Difficult Decisions for Undergraduates

[PreSomething15]

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As an undergraduate student considering a career in medicine, I have found that I, along with MANY other students in my position, am being bombarded by conflicting advice about various health professions. Some say PA school is a better choice than medical school, some insist going all the way for the MD is worth it, others think being a RN or NP is a better choice. I know that the "right" career choice for an one person is based on that individuals goals, interests, finances, and lifestyle choices, but a lot of the advice/opinions out there make many different careers sound like the "best" option, so it has become extremely difficult to figure out what each career (MD, PA, PT, RN, NP) is truly like day-to-day, and which would be right for me.

For me, personally - I have always been interested in medicine. My mom is a Veterinarian, and my sister is in Pharmacy school, so I am feeling a lot of pressure to decide what direction to take in the health sciences. I enjoy working with people, and I am fascinated by anatomy and physiology. I also have some interest in genetics. I have considered pretty much every health career in the book and still haven't come to a decision. In terms of my future life, I would like to be able to work with patients on a semi-long term basis, i.e I want to form relationships with people, not just treat patients once and never see them again. I think I would strongly consider working in a private practice instead of a hospital, but that's not significant to the decision. I like the idea of something where you not only treat the patient, but also follow up with them to ensure a happy and healthy lifestyle. I do not want a career where I am working 80+ hours a week for the rest of my life, and I don't think I would be happy dealing with trauma or terminally ill patients. MD, PA, and PT are at the top of list by far, but I have hit a wall in the decision making.

I would appreciate people's opinions, not only on my own career choice, but also about various health careers that could be of help to other people in my situation. Please speak from personal experience and not just on what you've heard, if possible.

 

[theseeker4]

As an undergraduate student considering a career in medicine, I have found that I, along with MANY other students in my position, am being bombarded by conflicting advice about various health professions. Some say PA school is a better choice than medical school, some insist going all the way for the MD is worth it, others think being a RN or NP is a better choice. I know that the "right" career choice for an one person is based on that individuals goals, interests, finances, and lifestyle choices, but a lot of the advice/opinions out there make many different careers sound like the "best" option, so it has become extremely difficult to figure out what each career (MD, PA, PT, RN, NP) is truly like day-to-day, and which would be right for me.

For me, personally - I have always been interested in medicine. My mom is a Veterinarian, and my sister is in Pharmacy school, so I am feeling a lot of pressure to decide what direction to take in the health sciences. I enjoy working with people, and I am fascinated by anatomy and physiology. I also have some interest in genetics. I have considered pretty much every health career in the book and still haven't come to a decision. In terms of my future life, I would like to be able to work with patients on a semi-long term basis, i.e I want to form relationships with people, not just treat patients once and never see them again. I think I would strongly consider working in a private practice instead of a hospital, but that's not significant to the decision. I like the idea of something where you not only treat the patient, but also follow up with them to ensure a happy and healthy lifestyle. I do not want a career where I am working 80+ hours a week for the rest of my life, and I don't think I would be happy dealing with trauma or terminally ill patients. MD, PA, and PT are at the top of list by far, but I have hit a wall in the decision making.

I would appreciate people's opinions, not only on my own career choice, but also about various health careers that could be of help to other people in my situation. Please speak from personal experience and not just on what you've heard, if possible.

Shadow. Find several members of each profession you are considering to shadow, and discuss your questions, concerns, goals, etc. with each of them. This will teach you a lot more about day to day life than random anecdotes from anonymous internet forum members. Hours worked and patient population depends a lot more on what specialty you choose, not simply the MD vs PA vs PT etc., FWIW.

 

[Doudline]

All of these career paths -except pharmacy I guess?- will offer you the opportunities to work extensively with patients and form significant relationships.

They are all amenable to "private practice", but the prominence of private practice physicians has gone down recently and many project that it will keep doing so (take it for what it's worth, aka an hypothesis).

Aside from that, we cannot really help you tbh. You have to shadow practitioners in the different fields, get some clinical experience, and see what floats your boat the best.

(p.s. The financial aspect is drastically different in each field. You should research on the subject a bit first.)

 

[RTC19]

All of these career paths -except pharmacy I guess?- will offer you the opportunities to work extensively with patients and form significant relationships.

They are all amenable to "private practice", but the prominence of private practice physicians has gone down recently and many project that it will keep doing so (take it for what it's worth, aka an hypothesis).

Aside from that, we cannot really help you tbh. You have to shadow practitioners in the different fields, get some clinical experience, and see what floats your boat the best.

(p.s. The financial aspect is drastically different in each field. You should research on the subject a bit first.)

+1

 

[Lya]

I shadowed MDs and PAs, also having worked with RNs and NPs. It really helps you decide which medical career you want to pursue if you meet them in person and discuss your concerns with them.

 

[pepocho]

.

 

[PreSomething15]

Thanks for the ideas. I have done exhaustive research on salaries, educational requirements, educational costs vs. salary, typical responsibilities or each/general descriptions, and read tons of SDN forums about the pros and cons of each. I have shadowed a physical therapist, and while I enjoyed it, I was concerned that I would feel very limited in the extent to which a could treat/help patients (limited pretty much to exercise, massage, ultrasound, hot/cold packs) and that it would feel repetitive, even though it is intellectually stimulating. I am starting to volunteer at a hospital with the hopes that it will give me some insight into the types of jobs in that setting I would be happiest in.

 

[Lawpy]

For me, the (most) difficult decision is which girl i should pick up for a quick spicy fling

In all seriousness, shadowing is a surefire way to solidify (or question) your commitment to medicine

 

[pepocho]

.

 

[Mycoalwin]

As an undergraduate student considering a career in medicine, I have found that I, along with MANY other students in my position, am being bombarded by conflicting advice about various health professions. Some say PA school is a better choice than medical school, some insist going all the way for the MD is worth it, others think being a RN or NP is a better choice. I know that the "right" career choice for an one person is based on that individuals goals, interests, finances, and lifestyle choices, but a lot of the advice/opinions out there make many different careers sound like the "best" option, so it has become extremely difficult to figure out what each career (MD, PA, PT, RN, NP) is truly like day-to-day, and which would be right for me.

For me, personally - I have always been interested in medicine. My mom is a Veterinarian, and my sister is in Pharmacy school, so I am feeling a lot of pressure to decide what direction to take in the health sciences. I enjoy working with people, and I am fascinated by anatomy and physiology. I also have some interest in genetics. I have considered pretty much every health career in the book and still haven't come to a decision. In terms of my future life, I would like to be able to work with patients on a semi-long term basis, i.e I want to form relationships with people, not just treat patients once and never see them again. I think I would strongly consider working in a private practice instead of a hospital, but that's not significant to the decision. I like the idea of something where you not only treat the patient, but also follow up with them to ensure a happy and healthy lifestyle. I do not want a career where I am working 80+ hours a week for the rest of my life, and I don't think I would be happy dealing with trauma or terminally ill patients. MD, PA, and PT are at the top of list by far, but I have hit a wall in the decision making.

I would appreciate people's opinions, not only on my own career choice, but also about various health careers that could be of help to other people in my situation. Please speak from personal experience and not just on what you've heard, if possible.

PreSomething15: I've just gone through this whole phase myself — second-guessing career decisions, doing intensive research, etc. I was choosing between Pre-Dent and Pre-Med. I considered everything in life, from family to finances and fulfillment. It's taken me a 1.5 years of talking to MANY professionals (you have no idea how many) and shadowing to finally decide. What's really helped me is considering what I wanted in life: do I want guaranteed family time, the ability to pursue other hobbies while still seeing patients, or dedicating my life to something I consider important? It was especially hard for me since I grew up in a family of dentists, so I can see how great the lifestyle for dentists could be. It just didn't spark in me, though, and I ended up choosing Pre-Med knowing that, had I gone to Pre-Dent, I could've gone through dental school, taken over my parents' practice, and starting making $$$ right away.

Take a lot of time to think about what's important to you later on in life. Lots of Pre-Meds at my school blindingly go into Pre-Med not knowing that they'll be working their asses off until age 32 for not as much financial satisfaction as other careers.