going nuts

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this is me

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does anyone else feel extremly overwhelmed by the thought of medical school? I am friends with many very intelligent people and feel like I am insignificant if they are my competition. I would love be become an MD but it seems that DO is the way I may have to go. I go to a wonderful college that offers me many oppurtunities to better myself and to become a doctor, however I feel that there are still so many obstacles and that there really are very few people willing to listen. There is so much competition that you can't ever show your weakness. I am a women as well and I feel that men still have the upper hand. Are there any women or men who agree and disagree?
 
this is me said:
does anyone else feel extremly overwhelmed by the thought of medical school? I am friends with many very intelligent people and feel like I am insignificant if they are my competition. I would love be become an MD but it seems that DO is the way I may have to go. I go to a wonderful college that offers me many oppurtunities to better myself and to become a doctor, however I feel that there are still so many obstacles and that there really are very few people willing to listen. There is so much competition that you can't ever show your weakness. I am a women as well and I feel that men still have the upper hand. Are there any women or men who agree and disagree?

If its your dream then never give up . . .........blah!

I hate that stupid response.

Work hard. Get good grades. Do well on MCAT. Then you get in.

good luck




,
 
You will have to deal with the good ol' boys club if you go into medicine - no doubt about it. it just means you have to work a little harder. this is true for most science fields, though, so I wouldn't drop out just for that reason. You just have to be sure that it's what you want, and go after it. There will always be someone with a better score, someone more eloquent, someone who brags more, etc - you can't let it get you down. and there's no hard and fast rule that you need to go right after college to med school. you can always take a year off and get some experience to boost your confidence and your application.
 
Why do you feel that men have the upper hand? That kind of sounds like a cop out to me. Most of the pre-med people I've met have been women, and most seemed more than sure of their abilities.

Not to mention the fact that last year more women were accepted into medical schools than men.
 
meister said:
Why do you feel that men have the upper hand? That kind of sounds like a cop out to me. Most of the pre-med people I've met have been women, and most seemed more than sure of their abilities.

Not to mention the fact that last year more women were accepted into medical schools than men.

and i've worked in hospitals that women are treated with just as much respect as men. I agree in some ways that it's still a man's world in the workplace but i don't necessarily think that's true for the medical profession
 
What's up with thinking that DO is the easier choice. I know that at schools like MSU first year students in both the MD and DO program take the same class, but DOs also take OMT. They are two different philosphies but you shouldn't think one is easier than the other just because some schools have lower requirements.
 
I agree with the humbling part of being friends with highly intelligent people. The simple solution is to not compare yourself to them but rather to the average applicant. If you're still insecure about yourself, then it's better to be realistic. Do you just need to study more? If I followed the study habits of my genius friends, I'd be failing all of my classes. Mistakes are okay. Learn from them and move on.

I disagree with men having an upper hand. I believe a woman, if she's willing to sacrifice, can achieve everything a man can. The big sacrifice is, of course, to have less kids (or no kids). Pregnancy and motherhood is an enormous undertaking in itself, which leaves you with less energy and focus to concentrate on med school/residency/career. It's unfair but that's the hand we were dealt with.

I'm seriously considering marrying a househusband. 👍
 
thesterlinggirl said:
What's up with thinking that DO is the easier choice. I know that at schools like MSU first year students in both the MD and DO program take the same class, but DOs also take OMT. They are two different philosphies but you shouldn't think one is easier than the other just because some schools have lower requirements.

Very true. The education you receive is virtually identical. The big difference is that in DO school, you spend time learning the Osteo manipulation techniques while in MD school, you spend time doing research.
 
As a female trying to get into medical school, I find that my female classmates are more competitive than some of the males. A statistic I read somewhere stated that there are more women in professional schools than men. I want to believe that only if you let yourself be a party to some of the "sexism" and "good ol' boy" behavior, then you will be. Stand up for yourself, don't allow yourself to be pushed around or bullied.

Personally, I believe that its your life, your career. No one can dispute if you are good at something, patients will see a doctor whether that person is male or female, if you have proven yourself good to be a good physician, patients will come to you.

As far as the DO comment goes: my goal is to become an osteopathic physician. While it is true that DO schools have lower requirements than MD schools, they also state that they look more at EC and the whole person, rather than just numbers. DO school should not be viewed as a "back-up", its medical school, with OMM.

My $0.02. 🙂
 
this is me said:
I would love be become an MD but it seems that DO is the way I may have to go.
If you are interested in allopathic medicine, then go for it! The worst that can happen is you get rejected and move on. If you are looking to DO thinking it is easier, you are sorely mistaken. All the DO students I know work as hard as the allopathic students. They compete for the same residencies, the same jobs etc. If are you are interested in osteopathy, I suggest you look into the philosophies behind that type of medicine and see if you agree with it. It's a different approach to medicine, not a cop-out MD wannabes.
 
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