Medicine School IS NOT FOR ME. CRAP...

[paranoid_eyes]

OP: go into a field that you DO want to dedicate your life to. Go into dentistry if you absolutely love it (which i doubt seeing the striking similarities btwn dentistry and medicine). If you wanna start seeing money fast, and if money is all you want (and I understand that some ppl legitimately have this goal, and there is NOTHING wrong with it) then go into business. Your SB degree is not going to hurt you in finding jobs. Go for a MBA because that 3.8 will take you places in ANY field (Law, business, etc.).

btw, that little statement about how UCLA bizecon majors have it made...not true. First of all, getting a 3.8 in bizecon is extremely hard (harder than premed courses) and not everyone is guaranteed anything.

anyways...good luck

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[SaveThisLabRat]

My thoughts are similar to Paranoid's first sentence. I think it would be a little difficult, and uncomfortable, to study dentistry if you don't really have a passion for... teeth. Like, I think you'd be a little stuck at the interview, get what I mean?

"Why do you want to study dentistry?"

"Well... I feel/think/believe I would make a good dentist because... when I was five, I saw this dentist... I mean, dentists have always been an inspiration to me... You know, um, teeth... are so interesting, how they evolved... And all of the different kinds, how broad the aspect...The field is growing...*sweat drop* I've always wanted to help people."

You've got a lot of years, hon. Test the waters =)

OP: go into a field that you DO want to dedicate your life to. Go into dentistry if you absolutely love it (which i doubt seeing the striking similarities btwn dentistry and medicine). If you wanna start seeing money fast, and if money is all you want (and I understand that some ppl legitimately have this goal, and there is NOTHING wrong with it) then go into business. Your SB degree is not going to hurt you in finding jobs. Go for a MBA because that 3.8 will take you places in ANY field (Law, business, etc.).

btw, that little statement about how UCLA bizecon majors have it made...not true. First of all, getting a 3.8 in bizecon is extremely hard (harder than premed courses) and not everyone is guaranteed anything.

anyways...good luck

 

[batman1983]

As someone who has work at an investment bank, and later decided to go into medicine, I can relate towards your thinking. Personally, you have to ask yourself what will make you happy? If you equate money with success, and your ultimate goal is to make money, then medicine is most likely not the field for you. While the salaries for doctors are pretty high, relative to the amount of work, effort, and selectivity it takes to become a doctor, it is probably not worth it from a monetary perspective, and most likely, with the increasing trend towards socialized healthcare, liability costs, and etc, it will even decrease. Furthermore, while a doctor might make $140-200k/yr, you also have to take into account the high amount of debt and the opportunity cost of not working 4-8 yrs.

Yet, business jobs are not fun and games either. As for myself, while I received job offers to work at investment banks for $100K/yr straight out of college; I would have also had to put in 80-100hr/weeks doing **** work. Obviously, people are willing to make that commitment because of the potential to make the big bucks (300K-couple millions) as they climb up the organizational ladder, but what many fail to realize is that most will not make it up to those upper echelons, and thus end up at some middle management role in the later years. Unless they like what they are doing, many will become depressed and resentful.

Thus, in the end, my opinion is to do what you like, and let the money will follow. If you are passionate enough about something, you will most likely be successful at it.

 

[batman1983]

OP: go into a field that you DO want to dedicate your life to. Go into dentistry if you absolutely love it (which i doubt seeing the striking similarities btwn dentistry and medicine). If you wanna start seeing money fast, and if money is all you want (and I understand that some ppl legitimately have this goal, and there is NOTHING wrong with it) then go into business. Your SB degree is not going to hurt you in finding jobs. Go for a MBA because that 3.8 will take you places in ANY field (Law, business, etc.).

btw, that little statement about how UCLA bizecon majors have it made...not true. First of all, getting a 3.8 in bizecon is extremely hard (harder than premed courses) and not everyone is guaranteed anything.

anyways...good luck

I dont know about bizecon at UCLA, but bizecon at Haas (Berkeley) is a joke. I think the premed and science courses at Berkeley are 100X harder than the bizecon courses. I remember only having to study a couple hours before a bizecon exam and I would set the curve, whereas for my premed/sci classes, I would have to study week or two in advance just to get slightly above the mean. From my own experience and that of friends that have done business/premed, they all agree that taking bizecon classes are a nothing compared to the premed courses.

 

[cheezer]

OP, 50-60k is good money, I made this doing IT work and there was definitely enough to party, but let me tell you when you got a job w/no grad degree you get shi*t on. I suggest you think hard about what you want to do while still in school and then head straight to whatever grad school you decide on. Then you can party aftward while making that hefty paycheck. Those years will be your prime years.

 

[cheezer]

Btw I don't think money is everything, you gotta do what you love, what makes you wake up in the morning. Just my .02

 

[MChitty]

I wouldn't take this as the best forum to get advice on working in the corporate world. Most people here have chosen medicine or some other health related field as their path and are obviously passionate about it. I have plenty of friends that work on Wall St. or whatnot and absolutely love it. You personally couldn't pay me enough money to do that kind of job, but for some, it's really what they like.

I feel like you should get out and work and see what you think. I've been out of school for three years and it could possibly become four if this cycle doesn't go my way. I've actually gotten to enjoy some of my 20s and really feel solid about my choice to go to medical school. Going straight through is fine for some people, but I honestly do not regret at all taking a little longer. I also felt at 21 compeltely confused and unsure and am thankful that our system allows us the opportunity to take our time.

A couple years seems like a lot at this point, but believe me, it goes by quickly! Plus a couple years now is definitely worth a lifetime of misery...

 

[AGDJenni]

MrDreamWeaver:

He didn't mean it as medicine as a second choice, more that it is such a demanding committment and profession that you need to know beyond a doubt that it is what you want to do because if you don't you will be miserable.

He actually ended up getting an MPH and now is living a nice life as an epidemiologist in San Fran, happy he didn't take the medical school acceptance.

Your plan sounds good. Take both MCAT and DAT, work, and then re-evaluate once you have more time to think about it.

 

[theraball]

I wouldn't take this as the best forum to get advice on working in the corporate world. Most people here have chosen medicine or some other health related field as their path and are obviously passionate about it. I have plenty of friends that work on Wall St. or whatnot and absolutely love it. You personally couldn't pay me enough money to do that kind of job, but for some, it's really what they like.

I feel like you should get out and work and see what you think. I've been out of school for three years and it could possibly become four if this cycle doesn't go my way. I've actually gotten to enjoy some of my 20s and really feel solid about my choice to go to medical school. Going straight through is fine for some people, but I honestly do not regret at all taking a little longer. I also felt at 21 compeltely confused and unsure and am thankful that our system allows us the opportunity to take our time.

A couple years seems like a lot at this point, but believe me, it goes by quickly! Plus a couple years now is definitely worth a lifetime of misery...

Good points all. 21 is so young. Take a year or two off and work, or travel, and get to know yourself a bit. You have plenty of time to go into medicine. The sweet spot today is 27-30, still young but having acquired some life experience and maturity.

Business is not a "profession", it's an activity. You don't need a fancy MBA or even a high school diploma to be a businessman; you just need common sense: buy low, sell high, and have the people skills to make your customers want to give you their money.

You want money? Identify a service or product that is missing from the world, or that you can deliver more cheaply, start a company with a small loan, and if you work 100-120 hours/week for 10 years you will be worth a million dollars. If you're lucky, you'll be worth a lot more. If you're unlucky, you're bankrupt, and you'll start over. Especially in a free market economy like the U.S., you can ascend to the heights or hit rock bottom based largely on your own merits.

There's no free ride. In business, be it manufacturing, consulting, service industry, high tech--you need to pound the pavement and network with everyone in town. After thousands of hours of shaking hands, attending networking meetings, cold calling, and yes, despairing and calling yourself a failure, you will meet the right person and get that lucky break and be on your way.

Make no mistake--the best things in life require hard work. Choose medicine because you want to practice medicine, not because of the money or prestige or other mythical qualities. Good luck!

 

[TheMightyAngus]

If you like business, do business. Medical school is so far removed from any sort of business/economic/entrepreneurial/financial activity it is nonsensical. MD/MBA combined programs don't fill this void because you go to B-school too early. You have to go into medicine because you like medicine.

 

[Mastac741]

You're right. I couldn't see myself staring at teeth all day either, but there are other specialities in dentistry that allow you to do more than just clean them up. You said you majored in business. Did you get a job when you graduated? Why did you switch? This would help me a bunch! Your friend's story is scary.

OP - I don't think you understand that Dental school is a lot like medical school. You said you can't stand looking at teeth all day - ummm...that's dentistry man. If you want to be an endodontist or an orthodontist or a specialized dentist, you have to rock your boards, get great grades, and be on the top 10% of your class.

Hello!? That's exactly the same as Med school. The competition is fierce in both fields. You're going to have to fight regardless if you want to be successful.

You might want to check out the Med School Vs. Janitor forum - you might find it interesting.

Oh, by the way - I switched because I thought the business world sucked. I knew I wanted to do something better than that, so I spent two years taking pre-reqs, MCAT, etc. Finally got in, but I don't know what I'd do if I didn't get in. I'm 100% certain this is what I want to do.

 

[Krisss17]

If I were you, I definitely would take the MCAT and DAT...there is no major commitment with those other than studying and preparing. Then seriously look into different options. Maybe medicine is for you, maybe dentistry is for you or maybe business is for you...at 21 thre is so much more that you don't know about life than what you do.

While, yes there are a few students your age that have always known that being a doctor was what they wanted, there are so many more that really don't have a clue. Life is hard and living in the real world for a few years (i.e. being out of school and actually working for a living), can give one much better perspective when it comes to the major commitment, time and moneywise. Don't just volunteer in medical establishments, work there, full time and see that it isn't as rosy as everyone thinks.

I just think that at 21, if you want to look at any other options, you should. Look on the nontraditional students forum...you will see that there are a lot of discussion of the commitments required and how by there seeing that as you get older and experienced more of life, you see that while there "appear to be greener pastures" you know that is just a mirage because every option has both good and bad aspects.

Just my 2 cents!
Best of luck no matter what you do!

 

[Law2Doc]

Your plan sounds good. Take both MCAT and DAT, work, and then re-evaluate once you have more time to think about it.

Disagree. The MCAT has an expiration date and it doesn't generally look as good to have taken it multiple times. Not to mention that it is probably hard to get geared up for it if you aren't really sold on medicine yet. So only take the MCAT if you are fairly sure you will be applying to med school in the next couple of years. Based on reading OP's posts, this is simply not the case. OP's good GPA will keep, an MCAT score will not. Leave that test alone for now.

Lots of nontrads decided later in life that medicine was the path for them. There is no problem doing this, and if you aren't sure right now, the smartest thing you can do is step away from the decision for a while and try something else. There is no penalty for trying different things in life. The only mistake you can make is going down a lengthy and expensive path toward a goal that you think might not be yours.

 

[GreenShirt]

It looks like the only reason that the OP is looking into medicine is the money (maybe a mild interest in science too). It saddens me that there are people out with good enough grades to get into med school who are only going b/c they want the salary. I know its a big plus of the field but I think that medicine should be a career that requires some interest in the well-being of others.

 

[8744]

Op you need to be carefull with the whole "make money without working hard" attitude. If it easy, then everyone will be doing it. If everyone is doing it, you wont make too much money. Get ready to work hard regardless. I am out hustling with cooprate America right now, and I can tell you there are no free handouts IMO.

Then how do you explain PM&R?

 

[TheMightyAngus]

It looks like the only reason that the OP is looking into medicine is the money (maybe a mild interest in science too). It saddens me that there are people out with good enough grades to get into med school who are only going b/c they want the salary. I know its a big plus of the field but I think that medicine should be a career that requires some interest in the well-being of others.

If you only care about the well-being of others but don't care about money, forget medicine, go join a non-profit. They need you more than medicine does.

Anyone who says they are going into medicine for altruistic reasons, yet is willing to accept the six-figure paycheck is ironical and a hypocrite. You can't separate the salary from the job.

 

[AndrewJ42]

It looks like the only reason that the OP is looking into medicine is the money (maybe a mild interest in science too). It saddens me that there are people out with good enough grades to get into med school who are only going b/c they want the salary. I know its a big plus of the field but I think that medicine should be a career that requires some interest in the well-being of others.

It's true, there are many people in medical school who are out there because they look towards the future 6-figures and the Benz parked in their garages, but the fact of the matter is that these people with high grades and high MCAT scores have shown that they have the capabilites to being studies towards an MD..I personally don't think we should judge the reasons for one becoming an MD so long as they do their best and work hard at their job...because without working hard, they are not going to make much money....and medicine does require the intrest of the well-being of others inately, you can't be a high paid physician if you don't save some lives or diagnose/treat patients you know...

 

[fromjersey]

Dentistry is good. There are many other worse jobs like cess pool pumper and USDA poultry inspector (where you sit on the assembly line and watch chicken butts go by all day.)
I am a pre-vet reject also trying to figure out what to do with my Bachelor of Science.

 

[NPEMTIV]

After getting solid grades (3.8 GPA) in all my classes (including all pre-med classes -- bio/chem/physics/etc), I've made the most important decision of my life: medicine is probably not for me. Notice the "probably?" -- I'm still not 100% sure because the decision is so freaking big.

It's weird how things turn out, you know? I was totally 100% set on being a doctor for the past 3 years, but January of this year I started to re-think my decision. All my friends are off to big firms after college. They'll start by making a solid $60,000. In a few years they will be up to at least $100,000. This seems much more appealing to me. Why would I want to "waste" away the prime years of my life engulfed in books? Instead, I could be sitting in a nice office, party on weekends, and enjoy my life WHILE making good money. However, unfortunately this business ideal isn't going to work for me, and I'll tell you why.

I'm a UCSB student on a full scholarship. I should have went to UCLA instead and done business, summer internships, etc -- then I'd have a nice job waiting for me after graduation. Although a good school, UCSB isn't nationally known and employers certainly don't regard it to be on par with UCLA. Further, I've done all the pre-med stuff that really doesn't help me in business: hospital volunteer work, no internships, some research, etc. As such, I definitely DO NOT have any edge in the business world. So where do I go from here?

It seems like the most logical direction for me is Dentistry. I'll tell you why. I obviously do enjoy science and medicine, but certainly not to the extent of dedicating my life to it. Dentistry offers the medicine/science subspeciality while incorporating business into it. Plus a hefty pay check is clearly desirable. In addition, the next 4 years of my life won't be as brutal at all, and I can enjoy my prime years. Perhaps I can use my money from dentistry to invest (real estate, stocks, whatever) and do BOTH dentistry and business. Like I said, this seems like the most logical way for me to be successful in my current situation.

Thanks... I'm kind of numbed by this decision. It's been a tough road and I always told myself I would never quit. I guess this isn't really quitting. I know I could do it, I just don't think it's for me.

Any opinions/advice/comments would be great.

If your only interest is in making money and having an easy life then I'd agree medicine isn't for you. There are plenty of better (easier) ways to make more than a physician with a lot less educational en devours. I would definitely consider taking some time to think long and hard about it before you apply. A physician typically needs more than money as a motivator (albeit not always).

 

[Bolo]

Do what you want to do and what you are good at. If you are a good businessman, you'll find a way to make money in medicine. Don't worry about the money.

 

[diagnodent]

First of all I would like to say I'm drunk. Yes, it is a Thursday evening but I never work Fridays.

This guy is funny b/c it describes my wife and I. She went to UCSB undergrand, then law school in SF. Got the job at the biggest firm in Cal.
I graduated from dental school 1 year later. Moved to AZ, earned almost nothing. My wife moved to AZ and got a job at a new big firm and earned a lot. I moved us within AZ, bought some one elses dental office. She stayed at the firm and they pay for her to live in 2 places. Yes, she does make a lot on a 80% schedule (1440hr/yr--115k plus bonus). But the difference that I made after working 3 years is alot---i make 300+K/yr. and only work 4 days aweek. The lifestyles are completely different. She's been gone this entire week on a business trip while I watch our dogs in 1 mill home I paid for.

Our work is completely different. I work with the general public all day and it takes a toll. What most pre-meds/pre-dents don't realize is that doing the medicine/dentistry is not tough, it's working with people. I also run a business---my main concern b/c if I can't pay my staff then I'm screwed. My wife talks on the phone and works on business contracts on the computer all day. My wife's friends who are great lawyers (Univ of Chicago grads) always wish they had my lifestyle, but don't realize that dealing with the general public sucks. Dentistry/Law is not easy. If there was a way to make easy money don't you think all the smart people would be doing it already.

 

[gary5]

Focus on which occupation you'll enjoy day after day. Interview and shadow a person in each occupation that you're interested in. Money is definitely important, but choose the wrong career and you will truly hate your life.