Concerns

[mlm55]

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I'm considering starting post-bacc classes in a few weeks with the goal of ultimately becoming a psychiatrist, and have been feeling really stressed and panicked about starting down this path. Unless if I rush through the post-bacc classes, taking three lab courses at a time, it will be three years before I could enter medical school (assuming I get in first try). So I would be 36 by the time I finish residency.

I would love to be a psychiatrist but am unsure if I could handle the training and the stress involved. I get stressed really easily and have a hard time thinking on my feet sometimes. I also know that I want to have a family and am not currently married (I am a woman). I don't know if I could live without having a family, but I might be able to live without becoming a psychiatrist (although possibly haunted by regret).

There are other less intensive career paths that I am considering. I guess what I am looking for is any advice. Everyone always says go for your dreams or you'll regret it forever, and that you can work past your weaknesses. Do you think that someone is not great at stress management, and prone to anxiety, can work through it and succeed on this path? And is my concern that working toward med school will decrease my chance of having a family a valid one?

 

[mgdsh]

- most of what you do through out working as a psychiatrist or even in your training is rather laid back. It's not necessarily like being a cardiologist or pulmonary critical care. You will have to make quick decisions at times, but with each one they typically get easier
- it's possible to have children during medical school or residency. That may extend your timeline a bit, but many programs are flexible and understanding. Disclaimer: some aren't
- Figure out what's important to you. Some people live to work and others work to live. In addition, you're considering other career paths, which have their own pros/cons.

 

[MacDonaldTriad]

This discussion might help.
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...atrist-or-psychologist-advice-please.1089057/

 

[hamstergang]

Finishing by 36 really isn't too old.

The question I'd have is why do you want to be a psychiatrist? Understanding what's driving you this way can help in figuring out what direction you should go.

 

[Leo Aquarius]

I served on the admission committee at my medical school and met many students at various points in their lives and decision paths. What I will say is this. In medicine or outside of medicine, jobs bring stress. You have revealed a genuine desire to be a doctor. Figure out how to handle anxiety and thinking on your feet, not for medicine, but for life in general.

If you feel you can achieve this, then I say apply and go as far as you can. Take each year of your training as a new growing experience and a mandatory step to the next year. After 3 years of PostBac, 4 of med school, and 4 of residency you'll have built a foundation of confidence and personal growth from which to work in the world. Sure it's a heck of a long time, but I'll be 37 by the time I'm done with residency and I don't feel it's too old. In fact, being older in psychiatry has helped me understand people and be a better psychiatrist.

 

[st2205]

I'd take a look at my post from the thread posted above. I'd give consideration to the psych NP. I'm not saying you should do it. I'm just suggesting you give it consideration. I'm in my second year of residency, married, two kids and expecting another on Monday. I think psychiatry, with the exception of dermatology, is the best kept secret in medicine (derm not a secret, though). That said, in getting quite burned out. I've got another 3 years ahead of me. Had I gone the NP route, I could have been making good money working as an NP for the past 3 years. In the long run, both professionally and financially, and ultimately freedom to better support my family and do fun things, my current path pays off. That said, right now sucks. I won't lie. I've got about 350k in educational debt that's growing as we speak and I'm about to be supporting 4 dependents on a 50k salary (though I will start moonlighting soon as well). Everything actually went really well up until starting residency. There are some cush programs though. Mine has a lot of cush elements but the call most certainly is not.

 

[whopper]

I've known people who dropped out of medschool because it conflicted with their desires to have a family and raise children. It's possible to do these things in medical school but you'd have a have a devoted spouse. and hopefully enter a residency program that is family-friendly. Pre-med and medschool are very tough.

Totally agree with ST2205 . I work with several NPs that were better able to balance their personal and professional lives vs MDs and DOs.

And while we're on the topic, some programs do hold it against the applicant for being older. They just won't admit to it out in the open.

Personally, I do think being older and having more life-experience would make you a better psychiatrist as Leo Aquarius mentioned. There's too many people in the field that are pointy-headed academics and can't relate to the idea of not having enough money to pay for food, or being proud of owning a trailer. Nor can they common-sense-wise run a unit or PES. People that have run businesses and worked well as a team know these things better. Usually such people have some experience in business or other team-building things such as the military.

 

[mlm55]

Thank you for the advice. I have considered the psych np option a lot. I'm concerned that I won't have the creativity and flexibility that I want from my career with that option. Right now I work in research, and what I enjoy about that is the ability to have an impact on the field as a whole and to be creative and explore new ideas. I love getting to know the participants as individuals as well and hearing their stories. I don't like dealing with the tedious details/logistics. Would I have that variety and creativity in my job as an np? I'm not sure. But it is important to me to have good work/life balance too, so that is a valid option...

 

[mlm55]

Thank you for the advice. I have considered the psych np option a lot. I'm concerned that I won't have the creativity and flexibility that I want from my career with that option. Right now I work in research, and what I enjoy about that is the ability to have an impact on the field as a whole and to be creative and explore new ideas. I love getting to know the participants as individuals as well and hearing their stories. I don't like dealing with the tedious details/logistics. Would I have that variety and creativity in my job as an np? I'm not sure. But it is important to me to have good work/life balance too, so that is a valid option...

 

[whopper]

Would I have that variety and creativity in my job as an np? I'm not sure. But it is important to me to have good work/life balance too, so that is a valid option...

You could. Some of this depends on what state you are in. In some you are required to have an attending sign off on everything. In others no. So in the first type of situation you'd have to have a good attending that trusts your abilities so he/she wouldn't keep the leash too tight. If you are in a state where you don't require an attending you are free to have more room to do what you want.

 

[oracle2]

Are you married? I think not pursuing what you want to pursue, career wise, because you want to meet a guy/have a family is a bad move. Those things aren't within your control long term, but your career and ability to be self sufficient is. Medicine is actually a lot more "mom friendly" than a lot of other jobs because it is possible to work part time and make a living wage. Residency is not easy but my friends who are residents seem to have just as much free time as my friends who are accountants and lawyers and business types. This might not be true for surgery, but I think you can pick and choose residency programs that will alow you to have a life outside of work.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Are you married? I think not pursuing what you want to pursue, career wise, because you want to meet a guy/have a family is a bad move. Those things aren't within your control long term, but your career and ability to be self sufficient is. Medicine is actually a lot more "mom friendly" than a lot of other jobs because it is possible to work part time and make a living wage. Residency is not easy but my friends who are residents seem to have just as much free time as my friends who are accountants and lawyers and business types. This might not be true for surgery, but I think you can pick and choose residency programs that will alow you to have a life outside of work.

With current debt levels, working part time as a physician isn't a great financial move. I don't think it'd work for me unless my spouse made a lot of money. It you don't have student loan debt I guess it's a different story.

Editing to add that the age thing is and isn't a big deal. I finished residency at 37. I don't have kids and probably won't but could have during residency if I wanted to. Affording child care might have been a nightmare though unless your spouse can do most of it. Still doable though. I'm also hit with how financially behind I am right now because of not earning income (and borrowing at a crappy interest rate) for 4 years, being underpaid for 4 more (and actually 5 because I'm doing a fellowship) and not being able to do things like save well for retirement and buy a house before the real estate market went crazy in my city. Once I start making real attending type of money, I might feel a little less burdened by the financial aspects of training. However, again, earning decent money is pretty important after the costs I've incurred which definitely means not working part time, likely avoiding academic work (bummer if I really liked research) and delaying further training (psychoanalytic).

 

[mlm55]

Another concern I have about the np route...I'm pretty introverted and am not sure how I would do seeing patients all day everyday. As a psychiatrist, if you work for a hospital I'm assuming there would also be meetings, administrative duties, research opportunities etc. to break things up. But as an NP it's probably only clinical duties, right?

 

[whopper]

Working in a hospital requires you be part of a large team. You will have to answer to people above you, be in charge of people below you, etc. Yes, there will be meetings of sorts at least once a month, possibly even daily. Some people like this, others don't. Working outpatient will increase your odds of working alone or with a smaller team.