Should I be a Doctor?

[JPSmyth]

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I just completed my first year of college with a 3.7 GPA. I only took gen ed requirements because I was unsure of what I wanted to do. I have been thinking about it for months, and I am confident that I want to go into the medical field.
A lot of people, including my parents, tell me that medicine is a calling, and I am not cut out for it. They make it seem like you have to be dedicated to medicine since elementary school. When did you guys decide that you wanted to go to medical school? Were any of you child prodigies that were on the path to medicine at a young age?

But I am a bit concerned because I am uneasy with blood and broken bones, and I can't see myself handling trauma cases very well. I don't think that I would want to go into emergency medicine, or surgery, but there is a rotation for this in medical school, correct? How did any of you handle it?

I just wanted to get some opinions because I am transferring to BU next year and I want to know if I should go into the pre-med program for sure. I really just want to know if I have what it takes to be a doctor before I fully commit and get in over my head.

I want to go into medicine for a few reasons. I know that everybody says, if it's money you're after, go into business. But money isn't the main reason why I am interested in it. Financial security is definitely a big plus, but when I was thinking about what career I want to pursue, I realized that I want to do something helpful and interesting, not a boring cubicle job analyzing the stock market. If I am not cut out for MD/DO, are there any similar fields that I could look into?

Does anybody have advice/suggestions? I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

 

[NeuralNetwork]

I just completed my first year of college with a 3.7 GPA. I only took gen ed requirements because I was unsure of what I wanted to do. I have been thinking about it for months, and I am confident that I want to go into the medical field.
A lot of people, including my parents, tell me that medicine is a calling, and I am not cut out for it. They make it seem like you have to be dedicated to medicine since elementary school. When did you guys decide that you wanted to go to medical school? Were any of you child prodigies that were on the path to medicine at a young age?

But I am a bit concerned because I am uneasy with blood and broken bones, and I can't see myself handling trauma cases very well. I don't think that I would want to go into emergency medicine, or surgery, but there is a rotation for this in medical school, correct? How did any of you handle it?

I just wanted to get some opinions because I am transferring to BU next year and I want to know if I should go into the pre-med program for sure. I really just want to know if I have what it takes to be a doctor before I fully commit and get in over my head.

I want to go into medicine for a few reasons. I know that everybody says, if it's money you're after, go into business. But money isn't the main reason why I am interested in it. Financial security is definitely a big plus, but when I was thinking about what career I want to pursue, I realized that I want to do something helpful and interesting, not a boring cubicle job analyzing the stock market. If I am not cut out for MD/DO, are there any similar fields that I could look into?

Does anybody have advice/suggestions? I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

You said a lot of things above, but to give you very general advice:

Some schools have what is called a "pre-med" major, but that is not the majority case. In most cases (and from what it looks like after searching BU's site right now), there is no pre-med major and you instead take the pre-reqs for med school (bio/chem/labs/etc). My advice to you since you are interested in the medical field in general is to enter BU as a biology/life sciences/some related field major. From there, you will automatically be on track for medical school in respect to the curriculum, but your path is not fully set and you will be allowed some leeway.

What you will want to do is start taking up volunteer positions in the medical field, as well as shadowing physicians both in the hospital and in clinics to get a feel for it. For some, medicine is a calling from a very early age, for many it comes sometime in college, and even a good amount of people end of switching careers/going back to school to become a physician. What's most important is that you partake in relevant activities to see if this is the field you want to enter.

 

[Aerus]

I just completed my first year of college with a 3.7 GPA. I only took gen ed requirements because I was unsure of what I wanted to do. I have been thinking about it for months, and I am confident that I want to go into the medical field.
A lot of people, including my parents, tell me that medicine is a calling, and I am not cut out for it. They make it seem like you have to be dedicated to medicine since elementary school. When did you guys decide that you wanted to go to medical school? Were any of you child prodigies that were on the path to medicine at a young age?

But I am a bit concerned because I am uneasy with blood and broken bones, and I can't see myself handling trauma cases very well. I don't think that I would want to go into emergency medicine, or surgery, but there is a rotation for this in medical school, correct? How did any of you handle it?

I just wanted to get some opinions because I am transferring to BU next year and I want to know if I should go into the pre-med program for sure. I really just want to know if I have what it takes to be a doctor before I fully commit and get in over my head.

I want to go into medicine for a few reasons. I know that everybody says, if it's money you're after, go into business. But money isn't the main reason why I am interested in it. Financial security is definitely a big plus, but when I was thinking about what career I want to pursue, I realized that I want to do something helpful and interesting, not a boring cubicle job analyzing the stock market. If I am not cut out for MD/DO, are there any similar fields that I could look into?

Does anybody have advice/suggestions? I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

Looking at the doctors I've talked to, it can be either way. I know a lot of child prodigy doctors who were incredibly bright as children, but I also know some doctors who slacked off in high school and received much less than stellar grades, didn't do so well in college either, but stepped up to the plate and absolutely excelled in a SMP and got into a medical school in the end.

Your 3.7 is definitely a good start. I would suggest shadowing some doctors first before determining if you really like medicine or not. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[TheMightySmiter]

I just completed my first year of college with a 3.7 GPA. I only took gen ed requirements because I was unsure of what I wanted to do. I have been thinking about it for months, and I am confident that I want to go into the medical field.
A lot of people, including my parents, tell me that medicine is a calling, and I am not cut out for it. They make it seem like you have to be dedicated to medicine since elementary school. When did you guys decide that you wanted to go to medical school? Were any of you child prodigies that were on the path to medicine at a young age?

But I am a bit concerned because I am uneasy with blood and broken bones, and I can't see myself handling trauma cases very well. I don't think that I would want to go into emergency medicine, or surgery, but there is a rotation for this in medical school, correct? How did any of you handle it?

I just wanted to get some opinions because I am transferring to BU next year and I want to know if I should go into the pre-med program for sure. I really just want to know if I have what it takes to be a doctor before I fully commit and get in over my head.

I want to go into medicine for a few reasons. I know that everybody says, if it's money you're after, go into business. But money isn't the main reason why I am interested in it. Financial security is definitely a big plus, but when I was thinking about what career I want to pursue, I realized that I want to do something helpful and interesting, not a boring cubicle job analyzing the stock market. If I am not cut out for MD/DO, are there any similar fields that I could look into?

Does anybody have advice/suggestions? I would really ap?preciate it. Thanks.

I had thoughts about going to medical school since I was younger, but only decided on it for certain the year I graduated from college. There are posters here in their 30s and 40s who have just now made the choice to pursue medicine, and that doesn't make their decision any less valid or meaningful. I agree with your parents that medicine is a calling. However, it can take a long time to figure out what your calling is. As a freshman in college, I'd still consider that pretty early! No one else can tell you whether or not you should be a physician, you need to decide that for yourself. What I can tell you is that if you are not 100% certain that medicine is the career field that would make you the happiest, it's absolutely worth learning about other options. You say you want to do something helpful and interesting, and I agree that medicine is definitely both of those things. But it is not the ONLY career path that is both of those things. Why not be a teacher, or a counselor, or a social worker, or an attorney? All of those things are helpful and interesting to people who enjoy them. I can't see myself happy in a career other than medicine, but if I could, I'd probably rather choose one of those career paths that are shorter and less expensive. If you think you'd be just as happy as a physician assistant, or a nurse, or a physical therapist, consider those options.

Don't worry about squeamishness. I'm squeamish about certain things, and I've worked in health care for four years. It gets better. After four years of med school and 3+ years of residency, none of those things will probably bother you much. This shouldn't be a deciding factor, unless maybe you are one of those people who actually faints at the sight of blood/needles.

 

[JPSmyth]

How would I go about shadowing a doctor? Is that something through school or something I should pursue during the summer?

 

[Catalystik]

How would I go about shadowing a doctor? Is that something through school or something I should pursue during the summer?

Most ask their own physician, those of parents, or physician parents of friends for an opportunity to shadow. Others meet docs while engaging in medical volunteering or jobs. A rare few cold call the office of a doctor and ask for a chance. Some schools offer special opportunities to shadow or keep a list of those willing to have students follow them.

 

[PreMedSucks]

I am in the same boat. I go to a religious school ( i am not religious) that is expensive and has a double curriculum because they offer free medical school if you get into albert einstein, which from my school is pretty much a sure thing if you have the grades and MCATs for it, because they have a deal. On the other hand, I can be going to Rutgers for free and graduate a year and a half earlier (my AP credits will transfer and i won't have the ridiculous other reqs)

That being said, if you're anything like me, I will tell you what I've learned. Whether it has been your calling or not the challenge definitely appeals to you or you would not be interested in it the slightest because the money isn't as great as business. For me, I love the challenge of overcoming my fears of blood and needles and accomplishing something great. I might decide its not for me, and yes i will have sacrificed a lot by then. You, however, can always be a bio major and then do post-bacc work to change your career path.

Remember, you can always switch out and not in. Oh and watch scrubs. Thats what I've been doing!

 

[QuizzicalApe]

Your leery attitude toward trauma might be something you get over with some exposure, and you'll get that exposure in med school. Some schools have ER rotations mandatory, everyone has surgery that is likely to have a trauma component. If you get over it, great.

If not, just say "this too shall pass," soldier through it, and try to figure out if you want to do general psych or pursue a fellowship.

 

[Perrotfish]

I just completed my first year of college with a 3.7 GPA. I only took gen ed requirements because I was unsure of what I wanted to do. I have been thinking about it for months, and I am confident that I want to go into the medical field.
A lot of people, including my parents, tell me that medicine is a calling, and I am not cut out for it. They make it seem like you have to be dedicated to medicine since elementary school. When did you guys decide that you wanted to go to medical school? Were any of you child prodigies that were on the path to medicine at a young age?

But I am a bit concerned because I am uneasy with blood and broken bones, and I can't see myself handling trauma cases very well. I don't think that I would want to go into emergency medicine, or surgery, but there is a rotation for this in medical school, correct? How did any of you handle it?

I just wanted to get some opinions because I am transferring to BU next year and I want to know if I should go into the pre-med program for sure. I really just want to know if I have what it takes to be a doctor before I fully commit and get in over my head.

I want to go into medicine for a few reasons. I know that everybody says, if it's money you're after, go into business. But money isn't the main reason why I am interested in it. Financial security is definitely a big plus, but when I was thinking about what career I want to pursue, I realized that I want to do something helpful and interesting, not a boring cubicle job analyzing the stock market. If I am not cut out for MD/DO, are there any similar fields that I could look into?

Does anybody have advice/suggestions? I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

1) Medicine never occured to me as a carrer until late in my Junior year of college. I've been happy with the choice though at least the end of medical school.

2) I was never excited about trauma and surgeries and ended us despising every minute in the OR during medical school. I got through my surgery rotation just fine anyway and have no regrets about doing medical school. Everyone gets over the 'disgusting' aspect of surgery pretty quickly, first because you can get used to anything and also because in modern surgery everything you're not operating on is covered by a big blue sheet anyway, which really dehumanized the whole thing and makes it much less stomach churning. Not everyone learns to find it interesting, but everyone gets through it and no one I know of had any real problems with fainting, nausea, or emotional reactions to the surgical field.

3) As many have said, start by shadowing doctors. At least 3 kinds of doctor (an outpatient general practicioner, a hospitalist, and an EM doctor give a pretty good spectrum of medicine). Shadow for weeks, not hours. If its still interesting after a few weeks then you probably like medicine after a career. If you're bored/disgusted after the first few days maybe you don't. This is a very good thing to do this summer. If you have one doctor who you really like after shadowing ask for a letter of recommendation for your eventual medical school app.

4) Reading about medicine isn't a bad approach either. Intern, Intern Blues, and 'Hot lights cold steel' are 3 of my favorites. They're all about pre-work hour rules intern years, so they make medicine sound much more miserable/dramatic than it is, but they give a good idea of the process and emotions involved.

5) Consider other careers as well. Try classes from a couple of different majors, and work at least 2 kinds of Internships over 2 summers. It's hard to commit to this career when you don't even know what you're signing up for.

6) If you think you might want medicine, start maximizing your GPA now. A 3.7 was a good start. The average matriculant these days has a 3.6, you want to keep your grades where they're at or it gets much harder to weasel your way in. Not impossible (I did it) but harder. You're going to need to check your profs average GPA before you sign up for classes, stick to relatively easy classes in easy majors, etc.

7) People who say that a business degree is the best choice for a high income clearly aren't familiar with the average salary of a business major/MBA in today's economy. Maybe the extreme outliers make more in business than in medicine, but if you want to chase improbabilities you can just buy lottery tickets. A technical skill set like engineering, accounting, or healthcare is currently the clearest path an an upper middle class or upper class income.

8) Similar fields to medicine: Nursing, Physical therapy, EMT, Occupation Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Psychogist (not the best job security here), PhD in Pathology, clinical microbiologist, health care administrator. If you hvae an open mind shadow a nurse, a physical therapist, and an occupational therapist. They're all great career paths. If you're bored this summer you could also take an EMT-basic class and then start volunteering as an EMT. It's a great resume builder for medical school and a good introduction to hands on medicine, and might also be a good career path in and of itself.

 

[Morsetlis]

I realized that I want to do something helpful and interesting

You know, this describes medicine as much as it describes basic science research as much as it describes firefighting.

 

[JPSmyth]

well then I truly don't understand people's reasons for becoming doctors. I feel like nobody can come up with an undisputed reason for going into medicine.

 

[Psychkaytic]

well then I truly don't understand people's reasons for becoming doctors. I feel like nobody can come up with an undisputed reason for going into medicine.

I would say that not being able to picture yourself doing anything else would settle that.

Life is weird. I definitely don't think knowing from childhood that you want to be a doctor is 100% necessary. There are a lot of different people in multiple professions that had "a lightbulb moment" at different points in their school careers. (or even after!) For now I think you should do what every other pre-med out there is doing: Focus on keeping your grades up there first and foremost. If you think this is what you want to do, then don't give up that goal yet. You don't want to get to your junior or senior year and regret not doing what was necessary to have a competitive application when it's time to apply.

What about something like physical therapy or speech pathology, though? If you really think dealing with blood/broken bones/trauma is too much, why not consider being a professional that helps people piece their lives back together? You would definitely be doing something helpful. You would definitely get a few interesting (and possibly touching) stories. And dealing with the aftermath might be easier to stomach since it's a little less messy.

 

[mvenus929]

I just completed my first year of college with a 3.7 GPA. I only took gen ed requirements because I was unsure of what I wanted to do. I have been thinking about it for months, and I am confident that I want to go into the medical field.
A lot of people, including my parents, tell me that medicine is a calling, and I am not cut out for it. They make it seem like you have to be dedicated to medicine since elementary school. When did you guys decide that you wanted to go to medical school? Were any of you child prodigies that were on the path to medicine at a young age?

But I am a bit concerned because I am uneasy with blood and broken bones, and I can't see myself handling trauma cases very well. I don't think that I would want to go into emergency medicine, or surgery, but there is a rotation for this in medical school, correct? How did any of you handle it?

I just wanted to get some opinions because I am transferring to BU next year and I want to know if I should go into the pre-med program for sure. I really just want to know if I have what it takes to be a doctor before I fully commit and get in over my head.

I want to go into medicine for a few reasons. I know that everybody says, if it's money you're after, go into business. But money isn't the main reason why I am interested in it. Financial security is definitely a big plus, but when I was thinking about what career I want to pursue, I realized that I want to do something helpful and interesting, not a boring cubicle job analyzing the stock market. If I am not cut out for MD/DO, are there any similar fields that I could look into?

Does anybody have advice/suggestions? I would really appreciate it. Thanks.

I've wanted to be a doctor since I was little. I also think part of that was because I was a smart kid, and it seemed like those who were smart became doctors. It was kind of a given.

That said, I applied to med school during my last year in college and was rejected everywhere I applied. So, I did a soul search to figure out if it's really what I wanted to do. I spent time working in a hospital, getting to know the different aspects of the medical field (even got accepted into a medical technologist program), and ultimately decided that I wouldn't be happy doing anything other than being a doctor, much as I respect the other fields. The idea of diagnosing really appeals to me (though there are physicians who don't do any diagnosis).

There are a wide variety of professions within and outside of the health care field. There's PAs, which get some of the training docs do and work as helpers.

well then I truly don't understand people's reasons for becoming doctors. I feel like nobody can come up with an undisputed reason for going into medicine.

You should have more than one reason. The hours are long, the work is hard, and more and more, it is unappreciated. A lot of people don't understand what you have to go through to become a physician (a lot of the spouses of students in my class say that there's no way they would be able to make it knowing how much effort their spouse puts in).

I love medicine because it's an ever changing field, I love to learn, and I find the human body fascinating. I want to work with people, and teach, but I don't want to stand up in front of a room and teach (I work much better one-on-one). I want to make people feel better. I want to problem solve. I want to establish relationships with people.

Different people fulfill their desires in different ways. The best way to figure out if medicine is right for you is to get involved in it... see what goes on. Medical schools will expect you to be able to articulate your knowledge of the path ahead of you, and how that hasn't dissuaded you from the field. After all, 8 years of school, plus 3-11 years of residency (making less than you will at a lot of jobs, per hour) is a really long time to be in training. And at the end, you'll be saddled with so many loans and debt that it will be difficult to get out to do another profession.

 

[pre med 2014]

A lot of people, including my parents, tell me that medicine is a calling, and I am not cut out for it. They make it seem like you have to be dedicated to medicine since elementary school. When did you guys decide that you wanted to go to medical school? Were any of you child prodigies that were on the path to medicine at a young age?

no, medicine is actually the opposite. This is why you see many 40 year olds going into MD school.

Tell your parents they are confusing medicine with aeronautical engineering... if you are not a star in the robotics club by 8th grade you will never become a aerospace engineer.