Law School or Carribean

[gpannu]

Hi,

I'll make this quick. In a nutshell, I wanted to be a doctor couldn't get in to ontario after two admission cycles. Last year, as a back up, I applied to law school and was accepted but I decided to defer in order to give med school one more chance. Unfortunately I didn't get in to any Canadian med school this year.

Anyhow, I contacted a few schools apparently, I cannot attend Ross, AUC, or SGU because I haven't completed there physics pre-req. I would really like to attend school this fall (Sept 2004) so I have no intention of going back to school to complete physcis. Instead, I've looked in to other Carrib schools. Does anyone have any opinion on SABA? How does SABA stack up against the big 3. I viewd there match list for 2004 and was impressed. They had 2 grads match in neuro this year. The tution is reasonable and the island seems like a nice place to live. Can anyone provide any info on SABA. If SABA doesn't cut it than i'd rather go to law school and keep try to get into medicine if it's still what I really want.

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[rimon7381]

Hi,

I am going to Saba University in Sept 2004. From what I hear Saba is a good school. I have done a lot of research on this school before deciding to attend there and heard good things about Saba from Saba grads and other people. I applied to US schools this application cycle (first time) but got rejected post interview from the schools that interviewed me because of my poor performance on the MCAT. Anyway, they told me to retake the MCAT and if I do better I'll have a better chance of getting in next year. But I don't wan't to wait a year and retake the MCAT so I've decided to go Saba in Sept 2004. From what I hear Saba is a pretty strong school and the only disadvantage is that they don't have CA approval yet compared to SGU, ROSS, and AUC. But that is not a big factor for me cuz I am more leaning toward practicing in NY since I am from NY. Also, I choose this school because of low tuition and the fact that the school has smaller classes compared to SGU, AUC, and ROSS. The advantage of these 3 schools are that they are all approved by CA. But I hear Saba has scheduled a site visit by CA sometime this year (but not sure). But definitely do your own research and find out everything that you want to know about the school you are interested in. For me, Saba was the best fit among other caribbean med schools.

If you think medicine is the calling for you, I suggest you apply there and go for it. (many ppl are doing it)..instead of applying year after year in Canada or US without any success. If you don't want anything except medicine I guess you won't be happy in law shool (but only u know wut u want). If you don't want a ultra competitive specialty I think you'll be fine attending a caribbean school.

go to www.valuemd.com

You'll find lots of information there regarding caribbean schools.

 

[flighterdoc]

Hi,

I'll make this quick. In a nutshell, I wanted to be a doctor couldn't get in to ontario after two admission cycles. Last year, as a back up, I applied to law school and was accepted but I decided to defer in order to give med school one more chance. Unfortunately I didn't get in to any Canadian med school this year.

Anyhow, I contacted a few schools apparently, I cannot attend Ross, AUC, or SGU because I haven't completed there physics pre-req. I would really like to attend school this fall (Sept 2004) so I have no intention of going back to school to complete physcis. Instead, I've looked in to other Carrib schools. Does anyone have any opinion on SABA? How does SABA stack up against the big 3. I viewd there match list for 2004 and was impressed. They had 2 grads match in neuro this year. The tution is reasonable and the island seems like a nice place to live. Can anyone provide any info on SABA. If SABA doesn't cut it than i'd rather go to law school and keep try to get into medicine if it's still what I really want.

Saba is probably #4 on the list, and may soon make it into the "top 4" if it gets approval for California - not pertinent for you, but it would be an indication of it's excellence. The inspection by California is this month.

Now, you need to decide if you want to be a physician, or an -------. Or, neither. What are you passionate about?

Note: language edited by moderator as indicated by -----.

 

[gpannu]

To be honest i'm not passionate about much. I enjoy studying sciences escpecially material related to dieases, and the human body. Thus, I always thougt meds was a good fit. As for law school, --------a bit harsh....could say the same about any profession. Plenty off -------- CEO's, accountants, dentists and doctors (yes, it's true). Thanks for the info...considering SABA....

Just really don't know what I want...figure medicine is worth it since can't find a reason why i wouldn't enjoy the career.


Note language edited by ----

 

[Skip Intro]

To be honest i'm not passionate about much. I enjoy studying sciences escpecially material related to dieases, and the human body. Thus, I always thougt meds was a good fit. As for law school, --------a bit harsh....could say the same about any profession. Plenty off -------CEO's, accountants, dentists and doctors (yes, it's true). Thanks for the info...considering SABA....

Just really don't know what I want...figure medicine is worth it since can't find a reason why i wouldn't enjoy the career.

STOP!

Let me give you one huge piece of advice: do not go into medicine OR law right now! You have absolutely no friggin' clue what you want to do with your life. Go travel. Find yourself. You do not want to risk the huge investment in time and money with a high risk of becoming miserable. You can't go into medicine with a "gosh, I think it'd be kinda neat and I don't know what else to do" attitude. Go work in a hospital as a tech or nursing assistant. Go work as a paralegal assistant in a law firm for a year. Do something medical or legal.

Trust me, if money and/or prestige is your motivation (and I have a sneaking suspicion it might be), there are a lot of other jobs out there that will provide this to you. GO FIND YOURSELF BEFORE YOU TAKE A LEAP AND RISK LOSING YOURSELF... AND MAKING THE BIGGEST MISTAKE OF YOUR LIFE!

Please! I mean this in all sincerity.

-Skip

 

[VentdependenT]

Amen brother, amen. Medicine is far from glorious or prestigious, but it definitely is interesting.

If you have worked in the field for a while and know its for you then do it. Othwise if you are in it for the cash, and I know an alarming number of people who are, then you will be miserable unless you land derm, rads, or some other "life style" friendly field.

Otherwise, best of luck. I hope you find your niche and enjoy the hell out of it!

Vent

 

[gpannu]

Skip: Thanks I appreciate the concern but I've taken the last two years off and I don't want to sit around trying to find my self. Who knows when that may happen if that ever does. Sometimes you find what you want simply by trial and error or trying different things. I may not practice medicine forever or I might but I'm not gonna travel to figure out what I want. To put it simply for me that's futile. Prestige and money are reasons but not the only motivating factors. Yes, I agree medicine isn't worth it just for the money theres much easier ways to make cash. However, being financially secure which is one of my goals isn't a bad reason for leaning towards a profession. I'll never know unless I try; I figure it's better than waiting around and figure out what I was meant to do...you never knw mate unless you try.

 

[Flankstripe]

I can see your med school interviews already: "So, why do you want to become a doctor?" "Well, I figured going $100,000 in debt and spending 7+ years of the best years of my life working myself to death to become a board-certified doctor would be a good thing to assess via trial and error..."

Seriously man, figure out what you want to do and then go do it. Medicine is not for everyone. In fact, it's probably not for most people. If you're this ambivalent about med school now, it's going to suck during your preclinical years, and be an absolute bloodbath once you start pulling 80-90 hour work-weeks in the hospital. Residency will be even more fun, assuming you make it that far.

The previous guys have given you good advice. Do some volunteering, and see if you can see yourself being interested and passionate about medicine. I refuse to believe that there isn't a job out there that you'd look forward to doing 110%; you need to go figure out what that job is, because it certainly doesn't sound like medicine is it.

 

[CuteNurse]

I usually have the warm and fuzzy you-can do-it post but hold up. You cannot seriously think that 7-10 years of your life will be sweated away for a whim. The fact that you are saying Law School or Med School means that surviving Med School will be darned difficult. Medicine is really a ride or die kind of venture. I have been a nurse for 10 years, I know exactly what I am getting into, and I can't see myself doing anything but going to med school. Thats more along the lines of the attitude that you need to survive. It would be a shame to walk out of clinicals one day with a huge debt and never return because you didn't want it enough to begin with. At least Law is only four years of a 9-5 kinda schedule with one exam instead of 3 just to get licensed.

 

[Skip Intro]

Sometimes you find what you want simply by trial and error or trying different things.

This statement is what worries me. Going to medical school should never be viewed as a "trial and error" endeavor.

There is a great thread in the Clerkships forum, from about a year ago, where a lot of students finishing up their MSIII year were really questioning whether medicine was still for them.... (I'll search and try to link it). Basically, their transition from the classroom to the clinic was a rough one; one they were not prepared for and many where wondering, so late in the game, if medicine was a good choice. You don't want to be $50,000 - $60,000 in debt and still questioning yourself at that point, trust me.

I can only echo what CuteNurse has said. I'm an older student who worked for a long time in various peri- and para-medical fields. I knew what I was getting into. I love being challenged, and as I'm coming towards the end of my MSIII year, know for certain that medicine is the right choice for me. There are no doubts... but there never were, really, because I already for the most part knew what I was getting into.

Just some thoughts for you. Ultimately the decision is (of course) yours. Point is, there are a lot of different ways to go for you at this point. Just look deep within yourself and try to figure out what your real motivations for wanting to pursue medicine are. The "warm fuzzies" of being a doctor are far outweighed these days by a lot of frustrated patients, tons of paperwork, often unionized ancillary staff that spends more time fighting with you than actually doing what you requested in the first place, litigation... the list goes on and on. You get the drift.

Good luck.

-Skip

 

[Skip Intro]

Here's is the link:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=65024

This was an excellent thread for someone who's in a situation like yourself and unsure if medicine is the right choice. Remember: medicine is more than an occupiation; it's a lifestyle. You have to understand and be prepared for that fact before you make the commitment. Otherwise, you may be making the biggest mistake of your life.

-Skip

 

[gpannu]

Hmm...

Again thanks for the concern. Look i'm no fool; I would never consider all the hardships of going overseas, working long hours, on just a warm fuzzy feeling. I may not be as gung ho as everyone else but that doesn't mean that I don't or shouldn't practice medicine. I've been researching this career since i've been 17. I'm no fool I know medicine has little to do with glamour. I had a very broad undergraduate background and the course I enjoyed the most and did well in were my sciences (biology course). Furthermore, my co-op experince in other industries (IT, pharamaceutical) has given me a glimpse of careers outside of medicine. I can't pinpoint why I like it more than other careers. But the thought of learning about the brain and the body, determing how to classify symptoms and to come up with a corresponding solution seems a hell of alot more exciting to me than most careers. As I stated before I've taken the last two years off to figure out if this is what I want. To say that you should have no doubts as to whether or not u want to do this is unfair. I'm 25 who knows what i'll want when I'm 35 or 40. People change careers all the time (MD's go into law, Engineers to medicine). Not everyone knows what the heck the want sometimes the fall in to a career that they think the might enjoy and than pursue it. Some of the brightest lawyers fell in to the practice of law. Ian Kerr, at the University of Ottawa one of the brightest lawyers in the practice of IP, was a science undergrad. He was admitted to dental school decided not to go pursued a Phd in philosophy and now is a lawyer. He is also a good friend of mine. I asked him if he was passionate about the law he said he had no idea what he was getting into he just thought it was something he'd enjoy after doing a bit of reasearch. Know he loves his carrer as an IP lawyer.

The moral of the story you'll never know what the hell you want unless you try. Better to do something than nothing. I've done the volunteering, and the course work, the only way i'll know is if I try. For all of you who knew you wanted to be a MD since brith kudos to you!

 

[coco881]

Hi gpannu,

I empathize with you. But, I think the underlying theme of all these posts is simply that medical school is a serious committment. It's not just a profession, it's a lifestyle. You need to be prepared for the reality that you really are giving up 6-8 years of your life to do this, and the only thing that's going to get you through it is your persistence and motivation. Whether you feel that your decision to go to medical school is part of trial-and-error, or because it's the only thing you've wanted to do since you were five - be prepared to work hard, and realize that you need to be committed, and put in the most effort you can. Good luck with your decision.

Coco

 

[PrinceLazar]

Saba is probably #4 on the list, and may soon make it into the "top 4" if it gets approval for California - not pertinent for you, but it would be an indication of it's excellence. The inspection by California is this month.

Now, you need to decide if you want to be a physician, or an -------. Or, neither. What are you passionate about?

Agree.

Deciding between becoming a physician or a lawyer is like having to choose between becoming a firefighter or a prostitute.

 

[stang]

Hi everyone,
I was just curious, why do premeds choose law school as a backup? I would think dental school or pharm school would be better options. Personally, I loved my science classes and hated my undergrad poly sci classes. I was also rejected last application cycle, and after researching other health related careers, am considering applying to dental schools this year.

gpannu,
Why did you choose law school as a backup instead of dental, or some other health related school?

Thanks, good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[stephew]

Hi,

I'll make this quick. In a nutshell, I wanted to be a doctor couldn't get in to ontario after two admission cycles. Last year, as a back up, I applied to law school and was accepted but I decided to defer in order to give med school one more chance. Unfortunately I didn't get in to any Canadian med school this year.

Anyhow, I contacted a few schools apparently, I cannot attend Ross, AUC, or SGU because I haven't completed there physics pre-req. I would really like to attend school this fall (Sept 2004) so I have no intention of going back to school to complete physcis. Instead, I've looked in to other Carrib schools. Does anyone have any opinion on SABA? How does SABA stack up against the big 3. I viewd there match list for 2004 and was impressed. They had 2 grads match in neuro this year. The tution is reasonable and the island seems like a nice place to live. Can anyone provide any info on SABA. If SABA doesn't cut it than i'd rather go to law school and keep try to get into medicine if it's still what I really want.

a friendly questions: do you really want to be a doctor? You didnt finish a common pre-req, you seriously considered law school and you say ou have no intention of trying the prereq So the question to ask yourself is this really what you want? to be honest i agree with skip on this one.

Matching in neuro fairly easy these days so youre ok nearly any where you go, if you decide to do this. also being canadian (are you?) raises more issues than if youre a us citizen.

 

[stephew]

Hi everyone,
I was just curious, why do premeds choose law school as a backup? I would think dental school or pharm school would be better options. Personally, I loved my science classes and hated my undergrad poly sci classes. I was also rejected last application cycle, and after researching other health related careers, am considering applying to dental schools this year.

gpannu,
Why did you choose law school as a backup instead of dental, or some other health related school?

Thanks, good luck with whatever you decide.

the answer is that "preprofessionals" choose law as a backup. that is people who know they want to be a professional and if they can't do via one avenue, another will do. Frankly I woudnt do law, pharm, nursing or dental personally if i couldnt be a doctor. None interest me.