For all those considering medicine check out this link for a first hand account of clinical clerkship It is a rather negative account (the burning white coat!) but gives you insight into medical training. At least one should be aware of what one is going to face. http://upalumni.org/medschool/
I read it but it striked me as rather overdramatizing. Ok, everyone, keep in mind that I will just be starting my rotations this september, so the guy that wrote those essays has all the experience and I have NONE. I do have friends and relatives who went through it though (all at allopathic institutions, by the way, so I doubt that therein lies the difference) and none of them ever said anything in the lines of this guy's complaints. They were all pretty worked to the bone and such, but they all found rotations to be a great experience. I think life is a lot what you make of it.
"Overdramatization" is an understatement. I think the book is ludicrous and rather fictitious. I would urge people not to waste their time reading this material because it will do more harm than good. If you want a true account of what goes on in 3rd year, ask a real person who has experienced it. However, I do give the author credit for his outstanding prose, but that is as far as it goes. Thumbs down on this one!
Have any of you seen this guy's original webpage from when he was a pre-med student? http://www.lonestar.texas.net/~santos/michael.html I seriously doubt that this person really knew what he was getting into when he applied. He had zero clinical experience, as he admits. I believe the reason he wrote such disparaging remarks about his "situation" is that he had no clinical experience, therefore he did not know what to expect, and was more interested in pursuing the research aspect of medicine. Hopefully, pre-meds will read this and it will help them re-evaluate their genuine interest in why they want to become physicians and undergo the long and arduous process involved in reaching that goal. -raindodger
The comments made in "Heart Failure" are quite shocking. I was consistently asking myself," if this guy really thinks school os this aweful, why the HELL is he sticking with it?!" I admire his courage to stand up to what he perceived as unjustices at his med school (Tufts) possibly risking his education and career. However, deal with the fact that medicine and the training to become a doctor is not pretty. It is not all about feel good hand holding. Future doctors should spend adequate time getting exposure to medicine before med school to know that it is filled with egomaniacs and bullies who just happen to have an MD/DO after their name. This piece is cleverly written, as segments from the students diary, but the lack of positive and encouraging comments is frighteneing. As I said before, why in the world would someone stick with something they find do deplorable?? A book by Melvin Konner M.D., Becoming a Doctor is about the third year of med school and counters some of the bleak hoplessness covered in heart failure. Good luck to all.
After reading Dr. Gregor's account completely, it seems like he's a masochist. And I think that having this quality is what separates the men from the boys when it comes to med school and its completion. To take the grueling hours of being on call, and on rotations (on your feet three quarters of the time), to take the abuse from attendings, residents, et. al., to have virtually zero social life, and to still have the drive to get that magic "M.D." at the end demands that one enjoy that sort of torture. At first I was rather critical, but now I have to applaud him for sticking it out, and not dropping out, like some of his classmates did, and also for sharing his experiences with inspired (and perhaps misguided?) pre-meds. My father who has been through this hellish process, told me about the hours involved, and he suggested I take the "acid test" to see if I'm really cut out for this sort of field. Incidentally, the MCAT tests for this ability as well. (if you scored much higher on your Bio subsection, than in your Verbal, then you're on good terms.) BTW, the "acid test" is to try to stay awake for at least 40 hours straight. If you can perform this menial task, and still have a smile on your face, then you're golden. -raindodger
I also was taken aback by Dr. Greger's negativity toward his chosen field, but I found much of what he said to be thought provoking. I think the book is less about how hellish med school is, and more about issues that we should all be thinking about, if we are to be ethical and compassionate doctors some day. His insight into patient privacy and consent were things I hadn't really thought about before. I've talked to him, and he is VERY supportive of my aspiration to become a doctor. I was disturbed by what he wrote, but I wasn't disuaded from my goal, and I don't think that was his intent. I think his mission in writing this book was to generate activism within the medical community. What better place to start than with pre-meds and med students? I agree with him that much needs to change in the way that medical students are taught. Not just the long hours or the demoralizing of students, but also the way that doctors are taught to look at patients. P.S... I don't think he's planning on taking a residency. He told me that his plan is continue with his real love - activism. Nanon [This message has been edited by Nanon (edited 07-20-2000).] [This message has been edited by Nanon (edited 07-20-2000).]
