Is anyone on SDN actually happy with their decision to go to medical school?

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I am only an MS-1, but I love med school so far. I'm having the time of my life. After a rocky start (wasn't in school for 6 years), I am now getting the grades I want, and I have lots of free time. Not only is the coursework cool as hell (at least to me...), but my first OSCE went much better than expected. Overall, I am very pleasantly surprised. I think I listened to SDN a bit too much and went in expecting the worst. In a way, that may not have been a bad thing.

We will see what happens when I hit 3rd year, and again, during residency. My theory is that if I keep my expectations reasonable, I will continue to enjoy it.
 
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Med school for me was way better than college. Things are what you make of them. If you like medicine, and you like your location, and you like the people in the school...med school is awesome.
 
Mountaineer12 said:
That's not at all what I've heard at my school. I've heard hours suck sometimes, but other than that it's way better than second year. This seems to be a lot different at my school.
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Same for me too.
Almost every third year I have talked to at our program is much happier and said MS1 or MS2 was their hardest year. Not saying third year doesn't have it's own set of challenges, (they're tired, some classmates are gunners, gotta be up early and on their feet all day, shelves etc), but despite all of that, most students I talk to say (and plenty of doctors I know have said the same thing) third year is much better.

I'm sure for some folks MS3 is worse, but I think a lot of it comes down to perspective, personal experiences etc. It's pointless to generalize any year since each has it's pros/cons. Personally, I can't wait to be out of these lecture halls, and not staring at a computer screen 5 hours a day..all the while Step 1 looms ahead. Even if it means giving up control of my schedule, which admittedly is the best part of MS2 and I'm enjoying that a lot.

Honestly, most of med school ain't so bad, there's some really rough days, but I've dealt with much more difficult things outside of school. If I had a nickel for every time someone in the class above us tried to freak us out and say something would be worse than it actually was...I'd have at least handful of nickles. 😛
 
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I admittedly did not enjoy medical school and had a lot of difficulty with the memorization portion of it. Intern year was a struggle to get things to finally click for me, and they did to a good extent near the tail end of my intern year. I think a big part of it had to do not only with my constantly reviewing the same crap over and over, but landing in a residency that provided the environment to allow it to happen. As a 2nd year resident my directions to staff are (for the most part) followed and not questioned, my opinion is given more weight than any mid-level, and there is a certain level of finality to what I tell an intern or medical student. I suspect part of it has to do with the culture here, part of it the culture of medical training, and part of it a result of showing a good level of competence. Plus its nice to have the basic knowledge there rather than be in the process of building it up, and knowing that the only step after this phase is to find an attending job somewhere by the water. Medical school was horribly bad not only because of the amount of studying, but being at the bottom of the totem pole, being treated like **** by the people above me, being ridiculed for not knowing subject matter that I was in the rotation to learn, and being reminded every step of the way that someone or something could basically end my career. Professionalism this and that. Not everyone's experience in school, many of my classmates had a grand time, just mine. It wasn't all bad, but the bad seemed to really outweigh the good. Would I do it again? No. I'm satisfied with where I am given the circumstances, am enjoying some intellectual satisfaction at my current station, and will see the financial payoff in 2.5 years when I finish, but the process has definitely taken a great toll on me.
 
zeppelinpage4 said:
Same for me too.
Almost every third year I have talked to at our program is much happier and said MS1 or MS2 was their hardest year. Not saying third year doesn't have it's own set of challenges, (they're tired, some classmates are gunners, gotta be up early and on their feet all day, shelves etc), but despite all of that, most students I talk to say (and plenty of doctors I know have said the same thing) third year is much better.

I'm sure for some folks MS3 is worse, but I think a lot of it comes down to perspective, personal experiences etc. It's pointless to generalize any year since each has it's pros/cons. Personally, I can't wait to be out of these lecture halls, and not staring at a computer screen 5 hours a day..all the while Step 1 looms ahead. Even if it means giving up control of my schedule, which admittedly is the best part of MS2 and I'm enjoying that a lot.

Honestly, most of med school ain't so bad, there's some really rough days, but I've dealt with much more difficult things outside of school. If I had a nickel for every time someone in the class above us tried to freak us out and say something would be worse than it actually was...I'd have at least handful of nickles. 😛
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It probably depends on what you want to go into to. Met great residents and attendings third year, but I had little to no interest in any of the required fields (gave thema fair shot, but wasn't my career choice), but still needed to do well.

If you like everything you'll probably enjoy it more.
 
I'm in radiology and I truly love it. I fall deeper in love with it everyday. My second and third choices were derm and ophtho and I'd probably be happy in those, too.

Anything else and I'd likely look for an exit strategy, such as healthcare private equity or management consulting.
 
Dumb said:
I'm in radiology and I truly love it. I fall deeper in love with it everyday. My second and third choices were derm and ophtho and I'd probably be happy in those, too.

Anything else and I'd likely look for an exit strategy, such as healthcare private equity or management consulting.
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Was your 4th place choice Anesthesiology? :cyclops:

EDIT: So basically "ROD or bust" amirite?
 
I love medicine. I'm really happy to be in medical school. I wouldn't change a thing. I'm going to the right school for me, and I think that makes all the difference. We get a ton of patient exposure early and get to use what we're learning right away, and that's incredibly motivating. I had a career previous to medicine, and while I made enough money, and had more time, the boredom damn near killed me.
 
I have absolutely loved med school. I would never change careers. I have enjoyed every moment of it and have never had any regrets about coming to med school nor have I thought of leaving. A lot of it has to do with the fact that I am very happy with my life outside of med school. This gives me energy to keep going when the going gets tough.
 
MW1985 said:
All,

I've been reading through the topics on this forum and all I can say is...wow this is depressing lol. Forgive my possible naivety, but is anyone on this forum actually happy and excited about their career choice? I was recently accepted to medical school and all of the med students I personally know are very happy (on the surface, at least). I know the education and training are grueling, but is anyone genuinely happy with their current experience?? I am confident that I am getting into medicine for the right reasons, but the litany of negativity surrounding some of the topics in this forum is quite disheartening.
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I'm happy about my decision... most days.
 
Same as above. I'm only a semester in, and a few days have been miserable (usually not actually due to school) but I'm more excited than ever about what I'm going to do with my life.
 
Nearing the end of pre clinical classes in February, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. MS2 is a ton more work but a lot more interesting. How much I enjoy learning it depends on the course.cardio and GI I found most interesting. Heme and how its organised can suck it.

I'm looking forward to getting out on the wards. It's exciting to finally see what I may be doing for the rest of my life.

I had a 9-5 cubicle job before med school. Yeah I'd rather be challenged and sacrifice some free time than go back to that. And my class is med school is pretty cool.

Some negatives:

Probably the biggest for me: lack of independence....aside from having your life planned out for at least the next 4 years...don't want to go to a worthless waste of time TBL? Too bad, it makes your school look progressive and innovative and all that stuff. I'm afraid this will get loads worse when I'm a practicing physician having to see x number of pts and having to answer to some MBAs.

Being broke.

Not as much time as I would like to do other things. That said, I still work out regularly, play in adult league at least once a week, and pleasure read most every day.
 
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I really enjoy 90% of med school. The material is interesting and the people I get to go through this with are awesome. It's tough for sure (as well it should be) but we all knew that going in.
 
I'm still happy for the most part.

But, I'll have to agree with others and say its all about expectations.

If you expect pre-clinicals to be about 50% useless (PBL sessions, outdated/irrelevant material, busy work - etc...) and expect to spend long hours studying before exams (eat, sleep, workout, study - rinse and repeat) then you probably won't be too disappointed.

It still sucks some days and gets old pretty fast (the pancake analogy).

If you expect clinicals to be mostly shadowing and writing notes (with little to no responsibility for actual patient care) and expect to spend long hours at the hospital (Surgery and OB/GYN are the worst and can be 12hrs/day 6 days a week) then you also probably won't be too disappointed.

The main problems people have with 3rd year include very arbitrary/subjective grading, malignant residents/attendings, and lack of teaching/hands on experience on some rotations (you'll have good rotations and bad rotations).

That being said, there are a lot of great things about medicine and a lot of not so great things about medicine (re: the negative threads on here).

Its certainly not the same job as 20 years ago though.
 
I enjoyed medical school, for the most part. First year was rough taking exams once every week or two, and Step 1 was hellish.

Clinicals were actually great for me; psych (boring) and peds (***** residents, obsessive devotion to 1.5 hour signouts, last rotation of M3) were the only rotations that I really didn't enjoy. The advice for enjoying clinicals is to always try to rotate on the "hardest, busiest" service for every clerkship. I did that for every rotation and really think I got a good education. I did very little shadowing.

All in all, I found I enjoyed learning medicine (particularly clinical medicine) and made great friends and spent four years in one of the greatest cities in the world.

Internship has been mostly great. Stress level is much higher (damn GERD, TMJ, and aphthous ulcers...), but I lucked out with a very operative intern year. I ****ing love being in the OR. I knew it the first day of my surgery clerkship (thought I was probably going to be an internist before then), and every damn time I pick up a knife it's a thrill. There is nothing, absolutely nothing like operating, and the relationships you form with patients who entrust themselves to your care. Because of that, I'm very satisfied with my career.
 
The majority of the material is boring, and the volume and pacing are miserable if you're not adept at memorizing. I'm leaving school and entering another profession for which I'm better suited.
 
circulus vitios said:
The majority of the material is boring, and the volume and pacing are miserable if you're not adept at memorizing. I'm leaving school and entering another profession for which I'm better suited.
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This is actually a bit of a shocker. What are you planning on?
 
Re: memorization in medical school. Again, I'm only a lowly MS1, but I (mostly) disagree with the popular comparison of learning in medical school to memorizing a phone book. Sure, the volume is huge and the pace is fast, but if you approach learning in medical school solely as memorization, you're doing it wrong (not to mention doing a huge disservice to yourself).
 
Mountaineer12 said:
That's not at all what I've heard at my school. I've heard hours suck sometimes, but other than that it's way better than second year. This seems to be a lot different at my school.
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hours aren't what make 3rd year suck. It's the fact that you aren't even on the totem pole. You can get dissed for going to bathroom without letting 10 people know. You have zero control over your schedule. You can be forgotten about for 6 hours and then told to go home; I mean, why even bother to come in if that's going to happen, but you have no say in the matter. You can put in a great work day and then find out your attending wasn't there (eg, you did it all for nothing). You can write the best note and then file it away under the wrong category and get chewed out for that.

3rd year is the ****ing worst. It's massively inefficient. It's one of the worst ways to learn anything.
 
The worst part for me is the fact that I have to sacrifice prime of life. By the time I finish residency I'll be 30. I don't need people telling me that 30 is still young - there are things only 20 year olds can do. But I'm the one who chose it so whatever.

Also I think that working a regular job is ideal for people in their 20s and sure as hell beats med school. You might be living paycheck to paycheck but you're a man free from debt and are not bound by constant worry about the future. Feel like taking a six week motorcycle tour of the country? No problem. Feel like trying your hand at boxing or something? Go ahead.

With medicine it s always about the future. College: all this hard work will pay off when I get into medical school. Medical school: all this sacrifice will pay off when I land that residency. Residency: these 100 hr work weeks will pay off when I finally practice and make the big bucks. Finish residency: now all I have to do is pay off these debts. When all is said and done you're 35+, out of the prime of your life, and just starting to settle
 
Sirach38 said:
I have absolutely loved med school. I would never change careers. I have enjoyed every moment of it and have never had any regrets about coming to med school nor have I thought of leaving. A lot of it has to do with the fact that I am very happy with my life outside of med school. This gives me energy to keep going when the going gets tough.
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Funny, the whole reason I have had trouble with medical school is precisely because my life was so awesome before med school, so the massive increase in stress and the separating from my friends is the big reason I haven't enjoyed med school nearly as much as I could have. I know how much I'm missing out on and it makes every hard day that much harder. But with over 100k in debt, no job to go back to, and not nearly enough reserve cash, the only option is forward. I'm hoping MS2 and getting back into the hospital in MS3 will fit my personality better than the brute force memorization that is so ridiculously prevalent in MS1.
 
chasm-e-baddoor said:
The worst part for me is the fact that I have to sacrifice prime of life. By the time I finish residency I'll be 30. I don't need people telling me that 30 is still young - there are things only 20 year olds can do. But I'm the one who chose it so whatever.

Also I think that working a regular job is ideal for people in their 20s and sure as hell beats med school. You might be living paycheck to paycheck but you're a man free from debt and are not bound by constant worry about the future. Feel like taking a six week motorcycle tour of the country? No problem. Feel like trying your hand at boxing or something? Go ahead.

With medicine it s always about the future. College: all this hard work will pay off when I get into medical school. Medical school: all this sacrifice will pay off when I land that residency. Residency: these 100 hr work weeks will pay off when I finally practice and make the big bucks. Finish residency: now all I have to do is pay off these debts. When all is said and done you're 35+, out of the prime of your life, and just starting to settle
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Well, it is unless you quit your job because you're not going to find something that offers 6 weeks of vacation.

But yeah, the whole delayed gratification thing blows. I didn't think it was a big deal until I started med school and realized that I'll be in my early/mid 30s before I have free time and money. It's a really ****ty realization, and I don't know why it didn't click in my mind until after I started med school.
 
Mad Jack said:
Funny, the whole reason I have had trouble with medical school is precisely because my life was so awesome before med school, so the massive increase in stress and the separating from my friends is the big reason I haven't enjoyed med school nearly as much as I could have. I know how much I'm missing out on and it makes every hard day that much harder. But with over 100k in debt, no job to go back to, and not nearly enough reserve cash, the only option is forward. I'm hoping MS2 and getting back into the hospital in MS3 will fit my personality better than the brute force memorization that is so ridiculously prevalent in MS1.
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Yes MSI can be tough. I was never a gunner though and prioritized accordingly. That helped a lot. The gunner life is miserable. I studied enough to do well on exams but not enough to do amazing. I had a lot of free time as an MSI and MSII because I didn't go to any lectures and just read on my own to take the exams. This worked out well for me and I was able to enjoy time with family and friends.
 
I was able to find a good balance between how much I should study and for what with being able to still do things that made me happy. Now, I couldn't do all the things that make me happy, but giving myself at least one day to myself has done a lot of good to make this year bearable. I don't regret coming to med school in the least
 
chasm-e-baddoor said:
The worst part for me is the fact that I have to sacrifice prime of life. By the time I finish residency I'll be 30. I don't need people telling me that 30 is still young - there are things only 20 year olds can do. But I'm the one who chose it so whatever.

Also I think that working a regular job is ideal for people in their 20s and sure as hell beats med school. You might be living paycheck to paycheck but you're a man free from debt and are not bound by constant worry about the future. Feel like taking a six week motorcycle tour of the country? No problem. Feel like trying your hand at boxing or something? Go ahead.

With medicine it s always about the future. College: all this hard work will pay off when I get into medical school. Medical school: all this sacrifice will pay off when I land that residency. Residency: these 100 hr work weeks will pay off when I finally practice and make the big bucks. Finish residency: now all I have to do is pay off these debts. When all is said and done you're 35+, out of the prime of your life, and just starting to settle
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Loooool. As someone who started med school at damn near 30, I can assure you that you've got so many good years left. I'm a bit more tired at 30, but otherwise life is actually more awesome than when I was younger.
 
Mad Jack said:
Loooool. As someone who started med school at damn near 30, I can assure you that you've got so many good years left. I'm a bit more tired at 30, but otherwise life is actually more awesome than when I was younger.
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Same here. I used to care about being a bit older when I started med school, but I'm over that now (especially when there's students that are much older than me all over the country). I'm still trucking along as if I was 5 years younger. The only exception is that the hangovers are much stronger 😀
 
circulus vitios said:
Well, it is unless you quit your job because you're not going to find something that offers 6 weeks of vacation.

But yeah, the whole delayed gratification thing blows. I didn't think it was a big deal until I started med school and realized that I'll be in my early/mid 30s before I have free time and money. It's a really ****ty realization, and I don't know why it didn't click in my mind until after I started med school.
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Pretty sure we told you like 100 times before you started and you were all about how it's better than manual labor
 
chasm-e-baddoor said:
When all is said and done you're 35+, out of the prime of your life
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Darned, I'm more than two decades older than that and I thought I was just entering my prime? Did you have to tell me that? Really, you just might find that life as you get older isn't so bad. For sure things change, but it's hardly the case that being a bit older when you make more money is a bad trade-off for doing what you want to do and enjoy doing it for the next 30 or so years of your life. YMMV, but I speak from experience and what I've seen with lots of my colleagues who are as elderly as I am and even older.
 
circulus vitios said:
Yeah. Getting a masters degree in accounting.
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Funny you should say that because I was literally just talking to a friend who graduated 1 wk ago from a top accounting program. He is working for a small firm making 60K plus 5K sign on bonus plus overtime (30/hr). He said he's very fortunate to be in his position because most accounting grads are making less than 60k starting. Also if you work for the Big 4 you're looking at 12 hour days (8am-8pm) for 3 months + studying for the CPA. Being an accountant is not easy and there is not a clear path to move up.

Why don't you go to PA school? 100k+ & 50hr/wks while still working in healthcare.

EDIT: Also where are you going to go? Most MACc's are for undergrad accounting majors right? Are you going to take the undergrad accounting classes then apply? That will easily take a few years by which time you would have been done with med school.
 
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SilentSoldier said:
Same here. I used to care about being a bit older when I started med school, but I'm over that now (especially when there's students that are much older than me all over the country). I'm still trucking along as if I was 5 years younger. The only exception is that the hangovers are much stronger 😀
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Oh god, the hangovers... I'm also way more tired- 4 am used to be an early night, now 1 am feels late.
 
Yadster101 said:
Funny you should say that because I was literally just talking to a friend who graduated 1 wk ago from a top accounting program. He is working for a small firm making 60K plus 5K sign on bonus plus overtime (30/hr). He said he's very fortunate to be in his position because most accounting grads are making less than 60k starting. Also if you work for the Big 4 you're looking at 12 hour days (8am-8pm) for 3 months + studying for the CPA. Being an accountant is not easy and there is not a clear path to move up.

Why don't you go to PA school? 100k+ & 50hr/wks while still working in healthcare.

EDIT: Also where are you going to go? Most MACc's are for undergrad accounting majors right? Are you going to take the undergrad accounting classes then apply? That will easily take a few years by which time you would have been done with med school.
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Working 60-70 hours a work during busy season will blow, but I'm getting paid (even if it is salary) and I can still have a life during the other 8-9 months of the year. I don't plan on doing Big 4 for life -- just for a few years to get the world-class experience, and then jump into corporate accounting with much more reasonable hours. Many MAcc only require a half dozen prerequisites that can be completed in two summer terms: financial accounting, managerial accounting, intermediate accounting I & II, taxation, and auditing. I've found a handful of programs that offer tailored pathways for students without accounting degrees with a 1.5 year timeline for completion of all coursework, including the prerequisites.

I would have to make a convincing argument for why I dropped out of med school to apply for PA school on top of jumping through more extracurricular hoops. I really don't feel like doing that.
 
circulus vitios said:
Working 60-70 hours a work during busy season will blow, but I'm getting paid (even if it is salary) and I can still have a life during the other 8-9 months of the year. I don't plan on doing Big 4 for life -- just for a few years to get the world-class experience, and then jump into corporate accounting with much more reasonable hours. Many MAcc only require a half dozen prerequisites that can be completed in two summer terms: financial accounting, managerial accounting, intermediate accounting I & II, taxation, and auditing. I've found a handful of programs that offer tailored pathways for students without accounting degrees with a 1.5 year timeline for completion of all coursework, including the prerequisites.

I would have to make a convincing argument for why I dropped out of med school to apply for PA school on top of jumping through more extracurricular hoops. I really don't feel like doing that.
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I know it varies a lot but what are the typical exit opportunities from the Big 4? Starting salary in accounting seems great but is there any growth 10+ years in? If you dont become a partner/CFO/etc. are you stuck in an 80k job for your entire life?

If the barriers (making a convincing argument) didnt exist, would you pick PA over accounting?
 
circulus vitios said:
Well, it is unless you quit your job because you're not going to find something that offers 6 weeks of vacation.

But yeah, the whole delayed gratification thing blows. I didn't think it was a big deal until I started med school and realized that I'll be in my early/mid 30s before I have free time and money. It's a really ****ty realization, and I don't know why it didn't click in my mind until after I started med school.
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Because your eyes were set on the big prize...
 
Yadster101 said:
I know it varies a lot but what are the typical exit opportunities from the Big 4? Starting salary in accounting seems great but is there any growth 10+ years in? If you dont become a partner/CFO/etc. are you stuck in an 80k job for your entire life?

If the barriers (making a convincing argument) didnt exist, would you pick PA over accounting?
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Extremely few people make partner so I'm not even considering that as a remote possibility.

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The vast majority of people leave after making Senior (after 3 years) or Manager (after 6 years) because the hours are better and the pay is usually better. Job title and salary will depend on when they exit and what area you work in (tax, audit, transactional services, etc.) I've heard that senior audit can generally land senior accounting jobs, manager audit can land assistant controller or controller. These positions offer better hours and 10-30% more money than Big 4 pays.

Making an inflation-adjusted $80k/year for the rest of your life wouldn't be too bad. I wouldn't mind it. I don't know if I would apply to PA school if the barriers weren't there.

edit: The "total compensation" column is complete bull****, just look at high/low.
 
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circulus vitios said:
Extremely few people make partner so I'm not even considering that as a remote possibility.

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The vast majority of people leave after making Senior (after 3 years) or Manager (after 6 years) because the hours are better and the pay is usually better. Job title and salary will depend on when they exit and what area you work in (tax, audit, transactional services, etc.) I've heard that senior audit can generally land senior accounting jobs, manager audit can land assistant controller or controller. These positions offer better hours and 10-30% more money than Big 4 pays.

Making an inflation-adjusted $80k/year for the rest of your life wouldn't be too bad. I wouldn't mind it. I don't know if I would apply to PA school if the barriers weren't there.
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Honestly accounting seems like a sweet gig...but actually being a doctor is probably much better than being a manager in accounting. Do you really hate med school that much? Are you passing your classes? Why not just pass your way into a nice psych residency and then make 200k for the rest of your life? If you make that your goal then its pretty much downhill after step 1. Also you'll have plenty of free time in 4th year and after first year of residency you'll probably be working hours similar to an accountant (maby better?)
 
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Yadster101 said:
Honestly accounting seems like a sweet gig...but actually being a doctor is probably much better than being a manager in accounting. Do you really hate med school that much? Are you passing your classes? Why not just pass your way into a nice psych residency and then make 200k for the rest of your life? If you make that your goal then its pretty much downhill after step 1. Also you'll have plenty of free time in 4th year and after first year of residency you'll probably be working hours similar to an accountant (maby better?)
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I dread waking up and studying for the day, and I can barely motivate myself to do so. I'm incurring massive amounts of debt and postponing my adult life for nearly a decade. Psych residencies still push 60 hours a week, if not more. Overall, it's just a terrible fit and I regret ever going down this path.
 
@circulus vitios ... If you are passing so far, maybe you should try to finish that first year and have some time during summer to think if you want to continue... I did not realize you were having such a hard time in med school.
 
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W19 said:
@circulus vitios ... If you are passing so far, maybe you should to finish that first year and have some time during summer to think if you want to continue... I did not realize you were having such a bad time in med school.
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I'm not. Passed first block, failing second block because I can't motivate myself to study.
 
W19 said:
Wow! That is a tough situation to be in... Do you want to leave and try to get an accounting degree or do you want to go to PA school?
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I don't want to be a PA. Even if I did, I wouldn't want to jump through the extracurricular hoops a second time.
 
circulus vitios said:
I don't want to be a PA. Even if I did, I wouldn't want to jump through the extracurricular hoops a second time.
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Your situation is very delicate... I really don't what to say except you should try to see your school psychologist before taking any drastic decision...
 
circulus vitios said:
I dread waking up and studying for the day, and I can barely motivate myself to do so. I'm incurring massive amounts of debt and postponing my adult life for nearly a decade. Psych residencies still push 60 hours a week, if not more. Overall, it's just a terrible fit and I regret ever going down this path.
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Why are you still in class? Get out as soon as possible before any more debt piles up.
 
chasm-e-baddoor said:
The worst part for me is the fact that I have to sacrifice prime of life. By the time I finish residency I'll be 30...

When all is said and done you're 35+, out of the prime of your life, and just starting to settle
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I hate to be the one to break this news, but you're going to be 35+ regardless of what career path you take. There is no career path that can stop time. The real question is what do you want to be doing when you get there.

The truth is that unless you were working menial if service sector jobs, you wouldn't have much freedom during your 20s anyway. For that motorcycle trip you'd need money to buy one, pay for fuel, lodging, etc. for that six weeks of freedom, and any job paying enough for you to do it comfortably wouldn't give six weeks of vacation.

This may be hard to believe, but you probably have more freedom during med school and some residencies than other young professional 20-somethings. All jobs suck, at least a little, which is why they have to pay someone to do it. You can do your ten years of suckage in a cubicle or in the hospital, but you'll be over thirty either way. No matter what you do, eventually those cute little 19 year olds will start calling you "sir."

So do what you love.
 
My opinion of medical school has varied dramatically over the years:

MS1: Bored out of my damned mind. Worked a theater job and spent a lot of time on martial arts.
MS2: Fascinated by the material. Happy to be in medical school.
MS3: VERY rotation dependent. I had one clerkship where I woke up an hour early every day because I was excited to get to the hospital. A couple of months later, I hated every single aspect of my new rotation and felt a sense of both worthlessness and agitation like I have never felt before.

Overall though? Worth it so far.
 
People in my school that HATE their lives right now are the type that like the idea of being a doctor, but don't like learning about medicine and dealing with patients. Sadly, life is nothing like the set of Grey's Anatomy and if you ever get to anything close to badass status in the hospital, then you've probably put in decades of very, very hard work to get there.
 
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