My dream is slipping away

[starfishprime]

This is no profession for slackers, babies, whiners, or people without the ability to handle criticism. The OP needs to cut his losses, quit college, do something else for a while and come back when he has the discipline to make a go at it.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[talkalot24]

Maybe life as an ER doc isn't so bad. I mean, melanoleuca has time to come to SDN and berate people.

 

[alanine1985]

Wow there are so many care-bears posting on this thread. I am really hoping this is a troll post because seriously if its not then its about the saddest thing I've ever seen.

Check out nursing.

I agree however even this is going to be a decent step up from current levels~

 

[ngkats]

I wonder what he has to say about my 99th percentile MCAT and allo acceptance letter.

good god I hope I'm not going to med school with you.

 

[jmillski]

No one has any authority whatsoever to make the claims they are making on this thread. This is what disgusts me most with this site.

Most of us are not even IN medical school yet. Encouragement is great; it doesn't take much knowledge on the subject at hand, OP's history, ambitions, etc. Giving pros and cons takes some knowledge but is usually well intentioned and fine. Telling someone they cannot do something only requires that pessimism and arrogance that I think see in some premeds who I would never want to attend medical school with.

OP- Everyone of us here has been a premed only once- go talk to an advisory who has the authority and knowledge to advise on this subject, not SDN message boards. The only messages you should give any merit to are the ones that say good luck.

 

[Conky]

I am an Emergency Physician. And if the OP cannot handle a little criticism now, criticism that he richly deserves for lacking the discipline to get good grades in rinky-dink college classes that would have been considered remedial classes twenty years ago (how can you even get into college without having taken algebra in high school?), he is going to have one hell of a good time on that unlikely day when he is a second year resident in the ICU with the nurses, the techs, the respiratory therapists and the patient's families looking at his sorry ass waiting for guidance.

This is no profession for slackers, babies, whiners, or people without the ability to handle criticism. The OP needs to cut his losses, quit college, do something else for a while and come back when he has the discipline to make a go at it.

No problem with constructive criticism. If you read the thread, you'll notice it being given several times in a reasonable tone. Being a total a'hole on the other hand is a problem. We all know that an anonymous message board causes people to say things they wouldn't think of saying to someone face to face, but frankly, you are too old to act like this. That sort of thing is for teenagers.

 

[Tiare208]

No problem with constructive criticism. If you read the thread, you'll notice it being given several times in a reasonable tone. Being a total a'hole on the other hand is a problem. We all know that an anonymous message board causes people to say things they wouldn't think of saying to someone face to face, but frankly, you are too old to act like this. That sort of thing is for teenagers.

I dunno if that's true in this case. I get the impression that this is the kind of person who would say it to your face too.

 

[beerog2003]

Ever since I was a child I have always wanted to be a doctor. I ask myself all the time why I really want to become a doctor, which has always resulted in the same answer….. I really don’t know why….I suppose it is because I really do enjoy helping people. Since the 11th grade I have been lurking around this forum, educating myself in what I have to do to succeed, in order to enter medical school. I am currently a freshman in college, and so far I am not doing a damn thing to help myself succeed.
My first semester GPA was a 1.6. D in biology 1, D in college algebra, B in Academic Writing, and a W for chemistry 1. I couldn’t believe this, I was angry at myself, my parents were angry, and it felt as if I let my academic advisor down, who was expecting big things from me ( who is also the head of the bio department). I thought that I just blew my chances of ever getting into a high tier medical school and that now I have to try and recover from this crappy GPA. Then I just said, don’t worry all you have to do is retake those course you have a D in, and your GPA should be alright…..

During the break I told myself I would not allow this to happen again, and guess what….It is. I have a calculus test tomorrow which I have not even studied for yet, and two chemistry lab reports due tomorrow which I haven’t even started yet. My studying habits suck, or should I say what studying habits. I have been telling myself every day to get my **** in order and yet I still don’t do anything to help myself…. I am about to start volunteering soon at my local hospital and also begin shadowing a orthopedic surgeon, and I ask myself why I should even bother if I can’t even get the grades yet.
I have a weeklong vacation next week, and if I don’t figure out what to do, or get my priorities straight, I’m afraid I might as well kiss my dream goodbye. Sorry to come on here and QQ like this, I’m just feeling a little lost.

I would hold off on shadowing right now and address these issues. I would immediately consult a health care professional (psychologist), most schools have that type of help for free. Explain your situation to them and create a plan to nip it in the butt right now. Your dream has not slipped away but you need to address it immediately. DEVELOP A SCHEDULE that you will stick to, and make sure you incorporate down time into the REALISTIC schedule. If you believe in a higher power, then pray hard. You don't have to decide now if you want to be a doctor, but bad grades will give you the inability to decide. Best of luck with everything. Bottom line is most people aren't going to make it, and its not the end of the world. You gotta 'man up' and get to it.

 

[BNSN]

To the OP: I am sorry you are having a rough time. However, the good news is that you are undergoing the realization that things need to change relatively early. You have dug a whole for yourself, but not one that you can't get out of, provided you work hard and take things very seriously from now on.

But, I think that it is valid to explore your feelings regarding medicine first. Why do you want to do it? Getting into medical school is tough, and you need to be sure it is what you want to do before you embark on a career of studying, exams, and stress.

But, quite frankly, even if you don't want to do medicine, you still need to deal with the reasons you are not doing well in school, no matter what you want to do.

I wonder what he has to say about my 99th percentile MCAT and allo acceptance letter.

Lame.

 

[atomi]

-

 

[melanoleuca]

Maybe life as an ER doc isn't so bad. I mean, melanoleuca has time to come to SDN and berate people.

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that the only kind of advice that was allowed by SDN's TOS was of the ego stroking or smoke up the ass variety.

 

[atomi]

-

 

[melanoleuca]

I dunno if that's true in this case. I get the impression that this is the kind of person who would say it to your face too.

Most certainly. If the OP asked me face to face I would say to him that he can't handle it, he is shooting himself in the foot by staying in college and damaging his GPA, and his best bet would be to quit, do something else for a while, and come back when he is ready...with the caveat that maybe he isn't actually smart enough to be a doctor.

There is no shame in ****ing up in college. Lots of people do it. But medical school admission is competitive and the OP is going to waste a huge amount of time and resources now when he should drop back and regroup (or rethink his career plans).

 

[melanoleuca]

College algebra is a remedial class. The normal freshman math course is calculus. A vast majority of properly prepared students will have had Bio and Calc already completed through AP credits.

Hand-holding and enabling behavior hurts more than it helps. Just because you make someone feel better emotionally doesn't change the fact that in order to be a doctor, where you are IN CHARGE of the lives of others, that your intelligence, drive, and aptitude needs to be a few standard deviations above the norm. The majority of people are not smart enough to properly perform the duty of a doctor (or engineers, NASA scientists, or any other profession where your mistake could potentially kill someone). It's just the way it is.

****ing A. Physicians, within the confines of their limitations, limitations that they are well aware of unlike almost everybody else in the medical world, need to take charge and be decisive. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to be a brain surgeon but it does take at least normal intelligence coupled with a high degree of self-discipline, self awareness, selflessness, and the ability to handle, of all things, a little bit of criticism.

Sincerely,

Ailuropoda Melanoleuca

 

[atomi]

-

 

[mbe36]

****ing A. Physicians, within the confines of their limitations, limitations that they are well aware of unlike almost everybody else in the medical world, need to take charge and be decisive. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to be a brain surgeon but it does take at least normal intelligence coupled with a high degree of self-discipline, self awareness, selflessness, and the ability to handle, of all things, a little bit of criticism.

Sincerely,

Ailuropoda Melanoleuca

Your full name is exactly that of the genus and species of the giant panda??!!

Voted: Trollus Affirmativa

 

[Pghboy18]

OP: Two pieces of advice

1.) Build your confidence on homework and small assignments in these classes. A lot of help is usually available (ie TAs, other students, the prof) on these intermediate type assignments. Push yourself to do well on these small assignments so the tests themselves are not as overwhelming. It's really easy to fall behind in science classes and then get steam-rolled come midterms. The difference between a high grade and a low grade has less to do with intelligence and more to do with how you use your time and resources between the tests. The people that are crushing these exams aren't necessarily smarter than you, but they're probably not waiting until the test rolls around to learn the material.

2.) Get off of SDN. Permanently. Or at least until you're further down the road. People here are generally not going to be helpful and supportive. In fact, many of them come across as bitter, disgruntled, and having to resort to taking shots at others in anonymous online forums as a last resort to feed their egos. It's also a huge distraction and can be a huge waste of time.

 

[UFGatorMed]

This thread has turned into an obnoxious flame fest of pompous individuals pounding their chests.

http://api.ning.com/files/CN3s74alO...9auGZWjRlfyM**vknhSgCDPI/InternetToughGuy.jpg

Congratulations. You are all geniuses. You are cool... You probably don't have friends. F**k off.

 

[Tiare208]

Your full name is exactly that of the genus and species of the giant panda??!!

Voted: Trollus Affirmativa

Is this the Panda MD guy? In which case, that's just the way he rolls. He's blunt, not particularly tactful, and not a believer in being PC. That being said, I personally really enjoyed reading a few of his blog entries...

 

[fizzle]

Pandas are cool, but I find it an interesting coincidence that quite a few of the tactless and blunt people I know in real life associate themselves with pandas (including one of my suitemates back when I was a freshman, who had panda posters, a panda stuffed doll, and a panda desktop wallpaper, and who was a general ******* to everyone else in the suite). Is it some way of compensating for their own inability to convey a warm and fuzzy feeling to others?

 

[littlealex]

You're not ready for college. Its that simple. Take a year or two off, get everything in order, the partying out of your system, and realize that college is mandatory to advance in life.

Come back in two years, repeat those classes and take college seriously.

I agree. A lot of things can be causing this, and people have mentioned quite a few. You may not be mature enough, you may not be motivated enough, you may have ADHD, or maybe you just don't want it bad enough.

Right now you're on a path to failure. Get out of college and figure yourself out. You're not working hard enough in your classes and there is no excuse for that. If you study all the time but can't get good grades, maybe you need tutoring. But it sounds like you're not even working that hard for your classes.

When you actually want it you'll do it. For now stop sabotaging yourself and drop out of school.

I know this sounds harsh, but the truth is that what OP said is right, he needs to get his shxt together any way he can.

 

[bkz]

Pandas are cool, but I find it an interesting coincidence that quite a few of the tactless and blunt people I know in real life associate themselves with pandas (including one of my suitemates back when I was a freshman, who had panda posters, a panda stuffed doll, and a panda desktop wallpaper, and who was a general ******* to everyone else in the suite). Is it some way of compensating for their own inability to convey a warm and fuzzy feeling to others?

it's a panda conspiracy!

 

[DrYoda]

it's a panda conspiracy!

Pandas are cool, but I find it an interesting coincidence that quite a few of the tactless and blunt people I know in real life associate themselves with pandas (including one of my suitemates back when I was a freshman, who had panda posters, a panda stuffed doll, and a panda desktop wallpaper, and who was a general ******* to everyone else in the suite). Is it some way of compensating for their own inability to convey a warm and fuzzy feeling to others?

Shall we name this "The Panda Paradox"?

All in favor say aye.

 

[mbe36]

 

[starfishprime]

Shall we name this "The Panda Paradox"?

It's Panda-monium!

 

[DrYoda]

 

[talkalot24]

No, but you could deliver difficult-to-hear advice with just a tad more tact and compassion.

I pray that your bedside manner is better.

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that the only kind of advice that was allowed by SDN's TOS was of the ego stroking or smoke up the ass variety.

 

[talkalot24]

I'm neither hand-holding nor enabling. I just contend that his grades thus far don't necessarily mean he's not intelligent enough to be a doctor. Maybe he has a medical issue (ADD or something). Maybe he just doesn't care right now and isn't really trying. Maybe he's having a difficult time with personal issues and just can't focus. Maybe he has severe test anxiety and panics. Who knows. One just can't say the intelligence is definitely the issue because we don't know. I also don't think people should tell other people what they can and cannot do. I'm all for realistic advice. Even after the OP figures out what the problem is, it's going to be a tough road. But it doesn't mean that it can't be done.

College algebra is a remedial class. The normal freshman math course is calculus. A vast majority of properly prepared students will have had Bio and Calc already completed through AP credits.

Hand-holding and enabling behavior hurts more than it helps. Just because you make someone feel better emotionally doesn't change the fact that in order to be a doctor, where you are IN CHARGE of the lives of others, that your intelligence, drive, and aptitude needs to be a few standard deviations above the norm. The majority of people are not smart enough to properly perform the duty of a doctor (or engineers, NASA scientists, airline captains, or any other profession where your mistake could potentially kill someone). It's just the way it is.

 

[talkalot24]

Your full name is exactly that of the genus and species of the giant panda??!!

Voted: Trollus Affirmativa

 

[GoSpursGo]

Once again, let's please keep the tone of this discussion professional and keep all posts directly relevant to the OP's situation.

 

[atomi]

-

 

[Revilla]

Once again, let's please keep the tone of this discussion professional and keep all posts directly relevant to the OP's situation.

Hasn't the ship already sailed on that? I don't know, I find it incredibly sad that an attending would post in this thread with nothing but belittling remarks when the OP is asking for advice. Even if his post had any relevance or insightful points, they were drowned out by his tone and insults. And what's even more appalling than that is that it's somehow justified by himself and fellow posters because he's an attending, as if being an attending physician gives you the authority to treat others like crap. It's pathetic.

 

[talkalot24]

Hasn't the ship already sailed on that? I don't know, I find it incredibly sad that an attending would post in this thread with nothing but belittling remarks when the OP is asking for advice. Even if his post had any relevance or insightful points, they were drowned out by his tone and insults.

Precisely!

And what's even more appalling than that is that it's somehow justified by himself and fellow posters because he's an attending, as if being an attending physician gives you the authority to treat others like crap. It's pathetic.

Sadly, many medical students, nurses, and residents suffer from the belief held by some attendings that they can treat others in any way they want.

 

[TRN1983]

Precisely!

Sadly, many medical students, nurses, and residents suffer from the belief held by some attendings that they can treat others in any way they want.

Tell me about it.

<rant>
Nothing drives me more insane than the disproportionately large number of physicians who can't find enough human being inside of themselves to acknowledge the existence of the many people "beneath them". E.g. If I hold a door open for anybody in a hospital who isn't a physician I'd say that 80-90% of them will smile and nod, say thanks, etc--this includes nurses, PA's, pharmacists, etc. When it comes to physicians, I'd give it a 30-40% rate, and I've volunteered in a few different hospitals. Of course, it's not just limited to door holding. Almost any interaction I have with someone in everyday life is positive, pleasant, polite, etc. Not with most physicians. Many of them have a ridiculous superiority complex. The only class of people I can think of who are worse are PhD's. *sigh*

Hopefully the medical schools are doing a much better job of weeding out the arrogant douches these days than in previous years. I want to be a physician without having to carry around an ego-powered light saber.

</rant>

 

[NTF]

You're not ready for college. Its that simple. Take a year or two off, get everything in order, the partying out of your system, and realize that college is mandatory to advance in life.

Come back in two years, repeat those classes and take college seriously.

 

[mmagnett]

i have a calculus test tomorrow which i have not even studied for yet, and two chemistry lab reports due tomorrow which i haven’t even started yet.

do your d@mn homework!

 

[Jolt21]

why is this thread still going?

 

[mmagnett]

why is this thread still going?

I don't know. I am sorry for my previous posting, I didn't realize this thread was going this far south when I read the OP and as such my post seems to be taking a shot at the OP. That was not what was I intended.

To the OP: everyone has a niche, find yours and run with it. Unfortunately, you found some people who associate major life changes such as moving out of your parents house and self-motivated studying as indicators of intelligence and because they were able to handle those changes they assume that it is easy for everyone.

I can tell you from my personal life experience (where I got C's and D's in high school and ended up graduating with distinction in biomedical engineering in college) that sometimes you need to find something that you are passionate about and until you find that thing, you will have a miserable time trying to explain yourself to your parents and everyone around you who are nay-sayers. The cool thing about this is that it is your life and you can decide to do anything you want with it and if its medicine, it is a fact that you need to study hard and go to TA's/professors for help when you don't understand something. Its also a fact that you must complete your work on time and with diligence. Oh yea, and don't forget to have fun! College can-be/is awesome!

 

[petern]

I think you guys scared off the OP.