Do people try to discourage you from becoming a doctor?

[rgrell]

People are beginning to lose the drive for success in order to live in the present. I have had physicians, family members, friends, etc. all try to push me in another direction (some times in jest, other times more seriously). This is why this decision has to be yours, and no one else's. People will be going out when you need to stay in. People will be making money, when you still owe hundreds of thousands. It's not a rich-quick, die fast type of life style, but isn't that why we all choose it? Sure med students, residents, even attendings party hard when they get the chance to (Exams over, Boards passed...), but there are the times when we need to spend a New Year's Eve overnight in the ER or a Halloween buried in books. That's the way it is.
People are also scared of the future of the American health care system. With specialization encouragement falling by government pressuring to practice gen med, there is much question as to where the future of medicine lies. The push towards socialized healthcare system also moves it further into question. But, as this thread was not marked with intent to move towards a political debate, I will stop there and give my easy answer: yes this has happened to me.

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[obgyny]

In the end, though, it just reminds me that I'm doing this for me and not for anyone else.

 

[bassvp]

So...as a fellow pre-med, what makes us so cavalier as to keep pursuing this career even when physicians tell us not to do it? I wonder this myself all the time. I'm wondering if there's a part of me that just isn't creative enough to be satisfied in something else...or if my interests are simply too limited in order to enjoy everything else in my life enough that I could simply have a so-so job and it not matter.

 

[Soulstice]

There are tradeoffs everywhere. You'll have to work a lot, and you'll probably have times when the stress piles on. But in return, you get those rare moments of helping others (which longtime docs may just be desensitized to), financial compensation, and comfortably high job security. It just depends on whether the pros outweigh the cons, for you..

 

[LegendaryPunk]

Support has been high...from people in medical careers who enjoy their job. Most everybody has been honest that it will take a lot of work and sacrifice, but they also believe in me and have not tried to convince me to change my mind.

I've had a couple naysayers who have tried to dissuade me, but I chalk this up to them not liking their job. Were they in my shoes with the knowledge they have now, they would choose a different career.

 

[BA11]

I had a doctor once tell me that, while he loved his job, he would not go through all the school and residency just to be a doctor again knowing what he does now. Other than that, most doctors and students I've encountered seem happy with their choice.

 

[MT Headed]

There are two doctors in the small medical clinic in my village, one is supportive and one was discouraging. The supportive one counts the years to his retirement based on my scheduled return, so maybe he is a little self-interested in my progress. The unsupportive one left to go be the team doctor for some sports team, so maybe she wasn't happy with her small-town generalist practice. I wonder if I should look her up and find out what her problem was with me pursuing medical school.

Everybody else on the mountain is quite supportive, from parents to friends to former employers and mere acquaintances. Sometimes I feel like the whole village is cheering me on.

 

[nctw]

So...as a fellow pre-med, what makes us so cavalier as to keep pursuing this career even when physicians tell us not to do it? I wonder this myself all the time. I'm wondering if there's a part of me that just isn't creative enough to be satisfied in something else...or if my interests are simply too limited in order to enjoy everything else in my life enough that I could simply have a so-so job and it not matter.

I get rather obstinate about defending myself, but some people chalk it up to "age ignorance" which further frustrates me further. No matter the current state of the health care system, or the "looming future" of doctors (honestly, what career looks prosperous in the future at this point and time?), there's nothing else I could see myself doing. I feel that if I changed my goal, I would be cheating myself and settling for less.

And as cliché as this might sound, I've honestly wanted to be a doctor my entire life. Ever since my sister with cerebral palsy was born (I was almost 2). So for me, the only questioning is "how difficult is this process gonna be?" and "will you be able to manage family, girlfriend, friends, and studies through the process?"

 

[bassvp]

I've asked many if they would choose the same career and specialty and they have all said yes. One doc, an electrophysiologist (3 years internal med, 3 years cardiology, 1 year research to get into 2 years electrophysiology fellowship) was not very encouraging at all. He makes it seem like I'm too old to enter the field, but if I take a 4 years med school/4 years residency route, I'd still be within a year of when he finally started practicing after that ridiculous amount of training...so I was a little confused by that.

I have to admit that I am a bit worried. I'm leaving a good paying career with excellent hours and benefits, but the only job I would think about doing if I was already financially independent would be being a physician. If you've been out of school, you know how much there is to lose for seemingly uncertain gains. Very stressful choices.

 

[equinsu ocha]

Not really. I love my family to death, but they are REALLY ignorant about anything and everything academic. Not a single person in my family has gone to college, and I think they all have some grandiose vision of medicine and doctors. My mom thinks it's amazing that I want to do this, but probably mostly because she thinks it will reflect favorably upon her, i.e. "u jelly my son is a doctor?" My dad thinks I'm an idiot for wanting to spend so much time in school, and would rather have the instant satisfaction of seeing me join the military or becoming a truck driver or something. I've pretty much learned to keep my plans to myself.

I couldn't have said it any better, so I won't even try.

 

[bubbadoc]

My cousin just finished residency and got an awesome job in EM on the West Coast, and he's all for me going into medicine, "If it's what you really want."

I think that's what it boils down to, and I think a few people have said it already. It has to be your own decision, not your parents, not your friends, not your aunts, uncles, cousins, the guy who comes in to your work, etc.

For instance, I'm at work right now, I was talking to one of my customers and he said to me "Man I've always wanted to be a cook." Before I could stop myself I said "Don't do it," because I hate my job so much.

Perhaps it's this way for the docs who are telling people not to go into medicine? They did it for the wrong reasons and now they don't want to take the pay cut to go do something they'd actually enjoy.

 

[Medbits]

Sadly yes, I have been discouraged by people at home, schools, etc. , which is the reason when I am asked my major I say "biology".

 

[BoxinMoxin]

yes, it has been teachers and fellow pre-meds but overall I don't really care that much

 

[Etorphine]

Received nothing but support so far, except from the primary care docs I've seen.

 

[generator]

In the end, though, it just reminds me that I'm doing this for me and not for anyone else.

Exactly.

 

[osprey099]

my parents discourage me from becoming a doctor because they don't think it's the right career path for me. they want me to do something computer related (e.g. software engineer, programmer).

 

[AsianPersuasion]

My mother even goes as far to say if she had another son she wants him to be a pilot