Can you have both?

[lrobin15]

Man, the threads in pre-osteo are hot today!

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[Jamers]

Sure, you can have a life. Nobody's saying you can't. I love how the topic went from having a life while in med school, to having a life while in GME, and now having a life post GME.

I guess no one has a life and we all are just curious as how to get one.

The dog is better than the cow. The cow just kept staring at me with that come hither look....saying...hey big boy...how you doing.....all chomping away on that grass.....Iowa has warped my mind.

 

[Dr JPH]

God damn Dr.I. You are so far off base with stuff I wouldnt know where to start.

The comments you make are often wrong and your assumptions are never close to reality.

Why do you bother? Why pretend like you're already in medical school?

You have NO idea what it is like as a medical student. You don't know the first thing about getting good grades in medical school or what can be accomplished with good, bad or excellent grades.

You fly around this website and spout off random tidbits that are just plain wrong...and then you sit back, sip your diet coke and say "ha...I told them."

You don't have a clue Dr.I, you really don't.

I know why you patrol the premed sections...any medical student would read what you write and immediately think "$hit...I don't know where the hell that kids getting his information from."

Where DO you get your info from anyway? How is it that you have such insight (incorrect insight), but insight nonetheless?

And what I would REALLY like to know, why do you think you're always correct? You're not. Your posts are a waste of bandwidth.

 

[DoctorMom78]

I guess no one has a life and we all are just curious as how to get one.

The dog is better than the cow. The cow just kept staring at me with that come hither look....saying...hey big boy...how you doing.....all chomping away on that grass.....Iowa has warped my mind.

LMFAO!!! That is just wrong. I got bored with my picture of myself, so I thought I would post some cute animals instead. What is the dog saying to you?

 

[Dr JPH]

Absolutely I am, and as your second sentence demonstrates, so do you. So what? I'm asking why you suddenly became the resident FP defender, extolling the hard-work and dedication found in a Primary Care clinic.

I think its the specialists responsibility to defend primary care. Who are you going to get your consults from?

Either you're making a joke or you dramatically underestimate how much you and I will be working.

I know how much I will be working.

I'd be more impressed if you still had the little mod icon under your name. What happened, the admins finally started reading your posts?

Not quite. I found that I was hampered by my Moderator role. I couldn't say what I really though. I needed to make it nice-nice for the little ones.

I don't know why you are so defensive Tired. It boggles my mind. You're in for a long residency and IMO taking things easy and relaxing is how you get through. I'm far from a gunner and I'm not too proud to admit that I don't envy the workload of the family docs I have known.

 

[hilseb]

People work as part-time docs? The only doctors that I know of that work part time happen to work in freebie clinics and do jack for their patients that truly need the help and can't afford real medical help ... that specific point does nothing to help your argument.

Wow, I am surprised by the ignorance I see on these threads sometimes. This is why flexible hours and job share programs, which are legitimate and workable options in many medical settings, are hard to come by. Because of people who don't know anything about it, but have knee-jerk negative reactions.

Many doctors do job-sharing or flexible time, and that doesn't mean that they do "jack" for their patients.

 

[Dr JPH]

Wow, I am surprised by the ignorance I see on these threads sometimes. This is why flexible hours and job share programs, which are legitimate and workable options in many medical settings, are hard to come by. Because of people who don't know anything about it, but have knee-jerk negative reactions.

Many doctors do job-sharing or flexible time, and that doesn't mean that they do "jack" for their patients.

I wouldnt worry

Dr. Inviz is a premed who wont be in medical school for another 2 years or so. He talks around here as if he has experience or some inside knowledge.

I think he wants to be in the fold but he has created a reputation as a "know nothing know-it-all" and he needs to keep up that act now. Shame.

 

[Jamers]

LMFAO!!! That is just wrong. I got bored with my picture of myself, so I thought I would post some cute animals instead. What is the dog saying to you?

yeah but that was a sexy picture!!


JP, now you know better than to take what pre-meds say with any merit. It's like those signs at the zoo, do not feed the animals.

 

[DragonWell]

I think he wants to be in the fold but he has created a reputation as a "know nothing know-it-all" and he needs to keep up that act now. Shame.

I'm not directing this at anyone in particular, but I was just having lunch with a doctor, who happens to be quite successful (dual boarded FM, OMM) and he mentioned that one of the qualities he looks for in the students he interviews is that they "know what they don't know", since in his opinion, the scariest docs he has ever worked with were the ones who were sure they were right about everything, and believed they "knew it all".

 

[Dr JPH]

I'm not directing this at anyone in particular, but I was just having lunch with a doctor, who happens to be quite successful (dual boarded FM, OMM) and he mentioned that one of the qualities he looks for in the students he interviews is that they "know what they don't know", since in his opinion, the scariest docs he has ever worked with were the ones who were sure they were right about everything, and believed they "knew it all".

Those people scare me too. Luckily they are usually put in their place sometime during third year.

 

[DoctorMom78]

yeah but that was a sexy picture!!


JP, now you know better than to take what pre-meds say with any merit. It's like those signs at the zoo, do not feed the animals.

I'll put one back eventually. For now you can enjoy the animals.

 

[DoctorMom78]

I'm not directing this at anyone in particular, but I was just having lunch with a doctor, who happens to be quite successful (dual boarded FM, OMM) and he mentioned that one of the qualities he looks for in the students he interviews is that they "know what they don't know", since in his opinion, the scariest docs he has ever worked with were the ones who were sure they were right about everything, and believed they "knew it all".

I have known quite a few doctors that were sure they were right about everything, and it is really scary. You have to be able to realize and admit when you are wrong.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

God damn Dr.I. You are so far off base with stuff I wouldnt know where to start.

Really? The OP is requesting if it is possible to have both: a life and be a medical student (at the same time). My response has always been: If you want both, be prepared to match into something not competitive: i.e. FM (or even IM to be fair). I think your post response confirms this:

Want a life in medical school? Be prepared for mediocre grades

Want a life AFTER medical school? Give up your life while IN medical school.

So, are you saying that mediocre grades will land you a match in surgery/opth/derm/rads etc.? I would think not, since you are the know-all that is SDN. If you think it is, then well, I question this "know-all." You are indirectly negating your own argument by saying I'm "way off base" -- are you a waffler?

Why do you bother? Why pretend like you're already in medical school?

-- I am currently not in medical school, but I will be come the Fall.

You have NO idea what it is like as a medical student. You don't know the first thing about getting good grades in medical school or what can be accomplished with good, bad or excellent grades.

-- It's not exactly rocket science to figure out how to get good or bad grades in any school. Don't study -- get bad grades. Study -- it's hit or miss and you adjust accordingly (i.e. study habits).

You fly around this website and spout off random tidbits that are just plain wrong...and then you sit back, sip your diet coke and say "ha...I told them."

-- I give enough help as is needed, and enough snide remarks when I feel help isn't needed. The same can be said for yourself, so no need to think otherwise. Why was it that you lost your modship again ...? Thought so.

You don't have a clue Dr.I, you really don't.

-- And you do? No wonder you apparently were the most hated mod amongst the moderators.

I know why you patrol the premed sections...any medical student would read what you write and immediately think "$hit...I don't know where the hell that kids getting his information from."

Don't refer to yourself in this manner. Hell, you say I'm pre-med, well then, there's a reason I post in pre-med forums more than med forums. How about you? $hit, as a med student, I see you posting more in pre-osteo than I see you posting in osteo.

Where DO you get your info from anyway? How is it that you have such insight (incorrect insight), but insight nonetheless?

-- Most tend to think I give decent advice, I even see similar posts made by yourself, but then again, if that point made wasn't yours -- it's wrong. Ha, by that standards, you're wrong too.

And what I would REALLY like to know, why do you think you're always correct? You're not. Your posts are a waste of bandwidth.

You feel the need to always be right, so do others. It's human nature, deal with it. Your posts are just as much of a waste of bandwidth as the next person's -- deal with it.

Dr. Inviz is a premed who wont be in medical school for another 2 years or so. He talks around here as if he has experience or some inside knowledge.

-- Again, wrong. Another 2 years? You must be thinking DKM, who made YOU lose it and sent you off on your hiatus and losing your modship. Shame.

 

[mshheaddoc]

You obviously don't get the message the OP was asking. She was asking for a life while IN med school ... not when DONE with med school. The statement you made that I bolded only furthers to prove my point in response to the OPs question. If she wants a life in med school, she can go ahead and punch in FM for her post-medical education ticket ...

I don't really see this as true. I know many people who balanced their life but were most of their functions with their classmates? Yes. Classmates became close friends and would study together and go out together. They had regular nights out at the local pub, would go out every other weekend sometimes every weekend. Had social "days" for football games/gatherings. I really think its up to person. With that said, I know many people (even those who studied 24/7) who found that making one night a week "study free" helped motivate them to the weekend as well as gave them a break. And these people matched into competitive residencies such as gas, neuro surg, uro, surgery, as well as other specialties. Its very individualized by person as well as class load per semester.

Overall to the OP, will you have a normal life that you might have if you were working 40 hrs a week? Hell no. But you can have a "life" with time management such as going to the gym, having a SO, etc. But don't expect to "go out" or hang with people outside of your class very often because alot of 'hanging out' is studying with other students. And I suppose you can take this with a grain of salt from a pre-med who is immersed in the medical world with most of my friends being residents/medical students/doctors and being married to a graduating medical student.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

Wow, I am surprised by the ignorance I see on these threads sometimes. This is why flexible hours and job share programs, which are legitimate and workable options in many medical settings, are hard to come by. Because of people who don't know anything about it, but have knee-jerk negative reactions.

Many doctors do job-sharing or flexible time, and that doesn't mean that they do "jack" for their patients.

Great to know there are job-sharing programs that exist. That didn't address my statement though. My point was that many physicians (let me specify: those not in priv. practices) that do work in free clinics often work part time. They don't have the resources to properly treat their patients that need it the most and can't afford traditional care. Hence, they often don't do jack. At one point in my life, I had to use a free clinic, and it wasn't pretty.

However, if you want to be the next Hunter Adams, and start up a need-based hospital/clinic that has necessary facilities to fully treat those in most need, send me a holler and I'd join you when I gain my medical licensure.

 

[Dr.Inviz]

I don't really see this as true. I know many people who balanced their life but were most of their functions with their classmates? Yes. They had regular nights out at the local pub, would go out every other weekend sometimes every weekend. Had social "days" for football games/gatherings. I really think its up to person. With that said, I know many people (even those who studied 24/7) who found that making one night a week "study" free helped motivate them to the weekend as well as gave them a break. And these people matched into competitive residencies such as gas, neuro surg, uro, surgery, as well as other specialities.

Overall to the OP, will you have a normal life that you might have if you were working 40 hrs a week? Hell no. But you can have a "life" with time management such as going to the gym, having a SO, etc. But don't expect to "go out" or hang with people outside of your class very often because alot of 'hanging out' is studying with other students.

It's still studying.
Anyways, sure, you can spend a few days here and there doing stuff. I was going off the basis of having the same life one had while as an undergrad.

 

[mshheaddoc]

Yeah but alot of time the "studying" gets off track and you aren't really studying. You might go watch a movie, etc. People DO take breaks in medical school. You can have a life its just not very exciting. And for the most part if you studied your ass off in undergrad it could be similar lifestyle. Its about priorities. Some times you have to study more than others (shelfs, boards, huge exam week, etc) other times you WILL have the time to maybe going skiing for the day, go to the movies, catch a ball game, etc. Now, the money for it? That's a different story. Depends on how many textbooks you bought!

 

[mshheaddoc]

And I'm also going to post a general warning message to ask that the personal insults cease immediately. Feel free to debate the points but don't make it personal.

Thanks

 

[mshheaddoc]

JP, now you know better than to take what pre-meds say with any merit. It's like those signs at the zoo, do not feed the animals.

I think that this would be a great welcoming sign when you first log into SDN.

"Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Do not feed or agitate the pre-meds"

 

[Dr JPH]

Oh Dr.I. Why dont you start a poll and see what the SDN community thinks. Who is more valuable here, you or me?

I post in the pre-oste forum in an attempt to clear up all the misconceptions you keep throwing around.

Youre useless here. You are the only one who doesnt realize that.

 

[Dr JPH]

Really? The OP is requesting if it is possible to have both: a life and be a medical student (at the same time). My response has always been: If you want both, be prepared to match into something not competitive: i.e. FM (or even IM to be fair). I think your post response confirms this:

When you know first hand the workload of a med student I will listen.

So, are you saying that mediocre grades will land you a match in surgery/opth/derm/rads etc.? I would think not, since you are the know-all that is SDN. If you think it is, then well, I question this "know-all." You are indirectly negating your own argument by saying I'm "way off base" -- are you a waffler?

I dont know what a waffler is. You would be suprised at what people can accomplish with mediocre grades. Again, show me your first hand knowledge and I will judge it for myself.

-- I am currently not in medical school, but I will be come the Fall.

Where?

-- It's not exactly rocket science to figure out how to get good or bad grades in any school. Don't study -- get bad grades. Study -- it's hit or miss and you adjust accordingly (i.e. study habits).

Wowee. Now I know how you suscepted to med skool.

-- I give enough help as is needed, and enough snide remarks when I feel help isn't needed. The same can be said for yourself, so no need to think otherwise. Why was it that you lost your modship again ...? Thought so.

I didnt lose anything. I stepped down as a Mod. As the administrators. Thought so.

-- And you do? No wonder you apparently were the most hated mod amongst the moderators.

Riiiight.

Don't refer to yourself in this manner. Hell, you say I'm pre-med, well then, there's a reason I post in pre-med forums more than med forums. How about you? $hit, as a med student, I see you posting more in pre-osteo than I see you posting in osteo.

Again, to correct all of your mistakes.

-- Most tend to think I give decent advice, I even see similar posts made by yourself, but then again, if that point made wasn't yours -- it's wrong. Ha, by that standards, you're wrong too.

Im not wrong.

You feel the need to always be right, so do others. It's human nature, deal with it. Your posts are just as much of a waste of bandwidth as the next person's -- deal with it.

But when you continually screw up, like you do, dont you think you would close your mouth?

-- Again, wrong. Another 2 years? You must be thinking DKM, who made YOU lose it and sent you off on your hiatus and losing your modship. Shame.

Again...I didnt lose anything. I was restricted in what I could and could not say because I was a mod. I stepped down so that I can be more open with my comments.

Also...didnt you say you were class of 2012? I see you recently changed your signature to 2011. Looks like someone helped you with the math!!!

 

[MaximusD]

COL in NY is high, hence salaries will be higher. Living in TN and NY are 2 different things.


What do they specialize in? I'm sure it's not FM, which IMO is synonymous to a GP.

Well lucky for us that opinion means jack ****. GP means 1 year internship/residency. FP means 3-4 depending on state.

 

[mshheaddoc]

GP has been used as FP interchangable occasionally as GP is a more "archaeic term" than FP. Its not a big deal because some old skool docs do use that interchangably. So the exact term or differences between GP and FP can vary.

And again, I'm going to ask that this thread get back on topic and the arguments cease and desist. Otherwise I'm closing this thread. Thanks.

 

[highballa33]

Are Dr. Inviz and DKM the same people? They both make the same types of useless posts and seem to be entertained by each other's comments. How much time have they wasted on SDN spitting out worthless information? It's pretty pathetic. Get a room guys...

 

[MaximusD]

GP has been used as FP interchangable occasionally as GP is a more "archaeic term" than FP. Its not a big deal because some old skool docs do use that interchangably. So the exact term or differences between GP and FP can vary.

And again, I'm going to ask that this thread get back on topic and the arguments cease and desist. Otherwise I'm closing this thread. Thanks.

I'm sorry if I've upset you, but there IS a significant difference even if it is only 90 percent of the time. If I was a FP, I would not want people to only think that I underwent one year of post-doctoral training.

At any rate, I do think that you can balance work and play. But I would err on the side of caution for your MS1 year.. it's much harder to catch up after falling behind than the reverse... then agian, I'm just a premed so I will defer to those who have actually experienced med school. I'm working under the assumption that med school is like undergrad just a TON of more information, lecture, and lab...and a LOT less free time.

 

[907ak]

It seems to me that you have already been extremely busy as is. If you have people in your life that mean a lot, then plan for it as you already have with your current studies. Yeah, this will be more challenging but make a plan to vacation once or twice a year if possible. All this may sound a bit naive, but it can be done. Main thing is to figure what areas of practice you fancy and list them out and get an idea of what your schedule would be like.

You could alway specialize in Dermatology...You don't hear of ER calls about that. If you are a 9-5 type that wouldn't be bad either... and i am sure they can afford to vacation regularly with the fam.

You have came this far so take some friendly advice and explore those options..

 

[MaximusD]

It seems to me that you have already been extremely busy as is. If you have people in your life that mean a lot, then plan for it as you already have with your current studies. Yeah, this will be more challenging but make a plan to vacation once or twice a year if possible. All this may sound a bit naive, but it can be done. Main thing is to figure what areas of practice you fancy and list them out and get an idea of what your schedule would be like.

You could alway specialize in Dermatology...You don't hear of ER calls about that. If you are a 9-5 type that wouldn't be bad either... and i am sure they can afford to vacation regularly with the fam.

You have came this far so take some friendly advice and explore those options..

Keep in mind that Derm = most competitive specialty... most of ROAD is..

 

[StringerBell]

So, like, uhm, can you have both (a life, and be a med student)?

I never had much of a life to begin with.
So med school being my whole life ain't too shabby.

 

[silas2642]

Hello all! My name is Sarah Kent I am a senior at the University of South Florida, biomedical sciences major, biophysics and public health minor. I am in a dilemma at this moment. For all of my life I have wanted to be a Dr. more than anything. Now, I am at the point where I am taking my MCAT and about to apply, and I only have one reservation: Can you have a life while being in medical school/ osteopathic school? I mean is it completely hopeless and it is all books and studying, and there is no time for your loved ones, or just pure fun? Is it possible to have both?

I guess the answer to your question is that... it depends. Some people in med school have absolutely no life whatsoever because they want a highly competitive residency in a highly competitive program and so they spend every moment of their waking lives studying so they can be at the very top of their class. If you're interested in doing derm or rads at Mass Gen, then I wouldn't count on having too much of a social life during med school.

The other thing is that the strength of talents in academics varies among students-- a few very lucky students can get by studying only a few hours a day and do just fine in class while others have to work extremely hard just to get by. Obviously I don't know you, and I have no idea how strong of a student you are or how you learn, but if you're the type of college student who has to go to every single lecture and worked her butt off during undergrad, then keep in mind that med school is undergrad on an insane amount of speed and that you will have to work several times as hard as you did during those golden years.

At my med school, the general rule seemed to be that if it was important to you, you had time for it. A lot of the students found time to play in intramural basketball leagues, go out partying a few times a month, participate in clubs like AMSA, watch Grey's Anatomy on a very faithful basis, go out and eat a lot of ice cream, hang out together, train for marathons, etc. It's not like we were all stuck in a room alone and miserable with a large book memorizing biochemical pathways all day every day. You find that balance; it can take a little while at first, but you find it.

I guess that if I were you I would sit down and really analyze the question-- why medicine? Cheesy, I know. But if you're questioning whether or not you are willing to sacrifice your social life for the rigors of academia now, that's a pretty good sign that you really need to check whether or not this path is for you. Also consider the possibility that maybe you just need some time off to travel or have some fun or something, to get whatever it is out of your system before you start med school. A good portion of med school classes don't enter med school directly out of undergrad-- they do other things before and that tends to make them more interesting candidates (and I'm not saying that a 21 year old cannot be an interesting person, I'm not saying that at all). Call up some doctors and see if they'll let you shadow them; that will let you get a feel for what you would be doing for the rest of your life (remember that med school is ONLY four years), and the bonus of that is, if you do choose to apply to med school, you'll have some great clinical letters of recommendation.

Good luck with your decision.