Accepted to med school - seriously freaked out - seeking insight

[jungb024]

So I've been accepted to med school (yay) and I guess I've chosen now to freak out about whether or not its the right path for me. Is this normal? or is this a sign its not the right path for me?

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[URMD]

How long have you been holding this acceptance? Why wait until literally the last day before you have to make a final decision (I believe its Apr 30) before dealing with this issue?

At any rate, I sort of had a similar struggle when I got my acceptances, what I had to remind myself was whenever I shadowed people or was part of some clinical experience I truly loved being there and could see myself doing it for the rest of my life. There are many things that you are more or less 'required' to do on the path to medicine but those things are not always what you will be doing in your day to day life as a practicing attending physician. Think back to those times where you got as close as you could to a normal day in the life of a physician. Did you like it?

You seem to have conflicting interests - you want to "work to live" but you also are attracted to medicine to "find personal fulfillment in your life's work". You must understand that it is hard to have both at once. Many careers/jobs at least for me require sacrifice and a dedication that cuts into that "work to live" lifestyle that you are looking for. You have to ask yourself what balance between these two statements your looking for. What does personal fulfillment in your work mean to you? If you need to cure cancer - then you're gonna have a hard time having a "work to live lifestyle", but if its as simple as "feeding someone who needs help" well than you can do that in a soup kitchen. You know what I mean?

Also consider that medicine is not the only profession in which a person who has a "knack for science" and is "empathetic by nature" has to go into. There are many, many other health professions that attract people of those qualities, that work more "normal" hours and do not take call. Dentist, Respiratory therapist, Anesthesia assistant, nurse, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, the list goes on that's just a few off the top of my head.

Also consider that in the end, like any profession, being a physician is a career. A career is what YOU make it. You can decide that your career is not important and decide to work part-time hours with no call so that you can focus more on family or whatever is more interesting to you, just understand that it means you have to accept repercussions of such actions, such as lower pay and less influence in the place that you work, as examples.

I don't know everything that's for sure but just consider my points when your having your internal battle.

 

[Biochemistry2014]

Fear of commitment is very common when the opportunity of choice is presented. You'll need to do your own soul-searching. Think back to the clinical experiences you've had and all of the work you've had to put in to get into medical school. Can you put yourself through another 7+ years of this and maintain some sense of enjoyment?

 

[rkearl27]

Have you had any experience/insight into careers that would be a logical plan B considering your area of education?

e.g. I had to take a gap year (didn't get in the first time around) and so I went to grad school (chemistry). Being able to see what I would have most likely pursued if it had not been for medicine was eye opening because I hated it. The classes were fine but I hated the lab work. While I have yet to have doubts about medical school and medicine for a career I am 100% sure I do not want to be a full time industry chemist or a research professor.

Yeah its completely normal to freak out! Its a huge commitment and sacrifice of time, money and self. But its not necessarily a sign that its the wrong path. Thats a question that you'll (along with everyone else) have to answer.

 

[Shjanzey]

Don't do it. It obviously isn't for you if you have to ask a forum of anonymous people

 

[Bloodmoney]

I think you should go or at the very least defer your acceptance while you think about it. I regret not following through on my plans to attend school before.

 

[CrimsonKing]

It's normal to have doubts. While not everyone has them before starting, they will hit almost everyone at some point in medical school. Think on why you chose to pursue the profession in the first place, what kept you focused through undergrad, what inspired you in your personal statement, and what your goals are.

It's a long commitment, and it's incredible rewarding. Think on this and remember that you have several months before first year starts if you really don't want to go forward in Medicine. Keep in mind, though, that backing out now may very well close this path off to you forever.

 

[Bloodmoney]

It's normal to have doubts. While not everyone has them before starting, they will hit almost everyone at some point in medical school. Think on why you chose to pursue the profession in the first place, what kept you focused through undergrad, what inspired you in your personal statement, and what your goals are.

It's a long commitment, and it's incredible rewarding. Think on this and remember that you have several months before first year starts if you really don't want to go forward in Medicine. Keep in mind, though, that backing out now may very well close this path off to you forever.

Listen

 

[Bloodmoney]

The advice on this board is gold. I would give anything to do it all over following the advice of people on this board about my applications.

 

[Bloodmoney]

I would literally have given ANYTHING to have gotten into school on my first try. Or even the second try. And what I am saying is you get really uncertain about it right before you commit. But you might underestimate how difficult it is to do things that aren't being in a school. And being a doctor is a really good career even if you have to go into some debt. You have your school administrators protecting you, you have community of people doing the same thing to socialize with, you have the AMA, you have a good salary, you get to help people. These things have so much value.

 

[Kvasir]

You worked your ass off to be here. The only one sabotaging yourself will be...yourself. You are your own enemy...no one else.


Do you want to help people? Are you willing to work hard to do so? Do you have a passion for wanting to be the best for others and make their lives better as well? Do you see this as who you are? What kind of person you want to be? Do you want to make a decent living doing the above?

Or do you want a different life? If it's money...there are other ways to make money. If it's helping people...there are tons of careers crying for people who care. If you want intellectual engagement...again, there are needs for research and smart people solving problems.

Be afraid of debt. Be afraid of failing those who rely on you. But don't be afraid of the unknown. To paraphrase a better mind....


"Never be afraid of the future. You will meet it...if you have to....with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present."

Ask yourself the above...get a cup of coffee or tea...and make your choice then.

 

[jungb024]

How long have you been holding this acceptance? Why wait until literally the last day before you have to make a final decision (I believe its Apr 30) before dealing with this issue?

At any rate, I sort of had a similar struggle when I got my acceptances, what I had to remind myself was whenever I shadowed people or was part of some clinical experience I truly loved being there and could see myself doing it for the rest of my life. There are many things that you are more or less 'required' to do on the path to medicine but those things are not always what you will be doing in your day to day life as a practicing attending physician. Think back to those times where you got as close as you could to a normal day in the life of a physician. Did you like it?

You seem to have conflicting interests - you want to "work to live" but you also are attracted to medicine to "find personal fulfillment in your life's work". You must understand that it is hard to have both at once. Many careers/jobs at least for me require sacrifice and a dedication that cuts into that "work to live" lifestyle that you are looking for. You have to ask yourself what balance between these two statements your looking for. What does personal fulfillment in your work mean to you? If you need to cure cancer - then you're gonna have a hard time having a "work to live lifestyle", but if its as simple as "feeding someone who needs help" well than you can do that in a soup kitchen. You know what I mean?

Also consider that medicine is not the only profession in which a person who has a "knack for science" and is "empathetic by nature" has to go into. There are many, many other health professions that attract people of those qualities, that work more "normal" hours and do not take call. Dentist, Respiratory therapist, Anesthesia assistant, nurse, nurse practitioner, physician assistant, the list goes on that's just a few off the top of my head.

Also consider that in the end, like any profession, being a physician is a career. A career is what YOU make it. You can decide that your career is not important and decide to work part-time hours with no call so that you can focus more on family or whatever is more interesting to you, just understand that it means you have to accept repercussions of such actions, such as lower pay and less influence in the place that you work, as examples.

I don't know everything that's for sure but just consider my points when your having your internal battle.

Thanks, for listening and offering some valuable insight, you've given me some good food for thought here.

I've already confirmed my acceptance and paid the fee to hold my spot etc. I was waiting on a response about my place on the wait-list at the school in the city I currently live in. I recently got my number on the list it is not good.. I suppose that's what really sparked this anxiety. The fact that I have to move makes giving up certain parts of my life here an immediate reality, and that's just plain lousy. In reality all this other reflection is probably just a byproduct of the moving disappointment.

I understand that to find fulfillment in my work I will have to make sacrifices, and am comfortable with that. I suppose what I mean by a work to live philosophy is that my priorities align in a way such that my career is not first on the list. I'm worried that if I'm a person that identifies as these other things first and then secondarily a physician I will either be a lousy physician, or be unhappy in what I do.

In medical practice I have no interest in being a ground breaking researcher or finding the next big cure, all I want is to to be a family practice physician and build real relationships with a patient population I actually know and care about, all the while living life to the fullest outside of my practice. If I'm on call on weekends once every six weeks or something like that I can deal with that, but I don't want to grow old working 60 hr work weeks and being on call all weekend.

I have faced and dealt with the issues plaguing me in the past, but its different when I'm here actually faced with the commitment, plus the whole moving thing is an additional variable that I'm still processing.

Again thanks for listening (or reading). As for you Shjanzey, your response is counter productive, is grounded only in assumption, and the only reason I can think of why someone would post that is to inflict further anxiety in others. Please be less cruel to your patients in the future.

 

[Chipster.]

You have your school administrators protecting you, you have community of people doing the same thing to socialize with, you have the AMA, you have a good salary, you get to help people. These things have so much value.

- Said no one, ever.

 

[Bloodmoney]

- Said no one, ever.

Why do you think you can look forward to the 6 figure salary homie

 

[jungb024]

I think you should go or at the very least defer your acceptance while you think about it. I regret not following through on my plans to attend school before.

What stopped you from following through, and what about your decision do you regret?

Thanks to everyone who is chiming in with good insight, I probably was premature in posting this as I have not fully processed these things on my own, but these comments will be very helpful in my processing.

 

[Bloodmoney]

What stopped you from following through, and what about your decision do you regret?

Thanks to everyone who is chiming in with good insight, I probably was premature in posting this as I have not fully processed these things on my own, but these comments will be very helpful in my processing.

Fear of commitment

 

[Bloodmoney]

The part of the decision I regret is the decision to shoot myself in the foot at the last second.

 

[Bloodmoney]

If anybody ever tells you you aren't good enough to do the thing you want to do get them out of your life

 

[Bloodmoney]

If you need time to think about something, maintain the acceptance and think about it

 

[Kvasir]

Good luck.


Moving sucks...I get that. Then again it's not the end of the world either. I've had to move a bunch of times in the military and prior...it's certainly doable. I am at least at 12 times thus far...probably will be plenty more!

Take it as a chance to see another community, way of doing things, a new set of friends and so on.

I do recommend however on finding a place you like to live in, and not a ****hole. As a connoisseur of ****holes in my life I assure you peace of mind has its own financial value. It will very much help with the moving anxiety.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Why do you think you can look forward to the 6 figure salary homie

LOL...hoo boy.

Certainly not the AMA.

The AMA membership represents less than 35% of all currently practicing US physicians. They are in cahoots with CMS to reduce physician reimbursement and with the AAMC to provide Kool Aid to medical students about "important" causes.

 

[Mad Jack]

The AMA represents itself and the salaries of those on its board. The government provides two times more funding to the AMA than its membership dues, basically making the AMA a de facto PR arm for the government in regard to medicine.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapot...2-million-reasons-to-help-shrink-doctors-pay/

 

[clausewitz2]

Gotta chime in with a bit of a caution for OP. For the next few years, yeah, totally, your training needs to trump most things. But in the long-run, identifying as a physician first and literally anything else a distant second is a wonderful recipe for winding up very bitter and isolated a few decades down the line. Don't let the job eat your personality and interests completely.

 

[jungb024]

Gotta chime in with a bit of a caution for OP. For the next few years, yeah, totally, your training needs to trump most things. But in the long-run, identifying as a physician first and literally anything else a distant second is a wonderful recipe for winding up very bitter and isolated a few decades down the line. Don't let the job eat your personality and interests completely.

Thanks for your response. I'm totally comfortable with donating a finite amount of time (ie medschool and residency) to the I'm a doctor and thats who I am lifestyle, I'm more concerned about down the road, I want to be a father and husband etc. before a doctor, maybe even let some of my hobbies define my lifestyle a bit. In the heart of my career I'd like to work 40 hr work weeks and thats it. I know this can be done but I haven't found evidence that it can be done without one side of the equation suffering.

 

[jungb024]

Then again I am subject to naivety at times....

 

[zeppelinpage4]

I got cold feet the summer before starting too, I don't think it's uncommon.

 

[Bloodmoney]

The AMA represents itself and the salaries of those on its board. The government provides two times more funding to the AMA than its membership dues, basically making the AMA a de facto PR arm for the government in regard to medicine.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapot...2-million-reasons-to-help-shrink-doctors-pay/

Got it, I may have been incorrect on this one. However, in the past the AMA controlled the supply of physicians which controls salary. If the AMA is trying to reverse those policies I would approve of that. Additionally they try to help with concerns such as malpractice suits. The AMA might have been a mistake to refer to, but there are certainly physician groups that lobby together to help you with your rights.

 

[Bloodmoney]

In any case the deal with me being unsure about medicine is that as you might have noticed by posts in this forum, being a doctor comes at a serious cost to the positive attention you might be able to provide to your SO and family

 

[Bloodmoney]

You will have enough money and status to keep your family in the upper class, but a lot of times your kids and spouse will have variety of issues due to severe lack of attention

 

[Bloodmoney]

I basically know I want to have a big family, and although it kind of bothers me what he wants to do, the person I care about will be making a lot of money in the future, and I think it would be pretty selfish of me to go into medicine just because I want to be rebel against traditional roles and because I think it would be cool to do brain surgery, or whatever, etc

 

[Bloodmoney]

He is severely upset at his father who was a doctor for never being around at home, he supported me with my ambition, offering to let me shadow him, etc but I could sort of tell how he really felt. He had a big family as well and he sort of had to be all his brothers' dad in the same way I tried to support my sisters so I understand this

 

[Bloodmoney]

Don't want to be an absentee parent or pay someone to take care of my kids because I don't have time

 

[Bloodmoney]

That's why I am scared about medicine

 

[fancymylotus]

1.Consolidate your posts, or start a blog
2.There are many successful physicians who also somehow manage to have a family and be there for their children and spouse. Its called time management, and having a partner who is understanding and supportive of the demands of the profession youve chosen.
3.How is going into medicine rebelling against traditional roles?
4. Define enough money. I dont think the average doctor makes enough money to call themselves upper class. At least in my universe, anyway. Then again, I have excessive spending habits, expensive tastes, and live in a stupidly overpriced area of the country
5.Most of us first gen kids have double MD/DDS parent families, and we've all turned out just fine.

 

[Bloodmoney]

1.Consolidate your posts, or start a blog
2.There are many successful physicians who also somehow manage to have a family and be there for their children and spouse. Its called time management, and having a partner who is understanding and supportive of the demands of the profession youve chosen.
3.How is going into medicine rebelling against traditional roles?
4. Define enough money. I dont think the average doctor makes enough money to call themselves upper class. At least in my universe, anyway. Then again, I have excessive spending habits, expensive tastes, and live in a stupidly overpriced area of the country
5.Most of us first gen kids have double MD/DDS parent families, and we've all turned out just fine.

Said what I needed to say

 

[Chipster.]

Said what I needed to say

1. If you don't get off this forum (and leave us alone), you'll be an absentee everything.

2. Why are you incapable of putting more than one sentence into each post?

3. Why are half your posts filled with verbal diarrhea/stream of consciousness nonsense and the other half only somewhat coherent?

4. Why do all of your posts lack any sort of understanding about the world or useful content?

5. Why are you doing this to us?

 

[Bloodmoney]

1. If you don't get off this forum (and leave us alone), you'll be an absentee everything.

2. Why are you incapable of putting more than one sentence into each post?

3. Why are half your posts filled with verbal diarrhea/stream of consciousness nonsense and the other half only somewhat coherent?

4. Why do all of your posts lack any sort of understanding about the world or useful content?

5. Why are you doing this to us?

I'm not doing anything

 

[Bloodmoney]

Best to be sure you are making the right decision before you decide what you want to do for the rest of your life that's why

 

[taraDNA]

Even though I'm matriculating into dental school this fall, I found this post very interesting. I've always had a passion for dentistry and never questioned why I was going to go into it. Even throughout this application cycle, I was always 100% focused on getting into school but now that I have multiple acceptances I have started questioning things. The advice on this thread is golden, and I do believe everyone does have that little bit of anxiety so it's perfectly normal! Once we are in school there will be ups and downs but you'll be able to see what you're fighting for everyday. I'm also in a similar situation to the OP in that I am on the waitlist to my hometown school but will most likely be moving far far away and I think that and the crazy amount of debt are at the root of this anxiety. What helps me is talking to my friends who are in their first year of pharmacy, optometry and my boyfriend in med school. They all moved very far away and have had similar feelings so they always give that support and feedback on adjusting. It will be worth it in the end and you just got to keep the faith and make sure to surround yourselves with others who can understand

 

[fancymylotus]

Even though I'm matriculating into dental school this fall, I found this post very interesting. I've always had a passion for dentistry and never questioned why I was going to go into it. Even throughout this application cycle, I was always 100% focused on getting into school but now that I have multiple acceptances I have started questioning things. The advice on this thread is golden, and I do believe everyone does have that little bit of anxiety so it's perfectly normal! Once we are in school there will be ups and downs but you'll be able to see what you're fighting for everyday. I'm also in a similar situation to the OP in that I am on the waitlist to my hometown school but will most likely be moving far far away and I think that and the crazy amount of debt are at the root of this anxiety. What helps me is talking to my friends who are in their first year of pharmacy, optometry and my boyfriend in med school. They all moved very far away and have had similar feelings so they always give that support and feedback on adjusting. It will be worth it in the end and you just got to keep the faith and make sure to surround yourselves with others who can understand

Great career choice

 

[shibby1111]

So I've been accepted to med school (yay) and I guess I've chosen now to freak out about whether or not its the right path for me. Is this normal? or is this a sign its not the right path for me?

if you're unsure back out and give the opportunity to someone who is sure.

 

[Mad Jack]

1. If you don't get off this forum (and leave us alone), you'll be an absentee everything.

2. Why are you incapable of putting more than one sentence into each post?

3. Why are half your posts filled with verbal diarrhea/stream of consciousness nonsense and the other half only somewhat coherent?

4. Why do all of your posts lack any sort of understanding about the world or useful content?

5. Why are you doing this to us?

Why are you 1,000x better of a poster and yet you only post once in a blue moon? The world may never know.

 

[Mad Jack]

In all seriousness, I got very nervous before starting. To this day, I wonder if I've made a mistake. What you are going through is normal.

 

[Jagon]

I didn't read any posts other than yours OP. the only real Advice you need is: sack up Brah!

 

[giantswing]

Medicine is the best job ever. Peroid.

I've tried other things. They sucked, I hated my life, so I went to med school.

Now, parts of med school will suck too. So will parts of residency. The parts of med school and residency that suck will at times make your life suck, actually. Parts of being an attending will, at times, suck too.

But it's still way better than most jobs.

 

[NonTradJp]

Many people freak out before big judgment days whether its awesome or scary.