Second Thoughts On Medical School

[thejonqproject]

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Anyone else ever get second thoughts about the whole thing? If so, what are they - and do you think they are normal? For me it seems like the best years of your life are spent in school. You can miss out on alot that the world has to offer - living abroad and things like that. I don't know - it seems like you can really only be young once, no ?

 

[EyeballLove]

Seconds thoughts like...only people who have lost their minds would willingly put themselves through the misery of taking hard science classes, doing a million EC's while trying to have a life, and then going through 4 years of med school + years and years of residency and fellowship...yes those kind of second thoughts. Unfortunately, I lost my mind a long time ago😱

 

[Nasem]

I don't really get 2nd thoughts, but I fear the future, like "what if I never get in, what if I try and I try and I try and I simply never get it",

maybe everyone feels like me, but I just, I have alot to lose, I am quitting my job soon, and going back to school full time for post-bacc so, if I don't make it, its going to hurt me financially / emotionally / and cost me a really sweet job (Software engineer)

 

[Rikkye]

oops!

*better stay away from this thread*

lol

 

[doinmybest5840]

I don't really get 2nd thoughts, but I fear the future, like "what if I never get in, what if I try and I try and I try and I simply never get it",

maybe everyone feels like me, but I just, I have alot to lose, I am quitting my job soon, and going back to school full time for post-bacc so, if I don't make it, its going to hurt me financially / emotionally / and cost me a really sweet job (Software engineer)

I know how you feel. I'm constantly plagued with worries that I won't get in, that they won't like me at my interviews, that I'll be endlessly waitlisted, etc. And then if I don't get in anywhere, what will I do for a year to improve my application? Research? I don't even like research. And even though I'd be using my own money, my parents are adamant that I do not do a post-bacc, as it would be useless if for some reason I just cannot get into a medical school and have to do something else. Which only leaves getting a masters, and I really don't want to be in school that long. I plan to get married and have a family once I'm done with school, but every year I add in for schooling makes that less likely to happen. BIOLOGICAL CLOCK! Haha. Seriously though, I don't second guess so much as worry endlessly.

 

[illixir]

Yeah, not really second thoughts about going into medicine, but that there are some things that I won't have time to do. Like I'd love to live abroad in alot of different places, while I'll be able to travel, I love having the experience of living in another culture for at least a few months. I wish I couldve done a longer study abroad instead of an 8-week summer one.

 

[mvenus929]

I've had thoughts about whether or not it's worth it, especially putting yourself through the hell of medical school and residency. Then when I convince myself it is worth it again, I start to think about what I could possibly do if I don't get accepted. And then I wonder if I do get accepted, will I survive it? If I get rejected from my state school, and have to live somewhere way far away, will I have the support I need there?

I go crazy with what-if questions. Don't mind me.

 

[Bored_Student]

i think having second thoughts is natural given what we're about to invest of our youth, time, money, and effort. add to that that its for a career where we're goign to face a lot of stress worrying about malpractice litigation, the state of the healthcare system, declining compenstaion, etc. and i couldn't imagine not having second thoughts.

 

[doinmybest5840]

I've had thoughts about whether or not it's worth it, especially putting yourself through the hell of medical school and residency. Then when I convince myself it is worth it again, I start to think about what I could possibly do if I don't get accepted. And then I wonder if I do get accepted, will I survive it? If I get rejected from my state school, and have to live somewhere way far away, will I have the support I need there?

I go crazy with what-if questions. Don't mind me.

Ditto on going to med school out of state. I've been rejected from 2 of the 3 MD schools in my state, and my chances of getting into the remaining one are pretty damn slim, so I'm pretty much guaranteed to be going somewhere else. I hope I adjust well...

 

[emquiksilver]

I don't have time for second thoughts. I'll worry about that when I get in.

 

[Hyperstudyosis]

Sometimes I think, "Oh my gosh, do I really want to incur this much debt?" Then I think, "Well, I'm already too far in debt to turn back." Other times I think, "Wow! Is this really something I want to do/am capable of doing? Am I too introverted to be a doctor? Am I confident enough? Am I smart enough? Am I going to be happy and fulfilled?" I think it's normal for everyone to have doubts. Most of the time, I'm super excited, but I do have my times of doubting.

 

[Vitum Medicinus]

Medical school is so challenging and demanding that if you are entering the profession for the wrong reasons, you will simply hate yourself. If you're doing it for the money, you'll quickly realize it's really not worth it - there are other professions which require less training that are much better-compensated. If you're doing it for the glory, you'll soon realize that there isn't much glory in taking the blame for everything that goes wrong. Back when I wrote my list of things I'd recommend to pre-meds, "be 1000% sure about it" was my #1 piece of advice.

If you are having second thoughts I'd recommend reading something like the Don't Become a Doctor series. Make an informed decision and you could save yourself years of angst - that could mean years of saying to yourself, "Why did I go into medicine?" yet it could also mean years of "Why didn't I go into medicine?"

 

[Jolie South]

I have zero doubts. I guess that's the advantage to being a non-trad. I've traveled. I've done research. I have a Master's. I've done the corporate thing. I've worked in public health.

I know 100% that there is nothing else out there for me. I always felt jealous of the physicians that I saw during my Peace Corps work. Me talking about the importance of bed nets, them treating a convulsing child with cerebral malaria. Me talking about birth, doctors actually helping a woman give birth. Not to minimize public health. It's extremely important; it's just not for me.

 

[bioteach]

I agree with Jolie South. Being a non-trad alleviates some of those doubts. I've traveled, lived all over the country, have a masters, got married, worked as a wildlife biologist, taught for a few years...basically I explored every other career choice I could possibly be interested in. I know this is what I want.

However....if I was only 21, I would probably be pretty nervous. But that's just me. Kudos to all you 21 year olds that do know EXACTLY what you want to do with the rest of your life - and are willing to incur a six-figure debt to do it!

 

[Auron]

I don't have time for second thoughts. I'll worry about that when I get in.

no...

You want to be sure this is what you want to do from the beginning.

 

[pakbabydoll]

I have thought about it a lot, not the part about missing out but about the part where what if I am not good enough

 

[hp540]

I don't have second thoughts....I'm just scared ****less. I'm scared I won't get in, I'm scared about where my life will go, and most of all, I'm scared of the costs.

 

[Sir Buckethead]

I like science
I like challenges
I like working long hours
I like how buff I look in scrubs

For me, the admissions process is the only worry.

 

[mrjbb]

Yes I definitely get doubts like "Will I make it", "What happens if I fail Orgo", "If I get in how in friggin world am I gonna pay for med school!!", "Does the fact that nobody's in reality supporting me have anything to do with it"....etc..etc..etc..and..more..crap!!

But then my determination and my oh what the hell its all BS you get doubts just be strong minded and push them away or suppress them. You procrastinate long enough and you will never end up doing ANYTHING!!!. 😉

 

[emaj1n]

Anyone else ever get second thoughts about the whole thing? If so, what are they - and do you think they are normal? For me it seems like the best years of your life are spent in school. You can miss out on alot that the world has to offer - living abroad and things like that. I don't know - it seems like you can really only be young once, no ?

Take a year off to travel--that's what I did.

Here's the truth: medical school won't be the most fun years of your life--we let those go back in middle school, high school, and college, so face the fact you can no longer see the bottom of your hourglass. Having said that, it's not a bad time, either. You aren't going to be locked into a prison, but you are going to have major responsibilities. If you really need to see part of the rest of the world and are not ready to settle down and spend ALL your time studying (minus 6 hours to sleep and maybe 30 minutes at the gym), then definitely take a year off. You aren't any less of a person because of it. You just aren't ready. There are people in my class who aren't ready for medical school, and I don't know how they're going to make it through.

 

[powerful_squib]

.... now I know I am trouble... all of you is worried about the costs, whether you get in or not... that is trival compared to my worry... lol... my worry is that I really don't know if I want to be a doctor at all... I think about the process... the long hours... the rewards (e.g. helping people)... but then I think about why I want to do this... my love of science and the human body... but I am completely unsure I've been thinking about it all summer and I am still on the fence... I am definently going to apply next cycle... but I just don't know...

 

[Easy E]

.... now I know I am trouble... all of you is worried about the costs, whether you get in or not... that is trival compared to my worry... lol... my worry is that I really don't know if I want to be a doctor at all... I think about the process... the long hours... the rewards (e.g. helping people)... but then I think about why I want to do this... my love of science and the human body... but I am completely unsure I've been thinking about it all summer and I am still on the fence... I am definently going to apply next cycle... but I just don't know...

Second thoughts what is that? Doubts about getting into medical school? Many! no matter how strong I make my application I constantly worry that I will not get in. So much that I attempt to downplay the medical field to my self. To go through all the crap that we do to become and stay physicians I believe the pursuit of medicine becomes an obsession of sorts. If you really think that you may not want to be a physician than don't put yourself thru the life of a premed. However, if these second thoughts are derived from self doubt than believe in yourself and don't give up...

 

[DrKitty]

I agree with Jolie South. Being a non-trad alleviates some of those doubts. I've traveled, lived all over the country, have a masters, got married, worked as a wildlife biologist, taught for a few years...basically I explored every other career choice I could possibly be interested in. I know this is what I want.

However....if I was only 21, I would probably be pretty nervous. But that's just me. Kudos to all you 21 year olds that do know EXACTLY what you want to do with the rest of your life - and are willing to incur a six-figure debt to do it!

I think it is almost advantageous to be a non-trad in med school, since you know you are there exactly because it is something you want. As a non-trad myself, I entered med school 4 years after graduating from college. During those years, I had time to travel, live and work in NYC (what I wanted), gain some real world job experience, and really ponder whether med school and medicine is something I wanted to commit myself to for the rest of my life.

If you are having second thoughts about med school, don't rush into it - take your time exploring things you always wanted to do. You can spend your "best twenties" doing what you like and still start your medical career in your late twenties or early thirties.

 

[foreverLaur]

i've never doubted the fact that i absolutely love medicine and this is my #1 passion. however, i wonder if it is worth all the time and money. i want to be a mom who is always around and that doesn't work well with the specialties i am interested in.

however, none of this has stopped me from pursuing medicine. there is nothing i want more so i'm doing it.

 

[powerful_squib]

Second thoughts what is that? Doubts about getting into medical school? Many! no matter how strong I make my application I constantly worry that I will not get in. So much that I attempt to downplay the medical field to my self. To go through all the crap that we do to become and stay physicians I believe the pursuit of medicine becomes an obsession of sorts. If you really think that you may not want to be a physician than don't put yourself thru the life of a premed. However, if these second thoughts are derived from self doubt than believe in yourself and don't give up...

Thanks so much for your post... I mean I know I can do it... it's just that maybe its because I haven't really given much thought to other professions that makes me worried.

Even if I personally wanted to not be a premed it wouldn't matter... in my major all the pre med classes are requirements for my major...