biggest sacrifices made for the path of the premed?

[biobossx99]

I'm beginning to feel like I've had to give up a lot of my passions in life, or at least put them aside, while doing the premed process.

For example, it's getting really hard to fit in premed classes, major requirements and also travel abroad, I'm beginning to think it might be easier if I don't travel abroad.

Which makes me again question myself about choosing to pursue the life of a doctor.

Doesn't anyone else feel the same? That you've begun to loose a part of yourself by pursuing a career of a doctor?

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[thedevirginator]

I am ignorant of things unrelated to biology/chemistry/physics/math

 

[Retro]

Originally posted by biobossx99
Doesn't anyone else feel the same? That you've begun to loose a part of yourself by pursuing a career of a doctor?

Yeah, I had to castrate myself and losing that part of myself so that I could apply as a female... 😀 Just Kidding.

Yep, medicine demands sacrifices, and for those sacrifices you made, you will be rewarded with a new life of wealth, dedication and endless possibilities...

As Darth Vader once said: "The Empire will compensate your losses.".

 

[PreMedAdAG]

well yes, of course I've given up a lot of things.. but I choose to do that.. and I will choose to go back to those things. I love to camp and hike, but my books are too heavy to take them with me 🙂

Also, playing the guitar, and amount of friends.... I don't have time to play any more and I don't have tons and tons of friends, which I'd like, but in all honesty, I can't commit to a lot of people, because I'm really committed to myself right now.. It's okay.. because this path makes me happy than going out every night !!

Think of it tihs way.. you're not giving anything up.. you're temporarily exchanging those things for something else.. ehem.. a career and lifestyle like none other you've had. You'll be able to do those things you sacrificed again... you just HAVE to make time for them. If they are that important to you, then you will find time.

🙂

 

[lola]

i gave up sleep, but i don't really really feel like i gave anything else up. i always made time for friends, fun, studying abroad, etc... (at the cost of sleep).

 

[Goober]

but whatever you are giving up now is nothing in comparison to what you will be giving up during med school and residency. It is not even close.

 

[bella_dottoressa]

Indeed, you'll definately be busier as a medical student and doctor...but premed is still very tough even when its held in comparison with the next steps in the path, I think. Maybe this is just because I got into an argument with my MS1 bf over this, but it's hard to be taking the premed req's, upper div science, working a job, volunteering, doing research, and all the other crap you do to get into med. I know it's easy to discredit undergrad work as trivial once you're past it, but for some people being a premed is the hardest thing in the world.

Call me silly, but I definately feel that as a premed I've given up a ton and lost a lot of myself already. Premed is what you make of it and while it would be wonderful if all of us could be those happy kinds of premeds who were able to go out on the weekends, have fun, and just in general struck a good balance between work and play, some premeds never quite get the hang of that. Maybe they aren't as naturally intelligent as another, or maybe they're just too damn focused on med to the point that other things seem somewhat unimportant. Either way, you do what works for you and what will get you where you want to be. To the OP though, there are definately lots of us out there though who did sacrifice a ton just to get through undergrad so when you hear people on here talk about how much fun undergrad was, know that you aren't alone and there are a significant portion of premeds who did give up quite a bit just to make it to the point where they could apply to med.

I don't have time to play any more and I don't have tons and tons of friends, which I'd like, but in all honesty, I can't commit to a lot of people, because I'm really committed to myself right now.. It's okay.. because this path makes me happy than going out every night !!

i just wanted to quote this, because i really liked what you had to say here 🙂

 

[Columbia22]

Everything in life is a sacrifice...don't try to justify "what ifs"

 

[R_C_Hutchinson]

this is ridiculous, undergrad years are for fun.

make your sacrifices when you're a 40 year old doc. if we all just came to our damn senses and realized that a 3.9 is nothing to stress over (go read the "4.0 paradox" thread if you dont believe me) we'd be happier and better people on the whole. this concept of losing yourself to gain "MD" after your name is insane- i'd never want to be treated by a doctor who was not first a happy human being.

 

[bella_dottoressa]

why make your sacrifices when your 40? in a perfect world we could all go out, have fun, and still have a 3.5+ GPA, decent mcat and our choice of med school acceptances. it takes some people a WHOLE lot of work, stress and sacrifice to get into and through med. it isn't designed to be an easy process for good reason.
if you're in the OR though or have a loved one dying in the ER, how much are you REALLY gonna care if your doc is a happy person?

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by Retro
Yeah, I had to castrate myself and losing that part of myself so that I could apply as a female... 😀 Just Kidding.

Yep, medicine demands sacrifices, and for those sacrifices you made, you will be rewarded with a new life of wealth, dedication and endless possibilities...

As Darth Vader once said: "The Empire will compensate your losses.".

that is a very good use of the darth vader......

but anyways...ive made sacrifices myself but what was important is that i never had to give up anything completely....

friends? i dont need a lot....just the few close ones i have that make me smile...

relationships? i dont need to be hookin up with every girl i meet but i try to make the ones im in last....

social life? i dont know about you...but tho i am busy with a lot of other things to survive....i try and find time for this. its for my health....

travel? i never had any money to begin with to do that.

hobbies? i may not go as often hiking or boarding or things i like to do but i try to make it point to do something that i enjoy occasionally so i dont lose all touch with it....

but i aqree with what the person above said....we are not really sacrificing but just temporarily holding it off to set us up for the other things we are passionate about...like medicine.

 

[Rendar5]

I didn't have time to go on the JET program to Japan because I had to be in the US this year for interviews. But I am going to spend a couple of weeks there before med school, so s'all good.

I never sacrificed friends or a social life. That would have been an incredible mistake.

 

[dankev]

When the interviewer asked what I would give to get into medical school, and I replied, "my left testicle," I didn't think he'd actually take it! 😱

 

[PreMedAdAG]

It seems as though many individuals on SDN take these opinions to the EXTREME, one way or the other... maybe for clarification:

A sacrifice doesn't have to be something you give up on, can be something you don't do as often because you are putting your attention to your career.

In my case at least, I'm willing to give up some friends (especially when I know that a lot of people really aren't that great of friends, they're just fun to hang out with.. you know those people that you envy for they're spunky crazy personality... those are the same people you'd never take seriously and have no interest in investing more time in). I'm also willing to give up going out a lot.. because I enjoy learning about medicine a little more than hanging out with Joe Schmo at the bar.. BUT

I'd rather be hanging out with my boyfriend or close friends, or family over studying, so they always come first.. it's definitely a tradeoff system.... anyway.. I sacrificed travel all through my undergrad and now it's time for me to travel.. Whooo hooo.. I"m going to AUstralia and NZ in two months!!!

There I will most likely party, have crazy fun and be the person that is spunky and crazy because I don't need to study.......so.. it's all temporary in the grand scheme!
😎

 

[DrWuStar]

here is one of the big truths i have learned in life:

when you choose one thing, you un-choose something else

you have to face this as you grow up. you can't do or be everything you every dreamed about. you can do or be a lot of your dreams, but to some extent, you have to pick and choose. it is scary at first, but it's not that bad. it applies to all sorts of situations: premed, marriage, career choices, money...

when you choose the premed path, especially if it doesn't correspond with your major, you give up other opportunities... maybe spending a semester abroad or partying all the time.

when you choose to get married, you give up the fun and ego-stroking that comes from dating new people.

when you choose a high-paying career, you give up the idea of having a lot of leisure time.

when you choose to buy an expensive car, maybe you give up going out to eat as often.

these aren't bad choices, but i think it's important to recognize that they are trade-offs. you have to think about what you are un-choosing when you make big decisions. if you aren't comfortable giving those things up, then you aren't ready to make that decision. the good news is you can always (well, usually) change your mind and choose soemthing else.

i had a really fun time at college. i got good grades, but i also partied a lot. i didn't take all the med school prereqs because there were other classes i really wanted to take and felt i wouldn't have the chance to take again. i was ok with the idea of graduating without knowing exactly what i was going to do with myself.

later, after college, i decided it was really time to pursue my goal of becoming a doctor, so i am making sacrifices now. i declined an offer to work with the world health organization in geneva because while it was a really exciting opportunity and a huge honor to be offered the position, it was not going to move me closer to my goal of becoming an MD. instead i took a boring office job which gave me the money and stability to take the right steps toward applying to med school (studying hard and rocking the mcat, finishing my prereqs, paying for applications). now i go to school at night after work. it's exhausting, and i miss the things i used to do at night (which were FUN, cause my sweetheart works in the music industry and gets free tix and backstage passes to whatever he wants). but i've got my eye on the ball and it's paying off. to me, these sacrifices are worth it. but when i was in college they weren't, so i didn't make them.

sorry this got so long. maybe it doesn't seem like wisdom to you, but this is maybe the single biggest lesson i've learned between college and now. think hard and make sure you are ready for the sacrifices you are making. otherwise they won't be worth it. and don't be afraid to change your mind and choose something else for a while. there is a lot of time in life to choose different things.

 

[cmudan]

Before I got submerged in core pre-med courses, app process, and interviews, I prided myself on the fact that I had both a really down to earth side, and was an easy to talk to person and also had a humbly intelligent side.

Now I feel as if I've lost part of my free spirited, down to earth side. I have become more anal, and completely nerdy when it comes to grades. I find myself a much more serious person than I used to be. This is not maturing, this is more of a case of trying to be successful in life. I do not feel that this sacrifice is going to be compensated in my future career as a physician. I have made the sacrifice, for better or for worse.

My parents have noticed it and some of my close friends. I always wondered why professions (specifically physicians) had the same personality traits (stuffy personalities, always serious, not down to earth, etc). It is hard to stay oneself when sitting in front of a book in a secluded corner of the library for 8 hours studying the mechanisms of oncogenes...

In the words of our president: Studying is deadening to the soul.

Will my exciting, fun, free spirited personality re-emerge when I'm done with residency? I think not.

It is lost...forever. 🙄

 

[Mrs.S]

i don't personally feel that i have made any huge sacrafices to further my goals. i had to retire from my sport after a brief stint on the pro circuit, but i knew that at some point i'd have to throw in the towel anyhow. if you are concerned about the scrafices you've made, then medicine might not be the field for you. i am happy to have retired when i did, because i knew i would be one step closer to my goals. on another note, i know, atleast at my school, in my major, college has not been difficult, but that is just my situation, so i can't really empathize with those who have had to struggle. anyhow, i guess my main point is that if you are "bitter" about the sacrafices you've made, then maybe medicine is not your real passion.

 

[exigente chica]

I am thankful to say that I have not give really anything as a pre-med:

I still club 4 times a week

Teach dance classes

Take all the fun courses at school

Involved in Xtracurriclars

Great frienships

Traveled alot

Hello...clubbin

Martial arts

ohh, yeah..and I studied too

No, really I had a blast in college, and the only thing I beleive I missed out on was study abroad oppurtunites..other than that..the life of this pre-med was AWESOME

 

[HollyJ]

I gave up both off my hands to have a chance to be a surgeon. In retrospect, that wasn't a very good idea.

 

[astrisize]

Speaking as one who spent a year abroad (Zurich, Switzerland last year), I say GO ABROAD!!! It only makes your application stronger because you're unique and stand out from the other applications. It also shows your ability to adapt to new situations and interact with different people. And why can't you just find a bio course or something like that over there if you're still in need of prereqs that you just have to fulfill that year (I did)? Really, it's not often in life that you can spend a year away and you may never get another chance. Do whatever it takes to get that year abroad!!!

 

[roja]

I agree with the sentiment that life is full of choices and you will at some point have to sacrifice some things.

While I think there are more sacrifices in medical school, the pressure is much more intense in premed, simply because the compitition is so much stronger. There are so many more applicants than slots available.

However, I think in general , the course work is a tad easier. Premed is really more of a series of short sacrifices, really prepping you for the big long ones in medical school.

The question really becomes how much you sacrifice. You can sacrifice everything and have a 4.0 and 35 on your mcat but you won't be as well rounded. Or you can sacrifice a little and have a lower gpa and lower mcat but be better well rounded.

This will be true in medical school as well. The one time as a premed that it was one hundred percent study was MCAT. (well, okay, it wasn't 100 per cent but it felt like it at the time)

You should definately make time to do some of what you like. You just don't get to do it all.

Being an MD is definately not easy. If it was, everyone would do it.

 

[Runtita]

financial security for the next 10 years

 

[Catalyst]

you know, spending time creating threads like this in which pre-meds commiserate with other premeds might just further the time sacrifice involved with being a premed

sdn's an extracurricular activity, isn't it?

Sachin

 

[....]

I had to eat poop. 🙁




seriously though.....

Think of what it means to you (those accepted) to have acheived what you have. That is somthing that makes you grow as a person. The douche who parties each day and skipped half of his classes...what did he gain? nothing...nothing that matters at least. I honestly think of it like this, "what kind of person would i have been if i had not lived the life neccesary to get into med school?" Probably not as complete and "together" of one as i am now. Its what would you have sacrified to not do it that is the question.



(of course you can grow in college by working hard at things other than getting into med school. Getting into grad school or working your ass off to get your first acting break or whatever. But you would have still had to make the concesions that the people have mentioned previously)

 

[biobossx99]

haha, I guess my biggest concern isn't really about the parties I won't be able to make, or the many social events I have to miss.

But more of the, what I can make the most out of college.

Perhaps I misjudged on the amount of things I have to do to apply to medical school. I want to do everything though! Make convases out of scratch and paint sceneries, learn to read and speak Korean, Japanese and Chinese fluently,Play Guitar and learn how to do deep hard doom metal riffs like Tony Iommi, Row Sculling and Sweep and kick ass in masters, practice kendo until I'm some crazy incarnation of Musashi, etc. And, of course, to be a doctor and have an opportunity to do something extremely meaningful that selected individuals can only do.

Perhaps I'm just on crack..

 

[mdterps83]

It's not what they think....why are you not concerned for your own happiness. oh I forgot, when you graduate from medical school and complete your residency it will rain gumdrops and gold coins. Life is not a lab write-up, stop putting it off.

Originally posted by crystal18mc
why make your sacrifices when your 40? in a perfect world we could all go out, have fun, and still have a 3.5+ GPA, decent mcat and our choice of med school acceptances. it takes some people a WHOLE lot of work, stress and sacrifice to get into and through med. it isn't designed to be an easy process for good reason.
if you're in the OR though or have a loved one dying in the ER, how much are you REALLY gonna care if your doc is a happy person?

 

[Cerberus]

I think premed is fairly easy. I mean seriously, premeds bitch and whine about how hard they have it but what is so hard about being a premed? The classes arent a breeze but they certainly arent the most difficult courses in the world, in fact the one people bitch about the most (orgo) is a walk in the park compared to most upper level math, physics, or engineering courses.

 

[bella_dottoressa]

It's not what they think....why are you not concerned for your own happiness. oh I forgot, when you graduate from medical school and complete your residency it will rain gumdrops and gold coins. Life is not a lab write-up, stop putting it off.

I think I came off the wrong way up there. I'm usually never so blunt on SDN, you'll have to forgive me, I think my severe lack of sleep the past few days due to finals is making me a little crazy 🙂 Anyhow, I am very concerned about my happiness and have a very happy life filled with more than school and the stress over grades; a wonderful boyfriend, a fulfilling job, extremely rewarding volunteer things, a loving family and good friends. My only point was that getting into med is a hard and stressful process for most of us, and for some it's extra hard because we want it so bad the pressure we feel is very extreme. That pressure makes us work very hard to the point of sacrificing quite a bit.

 

[Halcyon440]

I grapple with this question of sacrifice every day. It took me years to build up the courage to apply to a post bacc program. I am due to start in January (while still working full time for now) and the doubts are starting to creep in.

With the exception of my mostly meaningless job, I am at a happy place in my life right now. I restarted my martial arts a year and a half ago and am nearly a brown belt in Tae Kwon Do. I'm in the best shape I've been in a decade. I joined a band a few weeks ago and am now gigging as a bassist (was doing tenor saxophone a few years back). It's great fun and supplements my income. I am able to spend quality time with my close friends and relatives. I've even been able to get back into reading again.

I'm looking forward to classes right now. I will only be taking one course. It will be exciting to be learning again!

However I still need to figure out for myself if I can go through with it. I really don't want to have to give everything up (including sleep). Even more so that that I am worried about becoming a different person. Some have already mentioned that they have changed in negative ways. I have a cousin who had a very similar personality to mine. He's an attending now and has completely changed. He's like a zombie, a living dead. All the life and spunk have left him. He seems completely miserable and trapped by his choice. His only advice to me was that if there was something else I liked I should do that instead. He said one should only do medicine if it's the only thing one can imagine being happy in. That's where all my confusion comes in. because as much as I like the other things in my life, I really feel that I won't be completely happy until I become a doctor.

Why oh why can't I have it all? Maybe if there were 36 hours in the day . . .

The decision is not as black and white as some might think. It's perfectly possible for you to love medicine and at the same time be unsure if you're willing to sacrifice the rest of your life for it. It's possible. And it hurts.

🙁

 

[roja]

There is a tendency for many premeds to dramatize medical school and residency.

You do not have to sacrifice everything. Not even sleep. I had fun in medical school. I drank alot. I went to movies, I hiked.... I cooked. I spent a lot of time in SF during my second year.

I ended up getting married and having a kid.

I also studied alot. And definately had time periods where I didn't get to do fun stuff. But I also was not gunning for AOA.

Residency is the same. If you go into surgery, your life will suck for a five years. If you go into FP or EM, llife iwll be better.

Its all degrees. Medicine is not a be all and end all. Don't let anyone convince you that you must sacrifice everything.

There are times when it definately sucks and when you work your tail off. But its an amazing career and I wouldn't do anything else.

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by roja
There is a tendency for many premeds to dramatize medical school and residency.

You do not have to sacrifice everything. Not even sleep. I had fun in medical school. I drank alot. I went to movies, I hiked.... I cooked. I spent a lot of time in SF during my second year.

I ended up getting married and having a kid.

I also studied alot. And definately had time periods where I didn't get to do fun stuff. But I also was not gunning for AOA.

Residency is the same. If you go into surgery, your life will suck for a five years. If you go into FP or EM, llife iwll be better.

Its all degrees. Medicine is not a be all and end all. Don't let anyone convince you that you must sacrifice everything.

There are times when it definately sucks and when you work your tail off. But its an amazing career and I wouldn't do anything else.

excellent post 🙂

 

[OnMyWayThere]

I've given up a 6 figure income position (owner of co.). But, I still go out, consume alcohol, travel and do everything I did (just less often). No regrets here.

 

[....]

Originally posted by Cerberus
I think premed is fairly easy. I mean seriously, premeds bitch and whine about how hard they have it but what is so hard about being a premed? The classes arent a breeze but they certainly arent the most difficult courses in the world, in fact the one people bitch about the most (orgo) is a walk in the park compared to most upper level math, physics, or engineering courses.

I agree that in one sesne of things orgo isnt as tough the other classes you mentioned. To take a random guy and put him through the pre recs for organic and pre recs of some advanced math and then let him take each classi bet he would do better in orgo. But thats not how college works....only the people who enjoy math (aka the ones who are simply good at it) are math majors. But everyone must take orgo, chemistry inclined or not. For that reason i think that the bitching isnt all that unwarranted. Math majors are not forced to take super hard classes which are out of the scope of their intrests. Premeds are forced to take classes which are challenging to anyone who isnt a chem major, which few premeds are. Personally im biochem and cant stop complaning about have to take a forein language!

 

[OnMyWayThere]

Originally posted by hightrump
Personally im biochem and cant stop complaning about have to take a forein language!

I am Psych major taking pre - reqs... I can't stop bitching about Foreing Lang. and History ... I agree with Hightrump that it depends on your major. History majors don't bitch about history and chem majors don't bitch about O -chem ( they bitch about Physical Chem...)

okay my post makes no sense and I'm so damn sick of studying bio!!!

 

[asama527]

sleeeeeeeep

 

[NRAI2001]

Most of my friends are premeds also, and since no one really has time anymore and every one has their own schedules I rarely see my friends anymore, especially my friends that are premeds. The few friends that are not are the ones that I kick it with now, bc they re all pretty laid back and always have time to chill.

 

[cmudan]

Some have already mentioned that they have changed in negative ways. I have a cousin who had a very similar personality to mine. He's an attending now and has completely changed. He's like a zombie, a living dead. All the life and spunk have left him. He seems completely miserable and trapped by his choice. His only advice to me was that if there was something else I liked I should do that instead. He said one should only do medicine if it's the only thing one can imagine being happy in. That's where all my confusion comes in. because as much as I like the other things in my life, I really feel that I won't be completely happy until I become a doctor.

This is exactly how I feel. When I mention how much I have and will have to sacrifice for medicine, the simple minded answer that I get all the time is "then maybe medicine isn't for you". There is one big problem with that statement: I don't think I'd be happy in the long run unless I was a physician.

Quite the dilemma...

 

[roja]

Making sure medicine is the right thing for you is one of the most crucial and difficult things you can decide. There will be days where you feel like a zombie. Days where you really wonder what the HELL you are doing.

But what makes you know that you are in the right field is that even after days like that, you can't imagine doing anything else.

Nothing is perfect. ANY job is going to require sacrifice of some sort. Medicine is an amazing field.

But it is also not for everyone. It's important to figure it out before you get into medical school in debt. Being a physician isn't the only way to help people and have a scientific career.

Do some self exploration and try and figure it out. It's a tough decision and a tougher path. And interviewers can often sense when someone is hesitant or uncertain.

If you have to take a year off. Its better to take the year off and make sure. Then when you come back and apply, you know its what you want to do and it comes across.

Don't get sucked into the I must graduate in X years or I won't get in. The medical schools aren't going to shut down. Niether are the colleges. Take some 'fun' classes. Life is to short to live it up to someone elses plan.

 

[NRAI2001]

bump

 

[16846]

Originally posted by biobossx99
I'm beginning to feel like I've had to give up a lot of my passions in life, or at least put them aside, while doing the premed process.

For example, it's getting really hard to fit in premed classes, major requirements and also travel abroad, I'm beginning to think it might be easier if I don't travel abroad.

Which makes me again question myself about choosing to pursue the life of a doctor.

Doesn't anyone else feel the same? That you've begun to loose a part of yourself by pursuing a career of a doctor?

My dignity, honesty, self-respect, integrity, sanity, happiness, and creativity...

 

[RedHeadKiddo]

Originally posted by biobossx99
I'm beginning to feel like I've had to give up a lot of my passions in life, or at least put them aside, while doing the premed process.

For example, it's getting really hard to fit in premed classes, major requirements and also travel abroad, I'm beginning to think it might be easier if I don't travel abroad.

Which makes me again question myself about choosing to pursue the life of a doctor.

Doesn't anyone else feel the same? That you've begun to loose a part of yourself by pursuing a career of a doctor?

The most important thing you can do during the "pre-med" path is not lose focus of ALL that is important in your life. Granted we have to sacrifice at times, but don't always sacrifice because then you will end up bitter. From this post it sounds like you are already heading down the bitter path.

If you want to travel/do study abroad try to do it. If it doesn't fit with the standard pre-med path then work hard on making it fit or deviate from the standard pre-med path.

It is a long and hard life to become a doctor, so enjoy it! Take it from an "older" always a pre-medder who took time to develop hobbies outside of the "math/science" path, there is more to life than getting into medical school and by pursuing these options it will make you a more well-rounded and desirable applicant.

 

[twinklz]

Sheesh, I don't feel like I've sacrificed all that much to be pre-med

I still had a lot of fun with friends (although I didn't go clubbing every night, because frankly I hate clubs...too loud and smokey)

I studied abroad in France for a semester.

I majored in something completely unrelated to medicine.

I volunteered with something completely unrelated to medicine.

The one thing I know I sacrificed was that the day of the MCAT was also the only big party day at my school. And I was a senior...and I missed it.

Maybe I have a different perspective because everyone in my school works their butts off (pre-med or not) so I was just one in the masses.

 

[Variance]

I would say sanity and sleep from attempting to maintain balance of the following.


Computer Science/Pre-Med
Arnis/Kali/Escrima(Filipino Martial Arts)
Active Social Life(clubbing once a week and time with friends)
Girls/Relationships
Work (I run a IT business for hospitals/hospices/homehealths. Develop custom applications, build & secure computers/networks)
Shadowing Doctors/Volunteering at Hospitals.
Working out.

I also gave up music and gaming.

 

[Cerbernator]

premed is easier and provides more spare time than working full time. Suck it up and realize how lucky you are just to be in college

 

[Fermata]

Seriously.

Being in school is 10x better than having a real job.

 

[Ames980]

i honestly feel like there is a way to balance it all.... it might take some extra time, but its doable. i wasnt a science major, i did loads of clubs, activities, and volunteering that i was interested in, i studied abroad for a year.... no - i wasnt able to take the mcat april of my junior year so i could apply right out, but i think the time off has been good for me too [though, yes, i would give anything to not be a member of the real world].... with some planning you can totally put the neurosis aside and enjoy your college experience

 

[velo]

Biggest sacrifices made for the path of the premed?

That goat

 

[rockstar2525]

I felt the same way in my undergrad, that there was too much out there to sell my soul to medicine at that point. I wanted to study abroad and take art classes, social science and language, so I dropped pre-med and did just that. I wouldn't trade any of those experiences for the world. I worked for a couple of years in social work after graduating, dated a guy with a "free spirited" personality and went out all the time. What I found after two years of that was that ultimately I wasn't satisfied. True, I was helping people in my job and I had evenings and weekends free to play, but I've realized that I can't be truly satisfied unless I am being challenged. I need to be intellectually stimulated and I need to be contributing the gifts of my intellect to a greater cause in order to feel content at the end of the day.

I decided to do a post-bac this past year and at first I was really thrown because I forgot what a huge commitment medicine is. After being totally stressed out and neurotic the first semester I decided that for the second semester I would FIND TIME to do everything that I needed to do to be happy. That didn't mean clubbing on weeknights, but I would take breaks and grab dinner with my friends, work out, and take at least one day off a week. I planned on maintaining balance and if my grades dropped and I couldn't get into med school because of it, so be it. Turns out, it was the best semester I have ever had. My grades were the same, my MCAT score was great and my LOR were awesome because my profs enjoyed having a nice student in the class. I swear I studied BETTER because I was happy, I was more efficient after I had some friend time or gym time. I think the key is to find something meaningful to you that you love, BUT maintain a balance while you do it. I plan on taking the same attitude into med school. This may mean I won't get into surgery or neurology but oh well, at least I will be HAPPY at the end of the day! 🙂

 

[DocMizzle]

Seriously folks...there is nothing hard about being in college, even for a pre-med. The key is TIME MANAGEMENT. When you are only in class 20 hours per week, there is an abundance of time for other things. Utilization of this time is key; do it effectively and there is little to no sacrifice for pre-med.

 

[WalterSobchakk]

I agree with the previous poster who said to STUDY ABROAD!!! I spent a summer in Rome and had such a great time. Trust me, when you look back at college you'll be much happier having had such a cool experience. Honestly, if you really want it, you can work it out with basically any schedule. It's worth graduating late I think. When college is over, you'll find yourself wishing you took advantage of more fun things you'll never have a chance to do again in your life. 🙂

PS...Bella dottoressa, sei italiana?