Do you regret going into Med school?

[fidelio]

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Hi. Does anyone here regret going to Med school? Or wasn't sure they wanted to go? I've heard that a lot of doctors regret going to med school because it wasn't worth it or they didn't like it.

I don't know if it's for me. I like science, but I don't like it with a passion. I don't know how to find out if I like it or not. I've done volunteer, but it's boring, and no one gives me anything to do for two hours so I end up sitting in the cafeteria til time is over.

How did you guys know you want to go to med school after having doubts? And do any of you guys have doubts now that you're in med school?

Please list pros and cons if you can. Thanks.

 

[Espion]

I don't think most people realize how hard they're going to have to work. You can think you know, but let me just tell you right now...you don't.

As for me, I don't think I could ever see myself doing anything else now.

What kind of science are you talking about? I do like science a lot, but no, I don't have what you might call "a passion" for it. But biochemistry is not medical school. Organic chemistry might as well be thermodynamics as far as it concerns clinical medicine.
Now if we're talking about physiology, anatomy, microbiology...yes these are things you will use. But keep in mind, I love all these things in the context of my patients, not necessarily as separate entities. They are pieces of a puzzle that you have to put together to get the full picture. You can't get anywhere without the corner piece, and once you know where it goes, you know where it goes.

We have a program where premed students can follow us around. We get teased mercilessly for it, because the students have students shadowing them, but you can get a much better idea of what goes on. We're much closer to having gone through the process of the MCAT, application, etc. than any of the physicians you could shadow (obviously). If you have a medical school near you, contact their student affairs office. They may be able to help you.

 

[fidelio]

Yea. I'm more interested in anatomy than general biology, but I'm also mediocre in anatomy. My strengths are math, chemistry, and physics.

Oh ho hum. What to do what to do..

 

[j8131]

Take answers to this q with a grain of salt. People in all fields have a tendency to gripe and say they regret doing whatever it is they do. Grass is always greener, I suppose.

It's like that joke about the middle-aged salesman who wants to be a hang gliding instructor. While he's dreaming about quitting his job, somewhere out there is a hang gliding instructor who desperately wants to be a salesman.

 

[kryptokal]

Not one bit. For me it was either going to be a career in comic book art or medicine.

I went for the easier of the two and haven't regretted one bit. I still get to do my art and actually helped build up one of the most unique student groups on campus - The Medical Artists Guild. Hell, I even started a rock/punk group that plays around the city...

Med school, and your eventual career, is what YOU make it. If you want to be a whiny, complaining kind of doctor, you can be. But if you are, don't expect to have many friends.

 

[gschl1234]

to the OP: Are you generally interested in helping people, talking to them, finding out what's going on in their lives? Do you genuinely care about others, even people you don't know very well or people who have some personality issue that makes it difficult for you to connect with them? Do you get a sense of well-being or a high after doing something very nice for others whether your gesture is appreciated or not? (i.e. a good deed is its own reward).

Answering these questions may help predict how happy you'd be working with patients.

Are you able to say "no" when you have too much on your plate? Do you have a strong support stucture (family) on whom you can rely for help when you're stressed? Are you able to ask for help when you need it? Do you generally work well in a team? Are you a perfectionist? Are you willing to be flexible or come to a compromise when a situation is not ideal? Can you admit your weaknesses (to your self as well as to others)?

Answering these questions may help predict your tendency for burnout.

Don't worry about the academics. It's a lot of work and very boring but if you have the motivation (e.g. answered yes to the first set of questions) you'll get through it just fine. Most concepts in medicine are not complicated or difficult to grasp but it does take a lot of work because there is so much to know. I also have a strong background in chemistry/math/physics so coming to medical school has definitely been a challenging academic experience for me (not used to the volume). But if you keep your future patients in mind, this'll help you get through and learn what's relevant. Good luck 🙂

 

[jennie 21]

Yea. I'm more interested in anatomy than general biology, but I'm also mediocre in anatomy. My strengths are math, chemistry, and physics.

Oh ho hum. What to do what to do..

This is just a general observation, and may not be true of you specifically, but I have noticed that people who really like math, physics, etc. tend to not enjoy med school very much and tend to find it more difficult than people who are more inclined to biology, etc. I think this is because physicists, mathematicians, etc. tend to be conceptually oriented and have limited patience for memorization, and let's face it, med school is almost ALL memorization. Yes, there are concepts, but there is no way that you can derive the facts that you need to know on a test (i.e. which antibiotic to use for a given disease) from the concepts, unless you've memorized which antibiotics belong to which class and how they work. Conceptually, medical school isn't very difficult. It's the memorization and the sheer volume of material (and sometimes boredom) that make it tough. There's very little real science in med school, at least in terms of "science" in the sense of scientific discovery and inquiry and abstract reasoning. It's mostly mastering a pre-determined body of knowledge. If you're not good at or hate memorization, you probably won't be real happy in med school. I know several people (including my husband) who are brilliant conceptually in the sciences, but not so good at the drudgery of memorization, and it's hard going in med school if you're like that. Med school doesn't reward creativity or scientific ability.

Particularly if you're not sure if you'd enjoy the clinical aspects of medicine, I wouldn't encourage you to go to med school just because you "like science". Medical school isn't science in the way that your undergrad physics, math, chem courses are. Unless you really think you will enjoy patient care and the clinical aspects of medicine, I think it's just too long a row to hoe. If you really like science, you're probably better off getting a PhD (or MD/PhD maybe). If it's patient care you're interested in, then go for the MD. If you are passionate about medicine and taking care of patients then that's the only thing that makes two years of trudging through memorizing facts worth it. If you don't enjoy the clinical side of medicine, it's probably not worth going through. I know you've said you're unsure whether you'd like the clinical side of medicine, so I'd urge you to try to get some more clinical experience before making a decision about entering medical school. Try shadowing a doctor, becoming an EMT, etc. and see how you like taking care of patients. Then make the decision. I think medical school is worth it all the way, but that's because I like medicine and I like patients, not because I love memorizing pharmacology and pathology. For me it's the means to a worthwhile, fulfilling end. Make sure it will be that for you too before you decide to go to med school, because the fact of the matter is that very few people really enjoy the first two years, and "liking science" isn't going to cut it when you're spending eight hours a day in the library memorizing minutiae and studying for Boards. Okay, now back to Boards studying for me.

 

[thackl]

 

[fun8stuff]

Hi. Does anyone here regret going to Med school? Or wasn't sure they wanted to go? I've heard that a lot of doctors regret going to med school because it wasn't worth it or they didn't like it.

I don't know if it's for me. I like science, but I don't like it with a passion. I don't know how to find out if I like it or not. I've done volunteer, but it's boring, and no one gives me anything to do for two hours so I end up sitting in the cafeteria til time is over.

How did you guys know you want to go to med school after having doubts? And do any of you guys have doubts now that you're in med school?

Please list pros and cons if you can. Thanks.

It took me quite a bit of time to find worth while clinical experience. I did not have any luck volunteering in the ER- they just had me clean rooms and strictly instructed me to stay away from patients and docs. I did have luck w/ 1 of the 3 nursing homes. My best clinical experience was working as a home healthcare aid and shadowing docs. Good luck to you... it took me over 1.5 years to find these things....

 

[automaton]

It's like that joke about the middle-aged salesman who wants to be a hang gliding instructor. While he's dreaming about quitting his job, somewhere out there is a hang gliding instructor who desperately wants to be a salesman.

i'm calling bs on this one

 

[scootad.]

For most people they wont know if med school was for them until 3rd year. Unfortunately the 1st two years of med school are very poor indicators & dont reflect the practice of medicine so I would not base your decision on whether you like "science." Also, the thing that many students realize during 3rd year that make them run away from IM is that medicine itself is not really about the doctor-patient interaction. You'll see on the wards that only 5% of your day is spent talking to patients. The other 95% is filling out paperwork, calling consults, chasing down test results, ordering tests, writing notes, etc. Also, you will find that your interactions with other physicians during consults etc. are often difficult - you will be dealing with unpleasant personalities. Not to mention that rarely to patients get better. If you think that its worth it to go through that 95% to feel the satisfaction of making a difference in your patients lives (5%) then clinical medicine is for you. If not, there is always path, rads, anesthesia.

 

[closertofine]

((I still wonder sometimes if I should have gone with my first love, vet medicine...anybody else?!))

 

[LADO]

Here is some valuable info... from people past first four years and mostly in residency stages:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=195799&page=1&pp=20

 

[kryptokal]

((I still wonder sometimes if I should have gone with my first love, vet medicine...anybody else?!))

Just do pediatrics...it's kind of the same things. You get little cute animals (babies and children) who can't tell you what's wrong with them, brought in by their owners (parents), so you have to go with what is told to you second hand...

Thankfully, though, there isn't any spaying or neutering....

 

[tupac_don]

Take answers to this q with a grain of salt. People in all fields have a tendency to gripe and say they regret doing whatever it is they do. Grass is always greener, I suppose.

It's like that joke about the middle-aged salesman who wants to be a hang gliding instructor. While he's dreaming about quitting his job, somewhere out there is a hang gliding instructor who desperately wants to be a salesman.

True grass is always greener on the other side. I think that the key is an individual's main focus. If you focus on mostly positive aspects of the profession, you will be much happier, then if you focus on the negatives of medicine. The way I see it you are damned if you go, damned if you don't go. You are really not gonna know the lifestyle and what is really involved until you actually do it. Someone can talk your ear off about driving a car, but it's a whole different ball game when you do it yourself.

 

[Elysium]

I certainly do think it's something you need to have an unrelenting commitment to in order to get through the process. 7+ years is just too long a time to go into a career because you want the prestige or you like science or think that you can make some serious bank doing it. I was having dinner with one of my classmates tonight, a great guy, and he said he would be a doctor if he made $30,000 a year. And I know he meant it. He left a high paying job with a BS in order to come to med school (he's 36) and he can't imagine himself doing anything else. Most of my classmates feel the same way, and that's what drives them to study and study when it seems like they can't go on. They know all the bullsh1t that goes along with medicine, and they're still happy to do it. When I told them that the medicare reimbursement for putting in a cardiac stent in is $300 (done by an interventional cardiologist - which takes about 8 years of training, post med school) they just shrug their shoulders.

If you have doubts, they might just do you in at some point in your medical career. I know it's been killing me. I've been very unhappy in school and am considering other options. It's not for everyone, even if you do love medicine.

 

[gary5]

Hi. Does anyone here regret going to Med school? Or wasn't sure they wanted to go? I've heard that a lot of doctors regret going to med school because it wasn't worth it or they didn't like it.

I don't know if it's for me. I like science, but I don't like it with a passion. I don't know how to find out if I like it or not. I've done volunteer, but it's boring, and no one gives me anything to do for two hours so I end up sitting in the cafeteria til time is over.

How did you guys know you want to go to med school after having doubts? And do any of you guys have doubts now that you're in med school?

Please list pros and cons if you can. Thanks.

1) Don't listen to doctors who complain. They've never had a crappy corporate job that pays $50k with tons of overtime.

2) Volunteers job are usually boring. You're not qualified to do anything significant, so they just give you little stuff.

3) Interview doctors and ask them what they do every day. If you enjoy those things, then do medicine. Shadow doctors to SEE what they do every day.

4) I'm in med school and sometimes it really sucks. And if I could do it over again, I'd do the same thing.

 

[adennis]

I can only speak from my experience and talking with other physicians.. I'm an entering MS1 this coming Fall...

I recently spoke with an ER doc while visiting the ER... I asked him if he would do it all over again (I ask almost every doc I come in contact with if they'd do it over again.. I get interesting responses every time)... he said no... it's been a lot of work....and he thought maybe he'd be an engineer instead.. or maybe at some point in his career he'd quit and become an engineer.... but the more that he and I talked about it the more he said that told me that there wouldn't be any other career for him... he loved the variety of treatment, the excitement etc....I, personally, came from a technical background... and when I told him that for a moment he seemed jealous.. but when I explained how a lot of the same "crap" that he didn't like about medicine (bureaucracy, paperwork, middle management type stuff) was in that field as well then he didn't seem as interested in it....

most docs that I speak to complain not about the amount of studying or the horrible cases they do or traumas or whatever.. but about paperwork and insurance companies.

I've had many many second thoughts since I started down this road... but none had anything to do with how much studying or how grueling the schedule was... they mostly had to do with dealing with my family and other factors.. nothing directly relating to medicine.

I love the field... I love the unbelievable amount of problem solving.. putting the pieces of the puzzle together... being a diagnostician... the learning involved with being able to get to that point... it's exciting for me...

 

[nala]

Med school is a long road. If you're not 100% sure, try taking some time off after college. 40 or 50 years is a very long time to work - spend it doing something you enjoy. Get a real job and you'll have your answer soon enough. If you wake up one morning and ask yourself "is this really my life?" and can't imagine doing anything other than being a doctor, you'll have your answer.
I also agree with several of the above posts - try to get some experience working with patients and see how it suits you.
best wishes

 

[quideam]

I think that taking a year or two off after college is a great idea; med school is NOT something you want to jump into if you're not enthusiastic about it (believe me - I speak from personal experience). As for getting "real" clincial experience, I think one of the best ways is to become an EMT - you can take the course over a summer, and then you get to ride on an ambulance and do REAL patient care - taking vitals, patient histories, inserting airways, CPR, splinting, bandaging, etc. It's fun, and it gives you a sense of what it's like to deal with all kinds of people in bad situations.

Also, consider what your options are - what would you do INSTEAD of doing medicine? Weigh your choices; if there's something else that seems more appealing, try it first - you can always go to medical school later. Most importantly - DO NOT rush into it. I'm just finishing my first year, and I can tell you, it's long, hard, and pretty boring (the majority of it, anyway). Be sure you're ready to wade through the BS of med school before you start.

Best of luck!
Quid

 

[doc05]

I'd have to disagree re: your comments about becoming an EMT. The "clinical experience" you get in that capacity is nothing like being a physician. Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing what you're getting into until you're actually there.

Talk to some doctors. Lots. As many as you can, and ask them anything and everything you can think of. That might help.

 

[Leukocyte]

Yes, I regret going to med school.

-My 20's are almost over,
-I am $100,000+ in debt,
-And medicine, well, is not that exciting (ungrateful patients, depressing DNRs, controlling hospital mangement - who are by the way MBAs and Nurses).

Dam you ER!

 

[hans19]

I'd have to disagree re: your comments about becoming an EMT. The "clinical experience" you get in that capacity is nothing like being a physician. Unfortunately, there's no way of knowing what you're getting into until you're actually there.

Talk to some doctors. Lots. As many as you can, and ask them anything and everything you can think of. That might help.

A few points:
1) I agree 100%. Being an EMT teaches you about being an EMT. You can watch all the Discovery health channel and read House of God and Complications, etc. But you won't actually know how intense it can be until you're actually there.

2) As far as medicine goes, I absolutely love my particular specialty, radiology. Its not a perfect job, but I can't think of any other job that would make me happier. I think I could be pretty happy in a few other fields in medicine (won't say which), but (this is my biased opinion) a lot of the other specialties seem to be a lot more trouble than its worth (won't say which).

3) I too volunteered in the E.R. The only thing I came away with was that volunteering in the E.R. was a big waste of time. You won't get a feel for what medicine is like for doctors, and you aren't really getting to help patients. I suggest doing something else, like volunteering at a hospice, as someone suggested above.

Good luck!

 

[GITM]

I fairly regret going into medicine

I'm trapped in it with a couple hundred thousand dollars in debt.
I've discovered several different fields and can compare:

-Medicine requires as much or more bull**** interactions and kiss-assing than being a stock-broker (example of a high kiss-ass field). Stock-brokers have the potential to make more money much earlier than MDs for kissing ass. Doing scut work and kissing up for very important good evaluations among miserable attendings in med-school/residency is far worse than "cold calling" early in the brokerage career (which is the worst it can get in that field).

-I felt far more AUTONOMY and less stress working in a cubicle for an engineering company than I do in Medicine where all the colleagues/attendings/administrators are breathing down my throat. My colleagues were always NICE at the Engineering company. I've seen the worst (coldest, rude, bitchy) personalities in Medicine than in any other field I've worked in.

-You don't have to take so many damn exams (mid-terms, finals, shelf exams, MCAT, USMLE I, II, III, USMLE CS, ABSITE, Residency In-training exams q-year Written and Oral, American board of X Surgery Exam Written and Oral 1 year apart) to move up in the world in other fields like Psychology. You could do something a lot more fun like write a book or create an inspirational CD instead.

Medicine is a field for people who are smart but will tolerate whatever bull**** they can to have a fairly stable income. But the people who are smart/motivated enough to be in medicine should have no problem making it in the real world anyways!

I could have done something far more lucrative than this if I had worked this hard in another field or business.

 

[quideam]

As a follow-up to the EMT comment, of course I agree that being an EMT doesn't teach you about being a doctor - that's what medical school is for. But as far as clinical experience BEFORE medical school goes, I think that being an EMT is one of the best things you can do. What other activity allows you to have so much patient interaction and, on some level, autonomy? You can be a nurse's aid, but then you're stuck in a hospital; you can be a phlebotomist (also kind of fun), but then you're just drawing blood all day. Given your options, I think that being an EMT is one of the more fun and clinically interactive things you can do. So, if you're looking to see whether or not you'll like working with sick patients, why NOT become an EMT?

Quid

 

[mellomd]

wow...this is really interesting/depressing. Here i am currently applying to med school, after taking 2 years off college (will be three by the time i start) and taking the time to really be sure that this is what i want. I even worked as a Manager in a financial insitution. The sad truth is I'm sure i can do other things, like some other poster said, med student are smart enough to suceed in the ral world and do anything they want...and i'm also sure the medicine will be trememdously hard with many sacrifices, judging from all your posts and my experience in healthcare doign clinical research...so wht do you do? i say, go in with your eyez open..cause i can tell you i couldnt imagine spending my time making $$ for a bank, cutting deals, rolling over loans, working long hours for the rest of my life..i just couldn't..the way i see it all jobs have crap and bs to deal with, but its important that you know your own bottom line..what keeps you going..what satisfies you.
That said..where are those docs who enjoy thier life...who strove to make the best of the medical profession, who try to have a life? maybe we can hear from those for a bit of encouragement. I mean, isnt one of the greatest things about a doc that you can be semi-autonomous? eventually being able to decide how/when u work?or am i being naive? how does the real life work situation pan out after residency?

 

[humuhumu]

I fairly regret going into medicine

I'm trapped in it with a couple hundred thousand dollars in debt.
I've discovered several different fields and can compare:

-Medicine requires as much or more bull**** interactions and kiss-assing than being a stock-broker (example of a high kiss-ass field). Stock-brokers have the potential to make more money much earlier than MDs for kissing ass. Doing scut work and kissing up for very important good evaluations among miserable attendings in med-school/residency is far worse than "cold calling" early in the brokerage career (which is the worst it can get in that field).

-I felt far more AUTONOMY and less stress working in a cubicle for an engineering company than I do in Medicine where all the colleagues/attendings/administrators are breathing down my throat. My colleagues were always NICE at the Engineering company. I've seen the worst (coldest, rude, bitchy) personalities in Medicine than in any other field I've worked in.

-You don't have to take so many damn exams (mid-terms, finals, shelf exams, MCAT, USMLE I, II, III, USMLE CS, ABSITE, Residency In-training exams q-year Written and Oral, American board of X Surgery Exam Written and Oral 1 year apart) to move up in the world in other fields like Psychology. You could do something a lot more fun like write a book or create an inspirational CD instead.

Medicine is a field for people who are smart but will tolerate whatever bull**** they can to have a fairly stable income. But the people who are smart/motivated enough to be in medicine should have no problem making it in the real world anyways!

I could have done something far more lucrative than this if I had worked this hard in another field or business.

I appreciate your candor. The question is: where did you go wrong? When did you realize that going to med school was a huge mistake? When you were applying to med schools, is there ANYTHING that would have dissuaded you from your chosen path?

 

[LukeWhite]

like some other poster said, med student are smart enough to suceed in the ral world and do anything they want...

A lot of dissatisfaction with medicine is the result of this view, I think. It's inevitable that physicians and med students develop a slightly skewed perspective of their own abilities, as they're in a pipeline that shoots them straight to the top of the medical hierarchy with little interaction with other professions.

There aren't really all that many successful stock brokers, most lawyers are making middle-class wages, very few people are successful at starting their own business, etc. Physicians and med students are surely smarter than average, but gosh, we're not rocket scientists (how many students and professors do you know who talk about "pneumonics" when discussing memorization devices?)

The fact of the matter is that it doesn't take remarkable intelligence to practice medicine, and that the practice of medicine offers the most reliable and immediate source of a six-digit income of any field. People will always want more, and some docs will inevitably think they could have made the big time had they only gone into Profession X. By and large, they're wrong. Docs in other industrialized countries are paid half as much, with taxes half as high again, and yet manage equivalent mortality/morbidity outcomes. We've got an exceptionally good deal.

 

[brotherbloat]

This thread is very interesting to me.

I'm 28, non-trad, and have been out of college for 6 years. I pursued another career as an artist, did a post-bacc, took the MCAT twice and am still undecided.

My volunteer work hasn't helped with the decision, nor has my 9 months of full time hospital work as a clinical research assistant. I'm really, really still on the fence. I don't know what to do.

I spent my nights reading career and self help books and I still can't decide. I'm giving myself until June 1 to make the decision, when AMCAS can be submitted.

My hubby is a doc so I've been intimately involved with the medical profession and know what goes on with it, plus I worked in the hosptial and saw every possible department of it--ER, OR, PACU, post-op, for example. I've talked to countless med students and docs, and still can't decide.

Help!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[GITM]

I secured an awesome job for a booming engineering company when I was 18 (few yrs after high school). They started me around 30K. They offered to pay my tuition to become an engineer and continue working for them. The military tried to get me to join and stated all their benefits. It's 12 years later and I'm pretty sure I would be at 6 digits now if I had stayed.
I backed out because I was wishy washy when I was young, couldn't commit to anything, especially when growing with a medicine-oriented family.

Then I landed I financial job. My advisor wanted me to work as an assistant at 40K and said that all assistants who are licensed get about an extra 30-50K under the table (not taxed). Then I could further use the license to advance from being an assistant to becoming an advisor myself.

I was only doing this to make money (very much enjoying a good life) and because I was confused about what to do with my life- parents pressuring me into medicine (almost like I'm a nobody if I don't do it).

I was going to further my work with business in real estate, but I stopped myself and said I'd better really take a good look at the healthcare careers (per parents) before I give it up entirely and stick with business.

I took a counseling position and found that I loved to help people, and wanted to help them more by going into medicine. I was so intense about it, and it felt great. That's when I applied to med school. But the job was nothing like medschool. In that counseling position, I helped people 9-5 and didn't do anything else, almost like an RN but probably even cooler. In medicine, helping people is just a fraction of what we do. Outside of helping people is just plain BS and this was a huge disappointment I realized in the 3rd year.

It was too late for me to drop. I had 150K in loans, getting old, and felt like I had to stick it out. I could only think of one or two medical fields that I would love for the rest of my career, and didn't match. I'm trying again and again, and can't match.

So this is disappointing.

For brotherbloat- If your family is in medicine, maybe you should stick with it too. But be careful about going to med school and being married to a physician. You will be separated for med school, for residency, for fellowship, and this tears relationships apart- another reason medicine is pissing me off- DIVORCE!

 

[nala]

To brotherbloat - If you're this undecided after all that you've put into it, maybe it's not for you. I'm not trying to be mean, but people often say to write down the reasons why you want to do this when you start med school, because somewhere along the line, with all the crap, you'll forget - and forgetting why you wanted to do this in the first place makes all the work so much harder. My point is that I would never have wanted to enter this field without being absolutely, 100% sure that it is what I wanted. Otherwise you could end up feeling trapped because of the debt, etc and I wouldn't want to be trapped into this field because of money or anything else. Life's too short. Do what you love. Just a thought.

 

[Leukocyte]

No matter what we say, you Pre-Meds/MS-1s/MS-2s will not know for sure if you like clinical medicine until you hit MS-3. And by then, well, it is too late, and you are already $50,000+ in debt.

This is what happened to me. I loved my MS-1 and MS-2, took Step 1, and entered MS-3 with all enthusiasm. Now, despite honoring all my clinicals, I am a bitter and depressed MS-4 who still cannot decide on a specialty (Mind you, I entered med school knowing that I wanted to be a Cardiologist or a CT surgeon).

You see, "wanting to help people" and "loving science and research" does not mean you will like medicine. It takes much more. Unfortunately, you cannot find out until your third year. And no, voluteering and shadowing doctors will not really help. You have to experience the PRESSURE and the STRESS of the medical profession YOURSELF.

 

[GITM]

The last post is right on.


By the way, I vote for Pathology- they make a lot of money for the few hours they work.

 

[Leukocyte]

By the way, I vote for Pathology- they make a lot of money for the few hours they work.

I hear you, my friend. Will see how my path elective goes. Hope it wins my heart.

Thanks, and good luck to you too. 🙂

 

[brotherbloat]

I know people keep saying if you don't know it's for you 100% then don't do it, but how can anyone say they want to go into a particular field 100%? I find this hard to believe, there is always some uncertainty and no one can honestly say that medicine does not have its cons.

But I'm 28, old enough to have some life experience and increased "self-awareness," and I'm STILL undecided, after a year of post-bacc, working full time in hosp, and two MCATs. What can I do to decide? I'm giving myself until June 1.

I've made pro and con lists, talked endlessly with my medical hubby, and shadowed. I'm so confused.

On the one hand, being a doctor is all I ever wanted to do since I was a wee tot. I chose another path in college--art--because I was convinced I sucked in science and I had no discipline back then.

I found I HATED the art world and felt totally unfulfilled after a MAster's. Thus, I decided to go back to my childhood dream. I've been all gung-ho until this past winter, when I started having doubts. But I cannot for the life of me find another career that I want to do instead. Everything else looks equally unappealing. Medicine has many of the things that I want, but the thought of spending ages 29-37 in school/ residency doesn't seem too appealing. Your 30s are a very formative time. MAybe less so than your 20's, I'm not sure.

Some of my concerns:

Can you really be a good mom, wife, and med student/resident or will one of these suffer and your sanity as well? I do not do well when pulled in a million different directions. I want to be a top-notch physician, and a top-notch family woman. Another career would be more accomodating because there wouldn't be the relentless studying.

Do I want to be in my 30s with my nose in the books or out there enjoying life--my spouse, a house, vacations, time with the kids, etc. Will I have the energy and desire at 34 to be taking calls overnight?

Will I ever find anything else that draws me like medicine? Will I ever find another career as fulfilling? Corporate world is not for me, and I have hated every job I've ever held b/c I don't do well "as an employee"--I'm very independent and prefer to have things done my way.

Will I ever feel "challenged" by anything else but medicine? I have never been challenged the way I had been with my post-bacc courses, and I found that me and science really click well togther. I love the challenge of patient diagnosis.

I want to be well compensated for my time. Any job with a salary less than the six figures will not satisfy my desire to be the breadwinner in my family.

Any advice on these?

Thanks,

Bloat

 

[Leukocyte]

Can you really be a good mom, wife, and med student/resident or will one of these suffer and your sanity as well?

Well, you know, they say you cannot have it all. However, since your hubby is a MD, he might understand what you will be going through.

Divorce is a problem. More so during residency than med. school. But again, that depends on what specialty you choose to go into, and offcourse, it depends on your hubby's personality.

So make sure you have a good talk with your hubby. He too has to make some compromises.

Do I want to be in my 30s with my nose in the books or out there enjoying life--my spouse, a house, vacations, time with the kids, etc. Will I have the energy and desire at 34 to be taking calls overnight?

Well that will depends on you, and on how much you "love" medicine come MS-3.

Personally, I would rather be enjoying my 30s. This is why I chose not to go into Pediatric Cadiothoracic Surgery, which is the specialty that I like the most. But do not listen to me. Every person is different, with different priorities. What is yours?

Will I ever find anything else that draws me like medicine? Will I ever find another career as fulfilling? Corporate world is not for me, and I have hated every job I've ever held b/c I don't do well "as an employee"--I'm very independent and prefer to have things done my way.

Well, again that depends on you and what you like. How do you know that medicine is fulfilling? And about "Prefering to have things done your way", Well, you see doctors do not have things done their way all the time. There are insurance companies and hospital administrators who you have to deal with, and they also can influence your decisions. In other words, you are not "completely independent" as the doctors of the past used to be (before 1997).

Will I ever feel "challenged" by anything else but medicine? I have never been challenged the way I had been with my post-bacc courses, and I found that me and science really click well togther. I love the challenge of patient diagnosis.

Challenge? It might seem that way to some, but I call it PATTERN RECOGNITION. Again, as I said before, basic science and what is in medical books is WAY DIFFERENT than the everyday practice of clinical medicine. 95% of the time you will be dealing with the same cases over and over again.

I want to be well compensated for my time. Any job with a salary less than the six figures will not satisfy my desire to be the breadwinner in my family.

You will get 6 figures as a doc, but you might not be "well compensated for your time" with all the stress and long hours involved. Again that depends on your speciality.

There are other jobs that pay 6 figures....CRNAs, PAs, Pharm.....


Again bloat, I wish you the best with your career, whatever that may be.

 

[doc05]

I've read a number of your posts and believe it's up to me to dissuade you. Here goes:

I know people keep saying if you don't know it's for you 100% then don't do it, but how can anyone say they want to go into a particular field 100%? I find this hard to believe, there is always some uncertainty and no one can honestly say that medicine does not have its cons.

now more than ever, a career in medicine has its cons.

But I'm 28, old enough to have some life experience and increased "self-awareness," and I'm STILL undecided, after a year of post-bacc, working full time in hosp, and two MCATs. What can I do to decide? I'm giving myself until June 1.

I've made pro and con lists, talked endlessly with my medical hubby, and shadowed. I'm so confused.

You're still very undecided after a full year as a post-bac. Sounds to me like you don't really want to do it, but just can't think of anything else either. There are many terrific and fulfilling (not to mention lucrative) fields in which you can work.

I'm surprised that talking with your physician husband hasn't totally dissuaded you. If you have a good understanding of the realities of medicine, you'll see how awful things have become.

On the one hand, being a doctor is all I ever wanted to do since I was a wee tot. I chose another path in college--art--because I was convinced I sucked in science and I had no discipline back then.

I found I HATED the art world and felt totally unfulfilled after a MAster's. Thus, I decided to go back to my childhood dream. I've been all gung-ho until this past winter, when I started having doubts. But I cannot for the life of me find another career that I want to do instead. Everything else looks equally unappealing. Medicine has many of the things that I want, but the thought of spending ages 29-37 in school/ residency doesn't seem too appealing. Your 30s are a very formative time. MAybe less so than your 20's, I'm not sure.

Since you were a "wee tot?" Come on. You're not a kid anymore. A "childhood dream" is just that. A naive view of an idealized career that doesn't actually exist. No, spending your entire 30's in medical training sounds terribly unappealing.

Some of my concerns:

Can you really be a good mom, wife, and med student/resident or will one of these suffer and your sanity as well? I do not do well when pulled in a million different directions. I want to be a top-notch physician, and a top-notch family woman. Another career would be more accomodating because there wouldn't be the relentless studying.

No, you can't be good at all things. Something will suffer. You'll hear from married posters with kids, who will give you a rosy view of things. Yes, they are successful moms/wives. But for most people, things suffer. There have been numerous divorces/breakups/home-life difficulties among my med school classmates, and I'm just ready to graduate. I can only imagine things become worse through residency.

Do I want to be in my 30s with my nose in the books or out there enjoying life--my spouse, a house, vacations, time with the kids, etc. Will I have the energy and desire at 34 to be taking calls overnight?

You only spend about 2 years "studying all hours of the day and night" -- your ms1 and ms2 years. After that, you will have to balance studying to maintain knowledge, studying for exams, and work in the clinical setting. As a medical student, this is a pain in the a--. As a resident, it only gets worse. As an attending, it can get better; it can also get worse.

Will I ever find anything else that draws me like medicine? Will I ever find another career as fulfilling? Corporate world is not for me, and I have hated every job I've ever held b/c I don't do well "as an employee"--I'm very independent and prefer to have things done my way.

If you're truly independent-minded, medicine may not be for you. Now more than ever, with EBM-inspired cookbook medicine, insurance guidelines, and hospital administrators breathing down your throat, physician autonomy is at an all-time low. Even for the physician in private practice, the "autonomy" isn't what it used to be.

Will I ever feel "challenged" by anything else but medicine? I have never been challenged the way I had been with my post-bacc courses, and I found that me and science really click well togther. I love the challenge of patient diagnosis.

The challenge goes away very quickly. There's always something new to learn, but the fact remains that, no matter what specialty you enter, most of what you do will be routine.

I want to be well compensated for my time. Any job with a salary less than the six figures will not satisfy my desire to be the breadwinner in my family.

I hope this doesn't sound too chauvinistic, but isn't your husband a physician? Why must you be the breadwinner?

 

[brotherbloat]

Bloat again,

Please, keep the responses coming. I need serious help here!!!!

Yes, I am still undecided after a full year as a post-bacc. But I do really want to do it. I am just treading very, very carefully as I made a HORRIBLE mistake with my last career and do not want to do the same thing again, especially as the stakes are much higher now. I truly believe medicine is the best fit for me, but I am thinking long-term here: kids, overall life satisfaction, etc.


You're still very undecided after a full year as a post-bac. Sounds to me like you don't really want to do it, but just can't think of anything else either. There are many terrific and fulfilling (not to mention lucrative) fields in which you can work.

I have thoroughly explored many, many options and really can't find any terrific and fulfilling fields in which to work. Can you name some? The corporate world is not for me, which cuts out a lot of them.

I'm surprised that talking with your physician husband hasn't totally dissuaded you. If you have a good understanding of the realities of medicine, you'll see how awful things have become.

My MD hubby is thrilled with his med career and has no regrets. We've talked about this ad naseum.


No, you can't be good at all things. Something will suffer. You'll hear from married posters with kids, who will give you a rosy view of things. Yes, they are successful moms/wives. But for most people, things suffer. There have been numerous divorces/breakups/home-life difficulties among my med school classmates, and I'm just ready to graduate. I can only imagine things become worse through residency.

Why is it that so many of the married moms with kids here who are med students/ residents/ docs make it sound so easy? I don't even have any kids and I can imagine that it would be a nightmare.


I hope this doesn't sound too chauvinistic, but isn't your husband a physician? Why must you be the breadwinner?[/QUOTE]

Why must I be the breadwinner? Because I want to be. I want the pleasure and pride of being the breadwinner for my family, maybe some women don't feel this way but I always have. Just because I married a Dr. doesn't deprive this, for my own self-esteem I must work full-time even with kids and I must make a competitive salary. Anything less would make me feel less of a woman, no joke. Any other women feel similarly?

 

[b&ierstiefel]

I kinda went into medical school for the wrong reasons. But I'm glad I finished it and will be getting the MD.

 

[LADoc00]

2006 Match-Debating between:

1) OB/GYN
2) Pediatrics
3) Pathology

WTF? That list makes no sense.

Anyway, dont do path, we are full up at the moment. Do ObGyn, you can make tons doing Reprod Medicine, tons!!

 

[Leukocyte]

WTF? That list makes no sense.

Anyway, dont do path, we are full up at the moment. Do ObGyn, you can make tons doing Reprod Medicine, tons!!

This coming from a BC Pathologist. Arn't you guys supposed to promote the profession, and lure the younger generations?!!!

Anywhooo I put OB and Peds b/c I like working with kids (born or pending). I put Path in b/c it fits my personality the most. My father and uncle are pathologists.

 

[LADoc00]

This coming from a BC Pathologist. Arn't you guys supposed to promote the profession, and lure the younger generations?!!!

Anywhooo I put OB and Peds b/c I like working with kids (born or pending). I put Path in b/c it fits my personality the most. My father and uncle are pathologists.

We are full currently, no room, would love absolutely love to have you, but there is simply no room. So no, pedophiles "lure", Im just hearing spreading the truth!!

 

[Leukocyte]

We are full currently, no room, would love absolutely love to have you, but there is simply no room. So no, pedophiles "lure", Im just hearing spreading the truth!!

 

[Elysium]

Bloat again,

Please, keep the responses coming. I need serious help here!!!!

Yes, I am still undecided after a full year as a post-bacc. But I do really want to do it. I am just treading very, very carefully as I made a HORRIBLE mistake with my last career and do not want to do the same thing again, especially as the stakes are much higher now. I truly believe medicine is the best fit for me, but I am thinking long-term here: kids, overall life satisfaction, etc.


You're still very undecided after a full year as a post-bac. Sounds to me like you don't really want to do it, but just can't think of anything else either. There are many terrific and fulfilling (not to mention lucrative) fields in which you can work.

I have thoroughly explored many, many options and really can't find any terrific and fulfilling fields in which to work. Can you name some? The corporate world is not for me, which cuts out a lot of them.

I'm surprised that talking with your physician husband hasn't totally dissuaded you. If you have a good understanding of the realities of medicine, you'll see how awful things have become.

My MD hubby is thrilled with his med career and has no regrets. We've talked about this ad naseum.


No, you can't be good at all things. Something will suffer. You'll hear from married posters with kids, who will give you a rosy view of things. Yes, they are successful moms/wives. But for most people, things suffer. There have been numerous divorces/breakups/home-life difficulties among my med school classmates, and I'm just ready to graduate. I can only imagine things become worse through residency.

Why is it that so many of the married moms with kids here who are med students/ residents/ docs make it sound so easy? I don't even have any kids and I can imagine that it would be a nightmare.


I hope this doesn't sound too chauvinistic, but isn't your husband a physician? Why must you be the breadwinner?

Why must I be the breadwinner? Because I want to be. I want the pleasure and pride of being the breadwinner for my family, maybe some women don't feel this way but I always have. Just because I married a Dr. doesn't deprive this, for my own self-esteem I must work full-time even with kids and I must make a competitive salary. Anything less would make me feel less of a woman, no joke. Any other women feel similarly?

I am 31 years old and am an M1. I have to tell you, I think it's a bit unrealistic to think that you're going to be able to be on the top of your game as a doctor and as a mom. This is something that I've been struggling with a lot lately. In order to be on the top of your profession as a doctor, you HAVE to commit to the 4 years of medical school (studying 4-5 hours a day + more before exams in the first 2 years and then rotations, some of which are very time intensive), then the intern year, where you're going to be working 80 hour weeks (mimimum) and then the rest. Then you become an attending, and you're still working 60-80 hour weeks if you want to be the BEST. If you want to be a doc and try and work part time (I've talked about this option with several female docs and they all tell me that it is VERY difficult to do. It's possible, but it's certainly not going to put you on the top of your game). And when will you have kids? You could do it during M1 or M2 or M4, but most people say not to do it during M3 or residency. And who will care for this child while you're working? Do your parents or his parents live close by? You can get daycare, but it costs a forture, so it's something to factor in. I know of women who are able to juggle things, but they either have their kids BEFORE they start school or AFTER they finish residency. I think women have an incredibly difficult time trying to juggle everything - and I'm not saying they can't - but something has to give. You can't be the BEST mom and the BEST doctor. Because either one or the other is going to have to have your full attention. Personally, for me at least, I'm leaning towards wanting to be a good parent that is actually THERE for my kids (that I don't have yet) than have them raised by someone else. Kids are actually pretty cool, and I want to have time to spend with mine, to get to know them as the people they are. I also want to have a job, so I will either work part time as a doc or go to PA school.

The bottom line is, unless you are 100,000% sure that you want this, these doubts are going to KILL you when you're in school. I swear to you. It's hard to explain unless you've been there.

 

[tigress]

The bottom line is, unless you are 100,000% sure that you want this, these doubts are going to KILL you when you're in school. I swear to you. It's hard to explain unless you've been there.

See I'm confused. We're told that we have to be 100% sure that we want to do this or it's not going to work, but then we're told that we'll never know what it's like until we get to at least 3rd year. Is it just a no-win situation? Either we find out in third year that we love it or we hate it (or somewhere in between), and then we're stuck because of debt, or we give in to the doubts we have now and never find out whether we would have loved it or hated it?

 

[Elysium]

See I'm confused. We're told that we have to be 100% sure that we want to do this or it's not going to work, but then we're told that we'll never know what it's like until we get to at least 3rd year. Is it just a no-win situation? Either we find out in third year that we love it or we hate it (or somewhere in between), and then we're stuck because of debt, or we give in to the doubts we have now and never find out whether we would have loved it or hated it?

I hear what you're saying, it is a pain in the ass. Most of my classmates that aren't miserable in school have one thing in common: the only thing they can imagine themselves doing is being a doctor. If you can see yourself being anything that requires less time and effort - and be happy, then you should do that. If you love being creative and artistic, you aren't going to find that in medicine. So, the point is, being a doc should be the only thing you can ever see yourself doing, or the doubts will plague you.

 

[Iwy Em Hotep]

I have thoroughly explored many, many options and really can't find any terrific and fulfilling fields in which to work. Can you name some? The corporate world is not for me, which cuts out a lot of them.

Just out of curiosity, what do you think of pharmacy? Or nursing? Or dentistry? Or being a P.A.?

 

[j8131]

Just out of curiosity, what do you think of pharmacy? Or nursing? Or dentistry? Or being a P.A.?

I'm skeptical that many of the dissatisfied docs recommending these options would actually choose these alternative health careers if given the choice to do it all over again.

The vague business alternative that people throw around isn't all it's cracked up to be either.

Let's face it, high-powered careers involve immense sacrifices. You can't escape that.

 

[katzdogg]

I just took a year off and I'm entering school this coming August. I took a job being a lab. clerk at the hospital and it was the worst job in the world. Basically going through feces, urine, and blood all day and logging the leaky specimens in the computer. I looked up to the doctors at the hospital with jealousy and respect.

I'm concerned about debt (looking at 240K), doubting my abilities in med. school, time commitment, and having NO idea about residency.

I'm kinda spiraling down to what feels like awaiting the guillotine. Did anyone out there with the same fears come to accept and love their decision? My support is constantly reminding me how few people get accepted and how pimp I'll be as a doctor. I know I should do what I feel, but honestly, I don't know what other profession that offers the variety, prestige, and good feeling of being a doctor.

 

[humuhumu]

I am 31 years old and am an M1. I have to tell you, I think it's a bit unrealistic to think that you're going to be able to be on the top of your game as a doctor and as a mom. This is something that I've been struggling with a lot lately. In order to be on the top of your profession as a doctor, you HAVE to commit to the 4 years of medical school (studying 4-5 hours a day + more before exams in the first 2 years and then rotations, some of which are very time intensive), then the intern year, where you're going to be working 80 hour weeks (mimimum) and then the rest. Then you become an attending, and you're still working 60-80 hour weeks if you want to be the BEST. If you want to be a doc and try and work part time (I've talked about this option with several female docs and they all tell me that it is VERY difficult to do. It's possible, but it's certainly not going to put you on the top of your game). And when will you have kids? You could do it during M1 or M2 or M4, but most people say not to do it during M3 or residency. And who will care for this child while you're working? Do your parents or his parents live close by? You can get daycare, but it costs a forture, so it's something to factor in. I know of women who are able to juggle things, but they either have their kids BEFORE they start school or AFTER they finish residency. I think women have an incredibly difficult time trying to juggle everything - and I'm not saying they can't - but something has to give. You can't be the BEST mom and the BEST doctor. Because either one or the other is going to have to have your full attention. Personally, for me at least, I'm leaning towards wanting to be a good parent that is actually THERE for my kids (that I don't have yet) than have them raised by someone else. Kids are actually pretty cool, and I want to have time to spend with mine, to get to know them as the people they are. I also want to have a job, so I will either work part time as a doc or go to PA school.

The bottom line is, unless you are 100,000% sure that you want this, these doubts are going to KILL you when you're in school. I swear to you. It's hard to explain unless you've been there.

I strongly agree. No one can be the best at everything. This is my Number One concern about going into medicine. Right now I have a relatively flexible and satisfying job that allows me to be a good dad for my kids. I really want to pursue medicine and I'm confident about my abilities to excel in it, but can I still be there for my kids and my wife? Not as much as now, I know, but enough? When the going gets tough in med school and especially residency, will I be able to handle the reality that I'm not the kind of father I want to be (and could have been)? But if I decide against medicine (again), will I always wonder, "What if....?" No easy choices....