How do you guys know this is what you want to do?

[sonofva]

as a general question, how do you guys know that you want to go into "x" health profession while you're still in high school? ...this is not meaning to sound demeaning. i certainly didn't know anything about anything. i may have been still holding onto some childhood dream of becoming an astronaut. so what got you all on this track?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Hillo]

I think everyone's current "mental" personal statement can be pretty difficult to organize and describe without specific questions (yes, I think "what got you all on this track?" is too vague).

Most likely it comes from reading, TV, movies, personal experiences, interviewing people, ect.

I also would like to admit that I did google "best jobs" or something similar to that many years ago.

For an INTP like me, I envision myself doing whatever and utilize the internet to make sure I'm not kidding myself.

I think I could understand you coming from a high school full of medical-doctor wannabes (which is why I never considered medicine).
But I believe there exist medical students who are just like them too.

 

[SteinmetzMD]

Well the fact that we're in high school doesn't mean anything. If you're a senior in HS you better have a rough idea of what you want to do with your life, or you're going to be wasting a lot of years of college.

Most of us have the rough idea that we want to go into health care. I'm not absolutely married to it, but some on here couldn't see themselves doing anything else. I think if you want any shot at being top notch, you have to plan ahead a little.

 

[Dwindlin]

Ha, medicine? I was going to be a Broadway percussionist.

 

[PapaGuava]

Anyone here generally had a medical interest, whether that follows thtough for everyone including myself, we ll see. But ive been on the path for a while now and most people will make final decisions as they explore in college.

What got me on the track?
Meeting a family friend who was a Radiologist. I was about 10 when i saw some of his work and it made an early impact on me through middle school. Then i chose to attend the medical magnet program at PHUHS. From there i explored many fields and earned a CET certification today(good college job). Radiology is still my point of interest, volunteering in MRI rooms etc. Now im off to pre medical in the fall! I still keep in touch with that Radiologist, he has been an inspiration and my medical program was awesome experience.

 

[californicati0n]

I definitely don't know that this is 100% what I want to do. Anybody who thinks that the job they want in high school will absolutely be the same as the job they get is wrong. After all, we're young and don't have very much exposure to the work force. However, I think everyone will agree that this site is a great way to gain exposure by looking at posts from pre-meds, pre-pharms, med students, residents, etc.

 

[nysegop]

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FiHVKEElU4w[/YOUTUBE]


But Honestly:
After spending time in the hospital shadowing doctors and other health care professionals I just decided that I would love to do that forever. I also volunteered at the hospital. At the end of the day I could just feel like "Holy crap. I did something awesome". The science is also really great. I love studying anatomy and disease. It's my favorite part of biology.

 

[Tolbert]

I personally got interested in it from getting placed in a medical class (it was basically anatomy class with disorders and med terminology too) where I got really interested with the body. Already interested in science, so that wasn't a biggie for me.. From there I basically have volunteered and just think this is "my calling," if you want a cliche lol. I'm still keeping an open mind, but as of right now, I am pretty sure I want to be a doctor.



ngl I was already interested in surgery but Greys Anatomy made it seem even more awesome and made me really think I would want to be one, but hey idrc
NO SHAME

 

[FantasyVesperia]

I started thinking about becoming veterinarian when I was freshman. I had my mind set on becoming a botanist for awhile. I'm still having doubts about becoming a veterinarian, but it's my goal for right now.

 

[SteinmetzMD]

I started thinking about becoming veterinarian when I was freshman. I had my mind set on becoming a botanist for awhile. I'm still having doubts about becoming a veterinarian, but it's my goal for right now.

Why do you want to be a vet instead of a human doctor?

 

[FantasyVesperia]

Why do you want to be a vet instead of a human doctor?

Animals are more fun!~ You get to work with cuties all day. Of course you will have those bad days where you don't always see little dogs, cats, horses etc, looking their best, but what's interesting about it is that animals can't talk and the fact veterinarians can help animals get better just goes beyond me. I wasn't exposed to animals when I was younger and was terribly afraid of them lol. But I had a really good agricultural teacher that made veterinary science and medicine so cool. A lot of people don't want to become vets because they might think it's gross or can't stand the fact cutting them open, inserting a catheter, etc. What makes a veterinarian is the love for animals and medicine. I definitely thought about human medicine, but personally dealing with humans ALL day will get very boring. I understand that veterinarians have frequent contact with people, but if I were to pursue human medicine, I just can't promise a human that he/she will get better, the fact that I'm holding a human's life in my hands will always scare me Only special people can become human doctors, I'm just not one of them. Humans are valued more, the pressure will kill me. I'm not saying an animal's life is not as important, but all that responsibility is just really nerve racking. I just feel really comfortable with animals. This is really hard explain, but this is what I got lol. You should try volunteering at an animal shelter or intern at a vet hospital and see it for yourself lol.

 

[Anon212]

This is the TV medicine generation. Pretty sure everyone on this website inexplicably wants to be a surgeon because that's what's glamorous on tv, and if you don't have the medical background it's sort of something you can wrap your mind around- there's a problem in the body, you go in there and you fix it- unlike fields of internal medicine that are more "in your head".
Anyways, I personally wanted to be a doctor since I was little- mostly because of medical stuff in the family, plus an obsession with ER as a kid. I just kinda stuck with it cause it seemed to be something I could be good at.

 

[nysegop]

Animals are more fun!~ You get to work with cuties all day. Of course you will have those bad days where you don't always see little dogs, cats, horses etc, looking their best, but what's interesting about it is that animals can't talk and the fact veterinarians can help animals get better just goes beyond me. I wasn't exposed to animals when I was younger and was terribly afraid of them lol. But I had a really good agricultural teacher that made veterinary science and medicine so cool. A lot of people don't want to become vets because they might think it's gross or can't stand the fact cutting them open, inserting a catheter, etc. What makes a veterinarian is the love for animals and medicine. I definitely thought about human medicine, but personally dealing with humans ALL day will get very boring. I understand that veterinarians have frequent contact with people, but if I were to pursue human medicine, I just can't promise a human that he/she will get better, the fact that I'm holding a human's life in my hands will always scare me Only special people can become human doctors, I'm just not one of them. Humans are valued more, the pressure will kill me. I'm not saying an animal's life is not as important, but all that responsibility is just really nerve racking. I just feel really comfortable with animals. This is really hard explain, but this is what I got lol. You should try volunteering at an animal shelter or intern at a vet hospital and see it for yourself lol.

I like cats and dogs.

 

[SteinmetzMD]

I've personally always hated TV Doctor shows, and I only started watching Scrubs since I became interested in healthcare. I have absolutely no desire to go into surgery!

 

[Quaxton]

Animals are more fun!~ You get to work with cuties all day. Of course you will have those bad days where you don't always see little dogs, cats, horses etc, looking their best, but what's interesting about it is that animals can't talk and the fact veterinarians can help animals get better just goes beyond me. I wasn't exposed to animals when I was younger and was terribly afraid of them lol. But I had a really good agricultural teacher that made veterinary science and medicine so cool. A lot of people don't want to become vets because they might think it's gross or can't stand the fact cutting them open, inserting a catheter, etc. What makes a veterinarian is the love for animals and medicine. I definitely thought about human medicine, but personally dealing with humans ALL day will get very boring. I understand that veterinarians have frequent contact with people, but if I were to pursue human medicine, I just can't promise a human that he/she will get better, the fact that I'm holding a human's life in my hands will always scare me Only special people can become human doctors, I'm just not one of them. Humans are valued more, the pressure will kill me. I'm not saying an animal's life is not as important, but all that responsibility is just really nerve racking. I just feel really comfortable with animals. This is really hard explain, but this is what I got lol. You should try volunteering at an animal shelter or intern at a vet hospital and see it for yourself lol.

I have always wondered what I need to do to work with penguins in the wild.

 

[futuredoc44]

I think a lot of the want may come from personal experiences too. The want is only half of it though. The drive to achieve it has to come from liking what you'd be working around. I love science. So between my personal experiences that made me want to make a difference, and enjoying science, I figured it was worth a shot to shadow in the hospital where I live, and it was perfect. I don't know what else I'd rather do. I think deciding that comes from a lot of different factors.

 

[nysegop]

I think a lot of the want may come from personal experiences too. The want is only half of it though. The drive to achieve it has to come from liking what you'd be working around. I love science. So between my personal experiences that made me want to make a difference, and enjoying science, I figured it was worth a shot to shadow in the hospital where I live, and it was perfect. I don't know what else I'd rather do. I think deciding that comes from a lot of different factors.

It's good to have a backup plan though, there is never a guarantee we will make it in medicine.

 

[sonofva]

Animals are more fun!~ You get to work with cuties all day. Of course you will have those bad days where you don't always see little dogs, cats, horses etc, looking their best, but what's interesting about it is that animals can't talk and the fact veterinarians can help animals get better just goes beyond me. I wasn't exposed to animals when I was younger and was terribly afraid of them lol. But I had a really good agricultural teacher that made veterinary science and medicine so cool. A lot of people don't want to become vets because they might think it's gross or can't stand the fact cutting them open, inserting a catheter, etc. What makes a veterinarian is the love for animals and medicine. I definitely thought about human medicine, but personally dealing with humans ALL day will get very boring. I understand that veterinarians have frequent contact with people, but if I were to pursue human medicine, I just can't promise a human that he/she will get better, the fact that I'm holding a human's life in my hands will always scare me Only special people can become human doctors, I'm just not one of them. Humans are valued more, the pressure will kill me. I'm not saying an animal's life is not as important, but all that responsibility is just really nerve racking. I just feel really comfortable with animals. This is really hard explain, but this is what I got lol. You should try volunteering at an animal shelter or intern at a vet hospital and see it for yourself lol.

You know I lived with two vets for a while and they said the same thing
About the responsibility...makes sense. One time they took me to see a horse surgery. Maye the wildest thin I've ever seen.

 

[Arijos0222]

I read some of the responses and I found that my interest for going into medicine is a bit more personal.

My grandmother was diagnosed with ALS last year and she passed away because of it. It was a pretty depressing time in my life, and I found that when I was around that doctors, they really tried their best to take care of someone who was terminally ill. I found that I would like to be in the same position in the sense that I want to take care of the sickest patients and maybe see a reward out of it with their life. I think that giving someone their life back is extremely rewarding, as my grandmother couldn't do the simple things that she wanted to do on a daily basis. When one's liberty is taken away, and that person has to depend on others for their daily needs it takes a toll on the mental physique. She was so depressed at one point, that she kept on asking our family to take her to Oregon to have Assisted Suicide...

I feel that going into medicine will give me the best opportunity to save lives and effectively give people their life back. I learned a lot about myself and life in general, being with one terminally ill person. Going from appointment to appointment... From Albert Einstein Hospital, to Mount Sinai.... From a Nursing Home to eventually Hospice care, I saw many aspects of healthcare with many different healthcare providers, and I genuinely feel that I would absolutely love to take care of people.

Another aspect which is not so positive is that I saw how negligent some people were in taking care of my grandmother. I felt that not many people were too familiar with ALS and they couldn't really give the care required. Many nurses and physicians took shortcuts... And all the physicians did was prescribe morphine, and I feel that if ALS were represented as much as say, diabetes, we would have better treatment plans and have more focus on research with neuromuscular diseases.

I can't imagine a worse way to leave this world when you are fully aware of your illness while your world is seemingly crumbling around you.

If I weren't so passionate about this, I would definitely go into finance because that is where my skills lie, however I never want to have that "what if" moment in my life.

However i'm still planning to major in Economics. We'll see what happens.

EDIT: And I will not leave this response portraying myself is a "noble saint". Even though that is my #1 reason with interest in medicine, I can't deny the fact that comfortable salary plays a part in it. 50K for medicine? Absolutely not. 100K+ to at LEAST support my family. If the debt is a burden then i'll do the HPSP.

Medicine is 80% interest, 20% money

Finance is 50% interest, 50% money

 

[nysegop]

Medicine is 80% interest, 20% money

Finance is 50% interest, 50% money

For me:

Medicine is 90% interest, 10% money.
Finance is 10% interest, 90% money.

 

[Arijos0222]

For me:

Medicine is 90% interest, 10% money.
Finance is 10% interest, 90% money.

Ever try simulated stock trading? Or even real trading? It's so intense and I like that you are always learning. I wake up at 5:30 so I can watch (and read) Bloomberg so I can make sure that I know what's going on. Very intense

 

[nysegop]

Ever try simulated stock trading? Or even real trading? It's so intense and I like that you are always learning. I wake up at 5:30 so I can watch (and read) Bloomberg so I can make sure that I know what's going on. Very intense

I've been trading both stocks and forex since I was 13. I also do a lot of simulated trading.

 

[Arijos0222]

I've been trading both stocks and forex since I was 13. I also do a lot of simulated trading.

I dislike forex... It is so hard to predict because it so heavily influenced by politics. And although banks also change the markets ever so slightly, these changes can completely override your trading agenda/strategy. A REAL pain in the neck because you can't even foresee that coming!

I like stock market trading much more. It is a bit more systematic. I remember my first month in trading stocks... I saw Bidz.com were undervalued because their stock was doing pretty marginally well at the time. I bought up 48,000 shares (crazy risk, I know... This was simulation though) of Bidz.com and I sold my 9000 shares in Avon and used the equity I had gained to buy 20 shares in Apple.

I gained 95,000 dollars in that ONE day and I had a total of 183,000 dollars in my possession.

I made the changes to my real account too and I got 14,000 dollars of which I already spent on a car. I showed my dad, which led me to an internship in NYC.

A little off topic from medicine, but just I don't think nice conversation ever really hurt anyone...?

 

[CMoodie91]

Animals are more fun!~ You get to work with cuties all day. Of course you will have those bad days where you don't always see little dogs, cats, horses etc, looking their best, but what's interesting about it is that animals can't talk and the fact veterinarians can help animals get better just goes beyond me. I wasn't exposed to animals when I was younger and was terribly afraid of them lol. But I had a really good agricultural teacher that made veterinary science and medicine so cool. A lot of people don't want to become vets because they might think it's gross or can't stand the fact cutting them open, inserting a catheter, etc. What makes a veterinarian is the love for animals and medicine. I definitely thought about human medicine, but personally dealing with humans ALL day will get very boring. I understand that veterinarians have frequent contact with people, but if I were to pursue human medicine, I just can't promise a human that he/she will get better, the fact that I'm holding a human's life in my hands will always scare me Only special people can become human doctors, I'm just not one of them. Humans are valued more, the pressure will kill me. I'm not saying an animal's life is not as important, but all that responsibility is just really nerve racking. I just feel really comfortable with animals. This is really hard explain, but this is what I got lol. You should try volunteering at an animal shelter or intern at a vet hospital and see it for yourself lol.

Hmm.

Have you volunteered in a shelter, veterinary clinic before? You are familiar with the animal abuse, high stress environments, dead animals and mediocre salary??

Also, we are animals too. We are primates, don't forget that. I hope you don't want to be a vet because cats and dogs lives are not as prioritized as ours. I hope it comes from something really deep within, that its a calling to heal these vulnerable animals. Because DOV's don't get paid as much as MD's and you guys do a lot more (surgery, radiology, FP &c) and you have to deal with getting bit, rabies, a lot more diseases, worms/ticks/flies/etc.. and a lot more puke/****/piss. You will also get paid around a quarter of the salary with similar years of education and debt as an MD.

However, it is a very rewarding career. You don't usually see horses walk into animal clinics..but I have no idea where you are located, if it is somewhere vacant..well perhaps but usually you specialize in small animals, medium animals, big animals, wildlife etc..

You can open your own clinic after years of experience and make a nice profit there, you're right about the not having to deal with humans as much part. But the know it all (googled anatomy specialists) will still be there and try to help you diagnose their animal.

I considered being a vet a long time ago, but I couldn't deal with the amount of animal losses and the fact I was supposed to keep my mouth shut when I saw an animal that was being beaten. The low pay and long schooling wasn't as appealing either..but you get better hours than most docs .

 

[FantasyVesperia]

Hmm.

Have you volunteered in a shelter, veterinary clinic before? You are familiar with the animal abuse, high stress environments, dead animals and mediocre salary??

Also, we are animals too. We are primates, don't forget that. I hope you don't want to be a vet because cats and dogs lives are not as prioritized as ours. I hope it comes from something really deep within, that its a calling to heal these vulnerable animals. Because DOV's don't get paid as much as MD's and you guys do a lot more (surgery, radiology, FP &c) and you have to deal with getting bit, rabies, a lot more diseases, worms/ticks/flies/etc.. and a lot more puke/****/piss. You will also get paid around a quarter of the salary with similar years of education and debt as an MD.

However, it is a very rewarding career. You don't usually see horses walk into animal clinics..but I have no idea where you are located, if it is somewhere vacant..well perhaps but usually you specialize in small animals, medium animals, big animals, wildlife etc..

You can open your own clinic after years of experience and make a nice profit there, you're right about the not having to deal with humans as much part. But the know it all (googled anatomy specialists) will still be there and try to help you diagnose their animal.

I considered being a vet a long time ago, but I couldn't deal with the amount of animal losses and the fact I was supposed to keep my mouth shut when I saw an animal that was being beaten. The low pay and long schooling wasn't as appealing either..but you get better hours than most docs .

Yes, I have volunteered and interned for a veterinarian before lol. I like being real too, but I do know what I'm in for. I didn't decide to become a veterinarian because of cats and dogs. The pay is really a turn off for many, but it's the choice I've made. I've been interning with a really good vet to help me learn the ropes of this career and personally, I'm tired of people constantly saying, "You want to be vet!?" "Ew. You're going to be a vet"? "You know, they don't get paid much." I understand what you're trying to say, but it got annoying real quick because my dad said almost the same exact thing and tried to get me to pursue something else.

 

[CMoodie91]

No, No..DVO > MD, I have more respect for Vets than I do for MD's. I am just making sure that you and whoever else happens to stumble by this thread KNOWS just exactly what the career entitles.

Good for you and I wish you the best as a Vet, I am sure you will do great but just don't get turned off by the animals you don't save and the other less than desirable attributes. You still are getting paid well just not for the amount of education you are to go through.

Good luck.

 

[FantasyVesperia]

No, No..DVO > MD, I have more respect for Vets than I do for MD's. I am just making sure that you and whoever else happens to stumble by this thread KNOWS just exactly what the career entitles.

Good for you and I wish you the best as a Vet, I am sure you will do great but just don't get turned off by the animals you don't save and the other less than desirable attributes. You still are getting paid well just not for the amount of education you are to go through.

Good luck.

Why, thank you sir. It sucks that you strayed from the path of vets lol.

 

[nysegop]

No, No..DVO > MD, I have more respect for Vets than I do for MD's. I am just making sure that you and whoever else happens to stumble by this thread KNOWS just exactly what the career entitles.

Good for you and I wish you the best as a Vet, I am sure you will do great but just don't get turned off by the animals you don't save and the other less than desirable attributes. You still are getting paid well just not for the amount of education you are to go through.

Good luck.

Why do you respect veterinarians more than doctors of medicine?

 

[CMoodie91]

Why do you respect veterinarians more than doctors of medicine?

 

[nysegop]

So are you pre-medical or pre-veterinary?

 

[CMoodie91]

So are you pre-medical or pre-veterinary?

I am a second year medical student at University of Ottawa.

 

[nysegop]

I am a second year medical student at University of Ottawa.

mmmmhmmmm

Why do you spend so much time in the high school section?

 

[CMoodie91]

Top of the site.

I am Canadian, the majority of people here are American. This is my third site in Medicine that I am on, hence my low post count.

 

[Solomon]

mmmmhmmmm

Why do you spend so much time in the high school section?

Been wondering the same thing

 

[PapaGuava]

Been wondering the same thing

Freedom of the forum! =D