Lives of hopeful undergrads, med students, and doctors

[Curious_Joe*]

I?m a high school senior close to graduation, considering a career in medicine. Today in class my Chem teacher asked me what I was considering as a career. When I told her medicine was at the top of my list, she asked if I had the dedication to give up my spare time in college and sit myself in a library. She informed my class and I that the pre-medical students she went to school with did not have enjoyable college experiences (wild vacations, parties, etc.) I?m curious what a pre-medical student?s college experience is like. Must you devote countless hours to cramming for every test?s minor detail, and do you miss out on the fun parts of being young? The same question applies to medical students and doctors. What are the lives of doctors really like? Are they filled with countless work hours, declining salaries, skyrocketing insurance costs and ungrateful patients? I am fascinated by medicine and am willing to work hard in my pursuit of a medical career, but am unsure about how much I am willing to ?give up?. Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to offer.


Sincerely,
~GoInG~KrAzY~

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[Castro Viejo]

Originally posted by Curious_Joe*
Are they filled with countless work hours, declining salaries, skyrocketing insurance costs and ungrateful patients?

Yes, yes, yes, and yes.

But being a doctor, as I understand it, is still a peach.

Not everyone who's premed in college gave up a life, but it's admittedly curtailed compared to the film majors and even the finance majors on campus. There's intense competition amongst premeds on most college campuses because each one wants to be in medical school at the end of four years. Wouldn't you?

What it boils down to is what your chemistry teacher believes is fun. If she thinks "fun" is defined by how often you can drink to the point of wanting to puke your guts out on a Tuesday night, how many clubs you can hop in a week in the big city, or how many joints one can roll in the span of an hour, then yeah, I can imagine why she didn't think the premeds were having much "fun."

When I was premed, I had time to hang out with friends, go to movies, go to dinner, have a couple beers, and even go bar-hopping/drinking every now and then. I didn't give up a social life. I dated. I had a good time.

I would also tend to think her opinions on the life of a premed are suspect, considering she presumably wasn't one in college. You'll notice when you finally start your premed studies that the non-premed in your science classes (bio, chem, oraganic chem, physics), or those going for grad school and not med school, will be intensly resentful of your supposed "premed gunner" attitude. They won't like you for it and they probably carry such a sentiment for the rest of their lives.

If you want to go to medical school, go for it. Don't let your chemistry teacher, of all people, discourage you or fill your head with half-truths. Talk to current med students, current premeds, and even practicing physicians. Ask them how their day shapes up and what they do and if they're happy (I'd avoid second-year med students entirely if I were looking for encouraging views).

Good luck to you.

 

[nero]

Hey,


It's not true that pre meds don't have lives........i partied plenty in college, and still did my study thing.....however i did not party 7 days a week, i prioritized and made time to study and go out......its called BALANCE..............if you teacher thinks premeds dont' have time to go out, its for two reasons.........

1. she wasn't premed, so she doesnt' know first hand..
2. jif she was premed, she didn't know how to have a BALANCED life...........only wanted fun..........that's why she's not a doc........

something you'll learn as you go along and that I found out as i went through college......everythign and their mother is going to give you advice about med school, mcat and try to bs with you about the whole med school thing..........reality of it is, dont' believe any who hasn't been through it.........the ones who have been through it will give you a first hand account, not the hs chem teachers or the orgo professor you have or any of them..........they think they know medicine, but they have very little idea of it........even if their bro, spouse, sis anybody is a doc, its different than actually going through the whole mcat, app process etc..........i had pfofessors try to tell me about med schools, and act like they know what they were talkign about, truth is, they didn't........i had people try to tell me the state tuition of florida schools was 7,000.........when i went on my interview they told me that it was 13,600, but somehow i was wrong......cause they know more.....point is, reserach with med students, med schools etc........SDN helped me learn A LOOOOOT....stick around here...............good luck


nero

 

[hotbovie]

You'll have to work hard, no doubt. That does not mean you have to spend all free time studying. You'll need to work hard to get good grades in your undergrad classes (I didn't do so hot in undergrad AND started med school after a LONG break during which I worked several different jobs and then got a graduate degree).
You'll have to study hard for the MCAT, but that's only for a relatively short time.

You'll have to work harder in med school. But you'll find that the degree to which you have to work will vary. You'll study hardest as exams approch, and less just after exams as you start new material. Some semesters will be harder than others. But if you plan your time carefully, you can do that and have a life, however you define that. You can have time to party. You can have time to train for a triathalon (one of my classmates did that during year 2 of med school, which is the hardest at my school). You can have time to see a movie. You can have time to date, get married, have kids. You'll can have time to volunteer, or be involved in school activites. You'll have to work harder at balance than most people.

Second two years of med school are clinical, and vary in how hard you work during the different rotations. The last year is typically pretty laid back after the first couple months (when you are working to get letters of reference for your chosen specialty)

Hours as a doctor vary greatly depending on what specialty you choose. Some are primarily M-F, 8-5 (dermatology or ophthamology are examples) others keep much more demanding hours (eg general surgery).

Bottom line...do what you love. If you don't, you'll regret it. I didn't do what I really wanted at first. Now I am, and while I'm very glad to be in med school now (acutally about to finish) I wish I had done it much earlier. Med school is much easier on people in their 20's than those in their 40's.

 

[TulaneKid24]

Curious Joe,

I agree with the other posts above.

When I was in undergrad, I indeed worked hard, but I also Played hard.

It's all about balance. Work hard and play hard.

Please don't let people discourage you from reaching your goals. I am very dissappointed in your HS chemistry teacher. Of all people, s/he should be more encouraging, and not so negative.

If you want to study medicine, Go for it!

 

[beezar]

I did not work very hard at all as a premed in undergrad. But then again, I wasn't a complete slacker. I'm sure it depends upon where you go to school and what your major is. Major in something you are truly interested in (well, maybe stick to the sciences) and it won't be bad at all.

At my undergrad, most premeds majored in biology. I majored in chemistry. And I had a helluva lot more free time than my biology compadres. And was happier. In fact, I thought all premeds were like me until I took a biochem class. A lot of those bio premed people at my school were super intense and just uncomfortable to be around, making that class an unpleasant experience. Definitely did not like the cutthroat attitude.

So do what makes you happy. And don't listen to cynics.

 

[IlianaSedai]

You don't even have to stick to the sciences. I majored in English/Ethnic Literature. Got into med school, and do fine. No problem. Lots of people major in the arts and go to medical school-- just check in with the pre-med office at whatever college you attend, and they'll make sure you take the science classes you need to no matter what your major is. :