"anti medical school" professors

[musicalMDorDO]

So I've been at a CC for two years and started at a university (early) this summer. It's a quarter system school and the summer quarter is ending next week and I'm 4oing everything.

One of the classes I am taking is "cell biology." The instructor, during lab, asked me what I was interested in doing after undergrad (I finish my degree in 2 years + one quarter but will remain two extra quarters post bac and them apply-i need more time/experiences). I don't like to tell people "i'm pre-med." I just simply tell them the name of my major....

anyways.....i told him i "want to go to medical school." I know that MD, DO (or any other health professional degree, DDS, PharmD, ect) is not "pure science." He said something along the lines of "too bad..." He then mention that "the organic professors and other biology professors will tell you the same thing." Also, when I was at the CC i worked part time as a pharmacy clerk (60+ hrs per week during breaks-and im still going to do it for future reaks)-he told me I was "wasting my time like other pre meds....." He then mumbled something about volunteerng and counting pills. I needed money (AMCAS and secondaries approaching) and it was so close to home as well

I personally refuse to speak to this professor again if he can not respect the aspirations of his students. Not to mention this is the most anti social person I have met. He seems to always be grumpy and makes no eye contact while speaking. I look forward to sitting for the final exam and thats it. Luckily I will probably NOT have another class with him.

I did not spend my freshman and sophmore years at a university, so I'm not really sure...but are a lot of professors generally anti medical school? If so, I'm supposing its because its not "pure science." I'm not saying there is a difference between 4year college and 2 yr college teachers...its just there are more teachers at 4yr schools.

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[Oculus Sinistra]

So I've been at a CC for two years and started at a university (early) this summer. It's a quarter system school and the summer quarter is ending next week and I'm 4oing everything.

One of the classes I am taking is "cell biology." The instructor, during lab, asked me what I was interested in doing after undergrad (I finish my degree in 2 years + one quarter but will remain two extra quarters post bac and them apply-i need more time/experiences). I don't like to tell people "i'm pre-med." I just simply tell them the name of my major....

anyways.....i told him i "want to go to medical school." I know that MD, DO (or any other health professional degree, DDS, PharmD, ect) is not "pure science." He said something along the lines of "too bad..." He then mention that "the organic professors and other biology professors will tell you the same thing." Also, when I was at the CC i worked part time as a pharmacy clerk (60+ hrs per week during breaks-and im still going to do it for future reaks)-he told me I was "wasting my time like other pre meds....." He then mumbled something about volunteerng and counting pills. I needed money (AMCAS and secondaries approaching) and it was so close to home as well

I personally refuse to speak to this professor again if he can not respect the aspirations of his students. Not to mention this is the most anti social person I have met. He seems to always be grumpy and makes no eye contact while speaking. I look forward to sitting for the final exam and thats it. Luckily I will probably have another class with him.

I did not spend my freshman and sophmore years at a university, so I'm not really sure...but are a lot of professors generally anti medical school? If so, I'm supposing its because its not "pure science." I'm not saying there is a difference between 4year college and 2 yr college teachers...its just there are more teachers at 4yr schools.

Some professors are, some professors aren't. Some professors will make comments that begin "To all you who are interested in going into medicine..." and then complain about how ineffective they believe medicine is. "The doctor usually just masks the symptoms instead of treating the problem and you only get five minutes of his time..."

Interestingly, you as a professor often try to condescend to me rather than answering my question, thus masking the problem instead of solving it, and only give us an hour a week of YOUR time when there are multiple students who come to see you.

It would be nice if everyone respected everyone's choices, but we don't live on that planet.

 

[NonTradMed]

I don't think professors are anti-medical school to the extent that they make negative comments about choosing to be premed. However, keep in mind that many professors choose the phD field because they are interested in the research aspect of their profession, while medicine and other clinical fields are more 'applied'. Hence, they deliberately choose not to apply to medical school and may disagree that medicine is a 'great' field to go into (a case of personal preference).

I'm sure others on this thread will say that these profs are bitter because they didn't get into med school, and that may be true at some places but at my school, the professors I observed had excellent credentials from undergraduate, were well compensated for their work (this is a private college) and were successful in their respective fields. I would say that you got unlucky with your professor and that, at least at my school, profs are generally not disagreeable with the premed crowd. However, that doesn't mean some aren't sadists who treated premeds like starving dogs trying to battle for the little crumbs they were dribbling our way.....some profs are just jerks, all we can do is suck it up and endure it.

 

[_ian]

Yeah, I've brought up my indecision between medical and graduate school with a few professors, and without fail, their mouths drop open at the fact that I could even be considering medical school. I go to a school with a huge number of pre-meds, and many of the professors teaching science courses acknowledge them, and are happy to help them out. Noone I've met here discriminates against pre-med students... but there does seem to be an unspoken disdain for those who choose medicine over research.

 

[musicalMDorDO]

I've been talking with other students at this new school I'm at and they are all telling me that what he said "all the other professors will say the same" is not true.

I've heard rumors that this guy is quiting after this summer is out.

 

[dantt]

I think it's not that they dislike medicine in general but a lot of them dislike the "premeds." Basically, those students who pester them with stupid questions to earn brownie points for when they need that LoR or need those extra points to get boosted up to the next half letter grade. Those students who try to argue every point on tests even when they're completely wrong. Those students who get pissed off when professors throw curve balls during tests. etc etc.

None of them are bitter about not getting into medical school. In fact, some of them have dropped out of medical school or even went and decided not to enter medicine after already finishing. If you go to a major research university, your professors definitely have the credentials to get into medical school.

 

[gregMD]

I personally refuse to speak to this professor again if he can not respect the aspirations of his students. Not to mention this is the most anti social person I have met. He seems to always be grumpy and makes no eye contact while speaking. I look forward to sitting for the final exam and thats it. Luckily I will probably NOT have another class with him.
.

I burst out laughing when i read this.


get over yourself.

 

[CTtarheel]

Speaking as a chem major, this is a very common attitude among chemistry professors. I had a chem professor tell me the same thing when i told her my plans after graduation involved med school. From their point, they hate seeing the best science students lured away from pure science to med school, and i think they trully believe that the only reason that we're going to med school is the money.

 

[Law2Doc]

Speaking as a chem major, this is a very common attitude among chemistry professors. I had a chem professor tell me the same thing when i told her my plans after graduation involved med school. From their point, they hate seeing the best science students lured away from pure science to med school, and i think they trully believe that the only reason that we're going to med school is the money.

Agree with this. You WILL find some science profs hostile to premeds for any of the following reasons:
(1) The notion that good students are following the money trail and wasting their skills.
(2) The notion that by choosing to follow the path of physician rather than scientist, you are somewhat dissing their career choice as of lesser interest or importance.
(3) The fact that you likely know far less science than they do, and possibly make less contribution to the world of medical science, yet will still likely be better compensated at the end of the day.
(4) The possibility that you are dredging up frustrations they have about their own career choice, salary, and failure to go that same route; not staking their claim.
(5) Or most importantly: Face it -- premeds are among the most annoying students ever to go through college. They question every point deducted on an exam, are solely focused on grades over substance, and are generally whiners. Nobody in academia likes them.

 

[MD-To Be]

So I've been at a CC for two years and started at a university (early) this summer. It's a quarter system school and the summer quarter is ending next week and I'm 4oing everything.

One of the classes I am taking is "cell biology." The instructor, during lab, asked me what I was interested in doing after undergrad (I finish my degree in 2 years + one quarter but will remain two extra quarters post bac and them apply-i need more time/experiences). I don't like to tell people "i'm pre-med." I just simply tell them the name of my major....

anyways.....i told him i "want to go to medical school." I know that MD, DO (or any other health professional degree, DDS, PharmD, ect) is not "pure science." He said something along the lines of "too bad..." He then mention that "the organic professors and other biology professors will tell you the same thing." Also, when I was at the CC i worked part time as a pharmacy clerk (60+ hrs per week during breaks-and im still going to do it for future reaks)-he told me I was "wasting my time like other pre meds....." He then mumbled something about volunteerng and counting pills. I needed money (AMCAS and secondaries approaching) and it was so close to home as well

I personally refuse to speak to this professor again if he can not respect the aspirations of his students. Not to mention this is the most anti social person I have met. He seems to always be grumpy and makes no eye contact while speaking. I look forward to sitting for the final exam and thats it. Luckily I will probably NOT have another class with him.

I did not spend my freshman and sophmore years at a university, so I'm not really sure...but are a lot of professors generally anti medical school? If so, I'm supposing its because its not "pure science." I'm not saying there is a difference between 4year college and 2 yr college teachers...its just there are more teachers at 4yr schools.

I have ran into this at my university. Some of my professors are certainly anti-pre-med as they feel it drains the best students away from the "true sciences". For the most part though most professors willn't say anything even if they think lowly of pre-meds and a good number of them are supportive too.

 

[mmmkay121]

(5) Or most importantly: Face it -- premeds are among the most annoying students ever to go through college. They question every point deducted on an exam, are solely focused on grades over substance, and are generally whiners. Nobody in academia likes them.

So true.

 

[LauraPaz]

Agree with this. You WILL find some science profs hostile to premeds for any of the following reasons:
(1) The notion that good students are following the money trail and wasting their skills.

I definitely agree with this. I had an ochem lab prof (who I absolutely loved) who was probably more disappointed in me than annoyed for not going after a phD because I did so well in his class. He would joke with me that I was too good at chemistry to go into medicine, but he was never mean about it, and ultimately respected my decision.

(5) Or most importantly: Face it -- premeds are among the most annoying students ever to go through college. They question every point deducted on an exam, are solely focused on grades over substance, and are generally whiners. Nobody in academia likes them.

And this is also so very true Aforementioned ochem lab prof disliked the fact that his class was invariably 75% pre-med, as all the "serious" chem people took the upper-level labs. I think that was one of the reasons he would joke with me, actually, because he knew I actually cared about the class, and not just getting the almighty A.

That said, I know there are those out there who are like the OP described. The PI in a lab I worked in was clearly biased against pre-meds, as she felt the only reason they ever worked in labs was to have some research on their apps. Too bad I actually liked her lab and the other people in it. And oddly enough, her department was one of those affiliated with the med school on my campus. You'd think she'd have learned to deal with it by then.

 

[TomWestmanRules]

Or most importantly: Face it -- premeds are among the most annoying students ever to go through college. They question every point deducted on an exam, are solely focused on grades over substance, and are generally whiners. Nobody in academia likes them.

Truer words have never been spoken. I don't mean to be a prick, but I consider myself an exception to the rule. I spent years in my hardcore pre-med science classes being the class clown and making all my friends laugh instead of jotting down every single thing the prof said. I almost never took class seriously. The real champions in pre-med courses are made far away from the arena, studying efficiently and effectively on their own and maintaining a normal life all the while, not nagging the professor at his office hours for not giving you partial credit for putting the substituent in the para- position rather than the ortho- position. Who gives a ______.

 

[xaelia]

they trully believe that the only reason that we're going to med school is the money.

There's no money in medicine anymore - except in a limited number of specialties where you work so hard you never get to see your family (dermatology might be the only remaining exception). Hundreds of thousands in debt, rising malpractice, and decreasing reimbursement. Take those four years of medical school, plus your minimal salary during 4 to 6 years or residency+fellowship, and you can be far more comfortable a lot earlier with a lot less work. Once you show up that first day to medical school, it's indentured servitude.

Good luck with your applications!

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

Bottom line is, those professors who said that are just flat out unprofessional and being huge d-bags - no excuses (unless of course you were very close with them and they were only trying to joke around, in which case there is a huge difference)

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

There's no money in medicine anymore - except in a limited number of specialties where you work so hard you never get to see your family (dermatology might be the only remaining exception). Hundreds of thousands in debt, rising malpractice, and decreasing reimbursement. Take those four years of medical school, plus your minimal salary during 4 to 6 years or residency+fellowship, and you can be far more comfortable a lot earlier with a lot less work. Once you show up that first day to medical school, it's indentured servitude.

Good luck with your applications!

Sorry, but that's just not true. I don't know who you are trying to scare here, but i don't know any doctors who are poor. They are hard workers, but not poor.

 

[astrife]

There's no money in medicine anymore - except in a limited number of specialties where you work so hard you never get to see your family (dermatology might be the only remaining exception). Hundreds of thousands in debt, rising malpractice, and decreasing reimbursement. Take those four years of medical school, plus your minimal salary during 4 to 6 years or residency+fellowship, and you can be far more comfortable a lot earlier with a lot less work. Once you show up that first day to medical school, it's indentured servitude.

Good luck with your applications!

honestly... doom and gloom man... being a doctor sucks apparently... you should probably quit now

 

[xaelia]

honestly... doom and gloom man... being a doctor sucks apparently... you should probably quit now

Doom and gloom from a financial standpoint. You had better have other reasons to go through with this besides money. You'll see.

 

[R.P. McMurphy]

Doom and gloom from a financial standpoint. You had better have other reasons to go through with this besides money. You'll see.

Are you a doctor? Just curious if you have any personal experience with this horrible poverty.

 

[riceman04]

So I've been at a CC for two years and started at a university (early) this summer. It's a quarter system school and the summer quarter is ending next week and I'm 4oing everything.

One of the classes I am taking is "cell biology." The instructor, during lab, asked me what I was interested in doing after undergrad (I finish my degree in 2 years + one quarter but will remain two extra quarters post bac and them apply-i need more time/experiences). I don't like to tell people "i'm pre-med." I just simply tell them the name of my major....

anyways.....i told him i "want to go to medical school." I know that MD, DO (or any other health professional degree, DDS, PharmD, ect) is not "pure science." He said something along the lines of "too bad..." He then mention that "the organic professors and other biology professors will tell you the same thing." Also, when I was at the CC i worked part time as a pharmacy clerk (60+ hrs per week during breaks-and im still going to do it for future reaks)-he told me I was "wasting my time like other pre meds....." He then mumbled something about volunteerng and counting pills. I needed money (AMCAS and secondaries approaching) and it was so close to home as well

I personally refuse to speak to this professor again if he can not respect the aspirations of his students. Not to mention this is the most anti social person I have met. He seems to always be grumpy and makes no eye contact while speaking. I look forward to sitting for the final exam and thats it. Luckily I will probably NOT have another class with him.

I did not spend my freshman and sophmore years at a university, so I'm not really sure...but are a lot of professors generally anti medical school? If so, I'm supposing its because its not "pure science." I'm not saying there is a difference between 4year college and 2 yr college teachers...its just there are more teachers at 4yr schools.

I think profs just dont like pre-meds who are not taking classes to learn...their main goal is to get that A...even if it means whining or kissing ass in the process

 

[BozoSparky]

Agree with this. You WILL find some science profs hostile to premeds for any of the following reasons:
(1) The notion that good students are following the money trail and wasting their skills.
(2) The notion that by choosing to follow the path of physician rather than scientist, you are somewhat dissing their career choice as of lesser interest or importance.
(3) The fact that you likely know far less science than they do, and possibly make less contribution to the world of medical science, yet will still likely be better compensated at the end of the day.
(4) The possibility that you are dredging up frustrations they have about their own career choice, salary, and failure to go that same route; not staking their claim.
(5) Or most importantly: Face it -- premeds are among the most annoying students ever to go through college. They question every point deducted on an exam, are solely focused on grades over substance, and are generally whiners. Nobody in academia likes them.

good points. i think if the lifestyle of the scientist was more lucrative and respected by the public, this doctor vs. doctor jealousy wouldn't exist.

 

[BozoSparky]

I think profs just dont like pre-meds who are not taking classes to learn...their main goal is to get that A...even if it means whining or kissing ass in the process

yeah, profs tend to admire the purists, that's for sure.

there are some purists in medicine...but i think pre-meds get a bad rep based on the majority who think science is worse than eating a poop hotdog...

 

[Faraaz23]

I also think some professors get a little bitter because they know that MANY of the students wouldn't be taking their classes if they didn't need them to apply to med school. It's probably annoying to have a lot of students who show very little interest and only do what they need to get that A.

 

[novawildcat]

I actually felt terrible applying to medschool. i did research with some math and chem. professors who really took me under their wings and really tried to get me to go to grad school and get a phd in chemistry or math. i hated to tell them that I wanted to go to medschool and then on top of that ask them for a letter of recommendation. i know they are probably upset that i choose not to go to grad school.

 

[ADeadLois]

I personally refuse to speak to this professor again if he can not respect the aspirations of his students.

Therein lies the problem, really.

Keep in mind that a majority of people who enter college pre-med don't end up applying to medical school for a variety of reasons. Professors see this firsthand, and it causes them to take people with "aspirations" of medical schools less seriously.

 

[dantt]

I definitely agree with this. I had an ochem lab prof (who I absolutely loved) who was probably more disappointed in me than annoyed for not going after a phD because I did so well in his class. He would joke with me that I was too good at chemistry to go into medicine, but he was never mean about it, and ultimately respected my decision.

Heh, do you think that would be good in an LoR? "I strongly do not recommend LauraPaz for a career in medicine. She is much to talented in chemistry to waste her potential outside of academia."

 

[DropkickMurphy]

i think they trully believe that the only reason that we're going to med school is the money.

It isn't?

 

[DropkickMurphy]

There's no money in medicine anymore - except in a limited number of specialties where you work so hard you never get to see your family (dermatology might be the only remaining exception). Hundreds of thousands in debt, rising malpractice, and decreasing reimbursement. Take those four years of medical school, plus your minimal salary during 4 to 6 years or residency+fellowship, and you can be far more comfortable a lot earlier with a lot less work. Once you show up that first day to medical school, it's indentured servitude.

Good luck with your applications!

Hmm.....$160K as a bottom feeding FP doc vs maybe $35-50K as an associate prof.....seeing as a PhD takes longer than an MD, it still makes more economic sense to become a doc.

 

[ANCAdoc]

All associate profs I know make more than 50K.

 

[ANCAdoc]

A full professor can even make over 100K....it isn't uncommon.

 

[_ian]

There's no money in medicine anymore - except in a limited number of specialties where you work so hard you never get to see your family (dermatology might be the only remaining exception). Hundreds of thousands in debt, rising malpractice, and decreasing reimbursement.

Oh, shut up. Yes, you work a whole lot; yes, you have a crapload of school. You still make significantly more hourly than you would in most other profession. There are definitely easier ways to get rich - which is why people shouldn't go into medicine for money alone - but to say doctors don't have money is absolutely ludicrous.

Also, associate professors will very, very rarely be making as little as 35K. Untenured professors will often be paid 50K, let alone associate profs...

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Oh, shut up. Yes, you work a whole lot; yes, you have a crapload of school. You still make significantly more hourly than you would in most other profession. There are definitely easier ways to get rich - which is why people shouldn't go into medicine for money alone - but to say doctors don't have money is absolutely ludicrous.

Also, associate professors will very, very rarely be making as little as 35K. Untenured professors will often be paid 50K, let alone associate profs...

I was just going off of what the profs at the university here get paid, since they are the only profs I've ever known well enough to discuss income with. One of my friends who is an associate prof makes $42K per year.

 

[_ian]

I was just going off of what the profs at the university here get paid, since they are the only profs I've ever known well enough to discuss income with. One of my friends who is an associate prof makes $42K per year.

That surprises me a bit, but then, the cost of living in Indiana is relatively low. If you go to UIUC or Purdue, I'm still surprised.

 

[instigata]

my ochem lab professor HATES pre-meds. Whenever i went to his office hours he would make fun of pre-meds for trying to memorize the content instead of understanding. The funny thing is I asked him for a LOR for med school because I got really close to him...we'll see how that goes

 

[45408]

(5) Or most importantly: Face it -- premeds are among the most annoying students ever to go through college. They question every point deducted on an exam, are solely focused on grades over substance, and are generally whiners. Nobody in academia likes them.

I disagree. A lot of professors like the pre-health students because they're likely to volunteer in a lab and try to accomplish something (free labor). They're also likely to actually attend class on a Friday morning, some make use of office hours (some to excess), and they actually study for exams. What professor wants to see an empty class after Thirsty Thursday and then grade exams that show that the students barely glanced at the material? Sure, some pre-meds are gunners/whiners/asskissers, but you're painting with huge sweeping strokes.

 

[45408]

Truer words have never been spoken. I don't mean to be a prick, but I consider myself an exception to the rule.

Of course you are.

 

[45408]

It isn't?

This is SDN, of course it isn't. We'd all be surgeons for 100 hours a week, even if it only paid $25,000/year.