How did you know you wanted to work in medicine?

[Student2390]

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Since middle school, I’ve wanted to become a pathologist, when I started college, I majored in biology planning on being pre-med. So far, I’m still interested in path, but recently I’ve really begun to love botany and I’m considering going to grad school for it instead of med school. I feel like I’d be missing out on the other thing since I really can only pursue one thing. How do you choose between 2 things like this? And what made you decide to work in medicine?

 

[getdown]

I hated everything else.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

I was totally lost. Bouncing from one temp factory job to the next. Then at my lowest I met my wife. She was a pre med at the time and virtually everyone in her family is in medicine.
With all their love and support I was able to go back to school. And when I was looking for a career/major it was just kinda apparent that I give medicine a try.

 

[stickgirl390]

Working in a clinical setting and shadowing did it for me. I am a two time career changer (Medicine will be my third) so do not think you “have to chose one”. 🙂

 

[911 Turbo]

almost everything about medicine sucks. there's a reason why there are tons and tons of residents and doctors telling college students to do something else with their lives. save yourself and go into something else. just about any other job will bring you more happiness than medicine

 

[FroYoOreo]

Because I like telling people what to do.

 

[Deleted member 737595]

When I found out there were people called "surgeons" who literally cut people open to fix something inside of them. I mean, how cool is that!?

 

[Blackdogue]

When I found out there were people called "surgeons" who literally cut people open to fix something inside of them. I mean, how cool is that!?

It's pretty cool. Almost as cool as giving them magic potions that can alter their disease course without having to cut them open.

 

[Balo]

I've wanted to be a doctor since childhood, too. I've entertained a few other paths, but this is the one I'm committing to for the foreseeable near future. I love anatomy, have had influential personal and family health encounters, and really feel that doctors have an important role in society, so I want to be part of that incredible mission.

Regarding botany versus medicine, that's a decision that only you can make for yourself, of course. Be realistic about what your career might like. Doctors are overworked these days and have to put up with a lot of inconveniences and stresses of the workplace. Plus, the debt they go into is pretty substantial (in the states, at least) without financial support from family, scholarships or grants, or personal income if you happen to be non-trad. Think about what you really want to do and if you can see yourself doing it for years to come.

 

[Deleted member 737595]

It's pretty cool. Almost as cool as giving them magic potions that can alter their disease course without having to cut them open.

Ahhhh but that takes all the fun out of it!

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.

 

[Deleted member 750603]

I went to grad school, not for botany but I can offer this.

You might be able to do interesting botany "stuff" in grad school but you may have to settle for a job that's not exactly within your interests after grad school. It isn't exactly a burgeoning field.

Don't know what your interests are but you may end up in Monsanto or something like that. So that's just something to think about it.

I think that your love of the herbal variety can easily be translated into medicine as there are TONS of beneficial compounds and therapeutic agents that exist in plants. I think from research standpoint you would be better off as an MD and dabbling in botany research than pursuing and academic botany track. It would be way more competitive to get a faculty position as Botanist than a Pathologist. I also feel it would be far more rewarding and practically translatable to be a pathologist who does botany research than to shoot for professor in botany.

You would have to hold off on botany for a while while in medical school though.

For me it was the need to translate my skills into directly impacting medicine rather than being a PhD on the outside looking in.

 

[LoveBeingHuman:)]

When I found out there were people called "surgeons" who literally cut people open to fix something inside of them. I mean, how cool is that!?

Didn’t you just make a thread like 2 days ago asking for advice about how to become more careful, patient, and less clumsy???

This concerns me lol

 

[darkjedi]

almost everything about medicine sucks. there's a reason why there are tons and tons of residents and doctors telling college students to do something else with their lives. save yourself and go into something else. just about any other job will bring you more happiness than medicine

sounds like you should probably not be doing medicine

 

[Deleted member 737595]

Didn’t you just make a thread like 2 days ago asking for advice about how to become more careful, patient, and less clumsy???

This concerns me lol

Opposites attract 😀

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Opposites attract 😀

And some opposites explode violently when they meet.

 

[altblue]

It started with House and Grey's Anatomy. Taught me a lot about how medicine works. Then, I Googled the average doctor's salary. I was sold.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

It started with House and Grey's Anatomy. Taught me a lot about how medicine works. Then, I Googled the average doctor's salary. I was sold.

What are you talking about? CLEARLY the Resident is the best, most accurate medical drama known to man. That show really teaches you how medicine works. And I plan to work for free because all doctors should work for free

 

[BadSanta]

I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.

There is definitely something to this...

I was talking with a classmate the other day and we both came to the conclusion that if there was anything else that we wanted to do, we would do ‘that’ instead of medicine. Perhaps this is what leads to people calling medicine a calling? Who knows. All I know is that although I don’t love everything about what I have to do every day, I know I would hate anything else much, much more.

 

[Ms Procrastinator]

What are you talking about? CLEARLY the Resident is the best, most accurate medical drama known to man. That show really teaches you how medicine works. And I plan to work for free because all doctors should work for free

Exactly! I mean, so what if you have tons of loans looming over your head and a family to take care of? Do it out of the goodness of your heart!

 

[altblue]

There is definitely something to this...

I was talking with a classmate the other day and we both came to the conclusion that if there was anything else that we wanted to do, we would do ‘that’ instead of medicine. Perhaps this is what leads to people calling medicine a calling? Who knows. All I know is that although I don’t love everything about what I have to do every day, I know I would hate anything else much, much more.

Yeah there's one other career I'd initially like as much as medicine, but there's a host of downsides to it that make it less appealing in the long run.

 

[Melchizedek]

Pshhh all of you got suckered in by HOUSE M.D. and Grey’s, Scrubs was clearly the best.

But in all seriousness I knew healthcare back in high school when I was volunteering at a PT clinic. I walked patients through their therapy exercises before the PT saw them for manual manipulation/electric stim. At the beginning of the summer this woman came in almost hemiplegic after a stroke, by the end of the summer of working with PT she was able to feed herself again and was on her way to walking with a walker. It was amazing being a part of the system that helped her recover some semblance of normalcy. Not all patients are gonna have a positive outcome but the ones who do make it worth the wait.

Didn’t you just make a thread like 2 days ago asking for advice about how to become more careful, patient, and less clumsy???

This concerns me lol

I’m glad I’m not the only one who connected those dots 🤣

 

[theKingLT]

Pshhh all of you got suckered in by HOUSE M.D. and Grey’s, Scrubs was clearly the best.

Scrubs showed me a job where you are highly respected as a professional despite acting like a complete child. Got me hooked right there. Good thing hospitals don't care if you spend half your time day dreaming instead of seeing patients 😉

 

[nunsy]

Well, I thought the white lab coats looked cool

 

[Eagleye2]

There is definitely something to this...

I was talking with a classmate the other day and we both came to the conclusion that if there was anything else that we wanted to do, we would do ‘that’ instead of medicine. Perhaps this is what leads to people calling medicine a calling? Who knows. All I know is that although I don’t love everything about what I have to do every day, I know I would hate anything else much, much more.

Ok im glad im not the only one who has this thinking. I always tell people, if there was ANYTHING else that seemed even half as appealing to me as medicine, I would do that. However, that is not the case. And here I am studying 6 hours a day for the MCAT...

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Ok im glad im not the only one who has this thinking. I always tell people, if there was ANYTHING else that seemed even half as appealing to me as medicine, I would do that. However, that is not the case. And here I am studying 6 hours a day for the MCAT...

There are a few careers I would be happy in. I chose medicine because I felt called to it. But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be happy doing other things.

 

[Skiriboribobo]

In my case, I never stop dreaming of becoming a Doctor. How prominent I will be among my peers. My love for medicine grew no bounds.

 

[Osminog]

I beat several classmates in a game of Operation when I was in 3rd grade. That's when Cavity Sam stood up from the game board, his red lightbulb nose blinking intensely. In his high-pitched, cartoonish voice, he said to me, "Osminog, thou shalt become one of the greatest dermatologists the world has ever seen. So sayeth the executive team at Hasbro, Inc., headquarters." That's when I knew that medicine was the only career path for me.

I guess you could say that it was a calling.

 

[TypeADissection]

At my med school interview, they were like why you do you want be a doctor? I was like: chicks, power, money and chicks. *Adcom nods head in approval at my honesty* Boom. Accepted.

At my general surgery interview, they were like why do you want to be a surgeon? I was like: chicks, power, money and chicks. *PD nods his head in approval* Boom. Accepted.

At my vascular surgery fellowship interview, they were like why do you want do this? I was like: Seriously bro? You know why. *Fist bumped the PD* Boom. Accepted.

PS - If you don't hear from me in a few days, my wife did it...

 

[bioboy23]

At my med school interview, they were like why you do you want be a doctor? I was like: chicks, power, money and chicks. *Adcom nods head in approval at my honesty* Boom. Accepted.

At my general surgery interview, they were like why do you want to be a surgeon? I was like: chicks, power, money and chicks. *PD nods his head in approval* Boom. Accepted.

At my vascular surgery fellowship interview, they were like why do you want do this? I was like: Seriously bro? You know why. *Fist bumped the PD* Boom. Accepted.

PS - If you don't hear from me in a few days, my wife did it...

60% of the time, it works every time.

 

[Eye-eye]

Since middle school, I’ve wanted to become a pathologist, when I started college, I majored in biology planning on being pre-med. So far, I’m still interested in path, but recently I’ve really begun to love botany and I’m considering going to grad school for it instead of med school. I feel like I’d be missing out on the other thing since I really can only pursue one thing. How do you choose between 2 things like this? And what made you decide to work in medicine?

Depending on your interests in botany, they could go together. You could do the MSTP program and completely avoid med school debt if you wanted to do a PhD in pharm or medical botany or some such and work on plant or microbe based drug discovery or development along with your MD toward path.

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

I didn’t know I loved medicine until I was already a resident. Up til then it just seemed like the natural thing for me to do. I was always a good student. In my culture, you’re either a doctor or a lawyer if you don’t have obscene natural talents (such as music)... both my parents are physicians, so I figured I would be one as well. Well, they said I should be. Anyway... it ended up being a good choice, because I enjoy working with my hands, and I like being secure in the knowledge that I will always have a job that pays well, and I am unlikely to be fired and left destitute. But I truly did end up loving surgery… Thankfully.


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[Lucca]

I would like to become a neonatologist as I am passionate about helping the neonates.

 

[bioboy23]

I would like to become a neonatologist as I am passionate about helping the neonates.

"like" x4000

 

[babbino]

Since middle school, I’ve wanted to become a pathologist, when I started college, I majored in biology planning on being pre-med. So far, I’m still interested in path, but recently I’ve really begun to love botany and I’m considering going to grad school for it instead of med school. I feel like I’d be missing out on the other thing since I really can only pursue one thing. How do you choose between 2 things like this? And what made you decide to work in medicine?

Its interesting that you feel like you can't do both, I'm sure most would also agree with you, but I strongly disagree. Try looking into herbal medicine and mix your interest of botany with health. Its not the most conventional thing, but it is an emerging field and you can still practice as much of conventional medicine as you would like. I took a class called "medicinal plants and herbology" once that was super interesting. Its a field worth looking into! You can do integrative medicine with a focus on herbal medicine. There is a lot of cool stuff out there, if you want to know more feel free to PM me 🙂

 

[Robin-jay]

After I shadowed, I absolutely fell in love with the countless hours of paperwork and dealing with insurance companies.

 

[cantankerous]

When I was writing my own personal statement

 

[Medic741]

Since middle school, I’ve wanted to become a pathologist, when I started college, I majored in biology planning on being pre-med. So far, I’m still interested in path, but recently I’ve really begun to love botany and I’m considering going to grad school for it instead of med school. I feel like I’d be missing out on the other thing since I really can only pursue one thing. How do you choose between 2 things like this? And what made you decide to work in medicine?

When I realized that making $20/hr sucked and realized I could make 20x as much as a doc.

Seriously, think about lifestyle & job security in any big life decision. That being said, if you’re always doing what you love, become an expert, and make a niche people seem to very frequently make it ‘work’ out quite well for themselves.

There’s no rush to get to medical school, it’ll always be there. Taking a few years to explore something else that may become a life long endeavor is absolutely worth it.

Having played devils advocate, do what you want, and be aware of when your ego is driving your decision making. Is it pushing you to become a doc and away from something else you may love?

Keep doors open and keep working hard, it usually pays off in the end.

 

[DrMcCoyDO]

It was the only way I was going to be allowed to legally hold a beating human heart in my hand. Checked that off the list on my surg rotation, so now I just do it; because, why not? They let me pound on people’s chests, stick tubes in people, and they pay me for it, so that’s pretty awesome.