Another lawyer considering med school and looking for advice

[Ash630]

Hi everyone, I’m a soon-to-be lawyer (graduating law school in a month) set to take the bar exam at the end of July and start working at a law firm in October. I’ve recently come to terms with the fact that I don’t want to be a lawyer for very long- my personality and strengths don’t match the job well.

Back in college I was a biochemistry major (I’m strong in math and science) and did all the pre-med prereqs (had a good gpa). I felt like my academic strengths and personality fit being a doctor. I considered med school but I had a fear of performing in emergency life/ death situations and surgery. I have some regret about not looking into it more. I didn’t fully appreciate that there are areas like internal medicine and internal medicine-related specialties (endocrinology for example) that involve less of the fears I had.

Going for it at this point in my life (I’m 27) has crossed my mind. The thought of being an EMT or surgeon for example still makes me nervous, but the thought of being an intellectual-type nonprocedural doctor excites me- I think I’d be good at diagnosis (loved House MD the show) and it would be fulfilling to help patients. I guess the question I’m asking myself is: is it be possible to get through med school and all the training with the fear I have? Is it a bad idea to go in knowing I have only a specific specialty area in mind? I’ve been applying to part-time medical scribe positions (no luck yet), but would even that be enough to feel it out? Will I just “get over” my fear once I start learning/ training?

Any advice would be appreciated!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Goro]

Shadow some doctors and then see if your fears continue.

If not, then volunteer with patients.

And yes, the mindset of "[specialty X] or bust" is a bad idea. Med students are always changing their mind about interests (many times their Boards scores do it for them). Adcoms also want to see that people are open-minded.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I don’t want to be a lawyer for very long- my personality and strengths don’t match the job well.

Explain why you are preparing for the July bar exam...? Where are you focusing your energy? If you know you have to let go, let go. Maybe there is another source for your fear...

 

[Ash630]

Explain why you are preparing for the July bar exam...? Where are you focusing your energy? If you know you have to let go, let go. Maybe there is another source for your fear...

Right now it's the only job I have and it requires the bar. If I landed a part time medical scribe role now (I've had a few interviews so far) and liked it, maybe I would ditch it and start studying for the MCAT.

 

[gyngyn]

Right now it's the only job I have and it requires the bar. If I landed a part time medical scribe role now (I've had a few interviews so far) and liked it, maybe I would ditch it and start studying for the MCAT.

You've spent 3 years. You may as well take the bar.
It opens doors no matter what. Think of advocacy, in particular.

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

It's natural to be afraid of things you haven't experienced yet. That's what training is for. And there will be plenty of smaller steps along the way to build your expertise and confidence before something big hits. By then you will be on autopilot. People confuse cold detachment from certain professionals for apathy, but it's what gives them the ability to focus in time of crisis.

There's going to be bad outcomes, and there exists not a person who hasn't made a grievous mistake. The point is we go through training to give people a chance. Without this process, without someone afraid to have been the first, there would be no chances for anyone. There is courage in accepting the role and being willing to risk failure, if new professionals aren't trained then everyone loses.

I can suggest doing crisis hotline work. It's unlikely you will get to experience being the person who sometimes holds life and death in there hands elsewhere, since EMS paramedics handle anything remotely acute, outside of colossal disasters.

It's extremely difficult but helps shape you, and puts you in those situations. Knowing if you miss something someone could die, or if you say the wrong thing, or sometimes bad outcomes happen even if you do everything right. But after a while it gets routine, and most of the anxiety fades. And you go to bed knowing you did the best anyone could.

This is why I think this is such a valuable experience for premeds. You aren't going to get that anywhere else.

 

[galadriel_1420]

Best and honest advice I can give is follow your heart. It sounds like it's not in law so go ahead and give that one a scratch. If you feel like it could be leaning toward medicine, dip your feet in the water and try looking into some specialties that you think you may like. If you want to scribe, try it out and get lots of advice from physicians and others in the healthcare profession. But please, please do not do something that you are going to hate for the rest of your life. This world needs good doctors and if it's meant to be, you will be one of them. Godspeed my friend.

 

[LindaAccepted]

Hi everyone, I’m a soon-to-be lawyer (graduating law school in a month) set to take the bar exam at the end of July and start working at a law firm in October. I’ve recently come to terms with the fact that I don’t want to be a lawyer for very long- my personality and strengths don’t match the job well.

Back in college I was a biochemistry major (I’m strong in math and science) and did all the pre-med prereqs (had a good gpa). I felt like my academic strengths and personality fit being a doctor. I considered med school but I had a fear of performing in emergency life/ death situations and surgery. I have some regret about not looking into it more. I didn’t fully appreciate that there are areas like internal medicine and internal medicine-related specialties (endocrinology for example) that involve less of the fears I had.

Going for it at this point in my life (I’m 27) has crossed my mind. The thought of being an EMT or surgeon for example still makes me nervous, but the thought of being an intellectual-type nonprocedural doctor excites me- I think I’d be good at diagnosis (loved House MD the show) and it would be fulfilling to help patients. I guess the question I’m asking myself is: is it be possible to get through med school and all the training with the fear I have? Is it a bad idea to go in knowing I have only a specific specialty area in mind? I’ve been applying to part-time medical scribe positions (no luck yet), but would even that be enough to feel it out? Will I just “get over” my fear once I start learning/ training?

Any advice would be appreciated!

At 27, you have a lot of working years ahead of you. You might as well do something you find fulfilling and enjoyable.

I think the advice you've received to experience medicine in less stressful settings at least initially is the way to go. You may find that a non-clinical but medically related career is best for you. Alternatively, you may find that you get over your fears. I assume that most pre-meds find the idea of life-and-death decisions and actions somewhat scary. To me that sounds like realism and healthy humility. However, if what you're experiencing is more than that, then clinical medicine may not be the way to go. But the only way to find out, is to experience it -- volunteer, scribe in less stressful areas, shadow and then see if your fears and concerns become more manageable, or if they are shared by most pre-meds, i.e. normal