Hello all! I have been out of college since 2018 working at various biotech startups/nonprofit research hubs as a research associate (aka lab rat). I am probably at the best company I have worked at so far in terms of how interesting the work is and how great the atmosphere is (coworkers, facilities, etc).
I have planned on applying to med school next year (2023) since I need to take the MCAT and get volunteer hours. I would likely have a very solid application if I were to apply (3.7gpa from UC Berkeley, Fulbright scholar, Latina, former homeless, college graduate at age 18). However, I get pretty discouraged with the doom and gloom surrounding medicine.
Here are some of my personal pros and cons with medicine vs research.
Research:
PROS: cushy 9-5, good mission, get to zone out in my headphones a lot, not very stressful.
CONS: pay without a PhD will probably cap at high 5 figures (not interested in PhD). Even with a Masters it would only reach low 6 figures. I personally am not super passionate about the job. I clock in, work hard, then clock out. Soul-sucking meetings. Not very intellectually stimulating. Repetitive.
Medicine:
PROS: money (which is important to me since I grew up poor), human biology is super interesting to study, can choose a field where I use my hands (something I like about research), intellectually stimulating, I prefer to solve problems on a daily basis vs. participating in long projects that may/may not pan out, what I wanted to be since I was a youngin.
CONS: these are obvious. stress, long hours, etc
I have a Type B personality, I love my work-life balance but I also love learning and in my short few years working at a 9-5 I have gotten really bored. The hours after work seem like a lot sometimes. As soon as I start studying for something (like for my EMT cert. or the MCAT) its like the life in me comes back.
Also important to note that I am currently 22 yo female and want to have children one day.
What do you vote about my situation? Is medicine right for me?
I have planned on applying to med school next year (2023) since I need to take the MCAT and get volunteer hours. I would likely have a very solid application if I were to apply (3.7gpa from UC Berkeley, Fulbright scholar, Latina, former homeless, college graduate at age 18). However, I get pretty discouraged with the doom and gloom surrounding medicine.
Here are some of my personal pros and cons with medicine vs research.
Research:
PROS: cushy 9-5, good mission, get to zone out in my headphones a lot, not very stressful.
CONS: pay without a PhD will probably cap at high 5 figures (not interested in PhD). Even with a Masters it would only reach low 6 figures. I personally am not super passionate about the job. I clock in, work hard, then clock out. Soul-sucking meetings. Not very intellectually stimulating. Repetitive.
Medicine:
PROS: money (which is important to me since I grew up poor), human biology is super interesting to study, can choose a field where I use my hands (something I like about research), intellectually stimulating, I prefer to solve problems on a daily basis vs. participating in long projects that may/may not pan out, what I wanted to be since I was a youngin.
CONS: these are obvious. stress, long hours, etc
I have a Type B personality, I love my work-life balance but I also love learning and in my short few years working at a 9-5 I have gotten really bored. The hours after work seem like a lot sometimes. As soon as I start studying for something (like for my EMT cert. or the MCAT) its like the life in me comes back.
Also important to note that I am currently 22 yo female and want to have children one day.
What do you vote about my situation? Is medicine right for me?