anyone else coerced into med school by family pressures?

[MercuryX]

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Actually, asian people can choose from...
Physician
Dentist
Engineer
Pharmacist
Law
Business

I have lots of asian friends who go into business or law. In fact, I know more who go into those two than anything related to medicine. Asian parents want their children to do well and be successful. That's all. They don't necessarily push for a certain career (medicine, as you all are suggesting).

That being said, I shadowed a doctor and when I asked her why she went into medicine, she said her parents pushed her into it. She was white. And you know what, even though her parents pushed her, she's happy with her job, she's successful adn her patients love her.

I love how you many more options you added. I've seen several working : in McDonalds, as sex therapists, in congress, as drug dealers. Trust me the spectrum is wide. They can chose anything just like anyone else. 👍

 

[Sartre79]

I met a guy who was a TPR teaching trainer who was accepted but backed out at the last minute. Why did he go through all the crap you need to get into med school? His mom. he was Asian too...so perhaps there is some truth to the stereotype. Made me laugh on the inside though.

 

[carn311]

Not so fast. People go to medical school for a lot of reasons which, on reflection many years later make them slap their heads and say, "I'm a ******."

Parental pressure sounds bad but when you think about it, it's probably as good a reason as any.

I totally disagree. In my opinion, people such as this have some soulseraching to do BEFORE they enter the application process. And that's comming from experience:

My father is DISSAPOINTED that I am entering medical school in the fall. He has always wanted me to become an engineer and is thrilled silly that my best friend is in school for aeronaughtical engineering right now.

This does not make me want to be an engineer...it makes me think my father is an idiot. My happyness is more important than what my daddy thinks of me.

 

[45408]

yeah.....there's no way I'd be able to study the way I do if it wasn't my own motivation driving me here. I'd fail out and be in the hole for $18000, so I'd highly recommend that you tell your parents that you're not going to let them live vicariously through you.

 

[Cirrus83]

This is kind of a weird story but the truth.

I came into college pre-med (like probably more than half of the people that enter college). B/c of the ridiculous committment, I began to question myself and the reason why I would want to go through hell to become a doctor... was I really doing it for sincere reasons?.... So then I decided to hell with it. I told my parents (who both wanted me to become a doctor of course) and they were not pleased, but in the end, accepted it. Then a year went by ... and I had no outside stress telling me to become a doctor. I then realized it is what I want to do (by doing some clinical volunteering, etc). I found out that it was a pure desire not tainted by factors that werent personal.

So I guess what I would suggest is make sure you really really want to do it. If you don't... its just stupid to appease your parents or whomever.

Yeah, in high school I decided that I wanted to be a computer programmer, realized that I was horribly wrong (after taking a 2nd computer programming class taught by a total A-hole that ruined it for me), went to college unsure of what I'd be doing, changed majors (from biology to public health), and realized that I actually did want to be a doctor.

Anyways, if you really don't want to be a doctor, don't do it just because your parents want you to. We're miserable enough as it is even though we WANT to be suffering through MCATs/apps/etc. I can't even imagine how horrible it'd be if you didn't want to be suffering haha.

 

[Cirrus83]

Law2doc besides "helping people" and "having a calling" what are some good reasons to go into medicine?
I excluded those two because we know everyone that doesn't have a good answer usually uses those.

Being able to write yourself scripts (not shady things, just like allergy meds) so you don't have to waste time going to see a doctor for it.

Be sure to say this during any interviews. lol

 

[dutchman]

Being able to write yourself scripts (not shady things, just like allergy meds) so you don't have to waste time going to see a doctor for it.

Be sure to say this during any interviews. lol

Yeah especially since it's illegal in all 50 states

 

[gujuDoc]

I disagree with the person who said your parents know you better then you know yourself. That is simply not true. No one knows a person as well as that person knows themselves. A parent may know what you did as an infant better then you remember but they don't know everything nor do they know another person even their own child then the person themselves.

Secondly, I personally have seen how misery can come from going into a field you don't want to go into. My father was pushed very very very hard to go into civil engineering when he was young in the 60's. He wanted to do chemical engineering but at IIT (a school more comp. for engineering then MIT) you cannot choose which division of engineering you want unless you are in the top scorers of a national exam in which those in the midle and lower end tend to get what's left over.

Read about it on CBS 60 minutes online transcripts of their interview with the school if you want more information. At any rate, I think that was the worst thing that my grandfather could have done because my father's been pretty miserable and it shows. He tried pushing my brother into doing the field he wanted to do and it didn't really work.

If someone goes into something to benefit someone else they are making the worst mistake of their lives.

 

[gujuDoc]

I also wanted to comment on PandaBear's post about the education system and pushing your kids.

I believe its important to make your kids go an extra mile by doing extra beyond what the teacher assigns because the education system in America isn't exactly the greatest and kids have the potential to learn a lot more then they are being taught and be more advanced then they are in this country. However, I don't think that its fair to tell them what career they should do for the rest of their life but rather stress that education is important and being able to earn a decent living is important.

There are subtle ways of directing them in a good direction by showing them the lack of opportunities in some fields or making them think about those sorts of things before they make premature decisions.

 

[8744]

A genuine interest in being a doctor.

As usual, Law2doc nails it. That's probably the only durable reason to want to be a doctor, that is, the only thing that is going to keep you motivated during residency.

 

[8744]

I totally disagree. In my opinion, people such as this have some soulseraching to do BEFORE they enter the application process. And that's comming from experience:

My father is DISSAPOINTED that I am entering medical school in the fall. He has always wanted me to become an engineer and is thrilled silly that my best friend is in school for aeronaughtical engineering right now.

This does not make me want to be an engineer...it makes me think my father is an idiot. My happyness is more important than what my daddy thinks of me.

I suppose you're right. Still, I can't imagine anybody could possibly generate the enthusiasm for even the grueling application process, much less medical school, just because of parental pressure. There are so many places in the process where one could self-sabotage. How are your parents going to know whether or not you complete your secondaries, for example, or that you didn't profess a desire to touch naked people on your AMCAS essay?

Oops. Sorry Mom and Dad. I guess I didn't get in. Rats.

 

[LizzyM]

I can't imagine anybody could possibly generate the enthusiasm for even the grueling application process, much less medical school, just because of parental pressure. There are so many places in the process where one could self-sabotage.

Oops. Sorry Mom and Dad. I guess I didn't get in. Rats.

We see these applicants every so often at interview. The lack of interest/enthusiasm is a red flag and we oblige most of them in providing the necessary rejection letter.

 

[stat3113]

I think that if I didn't have ANY interest in the field, I probably would not be able to go through with it.

As for my parents motivations for pushing me into it, its hard to say that its entirely selfish. As one poster said, really its for them to have 'bragging rights', since in their mindset, the most successful and distinguished profession is medicine, and if they are able to raise their kids as doctors, in their eyes they will have 'succeeded' as parents. The smartest people in the world become doctors, and they need to prove to the world that they raised smart children. But, I will also be making huge amounts of money in a respectable profession, so I guess I will be happy also.

I don't really hate medicine, its just that I enjoy other stuff more. But I hope I guess that when I really get into it, I'll fall in love with it, I guess.

Also, since all my experience is with the pre-med courses, and I've been told that the correlation between those courses and medical school is little, I don't think I can say for sure that I would not like med school. I'm very much a math person, and I like math and physics. Bio is so-so. Chemistry, I like it insofar as there is math involved, but e.g. Organic, I really can not stand it.

As to whether I would sabotage my own applications, there definitely is SOME self-interest here. If I get into a good med school, I won't cry, I'll be happy for sure that I am on the path to becoming a doctor.

I came to college planning to major in PoliSci, but soon after I changed to Economics, since the career prospects are much better and the coverage is very much related. Since I was really good in math since HS, I decided to double major in Math as well. Now, I am considering going for a MS in Statistics for next year, before I hopefully get into med school.

I never blindly followed and in the beginning, I simply ignored the possibility of med school. Then, in junior year, I thought to myself that there was no harm in taking the pre-reqs (All that was remaining was Chem 1,2, Org 1 2). It kind of annoyed me to think that there was something so hard I could not succeed in it. So I took Chem 1,2 so I could say to my folks (and to myself), see I'm smart enough to go to med school, I just don't want to do it. But over the line, I guess, I thought about it again and apparently changed my mind to where I can see myself going to med school.

At the end of the day, I guess I trust my parents. If they want this sooo bad, then their must be something to it. And because I really can't imagine myself being a Statistician for the rest of my life either (while that is the most-appealing choice).

So that's why I guess I'm going to play the game. I hope I succeed and begin to love it in the process.

 

[stat3113]

d

 

[imari]

I have heard the same thing from my indian friends. It would be great if more American parents pushed their kids that hard. What are you really going to do with a pschology or communication degree?

Most underwhelming thing I have heard from a relative: "My son has a 4.0 average. He's majoring in Psychology."

Well la de ****ing dah.

Um, I think a lot of psychologists and PR people would have something to say about this statement. 🙄 There's nothing EASY about getting a college degree, regardless of your major. Don't be so narrowminded.

 

[goodoldalky]

There's nothing EASY about getting a college degree, regardless of your major.

I don't buy this statement. Today, darn near anyone can get a college degree. The limiting factor for college degrees in this country is not difficulty or work ethic, it's money.

 

[imari]

I don't buy this statement. Today, darn near anyone can get a college degree. The limiting factor for college degrees in this country is not difficulty or work ethic, it's money.

There are many factors that make it difficult. The ones you listed of course, as well as the level of intellectual ability required. Not everyone has a high IQ. I've seen many people struggle with topics that they just couldn't "get" no matter how hard they studied. Now you can argue that grade inflation & the influx of student seeking higher education have forced schools to lower the bar academically, but that's a whole 'nother topic...

 

[smq123]

But, I will also be making huge amounts of money in a respectable profession, so I guess I will be happy also.

I prefer to believe that this was meant to be a sarcastic sentence. Otherwise, you really need a major reality check.

Please, please, for your own sake, rethink this. Lukewarm enthusiasm is not going to be enough to carry you through a whole semester of cadaver dissection, much less 4 years of medical school. YOU will be the one forced to suffer 4 years of hell on earth, not your parents. You'd better be sure about this.

 

[Law2Doc]

But, I will also be making huge amounts of money in a respectable profession, so I guess I will be happy also.

Hardly. You will learn that if you are miserable at what you are doing 60+ hours per week, no amount of money in your bank account is going to make you happy. If if you already know you "enjoy other stuff more", the sense of regret will grow into hatred. You don't learn to love medicine -- either you are into it, or you aren't. That is why adcoms are so insistent on people having clinical exposure and really knowing what they are getting into -- this field is totally not for everyone, and if you don't like it, you need to get off this train fast. You don't get your life back. You will literally be spending your 20s in the library or inside a hospital. And you are probably overestimating physician incomes anyhow with your "huge amounts of money" comment-- you won't be living like a rockstar by any stretch of the imagination.
Bad idea.

 

[Miami_med]

Actually, asian people can choose from...
Physician
Dentist
Engineer
Pharmacist
Law
Business

I have lots of asian friends who go into business or law. In fact, I know more who go into those two than anything related to medicine. Asian parents want their children to do well and be successful. That's all. They don't necessarily push for a certain career (medicine, as you all are suggesting).

That being said, I shadowed a doctor and when I asked her why she went into medicine, she said her parents pushed her into it. She was white. And you know what, even though her parents pushed her, she's happy with her job, she's successful adn her patients love her.

Hey,

If you replace pharmacy with accounting, this list is strikingly similar to the Jewish choice list 😀 .

*Please note non-serious tone if you are a hypersensitive individual*

 

[Miami_med]

This thread is really intriguing. I never really cared about what my parents thought I should do. There just wasn't any particular push in my house for a specific career or life decision. When I decided that I wanted to go into medicine, my dad said, "You'll change your mind." Of course, this was after a few years of failing at the whole rockstar thing 😀 .

I guess I should have realized how prevalent this pressure was. Good to know. It explains a lot.

 

[lunaire]

My parents always wanted me to be a doc (I'm Asian, my mom gave up medicine for the family). However, I've always been more interested in other fields. Then I joined the army, became an infantry medic... THAT was when I made my own choice to get into medicine.

Moral of the story: if you're still not sure about where you're going, get a meaningful job that will make you start to seriously think about it. Don't make a commitment to medicine (or other career paths) unless it is your own informed decision.

 

[8744]

Um, I think a lot of psychologists and PR people would have something to say about this statement. 🙄 There's nothing EASY about getting a college degree, regardless of your major. Don't be so narrowminded.

It is ridiculously easy to get a college degree of some kind or another. Most universities are diploma mills where everybody can get one provided they have a pulse and the ability to qualify for financial aid.

The students on SDN are not typical of most college students as most of them have to work hard and do well in their resepctive degree programs.

Financial aid dollars fuel higher education. No doubt there are very rigorous programs at every university but it is the academic "joy riders," borrowing money for Mickey Mouse courses, that pay really pay the bills. Without this money most universities would have to contract or even close. It has not gotten to the point where your state university has become so dishonest that they will completely abandon all admission standards but it's getting close.

 

[MonkeyNuts!]

Wow. I didn't know I made a quadruplicate post on this thread

 

[dutchman]

From my observations I have concluded that predicting your happiness in a profession is a pretty worthless endeavour. More important than asking yourself if you would be happy in a profession you should ask yourself if you have the ability to handle the rigors of that profession. In medicine it turns out that mental toughness, physical stamina and sound judgment are essential for success. If you have a genuine interest in medicine but lack any of those traits you are more likely to be unhappy than the person who blindly got into medicine but has those characteristics.
There are lots of dicks and asses in real world medicine(lawyers, insurance companies, fellow doctors etc) and "love" for medicine is not enough to deal with them, you are going to need mental toughness, or your love will quickly turn to misery when you get hit with some frivolous med mal case that actually goes through. Same thing goes for stamina, I don't care how much you love something, there is a finite amount of time you can do anything before getting physically exhausted(even sex). If you can't physically handle 60+ hours you need to step aside "passion" or no "passion". These conversations always takes the tone of "if you don't have the love for medicine then you will be miserable in medicine because it's a lot of work" as opposed to what I think is the main issue which is--can you actually handle medicine?

 

[stat3113]

good point but how can one accurately self-assess whether they can handle medicine, and have sound judgement and physical stamina?

 

[DeadCactus]

I believe stamina and toughness will go hand in hand with a true passion driving you. Now whether that passion is a passion for medicine or for the paycheck and prestige you get or whatever doesn't matter.

It just seems that a person who is passionate about what they do will be morel likely to view the negative aspects of medicine as "Oh well, it comes with the territory." while someone without that passion will view it as another horrible burden they have to deal with.

As you said, even sex will eventually drain a person to the point where they can't go on, but I'd wager they sure will try to go on longer than they would if they were pushing a boulder around...

 

[OctoberSky]

Someone questioned earlier the point of getting a degree in dance, or anything fundamentally "less important that medicine". Last time I checked many, many jobs out there require a degree, yet they don't require it to be in a specific subject. Future employers look at degrees as an indication that you can start something and finish it. Simply put, if you truly enjoy something, even if its underwater basket-weaving, it's worthwhile. Life would be awfully boring if we were constantly consumed with thoughts about our future marketability. Live a little, do what makes you happy, and respect other's accomplishments even if its "just a degree in education".


P.S. I hope all this talk about the worthlessness of other people's degrees is not an indication of the haughtiness of alot of future physicians.

 

[8744]

Someone questioned earlier the point of getting a degree in dance, or anything fundamentally "less important that medicine". Last time I checked many, many jobs out there require a degree, yet they don't require it to be in a specific subject. Future employers look at degrees as an indication that you can start something and finish it. Simply put, if you truly enjoy something, even if its underwater basket-weaving, it's worthwhile. Life would be awfully boring if we were constantly consumed with thoughts about our future marketability. Live a little, do what makes you happy, and respect other's accomplishments even if its "just a degree in education".


P.S. I hope all this talk about the worthlessness of other people's degrees is not an indication of the haughtiness of alot of future physicians.

The question of the worth of a college degree is an important one because the public is asked to support higher education through taxation and redistribution of wealth. If people paid their own way through college (and college woud be cheaper if there was no finanacial aid) it woldn't matter. But when the state legislature starts appropriating money to support their universities, you have to wonder why we need to pay so much just to let people spend four or five years pursuing silly degrees.

 

[solitude]

P.S. I hope all this talk about the worthlessness of other people's degrees is not an indication of the haughtiness of alot of future physicians.

Welcome to medicine! Enjoy the ride.

 

[Law2Doc]

From my observations I have concluded that predicting your happiness in a profession is a pretty worthless endeavour. More important than asking yourself if you would be happy in a profession you should ask yourself if you have the ability to handle the rigors of that profession. In medicine it turns out that mental toughness, physical stamina and sound judgment are essential for success. If you have a genuine interest in medicine but lack any of those traits you are more likely to be unhappy than the person who blindly got into medicine but has those characteristics.
There are lots of dicks and asses in real world medicine(lawyers, insurance companies, fellow doctors etc) and "love" for medicine is not enough to deal with them, you are going to need mental toughness, or your love will quickly turn to misery when you get hit with some frivolous med mal case that actually goes through. Same thing goes for stamina, I don't care how much you love something, there is a finite amount of time you can do anything before getting physically exhausted(even sex). If you can't physically handle 60+ hours you need to step aside "passion" or no "passion". These conversations always takes the tone of "if you don't have the love for medicine then you will be miserable in medicine because it's a lot of work" as opposed to what I think is the main issue which is--can you actually handle medicine?

Disagree. Just because you can handle and do the job well doesn't mean you will be happy there. Virtually every nontrad can tell you this first-hand. That whole board is living proof that being able to handle something simply isn't enough of a reason to make it your permanent career, unless you have no choice in the matter. You have to find something you are interested in, not just something you can handle.

 

[em783]

I thought we already had an Indian Pre-med thread...

Truth. I can say for sure that at first (meaning in middle school) I was really opposed to the idea of medical school although my parents (both physicians) pushed it constantly. Not to mention my grandparents gave me books on how to get into medical school for my birthday. Not to mention the pressure I already felt from the fact that my aunt, uncle, cousins are all in medicine. But hey, that's no sob story, all that just makes me another Indian kid.

But, personally, I did grow to love it and a huge passion for medicine grew out of my initial disdain. That just came about from classes, research, shadowing experience, and I did a lot of thinking about the reasons behind my pursuing this field. I will admit that pleasing my parents/family and living up to the expectations placed on me from the Indian community are huge factors that push me to succeed because of many factors. My parents worked too damn hard to provide for me and have invested too much money in me, and it would kill me to let them down. As pissed off as I can be at them at times, inside I know that it's not wrong for them to expect nothing less than success from me.

At least now, just like most of the people on this site, I feel that I've realized my passion and drive for medicine has ultimately come from within myself. It has definitely been a process of self-discovery, though...as cliched as that sounds. And because of this, family pressures faze me a lot less because at least now I know I'm not committing myself to this just to fulfill my family's dreams for me.

 

[Tiagao]

I have to agree with law2doc. As a non-trad whose only parental influence on college was "go to college and find something you enjoy that will support your family", there is a difference in being able to tolerate something and really enjoying it. I can handle my job right now while re-applying, but man, I would much rather be already in med school. I tried business, and finance, but for me, there is nothing like becoming a physician. From my volunteer/shadow/assistance experiences, I just would not be happy doing something else. I have learned alot from my other career pursuits, so I am grateful for them, just not near satisfied or fulfilled.

my $.02
T

 

[dutchman]

Disagree. Just because you can handle and do the job well doesn't mean you will be happy there. Virtually every nontrad can tell you this first-hand. That whole board is living proof that being able to handle something simply isn't enough of a reason to make it your permanent career, unless you have no choice in the matter. You have to find something you are interested in, not just something you can handle.

What is this whole "happy" thing that you are talking about? You guys will be surprised how often being happy or unhappy is a choice that you make regardless of your situation. This whole notion that some 19year old pre-med or u-grad can predict his/her happiness in a given field is ludicrous, especially since they are only relying on peripheral observations of that field(shadowing, volunteer etc). At the end it is going to boil down to you doing your job, and how well you do that job is going to play a huge part in your satisfaction. Hence a parson's interest in a particular feild is completely irrelevant if they are not capable of handling the job.

 

[gujuDoc]

d

I didn't feel like quoting your long post that is above the one I"m quoting so I just quoted this one.

But now to get to the point. You think you are going to be this glorious and glamorous doctor then you should start rethinking that idea because fact is that a lot of the respect that used to be there in medicine is diminishing. The financial compensation while still high is also slowly becoming lesser and lesser. The hours are horrible, a lot of patients treat you like trash not with respect or won't listen to your advice. You won't have as much time to spend with your family as other people would in a regular job. Residency is 80+ hours. Think about those things before you make statements about prestige and money.

 

[Tiagao]

What is this whole "happy" thing that you are talking about? You guys will be surprised how often being happy or unhappy is a choice that you make regardless of your situation. This whole notion that some 19year old pre-med or u-grad can predict his/her happiness in a given field is ludicrous, especially since they are only relying on peripheral observations of that field(shadowing, volunteer etc). At the end it is going to boil down to you doing your job, and how well you do that job is going to play a huge part in your satisfaction. Hence a parson's interest in a particular feild is completely irrelevant if they are not capable of handling the job.

Dutchman,

I think you make a great point about some young adults not really knowing what they want and what would make them happy. I don't think it's wrong for people to go into medicine because they see it as any other job. I think that the best physicians are those who see medicine as more than a job. Whether that comes before applying or during a career is probably only relavant to a given doc and his/her patients.

As some of us were saying we realized after trying other things that Medicine is what can bring more happiness into our lives. We (speaking for other non-trads here😳 ) are in no way saying everyone should try something else before medical school. We are saying that after having done something else for a few years there is maturity and focus that can lead one to something that will be more that just a job.

Good luck to you.

 

[tibro]

Dude, grow some cojones and tell you doctor family that you dont want to be doctor.

 

[Tiagao]

Dude, grow some cojones and tell you doctor family that you dont want to be doctor.

 

[smq123]

how do you keep motivated during the application process if you know you'd rather do something else with your life?

Very simple - you don't.

Look, my parents didn't really coerce me into med school, but they were WAY too happy when I got in. Now that I'm here, the worst part is that they have too much invested in it, so it was like having another burden added on sometimes. Let's face it - there are lousy days in med school, just like anywhere else. The bad part is that I can't tell my parents what I hate about it, because then they panic and worry that I'm going to quit or give up. I have to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE everything in this stupid process, or else risk having my mother have a meltdown.

Don't let them push you. It's just not worth it.

 

[dron000]

i have some interest in medicine, but it's really my parents who insist that i make it a career. i must say that if my parents ask me: would you rather be an engineer, an accountant, a teacher, a computer programmer, i would say "no". but i think it would be real sweet if i were an ibanker/trader or even a mercenary. but i probably couldnt get the job in the first case, and my parents would get a heart attack in the 2nd case.

 

[maddhandless657]

I thought we already had an Indian Pre-med thread...

hahaha that is so true man..indian parents are at the top of this list when it comes to parents pressuring their children to go to med school..ive been feelin the pressure since i started undergrad

 

[gujuDoc]

hahaha that is so true man..indian parents are at the top of this list when it comes to parents pressuring their children to go to med school..ive been feelin the pressure since i started undergrad

I agree and disagree. Yeah I agree that Indo parents like to push their kids towards medicine. There we are in agreement. However, I don't think its to the point that they are saying you have no choice but to do medicine and ultimately I think the students want to do it themselves that they don't mind. I mean many Indians came from India after doing med school there and got into residency here so the children are coming from families where medicine is all they know. Most though not all children are swayed into following the footsteps of their parents because they grow up knowing more about that profession then other things and are very influenced by what their parents do for a living. If your parents are actors and actresses you are likely to enter the field of acting yourself, if you are from a family owning a family business you are more likely to end up in business, etc. This is the case with anything and medicine is no exception. My parents have several friends who are doctors but when it came down to it if the ids didn't want to do medicine they didn't do it and if they wanted it they went through with it. The same is true with the doctor's kids I know in Tampa. so my point is that being encouraged and pushed are two different things and if you are being pushed then I feel bad for you but I don't think its the majority of cases.

 

[dutchman]

Dutchman,

I think you make a great point about some young adults not really knowing what they want and what would make them happy. I don't think it's wrong for people to go into medicine because they see it as any other job. I think that the best physicians are those who see medicine as more than a job. Whether that comes before applying or during a career is probably only relavant to a given doc and his/her patients.

As some of us were saying we realized after trying other things that Medicine is what can bring more happiness into our lives. We (speaking for other non-trads here😳 ) are in no way saying everyone should try something else before medical school. We are saying that after having done something else for a few years there is maturity and focus that can lead one to something that will be more that just a job.

Good luck to you.

Goodluck to you too 👍

 

[anon-y-mouse]

Yeah especially since it's illegal in all 50 states

Not true. Some states have guidelines against self prescribing, but it is not illegal. If you were a plumber, you'd fix your own toilets; if you were a lawyer, you'd read your own contracts (although if you were a lawyer or judge being sued, I'm sure you'd get external legal representation). Arguably yes, there's a need to be objective sometimes-- no physician would manage his own complex heart condition on his own, for example, but I'm sure as hell not waiting in a dingy FP waiting room for a z-pack or albuterol when I can call CVS. It's a judgment call, and after years of school and residency, physicians know when to get that outside consult. Now prescribing oneself percocet... that might get you in some big trouble...

as for family pressure, my parents said they did NOT want me to pursue medicine... but I think they were just using this against me in order to piss me off. "I'm sorry your semester sucked and was exhausting, don't worry about the med school thing, just give up on that, you can just get a job"... or "How are you going to be a doctor if you're having trouble doing xyz?!?" of course now that I am in med school, they're thrilled.

 

[Cirrus83]

Yeah especially since it's illegal in all 50 states

It's not illegal to self-prescribe (in most states anyway). The AMA guidelines recommend against it (for ethical reasons), but they allow for emergency situations, but it's not a flat out ban.

On top of which, studies show that many physicians self-prescribe, and the fact is that they have easy access to samples and drug reps, so if you didn't want to physically write a script you wouldn't even have to.

Legally speaking you could argue that it's illegal because one cannot objectively examine oneself, thus invalidating the exam you give yourself, but then again you could argue that you're particularly objective. Point is, it's not clearly illegal, and the AMA guidelines only recommends against it except for emergencies. And seriously, for allergy medicine nobody is going to bust you for writing your own script. It's probably not a good idea in general to self-prescibe on something more complicated since screwing up would be pretty bad for yourself, but on little things like refilling an allergy script I doubt even the AMA could really make an ethical argument on it.

 

[Aynsl156]

Speaking as an middle class asian female with immigrant parents (oh boy, don't you just love the cliches in that one), I mush say that asian parents really do push their kids towards the "traditional" successful careers. The way my family does this is by marking how well the kids do in elementary school math. Mathematically inclined ones go to medical school, and mathematically deficient ones go to law school. Simple.

On a serious side note, my mom tried pushing me into medicine, but it backfired and I took a lot of history and english and philosophy in college. But then again, the rebelling thing didn't work too well, as I was conditioned at birth to love love love science. I'm serious, I had a surgeon doll as a kid. I loved the thing. Anyways, yeah, went through the whole tortuous back and forth, but medicine won out in the end.

That doesn't mean I'm not still looking at M.Litt degrees at Cambridge in Linguistics, it just means I'll do that during my mid-life crisis.😀