Is being a Surgical Technologist worth it before Med School?

[danth0ny]

So, I am in a bit of a dilemma. I am a Pre-Med student hoping to be a Surgeon. I am also currently a CNA at a large teaching hospital on a Surgical Oncology unit. I am currently attending community college and originally planned on transferring to my state university Fall of this year. I am debating on whether I should add two semesters (possibly 3) and become a surgical technologist prior to medical school, or just stay on the current path and doing an ordinary Bachelors in Biology. Hoping someone can read through the pros and cons below and provide their opinions what you would do.

PROS TO GOING SURGICAL TECH ROUTE:

• I already have all my prereqs except for A&P, and Microbiology, but I could take both plus my first surgical tech class this fall.
• I have to work full-time anyway unless I take out cost-of-living loans, so being in the OR multiple times a week would be amazing since I want to be a surgeon.
• Would probably learn a lot of medical terminology, surgical procedures, and plenty of tips for surgeons since I would probably work at the same teaching hospital I am now.
• Could be used as a fall back career in case I don't get accepted into medical school.
• Would have 2 years of experience as a CNA plus 2 years as a Surg Tech.
• Would make more money for two years prior to going to medical school.
• Would also build a lot of connection with surgeons and other physicians. Our hospital is great about this. Most of our doctors love to teach

CONS TO GOING SURGICAL TECH ROUTE:

• The path to medical school would be a little longer because of the extra year doing surgical tech classes. Then I will have to spend an extra year doing my actual Bachelors degree classes.
• Possibly lowering my GPA if the surgical tech classes are difficult. (I know med school and nursing can be hard, but I've not heard too much on surg tech. )
• Won't be getting the patient interaction that I do with being a CNA. (I would prefer being in the OR, but not sure how med schools would compare the two)
• I'll have to take A&P and Micro at a CC rather than a University.

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[Princeton Medical Student]

Not worth it. That year and a half could be spent improving your application for med school in much more significant ways, and if you get in right out of bachelors you will be losing a year's worth of attending's salary. You already have CNA which should provide you with ample opportunity to show clinical experience.

Also, you should not yet want to be a surgeon. You should first want to be a physician. People's minds about specialties change drastically in med school.

 

[danth0ny]

Not worth it. That year and a half could be spent improving your application for med school in much more significant ways, and if you get in right out of bachelors you will be losing a year's worth of attending's salary. You already have CNA which should provide you with ample opportunity to show clinical experience.

Also, you should not yet want to be a surgeon. You should first want to be a physician. People's minds about specialties change drastically in med school.

Thanks for the input. Pretty much what I was leaning towards as well. As for not picking a specialty, I totally get what you are saying. I just felt like it should be stated since that is my end goal. I have also been shadowing some of our physicians at the hospital (mainly a colo/rectal surgeon because of the floor I am on), so by the time I apply for med school I think I will have significant clinical experience as you stated.

 

[pseud0]

You don't want your avatar to be a picture of yourself. Some Adcoms check SDN, some even post on it.

 

[danth0ny]

You don't want your avatar to be a picture of yourself. Some Adcoms check SDN, some even post on it.

Ah, thanks for the heads up! Any reason why? (Just curious)

 

[Mednight]

It would rather be pointless to obtain of such. You'll be behind.

Why would you want to be behind when you have something to makeup for that (e.g CNA)

 

[danth0ny]

It would rather be pointless to obtain of such. You'll be behind.

Why would you want to be behind when you have something to makeup for that (e.g CNA)

Yeah, I guess I just needed to hear that. Thanks for everyone's advice!

 

[pseud0]

Ah, thanks for the heads up! Any reason why? (Just curious)

anonymity.

You don't want someone who is deciding whether or not you get into medschool to have access to every post you've ever made on an internet forum

 

[Mad Jack]

You won't really know if you want to be a surgeon until third year. It's all fun and games until you smell perforated bowel for the first time and spend the next hour using lap pads to uselessly try and get as much feces out of the abdomen as you can while doing your best not to vomit from the smell. And that's just the start of the case.

 

[danth0ny]

anonymity.

You don't want someone who is deciding whether or not you get into medschool to have access to every post you've ever made on an internet forum

That makes complete sense lol

 

[danth0ny]

You won't really know if you want to be a surgeon until third year. It's all fun and games until you smell perforated bowel for the first time and spend the next hour using lap pads to uselessly try and get as much feces out of the abdomen as you can while doing your best not to vomit from the smell. And that's just the start of the case.

Lol, that's why I have been shadowing one of our surgeons in the OR to see how interested I am even with the negative things that can happen like that. He is a colo/rectal surgeon so you can probably imagine the smells (Ah, burning flesh and feces lol) as you've noted lol. Not the greatest smells in the world sometimes, but still not enough to keep me away from giving it my all to get into medical school. The shadowing really makes a huge difference, though, and it gives you a reality check.

 

[ScottTenorman54]

Lol, that's why I have been shadowing one of our surgeons in the OR to see how interested I am even with the negative things that can happen like that. He is a colo/rectal surgeon so you can probably imagine the smells (Ah, burning flesh and feces lol) as you've noted lol. Not the greatest smells in the world sometimes, but still not enough to keep me away from giving it my all to get into medical school. The shadowing really makes a huge difference, though, and it gives you a reality check.

Those aren't the negatives. The negatives are the soul-sucking lifestyle and similar intangibles - things you never truly get a sense of until your third year. That being said, nothing wrong with aiming to be a surgeon in the lead-up, setting a tentative course with the knowledge you have available to you at your stage. I think people here just get a little touchy about premeds being interested in surgery because they run into too many of the stereotypical hypercompetitive future-neurosurgeon gunner types on these boards. Forget about that, you do you.

 

[danth0ny]

Those aren't the negatives. The negatives are the soul-sucking lifestyle and similar intangibles - things you never truly get a sense of until your third year. That being said, nothing wrong with aiming to be a surgeon in the lead-up, setting a tentative course with the knowledge you have available to you at your stage. I think people here just get a little touchy about premeds being interested in surgery because they run into too many of the stereotypical hypercompetitive future-neurosurgeon gunner types on these boards. Forget about that, you do you.

Thanks, I appreciate the advice! I think the "soul-sucking lifestyle" is a matter of perspective. I do understand why so many people on these forums say that. However, most of the attendings (that aren't the super strict and up-tight) say they really enjoy their lives. One of the physicians I shadowed said obviously you dedicate most of your time to the hospital but he still has time for family, and that's what matters most to him. Really good to hear that from a surgeon and not people over the Internet. Especially for me since the main reason I decided to go pre-med because of my interest in the OR.