MD/DO title & influence on society

[Mintcake]

(First, sorry for posting two threads today, but I have a real discussion/question now.)
Revised version:

One of my reasons why I'd like to become a doctor is to be in a position of influence so I can campaign for a cause. My most passionate cause is... using menstrual cups instead of pads and/or tampons.

However, I don't think I want to be an OB/GYN or go into family medicine. The life of a paramedic or nurse practitioner looks to be a more attractive option, but would anyone listen to a paramedic or a nurse practitioner?

I know I could advocate for my 'cause' without ever becoming a healthcare worker, but I wonder if simply being a doctor would help at all with my goal... and this is really my lifetime goal. To be the woman who made menstrual cups mainstream in the united states. Sort of strange but.. yeah.

Do you think people be more likely to listen to someone who's actually a doctor if they're campaigning for a cause?

I might still become a doctor, but end up a surgeon of some sort, or an Optometrist... I'd still want to fight for menstrual cups, but people would say "... but you're an eye doctor..."

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[I'm No Superman]

(First, sorry for posting two threads today, but I have a real discussion/question now.)

One of the very strong reasons I want to become a doctor is so that I can influence my patients and the people around me to change the way they live for the better. My two very different goals are to:

- Encourage the use of menstrual cups as an alternative to pads and tampons
- Fight against prescribing unneeded antibiotics

.. The thing is, I don't want to be an OB/GYN. I've considered family medicine, but I'm starting to question if I'll even be able to make it through four years of med school. I know I have it in me, but I wonder if I'll think it's worth it in the end. Becoming a paramedic or NP is looking like a much more attractive option and I'd happily take either of those professions, but the thing is, would anyone listen to a paramedic or a nurse practitioner?

I'd love to see a day in the united states when there are commercials for menstrual cups and when antibiotics aren't prescribed for every virus and ear infection. I know I could become an advocate without ever becoming a healthcare worker, but I'd want to work in the medical field even if I didn't have these goals.

Do you think having an certain title matters when it comes down to campaigning for a cause?
I mean.. I might still become a doctor, but end up a surgeon of some sort, or an Optometrist... I'd still want to fight for menstrual cups, but people would be like "... but you're an eye doctor..."

I'm sorry, but the content in this thread and the name of the thread have 0 correlation.

Anyways. I'm not sure how the public would react to an Optometrist promoting menstrual cups. Mostly because I've never heard of an Optometrist promoting menstrual cups nor menstrual cups in general (and I hope I never use that word more than once in a sentence ever again). I'm sure it would be a little different than an Ob/Gyn fighting for them, but hey, if you believe in it go for it.

Also, this is a weird goal for a high school student. Not bad, just weird.

Also x2, you have at least 8 YEARS before you could become a doctor! Why are you thinking about this now?

 

[Mintcake]

I'm sorry, but the content in this thread and the name of the thread have 0 correlation.

Anyways. I'm not sure how the public would react to an Optometrist promoting menstrual cups. Mostly because I've never heard of an Optometrist promoting menstrual cups nor menstrual cups in general (and I hope I never use that word more than once in a sentence ever again). I'm sure it would be a little different than an Ob/Gyn fighting for them, but hey, if you believe in it go for it.

Also, this is a weird goal for a high school student. Not bad, just weird.

Also x2, you have at least 8 YEARS before you could become a doctor! Why are you thinking about this now?

Ahhh I'm sorry. I thought for a while how to word it, but I couldn't figure it out. I hope it's not a problem. I changed it a little.. I mostly meant would you listen to someone who's a doctor vs someone who's not.

Weird, but it's something I can truly get behind. Heh.
I'm thinking about it now because... I like to think about the future. Trust me, I never set anything in stone, I just like to have a lot of options and I'd like to know what people think about who's promoting what.
Ahhhh now I'm just embarrassed. I'll go back to lurking for a while now.

 

[I'm No Superman]

Ahhh I'm sorry. I thought for a while how to word it, but I couldn't figure it out. I hope it's not a problem. I changed it a little.. I mostly meant would you listen to someone who's a doctor vs someone who's not.

Weird, but it's something I can truly get behind. Heh.
I'm thinking about it now because... I like to think about the future. Trust me, I never set anything in stone, I just like to have a lot of options and I'd like to know what people think about who's promoting what.
Ahhhh now I'm just embarrassed. I'll go back to lurking for a while now.

Haha, its not a bad thing, and definitely don't stop posting, because there are maybe 5-6 regular posters here and it sucks.

Don't be embarrassed for planning ahead. A fair number of your peers are doing hard drugs and getting pregnant. Now that's embarrassing.

And yeah, your title threw me off big time

Name it: Medical Specialty & influence on society, or something like that.

 

[AntiHouseMD]

Don't worry about posting regularly. It gives us something to read.

You would honestly have to be an expert in your field (OB/GYN, in this case) to push for something like that. Optometrists could push for eye-related causes, but to campaign for anything else wouldn't really go over well. You wouldn't be viewed with much credibility as opposed to an OB/GYN.

Planning ahead isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just make sure to enjoy your time in high school and undergrad and not focus on everything medical.

And trust me, I have seen much weirder things on the Internet. This really isn't that weird. Just awkward to write the name. Please don't be a lurker, we need non-CC threads to comment on.

 

[BB8730]

I would advise against becoming a physician for the sole purpose of adding credibility to your health campaign. If you do have a passion for medicine also, then that's a different story, but it will be extremely hard to find the motivation to make it through 12+ years of pre-medicine, medical school, and residency if you aren't interested in becoming a physician.

My wife is very interested in health campaigns and this sort of stuff, and she is going for her master's in Health Communication. That might be something to look into. If these menstrual cups are as beneficial as you believe, you shouldn't have a problem finding other physicians to advocate them and add credibility to your campaign.

 

[Ibuprofen]

Buddy, being an MD doesn't mean the world is going to bow down and hang on every word you say.

Take endocrinologists for example. Do you see any recovered diabetics by doctor prescribed diet and exercise? Likely not.

If you feel those menstrual caps are going to save lives or be some revolution, I think what brakk said would be your best option.

 

[I'm No Superman]

Many people underestimate how hard med school is and drop out quickly from it. When I look at how easy other degrees are I just lol.

I've heard that the graduation rate for med schools is really high, at least in the US.

 

[OrangeCaramel]

Googled menstrual cups....OUCH. I'm really curious to find out how they would be more comfortable. Can you humor me?

EDIT: I'm assuming you can't get TSS, which is definitely an advantage.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I've heard that the graduation rate for med schools is really high, at least in the US.

The retention rate may be high ~90%, but that does not speak to the reality that medical school is hard and for this path probably stupid.