accepted, cold feet

[The Empiricist]

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I've been lucky enough to be accepted to a med school this cycle, but I'm dealing with a major case of cold feet. There's a specific career path that I'm interested in that I never explored enough and I think it would be stupid to go to med school without trying it out first. How bad is it to turn down the acceptance, try it out, and if I still want to do medicine, apply again in a few years? Will this be seen as a major black mark?

Another option would be to defer, but I don't know if they're willing to let me defer to try out another career. I guess I could lie about why I want to defer...

 

[Law2Doc]

I've been lucky enough to be accepted to a med school this cycle, but I'm dealing with a major case of cold feet. There's a specific career path that I'm interested in that I never explored enough and I think it would be stupid to go to med school without trying it out first. How bad is it to turn down the acceptance, try it out, and if I still want to do medicine, apply again in a few years? Will this be seen as a major black mark?

Another option would be to defer, but I don't know if they're willing to let me defer to try out another career. I guess I could lie about why I want to defer...

You really should have thought about this before applying. Most med schools don't like to give out deferrals for this because they'd rather folks not apply to med school until they are ready to attend med school. Lying to get a deferral is not a good idea, and you don't want to start a professional school with an act that is unprofessional. As for bailing on an acceptance, just bear in mind that there is a good chance you won't get another one ever again. You will be a less desirable applicant the next time through. But if it's still worth the risk, then go for it -- do not start down the medicine road if you think there's a good chance you don't want to be a doctor.

 

[Instatewaiter]

What is the other carreer?

 

[shiftingmirage]

If you're at all like me, wait two weeks. If the cold feet pass, continue with medical school. If you are still having second thoughts, sit down with someone and discuss your position.

 

[ruraldr]

all my friends that have attended medical school have indicated that at multiple points they faced stress/frustration that made them wonder if they should have gone down the medical school path--all indicated they were glad they had vetted the decision to go to medical school before attending, that it made those dark moments in medical school be less scary--ensured that they kept moving forward.

I can't see that definitively you'll be a weaker applicant in the future for having taken this time to explore--I would think you would only be stronger if you went into a second application cycle absolutely sure of your path.

 

[etf]

a CFO at morgan stanley decided that finance was for him 4 days before he was to start medical school. it happens.

 

[Law2Doc]

I can't see that definitively you'll be a weaker applicant in the future for having taken this time to explore--I would think you would only be stronger if you went into a second application cycle absolutely sure of your path.

As a reapplicant you have a harder road and generally have to show substantial improvement. And Med schools want applicants who are actually going to finish med school and become doctors and someone who bailed on a med school acceptance once simply already has a bad track record for this. So no, not a stronger applicant. Perhaps some places won't hold it against OP, but that's best case. More likely the fact that he didn't think about this BEFORE he applied the first time gets looked at as a negative.

 

[ADeadLois]

all my friends that have attended medical school have indicated that at multiple points they faced stress/frustration that made them wonder if they should have gone down the medical school path--all indicated they were glad they had vetted the decision to go to medical school before attending, that it made those dark moments in medical school be less scary--ensured that they kept moving forward.

I can't see that definitively you'll be a weaker applicant in the future for having taken this time to explore--I would think you would only be stronger if you went into a second application cycle absolutely sure of your path.

The issue at hand isn't exploring other interests before starting med school. Many, if not a majority, of med students do so, and the same majority will second-guess their decision at some point in their education . The issue here is turning down an acceptance and not matriculating at any med school, a nearly-universally derided course of action if you have any future interest in medicine. It's a tough road to come back from, and wanting to explore other careers is not a strong justification in the eyes of adcoms and will weaken your application the next time around.

I don't mean to be critical or judgmental of the OP. Everyone makes their own career decisions differently. But given the bottleneck associated with med school admissions, you have to be 100% committed when you're applying, for better or worse. People often underestimate the impact of hitting "submit" on AMCAS. It's do or die from that point, at least from the standpoint of a career in medicine.

 

[littlealex]

Defer.

 

[frikarika]

yeah, you definitely should have thought of this before applying. It's really frustrating to hear about people getting into med school who haven't really thought it out. I on the other hand haven't gotten in anywhere, and would kill to be in your position. Consider yourself lucky.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

I may be wrong, but the schools that you didnt get accepted to wont know that you turned down an acceptance previously.

So I think your chances at the one particular school are shot, but probably not for the rest of them.

 

[172858]

I've been lucky enough to be accepted to a med school this cycle, but I'm dealing with a major case of cold feet. There's a specific career path that I'm interested in that I never explored enough and I think it would be stupid to go to med school without trying it out first. How bad is it to turn down the acceptance, try it out, and if I still want to do medicine, apply again in a few years? Will this be seen as a major black mark?

Another option would be to defer, but I don't know if they're willing to let me defer to try out another career. I guess I could lie about why I want to defer...

Defer if you can.

If you can't, flip a coin and just go with it.

 

[fmcats]

Some of you people are so bizarre, i hope I don't end up classmates with you. "do or die?" are you kidding? who says things like that?!


To the OP - I am in the same position as you. Serious cold feet. I've been accepted to 10 med schools so far, including hopkins (dumdumdum), but I feel open to a bunch of careers (finance, law, etc.) and am not 100% sure that the time commitment and debt involved in an MD are worth it. For now, I think I am going to proceed with med school, but I am continuing to think about (and explore) other options - there's nothing wrong with this. If you (or I) do end up in med school, that's just fine. There is so much complexity and so many factors tied to making a career decision that to declare one's self ABSOLUTELY SURE would indicate to me that the person making the decision is either intellectually simple and one-dimensional, or in denial. Feel free to PM me, but to everyone else, stop chastising this person for being open with himself (and with all of you) about his doubts and praise him for his honesty and the guts it takes to question a decision so late in the game.

 

[Jacka1776]

... do not start down the medicine road if you think there's a good chance you don't want to be a doctor.

I wholeheartedly agree with this part of the comment. True story: a friend of mine got accepted to Albert Eisenstein Medical School, did about 3 years, and then quit. He said he could not handle the burden of pressure anymore. The load of works that were forced on to him (I guess the grueling hours of the hospital rotations were the ones he was complaining the most), and other reality factors that are not entirely familiarized by many pre-medical students. He said he used to envy and then hate the janitor for leaving from work before him. He despised every seconds of that year and quit. He is doing nutrition now and very happy with it. He owes 120K to the company he took his student loans from, but he isn't bothered about it at all. But yeah this is what you definitely don't want to do--realizing few years later that medicine is not for you. You rather want to be happy in your life than forcefully making a fake smile to everyone you don't enjoy seeing around at work for the rest of your life.

 

[ADeadLois]

Some of you people are so bizarre, i hope I don't end up classmates with you. "do or die?" are you kidding? who says things like that?!


To the OP - I am in the same position as you. Serious cold feet. I've been accepted to 10 med schools so far, including hopkins (dumdumdum), but I feel open to a bunch of careers (finance, law, etc.) and am not 100% sure that the time commitment and debt involved in an MD are worth it. For now, I think I am going to proceed with med school, but I am continuing to think about (and explore) other options - there's nothing wrong with this. If you (or I) do end up in med school, that's just fine. There is so much complexity and so many factors tied to making a career decision that to declare one's self ABSOLUTELY SURE would indicate to me that the person making the decision is either intellectually simple and one-dimensional, or in denial. Feel free to PM me, but to everyone else, stop chastising this person for being open with himself (and with all of you) about his doubts and praise him for his honesty and the guts it takes to question a decision so late in the game.

I didn't mean to chastise the OP. I apologize if it came of that way. As I said, few people are completely gung-ho about medicine going in and the doubt lingers on through the entirety of your education and career. One of the symptoms of the application process is that it forces you to make pretty serious and consequential choices about your career. There are few careers that have this in common. There is little room for passivity in the process. This both a good and a bad thing.

 

[The Empiricist]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I do consider myself lucky for having been accepted (said so in my original post, in fact). To those who said I should've thought about it before applying, I will just say that I did. My 20/20 hindsight tells me that I should've known I would eventually get a case of cold feet without exploring that alternate career more thoroughly before applying, but at the time I turned in my AMCAS I was feeling pretty gung-ho about medicine. In any case, its a moot point. This is now my situation and I can't go back and redo anything.

fmcats, thanks for the offer. I PMed you.

ADeadLois, you should really start labeling those suits.

 

[lsumedgirl]

As I said in an earlier post, cold feet are perfectly NORMAL! Consider this... you just got accepted into medical school (congrats, btw ), a goal that I'm betting you've worked hard towards for a pretty long time. You're about to embark on one of the toughest things you've ever done in your life, and there's no other experience out there like it. So, yes, it is scary... lots of new things to learn (and I'm not just talking about the material), totally different routines, and a major committment.

I personally had major cold feet, and often wondered if I was really capable of doing this. (Sometimes I still have days where I ask myself that question... and many of my classmates do, too.) But I just take it one day at a time, I've settled into a routine, and I wouldn't want to be doing anything else right now. Once in a while, I look up from my notesets and realize, "Wow, I really AM doing this!" (Sorry for the Stuart Smally Daily Affirmation sappiness.)

In short, there are going to be good days, and bad days. Just be prepared for it, go into it with an open mind, and at least give it a try. Then, if you truly decide it's not for you, you can always leave, and you'll never have to wonder, "What if I had given it a shot?"

Best of luck to you, whatever you decide.

 

[Cegar]

Cold feet may be a sign of poor circulation and neuropathy.

 

[nlax30]

Only you really know what would be best for you at this point.

Everyone has pretty much already hit on the major issues. I'm sure you've kind of seen how subjective medical admissions can be so just because you got an acceptance this year from one place doesn't mean they'll offer one again in the future. So in one sense you definitely are doing some gambling. But, I would think it'd be pretty miserable to be at least tens of thousands of dollars in debt in the middle of med school and realize that you hate it. I was sort of a non-trad so I had a few years in and out school where I did other, non-medical stuff.

If you're looking at possibly waiting a year you could look into a deferment. Can't offer any more specifics as I've never asked about one, but I would guess that if after the year you cancel out of the deferment then you've pretty much burned that bridge.

Also keep in mind that depending on how long you sit out you may have to retake the MCAT again and that will be a few years out of school and I'm sure some subjects and facts will have faded by then.

 

[TexPre-Med]

People on here have not explained how badly it will look to turn down this acceptance and try to re-apply. You are pretty-much (rare exceptions) never going to be accepted again. You are black-listed. On your application, you have to check a box that says you have been accepted to a medical school before when you re-apply. This kills you.

I know 2 people who have gone this route. Both received 5-6 interviews their first time around. Both were accepted. Both turned it down and have since re-applied. Combined they have 5 more years of re-applications filled. Combined they have 0 interviews in those 5 years.

Do what you will, but if you back away now, the odds of getting back to this position are incredibly small.

 

[Auron]

Defer. It's your best option.

 

[deleted128318]

People on here have not explained how badly it will look to turn down this acceptance and try to re-apply. You are pretty-much (rare exceptions) never going to be accepted again. You are black-listed. On your application, you have to check a box that says you have been accepted to a medical school before when you re-apply. This kills you.

I know 2 people who have gone this route. Both received 5-6 interviews their first time around. Both were accepted. Both turned it down and have since re-applied. Combined they have 5 more years of re-applications filled. Combined they have 0 interviews in those 5 years.

Do what you will, but if you back away now, the odds of getting back to this position are incredibly small.

*Sigh*

This gets perpetuated every year... There is no black list of fiery death for electing not to matriculate. Everyone frantically go look at your AMCAS, it asks only if you have matriculated anywhere, and if you have, what your explanation is. The only school that would ever know that you had been accepted and turned it down is the school that offered you admission.

 

[deleted128318]

i withdrew from a school less than a week after the interview because i did not like the curriculum (they didn't say much about it online, i found out during the interview), but i did not have an acceptance (and still don't)

is that going to f*ck me over for next year?

No. But if you are sincerely concerned about it call AMCAS instead of listening to me or anyone else on here.

 

[TexPre-Med]

i withdrew from a school less than a week after the interview because i did not like the curriculum (they didn't say much about it online, i found out during the interview), but i did not have an acceptance (and still don't)

is that going to f*ck me over for next year?

Shouldn't. It is having the acceptance and turning it down that kills you. If medicine is your dream and you get accepted, why wouldn't you be there? Granted some really good excuses are out there, but you can get a deferral for them. Don't get ACCEPTED and turn it down, D.O. school or M.D. school. Schools will forever question whether you have the desire to stick with it, and they won't take the chance on you.

 

[deleted128318]

Shouldn't. It is having the acceptance and turning it down that kills you. If medicine is your dream and you get accepted, why wouldn't you be there? Granted some really good excuses are out there, but you can get a deferral for them. Don't get ACCEPTED and turn it down, D.O. school or M.D. school. Schools will forever question whether you have the desire to stick with it, and they won't take the chance on you.

Why do you hate freedom?

 

[TexPre-Med]

*Sigh*

This gets perpetuated every year... There is no black list of fiery death for electing not to matriculate. Everyone frantically go look at your AMCAS, it asks only if you have matriculated anywhere, and if you have, what your explanation is. The only school that would ever know that you had been accepted and turned it down is the school that offered you admission.

You've been on this for five years man. Get it together.

Say what you will......but explain how 2 people can get over 10 interviews b/w the 2 of them, 2 acceptances in the first year, and 0 interviews over the next 5 years? They both have the numbers, their first 10 interviews prove this.

 

[TexPre-Med]

Why do you hate freedom?

I know 2 people that would love to have the freedom of attending a med school right now, any med school.

 

[deleted128318]

Say what you will......but explain how 2 people can get over 10 interviews b/w the 2 of them, 2 acceptances in the first year, and 0 interviews over the next 5 years? They both have the numbers, their first 10 interviews prove this.

What are you blathering about?

 

[MossPoh]

I once had a doctor tell me that the medical students, residents, and doctors that were the most miserable were the ones that were in your position. They would constantly repeat to themselves "Man, I could be doing ________ right now" and it eventually got them down. He suggested you do (or try) for whatever you dream of, because during those hard times you're just going to dwell on it. If you want to own a restaurant give that a try first. Want to own a small business? Have at it. The time dedicated to a medical education is fairly unparalleled. The time dedicated to the career itself requires a level of devotion that is above and beyond most careers. Regrets are a horrible thing. Don't get stuck with them. I'd sit on the thought and analyze really hard. Just think about your residency when you are stranded at the hospital and getting blasted with pages. Is your first thought going to be "man, this sucks. " or "Man, I could be doing XXXXXXXX and be just as happy.". You don't want that second one. Everyone encounters tough times in a career, but the limitations of a medical degree require you to be fairly certain of your decision...or be miserable.

 

[deleted128318]

I know 2 people that would love to have the freedom of attending a med school right now, any med school.

I guess you didn't get the reference, but we can address this anyway.

If someone has doubts as to whether they want to pursue medicine, it would be disingenuous, at best, to pursue it out of fidelity to their momentum. This isn't a freedom, this is a privilege, and the applicant in question doesn't owe anyone an explanation, they put in as much time as anyone else, and they earned an acceptance through years of hard work. I really hope that if the person has genuine doubts about their dedication, they would have the sincerity and the maturity to hesitate rather than deferring to the pressure.

For those that have to reapply, it sucks, I understand that. But someone who elects not to matriculate is not the right place to direct your frustration. If anything they are helping your prospects.

 

[deleted128318]

Say what you will......but explain how 2 people can get over 10 interviews b/w the 2 of them, 2 acceptances in the first year, and 0 interviews over the next 5 years? They both have the numbers, their first 10 interviews prove this.

If anyone is really worried about this, call the AAMC. They will placate you.

 

[GoldShadow]

Cold feet may be a sign of poor circulation and neuropathy.

TITCR.

 

[Picklesali]

Seriously though? Anecdotal evidence?

If it were so relevant, why would there not be a place to address this on your AMCAS, as there is with the issue of previous matriculation? What if you took an ice pick to the rib cage in a dive bar the day before school started and weren't able to matriculate?

I'm done pursuing this. If anyone is really worried about this, call the AAMC. They will placate you.

Speaking of anecdotes: I met a girl along the interview trail who got accepted to one school last year, decided that it was not the school for her and did not go. A year later she has been accepted at a couple places...MD/PhD.

And Necco, your withdrawing pre-decision cannot hurt you in any way...unless you reapplied to that school, which I'm sure you wouldn't.

 

[TexPre-Med]

I guess you didn't get the reference, but we can address this anyway.

If someone has doubts as to whether they want to pursue medicine, it would be disingenuous, at best, to pursue it out of fidelity to their momentum. This isn't a freedom, this is a privilege, and the applicant in question doesn't owe anyone an explanation, they put in as much time as anyone else, and they earned an acceptance through years of hard work. I really hope that if the person has genuine doubts about their dedication, they would have the sincerity and the maturity to hesitate rather than deferring to the pressure.

For those that have to reapply, it sucks, I did it twice. But someone who elects not to matriculate is not the right place to direct your frustration. If anything they are helping your prospects.

Frustration..? I have none. I applied only once and I love where I am. I just know frustrated people.

Weirdly enough one of people I've been talking about (Ms. X) applied and got accepted to a medical school. Ms. X decided she was above this med school and turned down the acceptance. She re-applied, 0 interviews. Her slighly younger husband, Mr. X, applied during Ms. X's second re-application. Mr. X was accepted to the same school that his wife found to be below her. Mr. X is 2 years away from being a doctor. His wife is still interviewless. Funny how that works out.

Confusing story I know, but I can't name names.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't consider another route. I'm not saying that you shouldn't try to defer a year and see what happens. I am saying that if you turn down an acceptance, it is much harder to get another. Sure my study is an n=2, but they have really good scores in TX where we have something like 8-9 state schools. Both subjects from my n=2 says that if they had to do it over again, they wouldn't have turned down their acceptance.

Just realize that by chasing another dream, you may be saying good-bye to this one.

 

[Cegar]

TITCR.

Thanks!

 

[deleted128318]

.

 

[BoxingTheStars]

People on here have not explained how badly it will look to turn down this acceptance and try to re-apply. You are pretty-much (rare exceptions) never going to be accepted again. You are black-listed. On your application, you have to check a box that says you have been accepted to a medical school before when you re-apply. This kills you.

I know 2 people who have gone this route. Both received 5-6 interviews their first time around. Both were accepted. Both turned it down and have since re-applied. Combined they have 5 more years of re-applications filled. Combined they have 0 interviews in those 5 years.

Do what you will, but if you back away now, the odds of getting back to this position are incredibly small.

This is absolutely untrue. I *hate* how this myth always gets propagated. The AMCAS box asks only if you have matriculated (ie actually started med school) somewhere. And since we're doing the whole "i know someone who...." business, a friend of mine turned down her only acceptance last year because she simply didn't like the place, reapplied, and has been accepted to 5 or 6 schools already this year. Hardly what I'd call blacklisted.

OP, regardless, you must consider the fact that (if you can't defer) you are not guaranteed admission again (though you WILL NOT be blacklisted). Is the risk worth it? Only you can decide that.

 

[Chuckwalla]

This is absolutely untrue. I *hate* how this myth always gets propagated. The AMCAS box asks only if you have matriculated (ie actually started med school) somewhere. And since we're doing the whole "i know someone who...." business, a friend of mine turned down her only acceptance last year because she simply didn't like the place, reapplied, and has been accepted to 5 or 6 schools already this year. Hardly what I'd call blacklisted.

What did she do during that year to jump from one acceptance to 5+?

 

[Kaustikos]

Give it a long, hard thought. It is definitely understandable to think about this. Rushing into such a strong commitment like medicine is no easy task and if you're considering this other career path do it. BUT realize that you're going to have to explain yourself really well for this. I honestly don't see anything bad about this and I would think medical schools would rather you do this than accept, go into the curriculum and either a) drop out or b) become a miserable doctor. The people that talk about blacklists don't know what they're talking about and assume from examples in their pasts that are probably not even the same as yours.


What is this other career you're thinking about, though?

 

[LadyDoc2]

I just dont buy this. I have a friend who is a 3rd year right now. He had been accepted to one medical school and decided he did not want to go there for whatever reason. He declined the offer, and reapplied. He got into two places the next cycle and is a very happy medical student.

Seriously, do what you need to do to make yourself happy. Obviously, if you turn down this acceptance, you're going to have to explain it, and you're also gonna need a stellar stellar application.

good luck.

People on here have not explained how badly it will look to turn down this acceptance and try to re-apply. You are pretty-much (rare exceptions) never going to be accepted again. You are black-listed. On your application, you have to check a box that says you have been accepted to a medical school before when you re-apply. This kills you.

I know 2 people who have gone this route. Both received 5-6 interviews their first time around. Both were accepted. Both turned it down and have since re-applied. Combined they have 5 more years of re-applications filled. Combined they have 0 interviews in those 5 years.

Do what you will, but if you back away now, the odds of getting back to this position are incredibly small.

 

[TexPre-Med]

My question about your "evidence" is this: with their rocking scores, and abundance of state schools, why did they only have one acceptance apiece?

If anyone wants to ask a question about reapplying, feel free to PM me. Jackass that I am, I turned down an acceptance to a school that I didn't think I would be happy at (year 1), got in nowhere (year 2), and am now going to a much better school (lucky number 3). Was it a bad choice to turn down my first acceptance? Probably. But I wasn't deported/ excommunicated/ disowned/ sodomized for it.

Let's leave it at that. Cool? Cool.

Until just this past season, TMDSAS mandated only 1 acceptance/student. You submitted a rank-order list like residency. 1 acceptance is all you get. Any other ideas?

If this is true about yourself, congrats, but pre-med advisors have agreed with me. Getting back in after turning down an acceptance is an up-hill battle (exceptions-yes, the norm-no).

 

[Doublecortin]

I've been lucky enough to be accepted to a med school this cycle, but I'm dealing with a major case of cold feet. There's a specific career path that I'm interested in that I never explored enough and I think it would be stupid to go to med school without trying it out first. How bad is it to turn down the acceptance, try it out, and if I still want to do medicine, apply again in a few years? Will this be seen as a major black mark?

Another option would be to defer, but I don't know if they're willing to let me defer to try out another career. I guess I could lie about why I want to defer...

please give up your acceptance and let someone who is truly passionate about medicine and eager to attend medical school. you'll do a huge service to the human race

 

[littlealex]

please give up your acceptance and let someone who is truly passionate about medicine and eager to attend medical school. you'll do a huge service to the human race

Bleh I disagree. If those people are so passionate about medicine, they didn't they become more prepared/have better credentials to out compete OP for his admission spot?

 

[BoxingTheStars]

What did she do during that year to jump from one acceptance to 5+?

nothing all that crazy that I could tell. she retook the mcat, but was bummed to only go up 1 point. I think she applied a lot earlier this time too though which probably helped.

 

[Chuckwalla]

Bleh I disagree. If those people are so passionate about medicine, they didn't they become more prepared/have better credentials to out compete OP for his admission spot?

The ability to do well on tests does not translate to passion for medicine.

 

[LizzyM]

You could always start and if the urge to try out another path persists, you could take a leave of absence. I know one person who did just that, and then came back to med school realizing that it was the right choice.

 

[jayhawk07]

hey op, i am currently finishing up my deferral year.

i didnt really have cold feet about entering medical school... eventually. i did, however, think that once med school starts, that's it. the rest of my life will be oriented around becoming/being a doctor, making it hard to pursue other interests. in my case, i was/am very interested in polishing my spanish. during the med school application cycle, i applied to be an elementary english teacher in spain for a year. (programs like this exist all over the world, and i believe that application deadlines aren't for a few weeks! check them out!)

my time in spain has been like a vacation. i have had time to paint, read, etc., do things that i never had time/motivation for before. it hasn't been perfect, of course... but it has been an adventure. furthermore, i feel really ready to tackle med school now, like ive been playing for a year, now i need to get back to work.

anyway, since you have been accepted, i think this would be a great way to spend a year. i actually met a girl who is teaching here in spain, but is also applying to med school in the us right now. this looks like it sucks. flying to interviews from within the us gets really expensive, but throw in transatlantic flights on the weekends and adjusting to time differences... i dont know. i dont think she is enjoying her time here.

to those who havent been accepted, i started working as a cna on an inpatient unit after my first year of college, and stuck with it for 3.5 years. not only was it a great experience that really gives you all the patient interaction you can handle, i think adcoms liked it as well. in my time there, there were frequently med school hopefuls coming to spend their off-year(s) while they geared up to reapply, and i am pretty sure they all found success. if you cant snag one of those research jobs, about which i know nothing, you may want to check this out. i started at about $10/hour before taxes, and i know that i was at the lowest-paying hospital in my metro area.

anyway, hope some part of this is helpful.

 

[ComicBookDude]

I am having a (sort of) similar dilemma and it's really worrying me:

At the end of my freshman year (I'm now a junior), I decided I was going to pursue medicine. After volunteering for 100's of hours, keeping up a 3.7+ GPA, collecting five LORs, doing research, and scoring a 33 on the MCAT, now that application time is coming up in a month or so, I'm really starting to second guess myself.

I'm not going to lie: most of this has to with consistent opinions I've heard from current physicians/residents warning me not to go into medicine (declining salaries, lawsuit culture, bad hours, stress, 7+ years of education, debt, virtually no autonomy, etc...) Most of them mentioned that while it's not so bad right now, if current trends continue, things will not be good at all in eight years. The idealism of being a physician is starting to fade and reality is starting to settle in.

I guess I'm going to have to think this through long and hard.

Any suggestions? Advice?

 

[Kaustikos]

I am having a (sort of) similar dilemma and it's really worrying me:

At the end of my freshman year (I'm now a junior), I decided I was going to pursue medicine. After volunteering for 100's of hours, keeping up a 3.7+ GPA, collecting five LORs, doing research, and scoring a 33 on the MCAT, now that application time is coming up in a month or so, I'm really starting to second guess myself.

I'm not going to lie: most of this has to with consistent opinions I've heard from current physicians/residents warning me not to go into medicine (declining salaries, lawsuit culture, bad hours, stress, 7+ years of education, debt, virtually no autonomy, etc...) Most of them mentioned that while it's not so bad right now, if current trends continue, things will not be good at all in eight years. The idealism of being a physician is starting to fade and reality is starting to settle in.

I guess I'm going to have to think this through long and hard.

Any suggestions? Advice?

Almost all physicians have told me similar things and have added that if you're not in it to help people or you don't enjoy helping people, you need to hit the ejector button and pull out. And honestly, debt? Salaries? Come on.

 

[ComicBookDude]

Almost all physicians have told me similar things and have added that if you're not in it to help people or you don't enjoy helping people, you need to hit the ejector button and pull out. And honestly, debt? Salaries? Come on.

Salaries and debt are probably the last thing I'm worried about (unless it falls too low to repay loans and raise a family), but in general, it just seems that the physicians I've spoken very negative about the field right now.

I love helping people. In fact, If I don't apply to medical school, I plan to get a Master's in Education and go on to become either a community college professor or high school teacher. However, seeing so many miserable physicians (and yes I know, there are many happy ones as well) really has me worried. I'd much rather make $60,000 and be happy rather than pursue an idealistic dream, make >$150,000 and be miserable.