Advice from current students or MDs

[WildForLemurs]

I guess this should also serve as my intro as well:

Hi! I'm 27 graduated with Exercise Science with 3.6 GPA have been working in IT Support for the last year and am just about to embark on my pre-medical coursework (taking more calculus, chemistry, physics and beginning organic chem and bio)

I'm seeking your advice because I'm questioning whether becoming a doctor is the right choice for me.

I took Athletic Training for a year as an undergrad and LOVED the extremity injury classes as well as clinical experiences where I was able to evaluate and or help rehabilitate athletes. I HATED being a water boy most of the time and quickly realized that AT's evaluate, but typically refer athletes to a doctor. They take care of minor things like muscle cramps or sprains/strains and such. Don't get me wrong, they're great to have on the field if there's suspected c-spine trauma, but watching practices and waiting for someone to get injured isn't for me.

I took this last year off because I was unsure of what I wanted to do (and also just coming out of the longest and most brutal of Existential Crises ever). I do not like IT Support or the IT field at all, except keeping up with technology and fun gadgets. I like to know how things work and the trouble-shooting and problem-solving aspcets of the job, but I'm left distinctly un-fulfilled at the end of the day.

I love to evaluate family member and friend's injuries and wish I had the knowledge and skill to fix them or at least start them on the healing process. I am also fascinated with the human body (anatomy is one of my favorite classes to date followed closely by physiology), I like to work with my hands and can see myself really enjoying surgery.

However, I'm afraid I might not be doctor material or at least not medical student material because I don't particularly like or enjoy science classes. I am interested in science in a more philosophical aspect (I have a minor in the History and Philosophy of Science) and I can only get through the courses after lots and lots of hard work. The ideas and concepts of hard-science classes interest me very much, IE Quantum Physics and it's interpretations, but doing the actual problems (and the high-level maths that it requires) is not.

I am going to have to study practically non-stop from now until I take the MCAT to be up to par for the science questions, and I'm wondering if it's worth it.

How science-intensive are the classes in medical school? Are they anything like physics 1 and chemistry 1 or is that information forgotten or rarely used after the MCAT? Could I theoretically struggle through them if the end-goal of treating patients is a strong enough motivator?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. (I hope it's good news because I can't see myself being anything but a doctor...)

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[SleepingJune]

I can't see myself being anything but a doctor...

Saying you want to be a doctor and actually doing the work necessary to be one are two very different enchiladas, and for some people, chasing med school requires a hardcore lifestyle transformation. The road to becoming a doctor is not easy, and is more than frustrating at times. But if this path is TRULY what you want, you'll find a way to get there (which in this case, means putting in all of the extra hours to make sure you "get" the material).

From what I understand, the science courses don't get easier after undergrad; they get harder in med school and the information is crammed down your throat firehose style. So while patient care is the end goal, premed/med science courses are the hurdles along the way. Sticking it out means having to find a way to sit down and focus on the material at hand. Get tutors, plant your bottom in office hours, find dedicated study areas/times and stick to them like glue...whatever is necessary. Discipline and time management are key.

If, however, you do all of this and find yourself just absolutely miserable, you may need to re-evaluate and possibly look at different medical options.

An aside...why quantum physics? (just curious...)

Cheers,
June

 

[cabinbuilder]

For someone who doesn't like science classes, how are you going to get through the pre-req's that are required to get into medical school? Those are a real pain. As far as medical school, the whole fire hose analogy is just about right. The first semester is the equivalent of 35 credits and you don't get to drop classes and it gets harder from there.

It includes anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, embryology, histology, pharmacology, etc. It's purely memorization. Then you get into systems: Integument, Respiratory, GI, Cardiac, Musculoskeletal, Renal, Ophtho, etc. It never stops. Plus if you go to DO school like I did then there is the addition of classes in Osteopathic Manipulation. We also had classes with preceptors learning how to be with patients, how to do male/female genital exams, ophtho exams, etc. Then there are 2 years of rotations in every field, some you love some you hate. Then you think about residency.

Bottom line, you really have to want it. Not sure if you are ready for the commitment. You may want to look into physical therapy or ortho PA, shorter route, less hassle. Just as hard to get into.

 

[BruceBanner]

I can't see myself being anything but a doctor...

Really think about that.

I used to say this exact same thing--for years--and my tone has changed. I was also a pre-med/exercise science major, and I was drawn to medicine for the same reasons you listed, except I am interested in science and even enjoy science courses.

What caused me to reconsider is the committment. 27-28 isnt exactly a prime age to start med school. People do it every year, but there is a reason most med students are 22-24 when they start. There are a lot of practical disadvantages to becoming a physician, and they are somewhat magnified as you get older.

I think it's easy to get stuck on how awesome it would be to be a doctor and mentally minimize the committment magnitude.

I dont want to discourage you, but if you dont really enjoy science classes, these next few years are really going to suck. Pre-req's are a pain and there is huge pressure to ace each class so you can stay competitive. On top of that, you get to study for the dryest, most miserable test you could possibly take--the MCAT. I thought studying for that was far more painful than any upper-level science I took in college. And I took it twice. I dont know about med school classes but from everything I hear it's a staggering amount of studying volume.

If you really just want to practice medicine there are other more expedient options--PA and PT. Although now all PT programs are switching to the DPT designation, so it's 3+ years. Both are competitive as hell.

 

[WildForLemurs]

Hey all, than you very much for your responses! I'm a little late in responding because I'm out of a house for a while and living with parents until my lease starts again.

@ June: I love QM because it's sort of like the Alice In Wonderland of the science world. Things behave 'strangely' on a subatomic scale and they also challenge conventional reasoning by suggesting things can have equally opposing states at the same time (IE walking backward and forward at the same time). The field is also promising because of the advancements it can lead to in the computing field as well as cryptology. I also find it really interesting that QM could potentially explain 'everything' in the universe and unite all other theories of the universe.

@ CabinBuilder: I find classes like Anatomy Physiology and Biology very interesting, but struggle with physics and inorganic chemistry as well as maths. Are the other classes you mentioned very much like chem/phys or are they closer to biology and physiology?

Thanks again for your comments!

 

[gman33]

If you don't like science classes, the whole process is going to suck.
I can't say I love them, but it's more the way classes are run than the actual material.

Spend some time volunteering/shadowing to see if you really want to be a doc. Don't do it just because you don't like what you are doing now.

 

[cabinbuilder]

@ CabinBuilder: I find classes like Anatomy Physiology and Biology very interesting, but struggle with physics and inorganic chemistry as well as maths. Are the other classes you mentioned very much like chem/phys or are they closer to biology and physiology?

Thanks again for your comments!

Medical school is NOTHING like undergrad. I can't do math either, no math in medical school. Not much in med school is like chem or physics except when you are talking about cardiology with all its electrical intricacies and determinations of blood flow. The only time I do math is to determine anion gap or calculating the adjusted sodium for too high of glucose but these days everyone has a PDA that does that for them. Bottom line, you cannot compare any class in undergrad with the exception of biochem (which is the same) with anything in medical school. Those classes stand alone. Undergrad is just a tool to see if you are committed enough and willing to suffer through for the opportunity to call yourself doctor.