I Am So Confused!!!!

[snoopy69]

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I am an undergrad now and I am really confused about what I want to do. I am pretty sure that the medical field is for me, but I'm not sure what profession I would like the best. It seems as though all my fellow biology major students are gung ho about the premed route and so sure about their future. Recently I have been considering medical school also, but I don't know if it's for me or not. I don't know if I would just be doing it cuz everyone else is (i.e. for the wrong reasons), but I am also scared that I may regret not going later in life since I would feel such a sense of accomplishment and respect upon getting an MD or DO. I am also considering AA school or CRNA since I am interested in anesthesia. I have read horror stories from med students that feel like 8 years of their life was stolen from them, and I also know some midlevel providers that wish they had gone to med school. I have good grades and have done most of the prereqs, and a few people have been encouraging me to go for it, but I'm not sure. I feel like I may be missing out on my life while I'm in med school, since I feel like undergrad has been so time consuming as it is. I don't know if I'd be able to handle the mental strain, fatigue, etc... I was wondering if you all could give me some insight on these feelings. How did you decide on med school above other medical professions? Have any of you had these feelings as well? Have all the sacrifices you've made been worth it? Some female perspectives about med school and starting families would be helpful too. Sorry for this long post!

 

[deleted9493]

Early in undergrad. I didn't know what I wanted to do either. I went through about 5 major changes before settling on what I graduated with. I knew I wanted to go into healthcare but really had no clue as to the role I would be best at/enjoy the most.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I got a job as a nursing assistant at a good size hospital...basically rotating through all the different units (from ER to icu...to all the various med/surg units). After talking to and watching different providers (nurses, mid-levels, and docs), I had a pretty clear idea of what I would and would not be good at.

I think people at the hospital telling me that I should be a doctor (without knowing my educational background or desire) helped affirm my decision.

Medical schools place great value on experience because they know that if you've been adequately exposed to healthcare, you have a good idea of what you're getting into. More important, however, is that they know you probably have good motivation to run the race of medical training and finish. Feeling helpless/limited in my role as a nursing assistant was substantial in this regard for me.

 

[DrMom]

closing since this is a duplicate post. feel free to contribute to the open one in pre-allo