Any other accepted students experiencing regret about being accepted/going? Advice?

[Guccitwotimes]

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Hard work paid off and I'm accepted to a MD school. I've known medicine was what I wanted to do for ages, even after exploring other careers I was really interested in. I know about the responsibilities doctors have, how extremely stressful medical school will be and the like, so I know what I'm getting into. I also was very comprehensive and did my research fully on the schools I applied to and was accepted to. I also have no idea what else I'd do if I didn't do medicine.

It's just that after I finally got accepted and the happiness and feelings of accomplishment wore off, I'm really concerned about going to medical school, and really questioning if I really want to do this. It's taken an incredible amount of hardwork for me to get to this point and I faced and overcame burnout multiple times. I've had horrible experiences before I was accepted including nasty interviewers, so that didn't help either. I'm also looking at the fact that I'm really getting tired and burnout of classrooms, lectures, and the whole lecture-test format. It really tires me out, and I can't wait to be done with that format. After the first two years are we pretty much done with that format of learning forever? That's something that'll keep me going for sure, but I'm so tired of this format of learning.

Medical school also looks so damn extremely hard. It's going to be way harder than undergrad, and undergrad was very hard for me, like I had to spend all of my time studying, even though I did well. Basically I'm expecting to be non-stop studying all the time in medical school, and have no free-time, and that's very hard on me because I'm basically giving up years of my life to dedicate myself to some of the hardest studying there are, and having no real free-time is brutal. Also, the subjects in medical school look absolutely brutal. I did a preview of anatomy and a lot of digging on it and it looks absolutely hellish to learn and do well in. All the standardized tests also seem soul-shattering because I'm not a very good standardized test taker and ultimately it seems like everything will come down to my ability do well on these tests. Even if I do well in medical school and get into a good residency program, from what I've seen they're just as intensive if not more so than medical school, and I'll have even less free-time, so it's basically another repeat of medical school. Finally, when I become an attending, I'll be working even more insanely hard (depending on speciality) and have even less free-time. That's disheartening because I want my hard-work to pay off and to actually be able to have a life, and do stuff normal people my age can, and have fun. Even though I knew most of this going into the process, it just worries me even more now that i'm accepted, and is far more of an issue.

This isn't even mentioning I going to school across the country away from my family (one of my parents is seriously ill and probably going to die within the next year or two) and my gf who I love. Though I'm perfectly fine being away from my family and away from home, it's just all the other stuff that I mentioned above that makes it much worse for me.

Anyone else seriously questioning going to medical school now that they're accepted? I'd also greatly appreciate any advice or comments on my situation because I'm at a complete loss.

 

[Meeehai]

I think it's normal to feel this way, after all, you're starting a long and difficult journey which will lead to the career that you will be doing for a very long time. But it sounds like you really like medicine from what you've seen so far. The whole "I'm wasting the best years of my life" thing is a little exaggerated - sure the curriculum is hard and you will need to dedicate a significant amount of time to your studies, but you will have time to occasionally go out and do other stuff as long as you stay organized and don't fall behind. Good luck!

 

[twospadz]

Hard work paid off and I'm accepted to a MD school. I've known medicine was what I wanted to do for ages, even after exploring other careers I was really interested in. I know about the responsibilities doctors have, how extremely stressful medical school will be and the like, so I know what I'm getting into. I also was very comprehensive and did my research fully on the schools I applied to and was accepted to. I also have no idea what else I'd do if I didn't do medicine.

It's just that after I finally got accepted and the happiness and feelings of accomplishment wore off, I'm really concerned about going to medical school, and really questioning if I really want to do this. It's taken an incredible amount of hardwork for me to get to this point and I faced and overcame burnout multiple times. I've had horrible experiences before I was accepted including nasty interviewers, so that didn't help either. I'm also looking at the fact that I'm really getting tired and burnout of classrooms, lectures, and the whole lecture-test format. It really tires me out, and I can't wait to be done with that format. After the first two years are we pretty much done with that format of learning forever? That's something that'll keep me going for sure, but I'm so tired of this format of learning.

Medical school also looks so damn extremely hard. It's going to be way harder than undergrad, and undergrad was very hard for me, like I had to spend all of my time studying, even though I did well. Basically I'm expecting to be non-stop studying all the time in medical school, and have no free-time, and that's very hard on me because I'm basically giving up years of my life to dedicate myself to some of the hardest studying there are, and having no real free-time is brutal. Also, the subjects in medical school look absolutely brutal. I did a preview of anatomy and a lot of digging on it and it looks absolutely hellish to learn and do well in. All the standardized tests also seem soul-shattering because I'm not a very good standardized test taker and ultimately it seems like everything will come down to my ability do well on these tests. Even if I do well in medical school and get into a good residency program, from what I've seen they're just as intensive if not more so than medical school, and I'll have even less free-time, so it's basically another repeat of medical school. Finally, when I become an attending, I'll be working even more insanely hard (depending on specialty) and have even less free-time. That's disheartening because I want my hard-work to pay off and to actually be able to have a life, and do stuff normal people my age can, and have fun. Even though I knew most of this going into the process, it just worries me even more now that i'm accepted, and is far more of an issue.

This isn't even mentioning I going to school across the country away from my family (one of my parents is seriously ill and probably going to die within the next year or two) and my gf who I love. Though I'm perfectly fine being away from my family and away from home, it's just all the other stuff that I mentioned above that makes it much worse for me.

Anyone else seriously questioning going to medical school now that they're accepted? I'd also greatly appreciate any advice or comments on my situation because I'm at a complete loss.

We are basically the same person. And if I was you I would apply to PA school. Trust me, I had doubts about medical school before I was accepted, you will have those and more if you continue. Im telling you this now and this will continue to be true until the day you die. You ready? As you get older, you will change. Your priorities will change. And your interests. You have no idea the person you will become 2, 4, 8, 10 years down the line. However, in med school, you are on a straight path that doesn't allow you to evolve. Medical school is a conservative environment not liberal. I am 25 years old and Im a totally different person then when I was 21. The things I desired before or thought was important aren't anymore. Medical school is a big sacrifice. Don't go down this path. You only get to enjoy life once. Once. Do what you truly love and try to be around the things you love.

 

[TehTeddy]

It's interesting that you should mention this, as I've seen a number of posts from people who feel the same way.

I wonder if part of the problem is that pre-med students displace the goal in their minds moving forward, so that the goal of becoming a doctor becomes replaced with the goal of getting into medical school. Now that they're in, the original goal comes back into focus, which they now realize they no longer want/have the passion for that they once had. Just a theory that I had. It's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture and focus on the smaller, more tangible steps.

In any case, I can't say I know exactly how you feel, because I'm not there. But if you say that anatomy/the subject matter generally looks "hellish", I'd have reservations moving forward, although it isn't necessarily the case that disliking a particular subject means disliking the work generally. I presume you've done some shadowing and know what you're getting into. If you realize the sacrifices aren't worth it, maybe it's better to switch to something else (or really evaluate why you wanted to become a doctor in the first place, your priorities, what makes you happy, etc.). Good luck!

 

[TallPreMed]

On behalf of all premeds that have not been accepted yet, I would like to say that I hate you.

 

[Officer Farva]

Hard work paid off and I'm accepted to a MD school. I've known medicine was what I wanted to do for ages, even after exploring other careers I was really interested in. I know about the responsibilities doctors have, how extremely stressful medical school will be and the like, so I know what I'm getting into. I also was very comprehensive and did my research fully on the schools I applied to and was accepted to. I also have no idea what else I'd do if I didn't do medicine.

It's just that after I finally got accepted and the happiness and feelings of accomplishment wore off, I'm really concerned about going to medical school, and really questioning if I really want to do this. It's taken an incredible amount of hardwork for me to get to this point and I faced and overcame burnout multiple times. I've had horrible experiences before I was accepted including nasty interviewers, so that didn't help either. I'm also looking at the fact that I'm really getting tired and burnout of classrooms, lectures, and the whole lecture-test format. It really tires me out, and I can't wait to be done with that format. After the first two years are we pretty much done with that format of learning forever? That's something that'll keep me going for sure, but I'm so tired of this format of learning.

Medical school also looks so damn extremely hard. It's going to be way harder than undergrad, and undergrad was very hard for me, like I had to spend all of my time studying, even though I did well. Basically I'm expecting to be non-stop studying all the time in medical school, and have no free-time, and that's very hard on me because I'm basically giving up years of my life to dedicate myself to some of the hardest studying there are, and having no real free-time is brutal. Also, the subjects in medical school look absolutely brutal. I did a preview of anatomy and a lot of digging on it and it looks absolutely hellish to learn and do well in. All the standardized tests also seem soul-shattering because I'm not a very good standardized test taker and ultimately it seems like everything will come down to my ability do well on these tests. Even if I do well in medical school and get into a good residency program, from what I've seen they're just as intensive if not more so than medical school, and I'll have even less free-time, so it's basically another repeat of medical school. Finally, when I become an attending, I'll be working even more insanely hard (depending on speciality) and have even less free-time. That's disheartening because I want my hard-work to pay off and to actually be able to have a life, and do stuff normal people my age can, and have fun. Even though I knew most of this going into the process, it just worries me even more now that i'm accepted, and is far more of an issue.

This isn't even mentioning I going to school across the country away from my family (one of my parents is seriously ill and probably going to die within the next year or two) and my gf who I love. Though I'm perfectly fine being away from my family and away from home, it's just all the other stuff that I mentioned above that makes it much worse for me.

Anyone else seriously questioning going to medical school now that they're accepted? I'd also greatly appreciate any advice or comments on my situation because I'm at a complete loss.

I was accepted to my top choice after 2 cycles. I love medicine, it is a great field and I love applied science, but I am totally daunted by the cost and loss of time with loved ones, my friends, and my girlfriend. I won't be attending unless I can get a significant scholarship.

Scholarship is unlikely, I am too rich for a scholarship but not financially well off enough to live comfortably with lots of debt. The struggles of being in the middle.

However, it is not the worst thing in the world. My ultimate goal is to pay the rent, have great friends, and have a family. This is just a job for me (Heresy!). I can get a decent job as a software developer rather easily in my area and stay close to everyone I know. Who knows, I may even go back to school locally in my area close to everyone for an MS/PhD in the field.

I am also worried of developments in medicine, such as all the administrative nonsense and changes in healthcare policy. Not to mention, I wanted to enter medicine as a researcher. However, the funding environment is pretty rough and I felt nothing but resistance from my interviewers in discussing a research career with medicine. I am uncertain if the future of medicine will be open to researchers considering how antagonistic of that idea my interviewers have been. I do not want to be your average general IM doctor, that is my worst nightmare.

 

[Guccitwotimes]

On behalf of all premeds that have not been accepted yet, I would like to say that I hate you.

Don't hate me when you could easily end up in the situation I'm in.

 

[Satire5Texul]

It's interesting that you should mention this, as I've seen a number of posts from people who feel the same way.

I wonder if part of the problem is that pre-med students displace the goal in their minds moving forward, so that the goal of becoming a doctor becomes replaced with the goal of getting into medical school. Now that they're in, the original goal comes back into focus, which they now realize they no longer want/have the passion for that they once had. Just a theory that I had. It's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture and focus on the smaller, more tangible steps.

In any case, I can't say I know exactly how you feel, because I'm not there. But if you say that anatomy/the subject matter generally looks "hellish", I'd have reservations moving forward, although it isn't necessarily the case that disliking a particular subject means disliking the work generally. I presume you've done some shadowing and know what you're getting into. If you realize the sacrifices aren't worth it, maybe it's better to switch to something else (or really evaluate why you wanted to become a doctor in the first place, your priorities, what makes you happy, etc.). Good luck!

OP has normal reservations about what its like to be in medical school. All advice should be sifted through and the upcoming months should be used to isolate oneself OP and really think about your decision.



I have seen similar with people after acceptance– I think it boils down to the psychology of :

a.) The need to be constantly stimulated challenged. Some people find happiness always climbing out of trenches.
b.) Parent’s push
c.) Neglect of reality of a medical student until faced with said challenge (getting the actual scale out, to weigh in all the costs and benefits of your life).
d.) Natural, normal cold feet and butterflies.

We should screen each accepted student against the Feather of Truth. If your heart is heavy, feed you to the dogs. If your heart is light, white coat you get.

 

[Dandine]

@Guccitwotimes @TallPreMed It's a time thing. It really is. One thing you think you want something and the next, you don't. It's a time thing.

I would say that I don't so much question wanting to be a doctor as I am questioning my overall purpose in life. The track is hard, and I've accepted that. But I'm not sure so much as to how to keep my life together once it's there. I have seen myself get through crazy times, which is the one thing that convinces me that I will be okay overall...and yet fear of the future is so frustrating!

My music instinct pushes me to link a classic. (Yahh, I know the context is different...it's good music, okay? )

 

[Hospitalized]

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”

--Theodore Roosevelt

 

[whatever5]

I feel the same way. I think part of the issue is you get accepted to medical school so long before it starts, you want to get prepared so you do research about what it's like to be in med school, then you go "oh **** that sounds horrible, I don't want to do that at all". I have a strong feeling that it will suck, but it not that bad or else everyone who got in wouldn't be able to do it.

Personally, I'm just gonna go, try it out, and if it's that horrible I'll just drop out. If you drop out early enough, you can get a tuition refund from some schools. People might be like "oh my god, that's horrible to take a seat away from someone who wants it", but you earned the spot and it's up to you what you do.

 

[james11]

Can't offer much to the OP just wanted to say that this

I wonder if part of the problem is that pre-med students displace the goal in their minds moving forward, so that the goal of becoming a doctor becomes replaced with the goal of getting into medical school. Now that they're in, the original goal comes back into focus, which they now realize they no longer want/have the passion for that they once had. Just a theory that I had. It's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture and focus on the smaller, more tangible steps.

is pretty on point

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

If you're having second thoughts, you should absolutely take the time to really think and explore to decide if this is the right career path for you. Because you're right that it's a huge commitment. It's also normal to be nervous or to have cold feet--so that alone doesn't mean that medicine isn't right for you. Since I got accepted, I've also experienced ups and downs. One minute, I think 'Damn, I'm going to be a doctor!' And the next, I think, 'Oh ****, I'm going to be a doctor...' But when I stop doubting myself and panicking, I realize that I'm actually mostly excited about med school and the work of being a physician. Yes, it is a job and no job is 100% sexy all of the time. You have to pick your poison and maybe medicine isn't yours.

You say that you know what you're getting yourself into but based on your original post it does seem like you're exaggerating things a bit. Yes, medical school will be challenging and you will probably study harder than you ever have. But you WILL have free time, if you balance things effectively. You'll have free time as a med student (probably the least amount during 3rd year from what I hear). You'll have free time as a resident. You'll have free time as a doctor. You should absolutely ask yourself if you're willing to make certain sacrifices. I'm just saying that I don't think you should approach med school as if your life is over once you start. Obviously, I'm not a med student yet but from what I've seen from current med students/residents/attendings, that doesn't have to be the case at all!

 

[Officer Farva]

I feel the same way. I think part of the issue is you get accepted to medical school so long before it starts, you want to get prepared so you do research about what it's like to be in med school, then you go "oh **** that sounds horrible, I don't want to do that at all". I have a strong feeling that it will suck, but it not that bad or else everyone who got in wouldn't be able to do it.

Personally, I'm just gonna go, try it out, and if it's that horrible I'll just drop out. If you drop out early enough, you can get a tuition refund from some schools. People might be like "oh my god, that's horrible to take a seat away from someone who wants it", but you earned the spot and it's up to you what you do.

The biggest issue (or not really an issue because I found something I loved doing through the process) is that the application process is so long, hectic, and random. I had plenty of time to think about what I love doing and goals. All of the disappointments and annoying interviews and presentations I sat in on really pushed me towards considering a new career in a field I sincerely love.

And personally, the investment/rewards of medical school isn't worth it anymore. Even a below average applicant on SDN is probably way more qualified than most people who applied in the older generation. My primary care doctor went to a mid tier medical program after being a mediocre student in undergrad, not to mention this was before the days of doing internships and multiple gap years that is so common now. One of my interviewers told me that if he applied today, he would never be accepted, not even to a Caribbean school.

I am not worried about time balance as a medical student. I am worried about having little freedom of picking up and moving wherever I want for medical school, residency, fellowship, etc.

Also, I never really fit in with the medical/premed crowd. All of my friends are finance and law bros, not to mention brogrammers. Too many of the "high school class president type" in medical school lol

 

[Spinach Dip]

#first world problems

 

[Spinach Dip]

You think its hard being accepted?

Try being NOT accepted....3 years in a row.

 

[sharpstickie]

Just do some shadowing. That always gets me back in the spirit of things!

 

[Mansamusa]

Sorry about your parent. I think it would definitely be worth taking a year to explore being a PA and spend time with your family.

I'm nervous about attending, but not really because of the work. I'm worried about the financial uncertainty. I don't like taking risks; I like knowing what I'm getting into. The 2 houses' worth of debt that school will cost is unethical.

I think I will end up going because I love medicine and I'm relationship adverse. No matter what career I would've chosen, I would have used my job to fill the gap where people put relationships, hahaha. If I was in a long-term relationship with someone (or thought it was likely that I would have the desire to enter one before my mid-30s), I would probably be fine going PA because I think with how high tuition is med school is no longer worth making all these sacrifices (there used to be more of a pay-off). I want to fulfill my full career potential if my personal life isn't going to be completely fulfilling.

 

[Guccitwotimes]

You think its hard being accepted?

Try being NOT accepted....3 years in a row.

I've been in a reapplicant with no clear solutions. Try dealing with this on-top of that.

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

I honestly think it's OK to have cold feet like this. ANY significant change will always be counteracted with a "what if" scenario. And I think with a contribution of the winter blues, how much time is remaining until medical school, and the sheer daunting nature of what medical school is like, it makes sense as to why you would have these thoughts. Hell I had these thoughts for longer than I'd like to admit. But when I work in the ER, or when I work with a physician/PA who I absolutely love working with, or when I see a patient that is interesting, or makes me introspect, I realize that Medicine is what I want to do.

You have 6 months to make a decision. Do what you did to make you fall in love with medicine in the first place if that's feasible. Whether that's volunteering in a hospital, in Hospice, in the ER, whatever it is. If you find that your spark is back, then you have your answer. If you find your spark isn't back, then you have your answer.

 

[Officer Farva]

You think its hard being accepted?

Try being NOT accepted....3 years in a row.

It's not hard being accepted. It's not hard being not accepted either. You are not your job. I'm happy leaving medicine or going into it (provided I get money from my acceptance).

 

[gregoryhouse]

For me I don't really regret going into medical school but I have been extremely disappointed by it.

I don't think med school is that hard personally. The first two years I actually enjoyed much more than 3rd year so far. I had way more control of my free time and I actually found learning about the pathology really interesting. The hours in med school are really not that bad, even if you are studying 50-60 hours a week that still allows plenty of free time imo, but i think most people can get by with 40 hrs. The people who struggle the most in med school are people who haven't developed a good system of studying and they spend the first year trying every different method possible.

If you really hate studying though, medical school is probably not a good choice. Third year you will have to study for shelves and step 2. Intern year you will study for step 3 and most likely also have to do board prep for whatever your specialty is. Not to mention you will most likely not be prepared by intern year to have a good knowledge base so you will be constantly reading up on your patients problems. Even the attendings I work with are constantly reading new guidelines not to mention having to redo your board certification every 10 years. So medicine really is a field for people who love to learn or at least don't mind it.

You've said you have wanted to be a physician forever, even after considering other career choices. That is pretty much how I felt coming in, but my idea of what a physician does was vastly different from what I have experienced. Unfortunately, I think until people go through 3rd year it is just not possible to know whether or not you will like different fields of medicine or whether you won't like any at all. I was fascinated by all areas of medicine even as a med student. Coming onto the wards though made me seriously question if I entered the wrong field.

You have to seriously consider what draws you to medicine. Do you enjoy taking care of people? Do you enjoy solving puzzles? Do you enjoy surgery? You have to ask yourself that question and really find out if medicine is the career that will give you the most satisfaction doing that. I really enjoy mysteries, as you can see by my avatar, I really hoped that medicine would be full of diagnostic challenges and interesting patients. What I'm finding out though is that medicine is mostly bread and butter cases that really get old fairly quickly and I wish this was something I had known before coming into medical school.

I'm not necessarily discouraging you from sticking with medicine. I think this is a big decision but its also one you need to consider if it is right for you. As much as medicine hasn't lived up to my expectations, i still think I made the right choice. Fortunately for me I scored well on Step 1 and have a lot of options and this opened the door to me to finding specialties that I do find interesting. However, if I didn't score well on step and was left with only IM, psych, ob/gyn, or peds as options I am not so sure I would be happy with my life.

Also don't let people guilt you into feeling like just because you got accepted you need to stick with it. It is much better to realize medicine is not right for you before blowing tons of student loans on it.

Best of luck, hope you make the right choice!

 

[CarmenCygni]

Hard work paid off and I'm accepted to a MD school. I've known medicine was what I wanted to do for ages, even after exploring other careers I was really interested in. I know about the responsibilities doctors have, how extremely stressful medical school will be and the like, so I know what I'm getting into. I also was very comprehensive and did my research fully on the schools I applied to and was accepted to. I also have no idea what else I'd do if I didn't do medicine.

It's just that after I finally got accepted and the happiness and feelings of accomplishment wore off, I'm really concerned about going to medical school, and really questioning if I really want to do this. It's taken an incredible amount of hardwork for me to get to this point and I faced and overcame burnout multiple times. I've had horrible experiences before I was accepted including nasty interviewers, so that didn't help either. I'm also looking at the fact that I'm really getting tired and burnout of classrooms, lectures, and the whole lecture-test format. It really tires me out, and I can't wait to be done with that format. After the first two years are we pretty much done with that format of learning forever? That's something that'll keep me going for sure, but I'm so tired of this format of learning.

Medical school also looks so damn extremely hard. It's going to be way harder than undergrad, and undergrad was very hard for me, like I had to spend all of my time studying, even though I did well. Basically I'm expecting to be non-stop studying all the time in medical school, and have no free-time, and that's very hard on me because I'm basically giving up years of my life to dedicate myself to some of the hardest studying there are, and having no real free-time is brutal. Also, the subjects in medical school look absolutely brutal. I did a preview of anatomy and a lot of digging on it and it looks absolutely hellish to learn and do well in. All the standardized tests also seem soul-shattering because I'm not a very good standardized test taker and ultimately it seems like everything will come down to my ability do well on these tests. Even if I do well in medical school and get into a good residency program, from what I've seen they're just as intensive if not more so than medical school, and I'll have even less free-time, so it's basically another repeat of medical school. Finally, when I become an attending, I'll be working even more insanely hard (depending on speciality) and have even less free-time. That's disheartening because I want my hard-work to pay off and to actually be able to have a life, and do stuff normal people my age can, and have fun. Even though I knew most of this going into the process, it just worries me even more now that i'm accepted, and is far more of an issue.

This isn't even mentioning I going to school across the country away from my family (one of my parents is seriously ill and probably going to die within the next year or two) and my gf who I love. Though I'm perfectly fine being away from my family and away from home, it's just all the other stuff that I mentioned above that makes it much worse for me.

Anyone else seriously questioning going to medical school now that they're accepted? I'd also greatly appreciate any advice or comments on my situation because I'm at a complete loss.

I felt this way when I got into architecture school. Deep down, it wasn't right. I should've listened to it before I went to school. I ended up dropping out, and am now THRILLED to be accepted to medical school. It feels thrilling when it's right.

 

[NotYou20]

I feel you on the cold feet op. My take is that you should consider what has changed since you applied, interviewed and were accepted. If nothing except your perception has changed you might just have cold feet. I think the best approach here is to trust that you made the right decision. For example, I looked at the debt I'd end up with if I went to the most expensive few schools I applied to and how I'd pay it off. Now, I've only been accepted to the two most expensive schools. It's much more real now and has given me second thoughts. Still I knew this was a possibility and still the right decision.

I know about the responsibilities doctors have, how extremely stressful medical school will be and the like, so I know what I'm getting into. I also was very comprehensive and did my research fully on the schools I applied to and was accepted to.

This makes me think you considered things pretty well before applying. Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I think it's worth considering.

 

[URHere]

I understand the cold feet, but I think it's important to remember that the person you are now (with your particular skill sets, fears, and perspectives) isn't the same person you'll be at the end of your medical training...or at the end of your residency.

Of course medical school seems daunting - you've never done anything like it before. College was a logical extension of high school, but medical school is a different body of information and it relies heavily on practical skills, rapid-fire communication, and applied knowledge in a way most pre-meds have a hard time comprehending. It's really not worth worrying about how "damn extremely hard" it will be until you're there - you'll build the skills you need. The hours are another thing. If you pursue medicine, you should expect long work weeks for at least the next decade and you should expect this for significantly longer if you fall in love with a surgical field. Only you can decide if you're OK with that sacrifice.

IMHO, the thing I think you really need to consider if your family situation. It's not easy to have a sick parent when you're so far from home. You could always take a leave of absence if things escalate, but that's only helpful if you have some kind of warning that you'll need to go home.

 

[general987]

I was accepted to my top choice after 2 cycles. I love medicine, it is a great field and I love applied science, but I am totally daunted by the cost and loss of time with loved ones, my friends, and my girlfriend. I won't be attending unless I can get a significant scholarship.

Scholarship is unlikely, I am too rich for a scholarship but not financially well off enough to live comfortably with lots of debt. The struggles of being in the middle.

However, it is not the worst thing in the world. My ultimate goal is to pay the rent, have great friends, and have a family. This is just a job for me (Heresy!). I can get a decent job as a software developer rather easily in my area and stay close to everyone I know. Who knows, I may even go back to school locally in my area close to everyone for an MS/PhD in the field.

I am also worried of developments in medicine, such as all the administrative nonsense and changes in healthcare policy. Not to mention, I wanted to enter medicine as a researcher. However, the funding environment is pretty rough and I felt nothing but resistance from my interviewers in discussing a research career with medicine. I am uncertain if the future of medicine will be open to researchers considering how antagonistic of that idea my interviewers have been. I do not want to be your average general IM doctor, that is my worst nightmare.

I believe a study came out recently showing that physicians, dentists, and pharmacists have the lowest debt:income ratio because of the high income that over the years pays off the debts and then some. The money aspect should not deter you from going unless you have exceptional circumstances (older with debt + family, *insert other random reason*).

 

[general987]

Hard work paid off and I'm accepted to a MD school. I've known medicine was what I wanted to do for ages, even after exploring other careers I was really interested in. I know about the responsibilities doctors have, how extremely stressful medical school will be and the like, so I know what I'm getting into. I also was very comprehensive and did my research fully on the schools I applied to and was accepted to. I also have no idea what else I'd do if I didn't do medicine.

It's just that after I finally got accepted and the happiness and feelings of accomplishment wore off, I'm really concerned about going to medical school, and really questioning if I really want to do this. It's taken an incredible amount of hardwork for me to get to this point and I faced and overcame burnout multiple times. I've had horrible experiences before I was accepted including nasty interviewers, so that didn't help either. I'm also looking at the fact that I'm really getting tired and burnout of classrooms, lectures, and the whole lecture-test format. It really tires me out, and I can't wait to be done with that format. After the first two years are we pretty much done with that format of learning forever? That's something that'll keep me going for sure, but I'm so tired of this format of learning.

Medical school also looks so damn extremely hard. It's going to be way harder than undergrad, and undergrad was very hard for me, like I had to spend all of my time studying, even though I did well. Basically I'm expecting to be non-stop studying all the time in medical school, and have no free-time, and that's very hard on me because I'm basically giving up years of my life to dedicate myself to some of the hardest studying there are, and having no real free-time is brutal. Also, the subjects in medical school look absolutely brutal. I did a preview of anatomy and a lot of digging on it and it looks absolutely hellish to learn and do well in. All the standardized tests also seem soul-shattering because I'm not a very good standardized test taker and ultimately it seems like everything will come down to my ability do well on these tests. Even if I do well in medical school and get into a good residency program, from what I've seen they're just as intensive if not more so than medical school, and I'll have even less free-time, so it's basically another repeat of medical school. Finally, when I become an attending, I'll be working even more insanely hard (depending on speciality) and have even less free-time. That's disheartening because I want my hard-work to pay off and to actually be able to have a life, and do stuff normal people my age can, and have fun. Even though I knew most of this going into the process, it just worries me even more now that i'm accepted, and is far more of an issue.

This isn't even mentioning I going to school across the country away from my family (one of my parents is seriously ill and probably going to die within the next year or two) and my gf who I love. Though I'm perfectly fine being away from my family and away from home, it's just all the other stuff that I mentioned above that makes it much worse for me.

Anyone else seriously questioning going to medical school now that they're accepted? I'd also greatly appreciate any advice or comments on my situation because I'm at a complete loss.

Everyone questions this. I have a friend in her second year who lamented that she thinks medicine was a mistake and should have gone the PA route. In about two years she will graduate and this will be behind her, as it will be for you. If you need to, especially with the illness in the family, you can always defer to begin your studies the following year. Plenty of my peers at other schools utilized this option because they were simply not ready to embark on the journey. One of them moved to New Zealand and worked as a waitress/ski lodge cleaner/full time skiing/snowboarding. She had the time of her life and went to medical school with little regret. Prior to her taking the deferment, she was a nervous train wreck. Please consider that option - I would hate to see you throw away your hardwork over things that are temporary in time. Good luck!

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Just a thought:

I have seen this sentiment a lot recently and I wonder if the "pre-med" track is partly to blame for it. To get into medical school these days it can feel like you need to not only get a 4.1 GPA and a 530 MCAT but have extensive hours in research, shadowing, volunteering, interesting hobbies. I wonder if all of these things make it so a decent amount of pre-meds never really get the chance to do some searching and find out if medicine, or some other field, is right for them. They get so focused on the goal of getting into medical school that everything they do is geared toward that end. Only a few of the people I know that have been accepted truly understand what they have just gotten themselves into.

An example, I wish I would have taken some economics classes earlier in college. Not because I like economics but because it would have been good for me to see what that was like, and maybe learn something along the way.

 

[Mansamusa]

I believe a study came out recently showing that physicians, dentists, and pharmacists have the lowest debt:income ratio because of the high income that over the years pays off the debts and then some. The money aspect should not deter you from going unless you have exceptional circumstances (older with debt + family, *insert other random reason*).

Most studies concerning physician debt use the $180K median though, which is a highly skewed number. The mean is brought down a lot by students whose parents are contributing to their costs. Even if I go to my state school, the debt when I graduate will be $320K + the interest. Going to the most expensive school would put it at $390K + interest.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I'm a third year medical student and I still have second thoughts. It never ends, buddy.

 

[pageantry]

Take a deferral if you can, OP. You sound totally burnt out, and a sick parent is a very reasonable excuse for that. But, take it from me, a year of twiddling your thumbs (or not!) will do wonders for helping you figure out whether you really want to be doing this.

Oh, and, if I may, I'd also suggest taking the time to find books to read by physicians who are proud of their work. Victoria Sweet's /God's Hotel/ is a particularly good story of a non-cookiecutter person who created a life she liked within medicine. It doesn't sugarcoat the problems of modern medicine either. But it helped me develop a new image of ways I could be happy with a life as a doctor. Gotta have that dream or what's the point?

 

[mistafab]

Take a deferral if you can, OP. You sound totally burnt out, and a sick parent is a very reasonable excuse for that. But, take it from me, a year of twiddling your thumbs (or not!) will do wonders for helping you figure out whether you really want to be doing this.

Oh, and, if I may, I'd also suggest taking the time to find books to read by physicians who are proud of their work. Victoria Sweet's /God's Hotel/ is a particularly good story of a non-cookiecutter person who created a life she liked within medicine. It doesn't sugarcoat the problems of modern medicine either. But it helped me develop a new image of ways I could be happy with a life as a doctor. Gotta have that dream or what's the point?

I still haven't started school yet - but books are good. I'd like to recommend Do No Harm by Henry Marsh. I like it because he goes into details about tons of his failures, yet still finds joy in his craft. If he can be happy in Neurosurgery, I think you can definitely find joy in medicine OP!

Edit: Henry Marsh is lauded as one of the best neurosurgeons in the world FYI.

 

[Officer Farva]

Just a thought:

I have seen this sentiment a lot recently and I wonder if the "pre-med" track is partly to blame for it. To get into medical school these days it can feel like you need to not only get a 4.1 GPA and a 530 MCAT but have extensive hours in research, shadowing, volunteering, interesting hobbies. I wonder if all of these things make it so a decent amount of pre-meds never really get the chance to do some searching and find out if medicine, or some other field, is right for them. They get so focused on the goal of getting into medical school that everything they do is geared toward that end. Only a few of the people I know that have been accepted truly understand what they have just gotten themselves into.

An example, I wish I would have taken some economics classes earlier in college. Not because I like economics but because it would have been good for me to see what that was like, and maybe learn something along the way.

This is exactly the reason!

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

Guys chill. There's no need to attack OP for having cold feet as its a common thing. OP, you've mentioned that you did your work researching each school and what it was really like to be a medical student, are you sure you aren't panicking because of just nerves of working hard? I don't believe studying will consume your life in didactics if you are diligent about reasonably scheduling your workload.

 

[pageantry]

Btw, a really important thing that helps me is to remember that most of life is a choice. We're all adults here, but I think the pre-med path is particularly potent in making people feel like life is just a series of semi-horrible boxes that must be checked... which essentially frees us from the hassle of exercising personal responsibility for our own lives, but deprives us of learning the skills to be creative and self-directing. It's like living in communist Russia, kinda.

The truth is, everybody has restrictions and challenges in life, but in the end you get to decide whether you let your challenges (i.e. medical school, being a doctor, the global economy, etc...) ruin your happiness. You can decide to forego top grades, a prestigious residency, a few years of ease, a sexy cynical attitude... Whatever you want! You can pick: passing grades, a residency that gives you the tools you want, hard work for the sake of a challenge, and an eye for the bright side. Life's what you make it, is what I'm trying to say. And medical school CAN be seen as less a means to an end and more an opportunity to learn to use a lot of interesting tools so you can build your own best life.

But, again, if you're burnt out and your parent is sick, not much is going to look bright. Just cheering up and having a good attitude is an effort under ordinary circumstances. Some time away could really help you back on your feet. Rooting for you, OP.

 

[Law2Doc]

Med school, residency and having a rewarding medical career is very much about attitude. Phrases like burn out should not be in your vocabulary at this juncture. You can allow yourself to contemplate things like that after doing the same job for a decade but it's just a form of psyching yourself out while just a student/trainee.

And you do yourself a disservice being in a rush to get done with the learning/testing phase of your medical journey. This is very much a path of lifelong learning. You will have tests in med school, residency, board exams and then periodic MOC. If you aren't forever reading medical journals and looking up things about your patients throughout your career, you aren't doing your job.

Next, I think the focus on all the fun you'll miss out on while in med school and residency is misplaced. Yes it is time consuming and yes you will have a ton of trade offs and not get to "hang out" or see every movie that comes out or regularly watch TV shows or party all night at the club. But you will do a ton of things the average young person will never get to do or see too, and that really should be the focus. Only a fool spends their 20s doing cool stuff while whining about the things they didn't get to do.

There is always a little let down when you achieve a short term goal (like getting into med school). You thought it would "complete you" and it unsurprisingly didn't. But there are much bigger hurdles ahead and instead of dwelling on having made it to base camp, it's time to change your focus to the mountain ahead.

This is a hard path with a lot of hard work and sacrifices. But it's pretty darn rewarding as well. So you can focus on the glass being half full or half empty. It's really an attitude thing that separates the person who loves this career from the one who hates it. I keep saying on here that it's not the right career for everybody, and just because you got into med school doesn't necessarily mean you are or aren't such person. Good luck.

 

[Officer Farva]

I don't think the issue is time management, I believe all rewarding work requires 60-100 hours a week. Look at your doctors, scientists, investment bankers, lawyers at big firms, etc. Great careers require a great investment.

The issue is, I feel that the younger generation sacrificed so much to go into medicine than Gen X or the boomers. If you are a medical student, how many of your classmates completed gap years, graduate degrees, or switched fields by doing a postbac. The sacrifice is too great. And for what? An uncertain practice environment, administrative nonsense, decreased pay with increased debt, and a decreased focus on research (ok that last one was for me, not everyone else apparently).

How many older docs do you know would have gotten in today?

 

[DokterMom]

"Hellish and insanely difficult" are the flip-side of "fascinating" --

And working so hard can be rewarding in it's own way -- think of a second wind and runner's high.

You don't have to swear off fun. In fact, you'll form intense friendships with some of the most amazing people you'll ever get the chance to meet. -- If you stay on top of your game.

You said you wanted to be normal? You're already too smart for that. But you will get to experience the 'work like a dog for minimal cash rewards' that all your friends will get to experience for a few years. That's definitely normal. 🙄 But then you'll veer off onto a path of very high paychecks and more flexible work hours while calling many of your own shots -- which is decidedly not the norm.

 

[Mansamusa]

I don't think the issue is time management, I believe all rewarding work requires 60-100 hours a week. Look at your doctors, scientists, investment bankers, lawyers at big firms, etc. Great careers require a great investment.

The issue is, I feel that the younger generation sacrificed so much to go into medicine than Gen X or the boomers. If you are a medical student, how many of your classmates completed gap years, graduate degrees, or switched fields by doing a postbac. The sacrifice is too great. And for what? An uncertain practice environment, administrative nonsense, decreased pay with increased debt, and a decreased focus on research (ok that last one was for me, not everyone else apparently).

How many older docs do you know would have gotten in today?

I disagree with the decreased focus on research. I think debt discourages some people from going into academic medicine, which kind of takes the focus from research. But one of the biggest complaints I heard from academic physicians is that there is so much pressure to keep producing research that it pisses them off. They can't just focus on patients when they want to--> also you need research to match competitive specialties

And in general, the US has made research a sucky field to be in and that isn't medicine specific

 

[Officer Farva]

I disagree with the decreased focus on research. I think debt discourages some people from going into academic medicine, which kind of takes the focus from research. But one of the biggest complaints I heard from academic physicians is that there is so much pressure to keep producing research that it pisses them off. They can't just focus on patients when they want to--> also you need research to match competitive specialties

And in general, the US has made research a sucky field to be in and that isn't medicine specific

Sorry, I should have been more specific. I meant decreased focus on research at the admissions level. Everyone will disagree with me about that if you see other threads, but that is exactly my experience. But still, that is a smaller point of why people should not do medicine compared to the other stuff I mentioned.

 

[general987]

Most studies concerning physician debt use the $180K median though, which is a highly skewed number. The mean is brought down a lot by students whose parents are contributing to their costs. Even if I go to my state school, the debt when I graduate will be $320K + the interest. Going to the most expensive school would put it at $390K + interest.

Well the careers in medicine from the AAMC uses the 180k benchmark. It does matter where you are geographically (example: PCP can command over 300k in shortage states like Arkansas or about 130-150 in places like DC). Nonetheless, there are plenty of pay back programs in PCP and use of student loan forgiveness programs (10 years in non profit then debt free). Student loan forgiveness program is for all specialties btw. In addition you can do the PYE model or IBR model from the federal government. I understand that it can be expensive from your example but I find it a disservice to the OP when you solely discredit my "median number". There are plenty of ways to pay back. Honestly if money holds back someone from pursuing medicine - they are then not doing their research on how to repay. Military is another one too.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[Mansamusa]

Well the careers in medicine from the AAMC uses the 180k benchmark. It does matter where you are geographically (example: PCP can command over 300k in shortage states like Arkansas or about 130-150 in places like DC). Nonetheless, there are plenty of pay back programs in PCP and use of student loan forgiveness programs (10 years in non profit then debt free). Student loan forgiveness program is for all specialties btw. In addition you can do the PYE model or IBR model from the federal government. I understand that it can be expensive from your example but I find it a disservice to the OP when you solely discredit my "median number". There are plenty of ways to pay back. Honestly if money holds back someone from pursuing medicine - they are then not doing their research on how to repay. Military is another one too.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

I don't think using the median debt level is meaningful. I think it is used to under emphasize how crazy tuition has gotten. The only reason the number is $180K is because so many medical students come from well-off backrounds. Most private schools cost over $300K now, but the median is brought down because you have a large portion of students with parents providing support or scholarships and the other portion of students paying for everything in loans. I think the $180K median is a disservice because a middle-class high schooler would look at it and think that med school isn't that expensive, start out on the pre-med track, and then realize that that median isn't actually the reality of the situation.

I'm not saying there aren't repayment methods, I'm saying that it isn't really accurate to do a study of the debt:income ratio of doctors using the $180K. There is a large number of graduates for whom the ratio is close to 0:1 and the ratio goes all the way up to over 2:1. A student from the average American family would be closer to the 2:1. In other words, the students bringing down the median wouldn't have had to go into debt in any other field (because they have parental support), so the fact that they have a low debt:income ratio doesn't mean anything. It would be more useful to look at the debt:income ratio that a student from an average family would accrue to go into each career

 

[rilte4]

I don't think the issue is time management, I believe all rewarding work requires 60-100 hours a week. Look at your doctors, scientists, investment bankers, lawyers at big firms, etc. Great careers require a great investment.

The issue is, I feel that the younger generation sacrificed so much to go into medicine than Gen X or the boomers. If you are a medical student, how many of your classmates completed gap years, graduate degrees, or switched fields by doing a postbac. The sacrifice is too great. And for what? An uncertain practice environment, administrative nonsense, decreased pay with increased debt, and a decreased focus on research (ok that last one was for me, not everyone else apparently).

How many older docs do you know would have gotten in today?

May I ask why you're here then? (legit question)

 

[Officer Farva]

May I ask why you're here then? (legit question)

Good question, I was a naive freshman at one point, which is why I chose this career path. I'm on this site specifically because: I'm bored at work, I put in my 2 week notice, I contacted my one acceptance if they can send some money my way so I can go to medical school (waiting on their response), I may be starting a new job in the next month as a software engineer if all else fails.

 

[kerrykittles]

May I ask why you're here then? (legit question)

I too have wondered the same thing recently. I'm a long time lurker here, and I couldn't help but notice the irony of someone who has such an aversion to "Class President Type Pre-Meds" spending all day posting on SDN.

 

[general987]

I don't think the issue is time management, I believe all rewarding work requires 60-100 hours a week. Look at your doctors, scientists, investment bankers, lawyers at big firms, etc. Great careers require a great investment.

The issue is, I feel that the younger generation sacrificed so much to go into medicine than Gen X or the boomers. If you are a medical student, how many of your classmates completed gap years, graduate degrees, or switched fields by doing a postbac. The sacrifice is too great. And for what? An uncertain practice environment, administrative nonsense, decreased pay with increased debt, and a decreased focus on research (ok that last one was for me, not everyone else apparently).

How many older docs do you know would have gotten in today?

Nearly all the older docs I know would have done it today without hesitation. Many of them regret however where they chose to do medical school and residency (some stayed local and wish they would have explored a bit). Other than that they are quite enthusiastic.

 

[kerrykittles]

Good question, I was a naive freshman at one point, which is why I chose this career path. I'm on this site specifically because: I'm bored at work, I put in my 2 week notice, I contacted my one acceptance if they can send some money my way so I can go to medical school (waiting on their response), I may be starting a new job in the next month as a software engineer if all else fails.

So you were a "naive freshman" at one point- sure, lots of us were. But most "naive freshmen" don't subsequently complete the years of rigorous requirements that matriculating to medical school demands. I'm quite honestly not trying to be rude, I'm instead just genuinely puzzled at how you could have had such an abrupt and significant change of heart about a profession that you've clearly devoted so much of your life to becoming a part of.

 

[rilte4]

Good question, I was a naive freshman at one point, which is why I chose this career path. I'm on this site specifically because: I'm bored at work, I put in my 2 week notice, I contacted my one acceptance if they can send some money my way so I can go to medical school (waiting on their response), I may be starting a new job in the next month as a software engineer if all else fails.

Do you see any conceivable way you would be happy with this career path long-term? (again, legit question)

 

[Officer Farva]

So you were a "naive freshman" at one point- sure, lots of us were. But most "naive freshmen" don't subsequently complete the years of rigorous requirements that matriculating to medical school demands. I'm quite honestly not trying to be rude, I'm instead just genuinely puzzled at how you could have had such an abrupt and significant change of heart about a profession that you've clearly devoted so much of your life to becoming a part of.

I'm glad you asked. I had every setback thrown at me in the book while having a somewhat-competitive application. I was never weeded out by the prereqs or MCAT, kind of coasted through undergrad getting the requirements out of the way. I went through two application cycles before snagging an acceptance at a top 20. Each cycle, I had the MCAT, ECs, and essays that I thought would make me successful. Not to mention, I applied extremely broadly.

I am pretty sure I broke some sort of record on SDN for highest interview to acceptance ratio over two cycles. Something like over 16 interviews attended over two years for one acceptance. I interview well, I am a social person (trust me, I was in a fraternity). I don't know what happened. And to be honest, I don't want to invest the time and money in a career I am on the fence about at age of 22.

All the annoyances just caused me to reflect a lot on what I love in a career, nothing more.

 

[Officer Farva]

Do you see any conceivable way you would be happy with this career path long-term? (again, legit question)

With all the resistance I felt discussing a research career at my interviews, I was pretty disappointed. Hopefully those adcoms are not representative of the way American medicine is heading or else we are all in serious trouble!

If I did medicine, I would try to get as far away as possible from where medicine is heading by transferring into MD/PHD or doing a full-research career. All the older docs I know are quite supportive of my goals and pessimistic about the future of medicine.