Army?

[dudewitshirt]

Hey guys,

I wasn't really sure where or who to ask these questions to so hopefully you don't mind that I post this here.

I've been thinking for the past couple of weeks that I'm tired of college and schooling. How I crave to have some sort of different experience than the classroom. I took an EMT class and currently serve with the local fire department but I feel as if its not enough for me since all we get are the drunk college students on the weekends. I want to get on the field and just DO something instead of studying

I'm tired of sitting in class with cut throat competitive students worrying about my grade, worrying about the test, getting depressed about a bad grade. I just want a different experience. I was thinking about the peace corp but I'm not sure if that's what I really want. Then I thought about joining the army.

Reasons Why I Want to Join the Army:

• It's a different experience from the cushy life of a student or living at home
• No more competition with snooby pre-med students.
• Hopefully I will work with other people who have my back. I want that "brotherhood"
• It has that honor and respect thing that you keep with you for your whole life.

What do you guys think?
Am I crazy for wanting to do this? Because sometimes I really think it's crazy that part of me wants to join the army. I am a 2nd semester sophmore, maybe I'm thinking too far into the future for this, but I'm already tired of school. However, I will finish my four years at college before I do anything like join the army.

I'm really sorry if I'm posting this on the wrong thread, or wrong forum for that matter

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[dudewitshirt]

Oh forgot to mention that I do plan on applying to med school eventually just not straight out of college,

 

[Dharma]

Hey guys,

I wasn't really sure where or who to ask these questions to so hopefully you don't mind that I post this here.

I've been thinking for the past couple of weeks that I'm tired of college and schooling. How I crave to have some sort of different experience than the classroom. I took an EMT class and currently serve with the local fire department but I feel as if its not enough for me since all we get are the drunk college students on the weekends. I want to get on the field and just DO something instead of studying

I'm tired of sitting in class with cut throat competitive students worrying about my grade, worrying about the test, getting depressed about a bad grade. I just want a different experience. I was thinking about the peace corp but I'm not sure if that's what I really want. Then I thought about joining the army.

Reasons Why I Want to Join the Army:

• It's a different experience from the cushy life of a student or living at home
• No more competition with snooby pre-med students.
• Hopefully I will work with other people who have my back. I want that "brotherhood"
• It has that honor and respect thing that you keep with you for your whole life.

What do you guys think?
Am I crazy for wanting to do this? Because sometimes I really think it's crazy that part of me wants to join the army. I am a 2nd semester sophmore, maybe I'm thinking too far into the future for this, but I'm already tired of school. However, I will finish my four years at college before I do anything like join the army.

I'm really sorry if I'm posting this on the wrong thread, or wrong forum for that matter

Standing at a crossroads of some sort is always an interesting time, to say the least. Choose one path OVER the other, not under, if you catch my drift. The first reason you gave for joining the army was because you want to be challenged and get away from the cushiness (and boredom) of the average experience of school. I dig the hunger for challenge. But this number one reason you gave does not necessarily point to the military. I don't get that's exactly what you want, although some of the qualities you seek could be found there.

SInce you are interested in medicine, my advice is to suck it up and kick ass in your classes. Forget about whatever the flock is doing, and take care of your own business. You want more of a challenge? Get a job too. Become an EMT, join a squad, and start riding the rig. You'll be challenged and you'll find some camaraderie. Plus, you'll be getting real life experience. (They are plenty of other things you can do as well: hospital jobs, volunteer firefighting, etc.).

No matter where you go, you're going to run into some types or group of people that could possibly annoy the heck out of you. They often run in herds and colleges are full of them. Don't let it get to you. But take care of what you need to take care of. Since you're in school at this moment, do well. Work hard. Get good grades. And by good, I mean ace your classes. It may seem that it doesn't mean a damn thing in the grand scheme of things, but you will need these grades someday. Play the game and play it well. Do well.

Regardless, it sounds like you need something MORE than school. Doesn't mean that you don't need school though. IMHO your words don't scream "I want to join the military." I see something more along the lines of "Ah, this sucks right now! I need something else. Hmm... maybe the military could give me what I'm looking for?" I don't think those are grounds to enlist. Join the military because you first and foremost want to be a soldier. I'm not saying you can't be a soldier or that you shouldn't, but it just doesn't seem like that is what you need. Just my opinion.

But you do need change, and it best be positive and productive. Look within. Be completely honest within yourself. You'll find your answers. Whatever they may be, just do the best you can possible do, including with your grades. 5 or 10 years from now you may need those grades to get into medical school and you don't want to be playing Monday morning QB, wishing you had done things differently. I still say you can find what you seek while staying in school and searching outside of the environment that's choking you a bit right now. You'd be surprised that are probably many more people out there who share your sentiments.

With all of this said, it may not hurt to speak with someone about this, whether than someone be a close friend, a relative, a therapist, or whomever you can be completely honest and open with. Still, it's YOUR truth that matters, so you need to find it and be real with yourself about it. Anyways, keep your head up. Let this simmer on the back burner a bit. Good luck bud.

 

[TriagePreMed]

I don't think you really know what you want with your life. You sound lost and clueless. If you really don't like dealing with competitiveness and that kind of academic stress, look into other options. I think a career as a paramedic in a major city might be more career fulfilling than going into the army or even medicine.

 

[silleme]

...I feel as if its not enough for me since all we get are the drunk college students on the weekends. I want to get on the field and just DO something instead of studying...


Reasons Why I Want to Join the Army:

• It's a different experience from the cushy life of a student or living at home
• No more competition with snooby pre-med students.
• Hopefully I will work with other people who have my back. I want that "brotherhood"
• It has that honor and respect thing that you keep with you for your whole life.

Best forum to get military-themed answers would probably be military medicine, but I can give you my perspective. I'm former Army and currently overseas. Your best bet to be out there DOING something with camraderie and in the medical field would likely be as a Navy Corpsman and not in the Army. You'd be working with the Marines, which is much more a brotherhood than any army unit but infantry/rangers/spec ops. *That was just my opinion* I loved the Army I was in, but times have changed it, and it's a much softer service now.

You're not crazy for exploring your options, just realize there IS a war/conflict/whatever you want to call it going on, and chances are likely you'll be over here in Afghanistan sooner rather than later. You'll meet plenty of the same people you were trying to get away from in college, and they'll be in charge of you. You'll also meet a lot of people you'd want to be friends with for life and be proud to have served with. It's a lot to think about, and you have time to digest your choices. A lot can change between now and then, so don't sign anything until you're 100% sure and they give you EXACTLY what you want.

 

[Kj615]

I second the post above.

 

[darmalee]

There are definitely pros and cons to joining the military. I'm former Army myself and I absolutely loved the years I spent in service. I actually joined for similar reasons as those you are describing, aside from trying to get away from pre-meds. When I joined I wasn't sure yet what I wanted to do with my life and one of my reasons for joining was to give me some time and space to figure it out. With that said, I don't agree at all with Dharma that the only reason anyone should join the Army is a heartfelt desire to be a soldier. While I had a vague sense of serving my country when I joined it was by no means my primary motivation. It became my motivation over time but it wasn't the primary reason I joined. And I wasn't the only one by any means. So - if you really want to join the Army - regardless of your reason, I'd say do it.

However, it is a pretty big commitment, so please be sure that is what you want. It sounds like you're planning on finishing your degree before joining, so you have several years to really think about it. I joined on a wild impulse and it turned out to be the best choice I could have made, but I wouldn't suggest that for everyone. Most schools have veterans associations or programs - maybe you could seek out some veterans at your school and get their perspectives on their time in service from the various branches.

I also think that the Army does have a sense of brotherhood and camaraderie. Yeah, maybe the Marines have it to a more hardcore level, but it's definitely there in the Army. I'm still very close to people from all of my duty stations, even though they're scattered around the world right now. There is just something unifying about going through extremely tough situations together. Just my two cents.

Oh and one more pro - if you really are serious about applying to medical school some day, admissions committees love veterans. Well, I know for a fact that Texas admissions committees do, but I'm guessing that it is true for most places. They see time in military service, especially if you make it to the rank of Sergeant or higher, as a high level of responsibility and leadership. The only factor that you'd want to consider in that regard is that you would probably be several years from your coursework, so either consider taking a break from school before finishing so you can come back and finish your degree post-military, or plan on taking some post-bac classes to prove you can still get good grades after a several year long break.

 

[Dharma]

So - if you really want to join the Army - regardless of your reason, I'd say do it.

Reasons should be analyzed, regardless of the circumstances. Not sure if "do it regardless of reason" is the best advice to give someone who is clearly lost.

 

[darmalee]

Reasons should be analyzed, regardless of the circumstances. Not sure if "do it regardless of reason" is the best advice to give someone who is clearly lost.

Of course reasons should be analyzed. That's why I didn't make a blanket statement saying the Army is obviously the only right choice. My point was that it's ridiculous to say that the only reason anyone should join the military is because of a single-minded passion to be a soldier. Plenty of people join for other reasons and are perfectly happy with the decision. The OP should take all random anonymous opinions, including mine, with a grain of salt and make his own decision based on what he feels is best - regardless if someone tells him his motivations aren't good enough.

 

[dudewitshirt]

Thanks for the advice guys, I really appreciate it.

I don't want it to seem as if I'm running away from all the competition in medicine it's just that it frustrates me that we all have to be cut throat in trying to get the better grade; it's always a pissing contest when we get our grades back. Don't get me wrong people who know their stuff better should get into med school, but I'm sick and tired of people thinking in terms of "oh he got an 80 while i got a 90, I'm better than him." One of the hardest things is trying to make friends with another pre-med major because as soon as you get a test grade back if there is significant difference in grades you know your relationship with the other person will be affected by that. Basically, I'm sick and tired of how cut throat pre-med people act. I can take the heat and put up a good fight when applications are due, but I'm tired of how these people and my environment is. I just need a break or at least something in my life that's different from this

One of the things that I find interesting in medicine is all the teamwork that goes on. General physicians work with the radiologist, oncologist, immunologist, EMT, surgeon and whomever else. That's the type of environment I want to work in.

Maybe that's just how things are in college, but I'm afraid that this will continue on into med school and I don't think I can keep doing it for 8 years straight I need a break. I want to work WITH people not AGAINST them

Also, one other reason I want to join the army now is that I don't want to be a doctor by the age of 30 and realize I spent all my youth just in school. I figure if I want to do anything with the military I should do it while I'm young. If join the military at 30 or so I would probably be put to work as a doctor or something which I'm sure I could as a civilian in the states.

My spring break is coming up soon. I will take this time to seriously talk it over my family, hopefully it will make making my decision easier

Again, thanks for all the advice keep it coming if you have more

 

[dudewitshirt]

Do you really think that a career in EMT or the military would be more fulfilling that medicine?

I would assume that it would be a glorious feeling when you tell the parents of your patient that their child is going to be okay.

I feel as if all of these choices will be a fulfilling career in the end it's just if I choose to do medicine there will be a long time before I can feel that sense of accomplishment

 

[dudewitshirt]

I don't think you really know what you want with your life. You sound lost and clueless. If you really don't like dealing with competitiveness and that kind of academic stress, look into other options. I think a career as a paramedic in a major city might be more career fulfilling than going into the army or even medicine.

Do you really think that being an EMT or joining the army is more fulfilling than medicine?

I would assume that putting on that white coat and knowing your making changes in people's life would fill anyone up with a huge sense of accomplishment

I believe that all these options can be fulfilling it's just that if I choose to do medicine there is a long time gap before I can get that feeling of accomplishment

 

[darmalee]

Maybe that's just how things are in college, but I'm afraid that this will continue on into med school and I don't think I can keep doing it for 8 years straight I need a break. I want to work WITH people not AGAINST them

Also, one other reason I want to join the army now is that I don't want to be a doctor by the age of 30 and realize I spent all my youth just in school. I figure if I want to do anything with the military I should do it while I'm young. If join the military at 30 or so I would probably be put to work as a doctor or something which I'm sure I could as a civilian in the states.

If the major thing you're looking for is time away from school, I'm not entirely sure the military is what you're looking for. While I am a big advocate for taking some time off at some point in the huge journey to becoming a doctor, any branch of the military is going to be a time commitment of several years. Taking time out from school is great, and it gives you the opportunity to get some perspective on things in life other than school. However, it would be pretty unfortunate if you signed a four year contract only to realize one year into it that you've had enough time off and are ready to get back at it.

Do you really think that a career in EMT or the military would be more fulfilling that medicine?

I would assume that it would be a glorious feeling when you tell the parents of your patient that their child is going to be okay.

I feel as if all of these choices will be a fulfilling career in the end it's just if I choose to do medicine there will be a long time before I can feel that sense of accomplishment

You're the only one who can decide what is and isn't a fulfilling career for you. Everyone is different. I know people who are EMTs, feel completely fulfilled in it, and plan on spending the rest of their foreseeable career doing that. I also know people who have been in the Army for nearly 30 years and have thoroughly enjoyed it and have no regrets. It definitely sounds like you need to do some soul searching - and that is one reason why some time off might be great for you at some point.

Medicine is a career that has an enormous amount of training and there is definitely delayed gratification in terms of being able to positively impact your patients' lives. I think that's why it really is important to be sure you want to do it. I was in my mid 20s before I really knew what it was that I wanted to do with my life so I do understand the frustration. Best of luck in figuring it out!