To Doctor, or not to Doctor

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EmilyJoWVU

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That is the question. I know that this has nothing to do with the MCAT's directly, but I'm really needing some input from other people that are taking the same career path that I am.

I really want to be a doctor, and there is nothing else that I could picture myself doing with the rest of my life..but I am doing terrible in undergrad chemistry right now and it is giving me second thoughts.

I just wonder if anyone can reassure me that it is worth it. I need to hear someone else tell me that I am not wasting my time, energy, blood-sweat-and-tears, for something that I am going to end up failing miserably in. :scared:

Please, someone, tell me that it gets better, or is worth it in the long run. Please.

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Every time I did poorly on a midterm, I always told myself, "well there's always St. George!" haha. It was the least bit of consolation, but notice, I still didn't deviate from my goal of wanting to be a doctor. Doing poorly motivates me to work harder the next time. In fact, the majority of my A's in pre med classes were classes where I had done horribly on the first midterm and later aced the 2nd midterm and final. Go to office hours, tutoring, form study groups, it really helps!
 
That is the question. I know that this has nothing to do with the MCAT's directly, but I'm really needing some input from other people that are taking the same career path that I am.

I really want to be a doctor, and there is nothing else that I could picture myself doing with the rest of my life..but I am doing terrible in undergrad chemistry right now and it is giving me second thoughts.

I just wonder if anyone can reassure me that it is worth it. I need to hear someone else tell me that I am not wasting my time, energy, blood-sweat-and-tears, for something that I am going to end up failing miserably in. :scared:

Please, someone, tell me that it gets better, or is worth it in the long run. Please.

Most college students don't remain premed throughout college. And half of all applicants won't get into med school. So I'm not sure that statistically anyone can tell you it is "worth it" -- you have to decide that for yourself, and then manage to get your grades up to what is required. It is not uncommon for the undergrad sciences to derail the career plans of premeds. That is a big part of the point of the prereqs -- to be a huge hurdle that only a portion of the pack will vault over cleanly.

However, you don't want to evaluate your career based on a college chemistry course. Some people peak in the sciences later than others, so there may be some benefit to delaying the sciences for now and come back to them when you are more prepared, perhaps even in a postbac. In other cases, your study methods simply may be off the mark, and with proper tweaking and effort perhaps you can be a better science student. At any rate, you want to avoid failing and digging yourself a big hole you cannot extricate yourself from.
Not sure why you didn't post in pre-allo or pre-osteo instead of the MCAT board though.
 
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Take several science courses before giving up.

Take an EMT certification and spend a semester working in emergency health before giving up

However be open to the idea that, if you don't like either the medical work or the science courses, that maybe you like what you think medicine is more than what medicine actually is.
 
I hated gen chem, but loved organic and did much better. I agree, don't make decisions based on one class. Part of it might be study habits, etc, so seek out tips from students in your class who are doing well.
 
However be open to the idea that, if you don't like either the medical work or the science courses, that maybe you like what you think medicine is more than what medicine actually is.



Thats what I'm afraid of. :cry:
 
It's not that uncommon to dislike (and not do all that great) in one or more premed requirements. One class will not make or break you, unless we're talking a grade below C, in which case you're gonna have to retake the class. One mediocre grade can be compensated for by several good grades. However, if you proceed to struggle in some other pre-requisites, you might benefit from either considering other career options or from taking a break and coming back to the premed curriculum a few years down the road.
 
Don't give-up. Have you taken any Intro to Chemistry courses before, or is this your first Chemistry course? There's a lot to digest in Gen Chem, especially if you have never taken any Chem courses before. It is possible, and I know that you can do it. I took Chem in HS and got a D. Now, taking Chem in college, I'm at an A. It just takes patience, pratice, and a substantial amount of time and devotion to practicing the material. It will come to you. Some faster than others, but none-the-less, you will grasp it. Just don't give up. I agree with other posters, don't let this one course decide your career in medicine. Rather, get involved with some local volunteer work and/or shadowing physicians. This will give you an "insiders" look at medicine. From there, you can really evaluate yourself and determine what's best for you. Overall, hang in there. Nothing is impossible, just takes a lot of effort. Best of luck to you. :thumbup:
 
The premed prereqs are also known as weed out classes. They offer a basic foundation to what we will cover in med school but this is not what medicine is about! Keep this in mind as you struggle through chemistry, orgo, physics etc. If you truly want to do medicine, then keep your ultimate goal in mind, which is to be a doctor.

However, if it is science that you dislike, then medicine is perhaps not the right choice for you. Do you like any of your other science classes? Do you still want to treat and diagnose patients? If you say yes to either question, then you may still enjoy medicine.

Many premeds suffer during their undergrad years. Learning chemistry and doing well in your classes doesn't come naturally to everyone. It is not unusual to feel frustrated. Heck, you'll be feeling frustrated with classes well into your medical school career. Academic stress is just something you need to get used to. Next time, if you feel stressed. Go out and take some time off to regroup. I find it best to do something nonacademic like hang out with friends, watch TV, cook etc. Then come back feeling refreshed and ready to tacky the next chapter. :D
 
Maybe chicken out if it were a bunch of upper-level bio courses (cell bio, genetics, biochem), but gen chem isn't really that bad. Then again, that makes you a freshman I'm guessing, so for the first time in your life, you'll actually have to work hard to get an A.

No one is forcing you to be pre-med from day one. Just keep your grades up and go from there.
 
Thats what I'm afraid of. :cry:

i think its good to find this stuff out now. Would you really rather go to medschool, and then be stuck in a career that you dont like?

I say...do all the things that will allow you to make an educated decision, and if you still wnat to do it, then do. If you don't, then great, it's a good thing you found out early
 
I can't tell you all how much help this has been--hearing it from my friends and adviser is one thing, but hearing it from people that know and have experienced it is completely different. Thank you so much.
 
"I really want to be a doctor, and there is nothing else that I could picture myself doing with the rest of my life."

I hear this so much and honestly, to me it's a big red flag that the speaker has no real idea what they are getting themselves into. To me it says that the person has not looked into the reality of medicine, not looked into what other careers medicine is competing with, or both.

There are many other careers out there that pay well, do cool stuff, have more free time, etc. To me, taking a look at these other careers and letting them try to tempt you away from medicine is what ultimately makes you realize medicine is what you want to do.

I had about three or four other careers in mind that I would have loved to do (and even more tempting, because their training and education are so much shorter, I could have spent some time in one or two of them before settling on another as a career); but I realized that I still found myself just naturally taking the steps I need to go to med school. It makes it much easier to stay motivated because I know I want it and I don't have the stress of "What will I do if I just can't get in?"

I guess what I'm saying is; don't get stuck in the pre-med trap of "I'm going to be a Doctor, so all I will do in college are things that will help me become a Doctor." Look into other careers, do things completely irrelevant to medicine. Use college as what it's meant to be; a time to find your interests and make your mistakes.

Just my $0.02...
 
That is the question. I know that this has nothing to do with the MCAT's directly, but I'm really needing some input from other people that are taking the same career path that I am.

I really want to be a doctor, and there is nothing else that I could picture myself doing with the rest of my life..but I am doing terrible in undergrad chemistry right now and it is giving me second thoughts.

I just wonder if anyone can reassure me that it is worth it. I need to hear someone else tell me that I am not wasting my time, energy, blood-sweat-and-tears, for something that I am going to end up failing miserably in. :scared:

Please, someone, tell me that it gets better, or is worth it in the long run. Please.

Work your butt off, get a decent grade in the class, or retake if need be, but realize that undergrad chemistry is far more detailed (and far more boring) than what you will really encounter in med school. While you certainly don't want to go into medicine if you don't like science courses, don't let your opinion of chemistry of all things play too much into your career decision. Biochem (with a bit of OChem) is very important in the understanding of many diseases, but I still haven't found a use in life for 95% of what I learned in Gen Chem. Survive the class and see what you think of your other science classes and most importantly, what you think of clinical experiences.
 
Thats what I'm afraid of.

Don't be afraid of learning you hate medicine in your Freshman year of college. Be afraid of learning that you hate medicine after you start your residency.

That being said, bio courses are probably a lot more indicitave of what medical school is like that a gen chem course, and actual medical experience trumps course work all together.
 
Don't let one class discourage you from a career if you really want to do medicine. I said sooo many times in organic chem that I was done w/ premed and anything science related. But that's been the only class...I love gen chem & physiology & histology & anatomy, etc. However, if it's really science that you don't like and aren't enjoying any of your classes, med school probably isn't for you. Only you can decide if it's all "worth it," and it has to be if you're going to get through medical school & residency because you need a motivation.

Maybe take courses in a different subject area & see how it goes. But if medicne's what you really want, then your "time, energy, blood-sweat-and-tears" is worth it.
 
Don't be afraid of learning you hate medicine in your Freshman year of college. Be afraid of learning that you hate medicine after you start your residency.

Or learning that you hate it after working so hard to get into med school. I talked to a med student who is completely miserable b/c medicine isn't what she thought it would be...she hates doing clinical rotations & said she can't believe that all she does is study. Of all the med students I've talked to, she's the only one that said "No, I hate it" when I asked if she's happy she chose medicine as a career. That's why I think physician shadowing is important...& not 3 hrs in an oupatient clinic, but if you can get a few long days of inpatient in, you'll be able to see the reality of their days & if you would really enjoy that.
 
but realize that undergrad chemistry is far more detailed (and far more boring) than what you will really encounter in med school.

true, the OP won't have to learn as much *chemistry* detail as in intro chem, but med school curriculum is basically a giant spew of details to know... and boring is a matter of opinion. i know i will be much more bored by preclinical classes than i was by intro chem, although i've decided to take that hit for the sake of the career I want.
 
true, the OP won't have to learn as much *chemistry* detail as in intro chem, but med school curriculum is basically a giant spew of details to know... and boring is a matter of opinion. i know i will be much more bored by preclinical classes than i was by intro chem, although i've decided to take that hit for the sake of the career I want.

Yeah, some people actually enjoyed gen chem, but that doesn't seem to be the case for the OP. I can agree with one thing you said for sure: med school IS a giant spew of details...but despite my long term dislike of all things related to chemistry, Med school biochem seems VERY different to me than undergrad chem courses. Parts of it are like 4-5 undergrad chem/biochem/ochem classes smashed into one giant class done at 4X the pace of undergrad, but everything is pretty focused on medicine and understanding how the body works at the biochemical level, and for me that has made it much more interesting. Funny, because it was the class in med school that I was least looking forward to. I Will be thrilled to be done with it next week, though, interesting as it may be.
 
"I really want to be a doctor, and there is nothing else that I could picture myself doing with the rest of my life."

I hear this so much and honestly, to me it's a big red flag that the speaker has no real idea what they are getting themselves into. To me it says that the person has not looked into the reality of medicine, not looked into what other careers medicine is competing with, or both.

I don't agree with this. True, if you're not sure, explore other careers & make sure a medical career is what you want. And college is the time to do that..don't get stuck w/ the idea of making sure everything you do is for med school. But some people I think kind of get "called" to medicine & they just know that's what they want to do. Medicine finds them; they don't have to search & try other things before they find medicine. I'm one who says there's nothing else I could picture doing w/ my life but that's b/c I really wouldn't be happy with anything else. And I've definitely experienced enough of the reality of medicine to know that. If you know it's your passion, why waste time with other things you know won't make you happy?
 
Please write in black from now on. That way I can get to your question without having to wipe blood leaking out of my eyes.
 
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