Any doubs about chosen path?

[anut04ka]

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I'm pretty much new to SDN and the more I read here, the more I see that most of the people are REALLY into what they are doing. They are very determined and hardworking and will do anything to get to their goal of becoming a doctor.

I'm wondering if any of you ever has doubts about this being a right path for you? Being a PreMedical and Medical student is one of the most difficult educational ways: we spend most of our time studying, stressing out, worrying, studying more, stressing out some more, and then still studying a little bit more 🙂 We do that while lots and lots of people around us are having fun, enjoying their lives, partying, traveling, chillin, killin, well you get my point.
Do you ever sit there in the library (or somewhere else) burned out and exausted and wonder if this is the way to live your life?
What do you do in the moments like this? How do you decide that all of this is worth it?
Just post any thoughts you have about your doubts, hurts, pains of being premed, and ways to deal with them. 😕

thanks

 

[Saluki]

My only real doubt is whether I'll have a high enough score to get in where I want to go.

 

[anut04ka]

My only real doubt is whether I'll have a high enough score to get in where I want to go.

i could see where you coming from

 

[Nikki2002]

 

[NRAI2001]

I'm pretty much new to SDN and the more I read here, the more I see that most of the people are REALLY into what they are doing. They are very determined and hardworking and will do anything to get to their goal of becoming a doctor.

I'm wondering if any of you ever has doubts about this being a right path for you? Being a PreMedical and Medical student is one of the most difficult educational ways: we spend most of our time studying, stressing out, worrying, studying more, stressing out some more, and then still studying a little bit more 🙂 We do that while lots and lots of people around us are having fun, enjoying their lives, partying, traveling, chillin, killin, well you get my point.
Do you ever sit there in the library (or somewhere else) burned out and exausted and wonder if this is the way to live your life?
What do you do in the moments like this? How do you decide that all of this is worth it?
Just post any thoughts you have about your doubts, hurts, pains of being premed, and ways to deal with them. 😕

thanks

Most premeds are nerds who have no real life outside of being premed. Just bc they pretend to be completely and totally enthusiastic about medicine doesn't mean that aren't putting up a front or doing it in attempt to rationalize it to themselves. There are many people in med school who weren't total premed losers in college. Best thing you could do is go shadow some doctors and see for yourself if its the best thing for you.

 

[supersash]

i only decided to go pre-med my junior year of college (which was last year, i'm a senior now) and certainly had my share of doubts in the beginning. what's important is to not lose sight of the big picture. you may do bad on a test, but tomorrow is another day!

of course i haven't taken the dreaded mcats yet...this april. but i still think if you're heart is really in it, you will go far no matter what!

 

[ASDIC]

do it only if u are passionate about becoming a doctor...dont do it cuz ur friends are Premed or ur family is pressuring you

a lot of delusional freshmen i speak to at college say they are premed...but after a few years they decide to something else...if u want to be a doctor u must be willing to study 24/7, get those high grades, high test scores and extra curricular activities...that means not a lot of partying...

and u dont have be "smart" to be a succesful medical student...all u have to be is hardworking...dont say that ur not that smart and get all lazy

good luck

 

[anut04ka]

do it only if u are passionate about becoming a doctor...dont do it cuz ur friends are Premed or ur family is pressuring you

a lot of delusional freshmen i speak to at college say they are premed...but after a few years they decide to something else...if u want to be a doctor u must be willing to study 24/7, get those high grades, high test scores and extra curricular activities...that means not a lot of partying...

and u dont have be "smart" to be a succesful medical student...all u have to be is hardworking...dont say that ur not that smart and get all lazy

good luck

I'm a senior, I was premed from the beginning and still didn't change my mind about being premed. Ironically none of my good friends are premed and my parents started to discourage me after they see how much time and effort this takes. So this is purely my decision. I really love a profession of doctors, I have such a respect for all of them. I think that I am pretty hardworking. I've been able to keep up good grades all these three years even though at first it was difficult because of the language barrior (I live in U.S. only for 5 years)
But just sometimes this little doubtful voice asks me if it's all worth it.

There is a sad story that made me question my desire to become a doctor. A friend of mine has an older brother who studied to become a doctor. He went through years and years of studying and not being able to do much of anything else. It was his last year of residency when he got into a horrible car accident. Long story made short, a guy ended up in a coma, brain dead and now is in a vegetative state in a nursing home.

I know that s*** happens to the best of us and you can't rely on stories like this and base your life around them, but this is sooo scary to me. The guy did not even enjoy his life for about 6 years or even more before the accident. He was waiting to become a doctor and then live his life and he never got a chance to. This is too sad.
This story made me think so much about what I'm doing. No one knows what will happen tomorrow and we should all enjoy every day as much as we can. But how can we enjoy when all we do is study, study and study?

I hope this makes sense and doesn't sound too pesimistic or crazy. Maybe it's just me, but even though I have a very strong desire to be a doctor (I really don't see myself doing anything else), I have my share of doubts.

 

[NRAI2001]

I'm a senior, I was premed from the beginning and still didn't change my mind about being premed. Ironically none of my good friends are premed and my parents started to discourage me after they see how much time and effort this takes. So this is purely my decision. I really love a profession of doctors, I have such a respect for all of them. I think that I am pretty hardworking. I've been able to keep up good grades all these three years even though at first it was difficult because of the language barrior (I live in U.S. only for 5 years)
But just sometimes this little doubtful voice asks me if it's all worth it.

There is a sad story that made me question my desire to become a doctor. A friend of mine has an older brother who studied to become a doctor. He went through years and years of studying and not being able to do much of anything else. It was his last year of residency when he got into a horrible car accident. Long story made short, a guy ended up in a coma, brain dead and now is in a vegetative state in a nursing home.

I know that s*** happens to the best of us and you can't rely on stories like this and base your life around them, but this is sooo scary to me. The guy did not even enjoy his life for about 6 years or even more before the accident. He was waiting to become a doctor and then live his life and he never got a chance to. This is too sad.
This story made me think so much about what I'm doing. No one knows what will happen tomorrow and we should all enjoy every day as much as we can. But how can we enjoy when all we do is study, study and study?

I hope this makes sense and doesn't sound too pesimistic or crazy. Maybe it's just me, but even though I have a very strong desire to be a doctor (I really don't see myself doing anything else), I have my share of doubts.

Yea, I have that same fear. What if after i complete med school, then residency, then fellowships, and i finally get out in the real world to practice and really enjoy my life I end up having a heart attack or something from all the years of stress. 👎

 

[Arsenic]

moving to pre-allo

 

[Darth Asclepius]

There is a sad story that made me question my desire to become a doctor. A friend of mine has an older brother who studied to become a doctor. He went through years and years of studying and not being able to do much of anything else. It was his last year of residency when he got into a horrible car accident. Long story made short, a guy ended up in a coma, brain dead and now is in a vegetative state in a nursing home.

I think it's normal to have some doubts. Sometimes I thought students I knew who "never had a doubt" might not have a really realistic picture of what they were getting into. When I spent a lot of time with a surgeon I had to step back and think "Do I want to make these sacrifices? Will I enjoy this job after 30 years? Am I willing to go through the long, hard training required to become a surgeon?" I thought hard about it for a while and decided the answer was yes. I don't think that means I was any less dedicated than other students. I just think it meant that I was being realistic about my future (not to say none of those students that never had a doubt don't know what they are getting into, just that seriously reflecting on what you are getting into is a good thing). A lot of people question if they are on the right path after years of spending Friday nights studying. It is normal.

As far as the man who got into the accident- How do you know he didn't enjoy his life? Studying hard and working hard does not have to equal misery. I study my ass off (MSI) and I am very happy and really enjoy my life. Sure, sometimes it sucks, but for the most part it's not that bad. I think the key is trying to enjoy the process (undergrad, med school, residency) for what it is and not just as a means to an end. If you see this as something you have to do to become a doctor, you might look back and regret it, but if you see it as what you are doing today because it is the path you have chosen and keep in mind that med school (or undergrad) is 4 years of your life, not just a "jail sentence" you must complete to get that MD, you will be much happier. You also have to make time for the people and things that are important to you. It can be done. It's not easy, but if you manage your time well and set priorities, you can have a fulfilling life and follow this path.

 

[RayhanS1282]

Yeah my doubt is that why are cosmic forces so intent on kicking me off the path to medical school?

Note: Cosmic forces is a metaphor for adcoms.

 

[MrBurns10]

The only thing I'm really worried about is that I love sleep too much; I love getting a good 8 hours a night, and not being able to for weeks on end doesn't sound appealing at all.

And my advice to premeds is seriously, don't study 24/7. College is about so much more than getting a 4.0...just like it's not all about partying. A balance is necessary. Trust me, you don't need to study 24 hours a day to get into med school. For some subjects sure, you need to study more; I had to study a lot to do well in orgo. But enjoy college...it's the only time you'll have the opportunity.

 

[cfdavid]

Hopefully I can shed some "wisdom" as a non-trad that's been out in the work force for the past 8 years, and will be going SOMEWHERE this fall or summer. lol

No matter what industry or field one chooses, there will always be challenges to time, and energy (stamina etc). Medicine is not the only field, by far, that can be a tough road, and that demands a lot of one's time. In fact, as our national economy continues to be exposed to global labor pools, MANY jobs are becoming extremely stressful, and requiring much more of the worker than ever before.

So, in that perspective, medicine is not that hard a road, comparatively. And the benefits are many. Having doubts is very natural. More so on forums like this, at times, because everyone seems so focused. But, keep in mind that everything is relative and that medicine still offers SO much more than many other careers.

Many of you are 21-24 years old. If you're mature enough, and think your ready (again, a certain level of doubt is natural), you should do it. I waited, and don't regret it at all. But, that age range is very ideal from the standpoint of paying some dues early on, and having a budding career by 30 or so. Trust me, that's not that far off.

 

[little_late_MD]

And my advice to premeds is seriously, don't study 24/7. College is about so much more than getting a 4.0...just like it's not all about partying. A balance is necessary. Trust me, you don't need to study 24 hours a day to get into med school. For some subjects sure, you need to study more; I had to study a lot to do well in orgo. But enjoy college...it's the only time you'll have the opportunity.

College isn't all about partying? Where were you when I was a freshman MrBurns? Where?!!!!

 

[yrodri15]

Anut,

I am a senior and nearing the end (hopefully 😉 ) of my pre-med days. Sure, there were many times that you are sitting in a library... burnt / stressed out... as all the business majors / etc. are frolicking (sp?) out and playing soccer etc.. The pre-med path probably took ~five years out of my possible lifespan. BUT it REALLY becomes worth it when you start interviewing, and when you are accepted. I tend to believe that things in life balance out... we have to go through a lot of work/stress/etc. before we start enjoying the rewards of our huge and LONG committment. Hang in there, it is natural to doubt every now and then, just make sure you shadow/have clinical experience so that you can find out if this is truly what interests you. 😀

It becomes "worth it" as soon as you put on your white coat and begin seeing your first patients (which if you go to U.M., is by the fourth week lol)...

 

[maxflash04]

I have had my doubts about becoming a doctor last year when I suffered many sporadic episodes of ulcerative colitis throughout the entire school year. I was in/out of the ER, getting blood work, and too ill to get out of bed (literally). I didn't know how healthy I'd be with all the stress involved with the road to medical school, medical school itself, residency and what not. I spoke with my family, girlfriend, and thought seriously to myself if I'd be able to endure the hardships of this long and tedious process. I finally discovered that working towards becoming a medical doctor is thrill fully enjoying; I enjoy the material that I study, staying up late to study, etc. I usually don't sleep much and I'm sure that doesn't help disease, health status, etc. but I get so fascinated with everything that it keeps me up for hours on end.

The road is certainly a challengeable one but it is definitely manageable, as well. I'm prepared to take the journey knowing full well I'll encounter bumps and bruises along the way but if I continue to be dedicated and persistent that it'll pay off in the end. I just couldn't imagine myself being happy in another career. I've spent some time working with my aunt whom is a doctor, shadowing surgeons, and sitting in on surgery cases, and I love it to death!

Good luck to everyone!

 

[Casey James]

I'm pretty much new to SDN and the more I read here, the more I see that most of the people are REALLY into what they are doing. They are very determined and hardworking and will do anything to get to their goal of becoming a doctor.

I'm wondering if any of you ever has doubts about this being a right path for you? Being a PreMedical and Medical student is one of the most difficult educational ways: we spend most of our time studying, stressing out, worrying, studying more, stressing out some more, and then still studying a little bit more 🙂 We do that while lots and lots of people around us are having fun, enjoying their lives, partying, traveling, chillin, killin, well you get my point.
Do you ever sit there in the library (or somewhere else) burned out and exausted and wonder if this is the way to live your life?
What do you do in the moments like this? How do you decide that all of this is worth it?



Just post any thoughts you have about your doubts, hurts, pains of being premed, and ways to deal with them. 😕

thanks

If you're having these kind of doubts now, I'd advise you to get out. Medschool is exactly like you describe except multiplied by a thousand. Then there's internship. You can pretty much triple the stress again.

If you want to kick back and enjoy life for a while, find out who you are and re-evaluate whether this is the right path for you then, you should at least take some time off before medschool. There's no time for pondering once you're in. 😉



-Casey

 

[Apparition]

If you're having these kind of doubts now, I'd advise you to get out. Medschool is exactly like you describe except multiplied by a thousand. Then there's internship. You can pretty much triple the stress again.

If you want to kick back and enjoy life for a while, find out who you are and re-evaluate whether this is the right path for you then, you should at least take some time off before medschool. There's no time for pondering once you're in. 😉



-Casey

How would you know what medical school is like? You haven't started.
There was a great thread in the general residency forum that asks whether new doctors would do it all over again. You'll find that many of those who were dead set on medicine and full of idealism say that that would do something else if they could get their previous lives back. Then there are those who had a much practical outlook on the career and plenty of doubts that are very happy with their decision. The consensus on that thread is that you can't know until you, yourself, are a doctor or at least you reach 3rd year of med. school. So just because someone doesn't jump through the burning hoop that is pre-med without hesitation, doesn't mean that medicine is not for them. It's a gamble no matter how much clinical experience you get during pre-med.

 

[BlinkyCat]

You know, I'm one of those people who had doubts about being premed and going into medicine. I was curious as to what else is out there, but a little afraid of the unknown. I didn't want to leave the familiar "premed stuff", so I went at it 110%. I joined and lead different community service crap, did research, and studied like insanely much for all my classes. I tried to achieve perfection in every aspect of my academic career with one thing in mind, Harvard med school. Needless to say, I was miserable ( even though I ended up with 4.0 science gpa and near 4.0 overall gpa)!!!! I went to one of the top 5 undergrad, so getting perfect gpa was scary....and not human...I got sick alot and was sad because I didn't want my college years to be like this.

Guess what, I decided for myself that no, I am going to spend college exploring my passion and really get something out of my experience. I took a premed vacation and got into the business division. It was there that I realized how much I really was passionate about medicine and the prospect of becoming a doctor was renewed. You see, sometimes, you have to pluck yourself out of this premed madness to really see. Yes, I had doubts, but after letting myself try other things, I am much more confident in my chosen path. 🙂 (Oh yea, I also adopted a more normal lifestyle. I go out and party. Hang out with friends. Date. It's important to strike a balance)

 

[PreMedMommy]

Do I have doubts??? No, I don't. But do I question myself to be sure this is what I really want??? Of course, that's how I know that this is what I want to do with my life. I have spent a lot of time contemplating how much work is ahead of me and how much sacrifice I'll have to make, but in the end, for me, it pays off. Because of how much I've weighed the pros and cons, I have absolutely no doubts that this is what I want. Questioning yourself is normal, but full-fledged doubt should be a red flag for you to take some time and really think about why you want to become a doctor.

 

[maxflash04]

How would you know what medical school is like? You haven't started.
There was a great thread in the general residency forum that asks whether new doctors would do it all over again. You'll find that many of those who were dead set on medicine and full of idealism say that that would do something else if they could get their previous lives back. Then there are those who had a much practical outlook on the career and plenty of doubts that are very happy with their decision. The consensus on that thread is that you can't know until you, yourself, are a doctor or at least you reach 3rd year of med. school. So just because someone doesn't jump through the burning hoop that is pre-med without hesitation, doesn't mean that medicine is not for them. It's a gamble no matter how much clinical experience you get during pre-med.

I spoke with an anesthesiologist once who said if he had the chance to go back in time he would have chosen a different profession other than going to medical school and becoming a doctor.

 

[maxflash04]

You know, I'm one of those people who had doubts about being premed and going into medicine. I was curious as to what else is out there, but a little afraid of the unknown. I didn't want to leave the familiar "premed stuff", so I went at it 110%. I joined and lead different community service crap, did research, and studied like insanely much for all my classes. I tried to achieve perfection in every aspect of my academic career with one thing in mind, Harvard med school. Needless to say, I was miserable ( even though I ended up with 4.0 science gpa and near 4.0 overall gpa)!!!! I went to one of the top 5 undergrad, so getting perfect gpa was scary....and not human...I got sick alot and was sad because I didn't want my college years to be like this.

Guess what, I decided for myself that no, I am going to spend college exploring my passion and really get something out of my experience. I took a premed vacation and got into the business division. It was there that I realized how much I really was passionate about medicine and the prospect of becoming a doctor was renewed. You see, sometimes, you have to pluck yourself out of this premed madness to really see. Yes, I had doubts, but after letting myself try other things, I am much more confident in my chosen path. 🙂 (Oh yea, I also adopted a more normal lifestyle. I go out and party. Hang out with friends. Date. It's important to strike a balance)

Why is it that every ex-pre-med goes into business after they decide it isn't the thing for them or go on a "vacation"? LOL

I'm glad that you discovered medicine is the right thing for you. By the way, are you still finishing your undergraduate studies, applying for medical school, or currently attenting medical school? If you're attending medical school, which one did you end up getting in considering you had a 4.0BPCM GPA and nearly 4.0 cumulative GPA? Did your dream of attending Harvard medical school become a reality? Let me know! 🙂

Anyway, have fun! 🙂

 

[maxflash04]

Do I have doubts??? No, I don't. But do I question myself to be sure this is what I really want??? Of course, that's how I know that this is what I want to do with my life. I have spent a lot of time contemplating how much work is ahead of me and how much sacrifice I'll have to make, but in the end, for me, it pays off. Because of how much I've weighed the pros and cons, I have absolutely no doubts that this is what I want. Questioning yourself is normal, but full-fledged doubt should be a red flag for you to take some time and really think about why you want to become a doctor.

Contemplation. Word up. 😉

Way to go, PreMedMommy! Shoot for the stars and don't let anyone hold you back! 😀

 

[Chris127]

I wonder how many people you could find in the business career, who sit in cubicles from 7-4 everyday, who regret their decision. The simple fact is, the majority of people veiw their jobs as 'work'.

I never want to have a job just to have a job. I dont want to skip around from job to job like so many people do. I dont want to wait 10 years expecting a raise, only to see the other guy get it. I want to have a set career, a real profession, something I enjoy doing.

Medicine, for me, is something I am intruiged by. I love science, and medical word just comes off as fascinating to me. Like I said, so many people view their jobs as work, and are not satisfied. If you are a doctor and have these views, trust me, your better off than most people. And if your a doctor and you love it, (or if you have any job and love it), then nothing really beats that.

 

[CTSballer11]

I am not worried about the actual job once I am a doctor. In the end it is a job and there will be bad says and good days. The thing I find frustrating is studying and the stress that comes along with being a premed. Today for example I met this girl who is on the track team here in college and we got to talking and she seemed really laid back and overall happy. I on the otherhand am usually tired from studying, stressed out etc. So she wanted to go downtown tonight and hangout. I of course have a test tommorow and gave her my usual reply, "I wish I could go, but I have to study." It is stuff like that which pisses me off.

 

[oompa loompa]

I am not worried about the actual job once I am a doctor. In the end it is a job and there will be bad says and good days. The thing I find frustrating is studying and the stress that comes along with being a premed. Today for example I met this girl who is on the track team here in college and we got to talking and she seemed really laid back and overall happy. I on the otherhand am usually tired from studying, stressed out etc. So she wanted to go downtown tonight and hangout. I of course have a test tommorow and gave her my usual reply, "I wish I could go, but I have to study." It is stuff like that which pisses me off.

Yeah, I think the hardest thing is sacrificing so much of your 20s--the supposed best time of your life--to schooling and residency.

 

[NRAI2001]

I spoke with an anesthesiologist once who said if he had the chance to go back in time he would have chosen a different profession other than going to medical school and becoming a doctor.

So what would he rather do? I hear that from a lot of doctors, i ve never really asked them what they would do, but i doubt many of them actually have an idea of what else they would rather do. Some say business, but i don't think they have a clear idea of what they want.

 

[oompa loompa]

So what would he rather do? I hear that from a lot of doctors, i ve never really asked them what they would do, but i doubt many of them actually have an idea of what else they would rather do. Some say business, but i don't think they have a clear idea of what they want.

So do you think the people who have no clear idea of what they wantedin the first place are the ones who end up being unhappy in medicine (or whatever profession they choose) ? I also think having a "clear idea" is also sometimes dependent on personality. Some people are just more indecisive than others. So what does this mean? That certain personalities are just always going to be unhappy no matter what they do?

 

[Chris127]

CTS what year are you?

 

[NRAI2001]

So do you think the people who have no clear idea of what they wantedin the first place are the ones who end up being unhappy in medicine (or whatever profession they choose) ? I also think having a "clear idea" is also sometimes dependent on personality. Some people are just more indecisive than others. So what does this mean? That certain personalities are just always going to be unhappy no matter what they do?

I think most docs were nerdy premeds who didnt learn to enjoy themselves while they were in undergrad and in med school. They believed that once they became docs that their boring lives would take a complete 180 and it didn't happen. So now they blame it on the medical profession, when it was mostly likely their own faults. Their resent is misdirected.

They are jealous (to varying degrees) when they see other non medical professionals doing well, and when they see other people happy.

 

[maxflash04]

I studied endlessly for this Anatomy and Physiology exam that I had today expecting logical and in-depth questions about the different passive/active processes, the proteins used in vesicular transport, enzymes hydrolyzing ATP in the sodium-potassium pump, chemical messengers (in-depth), glycocolax (in-depth), transcription, translation, and other biochemical pathways (in-depth), cell cycle (in-depth), membrane potential (in-depth), electrochemical gradients (in-depth), endocrine and exocrine glands (in-depth), cartilages (in-depth), tissues (in-depth), and the story continues endlessly. BUT! The test was the most general test I've taken in my entire life.

This was our third test of the semester and the first two were extremely specific, in-depth, and asked many logical questions. I studied and prepared myself and expected to take a test similar to the ones I had taken previously but was severely mistaken when -- after hours and hours of intense in-depth studying -- I received the test only to discover it was the most general test I had ever seen in my life! I swear that kids in middle school could have made an A+ on the test if they had gone over it once or twice. The fact that the test was so general, non specific, and consisted of straight forward questions shocked me to the point where I almost fell out of my chair laughing hysterically!

The generalization of the test blew my mind away because I did nothing but prepare for an intense, in-depth and specific test; I swore I must have missed at least 5-8 questions that would have only required me to read over the text once or twice but the thought of that material even being present on the test never crossed my bind because of its simplicity!

To sum it all up, I'm thoroughly disgusted with my performance on this test, the fact that the test was so general, while we've taken two very specific and in-depth tests, and my lab TA's have done nothing but grind into our heads that my professor's tests' are the hardest to pass therefore, making the class itself difficult to pass (granted, my TA is getting her PhD in forensic anthropology and the rest are AT LEAST in graduate school). Taking their advice seems only reasonable if you one would want to do well in the class: study the material the professor doesn't go over class, go over and review the most minute details of different pathways and mechanisms, etc. I can't believe that my professor let us out to dry like that; any idiot could have done well on this test as long as they did a general review of the notes and chapters, but considering we've had two tests where the class average was ~50.0%, one would only assume that the test would be just as, if not more, difficult that then previous ones considering the material we're going over isn't as broad as the material we've gone over in the past, is specific for various cell functions, etc. I know that I've probably bored you because it's not relative to the topic at hand, but I had to get this off my shoulders because I am really upset!

I have an A&P Lab practical exam (the 2nd of the semester) tomorrow; at least I'll know it will be more specific considering we have to identify bones, cranial sutures, joint locations and functions, etc. I can't believe that I'm actually excited about that, but at least I know the immense amount of time I’ve spent studying will pay off!

The venting of maxflash04 has ended. You may continue to go on with your ordinary lives whilst ignoring his silly post (one of many 😉).

The end. 😳

 

[NRAI2001]

I am not worried about the actual job once I am a doctor. In the end it is a job and there will be bad says and good days. The thing I find frustrating is studying and the stress that comes along with being a premed. Today for example I met this girl who is on the track team here in college and we got to talking and she seemed really laid back and overall happy. I on the otherhand am usually tired from studying, stressed out etc. So she wanted to go downtown tonight and hangout. I of course have a test tommorow and gave her my usual reply, "I wish I could go, but I have to study." It is stuff like that which pisses me off.

Go with her on the weekend 👍

 

[NRAI2001]

I studied endlessly for this Anatomy and Physiology exam that I had today expecting logical and in-depth questions about the different passive/active processes, the proteins used in vesicular transport, enzymes hydrolyzing ATP in the sodium-potassium pump, chemical messengers (in-depth), glycocolax (in-depth), transcription, translation, and other biochemical pathways (in-depth), cell cycle (in-depth), membrane potential (in-depth), electrochemical gradients (in-depth), endocrine and exocrine glands (in-depth), cartilages (in-depth), tissues (in-depth), and the story continues endlessly. BUT! The test was the most general test I've taken in my entire life.

This was our third test of the semester and the first two were extremely specific, in-depth, and asked many logical questions. I studied and prepared myself and expected to take a test similar to the ones I had taken previously but was severely mistaken when -- after hours and hours of intense in-depth studying -- I received the test only to discover it was the most general test I had ever seen in my life! I swear that kids in middle school could have made an A+ on the test if they had gone over it once or twice. The fact that the test was so general, non specific, and consisted of straight forward questions shocked me to the point where I almost fell out of my chair laughing hysterically!

The generalization of the test blew my mind away because I did nothing but prepare for an intense, in-depth and specific test; I swore I must have missed at least 5-8 questions that would have only required me to read over the text once or twice but the thought of that material even being present on the test never crossed my bind because of its simplicity!

To sum it all up, I'm thoroughly disgusted with my performance on this test, the fact that the test was so general, while we've taken two very specific and in-depth tests, and my lab TA's have done nothing but grind into our heads that my professor's tests' are the hardest to pass therefore, making the class itself difficult to pass (granted, my TA is getting her PhD in forensic anthropology and the rest are AT LEAST in graduate school). Taking their advice seems only reasonable if you one would want to do well in the class: study the material the professor doesn't go over class, go over and review the most minute details of different pathways and mechanisms, etc. I can't believe that my professor let us out to dry like that; any idiot could have done well on this test as long as they did a general review of the notes and chapters, but considering we've had two tests where the class average was ~50.0%, one would only assume that the test would be just as, if not more, difficult that then previous ones considering the material we're going over isn't as broad as the material we've gone over in the past, is specific for various cell functions, etc. I know that I've probably bored you because it's not relative to the topic at hand, but I had to get this off my shoulders because I am really upset!

I have an A&P Lab practical exam (the 2nd of the semester) tomorrow; at least I'll know it will be more specific considering we have to identify bones, cranial sutures, joint locations and functions, etc. I can't believe that I'm actually excited about that, but at least I know the immense amount of time I’ve spent studying will pay off!

The venting of maxflash04 has ended. You may continue to go on with your ordinary lives whilst ignoring his silly post (one of many 😉).

The end. 😳

Nerd

 

[CTSballer11]

CTS what year are you?

Long story short, I am one credit shy of being a soph, due to a baseball injury I had to drop a class. Technically a fresh.

 

[little_late_MD]

I studied endlessly for this Anatomy and Physiology exam that I had today expecting logical and in-depth questions about the different passive/active processes, the proteins used in vesicular transport, enzymes hydrolyzing ATP in the sodium-potassium pump, chemical messengers (in-depth), glycocolax (in-depth), transcription, translation, and other biochemical pathways (in-depth), cell cycle (in-depth), membrane potential (in-depth), electrochemical gradients (in-depth), endocrine and exocrine glands (in-depth), cartilages (in-depth), tissues (in-depth), and the story continues endlessly. BUT! The test was the most general test I've taken in my entire life.

This was our third test of the semester and the first two were extremely specific, in-depth, and asked many logical questions. I studied and prepared myself and expected to take a test similar to the ones I had taken previously but was severely mistaken when -- after hours and hours of intense in-depth studying -- I received the test only to discover it was the most general test I had ever seen in my life! I swear that kids in middle school could have made an A+ on the test if they had gone over it once or twice. The fact that the test was so general, non specific, and consisted of straight forward questions shocked me to the point where I almost fell out of my chair laughing hysterically!

The generalization of the test blew my mind away because I did nothing but prepare for an intense, in-depth and specific test; I swore I must have missed at least 5-8 questions that would have only required me to read over the text once or twice but the thought of that material even being present on the test never crossed my bind because of its simplicity!

To sum it all up, I'm thoroughly disgusted with my performance on this test, the fact that the test was so general, while we've taken two very specific and in-depth tests, and my lab TA's have done nothing but grind into our heads that my professor's tests' are the hardest to pass therefore, making the class itself difficult to pass (granted, my TA is getting her PhD in forensic anthropology and the rest are AT LEAST in graduate school). Taking their advice seems only reasonable if you one would want to do well in the class: study the material the professor doesn't go over class, go over and review the most minute details of different pathways and mechanisms, etc. I can't believe that my professor let us out to dry like that; any idiot could have done well on this test as long as they did a general review of the notes and chapters, but considering we've had two tests where the class average was ~50.0%, one would only assume that the test would be just as, if not more, difficult that then previous ones considering the material we're going over isn't as broad as the material we've gone over in the past, is specific for various cell functions, etc. I know that I've probably bored you because it's not relative to the topic at hand, but I had to get this off my shoulders because I am really upset!

I have an A&P Lab practical exam (the 2nd of the semester) tomorrow; at least I'll know it will be more specific considering we have to identify bones, cranial sutures, joint locations and functions, etc. I can't believe that I'm actually excited about that, but at least I know the immense amount of time I’ve spent studying will pay off!

The venting of maxflash04 has ended. You may continue to go on with your ordinary lives whilst ignoring his silly post (one of many 😉).

The end. 😳

WTF?

 

[CTSballer11]

Go with her on the weekend 👍

track meet.

 

[maxflash04]

So what would he rather do? I hear that from a lot of doctors, i ve never really asked them what they would do, but i doubt many of them actually have an idea of what else they would rather do. Some say business, but i don't think they have a clear idea of what they want.

He said he wouldn't have gone to medical school to become a doctor because it consumed much of his social life during his college and medical school years. I did ask him what he would've done instead of medicine, but I don't remember what he said exactly but it was along the lines of having a job that permitted him more to time to be with his family and children.

I'm not going to say that he was some nerdy pre-med who spent most of his undergraduate and medical school years not socializing or enjoying their life because first of all, I don't know him well enough to judge him like that; secondly, no one but himself knows the answer as to why, if given the chance to choose another profession, he would choose something else besides medicine.

One of my aunt's is a doctor, and she is currently not working (hasn't been for nearly a year) because she has rearranged her priorities and has decided to devote the majority of her time with her family instead of working long hours as a doctor. She gave birth to her third child within the last two years, and ever since then she's given him all of the attention that she neglected to give to her two older children. Maybe it's regret, remorse, or she may have quite possibly lost the love and interest for medicine, but whatever it is, she clearly wasn't happy with being away from her children as much as she was, and that affected her in such a way that she chose between working as a doctor (either full or part-time; she juggled both for awhile while deciding what exactly to do), or working as a full-time mother. She obviously chose to devote her time to her children, and no one, not even her husband, will ever know why it is that she chose to leave the profession she was so passionate about because she is an extremely gifted and intelligent woman; and quite frankly, that's an excellent doctor whose skills and experience have gone to waste. Don't get me wrong, I respect her decision and wouldn't try to convince her that she's wrong or I'm right because it's her family and life. One day she may decide to change her outlook and focus more on her profession but who knows when and if that will ever happen again.

(I have had some long responses today... 😉)

maxflash04

 

[NRAI2001]

track meet.

Tell ur professor u had a hot date and couldn't study 👍 Bring him a picture of her for proof.

 

[maxflash04]

Nerd

I may be a nerd but you can't tell me that wouldn't have pissed you off. Unless it doesn't... LOL! 😉

maxflash04

 

[NRAI2001]

He said he wouldn't have gone to medical school to become a doctor because it consumed much of his social life during his college and medical school years. I did ask him what he would've done instead of medicine, but I don't remember what he said exactly but it was along the lines of having a job that permitted him more to time to be with his family and children.
I'm not going to say that he was some nerdy pre-med who spent most of his undergraduate and medical school years not socializing or enjoying their life because first of all, I don't know him well enough to judge him like that; secondly, no one but himself knows the answer as to why, if given the chance to choose another profession, he would choose something else besides medicine.

(I have had some long responses today... 😉)

maxflash04

He was a nerdy premed and realizes it now.

I think its so stupid when people say things like "...i want a job that would give me more time for my family...etc" bc any job could give you that. Medicine is one of the few professions where you can choose to work how many hours and days a week you wish to. It just makes the person seem like they don't know what they want.

 

[NRAI2001]

I may be a nerd but you can't tell me that wouldn't have pissed you off. Unless it doesn't... LOL! 😉

maxflash04

Yes i guess it may, but walking out of a midterm realizing it was easy and you overstudied is better than walking out with a feeling that it was easy and you understudied.

But just let it go. 👍

 

[maxflash04]

He was a nerdy premed and realizes it now.

I think its so stupid when people say things like "...i want a job that would give me more time for my family...etc" bc any job could give you that. Medicine is one of the few professions where you can choose to work how many hours and days a week you wish to. It just makes the person seem like they don't know what they want.

Yeah, I have a feeling there's some personal problems and conflicts that are keeping her away from the office. I'm not sure if she has just lost interest in medicine from boredom or really wans to spend more time with her family. Who knows? :-/

maxflash04

 

[Pretty POHA]

I wonder how many people you could find in the business career, who sit in cubicles from 7-4 everyday, who regret their decision. The simple fact is, the majority of people veiw their jobs as 'work'.

I was in the working world for six years before I decided to go back to college to go into medicine. I realized that no matter what (aside from a sugar daddy, which I STILL haven't found), I'd be working. I might as well do something that uses my talents--something where I can really truly shine, and something that makes me more money than the average joe.

I really had no other major plans for the next 10-15 years, had no real goal or dream. But now that I've found that I'm really good at school and completely fascinated by biology, I know I can attain this goal of becoming a doctor... Now there's nothing more important to me than my education! It's hard work, but I pace myself so that I don't burn out. Or at least I try real hard to do that.

Sometimes, when my roommate and my boyfriend and all my friends are in the other room partying, and my nose is stuck in the books, I relish over how much smarter I am than them. Ha! 😎

And if that doesn't work, I remind them all that once I'm a doctor, I'll be THEIR sugar momma, so they better turn that music down and tell me how proud they are of me!

 

[maxflash04]

Yes i guess it may, but walking out of a midterm realizing it was easy and you overstudied is better than walking out with a feeling that it was easy and you understudied.
But just let it go. 👍

Unfortunately, it wasn't a mid-term. The numbers of tests we’ll end up taking in this course are unreal! The amount of tests that’ll be taken for the course:

Lecture part of class: Eight exams along with one cumulative final worth three lecture exams.
Lab part of class: Four practical exams and one cumulative practical final worth a hefty % of the final lab grade.​

You do make a good point saying that it's better to walk out of the test feeling that it was easy and I over studied rather than thinking it was easy and not studying enough. 😉 I'm really just mad at the fact that my professor and his staff continuously remind us of how difficult the class is, emphasize the cells particular pathways, mechanisms, etc. which are used in the first two exams, and then to totally do the opposite in the third exam. It's funny because it's like he spent the majority of the lecture class over this test pointing out certain functions of this or that, xRNA is involved in this or that or is seen more in this or that or is directed doing this or that (I'm sure you get the point), etc. and then only have one or two questions of the entire test that pertain to those particular points he went over in class while the remaining questions consisted of general and basic facts, or common knowledge material, that the average Biology/Chemistry major wouldn't consider as being used as questions for the test.

Ultimately, I’m upset that I overlooked the simple and easy parts of the chapters and focused only on the specific and most in-depth material in the book. I’m glad that I realized what mistakes I made and now it’ll be corrected more easily so that I won’t make the same errors in the upcoming tests.

maxflash04

 

[maxflash04]

I was in the working world for six years before I decided to go back to college to go into medicine. I realized that no matter what (aside from a sugar daddy, which I STILL haven't found), I'd be working. I might as well do something that uses my talents--something where I can really truly shine, and something that makes me more money than the average joe.

I really had no other major plans for the next 10-15 years, had no real goal or dream. But now that I've found that I'm really good at school and completely fascinated by biology, I know I can attain this goal of becoming a doctor... Now there's nothing more important to me than my education! It's hard work, but I pace myself so that I don't burn out. Or at least I try real hard to do that.

Sometimes, when my roommate and my boyfriend and all my friends are in the other room partying, and my nose is stuck in the books, I relish over how much smarter I am than them. Ha! 😎

And if that doesn't work, I remind them all that once I'm a doctor, I'll be THEIR sugar momma, so they better turn that music down and tell me how proud they are of me!

I'm glad you've gone back to school to pursue a career in medicine. Best of luck to you, Asherlauph!

By the way, about your "... I relish over how much smarter I am them them." comment you made, have you checked out the "Intimidation" topic in this same forum? It's pretty funny. 😀

maxflash04

 

[silas2642]

Unfortunately, it wasn't a mid-term. The numbers of tests we’ll end up taking in this course are unreal! The amount of tests that’ll be taken for the course:

Lecture part of class: Eight exams along with one cumulative final worth three lecture exams.
Lab part of class: Four practical exams and one cumulative practical final worth a hefty % of the final lab grade.​

You do make a good point saying that it's better to walk out of the test feeling that it was easy and I over studied rather than thinking it was easy and not studying enough. 😉 I'm really just mad at the fact that my professor and his staff continuously remind us of how difficult the class is, emphasize the cells particular pathways, mechanisms, etc. which are used in the first two exams, and then to totally do the opposite in the third exam. It's funny because it's like he spent the majority of the lecture class over this test pointing out certain functions of this or that, xRNA is involved in this or that or is seen more in this or that or is directed doing this or that (I'm sure you get the point), etc. and then only have one or two questions of the entire test that pertain to those particular points he went over in class while the remaining questions consisted of general and basic facts, or common knowledge material, that the average Biology/Chemistry major wouldn't consider as being used as questions for the test.

Ultimately, I’m upset that I overlooked the simple and easy parts of the chapters and focused only on the specific and most in-depth material in the book. I’m glad that I realized what mistakes I made and now it’ll be corrected more easily so that I won’t make the same errors in the upcoming tests.

maxflash04

Holy cow! Where on earth do you go to school; that is an insane amount of tests. I haven't seen that many exams in one semester since high school.

 

[SearsTower]

Stressing out? Exhausted in the library? Studying 24/7? Give me a break! Who the hell does these things? I'm a premed, BioChem major but my lifestyle ain't like that at all! Get a grip.

 

[NRAI2001]

Unfortunately, it wasn't a mid-term. The numbers of tests we’ll end up taking in this course are unreal! The amount of tests that’ll be taken for the course:

Lecture part of class: Eight exams along with one cumulative final worth three lecture exams.
Lab part of class: Four practical exams and one cumulative practical final worth a hefty % of the final lab grade.​

You do make a good point saying that it's better to walk out of the test feeling that it was easy and I over studied rather than thinking it was easy and not studying enough. 😉 I'm really just mad at the fact that my professor and his staff continuously remind us of how difficult the class is, emphasize the cells particular pathways, mechanisms, etc. which are used in the first two exams, and then to totally do the opposite in the third exam. It's funny because it's like he spent the majority of the lecture class over this test pointing out certain functions of this or that, xRNA is involved in this or that or is seen more in this or that or is directed doing this or that (I'm sure you get the point), etc. and then only have one or two questions of the entire test that pertain to those particular points he went over in class while the remaining questions consisted of general and basic facts, or common knowledge material, that the average Biology/Chemistry major wouldn't consider as being used as questions for the test.

Ultimately, I’m upset that I overlooked the simple and easy parts of the chapters and focused only on the specific and most in-depth material in the book. I’m glad that I realized what mistakes I made and now it’ll be corrected more easily so that I won’t make the same errors in the upcoming tests.

maxflash04

Yea, at what school is this? Is this a grad class or med class?

 

[anut04ka]

Wow, I was away from the site for a day and now I come back and find that my thread took off like crazy! I'm glad that I've touched a subject people actually think about.

Its so great to read that I'm not the only one with doubts like that and reading about how people deal with all of this is really helpful.

Well, for the past three years I haven't been spending 24/7 studying. I've had a nice social life, couple of great relationships, some partying, vacations, so it wasn't that bad (I guess that's the reason I don't have 4.0, but you can't have everything at the same time) But right now I started studying for the April MCAT and the only way I'll be able to do it if I study every single day. (I still have a hard time giving up my social like and trying to squeeze in my relationship, my friends, little bit of hanging out, and I feel so bad about not being able to concentrate fully on my studying right now)
The more I do it, read the posts here, and think about I realize that in MedSchool, residency, and the job itself it will probably be soooo stressful and time consuming that I can't even imagine. That's where my doubts start. 🙂

All of your guys' replies are great! Please keep them coming! I really think it will be very theraputic thread for many people here including myself.