should i continue with med school? need help guys

[lmay0001]

So results came in after 1st year and i passed to second year MD 2 with A's and B's in all exams. what is scaring me is that when i speak to junior doctors they dishearten me and tell me what a crap life they have as medical residents.

Thats literally all i hear 24/7 residents complain and telling me im must have been mad doing medicine and should have stayed in my undergrad degree. This has caused me alot of doubts about my future and im actually feeling depressed about my choice.

seriously i enjoyed the 1st year subjects thats why i got full marks in most of my exams, as i find the degree and med school facinating. However i dont wish to graduate to become a depressed, obese no life resident who is on the verge of suicide and has no social life.

im a guy who enjoys people and thats why i took up medicine i live to help others out and for connections. But i dont want to work 24/7 and face disgruntled, suicidal colleagues who are constantly bragging about their crappy lives.

Im actually starting to doubt whether i should even bother doing a residency and just head into industry or research (R&D)

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[giantswing]

im a guy who enjoys people and thats why i took up medicine i live to help others out and for connections.)

LOL, people don't remember who their surgeon is two months after surgery. Most patients don't give two s**ts about you; it's what you can do for them in this absurd customer service based trend. Go into medicine because you get satisfaction out of fixing people if you're a surgeon, or as a medicine person, you come away with satisfaction through your personal interaction (the latter, I have absolutely no idea what they're talking about, but that's what they say).

 

[prettylittlebird]

LOL, people don't remember who their surgeon is two months after surgery. Most patients don't give two s**ts about you; it's what you can do for them in this absurd customer service based trend. Go into medicine because you get satisfaction out of fixing people if you're a surgeon, or as a medicine person, you come away with satisfaction through your personal interaction (the latter, I have absolutely no idea what they're talking about, but that's what they say).

I hate seeing this response because it's simply NOT TRUE. It all depends on where you work and what specialty you choose. If connection is something that is important to you OP then go into primary care. You will absolutely form strong relationships with your patients that can span a lifetime. I've definitely come across some residents who are very negative, depressed, in a bad head space etc. but that's why you have to talk to physicians in lots of different areas and stages of training. Residency is hard, stressful and rarely rewarding. A lot of times you're bouncing around from service to service and aren't able to follow any one patient through their care so you don't get the personal satisfaction of feeling like you've helped someone. I've heard it likened to acting as damage control and that can be emotionally exhausting but please don't let these experiences put you off. It sounds a lot like the hospital you're at isn't doing a good job of caring for their residents. Some of my mentors in medicine have told me that residency was a challenging but wonderful time. Support from your institution is also very important. Finally, there are plenty of doctors I've spoken to in primary care/internal medicine who love their patients, love their practice and have a great life (family, good social group, take regular vacations etc.). If you've been enjoying your training so far then hold onto that and keep in mind what is important to you as you choose your specialty. Good luck!

 

[giantswing]

@prettylittlebird : clearly you are a medicine person, not that there's anything wrong with this. But don't go into medicine for the feels, because there will be days no matter what you go into that you will feel like humanity is cursed. There will be days when you hate the sound of your name, because it's yet another person who wants something from you, and you will not have slept, eaten, or peed in about 12 hours.

 

[Goro]

Stop listening to these people!

Yes, residency is hard. get used to that. But literally tens of thousands of doctors make it through just fine. You will too..

Suggest having a chat with your school's counseling center. I suspect something deeper is going on here.

And just remember how hard you worked to get to this point!!!!

So results came in after 1st year and i passed to second year MD 2 with A's and B's in all exams. what is scaring me is that when i speak to junior doctors they dishearten me and tell me what a crap life they have as medical residents.

Thats literally all i hear 24/7 residents complain and telling me im must have been mad doing medicine and should have stayed in my undergrad degree. This has caused me alot of doubts about my future and im actually feeling depressed about my choice.

seriously i enjoyed the 1st year subjects thats why i got full marks in most of my exams, as i find the degree and med school facinating. However i dont wish to graduate to become a depressed, obese no life resident who is on the verge of suicide and has no social life.

im a guy who enjoys people and thats why i took up medicine i live to help others out and for connections. But i dont want to work 24/7 and face disgruntled, suicidal colleagues who are constantly bragging about their crappy lives.

Im actually starting to doubt whether i should even bother doing a residency and just head into industry or research (R&D)

 

[prettylittlebird]

@prettylittlebird : clearly you are a medicine person, not that there's anything wrong with this. But don't go into medicine for the feels, because there will be days no matter what you go into that you will feel like humanity is cursed. There will be days when you hate the sound of your name, because it's yet another person who wants something from you, and you will not have slept, eaten, or peed in about 12 hours.

I am 100% not denying that sometimes being a doctor means feeling miserable or overwhelmed at the state of the world/the medical field/your patients. It would be foolish to think otherwise but having bad days is not the same thing as saying that none of your patients will ever give a **** and that there's no satisfaction, connection or fulfillment to be had, which is how your post came off regardless of if you meant it that way or not. I also disagree that you shouldn't go into medicine "for the feels" because I know plenty of people who tell me that the emotional connections are what keep them going. Maybe that's not the case for you or you have had a different experience (and that's ok) but that doesn't make it necessary for you to spread negativity.

 

[giantswing]

I am 100% not denying that sometimes being a doctor means feeling miserable or overwhelmed at the state of the world/the medical field/your patients. It would be foolish to think otherwise but having bad days is not the same thing as saying that none of your patients will ever give a **** and that there's no satisfaction, connection or fulfillment to be had, which is how your post came off regardless of if you meant it that way or not. I also disagree that you shouldn't go into medicine "for the feels" because I know plenty of people who tell me that the emotional connections are what keep them going. Maybe that's not the case for you or you have had a different experience (and that's ok) but that doesn't make it necessary for you to spread negativity.

That's my point. I think this is why medicine people joke that surgeons are aholes. This is, IMO, the key difference between surgeons and medicine, and you'll have to figure out what you prefer. Surgeons, IME, get satisfaction out of "fixing" the problem, and while it is very nice when patients followup and are grateful, this isn't what makes them tick. Most of them kind of hate clinic, down deep, except that they get to see their results. (And, honestly, most patients will not say thank you, they'll just demand more narcs. It happens to me, literally, once a month, though it will depend on your field and your patient population. And no, the underserved aren't necessarily more grateful.)

 

[TheFutureFatMan]

Take a breather. This sounds a lot like snow-balling anxiety. It's a recipe for disaster. Talk to the support system at your school.

Also. For the record. There's the idea that you tell 2 people about a product you love, and 10 about a product you hate. People bitch when they're upset, and sometimes it's a manner of coping with their own stress. I wouldn't take what they say too seriously.

 

[DrBeenThere]

Negative people suck and you're going to be surrounded by a lot of them during the next seven years if you continue through your training. Not everyone is cut out to endure medical training, and if you think you might kill yourself rather than trod through, it's better to quit now and save a life. It is tough and you are still at the jumping out spot but after a few more years it will be too late (unless you're so wealthy that you don't care about loans). Can you defer out of school for a year and see what else you might enjoy? Med School will still be there but really I have to say being a doctor only works for people who can only see themselves being doctors. It's ok to have started out and then reconsider.

 

[prettylittlebird]

That's my point. I think this is why medicine people joke that surgeons are aholes. This is, IMO, the key difference between surgeons and medicine, and you'll have to figure out what you prefer. Surgeons, IME, get satisfaction out of "fixing" the problem, and while it is very nice when patients followup and are grateful, this isn't what makes them tick. Most of them kind of hate clinic, down deep, except that they get to see their results. (And, honestly, most patients will not say thank you, they'll just demand more narcs. It happens to me, literally, once a month, though it will depend on your field and your patient population. And no, the underserved aren't necessarily more grateful.)

Surgeons are only one component of a very large field though so maybe be more clear when you say, just get used to the suck, patients are ungrateful blah blah blah. Obviously OP is interested in making connections with their patients and he/she will most likely not end up choosing surgery for the reasons you describe. Beyond that, I volunteered in an orthopedic trauma clinic and literally every single surgeon from the attending to the interns were clearly very invested in their patients and you could see how excited they got when surgeries went well and patients were happy. Of course there are plenty of surgeons who are just in it for the surgeries themselves and honestly, that's fine, but there are so many different ways to approach a career in medicine no matter what you do. It's false to offer up the opinion that patients always suck and medicine can't be fulfilling as if it is the gospel truth. The only people I know who feel that way went into medicine because they wanted to make a lot of money and the prestige of being called doctor.

 

[Taddy Mason]

@lmay0001 - you're just going to get the same answers as you did in the 4-5 similar threads you started about a month ago...

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/should-i-quit-medicine.1209255/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/pharmacy-or-medicine-better-job.1210325/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/medicine-or-pharmacy.1215382/

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...se-i-guess-im-going-back-to-pharamcy.1211196/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/medicine-or-pharmacy.1215382/

 

[giantswing]

Surgeons are only one component of a very large field though so maybe be more clear when you say, just get used to the suck, patients are ungrateful blah blah blah. Obviously OP is interested in making connections with their patients and he/she will most likely not end up choosing surgery for the reasons you describe. Beyond that, I volunteered in an orthopedic trauma clinic and literally every single surgeon from the attending to the interns were clearly very invested in their patients and you could see how excited they got when surgeries went well and patients were happy. Of course there are plenty of surgeons who are just in it for the surgeries themselves and honestly, that's fine, but there are so many different ways to approach a career in medicine no matter what you do. It's false to offer up the opinion that patients always suck and medicine can't be fulfilling as if it is the gospel truth. The only people I know who feel that way went into medicine because they wanted to make a lot of money and the prestige of being called doctor.

You're missing the point. (Where's that The Point. You. Whoosh! picture?)

 

[croak]

When you do finish you will be grateful. You've made it this far, keep going. Don't quit.

 

[croak]

There is so much more to surgery than doing procedures (delving into this is beyond the scope of this post). Patients remember their surgeon years, often decades after their procedure(s). You're operating on an individual, yet be mindful that you're also impacting their families. It's gratifying, satisfying, and wonderfully challenging.

 

[Phloston]

So results came in after 1st year and i passed to second year MD 2 with A's and B's in all exams. what is scaring me is that when i speak to junior doctors they dishearten me and tell me what a crap life they have as medical residents.

Thats literally all i hear 24/7 residents complain and telling me im must have been mad doing medicine and should have stayed in my undergrad degree. This has caused me alot of doubts about my future and im actually feeling depressed about my choice.

seriously i enjoyed the 1st year subjects thats why i got full marks in most of my exams, as i find the degree and med school facinating. However i dont wish to graduate to become a depressed, obese no life resident who is on the verge of suicide and has no social life.

im a guy who enjoys people and thats why i took up medicine i live to help others out and for connections. But i dont want to work 24/7 and face disgruntled, suicidal colleagues who are constantly bragging about their crappy lives.

Im actually starting to doubt whether i should even bother doing a residency and just head into industry or research (R&D)

When I was in med school I observed for years many doctors, junior and senior, who didn't seem particularly happy with their lives. More importantly though, it was to my observation many had no idea why they were even in medicine. It seemed very robotic to me. I began to realize I didn't want any of their jobs. And this wasn't anything negative or oppositional. It was a matter of asking myself why I was really there. There are endless ways to give back to people in the world without having to be in a hospital 50 hours a week.

Dale Carnegie once said, "Happiness isn't what you have, who you are, where you are, or what you're doing, it's what you think about."

So bear in mind that whatever specific professional avenues you pursue, they won't make you more or less happy. It's about what you think about. It's about how you grow, self-actualize, and give back to people.

I felt my experience in med school closely matched Michael Crichton's. He had written a few chapters in his autobiography, Travels, about how he hated med school but was convinced to stay. I too hated almost all of it but convinced myself (and others convince me) that it was supposed to be that way and things would change. And almost anyone will certainly tell you life as a practicing clinician is nothing like being a med student (which is true). But it didn't matter. By the time I finished med school I had zero interest in doing clinical work. And today I do academic medicine.

I think Dale Carnegie, combined with Michael Crichton, as well as some other role models, helped me reframe my mindset to feel confident about grabbing life by the horns and pursuing alternatives to residency.

There's a 95% chance what you are experiencing is the normal fluctuations/uncertainties of anyone early on in a medical career. But there is a smaller chance you are in the early process of facing the inconvenient truth that residency isn't for you. I had been making posts like yours years ago.

 

[lmay0001]

When I was in med school I observed for years many doctors, junior and senior, who didn't seem particularly happy with their lives. More importantly though, it was to my observation many had no idea why they were even in medicine. It seemed very robotic to me. I began to realize I didn't want any of their jobs. And this wasn't anything negative or oppositional. It was a matter of asking myself why I was really there. There are endless ways to give back to people in the world without having to be in a hospital 50 hours a week.

Dale Carnegie once said, "Happiness isn't what you have, who you are, where you are, or what you're doing, it's what you think about."

So bear in mind that whatever specific professional avenues you pursue, they won't make you more or less happy. It's about what you think about. It's about how you grow, self-actualize, and give back to people.

I felt my experience in med school closely matched Michael Crichton's. He had written a few chapters in his autobiography, Travels, about how he hated med school but was convinced to stay. I too hated almost all of it but convinced myself (and others convince me) that it was supposed to be that way and things would change. And almost anyone will certainly tell you life as a practicing clinician is nothing like being a med student (which is true). But it didn't matter. By the time I finished med school I had zero interest in doing clinical work. And today I do academic medicine.

I think Dale Carnegie, combined with Michael Crichton, as well as some other role models, helped me reframe my mindset to feel confident about grabbing life by the horns and pursuing alternatives to residency.

There's a 95% chance what you are experiencing is the normal fluctuations/uncertainties of anyone early on in a medical career. But there is a smaller chance you are in the early process of facing the inconvenient truth that residency isn't for you. I had been making posts like yours years ago.

Thanks for your reply,

Exactly what i was thinking of doing. I feel im more leaning towards a research career im more of an investigative person. I didnt opt for the PhD as a PhD can be to specific at times and might limit the spectrum of work.

 

[prettylittlebird]

You're missing the point. (Where's that The Point. You. Whoosh! picture?)

u mad bro?

 

[NWwildcat2013]

I loved MS1 and 2 but so far I loathe every second of MS3 which makes me very nervous for residency.

The greatest lie ever told is when a student is told that, because they like science, medical school will be a good fit. Clinical medicine is a soul sucking experience in rules, regulations, data entry, memorization, and algorithms where you have no time to think deeply and it really isn't even required. Maybe I should have known it would be like this if I had asked the right questions before applying, but I don't think I could have known or even thought of the right questions to ask. I shadowed and worked in a hospital/clinic setting, but I think its impossible to truly comprehend what clinical medicine is like until you are doing it. I also overestimated how much I'd be able to connect with patients. I'd say 1/10 patients is actually pleasant, will make small talk, engage on the level that a normal human being should be able to. I really enjoy my time with those patients and get a glimpse of what I thought medicine would be like.

It scares me that I am starting to see why residents are so unhappy.

My only advice is to latch on to the thing that interested you even a little bit regardless of money or prestige. For me the only thing I could tolerate so far was neurology. The problems can be very interesting and you often have time to think about the issue and work up the patient extensively (except stroke but thats still fascinating). I also like that most patients are curious about the brain, have a lot of questions about it, and will listen to an explanation of what their condition is and why they have certain symptoms.

 

[JustaDO]

Why happened to your dramatic post about quitting?

Here you flipping back to pharmacy school.

 

[lmay0001]

View attachment 207541

Why happened to your dramatic post about quitting?

View attachment 207542

Here you flipping back to pharmacy school.

whats your problem bro? im just getting advice? it not easy to choose a career and then possibly waste time doing so. im trying to get some decent feedback from people in the field. life is short and you need all the info you can get. I think you have too much free time on your hands and enjoy copy and pasting stuff bro.

 

[lmay0001]

View attachment 207541

Why happened to your dramatic post about quitting?

View attachment 207542

Here you flipping back to pharmacy school.

indeed, Pharmacy is a good backup plan. at least i won't live on the streets and can pay back my loans and expenses if i don't succeed at med school. Win -win situation mate. Please note Pharmacy was spelt incorrectly as i sometimes don't have much time to stay reading and doing a grammar check ! Typos do occur, and if in your case they don't well why not go give lectures on grammatical error maybe you should become an English teacher instead

 

[JustaDO]

Typos do occur, and if in your case they don't well why not go give lectures on grammatical error maybe you should become an English teacher instead

Strong words, I look forward to your next crisis.

That being said, how many times can you flip flop between quitting and going back to pharmacy like the other threads you made in their forum "bro."

 

[Taddy Mason]

whats your problem bro? im just getting advice? it not easy to choose a career and then possibly waste time doing so. im trying to get some decent feedback from people in the field. life is short and you need all the info you can get. I think you have too much free time on your hands and enjoy copy and pasting stuff bro.

Repeatedly asking the same group of people the same question is not going to yield different results. Also, the fact that you're from Malta significantly limits the advice that can be given regarding your career decision as the vast majority of students, residents, and attendings on this forum are from the US and likely have little insight regarding issues with medicine or pharmacy as careers in Malta.

 

[lmay0001]

Repeatedly asking the same group of people the same question is not going to yield different results. Also, the fact that you're from Malta significantly limits the advice that can be given regarding your career decision as the vast majority of students, residents, and attendings on this forum are from the US and likely have little insight regarding issues with medicine or pharmacy as careers in Malta.

Totally agree with your point. However most of the graduates from Malta actually go take up residency programs in the US or UK. 40% of graduates from our med School left the country to continue specializing in the US or UK. The reason is simple. Post grad training positions at our 1 hospital are limited. This year only 12 GP training posts opened after being closed for 3 years. Neurologists we had 2 who left to the USA to take up jobs over there. So most of the trainees leave you can say. I'm looking into the USA if i can find some positivity about this career. I went to med school not for the money but to help others and maybe go into research as i wanted to help fight/cure certain illnesses, having a Pharmacy background might help me be a better doctor when it comes to therapy, hence i chose medicine. However seeing residents from UK and US in Malta complaining to me personally that medicine was a big mistake is not very supportive.

 

[lmay0001]

Totally agree with your point. However most of the graduates from Malta actually go take up residency programs in the US or UK. 40% of graduates from our med School left the country to continue specializing in the US or UK. The reason is simple. Post grad training positions at our 1 hospital are limited. This year only 12 GP training posts opened after being closed for 3 years. Neurologists we had 2 who left to the USA to take up jobs over there. So most of the trainees leave you can say. I'm looking into the USA if i can find some positivity about this career. I went to med school not for the money but to help others and maybe go into research as i wanted to help fight/cure certain illnesses, having a Pharmacy background might help me be a better doctor when it comes to therapy, hence i chose medicine. However seeing residents from UK and US in Malta complaining to me personally that medicine was a big mistake is not very supportive.

On top of the their complaining about how much work we must do i have to try stay focused on my studies. That is why i say i should have stayed in Pharmacy as i just sell some boxes of pills and go home (However i was not fulfilled from selling cosmetics and pills, hence my decision to opt for medical school).

With regards to the forum in my personal opinion i find it of great help as you do get some senior residents who are honest and can give you an idea of what it can be like. unfortunately we are not so lucky in Europe we dont get much time to discuss as we don't even have such fora.

What drove me to ask questions is that im disgusted by some colleagues who seem to have no empathy for others and live totally robotic lifestyles with the main glorification being a diagnosis, some residents i met have no idea what a social life is and some (lets say 10% are not the friendliest most social people on earth)