Physical therapy, Psychiatry, or Children's Oncology

[Chadori]

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I am currently in my first year of college and I'm having trouble deciding which field I ultimately want to pursue. My reasoning behind physical therapy is that I, in the past, was committed to weight training and the likes and during that period of time I would always be researching about basic muscles groups and treatment that corresponds with specificity to injury.

My reasoning behind psychiatry is that ever since my intro to psychology course, I've since continued to be fascinated with the subject itself along with the methods of treatment that follow. One could suggest going into psychology instead of psychiatry, but i prefer to be one that utilizes medicine as a last resort.

As for children's oncology, since I've started working part time at my friend's washateria, I notice the behavior of children that come in; some are proper, some are out of control. I feel that children with cancer are more appreciative, perhaps, of what they have, and if I could even make a small difference in their lives, I think it would be a start.

I am fully aware that my reasoning have flaws and that I of course may be naive in the eyes of professionals. But to justify myself, my path is still under construction as is with everyone else who started at the bottom. Ultimately I still have to shadow these professions to make the final decision myself. As for now, inputs and if possible, personal accounts with each profession is also much appreciated.

Thank you

 

[Chadori]

Mentors, please move this if it does not correspond with the correct sub-forum.

 

[Dharma]

I am currently in my first year of college and I'm having trouble deciding which field I ultimately want to pursue. My reasoning behind physical therapy is that I, in the past, was committed to weight training and the likes and during that period of time I would always be researching about basic muscles groups and treatment that corresponds with specificity to injury.

My reasoning behind psychiatry is that ever since my intro to psychology course, I've since continued to be fascinated with the subject itself along with the methods of treatment that follow. One could suggest going into psychology instead of psychiatry, but i prefer to be one that utilizes medicine as a last resort.

As for children's oncology, since I've started working part time at my friend's washateria, I notice the behavior of children that come in; some are proper, some are out of control. I feel that children with cancer are more appreciative, perhaps, of what they have, and if I could even make a small difference in their lives, I think it would be a start.

I am fully aware that my reasoning have flaws and that I of course may be naive in the eyes of professionals. But to justify myself, my path is still under construction as is with everyone else who started at the bottom. Ultimately I still have to shadow these professions to make the final decision myself. As for now, inputs and if possible, personal accounts with each profession is also much appreciated.

Thank you

No personal accounts but I do have some general advice. As you said, definitely shadow different professionals out there; be aware that an experience (good, bad, or indifferent) does not always (or usually) represent the reality of any particular profession. Regardless, it can be a good experience and a highly recommended one at that.

Two of your three career choices you mentioned will require med school. My advice, plan for med school. In fact, you can even major in psychology and be pre-med simultaneously. Attack your classes in a manner where you are able to really understand and learn the material well; this will not only help you ace these classes, but they will also make MCAT prep down the road a lot easier.

Check out the typical timelines for med school applications, i.e. when you should take certain prerequisites, the best time to take the MCAT, etc. Be involved at school, in ECs that you ENJOY!!! Make connections (including through your shadowing experiences). Talk to your premed advisor in order to start mapping a general plan in terms of classes, volunteer prospects, LORs, etc. (although beware, there tend to be some very negative advisors out there. Don't let them make you believe you can't earn a med school seat. The only person capable of that is you).

You're young. You may change your mind a number of times. But at least you have a few interests that tickle your fancy. That is good. A lot of kids your age have their heads up someplace they don't belong. Keep developing your interests, ace your classes (and do it to not only get the great grades but also to truly learn), network, and enjoy the ride. Oh... and trust your gut. Those instincts that we feel deep down are usually correct; the tricky part is learning when that gut feeling is spot on and when to act!

Good luck. And again... enjoy.

 

[Chadori]

No personal accounts but I do have some general advice. As you said, definitely shadow different professionals out there; be aware that an experience (good, bad, or indifferent) does not always (or usually) represent the reality of any particular profession. Regardless, it can be a good experience and a highly recommended one at that.

Two of your three career choices you mentioned will require med school. My advice, plan for med school. In fact, you can even major in psychology and be pre-med simultaneously. Attack your classes in a manner where you are able to really understand and learn the material well; this will not only help you ace these classes, but they will also make MCAT prep down the road a lot easier.

Check out the typical timelines for med school applications, i.e. when you should take certain prerequisites, the best time to take the MCAT, etc. Be involved at school, in ECs that you ENJOY!!! Make connections (including through your shadowing experiences). Talk to your premed advisor in order to start mapping a general plan in terms of classes, volunteer prospects, LORs, etc. (although beware, there tend to be some very negative advisors out there. Don't let them make you believe you can't earn a med school seat. The only person capable of that is you).

You're young. You may change your mind a number of times. But at least you have a few interests that tickle your fancy. That is good. A lot of kids your age have their heads up someplace they don't belong. Keep developing your interests, ace your classes (and do it to not only get the great grades but also to truly learn), network, and enjoy the ride. Oh... and trust your gut. Those instincts that we feel deep down are usually correct; the tricky part is learning when that gut feeling is spot on and when to act!

Good luck. And again... enjoy.

I really appreciate your words. I would like to touch on a couple points you made. Regarding a negative experience that may not be reality, would it be wise to use optimism to counter a negative experience?

I've only been in college since the past summer and so far my game plan has correlations towards a basketball or football playoff game. Mentally my plan is to attack first and with haste; meaning to get ahead of what the teacher is teaching, but only so much to where I stop focusing on the current lessons. For example I'm in my first natural science class which is biology and so far I believe that I am ahead of the class in terms of reading and class participation, but I never take advantage of that because just like sports, there may always be someone that is about to overtake you. I believe that my weakness in terms of pre-req courses and perhaps any other course is that I cannot learn enough. Even if I make an A in the course I feel as if I could have done more.

Speaking realistically, I am not a genius. All of the classes I've made As in I studied tenaciously. Of course I am always going to pursue the A, but what if I try my hardest and in the end I make a B in a natural science course. My dilemma is that I have trouble knowing when to be complacent so I try to stay in a non-complacent mode which will probably bite me before I know it.

Something that I would like to add is that I am currently in community college because I had no ambition during my high school years. ( I graduated one semester early and did absolutely nothing up until the past summer, during which I attended full time summer school and developed internal motivation. I have been full time ever since.)

Thank you - Chad

 

[Dharma]

Just be aware that not every shadowing experience will be a true representation of that profession or field. If you are aware of that going in there will be a lot less delusion. And yes, stay optimistic.

As for everything else, just do your best. But don't do TOO much. Burnout could be an issue if you're constantly trying to do more. Learn how to be satisfied with your best work and consistently be aware of how you can improve. Being realistic and learning to understand your strengths and weaknesses will go a long way.

Don't compare yourself to others. I mean it's ok to see how others are doing and a bit of competition can be motivating and even fun, but know where to draw the line. When it comes down to it, you're your only true competition, because it is you that you have control over, not others. But again, don't beat yourself up. And if you land a B and that was your best effort, it's ok. Try to figure out how to improve and move forward.

Lastly, there is nothing wrong with being in a CC. Just keep working hard and set some plans into motion. With right intentions and perseverance you will arrive at where you need to be.

 

[Chadori]

Just be aware that not every shadowing experience will be a true representation of that profession or field. If you are aware of that going in there will be a lot less delusion. And yes, stay optimistic.

As for everything else, just do your best. But don't do TOO much. Burnout could be an issue if you're constantly trying to do more. Learn how to be satisfied with your best work and consistently be aware of how you can improve. Being realistic and learning to understand your strengths and weaknesses will go a long way.

Don't compare yourself to others. I mean it's ok to see how others are doing and a bit of competition can be motivating and even fun, but know where to draw the line. When it comes down to it, you're your only true competition, because it is you that you have control over, not others. But again, don't beat yourself up. And if you land a B and that was your best effort, it's ok. Try to figure out how to improve and move forward.

Lastly, there is nothing wrong with being in a CC. Just keep working hard and set some plans into motion. With right intentions and perseverance you will arrive at where you need to be.

Above all else, I feel that during my college years, aside from learning the material needed for mcat and whatnot, internally I will be attaining the discipline to become the doctor or medical professional. What I mean by that is the work that is needed to learn your natural sciences as well as the command over one's self to do what is required in a timely fashion are just some of the basic foundations of professionals everywhere.

I understand that being a doctor is not for everybody as with every other profession. If I had to dig deep down, I would say my ultimate reason, aside from assisting patients, is that I do want to be in the medical field, I just don't want to be at the bottom of the food chain. My reasoning is that with the time it takes to transition from a bachelors to a masters degree, why not go for the gold and put in that extra time to become the doctor, that way not you do you have the title, but your scope for helping your patients becomes that much more as well as the responsibilities that indeed follow.

 

[hmockingbird]

As for children's oncology, since I've started working part time at my friend's washateria, I notice the behavior of children that come in; some are proper, some are out of control. I feel that children with cancer are more appreciative, perhaps, of what they have, and if I could even make a small difference in their lives, I think it would be a start.

Cancer doesn't make you a good person. See Lance Armstrong. Kids in any tough situation may not have the experience to be as cynical as adults and may have their wise moments and it might turn into a life experience that informs their personal development. But still, cancer is not automatically going to change a kid's innate character, or cause them to mature beyond typical age-appropriate behavior (I mean, sorry, but kids are likely to cry and be whiny if they don't feel good and it doesn't matter if they have cancer or the flu!), and cancer can also have deleterious psychological effects just like any trauma. I'm sure you might be learning about how trauma effects kids in your psych classes, but gaining wisdom is not the only possible response. They might act out, regress developmentally, have trouble controlling their emotions, withdraw or lose interest in their favorite things, have trouble making/keeping friends, etc. Kids with cancer being inspirational angels is a stereotype. If you don't like whiny or high-energy kids, you might just not want to be a pediatrician, period.

And can I just say - this is being a little harsh, but I was once a very sick kid. Going into a specialty based on a perception of a certain morality of the disease or its patients speaks of pity and condescension (and could also set you up nicely for disappointment when not everyone you treat fits into that moral stereotype). Trust me, kids are great BS detectors, and I could tell when someone was being nice to me because they felt sorry for me or it made them feel good about themselves to help me. I am not saying don't go into pediatric oncology, but don't go into it because you feel these kids would be most deserving of your treatment or whatever. Go into it or really any field because while exploring your options through shadowing/med school rotations/etc. you became interested in the subject matter, you felt you were/could be the most effective in that specialty, and you had good patient encounters/felt you could emphasize with that population. Not because you feel sorry for the patients or feel they are the most deserving. Your thoughts could be a good jumping off point, but as with the others, definitely explore it more and see if the field actually interests you and would be a good fit even if it ends up being different than what you might expect.

 

[Chadori]

Cancer doesn't make you a good person. See Lance Armstrong. Kids in any tough situation may not have the experience to be as cynical as adults and may have their wise moments and it might turn into a life experience that informs their personal development. But still, cancer is not automatically going to change a kid's innate character, or cause them to mature beyond typical age-appropriate behavior (I mean, sorry, but kids are likely to cry and be whiny if they don't feel good and it doesn't matter if they have cancer or the flu!), and cancer can also have deleterious psychological effects just like any trauma. I'm sure you might be learning about how trauma effects kids in your psych classes, but gaining wisdom is not the only possible response. They might act out, regress developmentally, have trouble controlling their emotions, withdraw or lose interest in their favorite things, have trouble making/keeping friends, etc. Kids with cancer being inspirational angels is a stereotype. If you don't like whiny or high-energy kids, you might just not want to be a pediatrician, period.

And can I just say - this is being a little harsh, but I was once a very sick kid. Going into a specialty based on a perception of a certain morality of the disease or its patients speaks of pity and condescension (and could also set you up nicely for disappointment when not everyone you treat fits into that moral stereotype). Trust me, kids are great BS detectors, and I could tell when someone was being nice to me because they felt sorry for me or it made them feel good about themselves to help me. I am not saying don't go into pediatric oncology, but don't go into it because you feel these kids would be most deserving of your treatment or whatever. Go into it or really any field because while exploring your options through shadowing/med school rotations/etc. you became interested in the subject matter, you felt you were/could be the most effective in that specialty, and you had good patient encounters/felt you could emphasize with that population. Not because you feel sorry for the patients or feel they are the most deserving. Your thoughts could be a good jumping off point, but as with the others, definitely explore it more and see if the field actually interests you and would be a good fit even if it ends up being different than what you might expect.

Thank you for your response, I will be the first to admit my naive way of thinking thus far. In all honesty and with utmost realism, I may not even end up as a doctor. All I am certain of so far is that I want to be in the hospital environment and provide help/treatment to those that need it. As far as the specificity of such treatment, that will not make itself apparent until my shadowing begins. Another portion of oncology, perhaps, would be adult based.

I feel that the truest form of human interaction that is occurring in my life right now is between me and my teachers. It is a constant battle between me and the educator where I am working my hardest to attain the best possible grades. Perhaps, these interactions communication-wise may also influence my ultimate decision.

For now, I think worrying about transferring to a four year university is my main concern. I have talked to a couple of friends that are attending the University of Texas at Austin and based on my current gpa they said my chances are pretty good. Of course not for certain, but my instincts tell me to take it and run with it.