I'm a Noob

[cemayes]

Hey Guys,

I'll try to keep this short. I'm from a medical family. Dad is a NP, uncles and aunts are all nurses of some kind and have been around hospitals, practices, and everything else my entire life (until about 20yo). Growing up under it, I just got very used to hearing about it and it never really occurred to me that I could go into medicine. (Strange right?) To be frank, nothing really jumped out at me about it.

Now, I've explored all of the other possible avenues that I was interested in (music, business, and graphic arts) and I find myself wanting to really contribute to the world in another way. Everyone I have ever met said they could see me as a doctor or that I flat out should become one. I believe that I have what it takes, and I have started wondering what it would be like. I'm starting to be interested as a 25 yr old, married man.

I need some advice. I have B.S. in Marketing with a 3.6 GPA. I don't have most of the prereqs and haven't taken a GRE or MCAT. As far as I can tell I have Calc 1 (not really a prereq) and 2 Biology w/ lab courses. I'm thinking I would have to take the prereqs in a couple of semesters and then apply to a MS in Biomedical Science.

What is the benefits of a one year accelerated program vs 2 year?

What should I be expecting?

What is it like financially if we can't live off of one salary? How does that work? Do you live off loans?

My most important consideration is that I don't have a burning passion for medicine in general because I've never really considered it that much. I know that I'm interested in learning more about. Has anyone been through this or has everyone on here always wanted to be a Doc? What are some ways to explore this?

Thank you everyone!

My friend said to tag you, @Goro. Any thoughts?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[123456ers]

Hey Guys,

I'll try to keep this short. I'm from a medical family. Dad is a NP, uncles and aunts are all nurses of some kind and have been around hospitals, practices, and everything else my entire life (until about 20yo). Growing up under it, I just got very used to hearing about it and it never really occurred to me that I could go into medicine. (Strange right?) To be frank, nothing really jumped out at me about it.

Now, I've explored all of the other possible avenues that I was interested in (music, business, and graphic arts) and I find myself wanting to really contribute to the world in another way. Everyone I have ever met said they could see me as a doctor or that I flat out should become one. I believe that I have what it takes, and I have started wondering what it would be like. I'm starting to be interested as a 25 yr old, married man.

I need some advice. I have B.S. in Marketing with a 3.6 GPA. I don't have most of the prereqs and haven't taken a GRE or MCAT. As far as I can tell I have Calc 1 (not really a prereq) and 2 Biology w/ lab courses. I'm thinking I would have to take the prereqs in a couple of semesters and then apply to a MS in Biomedical Science.

What is the benefits of a one year accelerated program vs 2 year?

What should I be expecting?

What is it like financially if we can't live off of one salary? How does that work? Do you live off loans?

My most important consideration is that I don't have a burning passion for medicine in general because I've never really considered it that much. I know that I'm interested in learning more about. Has anyone been through this or has everyone on here always wanted to be a Doc? What are some ways to explore this?

Thank you everyone!

My friend said to tag you, @Goro. Any thoughts?

I cant address a lot of your questions. But to start off no, I definitely considered other things besides medicine and for most of my life didnt consider healthcare for a career at all.
With that said you gotta know what you're getting yourself into. Having NPs and nurses in the family help but for me, I knew I wanted to be a physician when I realized I loved working my overnight shifts in the ED of a busy trauma center. Your own, clinical hands on experience, is key. Shadowing helps, but I know at least personally getting my hands dirty in the reality of modern medicine really swayed me for it. I'd reccomend you do something like that before deciding if this is for you.

If you are sure, however, you can either do a post bacc or a do it yourself postbacc (DIY) at whatever colleges are around your area. I did the latter and it went great, saved a ton of money but it was stressful getting into all the classes I needed and having sometimes long commutes. Formal post baccs are pricey but if you're willing to put in the work in a good program its highly likely you'll get into med school when its over.

I don't think you need to do a post bacc and then follow it up with an MS degree. Your core GPA is very solid. If I were you, I'd jump into taking the pre reqs, preferably this summer, at a community college or any other nearby institution. See how you like it. Some people realize medicine isnt for them when they just have zero motivation to dredge through these courses. I'd do that and get clinical experience to see how you feel in the environment.

good luck with whatever you choose.

BTW, if you're sure you wanted to do this, you could theoretically still apply to a formal post bacc program. A lot of them run applications up to June (at least I know Temple does as a friend of mine is there).

As you stand now, you at the very least need gen chem 1, gen chem 2, orgo 1, orgo 2(not all schools require this anymore) biochem 1(some schools require, def needed for MCAT imo), physics 1 and physics 2. A formal post bacc usually takes one year with these courses in quick succession. Just wanted to throw that out there.

 

[cemayes]

Hey!

That's amazing advice there. I appreciate it. For post-bacc, I know what you mean but don't know what sort of program that would look like. Can you provide a link or example? I'll start searching too.

Honestly, the MS seemed to me like a big hurdle. I liked the sound of it, but it does seem like a lot of drudging through courses to just be accepted.

My interests lie in a whole body/natural approach and some interest in the immune system. I find myself drawn towards non-invasive procedures but definitely recognize the need for prescribing medicine. I know I don't want to be a naturopathic doctor btw. Just FYI. So probably not your typical, "I want to be a doctor" type.

To "get my hands dirty", I'm definitely looking for something like that. What would be a way to do that the quickest? Being a scribe part time or just asking to do a clinical observation?

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[123456ers]

Hey!

That's amazing advice there. I appreciate it. For post-bacc, I know what you mean but don't know what sort of program that would look like. Can you provide a link or example? I'll start searching too.

Honestly, the MS seemed to me like a big hurdle. I liked the sound of it, but it does seem like a lot of drudging through courses to just be accepted.

My interests lie in a whole body/natural approach and some interest in the immune system. I find myself drawn towards non-invasive procedures but definitely recognize the need for prescribing medicine. I know I don't want to be a naturopathic doctor btw. Just FYI. So probably not your typical, "I want to be a doctor" type.

To "get my hands dirty", I'm definitely looking for something like that. What would be a way to do that the quickest? Being a scribe part time or just asking to do a clinical observation?

Thanks so much for your help!

Here's a link to Temple's post bacc for people like yourself that need most of the pre reqs (check out the BCMS program, the ACMS is something else) Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program | Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

I think if you're interested in healthcare in general then it is worth at least getting all the facts about what you need to get into med school and weighing your options. Chiro could be something of interest to you too given what you said, and has considerably less pre reqs. If physician is what you want then your outlook is probably more DO than MD (based on the little I can gather from your posts here).

I worked part time as a "patient care assistant." It didn't require much training and I got to do some cool stuff. I learned SO much and again realized this is what I wanted to do. Those jobs are pretty easy to find, part time scribing is a little more difficult but I'm sure would have the same impact on someone considering this.
I personally did not find my shadowing hours to be that compelling for going into medicine but that might not be the case for you.. I'm not sure what your work situation is so if shadowing is all you have time for, I'd do that or some volunteering.

Again, I really dont think you'd need to follow up finishing your pre reqs (through a DIY post bacc or one of the formal programs like Temples) with an MS. You did yourself a favor by having a really solid core GPA out of undergrad. As long as you have a 3.4+ in the pre reqs (for what will be calculated as your "science gpa") and handle the MCAT you would likely be accepted to a DO program somewhere at that time.

Good luck!

 

[austintr]

Hey Guys,

What is the benefits of a one year accelerated program vs 2 year?

What should I be expecting?

What is it like financially if we can't live off of one salary? How does that work? Do you live off loans?

My most important consideration is that I don't have a burning passion for medicine in general because I've never really considered it that much. I know that I'm interested in learning more about. Has anyone been through this or has everyone on here always wanted to be a Doc? What are some ways to explore this?

Thank you everyone!

My friend said to tag you, @Goro. Any thoughts?

I'll second the above, it's solid advice. You shouldn't need a MS.

A 1 year program is designed basically to make people more competitive for professional school. A 2 year program will have more research and more classes and is really more of a master's program, I.e for people that wish to work in the science field/teach. People usually take a 2 year master's to become marketable for jobs; a 1 year won't really do this.

You either make it work on one salary, or you take out loans for living expenses. Some people work part time (and a very rare breed of maniacs work full time) in med school, but most (~>80%) don't work at all. Work study is generally also an option.

I wanted to be in medicine since the age of about 15, but didn't become serious about it til I was maybe 22. That sucked because I had to go back and prove myself worthy of admission. You're in a much better spot than I was. Definitely do some shadowing (preferably a couple different specialties) and try and get as much clinical experience as you can. There's plenty of time to take a CNA or accelerated EMT class, and I recommend the latter. This will let you get a fairly unskilled position in healthcare as a patient care tech, ER tech or similar role.

Lastly, do a little deep introspection and ask yourself if you're ok making zero money, going into tremendous debt, and working like a dog for ~10 years before you really reap the benefits of being a physician. If the answer is no, look into other programs such as PA, RN->NP/CRNA, or others. Never lose sight of the end goal and keep hammering away at the process. Good luck!

 

[cemayes]

Hey everyone, and thanks again for the awesome advise I've gotten so far.

Can we drill down into getting a 1 year MS vs me just doing pre-reqs and taking the MCAT? I'm concerned that I won't be prepared as well for the 1st year of med school. My BIO classes were awhile ago, and I can barely remember anything to do with math or statistics because those were also awhile ago as well.

I was told recently that an accelerated MS degree is much like the 1st year of med school and would help a lot with the information covered. It seems that there is so much that is covered so fast in med school, that this would be the best way to ensure my first year is smooth.

However, time is valuable an if I could save a year from being in school for my marriage and keep my sanity more intact, that is also important. It would also be much easier financially for my wife and I so just do prereqs now and go straight into med school. Otherwise, I would have to quit my current full time job and start living off loans during my master's because I don't see how I would have time to work at all.

I could possibly scribe on the weekend's, though.

Also, side note. But do med schools like to see volunteer work?

 

[GOHOGS!]

Hey everyone, and thanks again for the awesome advise I've gotten so far.

Can we drill down into getting a 1 year MS vs me just doing pre-reqs and taking the MCAT? I'm concerned that I won't be prepared as well for the 1st year of med school. My BIO classes were awhile ago, and I can barely remember anything to do with math or statistics because those were also awhile ago as well.

I was told recently that an accelerated MS degree is much like the 1st year of med school and would help a lot with the information covered. It seems that there is so much that is covered so fast in med school, that this would be the best way to ensure my first year is smooth.

However, time is valuable an if I could save a year from being in school for my marriage and keep my sanity more intact, that is also important. It would also be much easier financially for my wife and I so just do prereqs now and go straight into med school. Otherwise, I would have to quit my current full time job and start living off loans during my master's because I don't see how I would have time to work at all.

I could possibly scribe on the weekend's, though.

Also, side note. But do med schools like to see volunteer work?

I would suggest just doing the prereqs and taking the MCAT. As far as being prepared for MS 1, the general consensus is nothing you do in undergrad will actually benefit you for the medical school material. So don't worry about not having taken bio in a long time. Right now just try to focus on keeping your overall and science GPA up and preparing for the MCAT.
Make sure you want to be a doctor though! Shadow!
And yes medical schools want to see volunteer work both in and outside of medical schools! God bless and good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[austintr]

Hey everyone, and thanks again for the awesome advise I've gotten so far.

Can we drill down into getting a 1 year MS vs me just doing pre-reqs and taking the MCAT? I'm concerned that I won't be prepared as well for the 1st year of med school. My BIO classes were awhile ago, and I can barely remember anything to do with math or statistics because those were also awhile ago as well.

I was told recently that an accelerated MS degree is much like the 1st year of med school and would help a lot with the information covered. It seems that there is so much that is covered so fast in med school, that this would be the best way to ensure my first year is smooth.

However, time is valuable an if I could save a year from being in school for my marriage and keep my sanity more intact, that is also important. It would also be much easier financially for my wife and I so just do prereqs now and go straight into med school. Otherwise, I would have to quit my current full time job and start living off loans during my master's because I don't see how I would have time to work at all.

I could possibly scribe on the weekend's, though.

Also, side note. But do med schools like to see volunteer work?

I don't see any benefit in doing a 1yr masters with a 3.6 cumulative GPA and no pre-reqs taken yet. You have the opportunity to have a 3.8+ sGPA and 3.75 (or higher) cumulative if you do well in the pre-reqs at literally a fraction of the cost. SMPs are basically for people that need to compensate for a low GPA from undergrad. It's true that you would be taking many classes alongside medical students, but that's definitely not worth 35-40k to me.

You would get a little better exposure to the depth of science classes you would potentially take as a med student, but I really don't think the benefit would be that substantial. Some people have said that their SMP program helped them perform better on the MCAT, but once again I don't see that justifying a year plus the cost of the program. If you're wanting to apply mainly MD, a SMP could be justified I suppose. But even then your pre-reqs should bring your GPA up to a competitive number for a lot of allopathic schools.

Keep in mind the majority of successful med students never took a SMP. Also, many come from non science backgrounds with no further exposure outside the pre-reqs. SMP programs don't guarantee better performance in med school, they just indicate that a student is likely to be fit for the rigors of a med program.

You're looking at 60-80K in total cost of attendance for a one year depending on your income, since you wont't be working and you'll be paying for school. Def not worth it to me personally.

Lastly, yes. Med schools like to see volunteer hours. Clinical and non-clinical, preferably with a good mix of both. Experiences you can engage yourself in and reflect on eloquently during interviews.

 

[JB50]

Hey Guys,

Everyone I have ever met said they could see me as a doctor or that I flat out should become one.

Not enough of a reason to become a doc. From the sounds of it you need actual clinical experiences and a lot of shadowing. Good luck! Medicine is usually a calling that a lot of us see as the only career we would ever be satisfied doing. It sounds like you're starting to differentiate that itch.

Also screw that MS.

It seems that there is so much that is covered so fast in med school, that this would be the best way to ensure my first year is smooth.

?

Lol the first yeear is gonna make your butt sore regardless if you do that MS or not.

 

[samac]

People have told you repeatedly not to do the masters but you keep asking about it so I'm going to reiterate. DON'T DO THE STUPID MASTERS.
Quite frankly without any science knowledge you're setting yourself up to fail. If your biology classes were a basic course like a 101 and 102 you'll need to take the biology courses for bio majors.
Also to be clear I don't see you being able to do it in a year unless you go somewhere that offers winter and summer terms, but you'll still most likely end up waiting a year to apply. You need 2 semesters of bio, 2 semesters of physics, 2 semesters of chemistry, 2 semesters of ochem. The chemistry will come before the ochem which is what messes with the timeline.
If you're willing to give up 2 years to get into medical school, 4 years of medical school (and for most people 200K in debt) and 3+ years for residency before you actually make real money then go for it. If you can find something else you'd want to do it's usually a better option.

 

[DO2015CA]

People that tell you that you should be a doctor don't know what goes into it. They don't understand the time commitment to make that judgement. I'm not seeing a real drive to do it other than "it would be cool". That reason won't sustain your drive because it's a long hard road

 

[cemayes]

People have told you repeatedly not to do the masters but you keep asking about it so I'm going to reiterate. DON'T DO THE STUPID MASTERS.
Quite frankly without any science knowledge you're setting yourself up to fail. If your biology classes were a basic course like a 101 and 102 you'll need to take the biology courses for bio majors.
Also to be clear I don't see you being able to do it in a year unless you go somewhere that offers winter and summer terms, but you'll still most likely end up waiting a year to apply. You need 2 semesters of bio, 2 semesters of physics, 2 semesters of chemistry, 2 semesters of ochem. The chemistry will come before the ochem which is what messes with the timeline.
If you're willing to give up 2 years to get into medical school, 4 years of medical school (and for most people 200K in debt) and 3+ years for residency before you actually make real money then go for it. If you can find something else you'd want to do it's usually a better option.

I only followed up with a response about the Master's one time. I can get it for free through my wife's employment at the college. So there are other factors that contribute towards it.

 

[cemayes]

People that tell you that you should be a doctor don't know what goes into it. They don't understand the time commitment to make that judgement. I'm not seeing a real drive to do it other than "it would be cool". That reason won't sustain your drive because it's a long hard road

Actually they do know what it requires, because as I said about 75% of my family is in the medical field. My dad being a Nurse Practictioner with 25 yrs if experience in hospitals and various practices.

Why would you be so quick to discourage someone from pursuing medicine? I NEVER listed the aforementioned or me thinking it was cool as my main reason for being a doctor. And if you are a doctor now, I feel for your patients, because you don't seem to have any discernable critical reading skills. Did you skip the part where I said that I wanted to get my hands dirty and experience medicine? Please just take time before you try to crush someone's dreams.

 

[DO2015CA]

Actually they do know what it requires, because as I said about 75% of my family is in the medical field. My dad being a Nurse Practictioner with 25 yrs if experience in hospitals and various practices.

Why would you be so quick to discourage someone from pursuing medicine? I NEVER listed the aforementioned or me thinking it was cool as my main reason for being a doctor. And if you are a doctor now, I feel for your patients, because you don't seem to have any discernable critical reading skills. Did you skip the part where I said that I wanted to get my hands dirty and experience medicine? Please just take time before you try to crush someone's dreams.

Actually no they don't. NP schooling is nothing like medical school in terms of the years and hours you put in. Nobody except another physician will know what you were put through. I am not referring to your career but what it takes to get to an attending status.

I was not crushing your dreams. I was simply responding to what was presented in front of me. Please do not criticize my "critical reading skills" whatever that means. You flat out said you didn't have a burning passion for medicine. How else is someone to interpret your drive if you gave no other drive other than people said you should?

 

[DO2015CA]

For your own anonymity, change your avatar.

 

[Shotapp]

Hey cemayes,

You need to have all the pre-requisites and the MCAT completed before you can apply to medical schools. The MS is an unnecessary endeavor and will not fulfill the prerequisite requirement. Everyone is telling you to do a DIY (do it yourself) post-bac (take classes after bachelor's). You can do a DIY post-bac at a community college or university. You can enroll as a non-degree seeking student or a degree-seeking student (degree seeking students have registration priority and can apply for fin aid). Take the path of least resistance. Building an application for medical schools is a marathon, not a race so heed the advice from posters given above.

 

[getfat]

Temple's BCMS program might be a better option for you.

 

[taternator77]

Actually no they don't. NP schooling is nothing like medical school in terms of the years and hours you put in. Nobody except another physician will know what you were put through. I am not referring to your career but what it takes to get to an attending status.

I was not crushing your dreams. I was simply responding to what was presented in front of me. Please do not criticize my "critical reading skills" whatever that means. You flat out said you didn't have a burning passion for medicine. How else is someone to interpret your drive if you gave no other drive other than people said you should?

Actually I think they do. For many, the choice to go the NP/PA route is because they know exactly the amount of time and years and hours and debt you'll go through to become a physician. Did they experience it? No. But they do understand the hardships that are involved and someone with 25 years worth of practice NP experience would know the ropes enough to get a rough idea of what it takes to be an actual physician.

Just because a pt presents with a kidney stone, which I've never experienced, does not mean I am unable discern how unbearably horrid it would be to have one. Looks like it hurts like the dickens, so I'd do whatever I could to avoid that type of pain.

But hey, I'm not a doctor, what do I know.

 

[DO2015CA]

Actually I think they do. For many, the choice to go the NP/PA route is because they know exactly the amount of time and years and hours and debt you'll go through to become a physician. Did they experience it? No. But they do understand the hardships that are involved and someone with 25 years worth of practice NP experience would know the ropes enough to get a rough idea of what it takes to be an actual physician.

Just because a pt presents with a kidney stone, which I've never experienced, does not mean I am unable discern how unbearably horrid it would be to have one. Looks like it hurts like the dickens, so I'd do whatever I could to avoid that type of pain.

But hey, I'm not a doctor, what do I know.

You have obviously missed the boat as well. I am not talking about clinical practice. I am talking about the schooling. I made that clear in my follow up response. If you have not experienced it then you will never know. Even after being accepted but not starting yet, I had no clue what I got myself into. Once NP/PA start taking board exams and having the pressure to do well so that they can match into a residency then they will know. Until then they do not.

@Psai i wonder what you think about this topic

Edit: autocorrect

 

[taternator77]

If you're talking about the educational aspect of things, I addressed that second sentence of my response. They don't need to physically experience the pressure from board exams because they can infer said experience from their peers and decide to either not go that route, or pursue it further. I think you're missing OP's point. He's obviously been around medicine in some way or another his entire life, and has just now started to become open to the possibility of pursuing it himself.

I would imagine an NP with tons of clinical experience and a son he's known for however many years would be able to tell his son "Hey you have a knack for this, try looking into medicine". He came looking for friendly advice on the matter, not to be shot down and misquoted.

But, I'm not trying to hijack OP's thread or speak for him. Wishing him the best of luck and a solid plan if he does pursue medicine!


edit: added last Par.

 

[DO2015CA]

If you're talking about the educational aspect of things, I addressed that second sentence of my response. They don't need to physically experience the pressure from board exams because they can infer said experience from their peers and decide to either not go that route, or pursue it further. I think you're missing OP's point. He's obviously been around medicine in some way or another his entire life, and has just now started to become open to the possibility of pursuing it himself.

I would imagine an NP with tons of clinical experience and a son he's known for however many years would be able to tell his son "Hey you have a knack for this, try looking into medicine". He came looking for friendly advice on the matter, not to be shot down and misquoted.

But, I'm not trying to hijack OP's thread or speak for him. Wishing him the best of luck and a solid plan if he does pursue medicine!


edit: added last Par.

Fair enough about it not addressing his main point. That went into the weeds fast. All I was trying to say is don't take someone else's opinion and run with it. Shadow, talk to people, etc. then make an informed decision to pursue the medical school path. I am recommending going to medical school, just don't rush anything such as taking a post bacc if you haven't fully committed.

Edit: autocorrect again. My bad

 

[cemayes]

For your own anonymity, change your avatar.

Fair enough about it not addressing his main point. That went into the weeds fast. All I was trying to say is don't take someone else's opinion and run with it. Shadow, talk to people, etc. then make an informed decision to pursue the medical school path. I am recommending going to medical school, just don't rush anything such as taking a post bacc if you haven't fully committed.

Edit: autocorrect again. My bad

Alright, that's all I was looking for, just advice about the path to get accepted. Not what you, a person who doesn't know me, think about my personal motivations for med school.

It's all good, though. I think I have gotten adequate info on my options.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I have to agree with the people above that there doesn't seem to be any good reason behind this career move -- only "my NP dad told me I could be good at this." If all you want is the basic info on what you would need to do, it's simply the prerequisites, extracurricular activities and the MCAT. Like others said, a masters is not necessary, but if you think you know better than us that have been through this, go ahead and get your masters.

I know you don't like listening to this OP and get pretty defensive, but those of us on the other side of the fence are actually looking out for you by pointing these inconsistencies.

 

[cemayes]

I have to agree with the people above that there doesn't seem to be any good reason behind this career move -- only "my NP dad told me I could be good at this." If all you want is the basic info on what you would need to do, it's simply the prerequisites, extracurricular activities and the MCAT. Like others said, a masters is not necessary, but if you think you know better than us that have been through this, go ahead and get your masters.

I know you don't like listening to this OP and get pretty defensive, but those of us on the other side of the fence are actually looking out for you by pointing these inconsistencies.

If you are indeed, looking out for my best interests then I definitely appreciate that. But a couple of you have extracted one sentence from my post and ran with it. I NEVER claimed that my only motivation was because someone told me to do it or that I would be good at it (which is still a valid reason, just not on its own). In fact, all I said was that I was interested and wanted some advice on getting started and exploring the field more. I simply didn't think it necessary to provide an exhaustive explanation of my interest. I'm interested and just wanted some direction from there.

I also never claimed or otherwise implied that I knew better than anyone else when it comes to Masters vs no masters. And I never set out on defending the Master's. I just asked follow up questions about it lol.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

If you are indeed, looking out for my best interests then I definitely appreciate that. But a couple of you have extracted one sentence from my post and ran with it. I NEVER claimed that my only motivation was because someone told me to do it or that I would be good at it (which is still a valid reason, just not on its own). In fact, all I said was that I was interested and wanted some advice on getting started and exploring the field more. I simply didn't think it necessary to provide an exhaustive explanation of my interest. I'm interested and just wanted some direction from there.

I also never claimed or otherwise implied that I knew better than anyone else when it comes to Masters vs no masters. And I never set out on defending the Master's. I just asked follow up questions about it lol.

Well, that's good. I think you'll eventually understand why most of this community is this way in general. The field always requires you to bring your A game and have a good reason behind everything you say. It's also very hierarchical and any questioning of it will be met with resistance.

My recommendation is don't start any classes until you think this may be the path you want to pursue. It's simply not worth it otherwise.

 

[cemayes]

Well, that's good. I think you'll eventually understand why most of this community is this way in general. The field always requires you to bring your A game and have a good reason behind everything you say. It's also very hierarchical and any questioning of it will be met with resistance.

My recommendation is don't start any classes until you think this may be the path you want to pursue. It's simply not worth it otherwise.

Thank you very much. I appreciate it. See, we can all get along!

 

[Cath Up]

I think part of the reason why lots of people find motivation to be important in medicine has to do with clinician burnout. A substantial proportion of practicing physicians have expressed that they would not recommend medicine to others or would not do it again. So when at your age you aren't saying "this is the only thing I could see myself doing", it can be a red flag. That's not at all to say you should not pursue medicine- you'll just need more exposure and certainty because there's massive opportunity cost to going down this path. It sounds like you're just discovering medicine as a possible profession and others have given great advice about how you can figure out if this is truly your calling.

And here's another vote for DIY postbacc for prereqs over any sort of masters program, IF after lots of clinical exposure you're committed.

 

[Vivian&Ondine]

Just echoing what parslea said: if you look at some of the job and life satisfaction surveys for physicians, you will see some uncomfortably high percentages of doctors who say they wish they went into another field.
http://www.physiciansfoundation.org/uploads/default/Biennial_Physician_Survey_2016.pdf
If you take a look at page 25, you will see that roughly a third of all physicians surveyed in 2016 said that they would choose to not become physicians if given the opportunity to start over.

This is not just another career choice: by taking this path you are agreeing to sacrifice part of your life (time with your family, time for your lifestyle, etc.). We are not trying to "crush your dreams", we just want you to understand the realities and be absolute in your resolve. 400 physicians commit suicide every year, proportionally higher than many other fields, and it is probably due in large part to the type of life this field gives you.

Get a lot of clinical experience. I highly recommend working as a tech in the ER or ICU. You will get to work alongside nurses, as well as see how doctors operate. More importantly, you will feel the emotional and mental strains of working in healthcare. There has been a physician in each generation of my family going back to my great-great-grandfather, and that did not prepare me in the slightest for some of the stuff I encountered just as a tech.

I wish you all the best in whatever you decide to do. The other posters grill you for your own good, even if it doesn't seem that way. Nobody wants you to wind up a burnt-out and depressed doctor. If you get some clinical experience and know you are committed, then welcome aboard!

Also, be aware of trends in healthcare. From what I've gathered, the whole system is moving towards more centralization in hospitals (if I'm wrong, someone please correct me!). Burnout rates also appear to be increasing, although this could be due to changing attitudes towards being open with your mental/emotional state https://wire.ama-assn.org/sites/wir...ages/07b317e6-3d65-4414-aa41-c648811caca8.jpg

 

[cemayes]

I think part of the reason why lots of people find motivation to be important in medicine has to do with clinician burnout. A substantial proportion of practicing physicians have expressed that they would not recommend medicine to others or would not do it again. So when at your age you aren't saying "this is the only thing I could see myself doing", it can be a red flag. That's not at all to say you should not pursue medicine- you'll just need more exposure and certainty because there's massive opportunity cost to going down this path. It sounds like you're just discovering medicine as a possible profession and others have given great advice about how you can figure out if this is truly your calling.

And here's another vote for DIY postbacc for prereqs over any sort of masters program, IF after lots of clinical exposure you're committed.

Thanks. The reason I haven't said "this is the only thing I could see myself doing," is because as you have touched on, I am just becoming interested and starting the process. I have worked out a path (with the help of a few of you) so that I can get all my prereqs in one year.

The situation I am facing now is that Fall 2019 is looking like my best chance to be accepted. With my interest still growing and needing more time to make up my mind, I don't think I want to dive headfirst into the prereqs without knowing that it is "med school or bust" for me. That would require quitting my job, possibly selling my house, and getting one to two part time jobs just to make ends meet. My wife is also worried about not being able to have a kid until I get out of med school.

Just echoing what parslea said: if you look at some of the job and life satisfaction surveys for physicians, you will see some uncomfortably high percentages of doctors who say they wish they went into another field.
http://www.physiciansfoundation.org/uploads/default/Biennial_Physician_Survey_2016.pdf
If you take a look at page 25, you will see that roughly a third of all physicians surveyed in 2016 said that they would choose to not become physicians if given the opportunity to start over.

This is not just another career choice: by taking this path you are agreeing to sacrifice part of your life (time with your family, time for your lifestyle, etc.). We are not trying to "crush your dreams", we just want you to understand the realities and be absolute in your resolve. 400 physicians commit suicide every year, proportionally higher than many other fields, and it is probably due in large part to the type of life this field gives you.

Get a lot of clinical experience. I highly recommend working as a tech in the ER or ICU. You will get to work alongside nurses, as well as see how doctors operate. More importantly, you will feel the emotional and mental strains of working in healthcare. There has been a physician in each generation of my family going back to my great-great-grandfather, and that did not prepare me in the slightest for some of the stuff I encountered just as a tech.

I wish you all the best in whatever you decide to do. The other posters grill you for your own good, even if it doesn't seem that way. Nobody wants you to wind up a burnt-out and depressed doctor. If you get some clinical experience and know you are committed, then welcome aboard!

Also, be aware of trends in healthcare. From what I've gathered, the whole system is moving towards more centralization in hospitals (if I'm wrong, someone please correct me!). Burnout rates also appear to be increasing, although this could be due to changing attitudes towards being open with your mental/emotional state https://wire.ama-assn.org/sites/wir...ages/07b317e6-3d65-4414-aa41-c648811caca8.jpg

Thank you for the thoroughness of your post. I recognize that med school appears is a daunting mountain to climb.

I have already began the process to get more clinical experience. I am shadowing now and soon hopefully will get a part time scribe position in the local ER. I'm going to use the rest of the Spring and the Summer to soul search.

As I think about this it seems glaringly obvious that it will stretch me to my limits in all aspects of my life. For me to get into med school I would probably have to sell my house, sell my truck for a more affordable option, get one or two part time jobs, and quick my job just to get in. Oh, and my wife wants to have kids before she's 30.


Thanks everyone! I'm on my way. Wish me luck.