Should I Give up my Acceptance??

[Los Spurs]

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Hey guys,

So this has been on my mind for several months now. I got accepted to med school in December and I am scheduled to start in 1 month but I'm not sure if a life in medicine is for me. I know what you're thinking...'why the hell did you apply'? 'how do you know you wont like it, you haven't even started yet?'..I have been asking myself these same questions and I really feel like an idiot sometimes.. Part of me wanted to get into med school just to see if I could make it in. Part of me did it for the respect, job security and money. My whole life I had been an underachiever and upon entering college I turned it around and went for the toughest challenge I could think of, med school. To be honest, I think one of the main reasons I went pre-med was to make people proud of me if I got in and to prove to myself I can do anything if I want if I tried.

That said, I do really love the science behind medicine but im not sure if I love it enough to make a career out of it. I can honestly see myself being happy in many different fields. If I had the opportunity to take a job at 70k with potential to grow or go to med school, id take the job. I have done a lot of soul searching on this matter. I feel like I will have wasted my entire undergrad getting my Biology degree and putting in all this effort for medschool just to potentially throw it away. I've talked to my parents and fiance about this, both say I at least have to give it the absolute best shot I can, which I have agreed to do. I'm just afraid to get into med school and hate it, bury myself in debt and feel committed to continuing. I really don't know what to do. Even if I were to forego my acceptance, getting a decent job with a bio degree is brutal. To those who took the time to read this, thank you. I guess I'm looking for advice on what you would do if you were in my situation...did any of you guys feel like this prior to starting but turn out to love it?

Best Regards

 

[yehhhboiii]

felt the same way
made it through first year
still kinda feel the same way and thought about quitting but i'm glad that i pushed through it
i hope it pays off and i'm working hard to make sure it will

 

[witzelsucht]

What are your reservations about medicine? You said you'd like to make $70k in a "job," what job would you pick? Do you have a job where you could make $70k?

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but there's very few jobs where you could just show up and do intellectual-y stuff and get paid. Remember, there's many different fields of medicine, with varying degrees of patient interaction. You just have to find one that you kinda like. Realistically, there's not going to be the variety of options for having a good stable job outside of medicine. You could become a professor or researcher, which is easy enough if you just go to your school and sign up for PhD/MD.

Choosing medicine because it is hard is not exactly the best reasoning, but that doesn't mean it can't be a job that you like. Let's face it, its still gonna be better than waking up on your 40th birthday and going to work 10 hours as a lab tech. Close your eyes and think about what you want to do. Where do you see yourself? What are your strengths? There's 1001 options for MDs out there, you just need to find one. And **** it, if you do the first year and change your mind, you can transfer that **** to a master's program and teach high school chemistry. We're all a little unsure at some point, but you need to figure out if its "normal" unsureness, or if there's something else better for you.

 

[shibby1111]

yeah, dude. give it away to someone who knows they want it.

 

[DolFAN]

Give it away.

 

[WhovianDO]

Give it up. There is someone out there who can't imagine doing anything else with his life who is on the waitlist right now. You'll make it the best day of his life.

 

[Silent Cool]

Hey guys,

So this has been on my mind for several months now. I got accepted to med school in December and I am scheduled to start in 1 month but I'm not sure if a life in medicine is for me. I know what you're thinking...'why the hell did you apply'? 'how do you know you wont like it, you haven't even started yet?'..I have been asking myself these same questions and I really feel like an idiot sometimes.. Part of me wanted to get into med school just to see if I could make it in. Part of me did it for the respect, job security and money. My whole life I had been an underachiever and upon entering college I turned it around and went for the toughest challenge I could think of, med school. To be honest, I think one of the main reasons I went pre-med was to make people proud of me if I got in and to prove to myself I can do anything if I want if I tried.

That said, I do really love the science behind medicine but im not sure if I love it enough to make a career out of it. I can honestly see myself being happy in many different fields. If I had the opportunity to take a job at 70k with potential to grow or go to med school, id take the job. I have done a lot of soul searching on this matter. I feel like I will have wasted my entire undergrad getting my Biology degree and putting in all this effort for medschool just to potentially throw it away. I've talked to my parents and fiance about this, both say I at least have to give it the absolute best shot I can, which I have agreed to do. I'm just afraid to get into med school and hate it, bury myself in debt and feel committed to continuing. I really don't know what to do. Even if I were to forego my acceptance, getting a decent job with a bio degree is brutal. To those who took the time to read this, thank you. I guess I'm looking for advice on what you would do if you were in my situation...did any of you guys feel like this prior to starting but turn out to love it?

Best Regards

Los,

My best advice to you is this: Defer your acceptance for a year, work during that time, and think about it.

Don't give it away, though. Even if you start and finish first year, you could take a leave and do research for a year and think about it if you are still uncertain.

my 2 cents

 

[SilverCat]

Los,

My best advice to you is this: Defer your acceptance for a year, work during that time, and think about it.

Don't give it away, though. Even if you start and finish first year, you could take a leave and do research for a year and think about it if you are still uncertain.

my 2 cents

But don't you have to give a reason for deferral? You can't just tell the school you have cold feet.

I wo

 

[madchemist89]

Please, ignore your fellow pre-meds. They are clueless (no offense) as are you. Everyone has second thoughts before a big life decision. I have had my second thoughts as well. I am going to let you know up front that medical school is not fun. It is serious business and should be treated as such. As a pre-med, you really have no idea what medicine even is. I don't care if you have worked in the health care field your entire life. You still have no idea. I grew up around medicine, and I have spent the past 20 yrs shadowing physicians and living with them. Until you have a little bit of knowledge and get to play doctor a little bit, you simply cannot understand.

I have received no greater fulfillment in my life to this point as I have working with patients. In no other profession, do you get the chance to listen to a person's story and help them like you do in medicine. The patient-physician relationship is a very special and powerful one. You will receive a satisfaction like no other when you interview your first patient, do your first physical, and help treat your first patient. This feeling and experience is the reason why I say that pre-meds are clueless.

I knew I wanted to go into medicine before medical school, but in more of an intellectual way. Probably similar to your situation. I liked science and thought medicine was a good fit. Many people choose medicine using this logic, and it works well out for most. Medicine was not a calling for me until I began medical school. Now that I am in medical school, I cannot imagine any other career path.

I think that I have rambled on long enough. OP, if you have any questions or want to talk about med school, feel free to PM me. You have jumped through the hoops already, meaning that the interest is there. You are simply experiencing doubts, which is perfectly normal. Hold onto your acceptance, and get ready for school in the fall.

 

[deleted480308]

exactly how many jobs for a BS degree that start at $70k and grow do you think are out there?

 

[Los Spurs]

thanks for the advice guys. I suppose my trepidation's stem from not wanting to have my life revolve around medicine. On top of that, I tend to be very neurotic and have some bouts of anxiety. I dont want to be the kid who diagnoses himself with every disease in the textbook. Also, I will be going to a DO school so I'm assuming there wont be much work outside of clinical medicine for a non-MD.

I graduated 1.5 years ago and since then I have been working in the ER. I've found it occasionally stimulating but at no point did I feel like this is my calling in life. It frustrates me to hear people say "dont go into medicine if you could be happy doing anything else"....well im a laid back person and I can see myself being happy in many fields.

Are these types of doubts normal for entering med students/current students or do you guys think there is a real problem starting here? I just want to address it before its past the point of no return. Thanks again.

 

[Freddie Mercury]

x

 

[Los Spurs]

exactly how many jobs for a BS degree that start at $70k and grow do you think are out there?

zero. lol

 

[redpanda]

exactly how many jobs for a BS degree that start at $70k and grow do you think are out there?

BS in certain fields of engineering, such as in the chemical, pharmaceutical, or petroleum industries. Not glamorous jobs, we do get paid nicely.

 

[survivordo]

This is tough. My inclination is to tell you to go for it. There is a LOT of variety in what you can do with a medical degree. Have you looked through the threads talking about this? Administration, Pharma etc. I think it is a great opportunity and that you aren't likely to duplicate it with anything you can get with a BS in biology. At the very least you are looking at grad school. Silent Pool didn't have a bad idea regarding deferral for a year if you can pull it off.

Survivor DO

 

[DrBodacious]

Good advice :"It is not important what you choose to do with your life, just that you pick something and work hard at it."

Medicine will force you to work hard, which is why it is rewarding. Unless you have a good plan B to jump right in to, I worry that this "second guessing" is just your nerves acting up as you are getting close to starting down this path, and that you may have the same issue with another career choice.

Good luck!

 

[Packman2003]

Part of me wanted to get into med school just to see if I could make it in. Part of me did it for the respect, job security and money

......To be honest, I think one of the main reasons I went pre-med was to make people proud of me if I got in and to prove to myself I can do anything if I want if I tried.

That said, I do really love the science behind medicine but im not sure if I love it enough to make a career out of it. I can honestly see myself being happy in many different fields.

These are all huge red flags to me that this is probably not the way to go. Most people I know in medical school couldn't see themselves being happy going into other careers, myself included. The money is declining, the respect is declining, and job security will depend on the specialty.

It is true that the job market for a Biology BS is brutal, but the degree is really designed as a precursor to graduate school - it sounds like you would be very happy getting a masters or PhD and going into research/academics. You get the science, you get the 70,000 with potential to earn more, and you will get respect. Medical school is way too much time, energy, money and sacrifice to do for any other reason that you just love medicine. You proved it to yourself that you can make it through a very competitive application process, now go do something that you won't regret.

 

[AdamAustin]

It is upto you to decide what you want..nobody can help you..If you feel you should pursue medicine then just go ahead,and if still thinking ,best would be to leave it and and let somebody more deserving get it..

 

[ECkayak]

It is upto you to decide what you want..nobody can help you..If you feel you should pursue medicine then just go ahead,and if still thinking ,best would be to leave it and and let somebody more deserving get it..

Ignore comments like these. You were offered an acceptance, therefore you are deserving of a spot in med school.

My best advice is to do whatever makes you the most happy, because more likely than not money will not overcome the feeling of trudging to a job you don't like every day for the rest of your life. I think you're focusing on money a little too much in deciding what you want to do.

 

[pachewisc]

exactly how many jobs for a BS degree that start at $70k and grow do you think are out there?

Meh. I handed my resume to a company at my school's career fair, and I got a call 2.5 months later offering me a position at $50k/yr+benefits (assuming I interviewed well) and placement into a fast-track program allowing for promotion after the 3rd month. Maybe not $70k, but I also didn't look very hard (aka not at all haha).

 

[beBrave]

Everyone gets cold feet before a big life changing event. Even Charlie was nervous before he got to the chocolate factory. I'm not a big fan of deferring, there is nothing to say you won't have cold feet a year from now if you wait. Find a counselor, talk to them; it'll help to sort out a lot of the things going through your head.

 

[Los Spurs]

Thanks for the responses. I think its a mix of both cold feet and some legitimate concerns. I have another question though. Considering I will be going to DO school, are non-clinical routes of medicine as open to DO's as they are to MD's? I'm speaking of stuff like Biotech industries and Biomedical/Pharmaceutical industries that are somewhat research-based.

 

[beBrave]

Thanks for the responses. I think its a mix of both cold feet and some legitimate concerns. I have another question though. Considering I will be going to DO school, are non-clinical routes of medicine as open to DO's as they are to MD's? I'm speaking of stuff like Biotech industries and Biomedical/Pharmaceutical industries that are somewhat research-based.

Mixed answer. The argument is that MD degree's are more research intensive than DO however that's really a school thing and not an MD/DO thing. Research work that you can stamp your name on and show to a company is what will get your foot in the door. MD's are not trained to do Bio-medical research, these are skills separately acquired. Getting a masters (geared towards research) after you complete your DO or going into a certification program to gain the skills you need to conduct research are also options. I hope you enjoy statistics because they are a huge factor (if not the foundation) of non qualitative studies. Once you attain research skills, it can be a ton of fun. Looking for trends and discovering the things that work and don't work. It can be very fulfilling even at the Graduate level. You also have to do a separate certification process to conduct research involving people (starting at the Grad level). It usually takes two hours (if memory serves) but it's straight forward.

Level of education

Biomedical scientists typically obtain a terminal academic degree, usually a doctorate. (PhD, DSc, DPhil, etc.) This degree is necessary for faculty positions at academic institutions, as well as senior scientist positions at most companies. Some biomedical scientists also possess a medical degree (MD, DO, MBBS, etc.) in addition to an academic degree.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomedical_scientist

 

[Doctor Bob]

Considering I will be going to DO school, are non-clinical routes of medicine as open to DO's as they are to MD's? I'm speaking of stuff like Biotech industries and Biomedical/Pharmaceutical industries that are somewhat research-based.

Short answer: yes
Longer answer: but you'll need additional training (a masters degree with research focus)

 

[Planes2Doc]

The one thing that sucks about starting medical school and wanting to drop out is that you're going to be in a ton of debt and probably dissapoint a lot of people around you. Medical school isn't fun. It's a beast that will tear you apart and you will not be the same. I'm sure tht there are so many people that would drop it in an instant if they could without having to worry about debt or the stigma of being a dropout.

There are also those who would never have done it if they can turn back time. But SDN will have you thinking otherwise. It's a long tediousroad. Only you can make this decision. This is about you, and you only. So think long and hard.

 

[beBrave]

The one thing that sucks about starting medical school and wanting to drop out is that you're going to be in a ton of debt and probably dissapoint a lot of people around you. Medical school isn't fun. It's a beast that will tear you apart and you will not be the same. I'm sure tht there are so many people that would drop it in an instant if they could without having to worry about debt or the stigma of being a dropout.

There are also those who would never have done it if they can turn back time. But SDN will have you thinking otherwise. It's a long tediousroad. Only you can make this decision. This is about you, and you only. So think long and hard.

Anything worth getting will always carry its share of risk and rewards.

 

[deleted307836]

With all due respect bebrave, it's probably best for premeds like us to avoid telling people what med school is like. I know you mean well but this is somewhat of a pattern with your posts.

 

[yehhhboiii]

Med schools like fight club, its hard to get in and you will think twice before trying to get out. In the beginning it will tear you apart, it will challenge you both physically and emotionally; the guys around you all want to make it through, but you can find friends even among-st them. The key is to not give up and once you survive and make it through, its a brand new world and a whole new adventure awaits.

wat

 

[beBrave]

With all due respect bebrave, it's probably best for premeds like us to avoid telling people what med school is like. I know you mean well but this is somewhat of a pattern with your posts.

I see where you are coming from.

wat

That's just my interpretation of the feedback I've received from others on the process. anything worth having is worth fighting for.

 

[Los Spurs]

The one thing that sucks about starting medical school and wanting to drop out is that you're going to be in a ton of debt and probably dissapoint a lot of people around you. Medical school isn't fun. It's a beast that will tear you apart and you will not be the same. I'm sure tht there are so many people that would drop it in an instant if they could without having to worry about debt or the stigma of being a dropout.

There are also those who would never have done it if they can turn back time. But SDN will have you thinking otherwise. It's a long tediousroad. Only you can make this decision. This is about you, and you only. So think long and hard.

Thats what it comes down to....my decision. The worst part is that if I defer my acceptance, I have no idea what I would do for a living. There are little to no jobs out there for a guy with a BS in Biology with no real experience in any field. I dont even know if its possible to enter the business field as a bio grad. I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place. But I told myself I'm going to give med school everything I have and after the first year I'll assess if this is the life I want to live. Luckily, if worst comes to worst, at least Im going to an in-state school with a relatively low tuition cost. I really appreciate all of your advice

 

[telomer22]

BS in certain fields of engineering, such as in the chemical, pharmaceutical, or petroleum industries. Not glamorous jobs, we do get paid nicely.

I second that. 🙂

 

[yehhhboiii]

I see where you are coming from.



That's just my interpretation of the feedback I've received from others on the process. anything worth having is worth fighting for.

this is allopathic
it's full of people who are actually in medical school

 

[beBrave]

this is allopathic
it's full of people who are actually in medical school

Yeah, you're right.

 

[deleted263296]

Hi, OP. You should seriously consider withdrawing your acceptance. I am, in fact, envious of you. If I could go back in time I would beat the **** out of the ignorant M1 me. I am a resident now and every year has been an uphill battle. No end in sight and I pretty much don't care anymore about anything. If you are having doubts now about your commitment, then escape. I am in it because of the debt and the time I have put in. I have wasted so many years and so much effort. What a waste.

 

[hiyaman]

Hi, OP. You should seriously consider withdrawing your acceptance. I am, in fact, envious of you. If I could go back in time I would beat the **** out of the ignorant M1 me. I am a resident now and every year has been an uphill battle. No end in sight and I pretty much don't care anymore about anything. If you are having doubts now about your commitment, then escape. I am in it because of the debt and the time I have put in. I have wasted so many years and so much effort. What a waste.

I hope you dont mind me asking you what made you regret going into the field?

 

[deleted263296]

I hope you dont mind me asking you what made you regret going into the field?

Sure, I don't mind. I'm certain that the majority of it has to do with my own personality and approach to life rather than the medical field itself. Also a healthy dose of ignorance is what has led to my dissatisfaction. I applied to medical school naive and bright-eyed thinking that I would actually be able to help people and save their lives. Material in medical school was moderately interesting but I soon came to realize how terribly limited modern medicine is and became disillusioned. I also strongly disliked the rote memorization and lack of problem-solving inherent in medical training.

I have always been an introverted person, and when I started on wards, I soon came to realize this was going to be my undoing. People with my personality are not welcomed in the medical profession. I am slow to befriend people and my quietness and aloofness was misinterpreted as disinterest or annoyance, which was discouraging and after multiple rotations began to beget disinterest and annoyance with medical professionals. I am also the type of person that resists change and the nonstop rotating to different services with different residents and attendings wore on me, exhausted me. I was never an aggressive person and could never get any positive attention and never really thrived because no one took me under their wing. I thus never felt a part of anything and never took to any area of medicine. I found every rotation tiring and anxiety-provoking to the point that I couldn't enjoy it all. I eventually settled on radiology as my specialty during a process of exclusion. I went off to do my intern year in medicine, which I have since finished after intense suffering that I have since repressed. And I am now about to enter radiology residency, another significant change that is provoking again more anxiety. So if you are a person like me that never thought of medicine as a true calling, finds frequent change upsetting, and are introverted and are not assertive, you will be dragged by your neck through the dirt by the carriage of modern medical training. Yes, eventually, if you can withstand the abuse (both external and internal), the leash will break and you will be free. But really who knows what it will be like to actually practice on your own. Seems that that prospect carries its own challenges that have forced many doctors to quit and thus I am not hopeful.

 

[johnmendes]

Sure, I don't mind. I'm certain that the majority of it has to do with my own personality and approach to life rather than the medical field itself. Also a healthy dose of ignorance is what has led to my dissatisfaction. I applied to medical school naive and bright-eyed thinking that I would actually be able to help people and save their lives. Material in medical school was moderately interesting but I soon came to realize how terribly limited modern medicine is and became disillusioned. I also strongly disliked the rote memorization and lack of problem-solving inherent in medical training.

I have always been an introverted person, and when I started on wards, I soon came to realize this was going to be my undoing. People with my personality are not welcomed in the medical profession. I am slow to befriend people and my quietness and aloofness was misinterpreted as disinterest or annoyance, which was discouraging and after multiple rotations began to beget disinterest and annoyance with medical professionals. I am also the type of person that resists change and the nonstop rotating to different services with different residents and attendings wore on me, exhausted me. I was never an aggressive person and could never get any positive attention and never really thrived because no one took me under their wing. I thus never felt a part of anything and never took to any area of medicine. I found every rotation tiring and anxiety-provoking to the point that I couldn't enjoy it all. I eventually settled on radiology as my specialty during a process of exclusion. I went off to do my intern year in medicine, which I have since finished after intense suffering that I have since repressed. And I am now about to enter radiology residency, another significant change that is provoking again more anxiety. So if you are a person like me that never thought of medicine as a true calling, finds frequent change upsetting, and are introverted and are not assertive, you will be dragged by your neck through the dirt by the carriage of modern medical training. Yes, eventually, if you can withstand the abuse (both external and internal), the leash will break and you will be free. But really who knows what it will be like to actually practice on your own. Seems that that prospect carries its own challenges that have forced many doctors to quit and thus I am not hopeful.

Thanks for sharing. It's a very welcome breath of fresh air among the usual "ermahgerd med skewl is the bomb" mentality that pervades SDN

 

[IlDestriero]

exactly how many jobs for a BS degree that start at $70k and grow do you think are out there?

Not just a BS, but a BS in Biology.
None. Zero.
Just go. You'll be fine. There are dozens of specialties and options in all of them. You'll find something that excites you and you'll likely never make less than twice your 70k, even in academics or part time.

 

[Los Spurs]

Sure, I don't mind. I'm certain that the majority of it has to do with my own personality and approach to life rather than the medical field itself. Also a healthy dose of ignorance is what has led to my dissatisfaction. I applied to medical school naive and bright-eyed thinking that I would actually be able to help people and save their lives. Material in medical school was moderately interesting but I soon came to realize how terribly limited modern medicine is and became disillusioned. I also strongly disliked the rote memorization and lack of problem-solving inherent in medical training.

I have always been an introverted person, and when I started on wards, I soon came to realize this was going to be my undoing. People with my personality are not welcomed in the medical profession. I am slow to befriend people and my quietness and aloofness was misinterpreted as disinterest or annoyance, which was discouraging and after multiple rotations began to beget disinterest and annoyance with medical professionals. I am also the type of person that resists change and the nonstop rotating to different services with different residents and attendings wore on me, exhausted me. I was never an aggressive person and could never get any positive attention and never really thrived because no one took me under their wing. I thus never felt a part of anything and never took to any area of medicine. I found every rotation tiring and anxiety-provoking to the point that I couldn't enjoy it all. I eventually settled on radiology as my specialty during a process of exclusion. I went off to do my intern year in medicine, which I have since finished after intense suffering that I have since repressed. And I am now about to enter radiology residency, another significant change that is provoking again more anxiety. So if you are a person like me that never thought of medicine as a true calling, finds frequent change upsetting, and are introverted and are not assertive, you will be dragged by your neck through the dirt by the carriage of modern medical training. Yes, eventually, if you can withstand the abuse (both external and internal), the leash will break and you will be free. But really who knows what it will be like to actually practice on your own. Seems that that prospect carries its own challenges that have forced many doctors to quit and thus I am not hopeful.

Your description of yourself describes me to the T. Kinda worrisome considering the doubts I already have. But nonetheless I'm going to give it everything I can. Before I get too buried in debt I'm going to judge if this is the life I want to live and go from there. After all the work I've put in to get where I am today, I can't just throw it away without trying. Maybe I'll love it, but i have to find out. Luckily my school has a low tuition cost and I would only be 45k in debt after M1. Thanks again for all the advice

 

[Anastomoses]

why do such threads annoy the crap out of me?

 

[JP2740]

Yea I say give it up

 

[Kal EI]

I vote give it up. You want to be 100% committed in this process or it will be very difficult.

 

[evilbooyaa]

snip.

Hey man, look on the bright side. You can be done seeing patients forever. Your introvertedness (is that a word?) fits well into the field. I think your disillusionment will continue throughout residency as well, but consider that it is at least better than MS3/4 and definitely better than PGY-1.

 

[thepoopologist]

OP, do what is best for you. Don't give up the acceptance if you don't need to. Whoever is behind you in line can wait.

 

[thepoopologist]

Sure, I don't mind. I'm certain that the majority of it has to do with my own personality and approach to life rather than the medical field itself. Also a healthy dose of ignorance is what has led to my dissatisfaction. I applied to medical school naive and bright-eyed thinking that I would actually be able to help people and save their lives. Material in medical school was moderately interesting but I soon came to realize how terribly limited modern medicine is and became disillusioned. I also strongly disliked the rote memorization and lack of problem-solving inherent in medical training.

I have always been an introverted person, and when I started on wards, I soon came to realize this was going to be my undoing. People with my personality are not welcomed in the medical profession. I am slow to befriend people and my quietness and aloofness was misinterpreted as disinterest or annoyance, which was discouraging and after multiple rotations began to beget disinterest and annoyance with medical professionals. I am also the type of person that resists change and the nonstop rotating to different services with different residents and attendings wore on me, exhausted me. I was never an aggressive person and could never get any positive attention and never really thrived because no one took me under their wing. I thus never felt a part of anything and never took to any area of medicine. I found every rotation tiring and anxiety-provoking to the point that I couldn't enjoy it all. I eventually settled on radiology as my specialty during a process of exclusion. I went off to do my intern year in medicine, which I have since finished after intense suffering that I have since repressed. And I am now about to enter radiology residency, another significant change that is provoking again more anxiety. So if you are a person like me that never thought of medicine as a true calling, finds frequent change upsetting, and are introverted and are not assertive, you will be dragged by your neck through the dirt by the carriage of modern medical training. Yes, eventually, if you can withstand the abuse (both external and internal), the leash will break and you will be free. But really who knows what it will be like to actually practice on your own. Seems that that prospect carries its own challenges that have forced many doctors to quit and thus I am not hopeful.

I sometimes go into your mode of thinking. I could do without the debt and stress and given a second chance would've gone a different route. I am also introverted and when I started school, was not the most aggressive person in the world.

But in many ways I've become a much stronger person in general because of all the bull**** I've gone through. I don't know. I've bumped into a lot of optimists and pessimists and I think a healthy dose of both is necessary. But when you start the day you can either let go of the past and develop a happy productive life or just wallow in your regrets and let them sink you.

 

[inep]

I'd rather see someone like the OP go for it than someone who has been nurtured all of his/her life and pushed into this and never really thought about it.

The OP sounds lazy but has turned himself around. There is a huge need for community primary care physicians. The OP can breeze through med school without too much pressure if this is his goal and serve a real need vs. being yet another rich student gunning for a surgical subspeciality in NYC or SoCal.

OP, sounds like you're young. Do it. Finish residency when you're 28 or 29, work for a few years, and if you still hate it, you can fall back on a non-clincal job and spend most of your days playing xbox. Would be a bigger shame to see you play xbox and decide you want to do something and go to med school when you're 40.

Normally I'm the guy telling people to run to the hills from med school, but your case is different.

 

[inep]

exactly how many jobs for a BS degree that start at $70k and grow do you think are out there?

If you're good at what you do and work hard you can make at least that much a few years out in virtually any field involving some sort of skill. You can wire houses or lay tile and pull in well in the 6 figures. If you're lazy and can land a federal government job, you'll make that 5 years out.

The problem with recent college grads is that they are short-sighted. They can't think 10-20 years down the road. They want to start out making the big bucks and make career decisions off of stupid things like average starting salaries in different professions, ignoring things like skill, interest, work ethic, and the economy.

 

[linebacker57]

If I were in the OP's shoes, I would defer for a year, if they balk at this, explain to them it's for mental health reasons and take a medical leave of absence (which you can do,even before your technically matriculate). Get a counselor or somebody to side with you. I know of at least one student who did this, and the school was perfectly fine with it, and another person came of the waitlist and took his spot. The medical school that accepted you has invested a great deal of time and effort into you, and wants you to come into med school when you are prepared to do so. That being said, if you are not ready for this, tell somebody, and spend this year soul searching, figure out what you want, and reevaluate with yourself in 9 months or so.

 

[g8orlife]

If I were in the OP's shoes, I would defer for a year, if they balk at this, explain to them it's for mental health reasons and take a medical leave of absence (which you can do,even before your technically matriculate). Get a counselor or somebody to side with you. I know of at least one student who did this, and the school was perfectly fine with it, and another person came of the waitlist and took his spot. The medical school that accepted you has invested a great deal of time and effort into you, and wants you to come into med school when you are prepared to do so. That being said, if you are not ready for this, tell somebody, and spend this year soul searching, figure out what you want, and reevaluate with yourself in 9 months or so.

I was going to say this, too. Don't just give it up, but defer it until you're mentally ready.
When/if you start med school, you want to be in the right mindset so that you don't half-ass it & take the chance that you may fail.
I've seen this with several classmates, & I know one upperclassman who deferred and was glad that he did b/c he said that when he started, he was ready to tackle his classwork.

 

[MedGrl@2022]

These are all huge red flags to me that this is probably not the way to go. Most people I know in medical school couldn't see themselves being happy going into other careers, myself included. The money is declining, the respect is declining, and job security will depend on the specialty.

It is true that the job market for a Biology BS is brutal, but the degree is really designed as a precursor to graduate school - it sounds like you would be very happy getting a masters or PhD and going into research/academics. You get the science, you get the 70,000 with potential to earn more, and you will get respect. Medical school is way too much time, energy, money and sacrifice to do for any other reason that you just love medicine. You proved it to yourself that you can make it through a very competitive application process, now go do something that you won't regret.

I work in a huge academic research center and unless you absolutely love it I would not just do the straight research route. There are so many politics with research and it seems like endless grant writing. Lots of competition and smooching... that is just my two cents.