Pharmacy or Med school - I have 2 weeks to decide

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Hannah

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Okay, here is my dilemma. I am debating between the U of MN pharmacy school or Albany Medical school. I have 2 weeks to decide. My basic dilemma is that I really don't want to live in Albany, NY. I dont' want to live there for 4 years and waste my life. Also, I figured I will be about $300K in debt after residency. That translates into $3000/month of bills I would have to pay for 10 years after I am 36 years old after residency. That means I will be 46 by the time I pay off my school loans. Albany Medical College isn't a great school. It's very expensive and not in the top 50 for US news and world report. Also, I dont' know how much fun working my butt off for the next 7+ years will be. However, I really would rather be a doctor than a pharmacist. I keep imagining being a doctor and telling people what they need and thinking that it would be pretty cool. With respect to pharmacy tho: I totally love Minnesota. The U of MN pharmacy school is the 5th best in the nation. Tuition is low. I will make between $80+/year getting out, working 45 hours/week only. It is still science, just more boring, depending on how I look at it. It was never my dream. That pretty much sums up my dilemma. Any help from you all would be greatly appreciated!

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"I keep imagining being a doctor and telling people what they need and thinking that it would be pretty cool." In reading your motivation for medicine, I'm surprised you even got into *any* medical school. If you "think it would be pretty cool", you obviously haven't thought this through enough to know what you're getting into if you become a doctor.
In addition, you hate the city of Albany, you think the school stinks, you don't want to work your butt off for the next 7 years, and you worry about the debt. Sounds like a no-brainer. Go to pharmacy school.
 
I agree with Abbey. Give up your spot in Albany to someone who loves the city, who doesn't care about money, who doesn't care about working hard for 7, 8, 9, 10 years to do something they've always dreamed about, and to someone who doesn't give a flying *$#! about rankings. Give the spot to someone who deserves to be a doctor.
 
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Yeah,

What are you thinking about? You do not want to go to the school which is not in the top 50. I agree with abbey, how the hell you got in? About "it is cool". Before it will be cool you will have to do a lot of $hit, literally, and, by the way, whining, dyiing patients are not "cool".
Go to Minnesota.
 
Oh Jesus. This is really embarrassing, really. Thanks for the responses. I know it is really embarrassing to even write this but: I needed someone to just knock me over the head with a stick. What else can I say without sounding even more dumb? "I think it would be cool" btw, is not a cool way to put it. To put it more elegantly: I volunteered for 2 years in an oncology unit. I went to one of my patient's funerals because I really enjoyed helping him for 6 months before he died. I loved helping all the people I worked with, and felt a lot of compassion for them. The main reason I want to do either pharmacy or med school is simply to help others. Both afford that, although one is much more demanding. There are reasons I got in, and there are valid reasons I am debating between the 2. But to put it bluntly: yes, I really hate Albany. Yes, I really don't want to be in that much debt. Thanks for helping me make the decision.
 
Hi Hannah,

Regarding your concern, first:

You stated pharmacy was never your dream. I don't know why you even applied to pharmacy school if it was never your dream. I'd say forget pharmacy school. As for medical school, it doesn't sound like you are passionate about that choice either. Maybe you could ask the medical school if you could defer your admission for a year so that you can really think about what you really want to do, because from your post, it doesn't sound like you are too passionate about pursuing medicine. On a side note, have you thought about DENTISTRY--THE BEST CHOICE OUT THERE..... :D . Okay, okay, I know that was a little biased....

But anyway, it sounds to me like you need to do a little more "soul-searching" before you make a serious commitment about medical or pharmacy school. That is just my advice. But then again, I know of quite a few people who definitely weren't passionate about medicine, dentistry, or pharmacy, etc. but pursued these careers anyway because that was what they were "supposed" to do or because they just couldn't make up their minds about a career.

Racerdude
 
Racerdude:

Thanks for the reply. Also, anyone else with an opinion would be helpful. Even tho despite the debt, I hate Albany, etc., I really don't want to regret doing something I've wanted to do for so long based on money and an inconvenient place to live. I am pretty frustrated. I don't know if it's because I moved out to NYC for 1 year and really missed my friends and family this past year, and I'm just a chicken or what, but I do appreciate all of your responses, even the blunt ones!

;)
 
Sounds like you've made the right choice. Incidentally, if you'd like to be more involved in patient care, you may want to consider going into clinical pharmacy. Clinical pharmacists are generally hospital-based and do things like counsel patients taking multiple medications, make rounds with the residents, advise physicians, review charts for potential drug interactions, etc.
 
I made the above post before reading your latest reply. If you're still not sure what you want, perhaps RacerDude is right and you might be better off taking a year off to decide what you really want to do. Another thing that comes to mind: have you considered becoming a nurse-practitioner? You get to work with patients, do almost everything a family physician does, and only have to train for 2-3 years after college.
 
Hannah, maybe my perspective can also shed some light from the other end. My senior year, I was accepted to a top 10 pharmacy school. It just seemed practical. It had a component of compassion and financially/time wise it did not seem as stressful as medical school. However, when I interviewed there I had a weird vibe. I didn't think I fit the profile of the students there and it just didn't seem right. I couldn't do it. I felt like there was something more for me.

I decided to apply to medical school instead, knowing it would be a lengthy process. Thus, I started the process the summmer of 00' and not 99', the year of my graduation. Here I did a lot of "soul searching" by teaching high school for a year, learning what making decent money is like at a large biotech company for a few months, and volunteering more in a couple of hospitals. I also took quite a bit of money and put them into long term investments. The main thing is I tried to have as much fun as possible and understand what I really want.

The process for med school was lengthy and stressful no doubt for me, that's no lie. However, for me it was the right choice as I would have felt miserable had I not applied. My experiences just reconfirmed my aspirations for medicine and the 2 year break before med school was well worth it. I'll be 23 when school starts and would have it no other way. I would have never made it even if I did apply junior year and was accepted right after graduation. If you are very interested in medicine and have a valid excuse, why not try and defer? At least you can give your seat to someone who wants it for sure this year.

Hope that helps. - wyldstyle2000
 
Hannah,

First of all, there is nothing wrong with going into medicine because you think it would be cool. Don't let these self-righteous premeds let you think that you need a vision from God in order to study medicine. Whether you go into medicine or not is up to you, but don't be fooled into thinking that you need to be absolutely sure of your decision before you make it. There's nothing wrong with not being sure cause trust me, everyone will have doubts by the time January rolls around.
I would not take a year off either. Make a decision and go with it. Personally I'd go to med school, but I think you have to make this decision yourself. Good luck.
 
so hannah which way are you leaning?
 
why not reapply to better schools or state school?????
 
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OK, I take my words back about dying patients, you obviosly know what it looks like. But I tend to agree with other posts in regard of soul searching. Also, if you want to help people but there is something that makes you feel yourself uncomfortable about your choice what about nursing, PA or psychology? I mean why not you make your choice wider?
 
Hannah,
If you decide to do med school, you need to be completely committed to it and really "want" it. Medicine is a hard road, and there is a high burnout rate. There are a surprisingly large number of people who just graduated from my med school who have decided not to pursue careers in medicine and are going instead into business, research, etc. Remember that training does not end when you graduate from medical school -- that is only the beginning. If you aren't really sure about medicine going into med school, you're really going to have doubts later.

The financial aspect is a factor, as well. I have a couple of friends who just graduated from Albany Med, and while they loved med school there, they both have humongous debts. Albany has virtually no financial aid, and having the burden of such a large debt can really weigh on your career choice and your quality of life for years after med school. However, even though it is not in the Top 50 per US News, you would still get great training there. The people I know who have come out of there are excellent clinicians.

I don't mean to be a party-pooper, but these are some of the realities of medicine. I think it is a tremendously rewarding field, and if I were to do it all over again, I would still choose medicine. It is, however, a field that you do have to make a lot of sacrifices in, and you have to decide for yourself if it is really worth it.

Good luck on your decision.
 
Originally posted by yigit:
•Hannah,

First of all, there is nothing wrong with going into medicine because you think it would be cool. Don't let these self-righteous premeds let you think that you need a vision from God in order to study medicine.
Amen. If going into medicine means dealing with the "self-righteous premeds", then I'd choose another career. It seems that the majority of pre-meds/med students I meet and those on this board are so up-tight and condescending, and at the same time bashing everyone else for there feelings or points of view. Chill out people. Going into medicine because it is "cool" is just fine a reason as any.
Russ
 
I think the only way to decide something like that is by shadowing someone at each job. Follow around a resident for a day, and a doc in a clinic for a while, and someone on call. Then watch a pharmacist work (yawn). They might not let you behind the counter mind you. And talk to each about there average day, regrets, favourite part of the job, etc. Good luck.
 
My friend recently graduated from Pharmacy school and is starting out at $45/hr, working 84 hours one week, and getting the whole next week off. This translates to about $80,000 the first year, with 26 weeks "off".

In comparison, I'm in medical school, will graduate with debt, work (80+ hours/week) as a resident for 3-5+ years, make nothing (essentially), and end up working much harder than my pharmD friend. Granted, eventually I will make more (and I love medicine), but as you get older, I realize lifestyle, family, and time all become factors in choosing your path.

I, given your situation, would pick pharmacy school. Pharmacists have plenty of opportunities (just as physicians do) outside of their "traditional" workplace. Good luck with your decision.
 
Hi Hannah. The sister of one of my good friends graduated from Albany Med. about 7 years ago. She finished with massive amounts of debt. She went into family practice and paid it all off within 5 years. She told me not to worry about the money that you'll pay it off quickly. (Obviously that easy for her to say. I emphasize with worries about money and the age factor. That said, I say do what you love. I think from what you've written that you'd regret pharmacy school in the end.) Best of luck to you in making this choice.
 
hannah-
i worked alongside clinical pharmacists when i was a pharmacy tech. they were all extremely happy doing what they were doing. they all make very good money and have a nice, flexible work schedule. they are very involved clinically with the patients (serving as the pharmacy "teachers" for the residents in terms of dosing and routes of administration, are expected to attend daily rounds among, etc.)and have the opportunity to do things most pharmacists don't get to do. they are all also only in their mid 20s. what i mean by this is, like someone said before, the financial benefits begin earlier in the career. i do not mean to imply that is your only concern, but it does seem to be one. if you want a lot of the same exposure but not the crazy hours, you may want to look into it.
 
Pharmacy is a dying profession. Only profession that doesn't work by appointment. Always accessible with free advice.
If you can do medicine please do it, much better quality of life. The person who posted 85 hour week and one week off, forgot to mention that it is a graveyard shift that allows you to do this. Do you want to work weekends, nights etc for the rest of your life ? I think not. MD's have much more flexibility depending on your speciality.
I am talking from experience. Rack up the debt and enjoy your life as an MD. :D
 
Your question is really a no-brainer. Go to albany medical school. Finish medical school and you will find many, many open doors to new vistas.
 
Originally posted by dieter:
•Pharmacy is a dying profession. Only profession that doesn't work by appointment. Always accessible with free advice.
If you can do medicine please do it, much better quality of life. The person who posted 85 hour week and one week off, forgot to mention that it is a graveyard shift that allows you to do this. Do you want to work weekends, nights etc for the rest of your life ? I think not. MD's have much more flexibility depending on your speciality.
I am talking from experience. Rack up the debt and enjoy your life as an MD. :D

Perhaps the same way radiology is a dying profession? What you say for pharmacy can easily be applied to medicine. As an emergency physician, surgeon, radiologist, orthopedic surgeon, neurosurgeon, neonatologist, hospitalist, intensivist, trauma surgeon, transplant surgeon, cardiologist...you will end up working nights/weekends/and holidays.

A pharmacist that owns their own pharmacy, works at a hospital, works for big pharm, or academically will have much more flexible scheduling. To say "rack up the debt and enjoy your life as an MD" may work for you and me, but not for others.
 
Hannah, most of the people that I have met that worked as a pharmacist have complained of hours somewhere in the range of 60-80 hours/ week. This is especially true if you work for a drug chain or in retail, in a hospital you may be more likely to work a normal schedule yet the money is not as good. Just some things to consider.
 
Originally posted by B-Flatblues:
•Amen. If going into medicine means dealing with the "self-righteous premeds", then I'd choose another career. It seems that the majority of pre-meds/med students I meet and those on this board are so up-tight and condescending, and at the same time bashing everyone else for there feelings or points of view. Chill out people. Going into medicine because it is "cool" is just fine a reason as any.
Russ•

Well, no one ever went into medicine because they didn't like it. ;)

That said, however, the problem isn't with whether or not you view being an MD as "cool", the problem is in what is meant by "cool". Without going into a long, rambling dissertation (you're welcome), saying something is "cool" comes off as shallow and devoid of understanding or serious thought. It sounds flip, like the easy way out.

However, I think you oughtn't be a doctor at all unless you do think medicine is cool. You should think it's fascinating, that it's exciting and interesting and something you'd want to do for the rest of your life. Sure, there are down sides to every profession and you have to be aware of them and acknowledge them, otherwise you're not being realistic. But what will sustain you through the downs are the ups. So you better have some ups.

There better be some things about your profession that thrill you, that excite you. I mean, picture it: You're on your 28th consecutive on-call hour and you're staring another 8 in the face when some idiot drunk driver comes in with half his face still at the scene, he's screaming words that would make Navy SEALs faint dead away and threatening to rape your cat and kidnap your parakeet, all while trying his best to sexually molest you through your not-so-white coat. If you don't love medicine, if you can't think to yourself "Thank god I get to go deal with the sweet grandmother after this", then you're screwed.

Of course, the sweet grandmother could turn out to be a raving lunatic, but you know what I mean. :D

Nova
 
Hi Hannah,
You are in an interesting predictament, one that I am sure I wouldn't mind being in. Switch medicine with dentistry and you sound like me. I was a pharmacy student once. I worked as a pharmacy intern on the east coast. One thing that you will learn in pharmacy is that it is a decision that is very individual. Some people like to work in the pharmacy because you are constantly busy. For other pharmacists the insurance hassles take a toll. I think pharmacy is a good choice because the schooling and the hours are very family orientated, if you have a family. Medical school is very family draining. Someone on this post mentioned that pharmacy is a dying profession. That is such a laughable statement as to be inexcusably ignorant. On the east coast there is a pharmacist crisis. There is a tremendous shortage of pharmacists and RN's, while there is a glut of doctors. The situation may be different in the midwest. Sure doctor's will make 2-3 times more money, but will you be happy if your family life is put on the constant backburner? I don't know your threshold for stress management. I am predent and would hesitate to make a recommendation as to which career you should chose. For me dentistry is the obvious choice (after following various paths that did not work out for one reason or another).
The very best of luck in your journey,
Tim.
"All that glitters is not gold, and all that wanders is not lost."
 
Not sure if this was answered already, but why on earth would you apply to a school in Albany, if you hate it there and would never want to live there? Don't go; save the spot for someone who knows they really want it.
 
First, let me thank all of you--particularly Wyldstyle2000, Yigit, ajm, jimjones, mcwmark, nova, and thebeyonder. All were excellent insights and I appreciate the varied responses. Last night I was thinking very hard about all that was said plus my own thoughts, and I think it all comes down to this: do I want a more balanced life, particularly for the next 7 years, or do I want delayed gratification? Also, questions I have are: what is an ideal job, anyway? Is there such a thing? I am a single female, but if I get married, how will I like to balance marriage/kids with a career? Is happiness in what we do or who we are/who we love and choose to spend our time with? I think I can be content in either field at this point. I am sure there will be regrets/negatives in either profession. Anyway, just thought I'd log in my thoughts and also thank you. I'll definitely post after I make my final decision, and I decided to definitely go ahead with either one this year. Sometimes it's good to just go with it, and I am sure things will work out in the end. Whichever decision I choose, I won't look back. I really believe in either one there are opportunities to help people within the realms of medicine and science.
 
Hannah,

Great post, I mean it.
 
Hi Hannah,

I don't want to give you advice one way or the other, rather I'd like to provide some of my experiences. When I began to read your post about the hours, the money, the commitment, I thought about my *short* time in law school. Six whole weeks. Although the law is interesting intellectually, I realized once I got started at school that I did not like doing what a lawyer does day in and day out. I was bored with the curriculum and constantly worried about the costs, the high loan payments I would have to make, AND the big firm job I would have to take (and despise) in order to pay off my loans. In the end, I decided that I truly was not happy and that law was not for me. So, I left.

What I learned from that experience was that I needed to look at what I would actually be doing once I got out and was in the working world. Would I like it and would I get up every morning excited to go to work? Also, my constant worrying about finances indicated to me that I knew I would not be happy with the degree and path I had started. If I had truly loved the law and the prospect of being a lawyer, the money would not have mattered at all.

From law school, I took 2.5 years off before applying to med school. In that time, I was a health care consultant and an human subjects/IRB/ethics committee administrator (i.e., paper pusher) at a large university. In the consulting job, I routinely worked 60+ hour weeks. Some weeks were closer to 90 hours. For the most part, the work was challenging and exciting. From working these hours, I learned that you have to REALLY LOVE your job to work so hard. When you get to work at 7AM, go home at 3AM, only to return at 5AM for another full day, you have to love it and thrive off of the work. In contrast, when I worked at the university, I was bored stiff 40 hours a week. I had time to do other things and loads of free time, but I hated the work. I could not drag myself out of bed in the morning to go to work. Obviously, from this, I learned that I am a person who would rather have a lot of intellectual stimulation, even if it means more hours at work.

The final thing I would say is this: you don't have to know exactly what you want to do (whether in medicine or pharmacy), but you should be able to identify what is most important to you (i.e., the all-important "soul searching" mentioned by others). Once you know generally what you want, start directing yourself toward it. Every thing else will work out in the end.

I think a problem we all encounter and stuggle with is the idea that one action on our part will dictate all future actions and directions. This is not so. Do what you love, be true to your feelings, and the rest will work itself out perfectly. In other words, don't worry about future husbands and potential kids, loan payments, etc. If you receive an M.D., you can always work part-time or work in another sector (consulting, etc) that does not require the same time commitments.

And, with respect to Albany, that too will work itself out -- if you want it to. If you really love what you are learning, the environment won't matter that much. Four years is not as long as it seems. You'll be surrounded by interesting, engaging people who will make it fun, even if it's not what you had envisioned.

Sorry for such a long-winded (and sappy at times) response, but I don't think I could have done this justice with less info. I wish you the best of luck on which ever path you take. Always remember that you can change your mind down the road and that it's your life to lead as you wish. Good luck!

-- Becky
 
Sorry, but I gotta do it...

I'm from Albany and hey, it's not a bad place. I have a lot of friends in the 7 yr med program at RPI and they are doing rotations are Albany Med. Center and St. Peters...the doctors are wonderful, the people are nice...Albany is big enough to have fun, but small enough to get to know all of it and not get too distracted. From the way you speak of both professions (med school and pharmacy school), it doesn't seem like your heart is in either...and you should get out early. Please give up your med school spot to someone who loves the field. :D
 
I hope that you are ignorning a lot of these posts that are encouraging you to "give up your spot" for a "more deserving applicant". The people that "deserve" to go to medical school are the people that got in. If the more "deserving" applicant really wanted to go, he or she would have been accepted. Go to medical school, it sounds like you would like it more but are just concerned about the time committment. My high school chem teacher once gave me some wonderful advice when I spoke with him about the time commitment, he said that in 12 years, you are going to be 30 regardless of what you chose to do, so you might as well be 30 and enjoying what you do for a living as opposed to taking the shorter path and being miserable. Think about what your life will be like in 10 years as a physician vs a pharmacist and make your decision based on that.

Also, how did you come up with that number for the amount of debt you will be in? That number seems rather high to me, even if tuition were 40,000 a year, and living expenses 10,000, then you would still be 200,000 in debt which isn't great but it's always manageable. You can always consolidate and take your time in paying off the loan.
 
I definitely agree with CKent -- no one is "more" deserving than another. And, the best way to think of your life is that you will get older, so do what will make you happy. With respect to the cost Hannah suggested, I think Hannah's number is an aggregate sum -- the cost of the tuition and the INTEREST she will have to pay off. It is a more realistic way to look at the true cost of medical education, although it is a real bummer. In general, I think you take the total loan amount and double it to figure out what you will end up paying in total. In my case, though, I just don't worry about it and smile because of the incredible education I will be receiving. :)
 
I am not going to say that Hannah shouldn't go to Medical school but I am personally waitlisted there and would love to go this fall! If her heart is in it then I say go but she seems unsure and very unimpressed with albany. If she gives up her spot I still may not get in but it bothers me that I am dying to go and she is putting Albany down! In addition, I think if she is going in with a negative attitude then she will never be happy there- I think she should try to get in to a medical school closer to Minn. or go to Pharmacy school
 
hannah,

have you decided yet? if i were you, i would choose albany med. upstate ny isn't such a bad place to live.
 
Final Decision Made!

Something "clicked" 2 days ago. CKent couldn't have said it any better: "Think about what you are going to do 10 years from now..." I imagined that in 10 years I would mainly be filling prescriptions and talking to either insurance co's. or customers and be on my feet all day in a fluorescent building hearing "muzak". Then I thought about medicine: interviewing people all day, diagnosing health problems, hearing their heart, looking into their ears, nose, mouth, even smelling their sickness. So, it was very obvious to me that I would MUCH rather do medicine! By the way, I didn't mean to bash Albany. People in Albany are REALLY nice and just because I didn't like living in New York City, one cannot compare the 2 cities AT ALL. If anything, Albany is more like Minneapolis (where I'm from) than NYC.
To all people thinking about medicine: what it boils down to is loving the job, and doing what you know you will love the rest of your life. Everything else (money, family, etc) will likely work out in the end. In the long run I will be much happier doing medicine. :p

Thanks for ALL of your advice. It was encouraging, and interesting hearing everyone's varied responses.
 
Good for you, Hannah! Not that it matters, but I think you made the right decision - plus, you'll be an even better doc for having a good understanding of what you want and for appreciating the opportunity you are being given while going to med school. Good luck!! :)
 
oh man, please tell me you choose albany, and i don't understand people trippin over someone saying she got into medicine because it is a cool thing, that statement doesn't make her less able to become a good doctor.
 
That's great Hannah!
I think you will find medicine to be a very rewarding field. I have some good friends that just graduated from Albany Med, and they said that they has a great experience there. Also, I'm originally from Buffalo, and I can confirm that Albany is absolutely nothing like NYC. It has a nice small-town feel, but it's also within driving distance of a TON of places, great for weekend trips!
Good luck to you!
 
Okay, I realize this topic should be long gone; I'll delete it in a few days. Just wanted to let everyone know; particularly those on the wait list for Albany--go for it, cause I just cancelled my spot today. :)

Reason being: I completely and clearly thought about either pharmacy or medicine and don't want to do either. Here is some overall advice to anyone debating between 2 careers: do what you love, and you will be the best at it. Money, prestige, good hours or work benefits means absolutely nothing in the end. If you even START calculating how much you'll be in debt, how much money will you make, to make your decision, you're already in the wrong field. I don't know what I'll be doing in the future, but I do know that I'm not spending a dime on any higher education unless I both want to learn and have a passion for practicing after graduating as well.

Life is so short, and there's nothing wrong with taking time to do more soul searching, if that's what you need. To go to school out of fear there's nothing else you "could" do is the most defensive and lifeless way to approach life anyway. Forget the current US economy. Forget what jobs are "the most in demand". Do what you love and you will never regret it.
 
Wow, that's incredibly gutsy of you Hannah. I'm not sure that I have the guts to do what you have done. So let me ask you, what is it that you are going to do now to pay your bills? I'm predent myself, 28, and taking a year off to think about things, but mainly to decide which part of the country I would like to live in. However, I feel differently than you do. I do feel that hours, flexibility, not knowing what else you could do, are in fact very real factors that come into play in real adult decisions in one's life. Perhaps your advanced age makes it far more difficult.
 
WOW!!!!

Hannah, I've been following your posts since your first one and I just can't believe that you were debating between pharmacy and medical school and opted for medical school, but then gave your spot up at the last minute. Well, I congratulate you--not because you gave up your spot in both medical and pharmacy school, but because you were courageous enough to do what most people I believe wouldn't do--follow their heart instead of doing something they didn't feel quite fit. I feel too many people do things for the wrong reasons and as a result they end up being miserable for the rest of their lives. You'll be successful in whatever you do I'm quite sure as long as you listen to yourself and follow your heart. Best of luck to you!

Racerdude
P.S. What do you plan on doing now?
 
Can someone enlighten me as to what is so bad about Albany? I am applying there and am from out west so I am rather ignorant about the east coast. It can't be that bad can it, if you are like me and your passion is in medicine. And that four years will fly by no doubt. But really, what is Albany like? Is it like po-dunk trailer park Univ or something? I'm getting scared.
Peace out
 
Racerdude:

Thanks for the post; I appreciate it. :D
Since you asked, I am moving back to MN and know exactly what I want to do, but have put it "behind" me out of fear of failure and belief that I have little experience in the field. It is the law. This past year in my spare time, I've read Jewish law books "for fun". After getting admitted into med school this spring, I immediately thought: "oh, well, I guess I can go into medicine and then have enough money to study law someday when I'm, like 50." I remember meeting a law student outside my apartment building and telling her, "wow...I always wanted to go into law, that is so cool you are doing that". Her dad, (a lawyer himself), and she blankly stared at me...a month passed, and I had the bright idea of going to pharmacy school instead! That wouldn't take as long to finish, and perhaps I could even go to law school while in pharmacy school! Maybe I could even have enough money to go to law school at night, right after finishing pharmacy school! But alas, I didn't do well on the LSAT last year (just average), and close friends and family would say, never, never go into law. Boring, boring, don't go into it. Heavy debt; low pay. Well, I took Jewish law during my postbac year because I wanted to ease the pain of my science courses. Our class was taught by the socratic method, and I remember hurrying up to finish my biology homework and then opening up my Jewish law boooks around 9 at night, usually finishing up reading and briefing around 2a.m. I loved the subjectivity of it, and working so hard to creatively come up with ideas and arguments for things. Unfortunately, I had to stop taking the class for fear...of not having enough time to study and do well in my science courses! Now I don't care about fear anymore. It is something I've wanted to do forever, and just because I'm better at science...?!!! well, **** it! I'm going to practice law and in the meantime, work in a legal setting and volunteer for the county attorney's office. Live it, breathe it, love it! It's not for the money, the glory, or the respect, it's for pure love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By the way, Racerdude, or anyone else, you can email me at my hannanabi@aol address if you want. I'm deleting the post soon--no pre-laws accepted in this site! ;)
 
Originally posted by Asumi:
•Can someone enlighten me as to what is so bad about Albany? I am applying there and am from out west so I am rather ignorant about the east coast. It can't be that bad can it, if you are like me and your passion is in medicine. And that four years will fly by no doubt. But really, what is Albany like? Is it like po-dunk trailer park Univ or something? I'm getting scared.
Peace out•

I might be slightly biased after having spent the past 4 years living outside of Albany, but I love it there. The medical school is actually very pretty. The city itself also has a lot to offer. It's a relatively small city. The people are very friendly there as well. The location is really ideal - 2 1/2 hours to NYC, about 3 hours to Boston, and Montral isn't that far away either. From my point of view Albany really wouldn't be a bad place to go to school. All of the suburbs send their more complicated cases to Albany so you'd definitely be getting a good clinical experience. The only negative I can see is with the cost of the school itself. I don't think that the cost of living is too high, and if it is, you could always live in one of the suburbs were the cost would be lower. If you need/want any more insight, please feel free to let me know.
 
I don't know about you, guys, but it seems to me that 2 years of volunteering in a hospital and all the hurly-burly of medical application process is more time than enough to search your soul ten times over. On a more personal note, as someone who's wait-listed in Albany, I'm kinda glad that a spot has opened up :)
 
Hey Labbook,

Why you are so judgemental is beyond me. People marry other people for the wrong reasons too--2 years, 5 years later they get divorced. Why? Because things change; life changes; goals change. I hope if you do become a doctor, you will gain understanding about people--not all people are perfect and feel their paths have to be set in stone, just because "they had 2 years to get it together" for some it may take 2 years; for others it may take the rest of their lives.

Give me a break and lighten up. :cool:
 
Hannah, did I hurt your feelings? I'm sorry. (C how sensitive I am?) :D
 
Good for you, Hannah! :D You are lucky (and smart) to have figured all of this out at this point in your life - some people never realize it and spend their lives "waiting" for they things they really want to "happen" and/or are miserable. Good luck with the law - it sounds like a perfect fit for you.

-- Becky
 
Hannah,
Not having had any advice to toss your way about your decision, all I can say is that you've made a really gutsy move, and I'm glad you figured it out. You appear to be a very thoughtful person, and I think your writing skills will serve you well in law school. Enjoy!

--kris
 
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