What I've learned so far

[saint1569]

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I'm still new, I'm still young. As of now, I've completed 1.5 years of undergrad. I want to go to medical school. I want to be a doctor.

I come to SDN for two reasons: to look for help and advice through this process, and to receive feedback about the whole process.

I don't want to be a doctor so I can make bank. I don't want to be a doctor so I can look down on other people later in life. Originally, I was interested in philosophy. That led me to psychology which consequentially led me to psychiatry. I realized (and decided) 3 weeks before I started undergrad that I was going to have to go to medical school to do what I wanted to do (psychiatry).

I decided. On my own. No one is forcing me to do one or the other.

It wasn't "I want to go to med school" for the sake of going to med school. It was "I want to go to med school" for the sake of doing what I want.

I know other premeds who want to go to medical school just so they can be a doctor. They don't care what type of physician, they just want the status or the money. I think these are the people who will either fail or be miserable.

I just read this post on another thread:

You must be part of the "I never actually paid attention to what people were telling me medicine was like" club.

I've already come to realize that this 'club' actually exists, and why?

Did some people think all the things they've been told about what medical school and being a physician was like held no merit? That's borderline ridiculous. A doctor/med student is telling you directly what it's like and you're not going to take that information to heart? Seems too backwards for all these science-folk.

I know what to expect. I understand what to expect of my life from the rigors of the application process, studying in med school, rotations, residency, and physician status.

I don't think many people, if anyone, can be justified in saying they didn't know it was going to be like this. The information is everywhere: one of my undergrad professors told me the reason med schools require clinical experience for premeds is because before the fact, too many students didn't realize what they were getting themselves into and did poorly or dropped out. Med schools weren't trying to have that so they want to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. So now, no one has an excuse. No one can say "I didn't know it was going to be like this".

Isn't it backwards that people know what something is going to be like, know about the possibility of them not being able to manage it or hating it, but still opt to do it? Isn't life supposed to work in the OPPOSITE direction? Do what you like, right?

That's what I've learned so far. I've lurked around SDN for about a year and a half now and two things I've learned and have taken to heart are,

1: Do what you LIKE
2: Don't try to be prestigious just to be prestigious

Maybe and most likely, I'll change my mind about everything in a couple years. I know there will be times where I'll hate what I'm doing at the monent 100%. Maybe I'll make it, maybe I won't. I'm still a premed so what do I know about the experience, right?

But I'm hopeful. I'm as 'knowledged' as I can be at this point in my life, and I'm hopeful and willing.

Out of all the advice I've seen around here, the two most important to me were to do what you like in life and don't try for a top-tier school just because it's top-tier. And I'm fully intent on following this advice.

So does anyone have any other piece of good advice that I could carry with me through these years? Anything I should remember that could actually help shape my life, not just "study hard"? Because I'm fully intent on doing what I want to do in life and I want to do everything I can to make it happen.

tl;dr: 2 pieces of advice i've got: do what you like, don't do top tier because it's top tier. anything else?

 

[Chemdude]

Out of all the advice I've seen around here, the two most important to me were to do what you like in life and don't try for a top-tier school just because it's top-tier. And I'm fully intent on following this advice.

As much as we don't like to admit it, prestige does matter. I currently attend a 4th-tier university. I will be transferring to a much more prestigious university next fall.

Last semester my cell biology prof posted a job ad asking for an undergraduate research assistant in aquatic ecology. About 70 people applied for the job, including me. I wasn't expecting to get the job; I'm a chemistry major with very little experience in biology research. I indicated that I will only be able to work for a period of six months because I was transferring to [name of school]. The professor immediately emailed me and told me that I got the job without even interviewing me...

 

[searun]

Here is my advice as a third year med student:


1. Have a really attractive girlfriend while you are in med school. It gives you something to think about besides medicine and creates balance in your life.

2. Get alot of exercise. You will feel better, and look better, and probably can use your med school application suit for residency interviews since you will not get fat in medical school and it will still fit.

So those are the two keys for success: a hot girlfriend and regular workouts.

 

[Blesbok]

Here is my advice as a third year med student:


1. Have a really attractive girlfriend while you are in med school. It gives you something to think about besides medicine and creates balance in your life.

2. Get alot of exercise. You will feel better, and look better, and probably can use your med school application suit for residency interviews since you will not get fat in medical school and it will still fit.

So those are the two keys for success: a hot girlfriend and regular workouts.

Med school is like running a marathon. Pace yourself to win and realize that it is only 3 years of real hard work to spend the rest of your life at the job of your dreams. (of course the rest of your life is going to be hard work too, but if you choose wisely that work will be much more enjoyable.)

 

[Wheee]

It wasn't "I want to go to med school" for the sake of going to med school. It was "I want to go to med school" for the sake of doing what I want.

does anybody actually pick med school just for the sake of going to med school? Nobody in their right mind would do that. Sure, there's people who might pick it to avoid getting a job/reality/etc (the reason my roommate's thinking about grad school, in my opinion), but $200,000 in debt and 4 years of hard work just to say "oh, I went to med school"? No.

They don't care what type of physician, they just want the status or the money.

Or, they may not know what type of physician. Really, I doubt most people can be a hundred percent sure until clerkships. If even then.

I know what to expect. I understand what to expect of my life from the rigors of the application process, studying in med school, rotations, residency, and physician status.

You may think you know, but we as pre-meds can't possibly know. We've heard, we've seen, we've imagined ourselves at point X of our careers, but we don't know. Like I said before, we won't know til we're in it. You may have a good idea, but it could very well turn out to be different.

Isn't it backwards that people know what something is going to be like, know about the possibility of them not being able to manage it or hating it, but still opt to do it? Isn't life supposed to work in the OPPOSITE direction? Do what you like, right?

There's always the possibility I won't be able to handle it. Is it likely? I like to think that I'll be able to handle it. But med school isn't college, and it's not anything I've experienced. There's a small chance I'll fail. But I'm going on faith here and the knowledge that it's what I want to do (and I like it), and if I don't try I'm definitely not going to be a doctor. If you always take the easy road, you'll get nowhere.

Maybe and most likely, I'll change my mind about everything in a couple years. I know there will be times where I'll hate what I'm doing at the monent 100%. Maybe I'll make it, maybe I won't. I'm still a premed so what do I know about the experience, right?

This seems contrary to everything you'd previously said. More realistic, but contrary.

Hopeful is good though. You're still a ways away from applying if you've completed a year and a half. Build up your GPA and ECs (the usual advice) and keep on the path you're on unless you decide it's not for you. Also do something non-med that you like. Find a hobby. It'll make interviews much more interesting so you actually have an answer when they ask you, "so what do you do for fun?"

/my reality spiel

 

[Food]

What I've learned so far:

Your post will be criticized to shreds 🙂

 

[Jolt21]

Here is my advice as a third year med student:


1. Have a really attractive girlfriend while you are in med school. It gives you something to think about besides medicine and creates balance in your life.

2. Get alot of exercise. You will feel better, and look better, and probably can use your med school application suit for residency interviews since you will not get fat in medical school and it will still fit.

So those are the two keys for success: a hot girlfriend and regular workouts.

those actually make a LOT of sense.

i will take your advice 👍

 

[Trexate]

Here is my advice as a third year med student:


1. Have a really attractive girlfriend while you are in med school. It gives you something to think about besides medicine and creates balance in your life.

2. Get alot of exercise. You will feel better, and look better, and probably can use your med school application suit for residency interviews since you will not get fat in medical school and it will still fit.

So those are the two keys for success: a hot girlfriend and regular workouts.

Most intelligent post I have ever read on this forum.

 

[Slowpoke]

getting a really attractive girlfriend and working out to feel and look better go for all professions, not just medicine.

food for thought.

 

[Doodl3s]

ANd i mean... getting a hot girlfriend shouldnt be too hard... when you say... I'm in Med School....

drop pants now or later?

 

[mmmcdowe]

I wonder what the average refractory period is for a male medical student at Harvard after the first year?

I mean, could you ever hope to love another woman after all of that stimulation?

 

[saint1569]

does anybody actually pick med school just for the sake of going to med school? Nobody in their right mind would do that. Sure, there's people who might pick it to avoid getting a job/reality/etc (the reason my roommate's thinking about grad school, in my opinion), but $200,000 in debt and 4 years of hard work just to say "oh, I went to med school"? No.

If you didn't understand what I meant, it was supposed to be people who want to be a doctor just because it's being a doctor; not because they want to help people or like whatever they're going to do. Prestige...

Or, they may not know what type of physician. Really, I doubt most people can be a hundred percent sure until clerkships. If even then.

Again, I was referring to the other people who aren't like this.

You may think you know, but we as pre-meds can't possibly know. We've heard, we've seen, we've imagined ourselves at point X of our careers, but we don't know. Like I said before, we won't know til we're in it. You may have a good idea, but it could very well turn out to be different.

Ahem...

I'm as 'knowledged' as I can be at this point in my life

This seems contrary to everything you'd previously said. More realistic, but contrary.

How? All I've claimed is that I know (as much as I can know at this point) what to expect from med school. I didn't say anything about not hating it. And of course, I'm sure I'll get frustrated enough at some points in my education and career to become very aggravated with the situation. But immediate responses like negative emotions to a situation hardly seems contradicting to my entire statement, even more so because I didn't make any claims about hating it and no one telling me what it was going to be like, which was a large basis of my post.

Find a hobby. It'll make interviews much more interesting so you actually have an answer when they ask you, "so what do you do for fun?"

This is also good advice that I've received from some other people. Thank you.