18 years old. Point me in a direction. Want to be a derm

[NPCout]

Hey,

I came here because i wanted to talk to people who are in med school and pursueing careers or who already started careers in dermatology. I am planning my future here, and i have to take many things into consideration. Currently i am going to school for athletic training at east stroudsburg university in pennsylvania. Very good school for athletic training but all my life i loved dermatology and i think im having a change of heart. Before i do anything, i want to get some honest opinions. (Money means nothing to me, i just want to do what i love)

1. If i want to become a dermatologist, would i drop athletic training and go into pre med, or can i stay in athletic training, get my bachlors and then move onto med school? So i always have something to fall back onto if med school doesnt work out?

2. I am a competitive bodybuilder and i no that might not mean much to you guys, but its part of my life and in no way shape or form would i give up my lifestyle for anything. Im not worried about lifting because i have no problem lifting at 6am if i have to, im very dedicated. Im more curious on the fact of how much time dermatologists have while working. For instance, and athletic trainer can go in the office whenever he wants, eat something quick like a protein bar, etc and be back to work in less then 2 minutes. Do dermatologists have time like that besides there lunch break? (It may seem like nothing, or stupid to you, but be serious. This is a very big part of my life that i take a lot of consideration into)

3. How tough is med school exactly? I think about it, read about it and it seems impossible but i know thats obviously not the case. Everybody in my major now thinks athletic training is immpossible but i find it easy because i bust my ass and like it. My grades 1st semester freshman year i had all A's except 1 B in physcology. I got High A in Anatomy and Physiology one of our hardest classes on campus from what i heard. I am very dedicated and i have no problem studying all day. I dont drink or party. Besides eating, sleeping, classes, and studying i lift for an hour, 4-5 times a day so i dedicate a lot of time to my studies.

Thanks a lot for reading this, i didnt have time to proofread it because im trying to finish thing so i can study, but can anybody offer me advice on what course of action i should take to become a derm? And possibly answer my questions.

Thanks a lot,

Mike

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[TxMed]

Hey,

in no way shape or form would i give up my lifestyle for anything.

Mike

don't go into medicine unless you change ur mind about this. just the facts.


-tm

p.s. you sound like an orthopod anyway

 

[NPCout]

don't go into medicine unless you change ur mind about this. just the facts.


-tm

p.s. you sound like an orthopod anyway

I know why you may say it seems i should be in ortho but i am actually a lot more interested in the skin. That unit in anatomy i just love. Learning about it is a main focus of mine.

You tell me dont go into medicine unless you change your mind but i do not see how that is. Your telling me a doctor cannot go to a gym in the morning or after work at night? Or they cant eat anything during the day? My orthapedic that i go to, (Had many injuries from ice hockey) is a bodybuilder and he seems fine. Hes been doing it since he was 20 so obviously he made it through med school being a bodybuilder. The only way i can see it is if dermatology is completely different in that nature.

Thanks for your help,

Mike

 

[cdql]

1. Belongs in a pre-med forum.

2.

For instance, and athletic trainer can go in the office whenever he wants, eat something quick like a protein bar, etc and be back to work in less then 2 minutes. Do dermatologists have time like that besides there lunch break?

You are asking me if dermatologists have time for a quick snack break in the middle of the day? Seriously?

My answer is this then: you don't want to go to medical school. You want to go to kindergarten. There, they let you have exercise time, study time, snack time, and if you've been a good boy, nap time.

3. Based on the ingenuity of your questions, I would be shellshocked if you got into medical school. Let alone get through it.

Oh and by the by, use of this phrase

(Money means nothing to me, i just want to do what i love)

only highlights the fact that you are interested in derm for the money and the lifestyle.

You're welcome for my help,
IDislikeTrollsAnd/OrDimwittedPeopleWhichOneAreYou?

 

[NPCout]

1. Belongs in a pre-med forum.

2.

You are asking me if dermatologists have time for a quick snack break in the middle of the day? Seriously?

My answer is this then: you don't want to go to medical school. You want to go to kindergarten. There, they let you have exercise time, study time, snack time, and if you've been a good boy, nap time.

3. Based on the ingenuity of your questions, I would be shellshocked if you got into medical school. Let alone get through it.

Oh and by the by, use of this phrase



only highlights the fact that you are interested in derm for the money and the lifestyle.

You're welcome for my help,
IDislikeTrollsAnd/OrDimwittedPeopleWhichOneAreYou?

Actually, i hightlighted that fact because after reading posts by other people, everyones response is about the money, so i just wanted to make that clear. After having acne in high school, stretch marks from weight lifting so being at the derm for those all the time gave me a great appreciation of what they do. I began to grow on it. I also go there to get botox injections in my armpits every 6 months for hyperhisdrosis.

Just because you have nothing going for yourself other than your career doesnt mean you have to bash other people. You obviously have no understanding of the human body because if you did, you would be well aware than you need to be eating a meal every 3 hours to maintain muscle size. So eating is childish to you I soppose. I have many freinds that are fellow bodybuilders from my gym etc. that all have real jobs yet they have no problem finding time to eat throughout the day. Your opinion is your opinion. If you want to be that childish, its really pathedic. I talk to my college advisors on how i want to make sure i can keep up with my bodybuilding and there all understanding about it. They know i have to eat constantly. My dad is a chemical engineer who works with a powerlifter, different them me but does pretty much the same stuff. He tells me hes always eating. Is that a kindergarden profession? A chemical engineer?

Im taking this sersiously because this is my future. I have a side job that i work on breaks and in the summer, obviously it doesnt require a college degree but from day 1 everybody always told me your not going to be able to eat on the job so this job might now be for you, well gues what.. I found a way. I manage to get through it.

My bodybuilding is important to me so when i get a job i want to make sure im going to be able to keep up with it. Let me ask you a quesiton, if you had a son, would you go into a major that is going to keep you so busy you cant take care of him? Absolutely not because you should love your son just like i love my bodybuilding career. Therefore, before i do something, i want to make sure i dont have to give up something i love, like my bodybuilding or your son.

Thank you and i hope you read that so you can understand me a little better. I know im not like you, i am very different and im not asking you to do anything about it, i asked you to just let me no what my future would be like. Thats it.

Thanks a lot and no im not a troll. i dont do that sort of thing, icare to much about my future.

Mike

 

[cdql]

I'm going to break this down paragraph by paragraph.

1) Another common mistake. Q = Why do you like derm? A = Because I had skin problems. Oh okay. I wore glasses as a child and went to an ophthalmologist lots of times. That's the field for me. Yippee.

2) I'm not attacking your love of eating. I'm attacking the stupidity one must possess to ask if there is enough time in the day for eating. It would be akin to me approaching a physician and asking him/her if there is enough time to take a poopy in their specialty. Cuz you know, that's real important to me. And if I can't take a poopy, then maybe I don't want to be in that field.

3) English?

4) You are obviously too young to understand this. But believe it or not, there are doctors who have to make sacrifices in terms of family life. Like a previous poster mentioned, if you are unwilling to make sacrifices for something as insignificant as bodybuilding, this is not the career for you. By the way, I would appreciate it if you left the loving of my son to me.

i want to make sure i dont have to give up something i love, like my bodybuilding or your son.

5) I don't no what your future will be like. I no your attitude and your general naivete will not be helpful in getting to your final destination. I no that my final advice to you would be to continue studying hard, pick a major you like, complete the necessary premed prerequisites, tone down the attitude, and not worry about getting into dermatology before you've even gotten into medical school.

And yes. I no how to spell.

 

[NPCout]

I'm going to break this down paragraph by paragraph.

1) Another common mistake. Q = Why do you like derm? A = Because I had skin problems. Oh okay. I wore glasses as a child and went to an ophthalmologist lots of times. That's the field for me. Yippee.

2) I'm not attacking your love of eating. I'm attacking the stupidity one must possess to ask if there is enough time in the day for eating. It would be akin to me approaching a physician and asking him/her if there is enough time to take a poopy in their specialty. Cuz you know, that's real important to me. And if I can't take a poopy, then maybe I don't want to be in that field.

3) English?

4) You are obviously too young to understand this. But believe it or not, there are doctors who have to make sacrifices in terms of family life. Like a previous poster mentioned, if you are unwilling to make sacrifices for something as insignificant as bodybuilding, this is not the career for you. By the way, I would appreciate it if you left the loving of my son to me.



5) I don't no what your future will be like. I no your attitude and your general naivete will not be helpful in getting to your final destination. I no that my final advice to you would be to continue studying hard, pick a major you like, complete the necessary premed prerequisites, tone down the attitude, and not worry about getting into dermatology before you've even gotten into medical school.

And yes. I no how to spell.

Im going to respond your comments here.

1. I want to be a derm not just because i had skin problems but because i was always very interested in the skin. Its my favorite section in anatomy.

2. I understand your point here now, and i apologize. I just didnt think about it as much as you.

3. English. Its a message forum. Proper grammer is not that important unless you cant understand what im trying to say. I dont proofread like its a paper, i just dont simply have time.

4. Actually, i do no doctors make sacrifices like that but i do no that i will not be one of those guys. Thats why iwanted to find out before i get myself into something i dont belong in. Im sure you cant blame me for doing research first. Thats why i came here. It would be wrong for me to go pre med, ge to med school then drop out. Im doing what im soppose to do, research and learn before i make a decision. Bodybuilding may not be very important to you, but to me it is. To my family it is. You i can tell didnt grow up in a family that had a bodybuilder in it. My family has 3. Its a totally different world. About your son, i wasnt attacking your son in anyway nor did i even no u had a son. I was just simply using it as an example so i apologize.

5. I actually have a very very good possitive attitude. If you new me than youd know that i am one of the most freindlist people youll ever meet. You think i have an attitude yet i never raise my voice nor do i get angry. But you cant tell that online so i dont blame you in any way.

6. Never said you didnt know how to spell. I can to, i just dont put to much effort into a forum post.

Once again, i apolize if i said anything to affend you.. i did not mean it that way. My questions may not have been up to par with you and im sorry, im just doing my research to see what i MAY want to do in the future. I started thinking about this because my advisor suggested going pre med because of my grades and my love for anatomy and chemestry. He said id be better off there.

Thanks again for your input and i appreciate because you made me think a lot harder about the subject.. so i do appreciate that. I was never angry so no cocern for that. Thanks.

Mike

 

[napoleondynamite]

So, why are you smart Derm nerds picking on a poor college kid who's just trying to ask some frickin' questions? Isn't that what this board is for?? Seriously, why don't YOU go back to kindergarten so you can satisfy your desire to PUMMEL people with less knowledge than you? My he11, weren't you 18 once? Didn't you have some naive questions of your own? Can't you offer a couple of words of encouragement to this guy rather than just shooting him down and pouncing to make any accusation you can to sound cool? Seriously, your attitude is totally disgusting and is a festering nevus that should be cut out of these boards.

 

[porokeratosis]

You seem like a troll to me. But I'll answer your questions anyway...mostly for my own amusement.

Personally, I used to workout 1-2 hours everyday in high school and college. But once I reached med school (and ever since), all my workouts went to crap. Today, I'm lucky if I workout 2 times per week...I'm fatter, no longer have six-pack abs (more like a soft belly now), and my metabolism is slower...but you know what...I'm a dermatologist...and I'm happy with that

1. If i want to become a dermatologist, would i drop athletic training and go into pre med, or can i stay in athletic training, get my bachlors and then move onto med school? So i always have something to fall back onto if med school doesnt work out?

Yes, at some point in time, you will have to give up your athletic training and workouts.

Getting into med school, and then into Derm is a difficult road...typically it requires dedication toward the highest academic achievements. Many will fail and only a select few will make it to the Derm "promise land". You have to study your a$$ off to get into med school and study even more to achieve the Derm Dream. Most likely you will have to prioritize and decide what's more important: your workouts or getting into Derm. The competition to achieve the goal of Derm is very stiff and unforgiving. The road is not easy...Only the academic "top dogs" (typically the top 10-15% of the med school class) have a chance to get into Derm...the road is only easy if you're an absolute genius, have a photographic memory, and only have to read textbooks once and can still easily recite every important fact word-for-word. Otherwise, you will have to study like you never studied before and put most of your energy into your academics...likely to the point of having to significantly decrease your workout schedule.

2. I am a competitive bodybuilder and i no that might not mean much to you guys, but its part of my life and in no way shape or form would i give up my lifestyle for anything.

Then do NOT consider medicine. Doctors work in a demanding profession. If you cannot make this physician commitment, then you may want to consider becoming a physician's assistant, nurse, or cosmetologist.

To get into Derm, you still have to go through the academic rigors of med school where everyone is as smart and try to be one of the "top dogs". Most of the academic "top dogs" are absolutely dedicated and disciplined and always study every waking minute. While you are working out in the gym, they will be studying intensely and getting smarter and more knowledgable than you and they will outscore you on exams. The only way you can beat them is to study as hard as them (which means you will likely sacrifice your workouts).

Im more curious on the fact of how much time dermatologists have while working. For instance, and athletic trainer can go in the office whenever he wants, eat something quick like a protein bar, etc and be back to work in less then 2 minutes. Do dermatologists have time like that besides there lunch break? (It may seem like nothing, or stupid to you, but be serious. This is a very big part of my life that i take a lot of consideration into)

As a dermatology resident, I don't have much freetime to eat or drink during clinic hours which run from 8am to 5pm. I'm running around with my head cutoff. During clinic hours, I do not have time to eat, drink, pee, or poop! I see a new patient every 10-20 minutes and I still fall behind. Sometimes I have to skip lunch because I'm busy seeing patients or finishing writing their medical notes. At the end of the work day, I'm usually dehydrated and my blood glucose levels are low.

I know you want to eat your small, healthy 5 or 6 meals a day and drink your 10 glasses of fluids a day. You will be lucky if you can eat 2 or 3 meals a day and drink enough fluids (other than coffee or other caffeinated drinks) during med school (4 years), internship (1 year), and Derm residency (3 years). That's a total of 8 years of decreased muscle mass, increased fat blubber, and a steadily decreasing metabolism as you age and get older.

Also, it's very unprofessional to eat or drink in front or around your patients.

CONCLUSION: In real life, you rarely can "have your cake and eat it too". At some point, you'll have to ask yourself what's more important: your workouts or becoming a dermatologist?

 

[NPCout]

You seem like a troll to me. But I'll answer your questions anyway...mostly for my own amusement.

Personally, I used to workout 1-2 hours everyday in high school and college. But once I reached med school (and ever since), all my workouts went to crap. Today, I'm lucky if I workout 2 times per week...I'm fatter, no longer have six-pack abs (more like a soft belly now), and my metabolism is slower...but you know what...I'm a dermatologist...and I'm happy with that




Yes, at some point in time, you will have to give up your athletic training and workouts.

Getting into med school, and then into Derm is a difficult road...typically it requires dedication toward the highest academic achievements. Many will fail and only a select few will make it to the Derm "promise land". You have to study your a$$ off to get into med school and study even more to achieve the Derm Dream. Most likely you will have to prioritize and decide what's more important: your workouts or getting into Derm. The competition to achieve the goal of Derm is very stiff and unforgiving. The road is not easy...Only the academic "top dogs" (typically the top 10-15% of the med school class) have a chance to get into Derm...the road is only easy if you're an absolute genius, have a photographic memory, and only have to read textbooks once and can still easily recite every important fact word-for-word. Otherwise, you will have to study like you never studied before and put most of your energy into your academics...likely to the point of having to significantly decrease your workout schedule.




Then do NOT consider medicine. Doctors work in a demanding profession. If you cannot make this physician commitment, then you may want to consider becoming a physician's assistant, nurse, or cosmetologist.

To get into Derm, you still have to go through the academic rigors of med school where everyone is as smart and try to be one of the "top dogs". Most of the academic "top dogs" are absolutely dedicated and disciplined and always study every waking minute. While you are working out in the gym, they will be studying intensely and getting smarter and more knowledgable than you and they will outscore you on exams. The only way you can beat them is to study as hard as them (which means you will likely sacrifice your workouts).



As a dermatology resident, I don't have much freetime to eat or drink during clinic hours which run from 8am to 5pm. I'm running around with my head cutoff. During clinic hours, I do not have time to eat, drink, pee, or poop! I see a new patient every 10-20 minutes and I still fall behind. Sometimes I have to skip lunch because I'm busy seeing patients or finishing writing their medical notes. At the end of the work day, I'm usually dehydrated and my blood glucose levels are low.

I know you want to eat your small, healthy 5 or 6 meals a day and drink your 10 glasses of fluids a day. You will be lucky if you can eat 2 or 3 meals a day and drink enough fluids (other than coffee or other caffeinated drinks) during med school (4 years), internship (1 year), and Derm residency (3 years). That's a total of 8 years of decreased muscle mass, increased fat blubber, and a steadily decreasing metabolism as you age and get older.

Also, it's very unprofessional to eat or drink in front or around your patients.

CONCLUSION: In real life, you rarely can "have your cake and eat it too". At some point, you'll have to ask yourself what's more important: your workouts or becoming a dermatologist?

Thank you. I really do appreciate that. Its what i was looking for. No im not a troll rather im 18 years old which obviously is a big enough age difference between us. What you said i really appreciate. You put it into real life terms and explained your reasoning.

Thanks again,

Mike

 

[sophiejane]

So, why are you smart Derm nerds picking on a poor college kid who's just trying to ask some frickin' questions? Isn't that what this board is for?? Seriously, why don't YOU go back to kindergarten so you can satisfy your desire to PUMMEL people with less knowledge than you? My he11, weren't you 18 once? Didn't you have some naive questions of your own? Can't you offer a couple of words of encouragement to this guy rather than just shooting him down and pouncing to make any accusation you can to sound cool? Seriously, your attitude is totally disgusting and is a festering nevus that should be cut out of these boards.

Amen to that.

 

[dynx]

Crap. This kid's interest (while expressed in an idiotic way) sounds pretty genuine to me. Maybe the folks in here with a stick up thier ass are mad that they went into a lifestyle field instead of something that they were really interested in.

 

[cdql]

The stick up my ass may be massive but I still stand by my original assertation: the kid is in it for the lifestyle.

Normal 18 year olds don't point to dermatology and say, "Ahh...this right here is my life's calling"

 

[napoleondynamite]

The stick up my ass may be massive but I still stand by my original assertation: the kid is in it for the lifestyle.

Normal 18 year olds don't point to dermatology and say, "Ahh...this right here is my life's calling"

So what? I would argue that most people who gravitate towards Derm probably made their decision about the importance of lifestyle long before making the decision about which field is their "life's calling." I think this is true, and also completely ok, for any of the "lifestyle specialties." So what if one of the reasons people pick that field is because of the lifestyle. I'll be the first one to call you out as a big friggin' liar if you're trying to say that lifestyle didn't influence you in choosing derm. Why do people like you expect that others must have one and only fit in medicine? The reality is, most of us would be happy in one of many different fields in medicine. If some want to make their decision based completely off of which field interests them - that's their (and obviously, your) prerogative. For the rest of us humans, who may look at other things..like the fact that all this schooling is helping us to attain a JOB someday (not a LIFE..some people already have one of those outside of medicine, believe it or not!), why criticize? Are you the lifestyle police whose job it is to call anyone on the carpet (even 18 year-old students just asking questions on an anonymous forum?!) who doesn't pick derm strictly because they just looooove looking at rashes?! Seriously, give me a break..

 

[cdql]

I'm not even going to read through that jumble.

I do have something that may help you:

 

[deleted109597]

No, our job is to prevent 18 year olds from making their life decisions based on internet forums. That is what mentors and parents are for.

 

[DropkickMurphy]

Hey,

I came here because i wanted to talk to people who are in med school and pursueing careers or who already started careers in dermatology. I am planning my future here, and i have to take many things into consideration. Currently i am going to school for athletic training at east stroudsburg university in pennsylvania. Very good school for athletic training but all my life i loved dermatology and i think im having a change of heart. Before i do anything, i want to get some honest opinions. (Money means nothing to me, i just want to do what i love)

1. If i want to become a dermatologist, would i drop athletic training and go into pre med, or can i stay in athletic training, get my bachlors and then move onto med school? So i always have something to fall back onto if med school doesnt work out?

2. I am a competitive bodybuilder and i no that might not mean much to you guys, but its part of my life and in no way shape or form would i give up my lifestyle for anything. Im not worried about lifting because i have no problem lifting at 6am if i have to, im very dedicated. Im more curious on the fact of how much time dermatologists have while working. For instance, and athletic trainer can go in the office whenever he wants, eat something quick like a protein bar, etc and be back to work in less then 2 minutes. Do dermatologists have time like that besides there lunch break? (It may seem like nothing, or stupid to you, but be serious. This is a very big part of my life that i take a lot of consideration into)

3. How tough is med school exactly? I think about it, read about it and it seems impossible but i know thats obviously not the case. Everybody in my major now thinks athletic training is immpossible but i find it easy because i bust my ass and like it. My grades 1st semester freshman year i had all A's except 1 B in physcology. I got High A in Anatomy and Physiology one of our hardest classes on campus from what i heard. I am very dedicated and i have no problem studying all day. I dont drink or party. Besides eating, sleeping, classes, and studying i lift for an hour, 4-5 times a day so i dedicate a lot of time to my studies.

Thanks a lot for reading this, i didnt have time to proofread it because im trying to finish thing so i can study, but can anybody offer me advice on what course of action i should take to become a derm? And possibly answer my questions.

Thanks a lot,

Mike

Best advice I can give: Forget about SDN until you have a few years of college and life under your belt.

 

[msl2007]

I respect you trying to gather as much information as possible to make your life decisions, and hope that you are using parents, friends and school mentors.

I do need to comment on your "grammar." We are all busy, and yes, this is a forum. It is a professional forum however, and not IM with your friends. It is hard for me to read posts with incorrect words and spellings (no for know, ur for you're) and it slows me down, then annoys me. My weakenss, yes, is a lack of patience. You will note that I failry commonly have typos that I do not catch, but I do not use low level english. In medicine, you must be articulate and will need to write your way into med school and residency, so start now- take yourself and us seriously by taking the time to use correct words, please. It is a matter of respect as well. If you cannot, get some help with your english so that you will be better off in med school. It is A LOT of reading, very quickly.

Also, as stupid as it is, there is a hierarchy in medicine, and many people in this forum are actual doctors, as well as med students, and given that they have more experience and less time, it is a good idea to be gratious, respectful adn do what you can to make their lives easier-after all, you wnat something from them, not vice versa.

I do not think you are looking into this too early, but take the decision slowly.

A major in athletic training is more interesting to you adn to med schools thatn premed. Keep your major, but make sure to take all the courses you need to apply to your chosen med schools, and to take advanced version to impress and to prepare.

You said that you do not want to give up training and will lift at 6am. Two things. One- you won't have to give it up, but might have to compromise and back off during busy times when there just isn't more than an hour extra a day. Second- you state 6am as if that is early. You will need to change that thought, during third year you will often be working by 5 or 6am, even 4am. Then you leave around 6pm. Maybe you could lift in the evenings? During preclinical years, classes are usually 8am-5pm. So with lifitng and shower, it will be earlier.

Even though you love skin, you might love soemthing else once in med school and med school will give you that flexibilty, so that's good. But it is an expensive, and thus no-turning back, type field, so be sure!
You might consider family medicine- you can do a lot of derm, plus you can do an extra fellowship in sports medicine, and combine both! Plus, it is a much less competitive field, so that takes some pressure off. (Derm is HIGHLY competetive, so be prepared to get all As all the time, form better school typically)

I hope that helps answer some questions for you. Fee free to PM me if you want. I am going into GSurg, but have friends going into derm. And I knew I wanted to be a doctor all my life and restated that at your age, so I know that it is possible to decide early.

Good luck!

 

[drvechman]

I respect you trying to gather as much information as possible to make your life decisions, and hope that you are using parents, friends and school mentors.

I do need to comment on your "grammar." We are all busy, and yes, this is a forum. It is a professional forum however, and not IM with your friends. It is hard for me to read posts with incorrect words and spellings (no for know, ur for you're) and it slows me down, then annoys me. My weakenss, yes, is a lack of patience. You will note that I failry commonly have typos that I do not catch, but I do not use low level english. In medicine, you must be articulate and will need to write your way into med school and residency, so start now- take yourself and us seriously by taking the time to use correct words, please. It is a matter of respect as well. If you cannot, get some help with your english so that you will be better off in med school. It is A LOT of reading, very quickly.

Also, as stupid as it is, there is a hierarchy in medicine, and many people in this forum are actual doctors, as well as med students, and given that they have more experience and less time, it is a good idea to be gratious, respectful adn do what you can to make their lives easier-after all, you wnat something from them, not vice versa.

I do not think you are looking into this too early, but take the decision slowly.

A major in athletic training is more interesting to you adn to med schools thatn premed. Keep your major, but make sure to take all the courses you need to apply to your chosen med schools, and to take advanced version to impress and to prepare.

You said that you do not want to give up training and will lift at 6am. Two things. One- you won't have to give it up, but might have to compromise and back off during busy times when there just isn't more than an hour extra a day. Second- you state 6am as if that is early. You will need to change that thought, during third year you will often be working by 5 or 6am, even 4am. Then you leave around 6pm. Maybe you could lift in the evenings? During preclinical years, classes are usually 8am-5pm. So with lifitng and shower, it will be earlier.

Even though you love skin, you might love soemthing else once in med school and med school will give you that flexibilty, so that's good. But it is an expensive, and thus no-turning back, type field, so be sure!
You might consider family medicine- you can do a lot of derm, plus you can do an extra fellowship in sports medicine, and combine both! Plus, it is a much less competitive field, so that takes some pressure off. (Derm is HIGHLY competetive, so be prepared to get all As all the time, form better school typically)

I hope that helps answer some questions for you. Fee free to PM me if you want. I am going into GSurg, but have friends going into derm. And I knew I wanted to be a doctor all my life and restated that at your age, so I know that it is possible to decide early.

Good luck!

That's such a d-bag response. Your diatribe on grammar was only outdone by a$$-kissing of the heirarchy of medicine. It's no surprise that you have been dreaming of being a surgeon for 20 years. Your life lacks grounding in outside interests, which is why you find the idea of a "medical heirarchy" so romantic. It's just a job.

Kid in high school - have fun, be young, enjoy college (and all that entails) and get back to us in about 6 years.

 

[msl2007]

It's fine if you disagree with my repsonse, but you have no basis for personal comments. You don't know me, or anything about me, except that I am going into surgery. Did you get your feelings hurt by a sureon, or are you just a bigot?

I haven't dreamt of being a surgeon for 20 years- I have dreamed of being a doctor, of helping and serving people. I am not "a$$-kicking" the hierarchy of medicine, nor do I find it romantic- I find it unfortunately true, and given the responses to the OP, I gather others find it true as well, even if they don't articulate.

The OP is right to ask about this now- becuase he is wondering about it now. It is disrespectful and discourteous to tell him that you won't answer him until he is done with college. Afterall, how can he enjoy college if he is confused and was refused help when he wanted it?

I have a very rich life outside of medicine, and I make time for medicine because I love it. And I would never say that it is a job. It is a career if anything, and a calling. Perhaps you'll say that I am a romantic about medicine. Perhaps I will say that you are an immature loser only interested in money. I see no other reason why you would go after someone who is trying to help someone else, and not even give a helpful response to the OP.

Let others have their opinions and share them with the posters. If you disagree, voice your dissent, do not personaly insult the responder.

MSL

p.s.- there is a difference between grammar and articulation, phrasing, vocabulary and language as a whole. I don't care how he conjugates; I was merely pounting out that his psots are hard to read and that it is hard to be taken seriously as a professional if you don't speak like one.

 

[triplerox]

im a bodybuilder as well. In fact, its the love of science in bodybuilding that motivated me to learn about human body and slowly brought me closer to my passion in dermatology. Im a freshmen in college like you as well.

Medical school is going to be tough no matter what you think. Sacrifices have to be made and there is no doubt. If you are intelligent and experience enough in bodybuilding, then you will know how to work around it and still get your workout in despite a busy schedule. Same goes for your meals.

My 2 cents.

 

[VALSALVA]

I'm not a usual in the Dermatology forum - EM is my bag. I just wanted to tell the OP that there were guys in my med. school class who lifted almost daily and obsessed over their diets and what not. None of them became dermatologists, but they seem to be happy doing things like family practice and pediatrics.

Like an above poster noted, all that time spent lifting could have been time spent studying. I'm not saying that either choice was wrong. However, you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Dermatology happens to be a field that puts a premium on grades and board scores (mostly because it's competitive). IF you get into medical school, you'll have a choice to make - neither one right or wrong.

 

[grw0o]

After clicking on this thread I just wanted to say I am extremely disappointed in every negative response and attack towards NPCout's love of bodybuilding. I believe that these responses come from stigma that bodybuilding is a "meat-head" unintellectual sport not compatible with medical school. Sorry for those who rebutle to my argue, I will not awknowledge you to respond.

Bodybuilding is an extremely respectable and rare sport to be sucessful in. Look at the number of IFBB pros only 70-150 or so which makes this is among the most select and competitive sports out there. Why is this? Because what a majority of the people lack to understand about bodybuilding is that it is about 5% physical and 95% mental. Why do I say this? Because to do it right you essentially only need on average 1 hour a day working out but the other 23 hours of the day are still committed to precise planning and nutrient timing to maximize your muscle growth and physique. It's a lifestyle change which requires a discipline the vast majority of the population considers eccentric. Then basic human nature to insult is activated because the product of a bodybuider's physique is so intimidating. Of course, bodybuilders are faced with this scutiny daily, so we are used to zoning it out, it's out goal that drive us forward. Bodybuilding have the ability to create an enourmous confidence leve that any average person can obtain.

<B>It is my love and experience in bodybuilding that has allowed me to be so successful in medical school.<B>

So my background. I am just finishing up my second year of bookwork and am preparing for boards. My daily schedule is something like this: M-F I wake up at 7am and goto class from 8-12am; break from 12-1pm; then class from 1pm-2 or 3 depending on the day. I prepare each week on Sundays by cooking 18 chicken breasts, 6 cups of rice, and packaging other sources of protein (tuna/nuts) for each day of the week. Since I weigh roughly 200 lbs I have it calculated out so I get around 300-400 grams of protein a day so I am supplied 1/2 grams/lb of bodyweight . This saves me time and money during the week so I can study instead of driving to food venues.

I also used to drive to school, at which point I decided to live within walking distance to class. This cut down on additional wasted time in the day.

I don't waste time watching my weekly TV shows - sorry Grey's Anatomy or House.

So basically what it comes down to is eliminating unnecessary things in the day so you can work out daily. And with that, I am 100% confident that anyone can bodybuild while in medical school and even out practicing medicine. The only profession I would doubt bodybuilding is compatible with is surgery - unless of course your hospital has a gym. Surgery has a huge time committment, but a lot of the time, it is just that - a time committment in the hospital. So if there is a close gym where you can still be easily accessible to your patients, then I would say you can bodybuild as a surgeon.

Keep your hopes high NPCout, dream big, and you can accomplish anything in life. Think negatively and put down others like some of the responses in this thread, then I would question your compassion for helping other in life and redirect you to a profession other then health care.

Oh yeah and to the response above me that time spent working out could be spent studying - I record all my lectures and upload them to my IPOD, so when I am working out and lifting, I am still studying. And actually - I find some of my best study time is while I am working out.

Like I said - if there's a will there's a way.

-Gregg

 

[madtowngirl]

I second the "if there's a will, there's a way." It does take some planning and some serious motivation to get your workouts in some days though. I'm no bodybuilder but I do love the gym, and I made it to the gym nearly every day of medical school (exception: call days and surgery clerkship days that were 16+hours long). It can be done but you will be giving up something else to do it. In my case it was either sleep or social stuff. I studied quite a lot in med school. But I always looked forward to that stopping point, when I got to go to the gym. That was great motivation to get my work done.

Studying for hours on end is over-rated anyhow. Working out is sometimes more valuable than studying that extra hour or two in a day. It forces you to study more efficiently.

I guess the advice is: understand your priorities, but only prioritize as you need to. For now, if you like medicine, that's enough motivation to go to med school. I'm confident that you can do all the bodybuilding/weight training your heart desires during med school. If later down the line, you find out you want to be a dermatologist, then you may have to readjust priorities to get that job done.

Oh, and there's always time to eat. ALWAYS.