave it away.

That's funny - I sometimes say "stuffs" to amuse myself.

If I had to, I would have guessed Hispanic because "stuff" in Spanish is "cosas."


I'm a bit bothered by the stereotyping because technodoc clearly explained his thought process of weighing one option against another and even wrote "I stay open minded though, as I know that I should study whatever makes me happy."

If I had somewhat intelligent parents who cared about their kid's future, I sure would take their opinions into consideration.
At least his mom is in the medical field.

you might end up being miserable in medicine. It's not for everyone.
The same could be said for another field.
And there are plenty of happy medical professionals who have their own outside passions.
 
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Hi and welcome to SDN! Hope you stick around we get to see more of you!

Here's my advice:

1) Shadow as many different medical professionals for a few weeks in both academic and private practice settings and see how you like it.

2) You will get feelings of uncertainty about going into medicine, and having them is all right! They're just part of the process and will help shape you in more ways than you can imagine. For example, I came into college expecting to work as a doctor in private practice, and halfway through undergrad, my career goal is much drastically different.

3) Don't let that interest in animation and game programming go away! There is an incredibly huge field in optical imaging that requires a heavy amount of visual processing and analysis (MRI cancer detection research, etc), and that field could definitely use someone like you with skills and a passion for computers and the visual arts. You said that you love biomed engineering and if so, I definitely think that the application of physics to biology in optical imaging research will interest you.

4) Take as many opportunities to expose yourself to different things in college. You never know what will come out of it!

Feel free to PM me with any questions that you may have
 
Nope Im not Asian. Do they say stuffs a lot or something?
 
Take some more classes in college and see if you like life science (bio, biochem, genetics) more or less than math/physics/chemistry, which is heavier in engineering. Try doing some research if you can find a lab and see what interests you. It's totally okay to not know what you want to do yet. Most people don't. I changed my mind several times about career paths during undergrad before finally settling on medicine during third year.

Just be sure to try hard and do well in your classes from the very beginning so that you can always have that option if you really want to apply to medical school later on.

Most importantly, don't go into medicine just because other people tell you to or because it's practical; do it because there's nothing else you'd rather do. If there is anything else you'd rather do, do that instead, or you might end up being miserable in medicine. It's not for everyone. There are plenty of other rewarding careers that have good job security and fair wage and are intellectually challenging.

Lool, I try to take challenging classes in high school all the time. And so far, strangely enough, chemistry is the one I mostly enjoyed. like this year, I aced through chem, while trig was just a big pain in the butt. I did really good in both though. next year, Imma take more AP science classes. Im also trying to find other careers that might interest me, but the ones I have in mind have really bad job prospects... ^_^ thanks for the feedback man!
 
The same could be said for another field.
And there are plenty of happy medical professionals who have their own outside passions.

Yes but other fields do not require at least 7 years of rigorous training throughout which you literally earn no wage or little wage at all, work all the time (80 hours/week), have a limited social/family life, and have little control over your lifestyle. The sacrifices (in one's 20s and 30s, the prime years of life, I might add) are what make medicine unique from other careers.

3) Don't let that interest in animation and game programming go away! There is an incredibly huge field in optical imaging that requires a heavy amount of visual processing and analysis (MRI cancer detection research, etc), and that field could definitely use someone like you with skills and a passion for computers and the visual arts. You said that you love biomed engineering and if so, I definitely think that the application of physics to biology in optical imaging research will interest you.

This is excellent advice. Medicine is an incredibly diverse field. I know classmates who have similar interests as you and are pursuing things like radiology (interventional and diagnostic) and biomedical informatics. My brother-in-law is a computer engineer turned radiologist and he loves it.
 
If you want FAT paychecks all the time, medicine is for you! Completely kidding, don't take it seriously.

You sound a lot like me. Same interests and what not, I like the attraction to hospitals because it happens to me too! Every time I walk inside a hospital, I get a flow. Just keep studying hard, keep that GPA up and you should be good. Also, don't listen to you parents when it comes to career choices. Job choices on the other hand can be decided by them but not your career. Do it because you WANT to do it and not because you will impress anyone. The med school pre-reqs and all the time you have to spend for the MCAT and apps will weed out any if not all the people who went "pre-med" to impress people and reasons other than self-satisfaction of the great vibes the profession carries.
 
It seems like you are interested in medicine mostly for the money and stability. Mind you, it's perfectly reasonable to have finances as a motivator in medicine, but it should never be the primary motivator. It's just too shallow of a purpose to drive you through the demanding schooling.

But if I'm wrong, and I hope I am, then you ought to consider shadowing a few doctors in different specialties to make sure this is what you want. You also have an incredibly valuable asset: your mother. She can help you through the process and guide you through, not many people are lucky enough to have such an opportunity.
 
I've been along the same road. I have not been 100% sure med is for me, but I totally understand the obligations and the feelings towards hospitals. Like, the smell. Everyone else hates it but I love it. I love hospitals. And when med terms are discussed and stuff, I get so excited.
Anyway. Back to the original question. I think all the solutions been pretty much given. What I would do to further prove that you should go into med is to def shadow, volunteer at the hospital, get involved. And like what the others said, no pressure. You can change your mind in college while you are *possibly* struggling through the premed classes...or actually enjoying it. You can decide then.
 
If you really want it, don't doubt yourself. The only thing you can do is go for it.
 
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