Setting myself up for bias/flamming

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No engineering or healthcare, and you still want to make a ton of money?

Uhh, drop out of college and go work the oilfields.

Yup. You can also get like a welding degree at a CC. They need those in the oil fields

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

What are some other good careers besides medicine? Something that can be started much sooner. I'm on the edge with my living situation, I can't possibly see myself having to put up with it for much longer. I'd love to be a doctor, but the time it takes to become on is way to long. I've been starting to slack badly in school because of all the bull happening around me. What's a good potential way to earn some decent money in life? No engineering btw. Medicine really isn't for the weak, I don't feel that I can handle all the **** that comes with it.

Enlist in any branch of the military. Get out of the current situation. Become financially stable and rethink medical school via the GI Bill, or do 20 and retire in your 40s.

 

[circulus vitios]

I'm not sure how accurate it is, but I sort of picture lesser known medical schools as being "one way". One way, as in they lead to the more common specialties such as pediatrics, family medicine, geriatrics. There aren't many radiologists, orthopedic surgeons, dermatologists, etc.. who graduate from Top 50 < schools. Are there? I know not to choose a specialty before you get in, and that my preference will probably chance a bunch of times in the near future, but I kind of got my heart on surgery atm.

That's not true at all. More students at highly-ranked schools go into competitive specialties, but plenty of students from lower-ranking schools specialize, as well. Look at the match lists for Drexel, TCMC, GWU, etc.

 

[WestCoastNative]

That's not true at all. More students at highly-ranked schools go into competitive specialties, but plenty of students from lower-ranking schools specialize, as well. Look at the match lists for Drexel, TCMC, GWU, etc.

And what if you end up graduating from medical school and not being able to get into a competitive specialty? You have to go into something else against your will or you're stuck with 200k+ in debt.

 

[mcloaf]

And what if you end up graduating from medical school and not being able to get into a competitive specialty? You have to go into something else against your will or you're stuck with 200k+ in debt.

Your attitude really sets you up for success.

As they say: whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right.

 

[circulus vitios]

And what if you end up graduating from medical school and not being able to get into a competitive specialty? You have to go into something else against your will or you're stuck with 200k+ in debt.

You're interested in surgery, right? Per the NRMP 2011 "Charting the Outcomes" data, the average Step 1 score for US MD students who matched gen surg is 227. I'm too lazy to look it up, but I believe that is within a point or two of the national average Step 1 score. I'm sure you could match into a community program with a lower score.

 

[WestCoastNative]

I see, thanks for the information guys. Yeah, even though it might change, my dream specialty would be orthopedic surgery.

 

[circulus vitios]

I see, thanks for the information guys. Yeah, even though it might change, my dream specialty would be orthopedic surgery.

Ortho is much more competitive than general surgery, but there are more options than FM with low board scores -- anesthesiology, emergency medicine, internal medicine, low-ranking programs in radiology or general surgery, and so on.

 

[WestCoastNative]

Ortho is much more competitive than general surgery, but there are more options than FM with low board scores -- anesthesiology, emergency medicine, internal medicine, low-ranking programs in radiology or general surgery, and so on.

If matching into ortho is based on step scores and ec's, than I'm not worried. That's completely up to me and its realistic to get in if I work for it. However, if school plays a major role, than in a way I feel like I'm not in control. Is 240-250+ on Step 1 from a "low tier" medical school competitive for ortho?

 

[Lucca]

If matching into ortho is based on step scores and ec's, than I'm not worried. That's completely up to me and its realistic to get in if I work for it. However, if school plays a major role, than in a way I feel like I'm not in control. Is 240-250+ on Step 1 from a "low tier" medical school competitive for ortho?

Prestige isn't a huge deal for residencies, especially low-research, largely non-academic residencies as per medical and resident student comments on this forum.

 

[circulus vitios]

If matching into ortho is based on step scores and ec's, than I'm not worried. That's completely up to me and its realistic to get in if I work for it. However, if school plays a major role, than in a way I feel like I'm not in control. Is 240-250+ on Step 1 from a "low tier" medical school competitive for ortho?

If you go to a US MD school, you can pretty much match into whatever, provided you do the work. I mean school name plays a role in matching but it's not a huge deal -- my un-ranked med school's inaugural class had three orthopedic matches. http://www.thecommonwealthmedical.com/ResidencyMatch

Like I said, look at the match lists for Drexel and other similarly ranked schools. Plenty of students go into competitive specialties: http://webcampus.drexelmed.edu/cdc/2013-MatchList.asp

 

[supermintyfresh]

Go into programming/computer science. Be the next Mark Zuckerberg -- there's your potential.

 

[DocMcMommy]

I wasn't trying to be a heartless jerk, but I wanted to point out that you were giving a lot of excuses for every helpful piece of advice given to you.

I don't know your life and you didn't provide much information on it, so my opinions and assumptions are limited.

I'm sorry that you're feeling down, but I firmly believe that your biggest issue (based purely on what you've posted here) is motivation and confidence. If you want to be a doctor and that's the ONLY thing you see yourself doing, then work hard for it. Power through this dark time, even though it's difficult now. That's the only way to make it through the other side. You'll probably feel much worse if you dilly dally and drag your feet, because that time is going to pass anyway and then you're going to be pissed off that if you had only worked harder or stuck with it a little longer...

As for finding a less challenging career than medicine...Personally I feel you should work hard and challenge yourself in ANY career or job.

 

[Patros]

Patient: So doctor, the pain in my stomach is getting worse. I have no appetite anymore and I am losing weight. What should I do?
Westcoastnative: I don't know man. Nothing in life is exciting anymore, why even try?
Patient: Wait, what?
Westcoastnative: Look at me, stuck in family practice like some kind of plebe. Community college robbed me of my career as a top-notch orthopod.
Patient: I went to community college. What are we even talking about? Am I going to be okay?
Westcoastnative: Maybe, don't know don't care.
Patient: Dude I am dying here.
Westcoastnative: Shut up my life is hard.

 

[WestCoastNative]

Patient: So doctor, the pain in my stomach is getting worse. I have no appetite anymore and I am losing weight. What should I do?
Westcoastnative: I don't know man. Nothing in life is exciting anymore, why even try?
Patient: Wait, what?
Westcoastnative: Look at me, stuck in family practice like some kind of plebe. Community college robbed me of my career as a top-notch orthopod.
Patient: I went to community college. What are we even talking about? Am I going to be okay?
Westcoastnative: Maybe, don't know don't care.
Patient: Dude I am dying here.
Westcoastnative: Shut up my life is hard.

Oh come on, I'd at least refer the patient to a GI to get them off my hands.