BEWARE OF MEDICAL SCHOOL

[hurley7]

Hello all you pre-medders.

I was a pre-med and matriculated into a very good medical school and withdrew last december. I am just interested in knowing if any of you are "iffy" about medical school. I know a few of us that have left medical school and am curious as to what they were thinking when they were applying. and what was i thinking? lol. you have to REALLY want the profession and almost not have any other interests in life. it is a very respectable occupation and i admire those that give up their lives to pursue it. because it doesnt carry the prestige, money, and freedom that it once did. anyways, i am just curious if any of you are "fence-sitters." i DEFINITELY was not at the time i was applying. i had wanted to be a doctor ever since i could remember and was quite "gung-ho" about going to medical school. anyways, if you're interested, make a post.

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[vyc]

i'm not a fence-sitter, but it'd be interesting to hear your story... why don't you start?

 

[BlackPuma]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by vyc:
•i'm not a fence-sitter, but it'd be interesting to hear your story... why don't you start?•••••maybe he or she is on the waitlist, and they wanna see some movement

well buddy...you should be a little more specific...like USC made me miserable, NUMS, they are not understanding, blah blah...I mean be more specific, so that if you do accomplish in scaring someone, it is the school that ur interested in :wink:

nice try Machiavelli

pssssssht, this reminds me of the time I had to drop out of law school, and I was like close to taking the BAR exam.....aka drinking, and learning how to make mixes...

well anyone, we were in this sexual harrasment class to learn about all the legal issues, and after office hours, my professor flashed her panties at me, I mean she wouldn't....and even if I asked her to stop she became so much more aggresive. She thought, this is a typical sexual harrasment scenario

well anyway, to make a long story short, I told her that I am with another wonderful middle aged woman already (apparently she took offense to the another middle aged women) and that I was fulfilled sexually in every way possible....

I also apparently blabbed that she happened to be the Dean's wife....and the word got around on who is screwing the Dean's wife, and u'd think the damn dean would understand...but good grief,

needless to say, they threw me out of law school....well I hope that doesn't happen again...

 

[Cambrian]

Well, if you left medicine • because it doesnt carry the prestige, money, and freedom that it once did • then you probably were in it for the wrong reason. That decision was probably best for you. But you must keep in mind that not all of us are in it for money and prestige. Many of us pursue it to help our fellow human beings and to seek intellectual challenges on a daily basis.

 

[BlackPuma]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Cambrian:
•Well, if you left medicine • because it doesnt carry the prestige, money, and freedom that it once did • then you probably were in it for the wrong reason. That decision was probably best for you. But you must keep in mind that not all of us are in it for money and prestige. Many of us pursue it to help our fellow human beings and to seek intellectual challenges on a daily basis.•••••intellectual challenges on a daily basis huh?

u just wait, until ur forced to do prostate exams on senior citizens everyday

really intellectually challenging...I don't know about u pple....but I might seriously consider amputating my fingers afterwards ARGH <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="frown.gif" />

 

[brickmanli]

Medical school is only one part on your path to become a doctor. Hurley7, it seems like that you didn't even finish first year, which probably took place in a classroom. If I heard this caveat from a veteran doctor who quit after many years of practice, then it'll hold more validity. Plus I don't think there are that many "fence-sitters" on SDN.

 

[relatively prime]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Cambrian:
•Well, if you left medicine • because it doesnt carry the prestige, money, and freedom that it once did • then you probably were in it for the wrong reason. That decision was probably best for you. But you must keep in mind that not all of us are in it for money and prestige. Many of us pursue it to help our fellow human beings and to seek intellectual challenges on a daily basis.•••••I don't get it... why are prestige, money, and freedom the "wrong reasons" to want to be a doctor!? As long as you're committed and you end up being a reliable, trustworthy, competent, and dedicated physician... who the hell cares WHY you are a physician?

I don't think we should pass judgements on the reasons a person wants to be doctor... so long as they are good doctors... it just doesn't matter. I don't buy into this cr-p that you have to have the heart of Mother Theresa to be a good physician... or that you have to "want to help people" and "make the world a better place." It's just a load of BS that's better left for someone's personal statement.

 

[apocalypse3678]

hey guys,
quick question...if you're traveling at the speed of light in a car and you turn on the lights inside of the car, would anything happen? there's a challenging question for you...always helping out the scum of the earth,
me

 

[Nuclearrabbit]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by apocalypse3678:
•hey guys,
quick question...if you're traveling at the speed of light in a car and you turn on the lights inside of the car, would anything happen? there's a challenging question for you...always helping out the scum of the earth,
me•••••typical relativity question. sheesh

 

[NUgirl]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by hurley7:
•Hello all you pre-medders.

I was a pre-med and matriculated into a very good medical school and withdrew last december. I am just interested in knowing if any of you are "iffy" about medical school. I know a few of us that have left medical school and am curious as to what they were thinking when they were applying. and what was i thinking? lol. you have to REALLY want the profession and almost not have any other interests in life. it is a very respectable occupation and i admire those that give up their lives to pursue it. because it doesnt carry the prestige, money, and freedom that it once did. anyways, i am just curious if any of you are "fence-sitters." i DEFINITELY was not at the time i was applying. i had wanted to be a doctor ever since i could remember and was quite "gung-ho" about going to medical school. anyways, if you're interested, make a post.•••••So what profession have you switched to, something related to medicine?

 

[Doc AdamK in 2006]

I agree with relatively prime

Why is it wrong to have prestige.
One of the reasons people come to you for is that you are respected and you have a great deal of prestige.

I think some of you are focussing on his statement about "money"

I think a physician and patients' freedom of choice of treatment aren't what they used to be.

But all of these problems come with every job. You have to deal with it.
If you left medicine just for those reasons, then you probably didn't not have the passion for healing people.

So I think hurley didn't have it to start and those reasons are just examples that are easy to cite.

AK

 

[Peter Parker]

just wondering watcha, why are your posts so useless these days?

give hurley a chance to explain his or her case. i can see how one could leave medical school because it doesn't live up to some glorified "ER"-esque dream.

back on topic: i am not a fence-sitter at the moment, but i have lately noticed an evolution in my reasons for pursuing medicine. perhaps hurley's story may be of use in this regard. put me down as interested.

 

[relatively prime]

Well... I don't think it's wrong to want money either... but if you're going into ~medicine~ for money then you're an idiot and you shouldn't be trusted with people's health.

I just don't think there's anything wrong with a person who wants to go into medicine for those "other" reasons. If you really want to change the world or really want to help people there are a lot of other things you could do that would be much more effective. For example you could get a degree in Public Health and then go to Law School... then work to change laws regarding health care that are unjust... like the fact that there are no repercussions for losing totally frivolous law suites against doctors. In fact, there are very few, if any, laws protecting doctors at all.

And, if you must be a physician and you insist that you're the "I want to save the world" type... you really should join something like the Peace Corp and dedicate your life to helping those in underdeveloped areas.

Let's be honest... you're not making that big a difference in the world if you get a cosy job as a gynocologist in some well-pamped rich suburban town in California.

 

[Peter Parker]

prestige involves status and power issues, which are very important in the patient-doctor relationship. if prestige is a top reason one wants to be a doctor, this has implications for medicine in general. it means that doctors will continue to be put on a pedestal and their practices will be more often unquestioned and accepted as fact.

it may be better to be aware that prestige plays a role in medicine as a career, but not make it the focus or basis of any medical career.

 

[BlackPuma]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Peter Parker:
•just wondering watcha, why are your posts so useless these days?

give hurley a chance to explain his or her case. i can see how one could leave medical school because it doesn't live up to some glorified "ER"-esque dream.

back on topic: i am not a fence-sitter at the moment, but i have lately noticed an evolution in my reasons for pursuing medicine. perhaps hurley's story may be of use in this regard. put me down as interested.•••••oh dang....u mean my posts are usually useful....

pple are so good with words......

 

[none]

I'd also love to hear some specifics from the OP. It's hard to get concerned after hearing such vague comments.

 

[med student]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by relatively prime:
• •••quote:•••Originally posted by Cambrian:
•Well, if you left medicine • because it doesnt carry the prestige, money, and freedom that it once did • then you probably were in it for the wrong reason. That decision was probably best for you. But you must keep in mind that not all of us are in it for money and prestige. Many of us pursue it to help our fellow human beings and to seek intellectual challenges on a daily basis.•••••I don't get it... why are prestige, money, and freedom the "wrong reasons" to want to be a doctor!? As long as you're committed and you end up being a reliable, trustworthy, competent, and dedicated physician... who the hell cares WHY you are a physician?

I don't think we should pass judgements on the reasons a person wants to be doctor... so long as they are good doctors... it just doesn't matter. I don't buy into this cr-p that you have to have the heart of Mother Theresa to be a good physician... or that you have to "want to help people" and "make the world a better place." It's just a load of BS that's better left for someone's personal statement.•••••It is not wrong to have these as some of the reasons for going to medical school but if these are your primary reasons you will be miserable. The fact is that the process of becoming a doctor is very time consuming and difficult and the only way you will make it through with your sanity is if you love the work. Looking back about all the things I have to give up it is pretty amazing but I am very happy with my choice because I love what I do and the material I am learning. This is something everyone needs to ask themselves is will they enjoy the life as a Dr, hopefully the answer is yes.

 

[relatively prime]

Well, obviously you need to enjoy being a doctor... but all I'm saying is that there are many reasons a person might enjoy being a doctor. For instance, some people get a kick out of fixing things... like fixing cars... for them "fixing" the human body is the ultimate challenge... and that's why they enjoy being doctors. For them it really has nothing to do with wanting to help people or serving humanity.... they just enjoy the natural high of having fixed something that wasn't working right.

 

[Street Philosopher]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by relatively prime:
• •••quote:•••Originally posted by Cambrian:
•Well, if you left medicine • because it doesnt carry the prestige, money, and freedom that it once did • then you probably were in it for the wrong reason. That decision was probably best for you. But you must keep in mind that not all of us are in it for money and prestige. Many of us pursue it to help our fellow human beings and to seek intellectual challenges on a daily basis.•••••I don't get it... why are prestige, money, and freedom the "wrong reasons" to want to be a doctor!? As long as you're committed and you end up being a reliable, trustworthy, competent, and dedicated physician... who the hell cares WHY you are a physician?

I don't think we should pass judgements on the reasons a person wants to be doctor... so long as they are good doctors... it just doesn't matter. I don't buy into this cr-p that you have to have the heart of Mother Theresa to be a good physician... or that you have to "want to help people" and "make the world a better place." It's just a load of BS that's better left for someone's personal statement.•••••Tell it brother!

 

[hurley7]

hello.

i didnt expect to get such a response. nor was i trying to ruffle feathers at all. i was just curious to know if any of you have doubts. or are all of you just so set on medical school? that is just how i was. when i was applying, i thought NOBODY wanted to go to medical school more than me. as i started medical school, i realized that i was so focused on overcoming the challenge of "making it" to medical school, that i had deceived myself into thinking that it was really what i wanted to do. i read all of the replies and would like to comment on them, but i dont know who said what.

one person commented that it was because of money, power, prestige, etc. of why i dropped out. no no no no. i did mention that the profession doesnt carry that as it used to. and it is true. that is why the number of medical school applicants drop every year. if i am happy what i am doing, then i really dont care how much i make.

another person commented and said that because i didnt finish the first year (and i did not), that my withdrawing from medical school doesnt hold much validity. well, maybe not for you it doesn't, but it holds all the validity in the world for me. it doesnt mean i made the wrong decision because i didnt wait until my life was halfway over to leave medicine.

what career am i in now? im not in a career. and i have no idea what i want to do. i didnt leave medicine because another profession was attracting me to it. i actually am not too crazy about what i am doing now. i have a stupid, no-brainer job, making hardly any money because i cant have a real one. almost everything i have done in my life has been biology related. im kind of up a creek right now. so, my present situation is not pretty. thats ok though, i knew hard days were ahead. the important thing is, is that i made a great decision for my life to leave medicine.

why did i drop out? hard to put in words actually. there are too many reasons. i like what the lizard king said in another post that he is surfing and hanging out until hell part 2 starts. i guess, i never wanted to go through hell part 2. for me, i didnt want to bury myself in a cave for the next 15 years and not have a life only to study a profession that has so many negatives about it. are there positives in medicine? OF COURSE!!! look at the lives you can change and help! that is a major advantage and the only one for me. why spend so many years of my life to get somewhere that i am not even sure if i want to be. how would i feel if once i was 40 and finally established, and was unhappy with my profession? i guess the bottom line is, i have one life to live and want to spend it pursuing my vast hobbies and interests. i want a chance to see the world, to live in other places and not be tied down. i felt that medicine was way too restricting for me. it would take me hours to explain everything, so i am giving the short version here. i felt like a fish out of water in medical school and i was panicky because i knew i didnt want to do it. and when you feel like that, you should not try to make the immense commitment that medicine truly is. when i say all this, i am speaking for myself and not for any of you. i am just explaining my story, so hopefully nobody will get defensive.

 

[mpp]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by hurley7:
•
why did i drop out? hard to put in words actually. there are too many reasons. i like what the lizard king said in another post that he is surfing and hanging out until hell part 2 starts. i guess, i never wanted to go through hell part 2. for me, i didnt want to bury myself in a cave for the next 15 years and not have a life only to study a profession that has so many negatives about it. are there positives in medicine? OF COURSE!!! look at the lives you can change and help! that is a major advantage and the only one for me. why spend so many years of my life to get somewhere that i am not even sure if i want to be. how would i feel if once i was 40 and finally established, and was unhappy with my profession? i guess the bottom line is, i have one life to live and want to spend it pursuing my vast hobbies and interests. i want a chance to see the world, to live in other places and not be tied down. i felt that medicine was way too restricting for me. it would take me hours to explain everything, so i am giving the short version here. i felt like a fish out of water in medical school and i was panicky because i knew i didnt want to do it. and when you feel like that, you should not try to make the immense commitment that medicine truly is. when i say all this, i am speaking for myself and not for any of you. i am just explaining my story, so hopefully nobody will get defensive.•••••I can completely empathize with you and understand your situation. I did something similar several years ago. I left a graduate program in physics for many of the same reasons...just couldn't make that immense commitment for something I wasn't totally passionate about.

After I left that program I joined the Peace Corps and worked as a teacher in rural Africa. I learned more in those two years in Zimbabwe than I could ever have completing a Ph.D. in physics. I commend you for the courage to leave something which was, I'm sure, a struggle to obtain. I hope that your future experiences cause your life to blossom rather than wither in the complexities of a life in medicine. Best wishes to you. Cheers!

 

[hurley7]

thanks mpp.

i can only hope the same for myself. i was living in switzerland before i started medical school and living there REALLY contributed to my decision. i never thought about not doing medicine until i got there and realized it wasnt what i wanted out of life and it really did shed some light on the things i want in life. too bad that money is a factor in life. because at the moment, i feel like my experiences are more withering than fluorishing. hopefully that will change as soon as i figure things out for myself. thank you for your kind words.

hurley

 

[lola]

thanks for the insight, hurley. i had some serious misgivings about entering the medical field, so i decided to take some time off to pursue other interests. after taking 5 years off after graduating from college, i am finally 99% certain of the decsion to become a doctor. (i will never be 100% certain, that's just not in my nature.) your reasons for dropping out are some of the reasons i did not apply straight out of college. it is definitely a long hard road, and i never would have been able to make an informed decision when i was 21. (that's not to say some of you 21 year olds can't make an informed decision.) i will definitely miss not being able to pick up and go on vacation whenever i want or move to another country on a whim, but i feel like if i don't go to med school now i will reget it for the rest of my life. after several years of sitting behind a computer in boring jobs, i look forward to using my knowledge to directly help people.

 

[hurley7]

hi lola.

i hear you on the sitting behind a computer with a boring job. that would be horrible. and that is one of the reasons i am struggling now because i REFUSE to do that for the rest of my life either. my problem is that i am a bit uninformed and do not know what else is out there but i am determined to find something. but i think medicine really is out of the picture for me. going through the struggles that i have been now has not swayed me back towards medicine and since my withdrawal, my confidence in my decision to leave has only gotten stronger (thank goodness). i dont want to regret that decision and it seems like i wont be.

hurley

 

[illinu]

Just a thought fo ryou Hurley7
Once you got tired of all the things you wanted to do in life, the vactions, sightseeing, etc and wanted to do something that would really have a meaning for you and the people around you, would you look to medicine? If it is a no then move on ahead and God Speed.
Keep the option open and have the courage to come back to medicine if and when the calling beckons.

Cheers

 

[KKay999]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by lola:
•thanks for the insight, hurley. i had some serious misgivings about entering the medical field, so i decided to take some time off to pursue other interests. after taking 5 years off after graduating from college, i am finally 99% certain of the decsion to become a doctor. (i will never be 100% certain, that's just not in my nature.) your reasons for dropping out are some of the reasons i did not apply straight out of college. it is definitely a long hard road, and i never would have been able to make an informed decision when i was 21. (that's not to say some of you 21 year olds can't make an informed decision.) i will definitely miss not being able to pick up and go on vacation whenever i want or move to another country on a whim, but i feel like if i don't go to med school now i will reget it for the rest of my life. after several years of sitting behind a computer in boring jobs, i look forward to using my knowledge to directly help people.•••••Lola, I think you bought up a very good point. I myself didn't go to medical school straight out of college (actually, it wasn't by choice, I didn't get in). I've spent the past two years working in the biotechnology/pharmaceutical industry. I really am glad that I had the opportunity to do that just because I knew that if I didn't go to medical school, I would want to do something science related. By me working the past couple of years, it has sort of cured my curiosity about the "other things" that I could do with my life as well as seeing opportunities that I would have had if I had gone on to get my masters or PhD in some specialty.

At my job is seems that if I wasn't in the lab all day, then I was in front of a computer. I would much rather be in a situation where I can interact with different people every day. As a result, I feel almost 100% sure that medicine is the field that I want to pursue now that I have seen some of the other things that are available for me to do.

 

[rxfudd]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by hurley7:
•whatchamacallit

i might be on a wait list and want some movement? just that you thought of that reminds me of some of my old cutthroat classmates. you are the kind of med student i wouldnt want as a classmate. i cant believe you said that. who dare not like medicine?!?!?! pullllleeeeeezzzzz.

hurley•••••Check the " " next to that line. Cool out, he wasn't serious at all.

 

[lola]

hurley,
there are MANY other options out there where you won't have to sit behind a computer all day. meaningful jobs that don't require spending hours behind a computer all day are hard to find when you are young, but eventually you will find them. for me, medicine and nursing were the best fit, because i have such a strong interest in health. as long as you don't find yourself thinking "i wish i hadn't given up on med school", you probably made the right decision. you only live once, so you might as well enjoy yourself and hey, if you do end up regretting it, you can always go back to it or some other health profession in later life. i had a really hard time choosing between nursing and medicine, because i feel like nursing would give me SO much more flexibility. in the end i decided i would get really frustrated as a nurse and would probably end up thinking "why didn't i go to medical school?" good luck!

 

[katita]

Hurley7,
You got my props. Sounds like you know yourself very well and you should be pround. May I paraphrase Oscar Wilde.........

"I may be laying in the gutter but I'm starring at the stars............"

Good Luck

 

[candybits]

I guess I classify myself as a "mature student" in a sense that i took 2 years off after finishing my undergrad in physical therapy to finally get my acts together and apply for med schools. i mean i thought about the possiblity of applying to med school during my college years, but was never sure of the reason why. it wasn't until i did extensive internship in diff't hospital settings and actually be totally immersed in patient care that i realized i could do something more than just teaching them how to walk, mobilize again. i was just mainly frustrated the limitations set on me working as a physical therapist, and decided to pursue a greater challenge within the field.

this may sound corny, but i love working in the hospital setting, and i really enjoy the interaction with diff't healthcare professionals. i'm just so happy that i made it to med school and will be starting the studies this summer. and i no doubt it'll be challenging in many ways, but i really don't care to hear people telling me that "you haven't seen nothing yet." i personally think people making comments like that are those who got into the field without much knowledge and commitment.

 

[hurley7]

i appreciate the words. i think biology is interesting, but i dont want to do anything in biology. i, myself, took 3 years off before i applied to medical school. so, i dont think it is because i am too young or anything. i had time to think about it and still didnt want to. no, i wont like office desk jobs, but i will just not stop until i find what i really want to do. whatever that may be.

hurley

 

[BlackPuma]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by hurley7:
•hi lola.

i hear you on the sitting behind a computer with a boring job. that would be horrible. and that is one of the reasons i am struggling now because i REFUSE to do that for the rest of my life either. my problem is that i am a bit uninformed and do not know what else is out there but i am determined to find something. but i think medicine really is out of the picture for me. going through the struggles that i have been now has not swayed me back towards medicine and since my withdrawal, my confidence in my decision to leave has only gotten stronger (thank goodness). i dont want to regret that decision and it seems like i wont be.

hurley•••••can u please tell me what school u were accepted to? thank u, it would really help me change my mind

 

[paean]

Hurley, while I am by no means a "fence-sitter" I have considered other careers in the past. I'm set on medicine, and feel that my decision is enhanced by the exploration I did into other professions. I would be interested if you would post what the experience of being a first year was like, and what of that experience (if any) helped solidify your realization that medicine wasn't for you. Please, if you do talk about your first year, tell us what school you were at. Choosing to keep that private limits your credibility, and knowing the school would help us get a fuller picture of your experience.

 

[Titi]

I would also like to know what your first year was like. I don't need to know the name of your school though.

 

[Bamboozeled]

I also if you would be kind would like to know the name of your school

 

[hurley7]

i can tell you about what i went through the first year. but i do not want to tell you the school i went to, because it wasnt the school that drove me out. if anything, the way they treated us made it harder for me to leave. they take care of their students.

what do i say? we took classes by body system. so we did not necessarily have a biochem class everyday. it just depended on the part of the body we were studying at that time. we were given two hours for anatomy each time we had the class. we had 3 tests in the first semester. the first year was divided into 8 or 9 cores, and we had tests after each core.

we also had to visit preceptors every other week. im sure you guys all know the routine of medical school. it wasnt the routine that bothered me. i had a similar routine in undergrad. i had finally achieved the goal that i had wanted. i always had my acceptance to look forward to. but after i was accepted and achieved that and was proud of myself for working hard, i realized that there was nothing else i was looking forward to. i didnt want to study the material, i didnt want to do my preceptorship, i didnt want to do rotations, i didnt want to go into a residency. no specialy sounded interesting. it was all binding. i felt like someone had put chains on me. and i just wanted to get out before i spent too much of my time in it. and when i did, lots of the 3rd and 4th years that i knew, told me they were jealous and they wanted to do the same, but they had put too much time into it. i would rather hang out in a ski town the rest of my life than be tied down by being a doctor.

and i dont blame the school. that is why i dont want to mention the school, because i dont want to prevent people from picking the same school because i left medicine. i know other people who left medicine from other schools that are also prestigious. so, its not the school, it was the profession. anyways, hope that was informative.

hurley

 

[BlackPuma]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by hurley7:
•i can tell you about what i went through the first year. but i do not want to tell you the school i went to, because it wasnt the school that drove me out. if anything, the way they treated us made it harder for me to leave. they take care of their students.

what do i say? we took classes by body system. so we did not necessarily have a biochem class everyday. it just depended on the part of the body we were studying at that time. we were given two hours for anatomy each time we had the class. we had 3 tests in the first semester. the first year was divided into 8 or 9 cores, and we had tests after each core.

we also had to visit preceptors every other week. im sure you guys all know the routine of medical school. it wasnt the routine that bothered me. i had a similar routine in undergrad. i had finally achieved the goal that i had wanted. i always had my acceptance to look forward to. but after i was accepted and achieved that and was proud of myself for working hard, i realized that there was nothing else i was looking forward to. i didnt want to study the material, i didnt want to do my preceptorship, i didnt want to do rotations, i didnt want to go into a residency. no specialy sounded interesting. it was all binding. i felt like someone had put chains on me. and i just wanted to get out before i spent too much of my time in it. and when i did, lots of the 3rd and 4th years that i knew, told me they were jealous and they wanted to do the same, but they had put too much time into it. i would rather hang out in a ski town the rest of my life than be tied down by being a doctor.

and i dont blame the school. that is why i dont want to mention the school, because i dont want to prevent people from picking the same school because i left medicine. i know other people who left medicine from other schools that are also prestigious. so, its not the school, it was the profession. anyways, hope that was informative.

hurley•••••you said the medicine is binding? well wouldn't a phd or a jd program also be binding as well? I doubt you seriously want to ski (I knwo it was an example) for the rest of your life rather than work....but any other options that I personally think of, for example like law, dentistry, or a phd program...I still would feel the same binding pressure as you described...

I know how you are feeling though....all my life I wanted to be a doctor...now that I did get accepted...the climax has disappeared...it's like ok what now?!

I personally think, you sound as if you were burnt out, and that rather leaving from med school...I would think that maybe it would have been good had you taken a year off, and deferred instead...

to be very frank...that is how I feel right now and I can bearly study for my remaining classes and graduate but I think if anything...ur more burnt out...but then again I don't know what ur interests really are...

 

[hurley7]

whatcha

ur right i am burned out. but i still dont want to go to medicine. and that is why i dont want to do a phd nor a jd. but even if i did a jd, it is three years and ur done. medicine is the most demanding profession there is. you got to love it. and i dont. i almost hate it. there is nothing about it that excites me. and you got to have more than that to go on, if you want to drudge through all those years.

i actually did have three years before going to medical school. two of them were after my first year of college though. but i had a pleasant full year of relaxation before i went to medical school. it was actually in that year that i realized that i did not want to go into medicine. quality of life is bad. maybe until you hit 50, but by then i should hopefully found another avenue to find some quality of life.

hurley

 

[Bikini Princess]

It's true, most student who enter medicine straight from college don't know much about medicine or have a limited notion of the harsh acidic climate in hospitals, during residency and beyond.

Ironically, they are usually the ones that are most sure they want to be doctors, likely because they refuse to seriously think about other career options..not to say that's bad..sometimes it's better to take a punch if you don't know it's coming. B)

 

[hurley7]

its ok

heelopain-
i dont know where you got the idea that i wanted to do a phd. no way in hell! that has never been an option for me.

i agree that lots of people dont realize what they are getting into. that is the way i felt. it was like one day it just hit me what i was getting into and i just didnt like it.

hurley

 

[A1phaZer0]

I really wish that this thread had been created earlier, I entered into a biochemistry program, only to discover that I absolutely hate calculus and physical chemistry, and while I was finishing my masters program in biology, I discovered that I hated research, but I convinced myself that I could get through it.

I was severely mistaken, you cannot do what you do not love, and after suffering through each of these programs, I am eyeball deep in some very serious problems at my University which may ultimately keep me from getting into medical school, the one thing I really want to do. I am glad I did these programs to discover that I didnt want to spend my life doing it, but I hope it wont ultimately cost me the only thing I want to do with the rest of my life.

 

[hurley7]

hello people.

thank you for writing back. i enjoy reading all the things that you have to say.

samoa, i wrote you a private message, but in case you didnt get it, what was your profession? you can email it to me if you want, or dont want. i also felt the same way about my classmates at school. i didnt feel like i was socially similar to them. they werent the kind of people that i had been friends with my whole life. does that mean i cant be nice to them? absolutely not, but i just thought i was very different than those in medicine.

mike-
its a good thing that you at least know what you want to do. i dont even know what that will be for me and sometimes i wonder if i am going to wonder this world aimlessly taking odd jobs because nothing interests me. sometimes i think there is no true substance to any career. for that reason, i had made a comment earlier that i would love to go somewhere i love and just await the end of my days. i would love to go to the mountains and be in nature. but, for me, wondering aimlessly through earth would be better than medicine.

i dont think that i didnt NOT know what i was getting into. i have two cousins that are doctors, and my older brother was two years ahead of me in medical school. my dad is a dentist. i had always thought i would be a doctor, i think i just purposely ignored what my life would be like becausei wanted to WANT to be a doctor. but i realized it is better to be true to yourself.

hurley

 

[lola]

i actually have some concerns about classmates in med school. i had this concern even right after i graduated from college, because i feel like premeds can be so intense. that's just not me -- at least that's how i try not to be! also, i know a lot of arrogant doctors and really don't want to associate with them! plus, i'm a bit older, so won't really be in the mood for going out drinking and clubbing all the time. i have some friends who had these same concerns while they were applying and are now attending schools. they say it's tough, but they have found a few close friends they relate to. i finally decided that it doesn't really matter how much i have in common with my classmates as long as i have a few friends and get along with people.

 

[hurley7]

hi lola
i can understand that. i would never leave medical school just because i didnt feel like i could not relate very well. no way i would make a decison for the rest of my life based on some classmates. it was only more proof to me that i am not a medical student and that the profession was not for me. the only reason i would leave medical school is if i did not want to be a doctor. i guess that is the only thing that should hold validity anyway, right?

hurley

 

[Biffer]

I am so happy to have found this thread.. thanks hurley.
I am what would be considered a "fence sitter." due to the fact that I have a differnt notion about every five minutes of what field would please me the most in the future. I don't know if I will ever really know but I do believe that by questioning I will ultimately realize my passion.. as other posters have said- dogmatism without experience and insight can lead to some pretty nasty downfalls. I think everyone should, to some extent, question their desire and really look past the often stereotyped glamor of any profession(law, med, etc.) to be truly successful in any field, one must completely devote themselves and to do this you must love it.. unless you want to live a miserable life.. I also realize that it is not realistic to assume that I will love every moment of my career. So, fellow SDNers, before I go and waste anymore time studying for this silly MCAT, where is this magically empirical point that defines a harmonius balance where work and play are one in the same? Can you hone passion?

biff

 

[Dr. Geoff]

Hurly,
You said everything you took in undergrad was Biology related. I am assuming you recieved a degree in Biology. You said you are sort of up the creek without a paddle. Just wanted to let you know that Biologist was rated #1 job in America, I just cut out a newspaper article about it. If anyone cares, I think Taxi driver wast he worst or close to it.
Jeff

 

[Vox Animo]

Bump

 

[DrBowtie]

Bump

Nice find.

 

[Wrigleyville]

****, a thread with a Street Philosopher post! That's a blast from the past. I miss that guy.

 

[medrad]

why did i drop out? hard to put in words actually. there are too many reasons. i like what the lizard king said in another post that he is surfing and hanging out until hell part 2 starts. i guess, i never wanted to go through hell part 2. for me, i didnt want to bury myself in a cave for the next 15 years and not have a life only to study a profession that has so many negatives about it.

Interesting you should post on this, I was thinking about whether or not I actually wanted to go into medicine or not (still undecided). I usually do not like quoting other people, but I ran across this the other day from one of my favorite philosophers:

What, if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness and say to you: 'This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more; and there will be nothing new in it, but every pain and every joy and every thought and sigh and everything unutterably small or great in your live will have to return to you, all in the same succession and sequence--even this spider and this moonlight between the trees, and even this moment and I myself. The eternal hourglass of existence is turned upside down again and again, and you with it, speck of dust!' Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spoke thus? Or have you once experienced a tremendous moment when you would have answered him: 'You are a god and never have I heard anything more divine.' If this thought gained possession of you, it would change, you as you are or perhaps crush you.