Love medicine but hate the lifestyle...

[Ellabelle]

Hey guys,
I'm currently done with my Pre-reqs for the MCAT and have one more year of undergrad. I was going to take the MCAT this summer and apply next year but recently I've been realizing that I really hate the lifestyle of physicians. I absolutely love emergency medicine and pediatrics (I adore kids!) but I don't like the idea of being on call or having to deal with long hours. I've shadowed/volunteered for the past two years and I know that I love it but the lifestyle is just a turnoff! I've been thinking about dentistry mainly because it give me a chance to be involved with medicine while having less stress and more flexibility with hours. To me, happiness is not just loving your job but also having time to spend with your family and not being tired all the time. I feel like dentistry would give me all of that except for the fact that it's not really medicine! I need some insights/advice. Please let me know what you guys think.
Thanks,
Ella

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[Spinach Dip]

There are plenty of medical specialties which do not require long hours or being on call.

Perhaps someone else can provide a comprehensive list.

 

[GopherMD]

I work with hospitalists. They work 7 days in a row (day shift) and then have 7 days off. Sounds REAL nice (to quote Cousin Eddie from Christmas Vacation).

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

PA
AA
Dentistry
CRNA
NP
Nurse

I'm sure you could find long hours in each of these, but on the whole, I'd say they provide a more conventional lifestyle.

 

[Lafakads]

Hey guys,
I'm currently done with my Pre-reqs for the MCAT and have one more year of undergrad. I was going to take the MCAT this summer and apply next year but recently I've been realizing that I really hate the lifestyle of physicians. I absolutely love emergency medicine and pediatrics (I adore kids!) but I don't like the idea of being on call or having to deal with long hours. I've shadowed/volunteered for the past two years and I know that I love it but the lifestyle is just a turnoff! I've been thinking about dentistry mainly because it give me a chance to be involved with medicine while having less stress and more flexibility with hours. To me, happiness is not just loving your job but also having time to spend with your family and not being tired all the time. I feel like dentistry would give me all of that except for the fact that it's not really medicine! I need some insights/advice. Please let me know what you guys think.
Thanks,
Ella

Emergency Medicine is never on call and they work the fewest hours out of most specialties I believe.

I think like 36 hours a week is avg for them. But those 36 hours, they are busting ass.

 

[Ismet]

Not sure if srs...you shadowed 2 specialties where it is very possible to have "controlled" schedules, especially EM, and peds if you work in a private practice and can have a set schedule and on call rotations. If those lifestyles turned you off, I'm not sure what you're looking for in being a physician.

To me, happiness is not just loving your job but also having time to spend with your family and not being tired all the time.

Lol med school will not be a happy time for you, then.

 

[LaughingMan]

My EM physician I worked with worked 104 hours a month.

 

[TheWeeIceMan]

Sure EM and Hospitalists work less hours per week (or per 2 week for hospitalists), but they both have drawbacks if you want a conventional lifestyle. EM will probably have you working nights, weekends, holidays. Hospitalists get a full 7 off, but from what I hear, the 7 on is truly brutal.

 

[GopherMD]

Sure EM and Hospitalists work less hours per week (or per 2 week for hospitalists), but they both have drawbacks if you want a conventional lifestyle. EM will probably have you working nights, weekends, holidays. Hospitalists get a full 7 off, but from what I hear, the 7 on is truly brutal.

For the most part, the 7 days working don't seem be that bad (I work M-F with the hospitalists). There are days where you will be swamped with 3-4 new admissions and 16-20 total patients though. But these days are few and far between. I think it's a good lifestyle, but then again I'm just a pre-med.

 

[Chir0nex]

Hey guys,
I'm currently done with my Pre-reqs for the MCAT and have one more year of undergrad. I was going to take the MCAT this summer and apply next year but recently I've been realizing that I really hate the lifestyle of physicians. I absolutely love emergency medicine and pediatrics (I adore kids!) but I don't like the idea of being on call or having to deal with long hours. I've shadowed/volunteered for the past two years and I know that I love it but the lifestyle is just a turnoff! I've been thinking about dentistry mainly because it give me a chance to be involved with medicine while having less stress and more flexibility with hours. To me, happiness is not just loving your job but also having time to spend with your family and not being tired all the time. I feel like dentistry would give me all of that except for the fact that it's not really medicine! I need some insights/advice. Please let me know what you guys think.
Thanks,
Ella

What specifically did you like about medicine. Was it just helping others, or was it the high adrenaline life saving aspects? I ask, because being a dentist will never have the same level of serious life or death situations that are found in medicine, as so may not match what you want.

Once you are an attending, depending on your specialty, workplace, and personal preferences, you can likely craft a reasonable schedule (especially in private practice). Just be aware that many fields will likely be off limits to you really want a light schedule, and that may of the most flexible (like dermatology) are highly competitive because of the life style they offer. Also, regardless of what you end up specializing in, your 4 years of med school+ X years of residency will almost certainly require you to dedicate most of your time to them. In other words, get ready for a a very long and hard 7+ years of work before you reach the point of being able to take it easy.

It is good that you are considering now if you can handle the lifestyle of a doc. Just make sure you have an accurate picture of what your career can be, and why you want to do medicine in the first place.

 

[Daodejing]

For the most part, the 7 days working don't seem be that bad (I work M-F with the hospitalists). There are days where you will be swamped with 3-4 new admissions and 16-20 total patients though. But these days are few and far between. I think it's a good lifestyle, but then again I'm just a pre-med.

Many people who go into IM subspecialize, specifically in order to avoid being a hospitalist. Endo, non-academic ID, Rheum, etc. all have better lifestyles than hospitalists.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Hey guys,
...I feel like dentistry would give me all of that except for the fact that it's not really medicine!

There's an alarm going off in dentist central right now. Beware.

 

[Ellabelle]

I'm glad you asked! I love being a doctor because I have always been fascinated with the idea of diagnosing what is wrong with people/human body.

 

[Ellabelle]

I'm not sure what you mean by that? Could you please explain? Thank you

 

[Ellabelle]

There's an alarm going off in dentist central right now. Beware.

I'm not sure what you mean by that! Could you please explain? Thanks

 

[Ellabelle]

What specifically did you like about medicine. Was it just helping others, or was it the high adrenaline life saving aspects? I ask, because being a dentist will never have the same level of serious life or death situations that are found in medicine, as so may not match what you want.

Once you are an attending, depending on your specialty, workplace, and personal preferences, you can likely craft a reasonable schedule (especially in private practice). Just be aware that many fields will likely be off limits to you really want a light schedule, and that may of the most flexible (like dermatology) are highly competitive because of the life style they offer. Also, regardless of what you end up specializing in, your 4 years of med school+ X years of residency will almost certainly require you to dedicate most of your time to them. In other words, get ready for a a very long and hard 7+ years of work before you reach the point of being able to take it easy.

It is good that you are considering now if you can handle the lifestyle of a doc. Just make sure you have an accurate picture of what your career can be, and why you want to do medicine in the first place.

I'm glad you asked! I love being a doctor because I have always been fascinated with the idea of diagnosing what is wrong with people/human body.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

I'm not sure what you mean by that! Could you please explain? Thanks

Because for the first two years, dentists take essentially the same curriculum as MD students. They perform medicine, just on the mouth. I'm no dentist-lover, but your comment about dentists is idiotic and offensive (to dentists, so we let it slide here for the most part.)

 

[Snowdon48]

I don't think OP meant to be offensive to dentists, it just wasn't a well thought out statement.

Question for the OP- are you married now? I am getting married this summer and start med school this fall so the time commitment being detrimental to my family is scary for me too. I have just tried to be very clear with my fiance about how hard med school will be on both of us and I think she is relatively prepared for that (if possible). My Dad was married with 3 kids in med school and was still a great family man. But he also had a very understanding and considerate wife. So I guess my point is you can still spend time with your family and go the MD/DO route but having a fam who understand your responsibilities is paramount. Good luck!

 

[galaxyx]

This is why a lot of people choose PA over MD. It's basically UG +1year of clinical experience, +2 years of PA school = Decent hourly wage job. If you want to be involved in medicine, aren't concerned about a terminal degree, and especially if you're interested in Family Practice type work, go to PA school. PA's at my hospital work the Fast Track and see all the urgent care type stuff, like broken bones, cough/cold/flu, etc. They seem satisfied with their jobs though.

 

[pre med 2014]

Because for the first two years, dentists take essentially the same curriculum as MD students. They perform medicine, just on the mouth. I'm no dentist-lover, but your comment about dentists is idiotic and offensive (to dentists, so we let it slide here for the most part.)

I thought it was cute how she said "dentistry isn't really medicine".

 

[DokterMom]

Really good questions that you're wise to be asking now --

PA is a great alternative. Much of the same work, though some key differences: More hands-on time with the patients, more routine care, fewer life and death cases (those you'll pass quickly on to Doc), less authority (do you need to be in charge?), less debt, less overtime.

What about midwife? Advanced nursing?

Podiatry or Optometry are lifestyle friendly options. And yes, dentistry or orthodontics.

Or the whole med school route but with careful consideration to the type of practice. If you're brilliant and super competitive, then derm or some of the other 'lifestyle' specialties are viable options -- high paying too. Other options can be family friendly depending on the type of practice...

 

[Ellabelle]

Thank you so much everyone! I really appreciate your help. Also, sorry about the comment about dentistry not really being medicine. I really didn't mean to offend anyone; I just worded it incorrectly.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Thank you so much everyone! I really appreciate your help. Also, sorry about the comment about dentistry not really being medicine. I really didn't mean to offend anyone; I just worded it incorrectly.

It's all good. Best of luck, just know that starting the beginning of this long, hard journey with prior stipulations about what must be provided to you, when so many others make no demands, can be a recipe for heartbreak. And I say that as a med student with 1 and 6/10ths kids, spouse, house and all that. The competition won't hold back to make your desires come true.