Wishing Away Life????????

[Hallm_7]

I was just thinking about how easy it is for pre-med students to wish away their lives.

It seems that I'm always thinking, "Just three more years and I'll be in medical school," and then when I get to medical school I'll probably be thinking, "Just four more years and I'll be an MD in residency," and then when I'm in residency I'll be thinking, "just 4 (or 5, 6, 7) more years of residency training and then I'll be on my own." By the time I get out on my own I'll be in my early 30s, having wished away my 20s. I want to enjoy my 20s, not wish them away.

I assume that most any career choice could be like this, but it seems that it would be a little more prominent in the medical education community. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to avoid always longing to be at the next stage in life?

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[Mr. H]

yeah manm, just think about the present and ****, listen life is to improtant to always be ghitnkgh abou thw as going to bhappen you knwo? so jus try y0our best to see wht can happen and ecerything will be so smuch better

 

[Mr. H]

yeah manm, just think about the present and ****, listen life is to improtant to always be ghitnkgh abou thw as going to bhappen you knwo? so jus try y0our best to see wht can happen and ecerything will be so smuch better

 

[A. Caveman]

Ok, somebody's WASTED!

i like people that get all sympathetic when they drink. start being very sweet and stuff, as opposed to those people that are angry drunks. But then there's the ones that start letting everything out..all their self-pity and everything else, and cry on your shoulders or talk to you like they're pleading for someone to help them or understand them or something. those people are the Biggest bummer at a party. mhrdream seems like the sentimental, compassionate type. yu konw man, jsut live your lief "in th noW".

 

[Assassin]

being a doc is not a job, it's a way of life; if that's not the kind of life you want, why don't you quit whining and head to business school instead, where you can enjoy your 20s <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> no one is forcing you into med school

 

[irafleur]

very well said player, finally, a real man at SDN, seem pist off though, carefull heartburn is a bitch successful (in the USA sense) or not,

I say, what ever... just enjoy, people who worry are irritating, ineffective, and really not sexy!

 

[NubianPrincess]

I wish I had something more intelligent to say, but I personally know that its hard when someone asks you "where will you be in 10 years,"
and I say, "residency."
I don't look at is as wishing my life away, because I don't see it as a wish. Im workin towards a goal, and anything worth alot is worth working hard for...enough of my philosohpy, peace

 

[Spiderman [RNA Ladder 2003]]

Or other way, you go and party in your 20-s and then when you are 30, you will tell yourself that you should've done something different back then. So it works in either ways.

 

[Hero]

it's not like yer gonna be locked in a room for 8 years reading books and taking test. med school and on is part of the experience. You go into this b/c it's something you'll enjoy doing. Some people love med school and it is the best times of their lives. Others hate it and come out as bitter doctors. It's yer (your) choice

 

[esoteric]

It's better to say you'll be in residency in 10 years than in a cubicle. But I'm obviously biased. Oh well, to each his own.

To the Original Poster:
Consider the time you spend in you 20's an investment into your future. The more you put in the more you get in return. This is why we all bust our asses in class. (except Doctora Foxy who recieved an E once. haha)

 

[vyc]

i agree with Hero.

there's no reason why we can't enjoy the process.
okay so it's not 100% fun all the time but we'll make friends and we'll interact with patients, the whole way. so if this is what you want, life will be good.

 

[EMTgirl]

i agree...it's not like you will be wasting away during your time in med school. although there is a need to study a majority of the time, there is also a need to party and relax. there ARE fun people in med school (like us!), so just roll with it.

 

[edmadison]

Let me give you some advice from someone who spent 10 years travelling down the wrong path. Satisfaction in life is in the journey as much as the the destination. Don't become so fixated on your goals that you don't find happiness before you get there. You will never have another time like you have in college -- relish it. I wish I had "lived" a little more myself.

Good Luck

Ed

 

[Whisker Barrel Cortex]

As a senior in med school about a week and a half from graduating, I agree with those who point out that med school is not all studying and work. I have had just as much fun in med school as in undergrad, met some awesome people whom I will keep in touch with for a lifetime, and learned a whole lot. Although I'm happy I'll be making some money, I'm actually somewhat sorry to end my med school career and move far from friends.

I agree that it seems like I am always moving on to the next step. My perspective on this is that this is what makes life exciting. Even once I am out of residency, I always plan on striving for somthing, be it research in an academic setting or new endeavors in the private setting. As any good nursing home doctor or nurse can tell you, sitting or lying in one position for too long can lead to terrible bed sores.

 

[Dark Sandbars]

The one thing I would contribute to this discussion is that every other career has a period of "apprenticeship". Further, remember, you're a PHYSICIAN, with human lives in your hands. It's an awesome responsibility and I consider that alone to be a great privilege. Last, your *professional mission* is to heal; there is none other like it.

But, if you're still feeling like you're "behind the curve", a few examples of what your life could be:

In Investment Banking, you spend 8+ YEARS of your life as an Associate after business school (takes 4 years alone to get there, plus 2 years in school) twiddling your thumbs and staying up into the wee hours of the morning before some big deal comes down, and then you're working even later to create some pitch pack. Then, you may never make it to Managing Director ($1M+/year) because the economy takes a turn for the worse and your entire class is whacked. Meanwhile, your work involves buying and selling companies and thousands of people end up losing their jobs as a matter of course.

In law, you spend 8+ YEARS of your life as an Associate (after 3 years of law school) twiddling your thumbs and staying up into the wee hours of the morning before some big deal comes down, and then you're working even later to draft some horrendously boring contract language. Then, you may never make it to Partner ($1M+/year) because the economy takes a turn for the worse and your entire class is whacked or you just don't make the right friends and you find yourself booted out and eventually at some two-bit firm. Meanwhile, your work involves such socially redeeming things as bankruptcies or contract law.

In a company, you spend 20+ YEARS of your life playing the management ladder game, living Dilbert in real life. Then, you may never make it to CEO, COO, or CFO because the right opportunities just never arise. Also, don't be fooled; many CEOs aren't fantastically richer than physicians. Remember, there are only 500 Fortune 500 companies, and everyone's compensation is tied up in the vagaries of the market; beyond that, they've got painfully little job security. Most CEOs don't make it longer than a few years.

Believe me, despite all that physicians grouse about, becoming a doctor is still a wonderful way to spend your life.

 

[Diogenes]

I don't think that pre-med people are any more or less likely to fall into the trap than people in any other profession that requires a great deal of training. I think that there are short-sighted people in all walks of life.