As a Backup Career?

[Algophiliac]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Is teaching a good backup career option?

My university offers a certification program that would basically be a second major (in terms of additional class load), which supposedly certifies students to become middle or high school teachers. It would be an extension of my current biology major, supplemented with additional (easy) physics and chemistry courses, as well as numerous (again, very easy) training courses in teaching fundamentals. Obviously this would boost my GPA...but I don't really want to waste time taking classes like these (I'd rather boost my GPA with some good old-fashioned philosophy classes, to be honest) if teaching is not a good alternate career option. So what do you all think?

Would it provide better job opportunities or a better salary than if I just graduate with a BS in biology and go on to do...uhhh, I don't even know what you would do with a BS in biology...lab work?

The problem is that I just can't see myself being a high school teacher for the rest of my life! If anything, I would prefer to attain a PhD instead, but that requires an excellent academic record as well. 🙁 NOT something I have right now, so I really do want a potential backup plan, just in case.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Getting into grad school doesn't take a particularly strong academic record, from what I understand. It's mostly about your recommendations and your experience. Getting into a grad school that's highly regarded in whatever subject you want to do your PhD in, however, will probably require a pretty formidable GPA.

Teaching is a reasonably good backup if you have a degree in science or math. Those subjects are in fairly high demand. I think I'd shoot for that grad school target, though.

 

[Tots]

Teaching is only a good alternative career option if you actually want to be a teacher(or wouldn't mind being a teacher?). If you don't want to be a teacher, don't go through the program.
Either find something else to do with your B.S. in Biology or switch to a major that you can still enjoy, will allow you finish your pre-recs and provide better career options.

You might want to try talking to your counselor about non-health careers with a B.S. in Biology

 

[Gallix23]

Not sure if this suits your interests, but one of my friends graduated with a BS in biology and is going onto do Forensics for the police force. Although it is mandatory to do 2 years on the force (right now he is a jail warden/correctional officer) eventually you can specialize in doing forensics with the biology background.

It's just a different, fairly cool alternative to teaching and or lab work if med school doesn't work out.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

High school science teachers are in very high demand, and you probably don't need an actual degree in education to be able to do it. You might have to take some education courses to get certified as a teacher, but I don't know if it's worth getting a separate degree.

I think you should quit worrying about having a backup plan and focus on your classes now.

 

[AnnaBananax]

Do you really want a backup plan, or are you just worried that you aren't going to get in this cycle?

If medicine is what you want, don't be so quick to come up with an alternative plan. You don't want to "settle" for a career and end up regretting it. Some people (like myself) took a very circuitous route to med school (I wouldn't have gotten in if I had applied during undergrad), and personally I wouldn't change a thing about my life thus far.

Unless you've stopped being attracted to medicine, don't think about backup life plans, think about alternative routes to get you where you want to be.

 

[dikoerastenie]

I don't think I would be qualified to teach at high school level... It's one thing to solve a problem and another to explain it to a large group. I think my 2nd choice would be to become a cop. But thats quite a drop in prestige from an orthosurgeon. I would be one bitter cop.

 

[Algophiliac]

Do you really want a backup plan, or are you just worried that you aren't going to get in this cycle?

If medicine is what you want, don't be so quick to come up with an alternative plan. You don't want to "settle" for a career and end up regretting it. Some people (like myself) took a very circuitous route to med school (I wouldn't have gotten in if I had applied during undergrad), and personally I wouldn't change a thing about my life thus far.

Unless you've stopped being attracted to medicine, don't think about backup life plans, think about alternative routes to get you where you want to be.

This is exactly what I am seeking, a temporary alternative. I mean that I cannot see myself becoming a high school teacher permanently, but as a temporary option while strengthening my application for medical school, teaching seems like a good idea. And I love teaching! But if I were to make teaching a permanent career choice, I would go to graduate school for biology and get my PhD instead. But, as I said, I want an MD.

Obviously with a BS in biology my options are quite limited in terms of temporary career options...and I can't afford to not work if I don't make it into medical school within my four years of undergraduate education. Because my parents will not pay for more undergraduate education, and they have told me numerous times that after four years of college, I'm on my own in terms of finances.

So, yes, AnnaBananax...I'm actually seeking an "alternative route"...one that can support me financially.

 

[Tots]

I guess as a temporary alternative, but I still don't see the point of taking a bunch of classes you really don't want to take.

I am taking an upper division education-ish class right now, and the material is extremely boring. 👎

 

[Algophiliac]

I guess as a temporary alternative, but I still don't see the point of taking a bunch of classes you really don't want to take.

I am taking an upper division education-ish class right now, and the material is extremely boring. 👎

I wouldn't mind taking them, especially if they can promise me something approaching a stable career should I fail to make it into medical school. But of course I'd rather take way more interesting courses, learn more in-depth topics, and achieve higher degrees.

Yet from a practical sense, I've realized adding another major (or "certification", in this case) should either expand career options post-graduation or boost GPA. This does both.

Actually...assuming I don't make it into medical school, would it be too late to apply to graduate school that same year?

 

[DrYoda]

Actually...assuming I don't make it into medical school, would it be too late to apply to graduate school that same year?

I know a few people who applied to grad school and med school at the same time.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

I wouldn't mind taking them, especially if they can promise me something approaching a stable career should I fail to make it into medical school. But of course I'd rather take way more interesting courses, learn more in-depth topics, and achieve higher degrees.

Yet from a practical sense, I've realized adding another major (or "certification", in this case) should either expand career options post-graduation or boost GPA. This does both.

Actually...assuming I don't make it into medical school, would it be too late to apply to graduate school that same year?

Grad school apps are generally due much later than med school apps and the process is much less strenuous. Most master's programs have their deadlines in the January-March period.

 

[jvesco22]

It's your first semester/quarter of your freshman year in college isn't it? Why are you counting yourself out already. You should really try to develop a more positive mindset. Of course everyone thinks it's good to have a plan B, but make it closer to when you apply. It seems like from this post and others, that you feel you aren't going to get good enough grades to succeed in getting accepted to med school.

I think you should be confident in yourself and stop thinking about Plan B until closer to your application cycle when you know where you stand.

Keep your head up.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Is teaching a good backup career option?

My university offers a certification program that would basically be a second major (in terms of additional class load), which supposedly certifies students to become middle or high school teachers. It would be an extension of my current biology major, supplemented with additional (easy) physics and chemistry courses, as well as numerous (again, very easy) training courses in teaching fundamentals. Obviously this would boost my GPA...but I don't really want to waste time taking classes like these (I'd rather boost my GPA with some good old-fashioned philosophy classes, to be honest) if teaching is not a good alternate career option. So what do you all think?

Would it provide better job opportunities or a better salary than if I just graduate with a BS in biology and go on to do...uhhh, I don't even know what you would do with a BS in biology...lab work?

The problem is that I just can't see myself being a high school teacher for the rest of my life! If anything, I would prefer to attain a PhD instead, but that requires an excellent academic record as well. 🙁 NOT something I have right now, so I really do want a potential backup plan, just in case.

Teaching was my backup career as a premed. That said, because of the abundance of alternative certification programs I never took any education courses in college. I later did two funded, online graduate courses, but that's beside the point.

I couldn't imagine myself being a teacher when I started teaching, and I only lasted two years. I would've liked getting into education administration, which was why I took those two grad. classes, but I didn't want to put in the time in the classroom in order to get to that point so I quit the master's program and teaching. Budgets, building construction / maintenance, transportation, personnel, and that type of thing interested me. Curricular management did not.

Being a teacher isn't something to be taken lightly. You've got about 30 other personalities in your classroom at any given time to control and manage, and trying to do that can be difficult. Half the class won't care about grades or punitive actions should they cause trouble and finding some method of getting them to do or behave how you want is a real b**ch. In the course of your full work day you'll be expected to plan lessons, grade work, enter assessments into some computerized database (e-grading is becoming the norm), contact parents, and teach class. I taught four different courses one year so that was four different types of lesson plans, "activities," and assessments to generate. Because I didn't like the job I didn't do any of that on the weekends and only rarely graded papers in the evenings. My weekend was my time off so I fell behind.

If it says anything when I quit teaching I immediately became a cop in the same city. It was my great privilege to at times arrest prior students and/or parents. I've since changed agencies and am in a more specialized position.

By the way, I never finished all of the classes I needed for premed namely orgo and physics thus I never applied to medical school, and I finished college six years ago. Now, I'm here to determine if I want to do that, and I still don't want to take orgo or physics. yuck

 

[AnnaBananax]

If medicine is where you want to be at the end of the day (as you have said), I think it's really important to go over your file with either a good pre-med advisor, or a dean of med school admissions. You need to identify what it is about your packet that kept you out of med school...if it's a lack of extracurriculars or shadowing or what not, then you can probably appropriately augment your application while doing something like teaching or working in a lab. But, if you're academically lacking and that's what kept you out of school, it is really unlikely that you're going to significantly change your gpa/sgpa while taking classes part time and working as a high school science teacher. If that's the case, doing an smp program for the next year is probably the best thing you can do for yourself (i did one of these0. Depending on the program you pick, this can leave you with an MS, and you'll likely get in to med school during that year. If you take out an educational loan to cover your smp, your living expenses will be covered by it, so you'll be able to focus on getting in to med school fulltime.

It's definitely good that you're thinking about backup plans, but, don't give up hope just yet. You have to keep in mind that the vast majority of the kids on SDN are hard-charging gunners-to-be...it's still REALLY early in the application cycle, and plenty of people who will matriculate next year don't have interviews or acceptances yet...when I applied (the second time) I didn't get any interviews until late December and I ended up w/ 3 acceptances at programs I really loved.

 

[Algophiliac]

If it says anything when I quit teaching I immediately became a cop in the same city. It was my great privilege to at times arrest prior students and/or parents. I've since changed agencies and am in a more specialized position.

By the way, I never finished all of the classes I needed for premed namely orgo and physics thus I never applied to medical school, and I finished college six years ago. Now, I'm here to determine if I want to do that, and I still don't want to take orgo or physics. yuck

Do you know my problem? I don't think teaching is as exciting or as internally rewarding (especially when dealing with high school kids) as medicine. If I were to make a permanent career out of something, it would have to be something related to health care...maybe an EMT or a paramedic? But even so, those professions lack the intellectual rigor I crave, but apparently can't handle. 🙁 Not to mention EMT jobs here are few and far between, especially for college students...and the course is upwards of $700.

Yet becoming a PhD in a field deprives me of all the aspects of health care I admire. And in my opinion, just doing research only allows focus on specific details, and I prefer to have a broad range of skills and talents. For example, I want to be able to operate on the heart using motor skills and know what exactly I am doing and why it works.

My ideal career, I think, is academic medicine. It gives me a mix of "jobs" (teaching, research, and clinic) to prevent boredom, involves both active and passive behavior, and allows me to teach students who actually care about their careers and futures.

Maybe you're right, jvesco22, but I came into this too confident. 🙁 I actually don't think I can get any higher than a C in biology unless I get a REALLY good score on the final. I don't know what to do with myself...this is INTRO LEVEL BIOLOGY I'm not doing well in! What medical school on earth will take someone with a C in the most basic pre-req? And I'm WILLING to work, but the first semester of freshman year just rushed by me--it's all going too fast for me to keep up. 😱

 

[sustentacular]

Actually...assuming I don't make it into medical school, would it be too late to apply to graduate school that same year?

It depends on the program you're applying to, but many graduate programs nave non-rolling admissions and application due dates seem to range from December to February (although I've seen due dates as late as April 1st). I doubt you'd hear back from every med school you apply to before apps were due for grad school, it would be better to apply to both simultaneously.

 

[Gallix23]

Maybe you're right, jvesco22, but I came into this too confident. 🙁 I actually don't think I can get any higher than a C in biology unless I get a REALLY good score on the final. I don't know what to do with myself...this is INTRO LEVEL BIOLOGY I'm not doing well in! What medical school on earth will take someone with a C in the most basic pre-req? And I'm WILLING to work, but the first semester of freshman year just rushed by me--it's all going too fast for me to keep up. 😱

Just try your best right now to salvage whatever highest grade you can muster in the class, and move on. It's 1st semester freshman year; don't let it freak you out already and don't let it crush your dream. Just accept what you have at the end of the term, and work really hard second semester to make up for it as much as you can. Judging from your other posts I've read, you know exactly what you need to do to fix the problem and get better grades, so do exactly that from here on out. It's all about that upward trend 😀

 

[Algophiliac]

Just try your best right now to salvage whatever highest grade you can muster in the class, and move on. It's 1st semester freshman year; don't let it freak you out already and don't let it crush your dream. Just accept what you have at the end of the term, and work really hard second semester to make up for it as much as you can. Judging from your other posts I've read, you know exactly what you need to do to fix the problem and get better grades, so do exactly that from here on out. It's all about that upward trend 😀

Do you think I will do better in my classes in general if I stop wavering and just focus on medicine and only medicine? Having a way out may seem like it decreases my stress levels, but I am worried it may also be leading me to feel as though it is okay to slack off. 🙁 It most definitely is not okay to slack off for me right now, especially with my horrid grades so far in my college education. So maybe it is better to stop trying to find alternatives and focus on my one major and on increasing my GPA? I'm just worried this strategy will leave me unemployed and penniless after graduation.

Thanks for the upward trend comment! 🙂

For those of you commenting on grad school applications, I assume that I cannot apply to one school's medical and grad school at the same time? This would limit my grad school options considerably. And would the application cycle not be extremely stressful when applying for both MD and PhD education? Thanks.

 

[goldandapager]

If you want to become a physician, then your plan B should be the Caribbean.

 

[Gallix23]

Do you think I will do better in my classes in general if I stop wavering and just focus on medicine and only medicine? Having a way out may seem like it decreases my stress levels, but I am worried it may also be leading me to feel as though it is okay to slack off. 🙁 It most definitely is not okay to slack off for me right now, especially with my horrid grades so far in my college education. So maybe it is better to stop trying to find alternatives and focus on my one major and on increasing my GPA? I'm just worried this strategy will leave me unemployed and penniless after graduation.

Thanks for the upward trend comment! 🙂

For those of you commenting on grad school applications, I assume that I cannot apply to one school's medical and grad school at the same time? This would limit my grad school options considerably. And would the application cycle not be extremely stressful when applying for both MD and PhD education? Thanks.

Yes, I think if you put your mind set on medicine and leave out everything else for now, you will definitely do better. Just think of it like this: if you focus on medicine and strive for that, it only sets you up for good things to come. You'll have good grades, good ECs, good research experience, etc.etc. So if the time comes around and you decide medicine isn't for you or something else happens, you have all of those good things to fall back on if you decide to apply for grad school.

Don't set your sights lower than your goals yet, it's VERY early in your college career. If you have the attitude of "oh, I'm just going to be a teacher" than you won't have it in the back of your mind to do your absoulte best because you're settling already. Set your mind on medicine if it is what you really want, and just do it. Work hard and let all of your doubt fall by the wayside. I'm sure you've read other people's posts about how they did horrible freshman or sophomore year and still ended up in med school through a bunch of hard work on their part as school progressed. As I said before, ADCOMs want to see that you mature and become hard working and goal oriented as you near graduating from undergrad, even if you wavered a little before that. You can bend right now, but don't break 👍

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Do you think I will do better in my classes in general if I stop wavering and just focus on medicine and only medicine? Having a way out may seem like it decreases my stress levels, but I am worried it may also be leading me to feel as though it is okay to slack off. 🙁 It most definitely is not okay to slack off for me right now, especially with my horrid grades so far in my college education. So maybe it is better to stop trying to find alternatives and focus on my one major and on increasing my GPA? I'm just worried this strategy will leave me unemployed and penniless after graduation.

Thanks for the upward trend comment! 🙂

For those of you commenting on grad school applications, I assume that I cannot apply to one school's medical and grad school at the same time? This would limit my grad school options considerably. And would the application cycle not be extremely stressful when applying for both MD and PhD education? Thanks.

A couple of things.

One, I would not count on a career in EMS. It's ok for a part-time gig, IMO, but I wouldn't do it full-time. There isn't much money in it for a college grad, and it's not as medical-oriented as you might think. I can only attest to this because I've been there.

Two, your focus should not be on medicine at all. Your focus should be on what classes you're in now. Worry about that. Think baby steps. I know you're in this for an end goal, but you'll worry yourself to death if that's all you've got. Do as well as you can in the classes you've got now, and live that way everyday. You're young and in college so have fun with it too. Get a part-time job doing something you don't mind doing. Go out and eat, see a movie, get a date or something. I'm not downplaying the importance of planning and vision, but medical school is a long way off for you. Four years is a lot of time living on pins and needles hoping you get accepted somewhere. Just do your best, and at the end of the day be happy with that. There are a lot of "gunners" on sites like this that can be painfully annoying. Don't judge yourself based on their successes and failures. In the end, if this is what you really want to do then you'll do it. There's always a way.

 

[Algophiliac]

A couple of things.

One, I would not count on a career in EMS. It's ok for a part-time gig, IMO, but I wouldn't do it full-time. There isn't much money in it for a college grad, and it's not as medical-oriented as you might think. I can only attest to this because I've been there.

Hmmm, I never knew that a career in EMS is not really medically-oriented. The pay seemed pretty decent (compared to a teacher's salary), although I may be mistaken. But in any case, a career in EMS does not seem to be in my future, especially with the insane cost of the initial basic training at my location. The only other relatively decently-paying option is nursing, and I know for a fact that that is not something I wish to consider.

Two, your focus should not be on medicine at all. Your focus should be on what classes you're in now. Worry about that. Think baby steps. I know you're in this for an end goal, but you'll worry yourself to death if that's all you've got. Do as well as you can in the classes you've got now, and live that way everyday. You're young and in college so have fun with it too. Get a part-time job doing something you don't mind doing. Go out and eat, see a movie, get a date or something. I'm not downplaying the importance of planning and vision, but medical school is a long way off for you. Four years is a lot of time living on pins and needles hoping you get accepted somewhere. Just do your best, and at the end of the day be happy with that. There are a lot of "gunners" on sites like this that can be painfully annoying. Don't judge yourself based on their successes and failures. In the end, if this is what you really want to do then you'll do it. There's always a way.

Unfortunately this is how my year began, and I have to admit that the approach completely failed me. Not keeping an ultimate goal in mind just led to confusion and poor grades, which is most certainly not going to help me get into medical school. While I love to take other interesting classes and commit to ECs outside of medical school-oriented/required ECs, I feel as though doing so (especially doing so excessively) will detract from my ability to stay focused. Maybe once I get my life and grades back in order, I can reconsider adding other majors or expanding my knowledge base in numerous other ways. Thanks for the tips, though. I realize I should not become a living, breathing, all-for-medicine pre-med gunner...but I still need some main, focused goal in my life.

Thanks, Gallix23. It just worries me to see pre-med students with amazing grades sitting next to me in class (like that one guy who always gets above a 97%, has an amazing attitude, seems to get every single professor's positive attention, and is in general a great guy to be around), while I am struggling at the very start (the easiest part) of the journey.

Something I've noticed about myself since freshman year of high school is that I have to study a lot to get amazing grades. This always makes me feel a bit self-conscious...since I've been barricading myself in the library these past few weeks in an attempt to salvage my grades. 🙁

 

[loveoforganic]

If you want to become a physician, then your plan B should be the Caribbean.

🙄

 

[Gallix23]

Thanks, Gallix23. It just worries me to see pre-med students with amazing grades sitting next to me in class (like that one guy who always gets above a 97%, has an amazing attitude, seems to get every single professor's positive attention, and is in general a great guy to be around), while I am struggling at the very start (the easiest part) of the journey.

Something I've noticed about myself since freshman year of high school is that I have to study a lot to get amazing grades. This always makes me feel a bit self-conscious...since I've been barricading myself in the library these past few weeks in an attempt to salvage my grades. 🙁

A lot of people regard this as the hardest part of the journey. Being away from home, surviving on your own, making new friends, adapting to the increase in workload, learning how to manage time efficiently, etc. etc. As you progress in college the workload and material may get harder, but by then you already have adjusted to college and know what works for you in terms of studying and everything else, so it's easier to handle.

And there are a TON of people out there who need to work really hard in order to recieve the same high grade as the genius they sit next too who studied for an hour the night before, that's life. Having the work ethic to study hard and really earn that high grade seems more worthwhile and satisfying in the long run than relying on natural intelligence like some people have the benefit of doing.

 

[Evergrey]

Hey man, I recommend you take a break from the difficult science prereqs and spend a semester doing distribution requirements (humanities, social sciences, etc). It's clear that you're an intelligent person, if I may wager a guess I'd say the problem is you're not used to the workload in college and you don't know how to approach your classes in order to study effectively.

I didn't start taking my prereqs until my junior year, and I really noticed how much more prepared and mature I was and how that really helped me succeed in my coursework. Too many people rush into taking their science prereqs and ruin their chances at a competitive medical or graduate school. You can use the break from science to think about how to approach the coursework more effectively in order to succeed at the level required by medical school admissions.

True, some people succeed right from the get-go, but you can't take this to mean that they're smarter than you. They've had different life experiences which have made them more mature and capable of approaching the coursework. Remember, getting good grades is only partly about being smart. A larger part of it is possessing the acuity to determine what the teacher wants you to know and then how you can most efficiently go about acquiring that knowledge. Some people develop quicker in this aspect than others, but this by no means implies that you're incapable of performing at their level or even beyond that (I struggled with this a lot in college when I started and didn't do very well initially). You can't judge yourself against other people, only by yourself. There may have been a lot of advantages that they had that you didn't get growing up, so don't take it personally. If you're smart, you will catch up to them in no time. Maybe even surpass them.

Also, don't focus on the future, focus on the present. I definitely have to echo ArkansasRanger's thoughts on this. If you worry about how your performance in these classes is going to affect the next 50 years of your life, then you are going to be so stressed out! Just take the classes that you love and work hard but make sure to enjoy every day. If working at the level required for medical school makes you happy, then great. But if it doesn't, why would you want to go to medical school in the first place? Do what makes you happy!! No level of success is worth the sacrifice of your happiness. This is 100% why I'm still worried about going to medical school, but I've thought things over and decided (hopefully realistically) that I can still have a fulfilling personal life and be a medical student/resident physician at the same time.

Going through undergrad should NOT be (in my opinion) about preparing you for medical school. It should be a time for you to explore who you are and what your professional and intellectual interests are. As a first-semester freshman, it's likely that you don't really know for sure what you want to do.

I went into college thinking I wanted to be a writer, and believing fervently that I hated science. It took two years for me to rectify both of those errors, but I'm much happier for having an open-mind and being able to give science another chance. It may be that you are right, that you want to go into medicine, or it may be that you will switch and then later switch back. But in my humble opinion, your freshman year is too early to commit to any single major, let alone a single career path. Ultimately, you do NOT need to be deciding (or even worrying) about these things your freshman year. Moreover, you probably haven't explored enough coursework or career options to make a truly informed decision at this point. Make some time to explore. If you decide that you do want to go down the path toward medicine, you will be well-equipped from your diverse experiences. It will help you succeed at your coursework, and you better believe it will help you write a compelling personal statement and have a successful interview. You, unlike most premeds, would have taken the time to REALLY consider what you're getting into. And you decided that it was the right path for you even despite all of that questioning. That, my friend, displays maturity and conviction.

I had a friend who was a bit younger than me, a sophomore transfer student who had gone to a very non-rigorous college his first year. We started taking the premed prereqs at the same time. He bit off more than he could chew and ended up doing very poorly in those classes (Cs and some Bs). I've always believed that if he hadn't tried to rush into things and had gone slowly instead by allowing himself time to adapt to the workload required of science classes at our college, he would have succeeded at his classes and been able to achieve his dream of medicine.

Sorry if this seemed overly verbose or preachy. I guess something you said struck a chord in me and I wanted to expand upon that. Anyway, take my advice for what it is, just one guy's misinformed opinion 🙂 Hopefully it offers some help to you in some way. And, best of luck with your biology class 🙂

 

[casillas]

My back up career plan was public health, because if the MD thing didn't work out i don't think i would feel bad about waking up everyday to a career in public health.
If you must have a back up plan let it be something you enjoy doing so that just in case you are still doing it two years down the road you won't be miserable.

 

[bamtuba]

I have been a teacher and an EMT.

Teaching pays WAY more (especially considering how much time you actually work) and has better benefits, depending on where you live.

I would not do either one of these jobs as a "back-up."

My opinion, FWIW.

 

[Algophiliac]

I have been a teacher and an EMT.

Teaching pays WAY more (especially considering how much time you actually work) and has better benefits, depending on where you live.

I would not do either one of these jobs as a "back-up."

My opinion, FWIW.

Could you elaborate on why those jobs are bad as back-ups?

Teaching does sound as though it not only pays better and provides better benefits, but also has greater employment opportunities, especially where I currently live. Not to mention that the lifestyle of an EMT sounds extremely hectic, or so I hear...routine 12-hour shifts?! That doesn't provide much time for med school reapplication work.

So what jobs would you recommend as back-ups?

Evergrey, thanks so much. Your post has really opened my eyes as to why I am not coping...every bad grade is magnified when I only have the ultimate goal in mind. I cannot fully appreciate the courses I am taking, when in the back of my mind I know med schools will only care about the final course grade. By extension, I cannot focus on classes I love (english, philosophy, ethics, etc), when those can never provide lucrative career options post-graduation. I cannot engage in outside activities that medical schools do not require, because those take away valuable time from improving my medical school application. But what kind of life is this? The result has only left me feeling depressed and inadequate in comparison with those pre-meds who can handle EVERYTHING. 🙁

Can you tell I hate practicality? But I still have to take my potential future career options into account...it's just so overwhelming to imagine not having a job, not being accepted into medical school, and having to...well, I don't know what I'd have to do then. I'm worrying way too far into the future, I hope?

 

[dikoerastenie]

I am sad. If I get rejected I am just an unemployed loser.

 

[Algophiliac]

You know what? I just realized something. Double majoring in philosophy or english will not only raise my non-science GPA, it will change my ENTIRE outlook on my education. Although it will be more difficult, the fact that I enjoy these subjects will greatly increase my overall motivation to succeed and study.

Today started off as a VERY stressful day for me...but then I received a notification from the library that my philosophy book request had come in. You should have seen the way my ENTIRE mentality changed. I'm an explorer by nature...memorization bores me, but critical thinking, analyzing, and finding answers...finding the truth...is what I love to do. And not just in research. 🙂

So maybe I can stop stressing myself into corners and just focus on the aspects of the classes I enjoy, stay on top of the material, and forget about having a back-up plan. There'll always be grad school, I guess?

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Could you elaborate on why those jobs are bad as back-ups?

Teaching does sound as though it not only pays better and provides better benefits, but also has greater employment opportunities, especially where I currently live. Not to mention that the lifestyle of an EMT sounds extremely hectic, or so I hear...routine 12-hour shifts?! That doesn't provide much time for med school reapplication work.

So what jobs would you recommend as back-ups?

Evergrey, thanks so much. Your post has really opened my eyes as to why I am not coping...every bad grade is magnified when I only have the ultimate goal in mind. I cannot fully appreciate the courses I am taking, when in the back of my mind I know med schools will only care about the final course grade. By extension, I cannot focus on classes I love (english, philosophy, ethics, etc), when those can never provide lucrative career options post-graduation. I cannot engage in outside activities that medical schools do not require, because those take away valuable time from improving my medical school application. But what kind of life is this? The result has only left me feeling depressed and inadequate in comparison with those pre-meds who can handle EVERYTHING. 🙁

Can you tell I hate practicality? But I still have to take my potential future career options into account...it's just so overwhelming to imagine not having a job, not being accepted into medical school, and having to...well, I don't know what I'd have to do then. I'm worrying way too far into the future, I hope?

They're bad as backups because you have to be totally committed to both to enjoy and be successful at them. You didn't get much out of my first reply did you, lol?

Don't worry about the nerdy gunners in your premed classes. Do as well as YOU can do, and if it doesn't work out then so be it. However, if you're committed to this you will prevail. I think you're going to kill yourself trying to wrap your life around the premed nonsense. Go through the motions, get good grades as you can, and do what you enjoy.

You're obviously concerned about status and compensation in your career. That isn't such a bad thing, but I can tell you that jobs that pay well are not necessarily the jobs that make you happy.

Consider this hypothetical...there are no more doctors. They aren't needed. What else would you want to do for your career? That's your backup. Don't be frustrated if you can't think of anything though. It happens.

Why are you wanting to be a doctor anyway?

 

[Algophiliac]

They're bad as backups because you have to be totally committed to both to enjoy and be successful at them. You didn't get much out of my first reply did you, lol?

Apparently not. 😛 I do not think I will lack commitment to either profession at first, but over time the level of enthusiasm may fade. For now, I truly believe the excitement of becoming an EMT or teacher will suffice...but I love medicine, and that nagging "just settling" feeling will haunt me.

Don't worry about the nerdy gunners in your premed classes. Do as well as YOU can do, and if it doesn't work out then so be it. However, if you're committed to this you will prevail. I think you're going to kill yourself trying to wrap your life around the premed nonsense. Go through the motions, get good grades as you can, and do what you enjoy.

This is so difficult to do for someone who came from a very competitive high school background. Most of my high school peers were the dog-eat-dog, cutthroat students that never gave you the time of day. The problem is that I actually do enjoy volunteering and studying...but the environment in which the two occur is destructive to my mental well-being!

I was "happy" back in my anti-social high school freshman days and received the best grades then as well. But as soon as stressful people were added into the mix, my grades fell into a steady decline. Why is this?

You're obviously concerned about status and compensation in your career. That isn't such a bad thing, but I can tell you that jobs that pay well are not necessarily the jobs that make you happy.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am not looking to make millions. But if I graduate college (having failed to make it into medical school) without any back-up plans, there is a chance of making absolutely no money at all...or as I mentioned, worse, not finding a job opportunity. Of course I realize the importance of job satisfaction--that's why I'm not even considering majoring in computer science or engineering, despite the higher salaries and more abundant job opportunities.

Consider this hypothetical...there are no more doctors. They aren't needed. What else would you want to do for your career? That's your backup. Don't be frustrated if you can't think of anything though. It happens.

Why are you wanting to be a doctor anyway?

What else? Professor, psychologist, teacher, emergency responder/EMT, or something to do with healthcare on an international and nonprofit level. Industry work/research is also an option, depending on the industry.

As to why I want to be a doctor, there are many reasons. I typed out an answer just now, but it turned into a Dickens novel, so I'll just leave it off. Suffice it to say, it's the only profession (well, if we're dealing with academic medicine) that has absolutely everything I seek in life.