Thinking about leaving medical school for good. Need some advice (serious)

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jsat

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I'm about 1.5 months into medical school now and to be honest I'm not sure what I expected coming here, but I am really not enjoying it (I know this is normal for first year). I've been doing good so far and have honored all of my tests, but I still am not enjoying it. For the first time in my life I find myself suffering from pretty severe depression and anxiety (I'm already getting help) and I just can't imagine continuing to do this for the next 7+ years of my life. Prior to coming to medical school I worked in a different career for 10+ years I was able to buy a home and a rental property and was plugging along pretty happy with life. At some point I decided I wanted to work in the medical field and I chose medicine.... to be honest I think I chose it because of pressure from family to "be in charge" or that they looked down on other careers like nursing or PA school.

So, now I'm at this crossroads. I'm strongly considering of dropping out and pursuing an ABSN degree and working within psych that way. I really don't think I want to continue on in medical school. I have a ton of outside interests to medicine and I do plan on continuing to invest in real estate and do other things outside of my normal job. I feel nursing would allow me to come to work for 36 hours a week clock out and be done with it to pursue other things. What would you do if you were in my shoes?

I appreciate any and all advice greatly.

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I am sorry that you are going through this. While I think many M1s struggle (I certainly did, and am in a much better place as an M2), only you can decide if dropping out is the right thing for you.

I don't know your school's curriculum/student culture/admin style, but as med school demands different things from you as you progress from M1 to M4, what you do not like about med school right now 1.5 months in, you might not have to deal with as much in a year or two. Of course, there's a chance you might also dislike the new things you have to deal with. Not suggesting you go one way or the other, but I think it'd be worth talking to upperclassmen at your school to get an idea of what would be in store for you for the rest of med school (the good and the bad), and think about whether you think the good parts are worth staying in med school for and if the eventual outcome of working as an MD/DO is enough for you to go through the bad.

Whichever you decide I only suggest you make the most informed decision you can so you do not have regrets later.
 
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Very sorry to hear this, OP.

Please contact your school's counseling services or your doctor. This is NOT giving medical advice.

Thing change a lot in one's clinical years too.
 
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Do not make any irreversible decisions in your current frame of mind.
If needed, ask for an LOA.
Yes, this is 100% what I would do if I decide to leave for right now. That old quote comes to mind "never make a decision on the uphill."
 
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Very sorry to hear this, OP.

Please contact your school's counseling services or your doctor. This is NOT giving medical advice.

Thing change a lot in one's clinical years too.
Thank you, this is what I've been doing so far. I'm aware things change down the line. I just can't help, but to think I'd like a different path more.
 
I am sorry that you are going through this. While I think many M1s struggle (I certainly did, and am in a much better place as an M2), only you can decide if dropping out is the right thing for you.

I don't know your school's curriculum/student culture/admin style, but as med school demands different things from you as you progress from M1 to M4, what you do not like about med school right now 1.5 months in, you might not have to deal with as much in a year or two. Of course, there's a chance you might also dislike the new things you have to deal with. Not suggesting you go one way or the other, but I think it'd be worth talking to upperclassmen at your school to get an idea of what would be in store for you for the rest of med school (the good and the bad), and think about whether you think the good parts are worth staying in med school for and if the eventual outcome of working as an MD/DO is enough for you to go through the bad.

Whichever you decide I only suggest you make the most informed decision you can so you do not have regrets later.
I'll admit the school does a great job at getting us in touch with upperclassman to talk about everything down the road. Right now I am trying to weigh the good parts, but I'm not so sure the good parts I enjoy are exclusive to being a physician or I wouldn't be able to find those in a different role entirely. I'm doing my best at the moment to do some "soul searching" per se to figure out the right path. I'm a slightly older student also, so I feel it complicates matters a tad.
 
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It might make sense to take a LOA and use the time to investigate other career paths. If you are absolutely certain you do not want to work more than 36 hours a week, becoming a physician may not be the best choice for you, because it will be quite a few years before you would be able to do that.
 
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I'll admit the school does a great job at getting us in touch with upperclassman to talk about everything down the road. Right now I am trying to weigh the good parts, but I'm not so sure the good parts I enjoy are exclusive to being a physician or I wouldn't be able to find those in a different role entirely. I'm doing my best at the moment to do some "soul searching" per se to figure out the right path. I'm a slightly older student also, so I feel it complicates matters a tad.
Yes, there are med students who can’t imagine doing anything else besides medicine (because of passion, or limited exposure to fields other than medicine). And there are many who wish to be able to quit but cannot due to the debt. Based on your post, you don’t seem to belong to either group. So again it comes down to your judgement of what’s best in your situation.

I agree with other posters that you should definitely make sure you are in a stable state of mental health before you make an irreversible decision. It’s good that you are already getting help, but having had psych issues myself I had a period in my M1 year where it felt like everything sucks and nothing will ever get better and I can’t imagine keeping on this path. I am not making any judgements on your current state of mind but definitely do talk to your therapist/counselor and keep working through your mental health issues.

Take care and best of luck in your endeavors.
 
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OP, I’m sorry you’re going through this.

First semester of med school was the worst few months of my life, both in general and from a mental health perspective. Eight years later, I’m happy I stuck it out. Maybe that’s not you, and if not that’s okay- especially if you figure it out now and not in a few years where the sunk cost turns out to be an issue. But before you decide, make sure it’s what you’d want in a normal state of mind, and that it’s not just the depression/anxiety talking (loudly).
 
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It might make sense to take a LOA and use the time to investigate other career paths. If you are absolutely certain you do not want to work more than 36 hours a week, becoming a physician may not be the best choice for you, because it will be quite a few years before you would be able to do that.

Yes, there are med students who can’t imagine doing anything else besides medicine (because of passion, or limited exposure to fields other than medicine). And there are many who wish to be able to quit but cannot due to the debt. Based on your post, you don’t seem to belong to either group. So again it comes down to your judgement of what’s best in your situation.

I agree with other posters that you should definitely make sure you are in a stable state of mental health before you make an irreversible decision. It’s good that you are already getting help, but having had psych issues myself I had a period in my M1 year where it felt like everything sucks and nothing will ever get better and I can’t imagine keeping on this path. I am not making any judgements on your current state of mind but definitely do talk to your therapist/counselor and keep working through your mental health issues.

Take care and best of luck in your endeavors.

Yeah.....I'm trying to avoid getting to the point where I'm in the category of people who wish to quit, but can't due to the debt. This is also the first and only time in my life I have been dealing with depression to be honest which is why I'm so weary of the path forward. Thanks for the advice.
 
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OP, I’m sorry you’re going through this.

First semester of med school was the worst few months of my life, both in general and from a mental health perspective. Eight years later, I’m happy I stuck it out. Maybe that’s not you, and if not that’s okay- especially if you figure it out now and not in a few years where the sunk cost turns out to be an issue. But before you decide, make sure it’s what you’d want in a normal state of mind, and that it’s not just the depression/anxiety talking (loudly).
Thank you! That's my plan for now. One day at a time.
 
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Recommend just sticking out the semester. You’ve already paid for it anyway. Might as well make sure you hate it and it’s not just adjusting to the volume.

Also, if you’re miserable and acing all of your tests then maybe you should scale back a little. This is easier said than done and would be very hard to figure out this early on though.
 
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These are tough decisions and you’re arguably at the most challenging point for this dilemma: early enough that the debt load and sunk cost is low, but too early to really have a sense of what it’s all about. M1 is arguably the part that’s least like the actual practice of medicine. There’s no easy answer to this one.

I was also an older student about your age. I looked at school as just a full time job and gave it those kind of hours. I really gunned it hard at first and it was definitely soul crushing - sooooo many anki cards! Thankfully my experience was similar to yours where I was acing every exam, so I started slowly dialing it back a bit to where I was still honoring but maybe more with a 93 instead of a 99. I felt like the amount of hours to go from 0 to 80 was the same as that required to go from 80-90, and it was even more diminishing returns from there on up.

All that to say that as you figure things out, you may find it helps a lot to dial back your efforts slightly. An old piece of M1 advice goes: gun hard in the beginning, then titrate to sanity.

I’ll tell you something else that helped me along the way: when in doubt, find a way to talk to some patients. I always found/find that to be very grounding and reminds me why I do this. It’s easy to lose sight of that at many points on the journey, so if you can shadow and spend a little time with patients it might help to remember what drew you to this field. It might also help identify fields where you can find the sort of work life balance you seek. I know lots of docs working <40 hours a week, managing real estate and other investments, running side businesses, etc. I’m sure there are some at your school if you ask around, spend time with them and with their patients may help.

Definitely agree with the above to avoid making any permanent decisions if possible. LOAs can be perfect for situations like this. Sadly the medical field is not very forgiving of people who fully quit and want to get back in later, so the LOA would at least let you leave while preserving the option to return for a bit. I’ve known people who did that and never came back, and others who came back a year later with a newfound focus and excitement.

Either way, you’re smart enough to get in and perform at the top of your class, so you will surely find your way and be successful with whatever you ultimately decide.
 
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@jsat

Clinical practice in a non-academic specialty (I’m not citing every new study while caring for patients in FM) is a world away from what early academia and late academia are. Do I need to stay UTD? Of course — teaching lets me do this, but I’ve never been the “bench research” type. It gets better but still has its ups and downs. I struggled through my first two years, but strived “socially” on rotations my last two. World of difference, really. Looking back at my 6 years since being an attending (my FM residency was rather ‘easy’) I don’t know how I feel. My mental health is finally at a controlled level, but school wreaked havoc on it. I’m the fittest I’ve been as well. Job satisfaction is there, but it’s really only when I’m in the room talking with appreciative patients. FM, for example, has a lot of BS. Since the beginning of the pandemic I’ve been looking for ways to lessen clinical and administrative burden. There’s a lot of pressure/expectation put on me by patients, the double edged sword of rapport. It’s flattering, but I’m not the cardiologist or nephrologist or oncologist. Ultimately, I’ve found for job satisfaction, which is a subsidy of life satisfaction, I’ve had to shuffle my career somewhat —> switch to a 5 day a week schedule from 4 days a week to not have as long of shifts. I teach (precept) and will go to my grave before I give that up (keeps me UTD, provides me some unofficial admin time, gives me a break from the toils of my own schedule). I’ve recently thrown into the mix student health at a local university which further reduces my complex care down to a more UC level of interaction (without doing that 40 hours a week.) I’m likely to go even more extreme and keep the above going on next fiscal year but push to lower my total FTE when I qualify for PSLF. It’s nice to see a lot of $$$ in the bank account, but when you don’t have significant financial burdens there’s a plateau where you’ll remain happy despite if you’re making less in the year (especially if you’re a dual income household.)

TL, DR: it gets “better” but there’s still plenty of “suck” along the way. Medicine is a job, not a career, at this point and is a way to pay the bills.
 
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FWIW, I am a year into being an attending and started a real-estate single family home rental business this year with my Dad. I do it on the weekends and some random weekdays when I don't have to operate. We have three properties this year and plan to add 1-2 each year. I enjoy it very much and it makes me feel accomplished. Some days even more than being a surgeon. My daughter comes with us and 'helps' when we do the renovations.

Which is to say, you can do both. It isn't that hard. Your other interests do not have to evaporate - at all. Just remind yourself its OK for those thing to be on hold from time to time and they aren't going anywhere.
 
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I'm about 1.5 months into medical school now and to be honest I'm not sure what I expected coming here, but I am really not enjoying it (I know this is normal for first year). I've been doing good so far and have honored all of my tests, but I still am not enjoying it. For the first time in my life I find myself suffering from pretty severe depression and anxiety (I'm already getting help) and I just can't imagine continuing to do this for the next 7+ years of my life. Prior to coming to medical school I worked in a different career for 10+ years I was able to buy a home and a rental property and was plugging along pretty happy with life. At some point I decided I wanted to work in the medical field and I chose medicine.... to be honest I think I chose it because of pressure from family to "be in charge" or that they looked down on other careers like nursing or PA school.

So, now I'm at this crossroads. I'm strongly considering of dropping out and pursuing an ABSN degree and working within psych that way. I really don't think I want to continue on in medical school. I have a ton of outside interests to medicine and I do plan on continuing to invest in real estate and do other things outside of my normal job. I feel nursing would allow me to come to work for 36 hours a week clock out and be done with it to pursue other things. What would you do if you were in my shoes?

I appreciate any and all advice greatly.

Bottom line first. It is your ultimate decision and only you know yourself best

If you truly enjoy helping people and relieving their suffering with your knowledge and skills, it might be worth investing the significant efforts

If you just want to feel "be in charge" or other secondary gain, it may not worth at all.
 
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Pick Radiology-everyone is happier, limited call, do interventional if interested. higher incomes usually, opportunity to moonlight at your schedule-no chronic care. I went to FP for similar reasons vs IM/Surgery
 
As a nurse starting his prereqs I'd like to say don't do it! I felt the same way in nursing school because, like you, I had a good job with a retirement. So, the whole time I was in nursing school I was depressed because I went from doing well to being broke. I would finish if I were you. Identify what you like about medicine and go into that. If you still don't like it play your cards right and you can be out in a decade.

Why go from a career path where you're making $250,000, respected by your patients, and some what respected by the administration (they know there is only so much b.s. a physician will take before leaving). As a nurses we get crapped on by the patients (sometimes literally), the administration gives you way too many patients to the point where you either risk your job by refusing or risk your license by accepting.

Also, and this may be a shock to many, but nursing school ain't easy. Yea the content is probably only half as hard as med school but at many schools you are treated as dirt (my theory is to get you ready for life as a nurse). There is no separation didactic training and real life training. You'll have clinicals Monday and Tuesday from 0600 to 1600 for example, and a test Wednesday and sometimes just for fun they'll throw and extra chapter or two on Tuesday that you need to know by Wednesday. If they're gracious they MIGHT push the test back back to Thursday.

Then the bullying is outrageous. It's like the instructors have been crapped on for so many years, they want to crap on everyone they have power over. In medical school they want you to succeed. From what I've read and have been told by family that went to med school, they pull out all the stops to get you to pass because that makes them look good. But in nursing the quality of the school is judged by the NCLEX pass rates. So nursing school are incentivized to get rid of students instead of putting in a little extra work to keep students. Please don't leave medical school to go into nursing. If you won't finish medical school, go do something else besides direct pt. care.
 
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Hi there, I am actually a former medical student myself. I had a major depressive episode and took a leave of absence and didn't return. I would be happy to talk to you more about what life looks like after medical school if you leave. I think the best advice is to take a leave of absence and get well. Then you can decide if you want to go back. If you dont want to work more than 36hrs a week you wont be able to do that until after residency and by then you will also have student loans so I dont know if it will be feasible. Anyway, it did take me a while to figure my life out after I left in 2006 and I now work in Finance and live comfortably and work around 40ish hours a week. I would be happy to talk to you on the phone as well. Good luck to you.
 
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In what specific ways will quitting now makes things better for you?

Conversely, in what ways will persisting and becoming a doctor be beneficial for you?

*****
Most of those who quit med school when I attended were older students, and ESP those who had a real career of some kind prior to med school (chiro, lawyer, etc.). Personally, I think it was too much mentally for them to handle being a little fish again

See a counselor/psych. Exercise and eat well. take care of your self.

Quitting anything (school, career, marriage), rarely makes things much better and can make it worse, IMHO

Quitting is almost always the wrong move, esp for things you put a lot of thought into starting

I should add that I seriously thought about quitting about 6-8 weeks into med school, that would have been a terrible move in retrospect
 
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It's unfortunate because there's someone out there that didn't get into medical school that would kill to to have your spot. It's only been a month and a half my friend. Stick with it for a bit before deciding to drop out. I know there are people out there that were genuinely happy they dropped out, but there are also a ton of people that regretted their decision to drop out of medical school as well. If you're a person of faith, rely on your faith to get you through this time. Talk to your family to help get you through it. Spend some time outdoors and just clear your mind. I do Gracie jiu-jitsu and at first I felt like quitting because I was getting beat up all the time. I stuck with it and I'm so glad I didn't quit. I'm a blue belt now and aiming for purple next! You can do family medicine, internal medicine, rheumatology, dermatology, and other specialties that will allow you the flexibility with your time to pursue other passions while practicing medicine.
 
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I'm about 1.5 months into medical school now and to be honest I'm not sure what I expected coming here, but I am really not enjoying it (I know this is normal for first year). I've been doing good so far and have honored all of my tests, but I still am not enjoying it. For the first time in my life I find myself suffering from pretty severe depression and anxiety (I'm already getting help) and I just can't imagine continuing to do this for the next 7+ years of my life. Prior to coming to medical school I worked in a different career for 10+ years I was able to buy a home and a rental property and was plugging along pretty happy with life. At some point I decided I wanted to work in the medical field and I chose medicine.... to be honest I think I chose it because of pressure from family to "be in charge" or that they looked down on other careers like nursing or PA school.

So, now I'm at this crossroads. I'm strongly considering of dropping out and pursuing an ABSN degree and working within psych that way. I really don't think I want to continue on in medical school. I have a ton of outside interests to medicine and I do plan on continuing to invest in real estate and do other things outside of my normal job. I feel nursing would allow me to come to work for 36 hours a week clock out and be done with it to pursue other things. What would you do if you were in my shoes?

I appreciate any and all advice greatly.
15 months in medical school should be enough time to figure out if you have the resilience, fortitude and stamina to continue on with several more years of book learning, etc. I am surprised, in a way, that it took you that long to realize that medicine may not be your "road to happiness and self-fulfillment." Usually, the medical students that I have taught, often leave medical school within the first 1-3 months. The questions you should ask yourself is - why did I initially decide to go into medicine, to apply to medical school? Pursue that gives you joy, what seems best for you at your age. Remember, you might have accrued a sizable debt so figure out how best to pay off that debt/loan debt (if it exists). Perhaps a health-related area or career is best for you. You will need to seriously sit down with yourself and think, think about that which seems the 'correct career path' for you and you alone. Period.
 
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15 months in medical school should be enough time to figure out if you have the resilience, fortitude and stamina to continue on with several more years of book learning, etc. I am surprised, in a way, that it took you that long to realize that medicine may not be your "road to happiness and self-fulfillment." Usually, the medical students that I have taught, often leave medical school within the first 1-3 months. The questions you should ask yourself is - why did I initially decide to go into medicine, to apply to medical school? Pursue that gives you joy, what seems best for you at your age. Remember, you might have accrued a sizable debt so figure out how best to pay off that debt/loan debt (if it exists). Perhaps a health-related area or career is best for you. You will need to seriously sit down with yourself and think, think about that which seems the 'correct career path' for you and you alone. Period.
1.5 months
 
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Pick Radiology-everyone is happier, limited call, do interventional if interested. higher incomes usually, opportunity to moonlight at your schedule-no chronic care. I went to FP for similar reasons vs IM/Surgery

This radiology advice isn't particularly true. I wouldn't say radiologists are happier than [xyz]. I don't know of many if any of my radiology colleagues who just absolutely love the field/their job without complaints.

There's not limited call. I take quite a bit of call, q5-6weekends.

Interventional rad is actually a pretty crappy lifestyle on the whole. And a lot of places don't offer 'moonlight at your own convenience'.

Radiology is a lot tougher than it was 20 years ago. Volumes, turn-around-time expectations, increasing call, decreasing reimbursements, etc...
 
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You have the benefit of knowing what life is like outside medicine, having experienced other careers etc. Most medical students don't, so they just plug away at medical school then residency then are like, fine, when they tumble in to a low paying academic job (150-250k/year), or a high paying surgical job, or a medium paying inpatient job. They might make some specific choices along the way that determine their style of practice, general salary level etc, but I would say for the most part those decisions are truly driven by interest and the financials are a side result. Having experience with another career both makes your decision harder and easier- you have more perspective about how much BS you are willing to deal with for a certain salary, maybe already know what you would be interested in in terms of specialty or general practice, what you think your time is worth, but you also probably will feel more insulted and regret over the variety of bad deals that will come your way in medicine- working 60-80 hours a week in residency for anywhere from 45-75k depending on where you do residency, bad hours, total lack of control over your schedule, etc when you could be cruising along with whatever career you had before.

Like everyone has said, I would address your mental health first because it's probably not JUST 1.5 months of medical school making you depressed, but maybe it is who knows.

But then you really need to examine why you did this--was something missing from your previous career path? Meaning? Higher salary? If there was an actual reason and not pressure to do something more "important" with your life, then see if with better managed mental health and after an adjustment period you don't feel better. Find the other old people in classes.

The other things to examine, since you have experience in a career- you need to figure out what specialties have shift work, which specialties can make part time work, private practice, etc. What specialties are you drawn to and talk to some people already in practice about compensation etc. Because this will probably be the biggest burn to you if you go through 4 years of medical school and then 3-4 years of residency to find out what you want to do in medicine comes with like 100k salary part time. Because you could make that as a nurse for sure, much faster.
 
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As a nurse starting his prereqs I'd like to say don't do it! I felt the same way in nursing school because, like you, I had a good job with a retirement. So, the whole time I was in nursing school I was depressed because I went from doing well to being broke. I would finish if I were you. Identify what you like about medicine and go into that. If you still don't like it play your cards right and you can be out in a decade.

Why go from a career path where you're making $250,000, respected by your patients, and some what respected by the administration (they know there is only so much b.s. a physician will take before leaving). As a nurses we get crapped on by the patients (sometimes literally), the administration gives you way too many patients to the point where you either risk your job by refusing or risk your license by accepting.

Also, and this may be a shock to many, but nursing school ain't easy. Yea the content is probably only half as hard as med school but at many schools you are treated as dirt (my theory is to get you ready for life as a dirt). There is no separation didactic training and real life training. You'll have clinicals Monday and Tuesday from 0600 to 1600 for example, and a test Wednesday and sometimes just for fun they'll throw and extra chapter or two on Tuesday that you need to know by Wednesday. If they're gracious they MIGHT push the test back back to Thursday.

Then the bullying is outrageous. It's like the instructors have been crapped on for so many years, they want to crap on everyone they have power over. In medical school they want you to succeed. From what I've read and have been told by family that went to med school, they pull out all the stops to get you to pass because that makes them look good. But in nursing the quality of the school is judged by the NCLEX pass rates. So nursing school are incentivized to get rid of students instead of putting in a little extra work to keep students. Please don't leave medical school to go into nursing. If you won't finish medical school, go do something else besides direct pt. care.
Some excellent points here re nursing and its issues. Certainly right now it seems that nurses are getting shat on more than usual.

I haven’t reviewed nursing theory in awhile but last time I read about it I came away thinking that every different theory basically boiled down to “how do I keep people satisfied doing a job they inevitably end up hating?”

I suppose a lot of the evolving literature around physician burnout is starting to sound very similar! But good food for thought either way as you chart your course.
 
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As a nurse starting his prereqs I'd like to say don't do it! I felt the same way in nursing school because, like you, I had a good job with a retirement. So, the whole time I was in nursing school I was depressed because I went from doing well to being broke. I would finish if I were you. Identify what you like about medicine and go into that. If you still don't like it play your cards right and you can be out in a decade.

Why go from a career path where you're making $250,000, respected by your patients, and some what respected by the administration (they know there is only so much b.s. a physician will take before leaving). As a nurses we get crapped on by the patients (sometimes literally), the administration gives you way too many patients to the point where you either risk your job by refusing or risk your license by accepting.

Also, and this may be a shock to many, but nursing school ain't easy. Yea the content is probably only half as hard as med school but at many schools you are treated as dirt (my theory is to get you ready for life as a dirt). There is no separation didactic training and real life training. You'll have clinicals Monday and Tuesday from 0600 to 1600 for example, and a test Wednesday and sometimes just for fun they'll throw and extra chapter or two on Tuesday that you need to know by Wednesday. If they're gracious they MIGHT push the test back back to Thursday.

Then the bullying is outrageous. It's like the instructors have been crapped on for so many years, they want to crap on everyone they have power over. In medical school they want you to succeed. From what I've read and have been told by family that went to med school, they pull out all the stops to get you to pass because that makes them look good. But in nursing the quality of the school is judged by the NCLEX pass rates. So nursing school are incentivized to get rid of students instead of putting in a little extra work to keep students. Please don't leave medical school to go into nursing. If you won't finish medical school, go do something else besides direct pt. care.
“Nurses eat their young”.
 
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I know exactly what OP is going through. I am a current MS4 in middle 30s, about to apply for residency. I was a non-trad applicant for med school as well. I was an engineering major and worked in a lucrative software consulting company that easily paid 6 figures. I had a house under my name that I was able to pay off (with some parents' help). All my friends who went to same college have been promoted several times and a few of them are making close to 300k with bonuses and stock options. They also bought houses and stocks before or during COVID era and made substantial capital gains.

In the meantime, I sold my house right before the COVID pandemic started because I needed to focus on school. I had to spend all my savings to go to school and did not have a chance to buy any stocks during the initial crash and rebound. Instead, I was spending more money on monthly rent, class materials, board exams, and shelf exams. I missed out on a lot of financial opportunities because I changed my career.

Changing careers is hard, and changing careers to become a physician is probably one of the most time-consuming paths you can take. My first year was tough because it was hard to adjust. While the first year was hard, the subsequent years were not much better. Each year added different challenges and I never felt truly comfortable while I was in medical school (I am a slightly above-average student).

Having said that, you have to have a strong desire and momentum to keep going in medical school. It is certainly harder for older people who had stable income sources in the past, as giving up comfort is just not a part of human nature. And to go from comfort to medical school, where you are dealt with constant uphills is definitely challenging.

I am personally happy that I went back to medical school and that I was able to endure it for the past 3 years. However, as others mentioned, becoming a physician requires a lot of sacrifices. Working 40 hours/week as an attending is feasible, but many physicians work well beyond 40 hours a week. I can only think of a few attendings who worked under 40 hours/week. It is certainly a highly demanding position and you really need to think hard about whether you are willing to take on that much responsibility. When evaluating your circumstance, make sure that you are being brutally honest with your personal/family preference, career goals, and other important factors. Becoming a doctor will only be worth it if you find this career to be that fascinating and worthwhile. I hope that you make a sound decision that would make you and your family happy in the long run. Good luck!
 
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I'm about 1.5 months into medical school now and to be honest I'm not sure what I expected coming here, but I am really not enjoying it (I know this is normal for first year). I've been doing good so far and have honored all of my tests, but I still am not enjoying it. For the first time in my life I find myself suffering from pretty severe depression and anxiety (I'm already getting help) and I just can't imagine continuing to do this for the next 7+ years of my life. Prior to coming to medical school I worked in a different career for 10+ years I was able to buy a home and a rental property and was plugging along pretty happy with life. At some point I decided I wanted to work in the medical field and I chose medicine.... to be honest I think I chose it because of pressure from family to "be in charge" or that they looked down on other careers like nursing or PA school.

So, now I'm at this crossroads. I'm strongly considering of dropping out and pursuing an ABSN degree and working within psych that way. I really don't think I want to continue on in medical school. I have a ton of outside interests to medicine and I do plan on continuing to invest in real estate and do other things outside of my normal job. I feel nursing would allow me to come to work for 36 hours a week clock out and be done with it to pursue other things. What would you do if you were in my shoes?

I appreciate any and all advice greatly.
As someone who once faced this decision, I'm glad I stayed in medical school, but you should make sure your mental health is in check
 
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OP, a lot of people have encouraged you to stick with it for a least a little bit, and I think that it is great- for at least the semester that you have likely already paid for and see if you opinion changes. Some people's opinions change for the positive and some for the negative, and I think being realistic with yourself is important. The thing that concerns me from your story is your reason for getting into medicine isn't one that usually endures and sees the light at the end in my experience. If you realize you are truly unhappy, then cut your losses and move on before you are so far in you don't see a way out. I know people in that mental state and they hate their lives and wish they had never gotten into medicine.
 
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Are you away from your family or your school is close by? If you are away from family that could be the main reason. Maybe call your parents everyday and talk to them or call your siblings if you have any, or your friends. You need encouragement from someone that YOU can DO it. I didn't want to point out what everyone has said above, don't want to repeat the same. I had the same issue because I was away from my family for 5 years and it's tough but then I started exercising and got pet which helped me a lot. Pet is a lot of responsibility like a kid. Pick a hobby to divert your mind. All the best and I hope you stick to it.
 
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As a nurse starting his prereqs I'd like to say don't do it! I felt the same way in nursing school because, like you, I had a good job with a retirement. So, the whole time I was in nursing school I was depressed because I went from doing well to being broke. I would finish if I were you. Identify what you like about medicine and go into that. If you still don't like it play your cards right and you can be out in a decade.

Why go from a career path where you're making $250,000, respected by your patients, and some what respected by the administration (they know there is only so much b.s. a physician will take before leaving). As a nurses we get crapped on by the patients (sometimes literally), the administration gives you way too many patients to the point where you either risk your job by refusing or risk your license by accepting.

Also, and this may be a shock to many, but nursing school ain't easy. Yea the content is probably only half as hard as med school but at many schools you are treated as dirt (my theory is to get you ready for life as a dirt). There is no separation didactic training and real life training. You'll have clinicals Monday and Tuesday from 0600 to 1600 for example, and a test Wednesday and sometimes just for fun they'll throw and extra chapter or two on Tuesday that you need to know by Wednesday. If they're gracious they MIGHT push the test back back to Thursday.

Then the bullying is outrageous. It's like the instructors have been crapped on for so many years, they want to crap on everyone they have power over. In medical school they want you to succeed. From what I've read and have been told by family that went to med school, they pull out all the stops to get you to pass because that makes them look good. But in nursing the quality of the school is judged by the NCLEX pass rates. So nursing school are incentivized to get rid of students instead of putting in a little extra work to keep students. Please don't leave medical school to go into nursing. If you won't finish medical school, go do something else besides direct pt. care.
Yeah, I get what you're saying. I do have to LOL at thinking you'll be respected more as a doctor in today's society though. The fact of the matter no one will really care if you're a physician or not. I know being a doctor is a good job, but to me making 250k isn't everything especially when it's going to cost $400k and take 8 years to get there. I initially chose medicine because I liked learning about it and I liked to talk to people. I truly just want to like what I do. I am not so sure this path is going to lead to happiness for me.

I think I'm one of those people who just will never like my job fully unless I'm working for myself. Which is why I'm leaning towards something with a shorter path and I just tolerate the work to make a living and keep investing until I can sustain myself from other interests. And most importantly having more free time for hobbies. I've thought about other paths like becoming a therapist before, but being an RN just makes more financial sense than that.

I'm sorry you didn't like your career I hope medicine works out for you.
 
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Are you away from your family or your school is close by? If you are away from family that could be the main reason. Maybe call your parents everyday and talk to them or call your siblings if you have any, or your friends. You need encouragement from someone that YOU can DO it. I didn't want to point out what everyone has said above, don't want to repeat the same. I had the same issue because I was away from my family for 5 years and it's tough but then I started exercising and got pet which helped me a lot. Pet is a lot of responsibility like a kid. Pick a hobby to divert your mind. All the best and I hope you stick to it

Yes, I am far away. Definitely a part of it for sure. Don't think it's the full equation though it's been tough being so far away. I do talk with them daily
 
It's unfortunate because there's someone out there that didn't get into medical school that would kill to to have your spot. It's only been a month and a half my friend. Stick with it for a bit before deciding to drop out. I know there are people out there that were genuinely happy they dropped out, but there are also a ton of people that regretted their decision to drop out of medical school as well. If you're a person of faith, rely on your faith to get you through this time. Talk to your family to help get you through it. Spend some time outdoors and just clear your mind. I do Gracie jiu-jitsu and at first I felt like quitting because I was getting beat up all the time. I stuck with it and I'm so glad I didn't quit. I'm a blue belt now and aiming for purple next! You can do family medicine, internal medicine, rheumatology, dermatology, and other specialties that will allow you the flexibility with your time to pursue other passions while practicing medicine.
Your opening line is terribly unfair. This is about the OP, no one else.
 
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Unfair? I completely disagree. It’s 100% true and something to consider, mate.
No need to pile on to the OP and make them feel worse. That’s just mean.
 
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No need to pile on to the OP and make them feel worse. That’s just mean.
OP said he’d appreciate any and all advice. Nothing about what I said was mean. In fact, my response was very supportive and uplifting. I even offered my own personal experience.
 
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