Negative comments

[Med Girl_1313]

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Hello everyone,

>>"Why even bother? The chances of you getting into med school are slim anyway."<<

This, my friends, is a direct quote from my MOM. Nice, huh?!

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this sort of negativity from friends, family or significant others in their pursuit of becoming a doctor. Also, how have you dealt with it? 😕 I'm trying to stay positive!

Christine
RN in 2003
B.S. completed in 2 yrs
then on to med school (I hope!!) 😉

 

[jargon124]

I haven't received that sort of negativity from family, friends but I have to say IGNORE HER. If that's her attitude I would just disregard whatever she has to say. I'm sorry you have to put up with that BS.

 

[ashasnarf]

Maybe she knows you better than you know yourself!!

 

[AmateurChef]

My parents have made comments about how difficult it is to get into medical school. Perhaps your mom was just trying to remind you of how competitive the application process can be.

Good luck! 😛

 

[THE instiGATOR]

Originally posted by ashasnarf:
•Maybe she knows you better than you know yourself!!•••

What's that supposed to mean?!? 😕

Just ignore her, Med Girl. If you want it, go for it. I've heard the same thing from my father. Ignorantly, he'd say things like: "You're a white male! You don't stand a chance!" or "Only children of rich people get into medicine.".

Guess what!?! I'm going to med school next year. Though he didn't expect it, he's happy for me.

 

[Doctora Foxy]

My great aunt said "Good luck with whatever profession you end up with".....now, maybe I'm reading into this, but I thought it was rude.....why wouldn't I end up an MD????

Which reminds me, my one and only interviewer said, as I left his office, "good luck wherever you go".....now what's that suposed to mean?....hopefully it means nothing!

Dr. Foxy <img src="graemlins/wowie.gif" border="0" alt="[Wowie]" />

 

[Med Girl_1313]

Originally posted by ashasnarf:
•Maybe she knows you better than you know yourself!!•••


Hey thanks for the support ashasnarf. Would it kill ya to be a little positive?

Christine 😀

 

[none]

I can't imagine that your mother would have researched the possibilities as extensively as you as an applicant would. You should know how good your chances are based on your stats and those of applicants generally accepted. Personally, I think parents pushing their children into medicine is much, much more common than pushing them away.

 

[Med Girl_1313]

None-

You're absolutely right - I've done a ton of research (as I'm sure most people on this website have) about med school, pre-req's, the application process, amcas - the whole nine yards.

Besides that, I weighed the pro's & con's of getting a Bachelor's in Nursing and going on to be a Nurse Practitioner later on down the road, but it just isn't something that interests me. It may be the right choice for some people but it's not for me.

I know that there are more applicants than slots available, but hell, I've GOT to at least TRY. It may take me 1, 2 or even 3 times, but I'm going to keep at it (yeah, I can be really stubborn when I want to be) 😛

Christine 🙂

 

[UCLA2000]

Christine I'm sending you a private message.

 

[daisygirl]

Hey medgirl,
Don't listen to anyone but yourself. You know what you want, if you want to become a doctor go for it. The only one who should tell you what not to do, is yourself. People may try to give you well-intentioned advice and that is nice, but since you are the one in control of your happiness, do what you know will make you a happy and satisfied person professionally.

😀 😀 😀

 

[aldo16]

yeah, medgirl...seriously, just listen to your heart and trust yourself....

i know exactly what it is like to have family members who don't support you in this VERY DIFFICULT process...i know it sucks but if it is what you want, i promise you that nothing will make you happier than actually achieving your goal of becoming a physician...

so as a fellow applicant trying to cross the fence into med school, i can only say - "see you on the other side!"

 

[Med Girl_1313]

UCLA2000--

Private message right back at'cha!

Christine

 

[jmejia1]

A while back, a "friend" once told me she couldn't imagine me as a doctor. (Maybe because I don't fit the stereotypical image and I didn't attend a well-respected school. )Well she'll wont need to cuz I'll be sporting the scrubs and white coat very soon! A year later after her comment I was accepted to med school.

You're the only person who knows yourself more than anyone, if you feel you can become a competitive applicant and you know in your heart you'll make a great doctor, don't listen to any of that negative stuff.

 

[Medical123]

You have to follow your dreams and do what you think is right for you, not for anyone else! If you want it bad enough, you will eventually succeed. Work hard while you are in nursing school and get good grades. If you do well and get a good score on the MCAT, you have a great shot of getting into medical school. I am a nursing major and have been told by admissions personnel at various schools that nurses do well in medical school. Good luck!

 

[Ciardeme]

Hey, I had a similar experience. Upon applying to college, my mom told me she didn't want to pay my tuition because "you probably will meet some guy, get married, have a few kids and not use your $ education". Now, i know this is a sensitive subject, but was i wrong to perceive that she had absolutely NO faith in me? I have to admit, graduation was the perfect time to say "I told you so". Now i am looking forward to saying that again about med school....if i could only get in!

 

[tlh908]

I think "negative" comments from family and friends are a chance to really search inside as to why we want to be a doctor. It is hard to be honest with ourselves and many times others can point out character flaws that we dismiss. Where is the line between young and arrogant or being confident in what you want to do?

 

[THE instiGATOR]

Originally posted by tlh908:
•I think "negative" comments from family and friends are a chance to really search inside as to why we want to be a doctor. It is hard to be honest with ourselves and many times others can point out character flaws that we dismiss. Where is the line between young and arrogant or being confident in what you want to do?•••

Perhaps this is true in some instances. In others, like my own, parents are scared $hitless about the amount of money their children will have to borrow. I could be borrowing 4X the combined annual incomes of my parents.

 

[Cobragirl]

Five years ago (shortly after I announced my engagement to my, now, hubby) my aunt told me that I would be pregnant within the year and would drop out of school. Now mind you, I was TWENTY-SIX (not a naive teen!), had damn-near a 4.0, was president of several organizations AND was working 30+ hours a week...and she REALLY thought I was going to just blow off everything I had accomplished just because I was getting married! Not to mention I've been telling everyone since I was 12 that I was NOT EVER having children. I was completely DUMBFOUNDED with the comment. Well, 5 years later...guess where I am...and guess who's eating crow???

Just because that was the road SHE choose in life...

 

[daisygirl]

Originally posted by tlh908:
•I think "negative" comments from family and friends are a chance to really search inside as to why we want to be a doctor. It is hard to be honest with ourselves and many times others can point out character flaws that we dismiss. Where is the line between young and arrogant or being confident in what you want to do?•••

"negative comments" can be helpful in that they help solidify our aspirations or they may point out misconceptions that we possess about ourselves, thus helping us to think about our realistic chances. HOWEVER, having someone say to you that it is not worth the effort b/c of the inherent difficulty involved in the process is not an example of pointing out "character flaws". Questioning someones ability is also not the same as pointing out a "character flaw". I speak only for myself, but I am the only person who knows what will make me happy. If being a physician is my dream and my stats are not terrible (which they are not), I am going to pursue my dream. So, if I am young and arrogant, so be it. Confidence in yourself may only be achieved through yourself from proving that you possess the abilities to achieve; not through the opinions of others.