Ever Have Doubts

[SpiritiualDuck]

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There are days that I have doubts about being a doctor. I would never say that during an interview, but I do doubt if I want this.

It's not constant. But occasionally, I think about the process, work, and commitment and I'm not always sure that I want it.

I told a friend, a second year medical student, that I have doubts. He said, "If you have doubts don't go." Well, I think he's wrong. I think doubt is natural. I think it's okay. How can we ever be 100% sure? When I got married, I was 99.9% sure that I wanted to be married. But I still had fears. I think it's life to be uncertain of the unknown. Until you've done something, how can you be certain you want to do it. So, to me, doubt is normal.

 

[Wardens]

I think you're right to an extent. A certain amount of doubt is fine, if not expected. This process reeks of insecurity. Every interview questions your motivation and every 'pre-med' who utters"I was gonna be a doctor but . . . (orgo,mcat,etc.)" forces us to focus on the possibility of failure. BUT, it is crucial that you know what you are diving into and that you have a pretty severe commitment to achieving the goal. We have a whole lot to lose if we finish med school and decide it's not for us, either financially if we change professions, or emotionally if we stick with it. For that matter, there remains a whole lot to lose even if we go into it with passion. It's a big commitment and from what I can see, a difficult path. Doubt is fine, but the stakes are high, and an undying yearning for becoming a physician or surgeon may not be essential but certainly an valuable asset.

 

[Nutmeg]

Anyone who could possibly make a decision of this magnitude without the slightest doubt is either a fanatic or a fool (or both). I was feeling the same way when I was waking up at 3am to finish my hw, and I though, "Do I really want to keep this up for another 10 years?"

The way I see it, doubts are inevitable, but they don't really make a difference. One way or another, I'm going to do the best work I can, apply, hopefully interview, and get acceptances. At that point, the decision will be made. I truly don't know what decision I'll make, as I have no idea what opportunities I'll have. Who really cares? Why care about something that can't impact you just yet?

I believe that focus only works to one's detriment. As long as you work hard at what your doing right now, and you look ahead to make sure you aren't walking down a dead end or on unsafe ground, you'll be alright. Things will work themselves out.

"The laws of chance/ strange as it seems/ take us exactly/ where we most likely need to be." --David Byrne

 

[lola]

Originally posted by SpiritiualDuck
Well, I think he's wrong. I think doubt is natural. I think it's okay.

me too 🙂
maybe that's why it took me 6 years post-graduation to get my act together to apply to med school!

 

[SpiritiualDuck]

yeah, last year, when I was getting up at 2 or 3 in the morning after a few hours of sleep to study for an exam, finish up a lab write up, I was truly wondering about the whole thing. The day before the MCAT, I had my doubts. Yesterday, I was doctor a physician about my plans. He said, just keep looking ahead. It's hard, but worth it. And plan for biochem.

 

[uclacrewdude]

Look at it this way: how can you test how strong a hypothesis is until you've argued the opposite? Doubting whether you want it or not can only be good, as long as you don't see being a doctor a measure of how good a person you are. If you doubt what you want, you'll explore more deeply and measure the pros against the cons, eventually coming out of iteither more certain you wanna doctor or more certain you'd rather not do clinical medicine.

 

[TTSD]

Hmmm.. there's a good side and a bad side.

NEVER be arrogant. Arrogance only leads to trouble.
However, being doubtful and unsure is also sometimes just equally as bad. You'll be questioning yourself at every turn.

It's GOOD to check yourself, make sure what you're doing is right and going about it the right way. To question the path is one thing, to question yourself means you have some more introspection that you need to do.

But in answer to your question, personally I fear that I won't study hard enough that one day a patient comes my way and I miss the obvious or do something awful because of my lack of studying.