Non-Trads: Is becoming a physician a good idea for someone who has a lot of serious hobbies?

[eatsleepdoc]

Hi everyone--I'm a post-bac student about to start my journey towards medicine. I'm in the transitional period of being a journalist to becoming a student again and am about to take all the pre-req classes for medical school in just one week. I was wondering if becoming a physician is a good idea for someone who has many serious hobbies (for me, it's theatre and writing) and, if not, if there are other careers (such as physician assistant or a professor in the sciences) would be a better option for someone who wants to make time for their hobbies. Thank you in advance!

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[Weirdy]

Hi everyone--I'm a post-bac student about to start my journey towards medicine. I'm in the transitional period of being a journalist to becoming a student again and am about to take all the pre-req classes for medical school in just one week. I was wondering if becoming a physician is a good idea for someone who has many serious hobbies (for me, it's theatre and writing) and, if not, if there are other careers (such as physician assistant or a professor in the sciences) would be a better option for someone who wants to make time for their hobbies. Thank you in advance!

If it matters to you, you will make time.

If it matters to you more than medicine and your patients, pick another profession.

 

[QofQuimica]

How much time do your hobbies require? And what kind of physician career do you envision having? Would you be willing to put some of your hobbies on hold during the busier times of your training?

During the first two years of medical school, you will likely have some intermittent time to pursue outside hobbies during non-exam weeks. Third year you should not count on doing any outside hobbies at all except for on a very sporadic basis. Fourth year you will again have some time, especially in the second half of the year. Intern year you again should not count on doing any outside hobbies; this is the busiest time for most people in medical training and the least amenable to having a "work-life balance." The rest of residency will vary depending on specialty and program, but most programs tend to get lighter in terms of hours worked over time, with interns working the most and senior residents working the least. As a fellow or as an attending, again, it depends on the specialty and the type of job you choose. You have a lot more flexibility to arrange your work life how you want after completing your training (including residency), especially if you are willing to accept a lower salary (say, in exchange for working PT or going into an outpatient specialty).

 

[wysdoc]

Hi everyone--I'm a post-bac student about to start my journey towards medicine. I'm in the transitional period of being a journalist to becoming a student again and am about to take all the pre-req classes for medical school in just one week. I was wondering if becoming a physician is a good idea for someone who has many serious hobbies (for me, it's theatre and writing) and, if not, if there are other careers (such as physician assistant or a professor in the sciences) would be a better option for someone who wants to make time for their hobbies. Thank you in advance!

Some schools have a lot of clubs built in - WashU med school puts on a full musical every year. My friend's son is in their MSTP track and keeps up his love of singing and theatre there https://mdstudentaffairs.wustl.edu/student-groups/

 

[eatsleepdoc]

How much time do your hobbies require? And what kind of physician career do you envision having? Would you be willing to put some of your hobbies on hold during the busier times of your training?

During the first two years of medical school, you will likely have some intermittent time to pursue outside hobbies during non-exam weeks. Third year you should not count on doing any outside hobbies at all except for on a very sporadic basis. Fourth year you will again have some time, especially in the second half of the year. Intern year you again should not count on doing any outside hobbies; this is the busiest time for most people in medical training and the least amenable to having a "work-life balance." The rest of residency will vary depending on specialty and program, but most programs tend to get lighter in terms of hours worked over time, with interns working the most and senior residents working the least. As a fellow or as an attending, again, it depends on the specialty and the type of job you choose. You have a lot more flexibility to arrange your work life how you want after completing your training (including residency), especially if you are willing to accept a lower salary (say, in exchange for working PT or going into an outpatient specialty).

Thank you for your reply! It's super helpful. Right now, I'm interested in primary care and academic medicine. What you shared definitely gives me a better idea of how much free time I can expect as I continue my studies, move onto residency, and work as an attending. From your reply, it seems like pursuing medicine is still possible as I'm willing to reduce my commitment to my hobbies (and it's also great to know that there will be 'lighter loads' during medical school and more as I become a senior resident--I had no idea.) At that, I probably should try to perfect my time management skills as well.

 

[eatsleepdoc]

Some schools have a lot of clubs built in - WashU med school puts on a full musical every year. My friend's son is in their MSTP track and keeps up his love of singing and theatre there https://mdstudentaffairs.wustl.edu/student-groups/

This is amazing--thanks for sharing! I love that opportunities like this exist. It shows me that there are definitely ways we can fit all of our interests into our lives (granted we manage our time well).

 

[BeddingfieldMD]

Your hobbies will most definitely suffer during medical school and likely worse during residency. It will not be as noticeable if you are single or without children--but a big chunk of your free time will be absorbed by classes, labs, rotations, and constantly feeling that there is more material you could study. In residency, depending on your specialty, you could be spending up to 80 hours per week (possibly a bit more) with clinical duties, and then a few more hours each week with studying and performing logistical details like applying for medical licenses, completing credentialing forms, etc. If you do the math, that doesn't leave a lot of time for hobbies.

Once you are done with training, which is a minimum of 8-9 years out from where you are now, you will have more control over your time--if you choose a specialty and practice environment that affords you that luxury. For instance, with my own specialty of anesthesia, one advantage is that when I leave the hospital, I am DONE. I can devote the rest of my time to whatever I want without being tethered to the pager or typing notes at home after clinic. If you are one of only two OBGYN docs in a rural town, that's unlikely to be the case.

As others have stated, you have to decide how much your free time and ability to pursue your hobbies is worth to you. If you commit to becoming a physician, you have to accept the fact that for the next 8-9 years (minimum), you will have far less time of your own--and that there will almost always be more material you can study or more time you can spend at the hospital. You may have better ability to carve out time for yourself after training, but that is almost a decade away for you.

I can't speak for the educational process of physician assistants personally, but it is certainly shorter in number of years--so you will be out in practice quicker. And in general, PAs have more protected time out of the hospital once in practice--but they, too, are often burdened by the duties of call.

Ultimately, it's your choice. But just keep in mind that during medical training, you own very little of your time. And at the end of the day, there are very few clinical jobs (even aside from being a physician) that are truly "nine to five."

Good luck!

 

[eatsleepdoc]

Your hobbies will most definitely suffer during medical school and likely worse during residency. It will not be as noticeable if you are single or without children--but a big chunk of your free time will be absorbed by classes, labs, rotations, and constantly feeling that there is more material you could study. In residency, depending on your specialty, you could be spending up to 80 hours per week (possibly a bit more) with clinical duties, and then a few more hours each week with studying and performing logistical details like applying for medical licenses, completing credentialing forms, etc. If you do the math, that doesn't leave a lot of time for hobbies.

Once you are done with training, which is a minimum of 8-9 years out from where you are now, you will have more control over your time--if you choose a specialty and practice environment that affords you that luxury. For instance, with my own specialty of anesthesia, one advantage is that when I leave the hospital, I am DONE. I can devote the rest of my time to whatever I want without being tethered to the pager or typing notes at home after clinic. If you are one of only two OBGYN docs in a rural town, that's unlikely to be the case.

As others have stated, you have to decide how much your free time and ability to pursue your hobbies is worth to you. If you commit to becoming a physician, you have to accept the fact that for the next 8-9 years (minimum), you will have far less time of your own--and that there will almost always be more material you can study or more time you can spend at the hospital. You may have better ability to carve out time for yourself after training, but that is almost a decade away for you.

I can't speak for the educational process of physician assistants personally, but it is certainly shorter in number of years--so you will be out in practice quicker. And in general, PAs have more protected time out of the hospital once in practice--but they, too, are often burdened by the duties of call.

Ultimately, it's your choice. But just keep in mind that during medical training, you own very little of your time. And at the end of the day, there are very few clinical jobs (even aside from being a physician) that are truly "nine to five."

Good luck!

Thank you so much for your reply! This gives me a lot of perspective. I'll definitely have to think about this longer and see where my priorities lie as I continue with my post-bac program, shadow physicians and PAs, and explore how much I want to nurture my hobbies/interests outside of medicine.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I don't think it should matter. I work 70+ hours per week now and have a wife and two kids. I still find time to write, read, play my guitar, learn ASL, etc.

 

[DrBelle]

Hi everyone--I'm a post-bac student about to start my journey towards medicine. I'm in the transitional period of being a journalist to becoming a student again and am about to take all the pre-req classes for medical school in just one week. I was wondering if becoming a physician is a good idea for someone who has many serious hobbies (for me, it's theatre and writing) and, if not, if there are other careers (such as physician assistant or a professor in the sciences) would be a better option for someone who wants to make time for their hobbies. Thank you in advance!

I'm so glad you asked because I've always wondered this. Everytime I would come and look, I got the impression that people do nothing but study and medicine and consider people with other interests as not that serious so I decided to shut up about it and just do what I do while I continue to work hard. Interested to stee what people have to say

 

[QofQuimica]

I'm so glad you asked because I've always wondered this. Everytime I would come and look, I got the impression that people do nothing but study and medicine and consider people with other interests as not that serious so I decided to shut up about it and just do what I do while I continue to work hard. Interested to stee what people have to say

No, if anything, medical students and physicians tend to be more the over-achiever types who manage to do ten hobbies while earning straight As, holding down a job, and working 50 hours per week.

In all seriousness, it is best if your hobby is something flexible, and the most ideal would be if you could do your hobby while also studying. I am a runner, for example. So in my case, I would listen to audio lectures or podcasts while running (I still do this, FWIW), and that way I was able to "double-dip" doing a hobby with accomplishing a goal of staying fit and also not taking away time from studying. Hobbies like the OP is describing can still be done during training on an intermittent basis. Writing in particular is a very flexible hobby and can be done at odd times when she is less busy. For the theater, she will probably not be doing much acting during her MS3 or intern years, but even during those times, she can still attend a few shows, and possibly be peripherally involved with putting one on (say, help out with writing a script or designing a set).

 

[Weirdy]

No, if anything, medical students and physicians tend to be more the over-achiever types who manage to do ten hobbies while earning straight As, holding down a job, and working 50 hours per week.

In all seriousness, it is best if your hobby is something flexible, and the most ideal would be if you could do your hobby while also studying. I am a runner, for example. So in my case, I would listen to audio lectures or podcasts while running (I still do this, FWIW), and that way I was able to "double-dip" doing a hobby with accomplishing a goal of staying fit and also not taking away time from studying. Hobbies like the OP is describing can still be done during training on an intermittent basis. Writing in particular is a very flexible hobby and can be done at odd times when she is less busy. For the theater, she will probably not be doing much acting during her MS3 or intern years, but even during those times, she can still attend a few shows, and possibly be peripherally involved with putting one on (say, help out with writing a script or designing a set).

Am strongly considering audio sources during workouts or as another source of learning when sitting down becomes non progressive.

Did you record yourself with a shortened/skeleton of lectures and notes or did you rely strictly on school sourced materials? Was it more time consuming to dictate your own notes or was it pretty efficient?

Completely new to this so I'd appreciate any tips.

 

[QofQuimica]

Am strongly considering audio sources during workouts or as another source of learning when sitting down becomes non progressive.

Did you record yourself with a shortened/skeleton of lectures and notes or did you rely strictly on school sourced materials? Was it more time consuming to dictate your own notes or was it pretty efficient?

Completely new to this so I'd appreciate any tips.

Everyone has to do a little trial and error to come up with a learning system that works for them. But FWIW, no, I didn't make my own audio tapes. I'm just not that ambitious/technologically savvy, plus I'm more of a visual/kinesthetic learner anyway. Offhand, I'm not sure if I can think of anyone who made their own tapes even for people who preferred audio learning. The problem in medical school/residency is never that there isn't enough material for you to review; in fact, it's quite the opposite (i.e., there is such a plethora of resources available that you can never get through them all even once, let alone review them all multiple times). My advice would be to go to your med school library (or talk to an MS2 buddy) to look at/try multiple resources, then pick the 2-3 resources that you like best and pretty much stick with them exclusively. Also, if your school has a note-taking service, you should strongly consider signing up for that, especially if your lectures aren't available online (although I suspect most med schools do make lectures available online these days).

 

[Weirdy]

Everyone has to do a little trial and error to come up with a learning system that works for them. But FWIW, no, I didn't make my own audio tapes. I'm just not that ambitious/technologically savvy, plus I'm more of a visual/kinesthetic learner anyway. Offhand, I'm not sure if I can think of anyone who made their own tapes even for people who preferred audio learning. The problem in medical school/residency is never that there isn't enough material for you to review; in fact, it's quite the opposite (i.e., there is such a plethora of resources available that you can never get through them all even once, let alone review them all multiple times). My advice would be to go to your med school library (or talk to an MS2 buddy) to look at/try multiple resources, then pick the 2-3 resources that you like best and pretty much stick with them exclusively. Also, if your school has a note-taking service, you should strongly consider signing up for that, especially if your lectures aren't available online (although I suspect most med schools do make lectures available online these days).

Thank you.

The podiatry program I'm going to does not record lectures and attendance is mandatory.

I've always preferred showing up to class but I hear some students work better when they have that time to study because some professors read straight off of the slides.

I will look into the notes.