How did you decide?

[kaligurl]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I'm sophomore at local CC, major Accounting. For last few years, I was very sure that's what I want to do. But working at the office, as a sort of accountant, sort of clerk, I find it boring and uninteresting. I started thinking about medicine, like a month ago, maybe from watching too much TV, maybe because I'm taking psych class and we were discussing senses and nervous system and I found it fascinating.
My current GPA is 4.0, mind you, I will transfer eventually to real university, so I expect it to kinda go down. I enjoyed science at HS very much, ended up graduating first in my class in chemistry and third in biology, physics never been my real forte. I know college chemistry is quite different, as I was told, but I didn't go to HS in USA. I went to Slovak-French bilingual one, meaning located in Slovakia, but studying sciences in French! Wasn't easiest thing to do.
I was planning to transfer to USF in Sarasota in Fall 2007. Now, I'm torn, since I don't know what to do, which way to go. I would like to keep Accounting, perhaps as a backup plan, but this will put extra load on me, as I will need to take pre-reqs for MS on top of that. Another option was USF Tampa and major in Chemistry (which I wanted to do in my country, but as my Mom said, there's no future with Chemistry major there).
How do you know? How did you decide? Accounting seems like an easier way to go (less time, I'm good at it already, closeby, less competition). On the other hand, med school means more commute, more time to study before MCAT, before MS, at MS, residency... Also, being a foreigner, not sure how my MCAT verbal/writing part would go. I have a great memory, but not too good in writing skills. Too many people. And I'm limited to my area, pretty much, because my hubbie. Plus money worries me, since I read you can't work through MS. Can finaid and loan cover it all? And I'm 28, which means starting family in next five or so years...
But then again, when I'm leaning towards Accounting, I feel like I'm missing out on perhaps my calling. Should I keep going and just try MCAT and we'll see in the future? How do you know?

 

[Beau Geste]

If you really enjoy accounting, then you can make that your major. Just be sure to take the appropriate science/math courses (and do well) that will make you competitive for med school. There are a lot of med students who didn't major in Bio or Chem.

Edit: Accounting can certainly help you in the long run with medicine: being a smart spender re: loans, keeping track of finances in private practice, etc.

 

[silkworm]

Hi, sounds like you haven't taken the premed classes yet. Try to take them in a 4 year university as some med schools frowns on fufilling pre-reqs in community college.

Another thing to consider is to do some clinical volunteering or doctor shadowing. This will give you a better idea of what medicine is like and you can probably make a more informed decision about your future after some real exposure to medicine.

Good luck

 

[Quix]

Definitely keep accounting as a second major; not because I anticipate failure on your part to get in, but because I always recommend that college students pick a major that is interesting and useful (which, therefore, may require two majors). Picking up the chemistry major may help in terms of part of your MCAT score, but unless you are thinking about chemical engineering, research, graduate chemistry programs, or education, it's difficult to cross-apply to other areas and fields.

 

[little_late_MD]

I graduated with a dual-major in Finance/Economics. I have worked in the industry for the better part of three years, and every day that I go to work I feel a little bit of my soul disappearing. When I was younger I wanted to be a doctor. However, the promise of big riches in finance sent me the way of the number jockey. Every morning that I wake up and put on a tie, I regret not at least trying to follow my medical dream. Well, now here I am, 25 and doing what I should have done 7 years ago. Even if I don't make it, it will be far better than wondering if it could have been.

Business degrees teach you very little about the "business" world, and having any degree is usually enough to get you in the door in any firm or company. If it makes you feel better, minor in accounting, otherwise pursue medicine as if there were no other alternatives.

 

[RxnMan]

...I was planning to transfer to USF in Sarasota in Fall 2007. Now, I'm torn, since I don't know what to do, which way to go. I would like to keep Accounting, perhaps as a backup plan, but this will put extra load on me, as I will need to take pre-reqs for MS on top of that. Another option was USF Tampa and major in Chemistry (which I wanted to do in my country, but as my Mom said, there's no future with Chemistry major there)...Too many people. And I'm limited to my area, pretty much, because my hubbie. Plus money worries me, since I read you can't work through MS. Can finaid and loan cover it all? And I'm 28, which means starting family in next five or so years...
But then again, when I'm leaning towards Accounting, I feel like I'm missing out on perhaps my calling. Should I keep going and just try MCAT and we'll see in the future? How do you know?

You can finish out the accounting degree and use your elective slots on the med school pre-reqs. See how you do. Take it one semester at a time and see if you like it. Also try and meet some docs in the area. Tell them you're investigating medicine as a career, and most doc are willing to let you follow them around and see what an average day in their life is like. Right now it sounds like you need more information before you can make a desicion one way or the orther.

 

[silas2642]

Howdy,

I was kind of in the same position as you during a good portion of my undergraduate career-- I wasn't sure if I really wanted to take the plunge into medicine or not. What really made the decision for me was gaining clinical experience-- the most valuable of which was shadowing physicians. Although volunteering is nice, it doesn't expose you to what you're actually going to be doing after all is said and done.

What you do with your education right now is your decision-- perhaps it would be wise to try and make time for some clinical experiences before you change your major or something. Likewise, you could also start taking some of med school pre-reqs while you're working toward your accounting degree.

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

accounting is a diverse field too though. my sister is an accountant and travels quite a bit, spends her time on site. She values companies/brands/etc and also does forensic accounting which is pretty cool. So it's not always sitting in an office crunching numbers.

i agree with the advice to get clinical exposure and also start the courswork and see how you like it.

 

[kaligurl]

Thanks to all of you!!! It seems like the best solution, for now, is perhaps take a chem class, to see how I'll do, after being 9 years away from science, pretty much. How do you do about shadowing a physician, do you just call up someone, or where can you get advice? Like maybe my school? For volunteering, if I have some other clinical experience, can it be anything? I'm planning on, as a hobby, do some figure skating judging. I know it's not really traditional kind, but it's not paid. Just wondering...

 

[RxnMan]

Thanks to all of you!!! It seems like the best solution, for now, is perhaps take a chem class, to see how I'll do, after being 9 years away from science, pretty much. How do you do about shadowing a physician, do you just call up someone, or where can you get advice? Like maybe my school? For volunteering, if I have some other clinical experience, can it be anything? I'm planning on, as a hobby, do some figure skating judging. I know it's not really traditional kind, but it's not paid. Just wondering...

Try to find a loacl teaching hospital. They're often affiliated with a university (e.g. University of Colorado Health Sciences, or University Hospital). Then go on their website, look for a department you're interested in, and call up the department secretary. Tell them that you're interested in doing some shadowing and if they can reccomend anyone. If not, then just try another department. It's hard cold-calling people, but it can be done. Realize that most docs in teaching hospitals are also professors, so it's no big deal to have one more person learning and tagging along. It might take a lot of calls, but you'll find someone eventually.

Most hospitals have volunteer offices, and you start your search there, too.