Should I really consider medical school?

[Radiostar772]

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[allantois]

Go dental if you like the work environment and good with your hands.

 

[Strudel19]

I was in a 5-year BS/PA program for a while and I juggled between whether to go PA or go to med school. For me, I realized I should do medical school once I realized that 1) I really enjoyed research and want to incorporate clinical investigation into my future medical practice and that 2) many years of education during my 20's isn't a sacrifice. Research is a factor in medical school admissions and even more so in residency and fellowship applications. Do you like research enough to keep with it? From what I see, people in their 20s are graduating with heaps of debt, working a crappy 9-5 and struggling to move out of their parents house - minus the engineers. You might as well just study. You're working from 22-62 whether you pursue medicine or not, but in medicine your job for the first ten years is to study.

 

[Meeehai]

Be very careful about choosing another healthcare route just because medical school is too strenuous. If you say you're not passionate or interested in being a doctor, what makes you more fit to be a dentist, in your opinion? You will still have to commit time to learning and take on the responsibility of being a caretaker - 4 years of school isn't necessarily a short amount of time. Make sure whatever other option you decide on is something you will be happy doing. I would advise against going in any healthcare route if you're just doing it because the pay is decent.

But I totally understand where you're coming from, I had similar thoughts a while back. Do I really want to waste the best years of my life stressed out and dedicating all my free time to studying instead of getting out there and having fun? I think this is a little bit of an over-exaggeration though, a lot of medical students will tell you this: you still can go out, socialize, party and have a fun time while in medical school (or any other professional school), you just have to manage your time well. You won't have the freedom of going out 5 nights a week, but you can definitely squeeze in time to get drunk with your friends at the bar/club occasionally. I would look into shadowing multiple professionals in the field you want to go into first and make sure it's something you want to do. Finding a career you love isn't easy, so maybe you need some time to find something you like, there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[ac62994]

Sounds like your main goal is to get hitched.

If you've done shadowing/research/etc. and still question the profession, then don't even consider it. Head over to the Pre-Dental Forum and see what their lifestyles are like.

 

[genericpremedstudent]

If going to the club is a higher priority to you, then don't bother with med school

 

[cantankerous]

PA school sounds like a good fit if you can get all the patient contact hours lol

 

[el_duderino]

Hi. I finished my undergraduate in the winter quarter of 2015. Sorry for the bad grammar; English is not my first language.
To briefly explain my background, I have 3.71 GPA and have not taken MCAT yet. I have some research experience, volunteering at a hospital, shadowing experience, and Vice-president at a science-related club.
The reason why I'm posting this thread is that I am not too sure if I have passion for being doctor.
I think it's a good job for having a stable salary, job security, prestige, but what I really think makes me happy is to socialize and have fun with friends, family, going out bar/clubs but I do not want to sacrifice all my 20's just studying. Many of people from this forum suggests not to go to medical school when you don't have passion for it because it is a lot of commitment of 7 ~ 11 years, which I agree. Not sure if I would be able to handle it, and dropping out in the middle of medical school is worse.
Additionally, I am gay, and there is high likely I would end up going in medical school in rural environment, where I would not be able to find a relationship (some say there's no time for it even for straight people anyways). This is probably my biggest concern, being stuck at a rural city for about 7-8 years and regretting the decision to spend my 20's just studying whole time. So I am thinking of an option to go to dental school instead, which has only 4 years of school and has a good lifestyle relatively, but I also heard it is difficult for dentists to settle down in big cities (like LA, NY, SF) because the job market is too saturated.
Any advice what I should do/consider?

I'm only in MS2 right now, but it doesn't sound like medical school is a good choice for you. The prospect of stable salary and job security won't be enough by themselves to sustain the effort required for the next decade, and the prestige is not what it seems.

 

[bengirlxD]

Being part of the LGBT community should never stop you from doing what you want to do. Don't worry about the chances of having romantic relationships. There always opportunities even in rural settings. Don't let what you are stop you from what you want to be. You seem like you would be a great medical student. Yes there's a lot of commitment but that doesn't mean you will be 12 feet deep in books all the time.

 

[NotYou20]

Most med schools are not rural, not sure why you think you'd go to a rural school. But yeah, do something else. If you decide that you want to go to med school 5-10 years down the road you can. It's much harder to get out of medicine once you're in.

 

[Goro]

No passion?

No Medicine. It's calling, like being a fireman or a priest.

Hi. I finished my undergraduate in the winter quarter of 2015. Sorry for the bad grammar; English is not my first language.
To briefly explain my background, I have 3.71 GPA and have not taken MCAT yet. I have some research experience, volunteering at a hospital, shadowing experience, and Vice-president at a science-related club.
The reason why I'm posting this thread is that I am not too sure if I have passion for being doctor.
I think it's a good job for having a stable salary, job security, prestige, but what I really think makes me happy is to socialize and have fun with friends, family, going out bar/clubs but I do not want to sacrifice all my 20's just studying. Many of people from this forum suggests not to go to medical school when you don't have passion for it because it is a lot of commitment of 7 ~ 11 years, which I agree. Not sure if I would be able to handle it, and dropping out in the middle of medical school is worse.
Additionally, I am gay, and there is high likely I would end up going in medical school in rural environment, where I would not be able to find a relationship (some say there's no time for it even for straight people anyways). This is probably my biggest concern, being stuck at a rural city for about 7-8 years and regretting the decision to spend my 20's just studying whole time. So I am thinking of an option to go to dental school instead, which has only 4 years of school and has a good lifestyle relatively, but I also heard it is difficult for dentists to settle down in big cities (like LA, NY, SF) because the job market is too saturated.
Any advice what I should do/consider?

 

[gothicfoxes]

I think it's a good job for having a stable salary, job security, prestige,...

Becoming a doctor is about helping the suffering. If you're only in it for the social status and paycheck, this isn't the career for you. x

 

[Dr.Sticks]

I went through a phase like that, only I was younger, I wasn't gay and I'm still not gay by the way, and no I wasn't interested in make social calls to the ladies at the local town diner or whatever..
Anyway.. I questioned if I wanted to be a doctor.. I entertained other careers.. I hated the time requirement, etc.. Problem was I couldn't image not being a doctor..
So If you can't imagine being outside a hospital, or in scrubs with a mask on your face and gloves on your hand or in a clinic helping the locals or whatever then medicine is for you.
At least that's how I viewed it.. And I finally chose my destiny..

Also if you're into it for the stable job, etc.. I wouldn't do it. Being a doctor isn't a job, it's a lifestyle.. At least that is what most docs told me..

 

[Meeehai]

I wasn't gay and I'm still not gay by the way, and no I wasn't interested in make social calls to the ladies at the local town diner or whatever..

 

[Dr.Sticks]

I'm not going to elaborate.. Okay slightly
pishtruoc