How to know if Medicine is a right fit for you?

[Ar2]

Hello everyone!

I have found myself in quite a dilemma, and although I know that I am ultimately the one who has to decide my future, I have come to this forum in hopes of getting some educated and more experienced advice from those how have been in the field (or are currently going through the process of training).

I have been accepted to both an US MD medical school, and a US dental school. I have just about one week left before I need to make my final decision (I actually should have made it months ago :/ , but I can't seem to pull the trigger finally on either one. So, I guess my question to everyone is, how do you know that medicine is right for you? One day I wake up really wanting to go to medical school, and the next day I want to do dental school. I feel completely lost, and I have no idea how to pick between the two. Each have there pros and cons, making it very difficult for me decide. I honestly am not 100% sure about what I want to do, hence my problem. I've heard things from "if you aren't sure, go to medical school, as it has more options available to you" .. Then I also here "if you aren't completely sure you want to do medicine, then you should go to dental school. Only do medicine if its the only thing you can see yourself doing". I was hoping to feel excited and anxious about starting my career, but instead I feel lost and depressed, as I don't want to make the wrong decision.

I would really appreciate some advice from those who are experienced in the field, or those how are in the trenches right now so to speak. What are some of the questions I need to be asking myself? What things do I need to consider that may help me make my decision? ANY help or advice would be greatly appreciated! I applied to both programs as I never thought I would get in to both, and somehow I did. So I never really prepared myself for having to make the decision... Can anyone offer some words of wisdom??

Thanks to everyone in advance. I've never felt so confused.

- Ar2

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[Dave89]

Hello everyone!

I have found myself in quite a dilemma, and although I know that I am ultimately the one who has to decide my future, I have come to this forum in hopes of getting some educated and more experienced advice from those how have been in the field (or are currently going through the process of training).

I have been accepted to both an US MD medical school, and a US dental school. I have just about one week left before I need to make my final decision (I actually should have made it months ago :/ , but I can't seem to pull the trigger finally on either one. So, I guess my question to everyone is, how do you know that medicine is right for you? One day I wake up really wanting to go to medical school, and the next day I want to do dental school. I feel completely lost, and I have no idea how to pick between the two. Each have there pros and cons, making it very difficult for me decide. I honestly am not 100% sure about what I want to do, hence my problem. I've heard things from "if you aren't sure, go to medical school, as it has more options available to you" .. Then I also here "if you aren't completely sure you want to do medicine, then you should go to dental school. Only do medicine if its the only thing you can see yourself doing". I was hoping to feel excited and anxious about starting my career, but instead I feel lost and depressed, as I don't want to make the wrong decision.

I would really appreciate some advice from those who are experienced in the field, or those how are in the trenches right now so to speak. What are some of the questions I need to be asking myself? What things do I need to consider that may help me make my decision? ANY help or advice would be greatly appreciated! I applied to both programs as I never thought I would get in to both, and somehow I did. So I never really prepared myself for having to make the decision... Can anyone offer some words of wisdom??

Thanks to everyone in advance. I've never felt so confused.

- Ar2

Shadow docs/dents like crazy for a week. Try to shadow different kinds of doctors as well.

 

[SKdds]

I am in the same boat as you. I have been accepted to both programs and can't decide between the two. I've shadowed doctors and dentists and I don't feel like I prefer one over the other.

 

[startoverat40]

if you get into Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, you'd have best of both worlds.


try these threads

 

[ccmonopolies]

why settle for dentistry?

 

[Crim1]

You really shouldn't be in this situation. Eventually, you have to stop keeping your options open and choose ONE path. The reality is, you will probably be happy with either one. Stop with the over-analysis. Act on instinct and don't look back.

 

[peppy]

Sounds like you can't go wrong. Either will probably be a good career, just in different ways.
None of us can say which one you'd like better because none of us know what is important to you, but I don't think you will be in a bad situation regardless of which you choose.

 

[Lokhtar]

You probably will be fine doing either. No one here can tell you one way or another. Medicine, with residency, is usually the longer route, if that has any bearing (though obviously you can do more training post-graduation in dentistry as well, but it's not required, unlike medicine where it effectively is). So if you're older, that may be a factor you want to take into consideration.

You do have more flexibility in medicine, but of course, if you don't mind working with teeth, then that's effectively picking a medical specialty right off the bat and saving yourself a lot of training time.

If you only have a week, I would spend two days following a dentist, and one day each following three different specialties in medicine. I have no idea how you'd be able to arrange it this fast, but I am not sure what else you can do.

 

[D elegans]

Which ever program you go to, you'll probably have points where you wish you'd gone to the other.

Do dentistry. I do think that if you aren't 100% on board with medicine, you shouldn't put yourself through it. Dentistry is a shorter process with a better lifestyle (in general).

 

[da8s0859q]

Which ever program you go to, you'll probably have points where you wish you'd gone to the other.

Do dentistry. I do think that if you aren't 100% on board with medicine, you shouldn't put yourself through it. Dentistry is a shorter process with a better lifestyle (in general).

+1 to this.

 

[pudgie84]

i just went through your same situation only with optometry school vs medical. i made my final decision based on what each job entails on a daily basis. basically, what i could see myself doing every day for the rest of my life. i also reflected on why i chose to enter the health field in general. i realized if i decided on med school that ultimately i would want to become an ophthalmologist, hence i really have a strong interest in eyes and vision. so when i weighed the difference in lifestyle, options in each field, and what i truely have an interest in (vision specifically, not just any health profession), and combined that with the fact that ophthalmology would be at least double the training time and that i'm not guaranteed to get that residency in the first place, i went with optometry.
so do you generally have an interest in teeth? or do you just want to become any kind of doctor? it seems like a pretty simple question but i think that's what it comes down to. that and which job you would enjoy more on a daily basis.
i don't know if that helps you at all, but that's how i got through my decision dilemma.

 

[MedBound1]

"Doctor Price? Stu, you're a dentist. Don't try and get fancy."
"It's not fancy if it's true."
"He's a dentist, don't get too excited. And if someone has a heart attack you should still call 911."

 

[Shnurek]

"Doctor Price? Stu, you're a dentist. Don't try and get fancy."
"It's not fancy if it's true."
"He's a dentist, don't get too excited. And if someone has a heart attack you should still call 911."

You'd be surprised at the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and basic life support that dental and opto students learn. If someone has a heart attack anywhere except in the hospital, 911 will be called. It doesn't matter if you are in the private office of an orthopaedic surgeon or a neurologist or who have you. ER docs are the best at life support.

 

[JackShephard MD]

You'd be surprised at the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and basic life support that dental and opto students learn. If someone has a heart attack anywhere except in the hospital, 911 will be called. It doesn't matter if you are in the private office of an orthopaedic surgeon or a neurologist or who have you. ER docs are the best at life support.

You'd be surprised at the anatomy, physio, and biochem that med students learn, but I still wouldn't want a med student taking care of a coding patient.

I don't know if ED docs are the best at anything, depending on the situation, there is likely a specialist that knows the medicine and has more experience (whether ICU, anesthesia, surgical critical care, etc.). The thing I've heard ED docs saying quite a bit is they specialist in the first hour of everything. Well, that's probably an over statement but certainly they have the most diversity. Jack of all trades = master of none.

"Doctor Price? Stu, you're a dentist. Don't try and get fancy."
"It's not fancy if it's true."
"He's a dentist, don't get too excited. And if someone has a heart attack you should still call 911."

[YOUTUBE]TsFZFHzf2d8[/YOUTUBE]

 

[DocHawk117]

Which ever program you go to, you'll probably have points where you wish you'd gone to the other.

Do dentistry. I do think that if you aren't 100% on board with medicine, you shouldn't put yourself through it. Dentistry is a shorter process with a better lifestyle (in general).

Agreed.