Please give me advice =(

[Simran1031]

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I am currently a 4th year graduating from the University of Virginia. Upon graduation, I think my cumulative gpa will be about a high 3.4 to a 3.5 hopefully. I recently took the mcats and got a 22. I guess the reason I am writing this post is I am confused. I do not know what I want anymore. First and second year I used to drill through my science classes and I knew exactly what my plan was. but now, every day seems to bring more and more confusion. I have always wanted to get invovled in a profession which would alleviate and facilitate the lives of other people. I am particularly interested in working with underprivileged popiulationbs. FOr the longest time, i did think being a doctor was the best way to achieve this goal because I do not feel enough physicians are going to rural and underprivileged areas. But the past two years have completely confused the day lights out of me. At the end of second year I decided to construct my own undergraduate major which basically studied diseases from different sociocultural aspects. Through the classes I have taken for my major, I have become completely disillusioned about medicine. I guess a lot of my classes are critical of biomedicine as an institution and I guess in a sense I have beocme to. I dont want to do medicine for the money, i dont want to do it for prestige. i dont want to do it for the science. i want to do it for the people who really need health care. for those individuals who are constantly denied access. my interests lie in health disparities, working closely with communities. I have always thought the ideal poisiton for me would be to work at a clinic where I am able to see patients and help organize the clinic. I dont know if i am being idealistic. i dont know why i have so many doubts. once i am sure i know that i can make it through, i feel medicine is all about having that certainty..i dont know...i dont have a problem working hard. but i fear that after 4 yrs of med school and 3 yrs of internal med residency, wut if i dont want to serve the underprivileged poulaiton? i dont want to not care. this is the problem. i do not want to generalize but many premeds are in med because of parental pressure, money, prestige, but if you genuinely want to serve people is medicine the best way. my calling is to serve ppl. i just dont know if medicine is it..i have the choice of taking the july mcat. one part of me wants me to take it because i jsut took them in jan and owuld get a chance to study for them..anotehr part of me is like why are u taking mcats if u arent sure?
i have been reading a lot of books behind the scary underside to biomedicine, and about how it is a profit making industry, and i dont know..i jsut dont want to become brainwahsed into becoming a money hungry person. pls can someone give me advice..i dont know if my desire for doing medicine are faltering cuz im not suceeding or because it is not what i want from my heart. i am currently looknig for jobs for next year and am feeeling quite disheartened becasue i do not know waht i am looknig for. i wish i was not this confused. please someone help me. =(

 

[Martin Prince]

Don't take the July MCAT. For the moment, rest aside your indecision about pursuing the career. A 22 will likely keep you from school and you need significant improvement if you decide to try. A few months is not a lot of time especially if you are wavering about your choices. If you go for it again, you will have 1 shot to nail it, and this will take your undivided attention. Coming from a 22, you have a long way to go and a clear head will be required.

Graduate, find an interesting job or do some sort of AmeriCorps/Teach for America position. During the year, get your head straight, think about this decision, get away from other premeds because their motives are unrelated to yours, shadow and interview as many physicians as you can, and reevaluate your path. If medicine is the way to go in a year, commit to this test and study with everything you have for 4-10 months beforehand.

If you take it in July without your heart behind it, you'll likely not only struggle again, but you may just slam the door shut from what is otherwise an honorable, although idealistic, dream. If you are going to do it, you have to do it right.

Good luck whatever you decide

 

[DrMidlife]

If there's anything you'd be happy doing other than medicine, do the other thing. (I think I'm quoting http://www.emphysician.blogspot.com/.)

I suggest you become a nontrad. Go work for a few years outside biomed. If you still want to do medicine later, you can always come back. Supporting yourself, and seeing the way the world works, are going to help you mature and grow.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Schmitty]

Take a year off, if you still want to study medicine, put all you have into it, and then come to Canada as we need doctors (especially in rural areas!) and since we have government funded healthcare, you won't have to worry about being brainwashed into only worrying about money and you will be free to treat every disadvantaged person that comes through your clinic's door.

;-D

 

[sawood]

What event happened that shed doubt on your pursuit of medicine? Did something specific happen that shifted your perspective? Usually that is the case when someone goes from being very sure to being completely confused.

Either way, I don't know how old you are, but don't feel bad for being unsure. Its normal, and in fact, I think you are being more honest then a lot of traditional premeds are with themselves, so pat yourself on the back for that.

So all of us "non-trads" originally took off on some other path before stopping and thinking to ourselves "ummmmm, this isn't so great, I want to pursue medicine" Don't feel like you have to decide right now, and don't feel like if you go after the MD degree that it has to look a certain way (i.e. maybe you don't want to work in a clinic, but find oncology to be a good fit?)

Also consider that to make a difference in the world, in underserved populations, and in people's lives in general, is achievable in many many many different ways. You will find the way that works for you, possibly after taking a few detours. I can tell you that although I am not going to be an engineer for my career, I wouldn't give up the four years I spent working as an engineer prior to applying to med school for anything. Its all about the journey. Chill out, you'll find your way eventually, you don't have to decide your whole life right now. Take some time.

Good for you for thinking and pondering these things. Many people don't often end up unhappy and very burned out.

 

[Simran1031]

im 21.

 

[njbmd]

To "cut to the chase" (I'm a surgeon after all):

• If you are unsure of what you want to do with your life, take some time to figure what you want. Medicine will be there.
• Do not re-take the MCAT unless you have done something significant to improve your score. A very poor score followed by a mediocre (or another poor score) can end your option of entering medical school in the future.
• You can come back to your pursuit of medicine, if you decide that you want to become a physician after you have done something else. Medicine will be there.
• Go the the counseling office and explore some alternative careers that might interest you. Take some aptitude testing and see what comes up.

With your below average uGPA, you are likely going to need some post bacc work in addition to a very solid score on the MCAT. In addition, you need the desire to study medicine which doesn't seem to be there at this point.

Anyone else's motives for the study of medicine are not yours to judge. You can only be sure of your motives and live your life according to your standards. Whether or not YOU become a physician is your concern. Right now, you do not seem ready for medicine either academically or emotionally. Take some time and figure out what you want. After that, find a way to accomplish your goals.

 

[finaaqua]

and do not take the july mcat. having taken that beastly mcat three times myself, believe me when i say, you SHOULD NOT take the MCAT until you feel
a) motivated to study as hard as you can
b) breaking over 30 consistently (i mean like 5 or 6 exams not just 1 or 2)- you want to be absolutely sure that you will only take that stupid exam one more time- and if you are not breaking 30 consistently do not take it.

as for your confusion etc- i don't mean to sound like an fogey, and i'm not even that much older than you, but at 21 you have boundless opportunities ahead of you. medical school will always be there, but you need to make sure that its the right decision for you. i worked in international health for five years prior to premed and i absolutely loved the experience. take some time off to live your life and think long and hard about whether or not med school is really for you.

 

[CJ80]

Simran1031,

I can definitely relate to what you are going through. I was a pre-med major in undergrad. Did great in all my courses and had thought since I was 3 that I wanted to be a doctor. After my junior year of college, I did a med-prep summer program taking gross anatomy & biochem. Everyone else there was excited and I was just there! Fortunately (but unfortunately for me) I was already accepted into medical school but didn't have any intrinsic motivation at that point. I was just set to go, since I was accepted and everyone expected me to. But medical school is DIFFICULT! It takes a lot of time and dedication. It's definitely doable if you really want it, but a royal pain in the butt if it's not in you! I realize now that had I completed my medical degree back then, I would have been one of the many graduates resenting it, being unhappy and having the feelings of being STUCK!

Instead I did some serious soul searching, praying, & waiting to find an alternate path. I was lead to public health. From the sound of your post, I think it might be a good path for you as well. You generally sound as though you want to help make a difference and improve health status for the underserved. Gaining the broader perspective of public health and being in that atmosphere may help restore your outlook on medicine. I know for me it did. I've been fortunate enough to work for a great agency that devotes itself to health promotion and disease prevention. The experiences I've gained helped me to find the reasons why I want to go back into medicine. And if you don't want to get a degree and maybe just jump into public health work, I'd definitely recommend the Peace Corps or some other volunteer opportunity. These experiences open your eyes to the bigger picture and will help you see past the negatives, the hours spent studying, and know that your work & sacrifice really matters.

Hopes this helps!
CJ

 

[lax]

There are many career you can pursue that isn't a physician. You can be a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, Paramedic, etc. Nurse pracitioners are able to many things these days. In TN, I know a nurse practitioner that said he could practice independently in that area and prescribe medication with no restrictions. You have many options. You seem to have a heart-felt need to help others. Trust me- there are other ways. Good luck!