Ho hard is it to flunk/dropout of med school?

[bulldogs]

I just know this will happen to me. It's totally overwhelming thinking about it. Do you people feel this way at all? If you suddenly don't feel like going for awhile like in undergrad, where you could get away with it, you'll be completely lost and screwed.

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[NotShorty]

Do you have the option of taking a leave of absence? It definitely seems that you need some time to figure things out. Have you talked with the other students at your school that had similar problems?

NS

 

[UTCobra]

I don't know...Ho hard is it?

 

[bulldogs]

Sorry UTCobra, I was typing too quick I think. NS, I really don't have that option because I'm not passing. I've been told to withdraw and reapply when I'm more together, but I worry I won't be able to deal with it later anyway. It's just forestalling the inevitable. I can't believe my classmates can put in the effort as a whole, when I don't really even want to attend or study, let alone stress out about everything. I'm just tired of school I suppose. Fine time to figure that out.

 

[gary5]

I'd say this is a defining moment in your life. If you can get your sh** together and make this happen, you should. Ask your advisor for help. Maybe get tutors. Most schools will work with you. Typically, if you can get in, you can finish. If you decide that this is just too much, you don't have to finish. Everyone else has different careers and they're just fine.

 

[babyruth]

The only people that I know of that didn't make were the one's who didn't have any motivation. If this is the case for you, you need to either look at getting help (which implies you already have motivation) or you need to get out now while you still don't have a lot of debt..... Your school, as mentioned should have tutors and more importantly councilors/therapists. Try these avenues first.

 

[bulldogs]

Thanks guy. But ALL the motivation in the world doesn't make the enormous time investment task of studying for tons of classes etc, easier. Even when I DID study I didn't really do well and it took an inordinate amount of time and stress just to pass HALF the classes I took 1st sem. Ive just decided to throw in the towel because it seems to take way away from time, I could be enjoying my life doing what I want to do. (and thats NOT necessarily another career but just spending days doing things like traveling, sleeping in, watching tv, working out, visiting friends and family throughout the country, etc.) Where does the time to be tied down to a school or, later in life a hospital or office seeing patients all day long, appeal to you or seem worth the effort. If it weren't for the money rewards, I'd never have even tried to finish the 1st sem.
The stuffiness of the admin. and faculty and frankly, classmates and their "dont you want to be a doc' attitude where, they're stupid enough to go through whatever they throw at us, is downright deplorably sickening to watch. I guess I just can't subordinate or kiss this much ass, in a profession as stodgy as medicine is. Oh well, my loss as they say I assume. So be it...

 

[no exit]

Thanks guy. But ALL the motivation in the world doesn't make the enormous time investment task of studying for tons of classes etc, easier. Even when I DID study I didn't really do well and it took an inordinate amount of time and stress just to pass HALF the classes I took 1st sem. Ive just decided to throw in the towel because it seems to take way away from time, I could be enjoying my life doing what I want to do. (and thats NOT necessarily another career but just spending days doing things like traveling, sleeping in, watching tv, working out, visiting friends and family throughout the country, etc.) Where does the time to be tied down to a school or, later in life a hospital or office seeing patients all day long, appeal to you or seem worth the effort. If it weren't for the money rewards, I'd never have even tried to finish the 1st sem.
The stuffiness of the admin. and faculty and frankly, classmates and their "dont you want to be a doc' attitude where, they're stupid enough to go through whatever they throw at us, is downright deplorably sickening to watch. I guess I just can't subordinate or kiss this much ass, in a profession as stodgy as medicine is. Oh well, my loss as they say I assume. So be it...

be happy you figured this out so early.. there are plenty of people who don't know when to "throw in the towel" and instead convince themselves that medicine is what they want to do when it's not.. find what you want and go for it.. good luck..

 

[Blake]

I could be enjoying my life doing what I want to do. (and thats NOT necessarily another career but just spending days doing things like traveling, sleeping in, watching tv, working out, visiting friends and family throughout the country, etc.)

That sounds like fun, but won't you have to work most of the time, to be able to pay for all that ?

 

[omarsaleh66]

I don't know...Ho hard is it?

Hoes put in hard work. I know some that work nights, and take call. Sometimes, they gotta work on holidays and deal w rude customers. But if u stay disease free and put in hard work, I've dealt with some that make 100-200/hr!!

later

 

[closertofine]

Ive just decided to throw in the towel because it seems to take way away from time, I could be enjoying my life doing what I want to do. (and thats NOT necessarily another career but just spending days doing things like traveling, sleeping in, watching tv, working out, visiting friends and family throughout the country, etc.) Where does the time to be tied down to a school or, later in life a hospital or office seeing patients all day long, appeal to you or seem worth the effort.

I definitely respect your decision...I've actually been questioning things lately myself (for other reasons, though). But I just wanted to point out that there aren't too many full-time jobs that will let you do all those things you mentioned, at least on weekdays.

Of course med school and medicine take up WAY more time than lots of other careers, I'm not disputing that...but I remember working a full-time office job before med school and being very unhappy with it...and by the time I got home in the evenings, I was too worn out to do all those things you mentioned (except sleep, of course!)

I'm just curious if you are just looking to take a break from school and work altogether so you can sleep, travel, visit friends, etc, which would be perfectly understandable...or if you're looking for a career that would allow you a lot of free time on a regular basis.

 

[care bear]

i agree with the last few posters. . .you have to find a career of some sorts!!

believe me, i can empathize. . .i got very fed up w/med school straight out of undergrad for many of the same reasons you mentioned.

basically, i was spoiled. i didn't see med school as a full-time job and didn't think it should have to be. and i didn't like the material. . etc, etc. and, i hated my new town and my new school.

so i left med school, but i needed to eat. so i got a full-time job. . .

and it wasn't any more fun than med school. okay, maybe slightly more fun

now, a year later, i'm back. the 'real world' after college proved not to be a wonderland of pleasures. and so i can finally say. . .med school isn't bad!
i can stay at the library until after 5 each evening or i can go to starbucks with my notes in the middle of the day. i work hard. . .but it's not bad. and i really don't work as hard as a lot of people i see and know.

i agree that you have to *find your motivation*. because whatever you end up doing, you're going to have to work. maybe not as hard as doctors do, but you have to work. and whatever you choose to work at, you have to find a way to get some sort of motivation for it. (or at least pretend- think 'office space' )

best wishes.

 

[bonez318ti]

I haven't even started med school yet and this question has crossed my mind.. but I figure if 10,000 people can do it each year, why not me.

I was a non traditional student, and i recommend that if you want to do all of that stuff, go work full time for a couple of years while you are young.. I worked as a consultant in the business world. Although I worked hard, I got to travel to many places on weekends for free (~400k frequent flyer miles over 3.5 years) and got paid well enough to save up enough money to pay for some of my med school expenses.

Previous posters are right when they say that not many careers will allow you to bum around.. but I've found that bumming around only looks good when you aren't allowed to do it. When you have the time to actually bum around, it gets old real quick.

So take a year or two off, work as a health care consultant or something if you can find a position.. then play to your hearts content. Afterwards, should you realize that the job isn't as fullfilling as one of a physician, go back to med school.. as they say, the grass is always greener on the other side..

 

[NotShorty]

Lots of good advice on this thread.

Have you ever been told that the first two years are going to test how much you wanted to be a doctor? Good news, the system works!

I hope that the times that you did enjoy were able to sink in pretty deep. If so, you may find the desire/motivation to come back will re-surface. If not...what's the worst that could happen (don't torture yourself by thinking about that ).


NS

 

[NotShorty]

Hoes put in hard work. I know some that work nights, and take call. Sometimes, they gotta work on holidays and deal w rude customers. But if u stay disease free and put in hard work, I've dealt with some that make 100-200/hr!!

later

This one took me a second.

Were you talking about actual hoes, or just making an astute critique on the lives of doctors?

NS

 

[8744]

Thanks guy. But ALL the motivation in the world doesn't make the enormous time investment task of studying for tons of classes etc, easier. Even when I DID study I didn't really do well and it took an inordinate amount of time and stress just to pass HALF the classes I took 1st sem. Ive just decided to throw in the towel because it seems to take way away from time, I could be enjoying my life doing what I want to do. (and thats NOT necessarily another career but just spending days doing things like traveling, sleeping in, watching tv, working out, visiting friends and family throughout the country, etc.) Where does the time to be tied down to a school or, later in life a hospital or office seeing patients all day long, appeal to you or seem worth the effort. If it weren't for the money rewards, I'd never have even tried to finish the 1st sem.
The stuffiness of the admin. and faculty and frankly, classmates and their "dont you want to be a doc' attitude where, they're stupid enough to go through whatever they throw at us, is downright deplorably sickening to watch. I guess I just can't subordinate or kiss this much ass, in a profession as stodgy as medicine is. Oh well, my loss as they say I assume. So be it...

Are you friggin' crazy? Go get the towel back. You are young and presumably you will have plenty of time to enjoy life even if you sacrifice a couple of years of it to medical school. Suck it up. First year is hard, no question about it. Second year is a whole lot easier especially if you are just going for the "pass." Same with third year. Sure, you will work some long rotations but you will have a lot of easy ones too. As I have often observed, if all you want to do is "get by and get out" you can slack like a big dog in third year and still pass.

You can be the incredible vanishing student who is ostensibly on the team but who is invariably somewhere else, doing just enough to get by and always ready with a lame but reasonable excuse.

I mean fer' cryin' out loud, most of third year is split into two week blocks with different attendings and residents on each block. Within reason, you can pull the same slacker stunts on each new block.

If all you want is the MD after your name, initials that will open many doors in other profesisons (Law School, for example), what do you care if you get a reputation for being a slacker? You'll still graduate.

Don't even get me started on fourth year. Since I am trying to match into something competative I worked hard for most of fourth year. Still, it is a lot easier than third year, easier still if you don't plan to match. Everything is pass/fail and you have to molest a patient or take a dump on your attendings desk to fail. You can make fourht year a vacation fer God's sake, and do all of those things you want to do with your free time.

Just tough it out for the rest of first year. Take a deep breath and muscle through second year. It is all downhill after that. Don't just quit. Do you really want to explain to your grandchildren that you went to Medical School but couldn't handle it?

Just preomise me you will never practice medicine. On the other hand, you may have a change of heart in third year and discover your true calling. It has happended before.

Jeez.

 

[bulldogs]

Wow, this thread's getting alot of ink and airtime. Right now I'm drinkiing beer and watching a Clapton dvd, so I could give a crap about medicine. Even if I went back, I'd get thrown out by some jackass committee that won't promote me when I continue to fail. If the degree isn't handed to me no matter what I do... I DON'T WANT IT!!
It's REAL easy for many of you to give advice because YOU ARE NOT in med school. Try being in it and "walking the walk" BEFORE you "talk the talk".

 

[powermd]

Wow, this thread's getting alot of ink and airtime. Right now I'm drinkiing beer and watching a Clapton dvd, so I could give a crap about medicine. Even if I went back, I'd get thrown out by some jackass committee that won't promote me when I continue to fail. If the degree isn't handed to me no matter what I do... I DON'T WANT IT!!
It's REAL easy for many of you to give advice because YOU ARE NOT in med school. Try being in it and "walking the walk" BEFORE you "talk the talk".

As an intern who's been to hell and back I think I can reasonably judge that you will not survive through to the end of residency. I've been fairly depressed with school and internship from time to time, barely able to summon the will to do any work- but I always did, and it never seriously occured to me to quit. If you feel like quitting now, imagine how you will feel after another year, 2, 3, 4 years of this $hit. It doesn't get better, the pain just comes in different ways. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but it's a long friggin' tunnel, and you will be a different person when you come out the other end. Have you read "House of God"? It was written 26 years ago and is still accurate to the letter in describing the misery of hospital life in medicine. Do yourself a great service and get out now, before it changes you for good. I love medicine and helping people- contrary to what you may believe from reading the above, I have wonderful relationships with my patients (the one's that talk), but I know the dark side of this business pretty well now, and it's NOT for everyone. If you are sick of being a student NOW, you should take time off and reconsider med school after spending some time enjoying life as a normal person.

 

[8744]

Wow, this thread's getting alot of ink and airtime. Right now I'm drinkiing beer and watching a Clapton dvd, so I could give a crap about medicine. Even if I went back, I'd get thrown out by some jackass committee that won't promote me when I continue to fail. If the degree isn't handed to me no matter what I do... I DON'T WANT IT!!
It's REAL easy for many of you to give advice because YOU ARE NOT in med school. Try being in it and "walking the walk" BEFORE you "talk the talk".

Why come trolling here, then? Do I need to say that watching a Clapton DVD is fine but it is not a substitute for a purpose in life? You so do not want to end up as a pasty, out-of-shape, forty-year-old watching DVDs on your days off from your crappy cubicle-based job.

You won't get thrown out if you suck it up and study. Presumably you were smart enough to get admitted so presumably if you reach deep down you can at least pass. It's not rocket science.

 

[stinkycheese]

Wow, this thread's getting alot of ink and airtime. Right now I'm drinkiing beer and watching a Clapton dvd, so I could give a crap about medicine. Even if I went back, I'd get thrown out by some jackass committee that won't promote me when I continue to fail. If the degree isn't handed to me no matter what I do... I DON'T WANT IT!!

It's clear you're either a raging troll or you have serious issues, but either way, what is your deal, man? When you applied to med school did you REALLY think it was just going to "get handed to you?" Like, what kind of fantasy world do you live in? And what were your original motivations for pursuing medicine anyway? You mentioned in one post "monetary rewards" -- well let this be a lesson to those who think med is the career for the money-hungry

It's REAL easy for many of you to give advice because YOU ARE NOT in med school. Try being in it and "walking the walk" BEFORE you "talk the talk".

Most of the people who responded to you are far beyond MS1, so you're wrong.

 

[Tallguy]

I guess we are not in med. school guys...i will be sure to tell the rest of my classmates that post on SDN that we are not med students.... This guy is a joke. It is *****s like this that lie to get into medical school taking spots away from others that want to be physicians. I hope they kick u out so it opens up a spot for someone that may want to transfer.

 

[bulldogs]

Why come trolling here, then? Do I need to say that watching a Clapton DVD is fine but it is not a substitute for a purpose in life? You so do not want to end up as a pasty, out-of-shape, forty-year-old watching DVDs on your days off from your crappy cubicle-based job.

You won't get thrown out if you suck it up and study. Presumably you were smart enough to get admitted so presumably if you reach deep down you can at least pass. It's not rocket science.

First of all, I'm not a raging troll. I'm making a statement to others saying that school isn't the utopia you all think it is. I'm have the utmost interest in health but studying all night and sleeping and eating on the run and not exercising much because of fatigue and time restraints doesn't really bode well for a career, MOST normal beings would want, does it?

 

[Termwean]

I seriously think that you need professional help with your depression.

First of all, I'm not a raging troll. I'm making a statement to others saying that school isn't the utopia you all think it is. I'm have the utmost interest in health but studying all night and sleeping and eating on the run and not exercising much because of fatigue and time restraints doesn't really bode well for a career, MOST normal beings would want, does it?

 

[dancinjenn]

Who ever said it was Utopia? Yeah, we all want biochem to crawl back up the monkey butt it came from, and wish we didn't have to memorize what consitutes the different triangles of the neck, etc. But we suck up and do it, mostly because we can see a faint light at the end of the tunnel, where we will be rewarded for our hard work with respect, money, and YES, more hard work. Many of us probably didn't realize how much work we would actually have to put in in the first couple of years. We all were top in our classes at random undergrad's and probably only studied a 1/3 of what we do now. You seem to want med school to be an extension of undergrad...where you only study one or two days a week, have an active social life, work out every day, and sit and drink beer and eat pizza the rest of the time. If med school was like undergrad then we would be the worst doctors ever.

 

[bulldogs]

Well, we called a cab so I guess I got to go soon. Right now I cant hold an intell. convo w/ any of you about school. Suffice it to say it isnt as much fun as living one day at a time and doing what you want since I just "walked away" form the school and moved from my apt. w/out EVER notifying the school yet that I'm gone. Oh well, thry'll find out when they lose tuition money for the rest of my 4 years that I won't be there. Adios.

 

[MeowMix]

First of all, I'm not a raging troll. I'm making a statement to others saying that school isn't the utopia you all think it is. I'm have the utmost interest in health but studying all night and sleeping and eating on the run and not exercising much because of fatigue and time restraints doesn't really bode well for a career, MOST normal beings would want, does it?

I'll just address the issue of priorities. I too am an MSI. I came into med school with minimal bio background and have to work my ass off for a pass.

I get out for a run every 1-2 days. Eat very well, sit-down meals, high quality food. Sleep at least 6 hours/night. Have a very nice relationship with my SO, and usually get to spend at least one full day per week with them, not studying, just having fun. I would say this is better than at least 50% of "normal" working Americans do.

My life is a little more stressed than it was when I had a full-time professional job or was running my own business, but I definitely have a lot more control over my daily schedule now. And I don't have to worry about supervising staff, writing performance evals, dealing with last-minute demands by others for reports or proposals, contract cancellations, or a myriad of other delightful tasks.

If you want to make anything more than about $30-40K/year, as others have said, you are going to have to suck it up eventually. But it sounds like you are hating med school right now, have already made up your mind to quit, and don't want to be talked out of it. When you get to the right work for you, you are going to have a hell of a lot more fun; or at least the drudgery won't seem quite so bad. Quit and go on vacation, I say.

 

[bulldogs]

Meow: 30-40K is a Kings ransom compared to waht Ive got now. So yep, the caabs almost her so gotta go. Thanks girl, you make purfect sense.....

 

[Obedeli]

Thanks guy. But ALL the motivation in the world doesn't make the enormous time investment task of studying for tons of classes etc, easier. Even when I DID study I didn't really do well and it took an inordinate amount of time and stress just to pass HALF the classes I took 1st sem. Ive just decided to throw in the towel because it seems to take way away from time, I could be enjoying my life doing what I want to do. (and thats NOT necessarily another career but just spending days doing things like traveling, sleeping in, watching tv, working out, visiting friends and family throughout the country, etc.) Where does the time to be tied down to a school or, later in life a hospital or office seeing patients all day long, appeal to you or seem worth the effort. If it weren't for the money rewards, I'd never have even tried to finish the 1st sem.
The stuffiness of the admin. and faculty and frankly, classmates and their "dont you want to be a doc' attitude where, they're stupid enough to go through whatever they throw at us, is downright deplorably sickening to watch. I guess I just can't subordinate or kiss this much ass, in a profession as stodgy as medicine is. Oh well, my loss as they say I assume. So be it...

This posting reeks of laziness. Not everyone is made to be a physician, the problem is, you took a spot from someone who could have been a doctor. I have no problem agreeing with you that this is not the field for you, I certainly wouldn't want you to fix the engine on my car (that takes work!). My problem is in understanding how you got in and what you told your interviewers. I interview medical students, and looking for your types is exactly what I do. I would really be interested in what you told them.

 

[Termwean]

Obedeli,
I think this guy is trolling (making crap up just to get a rise out of people). I wouldn't waste any of your time on him. Even if he is telling the truth....he is far gone. He might end up being that "hardluck" homeless guy, begging for money with his hardluck story.

 

[Obedeli]

Obedeli,
I think this guy is trolling (making crap up just to get a rise out of people). I wouldn't waste any of your time on him. Even if he is teling the truth....he is far gone. He might end up being that "hardluck" homeless guy, begging for money with his hardluck story.

You are probably right. I thought of that before my first post then forgot about it midway through typing. Caught by a phil hendrie bit!

 

[Powder]

Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

 

[fang]

Go talk to the dean's office at your school-- you should have the balls to at least explain to them that you've decided not to attend.

After that, take some time off and think about what you want in life. Have you thought about being a PA? (2 years of difficult school is much better than 4, and there's no residency!) How about nursing or physical therapy? There are plenty of cool health careers that don't require as much time.

I'm a 2nd year, and most doctors I've talked to say the work load doesn't get all that much better even AFTER you're done with residency. So don't do this if you're not up for the work... it doesn't make you a loser, just someone with different priorities in life.

 

[Dr Who]

Maybe we are all being a bit hard on Bulldog. As medical students we all have to get over that basic sciences hump. The one where we question our motivations and abilities. Studies have shown that med students are more prone to depression than other students. Why? because of all the $hit we have to take day in and day out, stress is a huge part of our lives.
Now, some people handle stress better than others. I remember back in undergrad I had a big fat C in an oranic chem test. I didnt expect it but i said what the hell, it just means that i have to bust my ass that much more and do better in the next test. I didnt sweat it that much while a classmate of mine also got a C and acted as if it was the end of the world, as if that one C would destroy her chances of getting into med school. My point is that it is all about perspective.
In Bulldog's case, maybe he just doesnt know how to handle the stress that comes with being a med school student. He got accepted so he is a smart guy, but somewhere along the line he lost his motivation.
Do some soul searching and then take an informed decision. If you want a health related career without all the hassles that come along with med school then consider public health or physician assistant. Maybe that would be more of a fit for you personally.

 

[8744]

First of all, I'm not a raging troll. I'm making a statement to others saying that school isn't the utopia you all think it is. I'm have the utmost interest in health but studying all night and sleeping and eating on the run and not exercising much because of fatigue and time restraints doesn't really bode well for a career, MOST normal beings would want, does it?

Dude, life is not a utopia. Good luck in any career if you don't want to make a few sacrifices.

 

[monstermatch]

The OP really needs to take some time off - either defer a year or leave school. He wants to have some time for himself before he settles down into a career, and there's nothing wrong with that. Its too bad people are mad at him about this - they should worry about their own problems. Personally, i think that most people would benefit from having a year off between college and grad school - all those folks who have been in school since kindergarden need to grow up and realize theres a whole world outside the classroom.

 

[Bo Hurley]

I know a guy who dropped out of med school a few months into 4th year. At the time he told me how everybody was saying he was "throwing it all away" and that he was "crazy" for doing so when he was so close to finishing and how he'd "regret it" when he got older.

Now he's a multi-millionaire running his own physician locum company and has doctors working FOR HIM who are making a fraction of what he does. And 3 guys who graduated from his medical class ended up committing suicide, including one who kept telling him that he'd regret his decision to drop out.

He made them all eat their words.

And you should see his current girlfriend...wow! Not to mention his mansion.

 

[bulldogs]

Bo, I dont know about the mansion --but Ill take the chick. Haha.
Hey, listen you naysayers, if you think Im joking about med school, think again. Yeah, time off would be nice, but then Ill need to reapply. Ill never get in w/ that track record. I cant stay sober anyway to accomplish this friggin goal too. Ok, so to the rest of you, Im really a med student and NO I aint troling or fulla ****.
Im not gonna tell the school cuz I dont feel I "owe" them jack-sh&t of allegiance. They just want your money face it.
And no Im not lazy, I'll workout 7 days a week busting ass a whole lot more than many of you med school nerds who eat chips all day long as you study BS. At least I get laid cuz Im in shape NOT cuz Im gonna have a bank account bigger than my stomach, as most fat ugly out of shape med students I see.

 

[MD'05]

I just know this will happen to me. It's totally overwhelming thinking about it. Do you people feel this way at all? If you suddenly don't feel like going for awhile like in undergrad, where you could get away with it, you'll be completely lost and screwed.

Why don't you take a year off? A few of my classmates did that for various reasons and then came back strong.

 

[dswonger]

Why don't you take a year off? A few of my classmates did that for various reasons and then came back strong.

I've got to tell you, my brain did not even function until I was 29! I couldnt concentrate, was a serious narcissist, depressed, etc.

Then, I found the women of my dreams. Smarter than I, tough on the outside, soft as butter on the inside. She still makes me melt after 9 years!

You're smart or you wouldn't be in med school! They saw something in you that they didn't see in 1000 others! Soooo...doing something else will be easy for you (possibly even to easy)

I don't know how old you are, but, I would see counseling, probably take at least a year off, do something you've always wanted to do, then get a job or two or three. After you have been in a professional setting for a while, perspective will come. life is about living. Being depressed about it, well.. just sucks. Be very careful though. ONce you have gotten a job, it is easy to settle for something. You'll get a new car, get some expenses going, possibly get married, then you have more than one and the slope is a little more slippery to make it back up to where you were. If that is where you want to be.

 

[8744]

Bo, I dont know about the mansion --but Ill take the chick. Haha.
Hey, listen you naysayers, if you think Im joking about med school, think again. Yeah, time off would be nice, but then Ill need to reapply. Ill never get in w/ that track record. I cant stay sober anyway to accomplish this friggin goal too. Ok, so to the rest of you, Im really a med student and NO I aint troling or fulla ****.
Im not gonna tell the school cuz I dont feel I "owe" them jack-sh&t of allegiance. They just want your money face it.
And no Im not lazy, I'll workout 7 days a week busting ass a whole lot more than many of you med school nerds who eat chips all day long as you study BS. At least I get laid cuz Im in shape NOT cuz Im gonna have a bank account bigger than my stomach, as most fat ugly out of shape med students I see.

As you get older, and trust me on this, the good-looking woman are going to be more concerned with your ability to keep them in the lifestyle they deserve then whether you have flat abs. I'm not saying that you can be a disgusting fat-body with man-titties and still pull chicks (although if you have enough money you can), just that most beautiful woman will "settle" for a guy who is presentable but prosperous over a male model slash waiter who is running up his credit cards to buy clothes. In fact, most woman who are worth your time don't necessarily want you to be wealthy when they meet you, they just need to know that you have potential.

My lovely wife certainly did not marry me for my looks or my charm.

 

[Kevbot]

As an intern who's been to hell and back I think I can reasonably judge that you will not survive through to the end of residency. I've been fairly depressed with school and internship from time to time, barely able to summon the will to do any work- but I always did, and it never seriously occured to me to quit. If you feel like quitting now, imagine how you will feel after another year, 2, 3, 4 years of this $hit. It doesn't get better, the pain just comes in different ways. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but it's a long friggin' tunnel, and you will be a different person when you come out the other end. Have you read "House of God"? It was written 26 years ago and is still accurate to the letter in describing the misery of hospital life in medicine. Do yourself a great service and get out now, before it changes you for good. I love medicine and helping people- contrary to what you may believe from reading the above, I have wonderful relationships with my patients (the one's that talk), but I know the dark side of this business pretty well now, and it's NOT for everyone. If you are sick of being a student NOW, you should take time off and reconsider med school after spending some time enjoying life as a normal person.

Could you or someone else please elaborate on "the misery of hospital life in medicine."

 

[Obedeli]

Bo, I dont know about the mansion --but Ill take the chick. Haha.
Hey, listen you naysayers, if you think Im joking about med school, think again. Yeah, time off would be nice, but then Ill need to reapply. Ill never get in w/ that track record. I cant stay sober anyway to accomplish this friggin goal too. Ok, so to the rest of you, Im really a med student and NO I aint troling or fulla ****.
Im not gonna tell the school cuz I dont feel I "owe" them jack-sh&t of allegiance. They just want your money face it.
And no Im not lazy, I'll workout 7 days a week busting ass a whole lot more than many of you med school nerds who eat chips all day long as you study BS. At least I get laid cuz Im in shape NOT cuz Im gonna have a bank account bigger than my stomach, as most fat ugly out of shape med students I see.

OHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh this changes everything
I don't believe a word of it.
"The cab should be here any minute." -nice touch

 

[8744]

Could you or someone else please elaborate on "the misery of hospital life in medicine."

People who go straight from high school to college to medical school sometimes have a hard time adjusting to the working world. While it is true that residents work hard, not every specialty has the same insanely long hours in residency. If you don't want to live at the hospital then don't do Orthopaedic Surgery.

One of the reasons I am going into Emergency Medicine (Match day in 3 weeks, baby!) is that the residency hours are not bad at all. I didn't interview at any program that worked more than 65 hours per week (and some were only 55 hours). Sure, 65 hours per week sounds like a lot but I have worked longer hours both as a Marine and as a Civil Engineer.

By the way, the new 80 hour per week maximum is being enforced at most programs, even (especially) surgery programs. It is not as bad as it used to be for these specialties.

 

[Snuka]

Sorry UTCobra, I was typing too quick I think. NS, I really don't have that option because I'm not passing. I've been told to withdraw and reapply when I'm more together, but I worry I won't be able to deal with it later anyway. It's just forestalling the inevitable. I can't believe my classmates can put in the effort as a whole, when I don't really even want to attend or study, let alone stress out about everything. I'm just tired of school I suppose. Fine time to figure that out.

Be very, very careful about withdrawing out of school. There was a similiar situation at my med school last year. A student was failing both courses the 1st semester and was told to w/draw and re-apply. He followed this advice and upon reapplying was told that he was an "undesirable candidate". He is now "black-balled" from ever applying to another medical school again and is going to have to find another profession. It would have just been better for him to flunk both courses and re-take them over the summer. That way he'd still be in med school. Just be absolutely sure you want to leave medical school b/c you won't get another chance if you change your mind.

 

[NotShorty]

Black balled at American med schools? Just allo, or osteo too? How bad does this look to other health professions (nurse, dent, PA, PT, etc.)? If the OP is having these issues with 1st semester of med school, he probably wasn't shooting for cardiac surg to begin with, and certainly could explore a rewarding health related field that is more suited to him after figuring things out a little better.

NS

 

[Hoya11]

I can understand what Bulldogs is saying, and I agree with I guess the minority, being in med school SUX. Its mostly pointless, a lot of work, and can be VERY discouraging.

Its easy to get into cycles where you dont care about the stuff your learning, dont do so great on the tests, this gets you feeling bad about yourself, dont want to study, do worse, so on and so on. Yeah sure its easy to stay in when you get good grades but that can be hard.

I just think you should really think about the seriousness of this decision, and the finalitiy of it in comparison to how difficult your situation is now. If you are failing by 10 points, wouldnt it be worth it to jsut get those extra 10 points and pass and start at a GREAT profession vs. take your chances somewhere else. All I am saying is medschool is GUARANTEED, and this BS is over after two years its not like it is endless and you are just getting out now. YOu are being scared away by the worst times of becoming a doctor, this is the weed out period dont fall for it.

On the other hand if you are failing by a ton of points and really working hard what can you do, i agree its not worth it. BUt think about changing your attitiude ang gettting out of that downward sprial that is being caused by what sounds like a bad attitude stemming from the fact that, like few others in med school, you are not a mindless drone tool just doing what you are told. It is good you are asking "WHy am i doing this BS" that other people are not, but it doesnt mean you rent cut out for medicine. I went through a lot of the same things and started taking stimluants/studying more and now school is easy I dont stress about it at all... YOu will find your winning combo if you stick to it ANyway goodluck

 

[bulldogs]

Ok, heres the scoop on why I quit med school. (and if anyones got a really similar situation let me know). 1st of all, Im in no mood to do all the work. 2nd, I dont like school nor atttending clases and Im not rah rah about stuff like other idiots I met there so far. Too many ppl I met said things like, "wow, Im soo glad to be here or I love learning this as it will apply later on in my specialty, yada, yada". Lets say this, I really think its like being confined in a box and realizing if you cant or dont want to retain all the extraneous material, you CANT go past this nor get out of this box-- FOREVER!
My temper is such that if I dont pass an exam,etc. I want to just throw a fit because, damn if Ill let these idiots (faculty,etc) stop me from my goal. And throwing fits and destroying my apt daily, aint too cool on my wallet when I gotta pay for damages and its not too healthy for me and my psyche either, huh? Ill just find another school or print a degree from some foreign bogus med school in central america or such.

I just cant relate to any of my classmates as they actually freakin COMPLY w/ studying for exams like good little worker ants obeying the queen. Stay on sdn for a few hrs a day and at least you get instant fun and gratification not total boredom reading and memorizing some abstract fact when you're pissed from the moment you get up regretting that in order to get to the clinical yrs you gotta suck up all this useless garbage/BS. WTF??!!

Im not nor will I EVER be that kiss-ass or subordinate to others and let then tell me what and HOW to do it. if I could be inbusiness for myself and just learn what I need about mediicne that currently pertains to ME not serving patients that detract from my time taking care of ME, then yeah, Id go to THAT med school. But obviously that aint gonna happen in my lifetime now is it? Theres more to come but this is a brief explanation of why Im not there anymore and I cant see this being any diff. 50 yrs from now, do you?

 

[DrDre']

Subvert the dominant paradigm- always from the inside.

OP, you are either the most narcissistic 23 year old in the country, clinically depressed with narcissm or simply a tool.


Once your money runs out and you have to join the real world, you will find out that all jobs are hard. IF you want to make money in any field, you will work. You have been given a lot of good advice on this thread.


I don't think you should continue in medical school- just don't think your "winning" attitude will help you succeed any where else though!

 

[8744]

Ok, heres the scoop on why I quit med school. (and if anyones got a really similar situation let me know). 1st of all, Im in no mood to do all the work. 2nd, I dont like school nor atttending clases and Im not rah rah about stuff like other idiots I met there so far. Too many ppl I met said things like, "wow, Im soo glad to be here or I love learning this as it will apply later on in my specialty, yada, yada". Lets say this, I really think its like being confined in a box and realizing if you cant or dont want to retain all the extraneous material, you CANT go past this nor get out of this box-- FOREVER!
My temper is such that if I dont pass an exam,etc. I want to just throw a fit because, damn if Ill let these idiots (faculty,etc) stop me from my goal. And throwing fits and destroying my apt daily, aint too cool on my wallet when I gotta pay for damages and its not too healthy for me and my psyche either, huh? Ill just find another school or print a degree from some foreign bogus med school in central america or such.

I just cant relate to any of my classmates as they actually freakin COMPLY w/ studying for exams like good little worker ants obeying the queen. Stay on sdn for a few hrs a day and at least you get instant fun and gratification not total boredom reading and memorizing some abstract fact when you're pissed from the moment you get up regretting that in order to get to the clinical yrs you gotta suck up all this useless garbage/BS. WTF??!!

Im not nor will I EVER be that kiss-ass or subordinate to others and let then tell me what and HOW to do it. if I could be inbusiness for myself and just learn what I need about mediicne that currently pertains to ME not serving patients that detract from my time taking care of ME, then yeah, Id go to THAT med school. But obviously that aint gonna happen in my lifetime now is it? Theres more to come but this is a brief explanation of why Im not there anymore and I cant see this being any diff. 50 yrs from now, do you?

Cool. Good luck in life. Don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out. Why on earth you are still hanging out on a "Student Doctor Network" is beyond me. Shouldn't you be posting on "Disgruntled Slacker Network" or some Eric Clapton fan site?

 

[MD'05]

Ok, heres the scoop on why I quit med school. (and if anyones got a really similar situation let me know). 1st of all, Im in no mood to do all the work. 2nd, I dont like school nor atttending clases and Im not rah rah about stuff like other idiots I met there so far. Too many ppl I met said things like, "wow, Im soo glad to be here or I love learning this as it will apply later on in my specialty, yada, yada". Lets say this, I really think its like being confined in a box and realizing if you cant or dont want to retain all the extraneous material, you CANT go past this nor get out of this box-- FOREVER!
My temper is such that if I dont pass an exam,etc. I want to just throw a fit because, damn if Ill let these idiots (faculty,etc) stop me from my goal. And throwing fits and destroying my apt daily, aint too cool on my wallet when I gotta pay for damages and its not too healthy for me and my psyche either, huh? Ill just find another school or print a degree from some foreign bogus med school in central america or such.

I just cant relate to any of my classmates as they actually freakin COMPLY w/ studying for exams like good little worker ants obeying the queen. Stay on sdn for a few hrs a day and at least you get instant fun and gratification not total boredom reading and memorizing some abstract fact when you're pissed from the moment you get up regretting that in order to get to the clinical yrs you gotta suck up all this useless garbage/BS. WTF??!!

Im not nor will I EVER be that kiss-ass or subordinate to others and let then tell me what and HOW to do it. if I could be inbusiness for myself and just learn what I need about mediicne that currently pertains to ME not serving patients that detract from my time taking care of ME, then yeah, Id go to THAT med school. But obviously that aint gonna happen in my lifetime now is it? Theres more to come but this is a brief explanation of why Im not there anymore and I cant see this being any diff. 50 yrs from now, do you?

If you already quit medical school then all your angst is for not. Walk away and be glad of your decision. There are careers other than medicine that are more fulfulling. If you are still in medical school, you really need to seek medical help before you go off the deep end and hurt someone or yourself. You are showing signs of psychosis already if you damaged your apartment because you received a poor grade.