Abandoning your dreams

[stwei]

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I've read a lot of pros and cons about going into medicine on this board. Everyone knows that there are quite a few people who have the potential and qualifications yet were not admitted to medical school and many matriculants who have not evaluated their options but who lived to regret their decisions to ever become a doctor, or who "lose the fire in their bosom" along the way. Is a dream sufficient to carry you through medical school? How much do you allow your emotions to dictate your decisions to apply and is there ever a time where you had to step on the brakes? I know there are no hard and fast rules and no algorithms for choices that you have to make on your own, but can someone offer some advice on what personal potholes and cherries one has found on his/her soul-searching journey? 😀

 

[Anka]

Are you passionate and enthusiastic about everything you do every day? No, of course not. Passion, dreams, enthusiasm, fire give you the energy to build habits, to create a discipline, to commit yourself to a course of action. It is discipline, habit, and commitment which carry you through life. That said, it's possible to burn out later, which isn't so much a loss of passion as the destruction of that which was crystalized out of passion (discipline).

Anka

 

[Violinrose]

Stwei,

You might as well be asking what is the meaning life. 🙂 You are right in that some people have the passion for medicine but don't have the academics to back it up and vice versa. I, myself, have been going actively pursuing this goal (i.e. applying) for over 4 years now. What has kept me going is the fact that I remained focused on this one goal to the point of tunnel vision. I made a lot of sacrifices (e.g. going back to school rather than earning a living) and even passed up great job opportunities because I was so determined that medicine is where I ought to be. When I got into one of my top choices- I realized that everything I had done is well worth it. I have absolutely no regrets.

I am glad that I struggled through the rejections and multiple application cycles because it makes me appreciate my journey and what I am about to experience as a med student even more. And ultimately, none of us know what the future holds for us in medicine until we actually get started... so we have to got with our gut feelings and instincts.

So ask yourself, I are you willing to sacrifice your time and money and do everything you can possibly do, especially things you do not particularly want to do, to achieve your goal? If your answer is yes, then you are on the right path.

Sorry, I don't know if that really answers your question, but hopefully it helps a little.

 

[Paws]

I had to take some time away from school to sort thrugh different things I thought about pursuing. I needed to ask myself: can I spend the rest of my life doing this and enjoying it? and I mean, really enjoying it and feeling satisfied with my day's work. And secondly, can I make a living at this?

I looked at a few fields that required careful skills and tenchniques, but where you could also take those skills with you and be pretty independent. But, since they were in the arts (stained glass restoration, architectural conservation, textile conservation), I realized I could not support myself and my family in any meaningful way. Ok, so that was out.

Then I worked in business just make some money while I kept looking around. I had always wanted to go to medschool but somewhere in my head I had picked up the idea that "I couldn't do THAT!" and "I am not smart/rich/cool enough to do that ..." You get the idea. So I looked everywhere ELSE but where I wanted to be. Finally, after taking a finance course and overcoming my fear of numbers 😉 , I realized that this stuff was pretty do-able. And that's when I decided I'd had enough of my fears and insecurities and I was going to give it my ALL, and go for medicine.

I tested myself throroughly with clinical experience and took my pre-requs while working 40 hours a week. The more I did it the more I absolutely LOVED it. And the thing is, all my previous experience came right out as I went along. In fact, for me, I think that period of soul searching really helped to strengthen me and really prepare me for this journey.

So, yes, I think you need passion, but you definitely also need the nitty gritty of discipline, and incredible hard work and determination.

Sounds like you want to do it, so go for it !