Difficulties you overcame to do (pre-)med?

[realmeaning]

Hey guys,

This is my first post, hi! I'm considering doing medicine, and I want to share with you the ups and downs of my journey so far. I recently graduated from an Ivy and am considering post bac. Do you relate to any of these-- like, how important a factor is hating chem and physics?

WHY MED: positives/upsides of the journey:
--I love bio and neuroscience
--I've often been told I have a gift for healing
--I like working with people and have a great 'bedside manner'
--I obviously want a stable career
--It's intellectually challenging (I've also considered Ph.D in psych but I love the bio of med)
--The bottom line, unlike business, is not profit, but healing (or should be, ha)
--Job security
--Freedom to practice anywhere, including underserved communities or even in areas of rural poverty (eg, DWB trips abroad)

WHY NOT MED: negatives/downsides of the journey:
--Took Orgo in undergrad, didn't enjoy it (does anyone really love orgo though?)
--Dislike physics and math
--Don't like lab in general-- hate swishing around chemicals, seems pointless. Would much rather work with people
--Med school students are kind of competitive and neurotic (I speak for myself too, ha!)-- although, so are students in many 'overachieving' areas of life: law school, b school, etc.
--Soo much time
--My work ethic really needs to shape up if I'm going to be successful at this. Any tips on time management?

Thank you thank you!

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[theseeker4]

Hey guys,

This is my first post, hi! I'm considering doing medicine, and I want to share with you the ups and downs of my journey so far. I recently graduated from an Ivy and am considering post bac. Do you relate to any of these-- like, how important a factor is hating chem and physics?

WHY MED: positives/upsides of the journey:
--I love bio and neuroscience
--I've often been told I have a gift for healing
--I like working with people and have a great 'bedside manner'
--I obviously want a stable career
--It's intellectually challenging (I've also considered Ph.D in psych but I love the bio of med)
--The bottom line, unlike business, is not profit, but healing (or should be, ha)
--Job security
--Freedom to practice anywhere, including underserved communities or even in areas of rural poverty (eg, DWB trips abroad)

WHY NOT MED: negatives/downsides of the journey:
--Took Orgo in undergrad, didn't enjoy it (does anyone really love orgo though?)
--Dislike physics and math
--Don't like lab in general-- hate swishing around chemicals, seems pointless. Would much rather work with people
--Med school students are kind of competitive and neurotic (I speak for myself too, ha!)-- although, so are students in many 'overachieving' areas of life: law school, b school, etc.
--Soo much time
--My work ethic really needs to shape up if I'm going to be successful at this. Any tips on time management?

Thank you thank you!

You are considering a post-bac, for grade repair, because you haven't completed all the pre-reqs, or both?

What experience do you have working with patients? Other than an interest in psych, biology and neurology, why are you attracted to medicine?

Disliking some or all of the pre-req material isn't an indication you will hate medicine. Gen chem, physics, calc, etc. are not used on a regular basis, though you will need to understand the general concepts, and will need to have a good mastery of the material for the MCAT (excluding calc).

Welcome, and good luck.

 

[realmeaning]

Hey, thanks for the thoughts. I need all but one of the pre-reqs AND could use the GPA boost, so both.

I have little experience working with patients, but have done the classic hospital volunteer work in HS and research in neuropsych in college. By far my favorite aspects were doing study groups with patients. I'm hoping to shadow some doctors-- any other 'hands on' experience you'd recommend?

Cheers!

 

[Praefectus]

For time management, you need a planner. I keep classes, meetings, test dates, etc. on my Google calendar that's synced to my phone. It really helps me to find gaps in my day when I'm free.

 

[PMPMD]

Hey guys,

This is my first post, hi! I'm considering doing medicine, and I want to share with you the ups and downs of my journey so far. I recently graduated from an Ivy and am considering post bac. Do you relate to any of these-- like, how important a factor is hating chem and physics?

WHY MED: positives/upsides of the journey:
--I love bio and neuroscience
--I've often been told I have a gift for healing
--I like working with people and have a great 'bedside manner'
--I obviously want a stable career
--It's intellectually challenging (I've also considered Ph.D in psych but I love the bio of med)
--The bottom line, unlike business, is not profit, but healing (or should be, ha)
--Job security
--Freedom to practice anywhere, including underserved communities or even in areas of rural poverty (eg, DWB trips abroad)

WHY NOT MED: negatives/downsides of the journey:
--Took Orgo in undergrad, didn't enjoy it (does anyone really love orgo though?)
--Dislike physics and math
--Don't like lab in general-- hate swishing around chemicals, seems pointless. Would much rather work with people
--Med school students are kind of competitive and neurotic (I speak for myself too, ha!)-- although, so are students in many 'overachieving' areas of life: law school, b school, etc.
--Soo much time
--My work ethic really needs to shape up if I'm going to be successful at this. Any tips on time management?

Thank you thank you!

Clinical medicine has little to nothing to do with orgo, math or physics. Or chem lab. You're somewhat stuck with neurotic people, though. Eventually, you will become neurotic yourself and not notice the others. Yes it's a lot of work and time. You have to decide if it's worth it.

 

[EBTrailRunner]

WHY MED: positives/upsides of the journey:
--I love bio and neuroscience
--I've often been told I have a gift for healing
--I like working with people and have a great 'bedside manner'
--I obviously want a stable career
--It's intellectually challenging (I've also considered Ph.D in psych but I love the bio of med)
--The bottom line, unlike business, is not profit, but healing (or should be, ha)
--Job security
--Freedom to practice anywhere, including underserved communities or even in areas of rural poverty (eg, DWB trips abroad)

Are you Jesus?

 

[realmeaning]

PMPMD-- Hearing the lack of applicability of Ochem and physics to most specialties always makes me feel better. And yeah, I'm sure I'll have more than enough of my own neuroses after med school.

Are you Jesus?

Are you (trying to be) funny?

 

[MedicinaeDoctor]

Clinical medicine has little to nothing to do with orgo, math or physics. Or chem lab. You're somewhat stuck with neurotic people, though. Eventually, you will become neurotic yourself and not notice the others. Yes it's a lot of work and time. You have to decide if it's worth it.

i've heard that anesthesiology involve some basic math and physics. don't know how true that is. i'm guessing math is involved with regards to drug dosages and such? not sure how physics is incorporated, if at all. can you speak to the level of math/physics involvement in anesthesiology?

 

[PMPMD]

i've heard that anesthesiology involve some basic math and physics. don't know how true that is. i'm guessing math is involved with regards to drug dosages and such? not sure how physics is incorporated, if at all. can you speak to the level of math/physics involvement in anesthesiology?

There is minimal math/physics in anesthesia. I was a biomedical engineering major in undergrad, so I actually like those subjects. There's some basic science involved in understanding the anesthesia machine. If you get into TEE (echo) there is the physics of ultrasound. But overall (like most of medicine), very little.

 

[PMPMD]

i've heard that anesthesiology involve some basic math and physics. don't know how true that is. i'm guessing math is involved with regards to drug dosages and such? not sure how physics is incorporated, if at all. can you speak to the level of math/physics involvement in anesthesiology?

Yeah as far as drug doses, nothing more complicated than multiplication or division. Certainly no calculus, trig or diff. eq.

 

[blizzah]

Are you Jesus?

LooooooooooooooooooooooooL

 

[I'm No Superman]

--I've often been told I have a gift for healing

Would you explain this one? Just curious.

 

[CeeEstee0]

are you jesus?

 

[realmeaning]

Would you explain this one? Just curious.

I don't mean it as in 'I might be a prophet' kind of way, sorry to dash any hopes about me being the messiah.

Rather, people have always told me I should go into a healing profession because I seem really caring and would do better in a career where health (vs. profit) is the valued outcome.