Co-workers talking about Med school

[Orth2006]

Recently my co-workers were talking about med school - just stuff about doctors, friends they know who are doctors, changing career at 30 and stuff like that. Anyway as expected they usually get some facts wrong and much info twisted. This is where the urge to set them straight is so irresistable. I still havent told anyone at work about my plans to go to med school so I just have to keep up the "no clue about medicine" look. Its just awkward sometimes. Anyone in similar situation? Feel free to share your story

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[dajimmers]

Why don't you tell them? Are you applying this year, or not yet? Are you afraid they'd fire you if you told them your true plans, or don't want to risk loosing a job if you don't get in? Just wondering what the reasoning is for your secrecy.

 

[silas2642]

Recently my co-workers were talking about med school - just stuff about doctors, friends they know who are doctors, changing career at 30 and stuff like that. Anyway as expected they usually get some facts wrong and much info twisted. This is where the urge to set them straight is so irresistable. I still havent told anyone at work about my plans to go to med school so I just have to keep up the "no clue about medicine" look. Its just awkward sometimes. Anyone in similar situation? Feel free to share your story

I dunno. I just hate talking about my plans of going to medical school because I don't like all the stereotypes associated with the profession. I just don't want people to assume I'm a stuck up ass who thinks they know everything and is better than everyone else because that's not why I'm in this game. But I know so many others who are in it for the white coat and the title and prestige. I just try to avoid it. I hate it when everyone is like, "oh yeah, I thought about going to medical school..." thinking that it's just some easy process to go through. To me, deciding I wanted to become a doc was such a huge decision. I mean, I spent years trying to talk myself out of it.

Sorry, I'm rambling.

 

[Pretty POHA]

Recently my co-workers were talking about med school - just stuff about doctors, friends they know who are doctors, changing career at 30 and stuff like that. Anyway as expected they usually get some facts wrong and much info twisted. This is where the urge to set them straight is so irresistable. I still havent told anyone at work about my plans to go to med school so I just have to keep up the "no clue about medicine" look. Its just awkward sometimes. Anyone in similar situation? Feel free to share your story

Well, kinda, but no. I work with a bunch of post-menopausal women who have worked at this rinky-dink, disorganized, mal-functioning company for 10+ years. Medical school is as real to them as putting a man on the moon-- only perhaps less exciting. So they forget where I'm going and try to dredge me through the stagnate waters of the world of "athletic protective equipment" and the dramas of being understaffed, under paid, and over-whiney... See, I'm even starting to sound like them.
Anyway, of course there's some people that talk about stuff they don't know about... the real question I want to know is WHY are you keeping it a secret??
Good luck. With my mouth/personality, I would've NEVER been able to keep my mouth shut. One of my character flaws, I guess.

 

[Orth2006]

Why don't you tell them? Are you applying this year, or not yet? Are you afraid they'd fire you if you told them your true plans, or don't want to risk loosing a job if you don't get in? Just wondering what the reasoning is for your secrecy.

Well exactly wut you said - I'm still waiting for an acceptance (hopefully I will know by Dec) so I would rather keep my day job till then. It is definitely risky to let them know without having an acceptance. They usually schedule tasks/projects months out and if they know I wont be available then I don't get scheduled and that would be trouble if I don't get in. So "mum's" the word.

 

[powerbooki]

Keep it as your own secret is definitely the wise choice. Your co-workers and the company you are working for don't necessarily have their interests in helping/encouraging you to embark a different career path. I am so glad that I kept it to myself, otherwise I would have gotten laid off in the last down turn. Who else is a better choice to fire during a down time than a person who has demonstrated clearly that he/she has a goal that has nothing to do with the company's business, and he/she will leave sooner or later to pursue that goal? People are generally good natured, but you just can't expect every one to cheer for you, especially when you work in a non-medical field. Keep it to yourself can't hurt.

 

[odrade1]

My immediate boss (who is terrific & actually wrote a personal LOR for me) & I kept my application to med school a secret from the higher bosses until the deal was sealed. The reason for this was that if I had to reapply for a different application cycle, I might find myself replaced at some point during the year. It won't be easy to replace me, so if they knew I was leaving, they would begin looking for a replacement. IF they could find a candidate to replace me, they would let me go and hire the new person. (At least that is what I would do). I needed to keep my job up until a few weeks before matriculation, so secrecy was important.

 

[DocteurMarion]

Recently my co-workers were talking about med school - just stuff about doctors, friends they know who are doctors, changing career at 30 and stuff like that. Anyway as expected they usually get some facts wrong and much info twisted. This is where the urge to set them straight is so irresistable. I still havent told anyone at work about my plans to go to med school so I just have to keep up the "no clue about medicine" look. Its just awkward sometimes. Anyone in similar situation? Feel free to share your story

Same here! you should defenately keep it to yourself until you got that letter of acceptance in your hands...At least that is what I am planning to do!

 

[45408]

I hate it when everyone is like, "oh yeah, I thought about going to medical school..." thinking that it's just some easy process to go through.

Yeah, I hear that, but I usually just smile and nod.

 

[Turkeyman]

I am a pumpkin pie!!!!!!!!! WAaaHAHA!

 

[tigress]

I am a pumpkin pie!!!!!!!!! WAaaHAHA!

nuh uh, you're a turkey, silly...maybe you're just too turkey to be turkey this time of year?

My coworkers all know that I'm going to med school next year. I don't know how I could have kept it secret, with all my interviews, unless I just made up a good story about where I was going. But in any case when I got my job it was understood that it was for one year, so it's different.

But still, I keep my mouth shut usually when people start talking about med school and medicine and have no clue. I just figure that what they don't know can't hurt them, so it's not worth sounding arrogant. And even though I work in a clinic, this comes up surprisingly often (mainly with the nurses I work with...who are wonderful people, btw, they just don't know anything about training to be a doctor...no reason they should, of course).