Medical School

[macsrcool]

Okay. I am in college right now and do not really know what I want to do with my life after this. I am a junior and still do not have a major. I am thinking of rhetoric or biology. Neither of these really strikes a chord with me. I have gone through the list of majors offered at my school and have gone to the websites of those that interest me. Still nothing! (Maybe this thread should be about how do you know what major is for you! LOL)

Anyway so I am thinking of going to medical school. Why? Because it is something to do. LOL After I finish it, I will most likely have a job waiting for me somewhere. Is that even true? Also I like the prestige that is attached to being a physician. Helping people would be a "plus," and not the main reason. I know these are the WRONG reasons. Even worse I do not really agree with the whole "treatment" of a disease by covering symptoms over with drugs. I mean obviously you have to get a cancerous mass removed from your body when you let it get out of hand. But I really believe in preventative medicine and eating healthfully to reduce your chance of getting diseases. I guess I could share my philosophy with patients if I practiced general medicine, but people only come to the doctor after the fact.

So what I am asking from all you doctors or medical students out there is:
Why are you a physician?
Why are you in medical school?
Do you enjoy your job?
Was medical school really worth it (the MCAT, the massive expenses to apply and tuition, the work load)?
Did you put your life on hold or did you start your family in school?
What's so great about being a doctor anyway?!

I would really appreciate anyone's opinion on my current undergraduate situation.
Thanks
macsrcool 8)

[Natural2003]

Originally posted by macsrcool@May 9 2004, 02:37 PM
Okay. I am in college right now and do not really know what I want to do with my life after this. I am a junior and still do not have a major. I am thinking of rhetoric or biology. Neither of these really strikes a chord with me. I have gone through the list of majors offered at my school and have gone to the websites of those that interest me. Still nothing! (Maybe this thread should be about how do you know what major is for you! LOL)

Anyway so I am thinking of going to medical school. Why? Because it is something to do. LOL After I finish it, I will most likely have a job waiting for me somewhere. Is that even true? Also I like the prestige that is attached to being a physician. Helping people would be a "plus," and not the main reason. I know these are the WRONG reasons. Even worse I do not really agree with the whole "treatment" of a disease by covering symptoms over with drugs. I mean obviously you have to get a cancerous mass removed from your body when you let it get out of hand. But I really believe in preventative medicine and eating healthfully to reduce your chance of getting diseases. I guess I could share my philosophy with patients if I practiced general medicine, but people only come to the doctor after the fact.

So what I am asking from all you doctors or medical students out there is:
Why are you a physician?
Why are you in medical school?
Do you enjoy your job?
Was medical school really worth it (the MCAT, the massive expenses to apply and tuition, the work load)?
Did you put your life on hold or did you start your family in school?
What's so great about being a doctor anyway?!

I would really appreciate anyone's opinion on my current undergraduate situation.
Thanks
macsrcool 8)
You don't sound to sure about going to medical school and being a junior you should be preparing or have already taken the MCAT in April.

I plan on going to medical school and I am in a GREAT graduate program now that has prepared me for the MCAT as well as 1st year medical school courses. I think the MCAT, studying late, interviewing, applying for medical school are all worth being a physician. I think so b/c a physician is truly what I want to do and I will do whatever to get in medical school. However, all of those things are not as easy as they seem. Just studying for the MCAT alone has been rough for me.

It is true you will have a job when you graduate from medical school, however,you have to get in first. There are many mountains you have to get over before you get in and the first is the MCAT. That test has no real purpose other than to be a barrier. You can know all of the science in the world and still not do well on the MCAT and that really makes be mad b/c your test results are no indication of how well you will do in medical school.

In my opinion I think medical school is an ultimate sacrifice, especially for women. B/c I have always had the vision of being married by my late 20s and having some kids. That is still possible but I realize that by the time I am finished w/ medical school and residency I will be about 34 and may or may not be married. I am not saying that it is impossible b/c I know others that have been married and had children while in medical school but I see it as another challege for me. I am okay with that b/c I am willing to sacrifice all of that to become a physician b/c that is my dream.

Your reasons are ok, their honest, but if the dean of my program interviewed you that would not fly over.

In a nut shell, YES it's worth it if that is what you really want to do and it is a sacrifice.
These are just my opinions based on my experiences.



ALSO, you sound like you would probably like to practice osteopathic medicine.

[macsrcool]

Originally posted by Natural2003@May 9 2004, 05:11 PM
ALSO, you sound like you would probably like to practice osteopathic medicine.
So what exactly is osteopathic medicine? I will look it up on the internet, but I would appreciate your definition. :D

Wow! You sound really passionate! You'll surely get in!

Yeah I have no great desire to become a physician. I guess I am just trying to figure my future out. Thank you so much for your post. As silly as it sounds, it has given me insight into the kind of will that one needs to make it.

Technically, I am a sophomore right now. I will be a junior next year. I was planning on taking the MCAT my senior year and having a year off from school.

Just curious, what was your major in undergrad?

Thanks again,
macsrcool

[Natural2003]

A osteopathic physician does the same thing as a medical doctor and have the same privileges, however, they treat the ailments as a whole and as they relate to the muscular and skeletal system. And they have different techniques of treating ailments w/o medication being the first option.

I was a biology major in undergrad. I took a year off also but it turned into 2 years, so that's ok if that is what you really want to do.

[Ameka]

I think you first need to find out where your passion lies. What do you like?

[macsrcool]

Originally posted by Ameka@May 10 2004, 07:46 AM
I think you first need to find out where your passion lies. What do you like?
LOL Good question!

Honestly, I like rhetoric. The four classes that I have taken have been great, now that I think back on them. They are really hellish when you are taking them. I can declare it if I wanted too, but I am not sure of it yet. But I do not really like the emphasis (history of rhetoric, public discourse, narrative and image). I think it might be interesting to do advertising after I grauduate, but I heard it is really cut throat and competitive. That does not fit with my personality. Maybe I could do marketing or become a consultant. But I also like biology too. It was my fav science in high school. I really liked learing about plant biology this semester. I am kind of interested in ethnobotany. But I do not want to do research. To tell you the truth I have never done research and it might be fun. My school is really big it is hard to get to be a research assistant. I also like astronomy, but the closests thing here is astrophysics and there is way too much physics and math envolved with that.

My school is known mostly for science, and I think I would be really disapointed with myself if I walked out of here with "just" a rheotoric major. (The science classes are extremely hard here. I have a lot of freinds who are science majors. And it is like they are doing it, so can I. But you kind of get dsicouraged when the mean is a 30%. LOL) I want to do something science and maybe minor in rhetoric.

macsrcool 8)

Thanks for your input ladies!

[macsrcool]

Originally posted by Ameka@May 10 2004, 07:46 AM
I think you first need to find out where your passion lies. What do you like?
LOL Good question!

Honestly, I like rhetoric. The four classes that I have taken have been great, now that I think back on them. They are really hellish when you are taking them. I can declare it if I wanted too, but I am not sure of it yet. But I do not really like the emphasis (history of rhetoric, public discourse, narrative and image). I think it might be interesting to do advertising after I grauduate, but I heard it is really cut throat and competitive. That does not fit with my personality. Maybe I could do marketing or become a consultant. But I also like biology too. It was my fav science in high school. I really liked learing about plant biology this semester. I am kind of interested in ethnobotany. But I do not want to do research. To tell you the truth I have never done research and it might be fun. My school is really big it is hard to get to be a research assistant. I also like astronomy, but the closests thing here is astrophysics and there is way too much physics and math envolved with that.

My school is known mostly for science, and I think I would be really disapointed with myself if I walked out of here with "just" a rheotoric major. (The science classes are extremely hard here. I have a lot of freinds who are science majors. And it is like they are doing it, so can I. But you kind of get dsicouraged when the mean is a 30%. LOL) I want to do something science and maybe minor in rhetoric.

macsrcool 8)

Thanks for your input ladies!

[spacetygrss]

I'm almost done with my third year of medical school. Her's my advice from that standpoint. Medical school is an extremely challenging (and rewarding experiencing). There are long nights spent studying, nights on call at the hospital where you (1) hopefully learn something, (2) do scut for residents (3) are separated from your family and friends (4) get yelled at by patients, residents, nurses, and whoever else feels like it because [as a med student] you are at the bottom of the ladder. There will be times when you are frustrated/scared/angry/sad for a myriad of reasons (like when you get results back from a test showing that a young woman has metastatic cancer with 30 days to live). You may go through a crisis towards the end of your rd year when you realize that you REALLY have to figure out what you want to be when you grow up (i.e what KIND of physician). It is emotionally and physically draining.

Make SURE that it is what you want to do before starting. Each year a couple of people drop out of med school b/c beforehand they had some kind of idealized image in their heads. It is hardwork and if one is not passionate about it, then he/she should consider another career.

AS far as Osteopathic physicians, DO's are liscenced in the same manner as MDs. There is alot of hoopla about them paying more attention to the ms system, but, reality, most of them don't actually do anything different once they get out into practice on their own (of course, some do). Also, MD students can take electives in osteopathic techniques during fourth year and many residency programs (especially Family Medicine, Internal Medicine) have programs set up for their residents to learn techniques. As far as treating the whole person goes, ALL physicians, MD or DO, are supposed to do that. If someone comes in with something that can be treated by a change in lifestyle, then that is what should be tried first. Of course, many people refuse to comply with losing weight, eating healthy, etc so you end up prescribing meds. That's the rub.

Anyhow, good luck on making your decision. Try shadowing a few different doctors. Spend some time in the hospital. Most of all, explore EVERY option.

[shay]

Originally posted by spacetygrss@May 13 2004, 11:38 AM
AS far as Osteopathic physicians, DO's are liscenced in the same manner as MDs. There is alot of hoopla about them paying more attention to the ms system, but, reality, most of them don't actually do anything different once they get out into practice on their own (of course, some do). Also, MD students can take electives in osteopathic techniques during fourth year and many residency programs (especially Family Medicine, Internal Medicine) have programs set up for their residents to learn techniques. As far as treating the whole person goes, ALL physicians, MD or DO, are supposed to do that. If someone comes in with something that can be treated by a change in lifestyle, then that is what should be tried first. Of course, many people refuse to comply with losing weight, eating healthy, etc so you end up prescribing meds. That's the rub.


Great points about DO's. My dh is a medical writer/editor who was the editor of The DO (journal put out by AOA for DO's) anyway I learned a lot of folks think DO's are more holistic than MD's but these days most DO's don't practice manipulation. Back in Chicago my primary care doc was a DO and while she was a good doc, she was no different than when I saw a MD.

Not to say that DO's never practice manipulation but overall I agree most are very similiar to MD's and that all docs should be looking at the whole person.

[niki000]

the average med student comes out (into residency) with $150,000 in debt. The second average after that is $200,000. I work at a medical school... it is no joke, you finish in debt and then you make just enough to live (and not pay off the debt). Some fields of nursing pay just aas much as doctors, are more rewrding and have many more sources of funding and take less time to complete.

[macsrcool]

Thank you all so much for all of this input. From what I am gleaning, medical school is really tough and demanding. I am in undergrad and I feel like it is really challenging. I do not know that I would want to do that for another 7 years or so. I really need to get my bearings straight and decide on what I want to do with my life. Well for now, what I want to major in. I went to talk to the Plant and Genetics Biology major advisor and came back feeling good about the major. First I need to get a decent grade in O-chem and in Biology. =)

Thanks again,
macsrcool 8)

[nappquester]

if you are not sure dont do it. medicine is not one of those majors you do if you are not sure about it.

[nastarual]

i do believe that even if you think you might want to consider being a physican that you need to do some serious re-evaluating!!! i'm a master's biology student and i've always wanted to be a doctor. not because i wanted the title, the money, or the job guarentee. when people told me that it was going to be hard, i said okay. when i didn't get in the 1st time, i said okay. i'll keep trying.

what you said about helping people being a plus, but not the main reason-that's the main reason why i say no you should absolutely not be a physician. patient care is the first and most important thing about being a doctor. the doctor patient relationship of today is one that is lacking in so many ways already. if you don't already have that passion about really caring to help someone, i don't know if this is the best field for you.

money and practically guarenteed work should be a plus of your career. your career should be something that you love and that you'd make happen anyway that you had to. it should be something that you would do for no pay at all!!

[coffyncream]

Is anyone here at an HBCU for med school? Or is is anyone currently applying to start Fall 2004??

[macsrcool]

Thanks again for all of the replies. I have pretty much decided against medical school, not that I had ever really decided for it. I am seriously not motivated to go through all that trouble. Right now I am just trying to figure out what I am going to major in for undergrad. I am striving for a major in Plant and Genetics Biology at the moment.

@ Those who majored in biology in undergrad: what was your emphasis and what school did you attend?

Thanks
macsrcool 8)