Anyone feel like Med school eats up the prime of your life?

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tgp511

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I'm a freshman in college, been considering med school for a couple years now after observing some doctors and considering the alternatives. The problem with the profession I always run into is that training doesn't finish until you are at least 30. To me, that's essentially working as hard as I can for the 10 most wonderful years of my life. Also, my undergrad years are spent working in the library instead of making new friends, studying abroad, etc.

Do you all love the profession so much that you are willing to give up these opportunities? I guess I just haven't met anyone this committed, and my school tends to churn out a lot of premeds...

Your input/comments are appreciated : )
 
tgp511 said:
Also, my undergrad years are spent working in the library instead of making new friends, studying abroad, etc.
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huuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh??????

I have friends, I party, I drink, I ****, I have fun. I didn't study abroad cuz I didn't feel like it.

I got into med school.
 
Doesn't bother me much! its not like my 20-30's are "wasted" by going to med school. I still plan on having alot of fun! Don't let poeple scare you into thinking that during these years you have absolutly no social life. Even residents have friends! even if they work at the hospital
 
I know how you feel. My mom's a doctor but she finished extremely early (graduated high school at 16, went straight into a 5 year (british system) medical program, then a few more years of residency) - she was pretty much on her way to living her life, starting a family, in her mid twenties.

Given the system here I know I won't have that luxury - that's a major reason why I wouldn't want to go into any of the very competitive specialities like surgery...I guess that's for some people, but I personally don't want to waste my youth away in a residency when my friends are 10 years into their careers.
 
the prime time in my life will be when my kids are growing up, I've got a job I love, and I can provide for them, regardless of how old I am.

I'd gladly give up my 20s and mid-30s studying medicine.
 
compared to a life devoted to business, i think the med school path is a pretty good deal. for example, those who go into banking internships after college work 80 hours a week with little pay. this may be equivalent to a resident's schedule, but IMO, medicine would be a more fulfilling way to spend your time -- of course i'm biased, though.

anywho, the people i talked to who are in medical school know how to work hard and play hard. at one school i interviewed at, the students even said they had more time to enjoy life in medical school than they did as an undergraduate. AND they really enjoyed forming friendships with people who were on the same path as them. take home point: choose a school/area where you can seen yourself having a good time, even though you'll be working hard.

i'd much rather work hard now, and then have the resources to play later. ie, the money and means to travel, adopt expensive hobbies, etc. but then again, i don't think of the early twenties as 'the prime of life' as most people do. i think you have to judge whether delayed gratification is ok with you.

on another note, so many adults i've talked too, who have gone into entry level type careers have said that they regret not buckling down when they were younger.

sorry for the rambling, but i hope i gave you something to think about....
 
armybound said:
the prime time in my life will be when my kids are growing up, I've got a job I love, and I can provide for them, regardless of how old I am.

I'd gladly give up my 20s and mid-30s studying medicine.
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That's the thing. If I wait until my mid 30s I might not be able to have kids at all (stupid biological clock)
 
tgp511 said:
I'm a freshman in college, been considering med school for a couple years now after observing some doctors and considering the alternatives. The problem with the profession I always run into is that training doesn't finish until you are at least 30. To me, that's essentially working as hard as I can for the 10 most wonderful years of my life. Also, my undergrad years are spent working in the library instead of making new friends, studying abroad, etc.

Do you all love the profession so much that you are willing to give up these opportunities? I guess I just haven't met anyone this committed, and my school tends to churn out a lot of premeds...

Your input/comments are appreciated : )
Click to expand...

i feel the same way. though i must say that if you do a residency in a good location, you'd finally get to have some fun(even if you work 80hrs/wk), so it's possible to start life at 25. it's the homework in ugrad that pisses me off to no end.
 
Life is what you make it, whatever age you are... I guess that sounds corny, but really, who says its all downhill after your 20s? And who says med school won't be the time of your life? I mean, sure, it'll be hard. But I've spoken with a number of physicians/students who say they made the best friends of their lives in med school. Aditionally, a number of adults have told me that, contrary to popular opinion, their 30s or even 40s were really the best. Anyway, my point is, if you really want a career in medicine, it won't be 'sacrificing your prime.' It's just another step along the way, and there's still plenty of life left to live after 30. 🙂 Just my 2 cents.
 
I think it is much harder for women to go into medicine for this aspect, but it can be done. I think it would be very difficult to have kids (and be there for them) during training, so I would guess that many people don't. If you have kids when you are 30-32, then when they are in college you will be like 48-50, which isn't that old!
 
sunflwr85 said:
Life is what you make it, whatever age you are... I guess that sounds corny, but really, who says its all downhill after your 20s? And who says med school won't be the time of your life? I mean, sure, it'll be hard. But I've spoken with a number of physicians/students who say they made the best friends of their lives in med school. Aditionally, a number of adults have told me that, contrary to popular opinion, their 30s or even 40s were really the best. Anyway, my point is, if you really want a career in medicine, it won't be 'sacrificing your prime.' It's just another step along the way, and there's still plenty of life left to live after 30. 🙂 Just my 2 cents.
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that's not true. best friends are made in undergrad. there is nothing better than the hot girls in psychology lectures at my undergrad.
 
questionstoask said:
that's not true. best friends are made in undergrad. there is nothing better than the hot girls in psychology lectures at my undergrad.
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how many people from your undergrad will you still be talking to in ten years? just curious...
 
ry2thesky said:
how many people from your undergrad will you still be talking to in ten years? just curious...
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yeah really, once you get married your spouse becomes your only friend 😛
 
ry2thesky said:
how many people from your undergrad will you still be talking to in ten years? just curious...
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not many. because i failed to make friends... and i will regret this. i think students at my school are the best;(
 
There are plenty of opportunities to socialize as an undergrad and in med school i'm guessing. It cant be more time consuming then 40hr/wk jobs anyway where you have almost no time to do anything but on weekeneds.
 
SportsMedMD said:
There are plenty of opportunities to socialize as an undergrad and in med school i'm guessing. It cant be more time consuming then 40hr/wk jobs anyway where you have almost no time to do anything but on weekeneds.
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I can guarantee a hell of a lot more than 40 hrs/week of classes, labs, and studying time during med school and I'm not even there yet.
 
SportsMedMD said:
There are plenty of opportunities to socialize as an undergrad and in med school i'm guessing. It cant be more time consuming then 40hr/wk jobs anyway where you have almost no time to do anything but on weekeneds.
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i'd rather have an 80hr/wk job if i didnt have any hw.
 
perhaps the prime for tennis players maybe but anyway,
you'll find opportunities to meet people wherever you go. you just have to make the best of your situations. Realistically you're not going to be studying every waking second. You definitely need to be social, otherwise how else will you learn the skill of communication which will come in handy.
 
questionstoask said:
not many. because i failed to make friends... and i will regret this. i think students at my school are the best;(
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well, now you get to make friends with all the cool ppl you meet in med school. and if you're worried that you won't interact with hot psychology girls anymore, just ask yourself what girl doesn't want to date a doctor? 😛
 
armybound said:
but you spend a lot of it talking with other people/working in groups
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Man, can't wait for my social life to be dependent upon small group discussions 🙁
 
ry2thesky said:
well, now you get to make friends with all the cool ppl you meet in med school. and if you're worried that you won't interact with hot psychology girls anymore, just ask yourself what girl doesn't want to date a doctor? 😛
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i think what you say would be reasonable if i could go to med school and do residency at the same university as my undergrad.
 
does this pretty much apply to girls only? or what?? What is so "prime" about your 20's ?? You can drink more??

The world is still waiting for you when you're done with med school.
 
Ross434 said:
does this pretty much apply to girls only? or what?? What is so "prime" about your 20's ?? You can drink more??

The world is still waiting for you when you're done with med school.
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Studies show men produce the most semen at age 18 and then slowly decline afterwards.

Hey, you asked.
 
armybound said:
you should look around at the kinda chicks that are going to nursing school right now. and they LOVE doctors.
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psychology students are more intelligent and more feminine. at least that's how it is at the top schools.
 
tgp511 said:
I'm a freshman in college, been considering med school for a couple years now after observing some doctors and considering the alternatives. The problem with the profession I always run into is that training doesn't finish until you are at least 30. To me, that's essentially working as hard as I can for the 10 most wonderful years of my life. Also, my undergrad years are spent working in the library instead of making new friends, studying abroad, etc.

Do you all love the profession so much that you are willing to give up these opportunities? I guess I just haven't met anyone this committed, and my school tends to churn out a lot of premeds...

Your input/comments are appreciated : )
Click to expand...

Well, I can only speak from personal experience. I'm 33, and I don't think I've actually come across the most wonderful years of my life yet. I've had both good times and hard times, and it's been a good life thus far. However, you seem to have this impression that life outside of school is some kind of panacea; well, it's not. I can assure you that the realities of life are no walk in the park either. It's not like some kind of extended vacation.

Your experience is what you make out it, anyway. No matter where you, or what you are doing, you can be happy and have a great time; it's a commitment you have, and it's not dependent on the situation. I'll tell you a recipe for unhappiness: settling for something less than what you really want, and then living in regret.

Almost everything worth doing requires significant time and effort. Passion has both it's price and reward. Time spent moving towards my life's dream seems like time well spent to me. I've lived long enough where I know how to keep my life in good balance. Yeah, I'm going to work hard, but I'm also going to take good care of myself and have plenty of fun, too. Contrary to popular belief, these are not mutually exclusive. Yes, it's possible to engage in your life while going to school, or working hard toward your goals. Are there going to be limitations? Sure. If you aren't willing to work with those limitations in order to gain a chance to do what you love, then please don't go into medicine until you are willing to do that, for your own sanity. Find the best fit for you; find a path that you have the heart for.
 
Woops. Editing this post, misread the comparison
 
This whole "lost time" thing is over-exagerated. What are you missing out on? nailing chicks? travel? parties? You should have been doing that concurrently with your studies. Now if you are talking about doing those things in excess(which is not a good idea regardless of your schedule) then thats a different story. Your life is not wasting, its just a different version, enjoy yourself and stop comparing yourself with others.
 
answer: yes. especially as a female. yes. yes. yes.
 
All other factors/amount of work aside,
having graduated from undergrad this past spring, all I can say is that my friends who are now working full-time jobs are for the most part miserable and lonely, while all my friends in med school/phD programs are happy, upbeat, and have very active social lives. Don't underestimate the life of a student. Working 80 hours a week in banking sucks the life out of you, and you don't get the enjoyment of learning something new every day, nor does the companionship of peers vs. coworkers compare.
 
To chime in on the issue of study abroad, it's very doable even as a pre-med. Plan your courses. Typically study abroad occurs junior year, which is when most pre-meds take physics. If you want to go abroad in the fall, you can always take the first semester of physics in the summer. There are many possible variations, so think about what you need to take and plan around your other goals. There are even some study abroad programs for pre-meds that you could look into.

Essentially, don't let the fact that you're pre-med interfere with your other passions in life. With enough planning and motivation, you can fit many non-medical interests into your undergrad career and beyond. Even as a physician, you're going to need ways to de-stress. Many people have hobbies and interests outside of medicine, and I think that's what keeps a lot of us sane throughout this process.
 
I ditched the idea of medschool to go "enjoy my 20s" two years ago. I got a job as an engineer and started living the "real life". Two years and 32 pounds later, I discovered that there is no such thing as "real life", and I was not going to waste my youth in Las vegas, or between the legs of strangers.

BTW, I also managed to squeeze out a masters degree in those 2 years while enjoying the hell out of life, so I don't understand why ugrad premeds have to put their lives on hold.
 
I'm want to watch TV so I can relax before my 9AM exam, so this has to be short. I just want to point out that med school is not putting your life on hold. I have a fiance, I have a dog, I have friends, I party [actually, a lot it seems sometimes since med school kids in my class are awesome!!]... Your life definitely goes on...but you do still miss out on some things. It's really more the subtle things for me--taking the dog to the park, having tons of time to work out whenever I want, etc. Those are the things I miss. I think it really comes down to this question: If I did not go to medical school, what would I be doing? If you say, "I would have went into business and would be working 100 hours a week in a big business," then medicine will be no problem for you. If you say, "If I don't do medicine, I want a super easy job where I make ends meet but can relax and enjoy my life whenver I want," then medicine might not be for you. I fit into the first category most of the time, so the whole med school thing fits me... It's not for everyone, but you still have a life. And the people are awesome...
 
tgp511 said:
To me, that's essentially working as hard as I can for the 10 most wonderful years of my life.
Click to expand...

Well, I personally think being in school is a lot more fun than working. My friends who work wake up in the morning at 6, commute, get off at 5, commute, eat dinner, watch tv, go to sleep.

I wake up at 6, do homework until 9, class until 2, mario kart with friends until 4, study until 6, dinner with friends until 7, group projects/study groups with friends until 9, then group outings after, or just messing around time.

In truth, medical school, or really any type of school, is what I would choose to do during the "10 most wondreful years of my life." Everybody I know who is actually working say it's not as fun as school, regardless of workload.
 
Robizzle said:
Studies show men produce the most semen at age 18 and then slowly decline afterwards.
Click to expand...

And women are most rambunctious in their 30s! One advantage for the women!

questionstoask said:
psychology students are more intelligent and more feminine. at least that's how it is at the top schools.
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Hee, I love this, even though I hate stereotypes. My boyfriend was a psych major. And he IS so much more feminine than I am 🙂. And I like it that way.

eddie13231 said:
I think it is much harder for women to go into medicine for this aspect, but it can be done. I think it would be very difficult to have kids (and be there for them) during training, so I would guess that many people don't. If you have kids when you are 30-32, then when they are in college you will be like 48-50, which isn't that old!
Click to expand...

Hey, what're y'all talking about? Why can't the woman take just a couple of months off to have her child, and then let the man raise it? Mmh, okay, so people say interacting a lot with both parents is ideal, but how often does that ideal happen? And in this day and age, might as well be the man staying home. All these assumptions that the woman has to take all her time at first to care for it.... Okay, so it would still be a bit rough to take two months off somewhere in all that to actually physically have the kid, but. It's an option. I just don't get why it would be "easier" on a guy, unless he planned to date a bit outside his age group, because otherwise he too would be waiting until his 30s, or putting it all on the woman. If he's any worthwhile guy, it'd be just as hard on him.
 
SportsMedMD said:
There are plenty of opportunities to socialize as an undergrad and in med school i'm guessing. It cant be more time consuming then 40hr/wk jobs anyway where you have almost no time to do anything but on weekeneds.
Click to expand...

ROFL - Thanks, I needed a laugh. This may be the funniest thing I've seen on SDN. I can assure you that med school is a lot more time consuming than you are anticipating, I worked many hours more than 40 in my prior career, and med school is still more time demanding. And in med school BTW, unlike college, you don't really get the weekends "off" -- they are the only chances you get to go over the prior weeks material in total; those are the only days you are not overwhelmed with brand new lecture stuff. Expect to spend most of your 20s in the library and wards. You will have an hour or two to goof off or exercise, and will party after each test and on vacations, but we aren't talking the kind of socializing that you got to do in undergrad (unless you were really lame in undergrad). Brace yourselves.
 
This thread makes me happy I'm an over 30 female non-trad. :laugh:
 
Take care of your health now and you will not be able to tell much of a difference between now and when you are 30. I know 45 year old men at my gym that is in far better shape and much healthier then most 22 year olds in my classes. You can be happy and active at 30,40, 50 and maybe even older.
 
Awesome thread 👍

And let me tell you, having been out of school now for only half a year, I can already say with confidence that work sucks. It's monotonous and, if it isn't what you love, ungratifying. Sure coming home with no responsibilities is nice, but never forget the independence you have as a student. No one ever tells you what to do, you decide your own schedule, you choose how hard you want to study or if you want to do that assignment. There is no one looking over your shoulder and no one to be accountable to.

Being a student...ah, the good life...
 
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