When did you decide you want to be a doctor?

[CluelessAsian]

There's probably been a thread about this but I want to know what 'new pre-meds,' who didn't get to post before, has to say.

What made you decide to become a doctor?
When? How old?
Why?
Where?
Other reasons?


Me.. After high school, I didn't know what to do. I actually took a year off from school. Then I decided I was going to be a nurse. I took all the prerequisite and I volunteered at a hospital. I didn't really want to be a nurse but I thought it was 'safe.' I finished my prereq (took 2.5 years and was 21yrs old) and got my aa in liberal arts and was getting ready to enter the nursing program. Well, when I worked at one of the top children's hospital in US in the summer, the nurses were rude. I was sitting at my desk (I work at medical supplies), the nurses would ask for something they didn't know the name, size, the product, etc. They would ask me what something is used for. I didn't go to nursing school, I just know what the item is... Sometimes, they would ask for a hair brush and would get mad if they didn't get it within 5 minutes... I'm the only one working in my department and when I get a call for a trauma cart, I would take care of that before the hair brush... By then I decided not to become one.

But I know I want a career in health field and thought the medicine is right for me. My uncle's an anesthesiologist and I've always been interested by what he does. I 'think' that the process and everything about medicine is interesting.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[tiedyeddog]

When I delivered myself out of my moms womb. C-Sections are rough but they used to call me "baby boss" back in the day.

I'd saw I knew in 6th grade when a specific teacher asked questions about the human body and I was the only one who knew the answers, thus making me realize I liked learning about the human body.

 

[Craig McDermott]

What made you decide to become a doctor?
Working in a research lab and being a part of research that MDs are doing (I am very interested in research and originally was planning to go PhD)

When? How old?
About a year ago, 22

Why?
I like research, and it took me a while to realize how much research MDs do as well. And I started to like the clinical aspects of research more than the basic.

Where?
My lab - LOL

Other reasons?
To be honest, job security plays a factor... doctors are almost guaranteed a good salary. And the demand is always high. Getting a tenure track as a PhD is extremely hard, and is getting tougher every day. I've also never been exceptional at anything and I think medicine is a good career for a jack-of-all-trades kind of person.

 

[Raryn]

When I delivered myself out of my moms womb. C-Sections are rough but they used to call me "baby boss" back in the day.

I'd saw I knew in 6th grade when a specific teacher asked questions about the human body and I was the only one who knew the answers, thus making me realize I liked learning about the human body.

When I was a blastula.

 

[tiedyeddog]

When I was a blastula.

True one up-manship.

 

[Raryn]

Gotta admit I stole it from the (nigh-on exactly the same) thread from two weeks ago. Of course, someone said "blastula" and I replied "morula" in that one, but still.

 

[phillySASer08]

My sperm and egg compared GPA and MCAT scores. (Sadly, both were somewhat lacking in research/clinical experience)

In all seriousness, probably about junior year of high school.

 

[Artimacia]

What made you decide to become a doctor? When I realized that in my previous major (forensics) I would have to be a police officer for several years. Nothing wrong with police officers, but I'm a tiny 5'2" girl who has no interest in becoming a cop. I was also very interested in science and medical things that I knew it would be the perfect career.
When? Back in december
How old? 18
Why? Same thing as what made me decide.
Where? I realized it while I was at a restaurant
Other reasons? Interesting (but challenging) lifestyle, job security, be able to support my family, seeing and meeting all sorts of people

 

[riceman04]

When Vanessa Williams told me she would marry me!

No really: When? The summer after my freshman year of college
How old? 19
Why? b/c I just do....geeeeee...stop pushing me
Where? While volunteering at Shriners Hospital Los Angeles
Other reasons? Did I mention Vanessa Williams...

 

[RySerr21]

When I was 5 I entered a competition for the game Operation. I won my age group for the State of California and the tropy was a golden scalpel. My mom always told me I should become a surgeon(bc of the game), and here I am applying to med school.

 

[EpiPEN]

When I was 5 I entered a competition for the game Operation. I won my age group for the State of California and the tropy was a golden scalpel. My mom always told me I should become a surgeon(bc of the game), and here I am applying to med school.

No way! you entered that competition too?!!!!

 

[sully677]

I was always good at removing the hearts so I decided that would be a wise career choice.

 

[Struggles]

I declared a Human Bio major last year and was still not sure I wanted to be a doctor until this summer. After volunteering at a certain free clinic, I met some of the most sincere, appreciative people in the world and it made me feel good about myself every time I went.

Oh, and my dad's a neurosurgeon so I guess I was always a bit inclined to enter medicine (after all, we have a picture of me in scrubs when I was 5 with my dad).

 

[UVAbme2009]

A little over a year ago, which was between my sophomore and junior years. I had a basic science research position within the hospital. And I realized that I couldn't see myself just working in a lab with no personal relationships to the people whose lives you are trying to improve.

 

[roseglass6370]

When I was 5 I entered a competition for the game Operation. I won my age group for the State of California and the tropy was a golden scalpel. My mom always told me I should become a surgeon(bc of the game), and here I am applying to med school.

HAHA!!

As for myself:

When: Sometime between the ages of 16 and 17
Where: Pretty sure I was at work (at a hospital working as a PNA bringing food trays to patients)
Why: I basically fell in love with medicine and decided I wanted to do something in the medical field. I always knew that no matter what field I went into I'd want to get the highest degree possible in it...hence, doctor. I want to know as much as I can about whatever I do. It was a beautiful fit. I can't believe I ever told my dad, "Nah...I wouldn't want to be a doctor. That's boring."
Other Reasons: Scrubs are comfy...

 

[nole]

What made you decide to become a doctor?
When? How old?Why?
Where?Other reasons?
They pulled the plug on my grand dad when he was in the ICU for his long standing heart condition and the fact that he was in a coma for 3 weeks. I was 7/8 and couldn't comprehend what happened. I wish I understood but I was too naive. I hated doctors/surgeons/nurses. I blamed them for letting my grand dad die. I never wanted to be one until my grandma had her leg broken and found a new appreciation and admiration for them. I was 13. I knew they were simply doing their job but her surgeon helped her a lot. Very sympathetic too, especially during rehab. Since then, I wanted to be like him. The way he spoke showed that he was full of hope and had no regrets. It happened in MA. I wish i still remembered her surgeon though, he was indeed an inspiration.

 

[Katatonic]

There's probably been a thread about this but I want to know what 'new pre-meds,' who didn't get to post before, has to say.

What made you decide to become a doctor?
When? How old?
Why?
Where?
Other reasons?

When: Freshman or Sophomore year of high school
How Old: I guess 14 or 15
Why: I wanted to be a Forensic Pathologist
Where: A mixture between talks with my dad (police officer) and advanced health class with an amazing teacher (RIP).
Other Reasons: Challenge, job security, good salary.

*Disclaimer! I'm leaning towards a PhD right now, but these were my answers assuming I'm gung-ho medical school.