Hi, anyone else coming from social work?

[MSW2MD]

I just bookmarked the non-trad sticky. It looks very helpful... but I'm still a little overwhelmed.

Anyone in a similar boat and care to chat about it? Not looking to take up too much of your time... just feeling the need to bounce ideas off of someone who won't say, "but you're so good with your clients."

Ugh.

Thanks, be well.

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[Crelal]

BSW here, now M1.

I also heard the "you're so intuitive with your clients", "I didn't realize you were serious about becoming a doctor", and "you have a great position with great benefits, why would you want to change careers?"

Feel free to PM me- I spent several years going back to school, having a family, and eventually got into my dream school.

Welcome, and good luck!

 

[lilylooloo]

I'm also a social worker, and I can't wait to get out. I have never met a social worker who's encouraged me to stay in social work, but I have met many who have encouraged me to leave. It is so draining and pays so horribly. I have a LOT of debt from my masters program, so making the decision to return to medical school has been an agonizing 4-5 year process. This year I turned 30, now I'm pregnant, and I figure it's now or never. Financially I'm just not able to quit my job, nor attend the post bac program I was accepted into, so I'm taking night classes at the community college. I know med schools frown upon community college, but it's the only feasible option for me.

Social workers have a distinct set of skills which will help you tremendously as a physician.

 

[bjolly]

was a social worker (MSW) for 12 yrs, now a pgy2 resident. Feel free to pm me.

 

[pingouin]

I've answered some of the OP's questions in a different thread, but for the rest of you- I'm also a LCSW, practiced 10 years post-MSW and am currently a M2. Have gotten nothing but positive feedback from the medical field about what I'll bring with me to my practice.

However, this summer in two professional situations (shadowing a psychiatrist friend, meeting my old boss for lunch at the hospital where I worked), two different LCSWs were introduced to me and on hearing I was in medical school said "Ohhhhh... so you've gone over to the Dark Side." Since when are physicians and social workers mortal enemies?!?!?!

What seems to set those SWs straight is asking them whether they prefer to work with more residents and attendings who have no experience working with people, or with a former social worker who has a better understanding of what their roles and limitations are. They didn't have much to say after that.