Did you not mind your job before med school?

[GoodmanBrown]

Hi, all. I'm a non-trad by about 6 years, and I have a question for everyone. How much did you like/dislike your job before you started med school? I've actually wanted to be a doctor since about 2 years after college. I was in graduate school and decided that finishing my Master's was important enough to wait. I then worked for a year while my wife finished her Master's. I then took a post-bac year, and have successfully applied to med school for this fall.

My dilemma is that I actually don't mind the job I'm working at. My first job after graduate school I hated, and it was a really big motivating factor for the post-bac year and med school. My current job isn't so bad. I don't dread getting up in the morning, and I'm usually pleasantly surprised at how fast the day went when it's done. There's really no stress at work, I have a pretty flexible schedule, and I only work 40 hours a week. The pay is good enough to support my wife and myself. All in all, it's an amazing glide-year job, and I know I'm really lucky to have found it.

All that said, it's making me worried about jumping into a medical career which by all accounts is high stress, lots of hours, and a pretty inflexible schedule (for at least the next 8-10 years). Part of this is an element of cold feet with the impending big decision, but there are some pretty good arguments in there for holding on to a good thing.

Thoughts/encouragements? How much did you like or dislike your job before medical school? What made you take the plunge?

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[sindadel]

My job was pretty much ideal. I was self-employed for 10 years (software) - worked when I wanted, played with my kids when I wanted, made plenty of money to lead a comfortable existence, received adequate mental challenge etc. etc.

Becoming a physician is something I had always wanted, and something that fed my soul, for lack of something less hokey to say. So far so good, but I am only an M1.

 

[kia ora]

I loved my job. it was considered pretty high stress (though that didn't really bother me, I'm not a stressed-out type of person) and I worked long hours. it paid pretty well. though it was a great job, I didn't feel like I needed to do it for the rest of my working life. I had no second thoughts about leaving it to go back to school. I'm of the opinion that some (not all) people can be quite happy in a situation (job, relationship, etc.) yet not feel like they need to stay in that situation forever/indefinitely...I'm definitely one of these people. I think I am in the minority, though!

 

[jinx520]

I was a stay-at-home mom since the time I got out of the Army to the time when I went back to school for my undergrad--about 9 years. I always wanted to be a doctor, and so I intended to wait until my kids were older before "doing my thing". I kept having kids, though, so by the time I started as an UG I was 30 and had just given birth to my 6th baby. I had one more baby in UG and got pregnant again during my last semester in college. So I put off applying to med school for awhile to stay at home with baby #8 and got my master's (and then had ANOTHER baby). Yes, that's 9 kids. Now here I am, waiting for the Ides of March.

Although my main "career" as mommy is extremely fulfilling and I wouldn't trade it for the world, there was always something nagging away at me, drawing me to medicine. I've heard people describe medicine as a calling, akin to a priestly vocation, and for me that's true. While I could probably live a full life not getting on the roller coaster of medicine, I honestly don't feel like my life would be complete.

It's funny, though, non-doctors who find out that I'm on this path constantly say I'm crazy, how can I manage my kids, why not nursing, etc., etc. But every doctor I've spoken to just nods sympathetically when I talk about how I feel called to medicine and gives me pointers on how to balance med school and the rest of life.

 

[cabinbuilder]

I worked as a ward clerk on med/surg for 7 years prior to going to medical. I totally loved that job and cried when I left into the med school abyss. It was really hard to leave and move across the country. Change is always hard but I knew there was no more opportunity for advancement.

 

[zebalong]

I'm taking the plunge with you - I think the worrying is normal and healthy. Because we worry about it, we really mull over in our minds whether medicine is right for us in terms of life style choice, personal sacrifice, and future career. I would have to say that many of us turned back to medicine because even though we "don't mind" or perhaps even love (like myself) our current careers, we also feel that draw toward medicine.

Each of us have our own motivations and part of the sacrifice of going into medicine is personal security and financial (giving up a great career). Things will be ok if you keeps those motivations in mind when you feel a bit overwhelmed with the large life changes.

I'm giving up a "sweet job" job like yourself that would allow me to retire at the age of 50, with free health care for the rest of my life, a great pension, and a multi-million 401k. And i would be lieing if i didn't feel like on some days when I think of the big changes I'm making. One way that makes me feel a little better is that I'm doing my best to make smart financial decisions in picking a school and attempting to keep a low cost of living so that after i complete medical school I can get back to my life in the shortest amount of time possible.

I'm sure you had that moment where you felt" I have to do this". I remember those moments and I keep that as my motivation for this move. My big thing is that I do nursing management of an ED that is Stanford's teaching hospital. I've seen first year interns become attendings and everytime I used to watch the process of them learning and watch them evolve, I would have a little knot in my stomach that would rise up into my chest - a little bit like heart break. It was when this feeling didn't go away after 3 years day in and day out that I knew I HAD to do this.

 

[lastcall]

Eh I don't like my current job very much (I work graveyard shifts and I'm generally cranky from lack of sleep) but hey, it pays the bills and I'm trying to save up $ for med school in August.

 

[familyaerospace]

I was a technology transfer consultant just out of graduate school, it was the hardest job I ever had (and I've had several) but it really wasn't that bad with the exception of the fact my boss had some really weird psych issues. The average tenure of someone at the company was 6 months (many didn't last the first month), I lasted 1.5 years. I hated the pay though but I was considered self-employed. I loved talking about the health sciences technology. The job was one of my influences to consider medicine.

 

[NalaLucy]

Well....I'll be the negative nancy of the group. I have not loved my job(s) prior to pre-med whatsoever. (Well, the barista, golf course, and bartending jobs in college WERE enjoyable-hehe). I was pre-med when I started undergrad, decided it would be more fun to study less and major in business...graduated with flying colors...landed a high paying consulting job right out of school...traveled 100% across country 4 days a week with old men - no offense to anyone , but an interesting/not so great situation for a 22yo female. Put up with that for 2 years because I must love misery, and then finally found a job with no travel. Did that for a few months, was laid off when the economy went to hell, took another travel consulting job which I currently tolerate. All of these experiences have made me a better person, but I dont want to live a life where I wake up unhappy (and in a hotel) more days than I'm happy, I don't feel fulfilled (personally or professionally), and I'm working for the man! I want to work for me, my family, my patients, and to enable people to live the healthiest best life they can. Cliche, cliche...but that is my $.02. Life is too short too be miserable....and money isnt everything. Very excited to FINALLY embark on the pre-med/med school process...and get away from the cubicles, the office bottom, and computer screen....

 

[lovemesomeTJ]

I'm an admissions clerk in a small gossipy hospital and I can't stand the people that I work with. Love the patients, love meeting and seeing the people who walk in the hospital over and over again. But it's time for me to get out of there, regardless of whether I am successful this application cycle or not. If I get an acceptance, I'm saying "PEACE OUT!!" and hopefully finding a temp job or working for my brother until school starts. And if I don't get in I'm still saying "PEACE OUT!!" and then I'll find something for a year or however long it takes to get in. The grass is always greener on the other side, but if you asked me, the grass over here is brown and DEAD.

/rant ::hops off soapbox::

As for your situation, I think you'll be okay. It's hard letting go of what we have, especially when we have a good thing. But understand what you're getting yourself into is going to be better in a different way. You may not appreciate all of the studying and the long hours of residency, but when you can walk into your own office and see patients that trust the work you do and feel better since their last consult, you'll feel really good. And you'll appreciate the time that you spent in your glide year job, and happy that you had good memories and experiences, but you'll love what you're getting yourself into (I hope). But if you don't, you can always take a different approach to medicine and hop into a different area that may better suit your needs. Medicine is a beautiful thing. It gives you so many options and so much flexibility to do different things with your degree. Those who regret the decision haven't found a way to make medicine work for them. But I believe it works. I REALLY hope it works! And if it doesn't, at least you know what it's about, you have no regrets and you don't have to think "I wish I had decided to give medicine a try." To me, it's only uphill from medicine, even if you have to backtrack or regroup a little.

 

[ELECTROLITE80]

I don't much like my job. I've been here 7 years, it was my first job out of college and since then I've been promoted 3 times. My main reason for disliking my job is the blatant mistreatment by my boss and the lack of anyone whose job it is to deal with situations like this to do nothing about it. I've finally decided that I will quit this job at the end of the year and go back to school FT for the prereqs. I've always wanted to be a doctor, but I needed to mature before I actually began to pursue the field...now I feel that I'm more than ready vs. when I was 22...and I won't miss this place in the least bit!

As bad as the work environment is, I will say that I've definitely learned how to to NOT be a manager and how to handle people a lot better than I would have if I were younger, so something did come out of the experience.

 

[Dianyla]

I've got a great job and am well-compensated. I just don't want to be doing this for the rest of my life.

 

[DitchDoc73]

I love my current job as a Firefighter/Paramedic. It is probably one of the best jobs out there! (Where else can you work 120 days a year, have 20 paid days off, and make a very good wage!!!) I love going to work everyday! But I find myself wanting for more. I have a deep desire to go to medical school. I cannot wait to go on this new journey.

 

[ShyRem]

I loved my job as a paramedic. LOVED it. Thought about going back to school for years, but was just having too darn much fun working.

Then I got hurt on the job. Permanent injury. Couldn't pass PFT anymore. So after a year of casts and then surgery I went back to school while I did PT and then applied to med school. (and btw, permanent worker's comp injuries don't pay crap.)

Things happen for a reason. Having ignored opportunity knocking for years, I finally couldn't ignore it anymore. And in a strange way, I'm grateful for the injury. But I sure miss the streets.

 

[NTF]

I liked my jobs, there just wasn't a lot of upside and I usually plateaued after a couple of years. Except for teaching. That I loved and would still be doing if medicine didn't lure me away.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

like a couple people said, i like my job. i drive a semi, and it is exactly people imagine. boring and monotonous. but, it pays well and i can tolerate it. i just know that i couldn't do it for the rest of my life.

 

[riverjib]

I loved all the jobs I had before med school, but none offered a career path that was satisfactory. I had to drop out of school at 18...long story that isn't worth getting into. My only qualifications at that point were outdoors skills, so I taught whitewater kayaking, rock climbing, and mountaineering from spring to fall, and high/low ropes courses year round. It was a lot of fun, and at $10-12/hour over 100 hours a week, it paid the bills.

Then I moved to the city and worked as a surgical technologist. It only paid $12/hour at first, but once I was certified, I made over $50,000 a year. By the time I got certified, I already knew every step to every procedure and was terribly bored. I took classes part-time towards my engineering degree.

I didn't entertain medicine until my first medical mission to South America. That convinced me to pursue medical school, and here I am. I thought I had so many regrets, especially taking classes with kids who were so determined and had such great financial support. But I wouldn't trade a minute of my life for anything else. I've had fun, learned a lot, experienced hardship...and it's all led up to where I am right now.