Is It Worth It?

[Reemaw]

Well, I've got around 3 more months of school and I graduate.
I applied into RCSI-MUB and got accepted for a provisional place.
I'm happy! I'm psyched. I've always wanted to enter medicine.
Not because anyone told me to, not because my parents want me to, because I've wanted to ever since I was in the 1st grade.
My friend applied into RCSI with me too, and got accepted. And all was great, until she called me an hour ago and told me that she isn't accepting the offer, and that she isn't studying there this year because her mom told her that she won't pay for the tuition. Anyways, long story short, I really wanted my friend to be with me! But I guess not everything I want will happen, will it?

I have read all the posts that relate to this question but most of the one's I found were about people in their residency programs so the answers didn't quite do it for me.
My question is, as a person embarking on this journey alone, is it worth it? Is there anyone that regrets getting into medicine? I know a few people who have studied medicine that have told me DO NOT GET INTO IT. I also visited a very nice doctor once, asked her the exact same question, and she said it was worth every bit.

I thought I had my mind straight, especially that as much as I tried to look for another major as a plan B, I couldn't find anything I wanted to do except medicine. But now for some reason, I'm all confused I know inside me that I really would like to become a doctor, I've just heard too much crap addressing that certain issue, and maybe that has caused my disorientation.

What do you think?

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[Rendar5]

My advice is to major in what u're interested in as long as it isn't premed (keep an open mind). Go spend time shadowing a doctor, not volunteering. And then spend time looking at all ur other interested. If after everyone else keeps telling you no and the only answer you can think of is yes, then go for it. If you find something else you really like to do as a job, even if it's non-MD health care provider, go for that instead. Because you will be sacrificing your 20s for it, and you don't need to.

 

[Reemaw]

Well, RCSI has an integrated 6 year course, so I wont really be majoring in premed but I'm going to go through the thing as a whole.. I have tried to put other options, but nothing has came across my mind. I have tried to convince myself with accounting, economics, or finance, but that didn't work.. I like architecture, but when I compared the workloads of architecture and medicine, architecture weighed up to medicine if not more. I mean, I'm going to be spending "almost" the same time doing more exhausting work and crap like that.. And I've seen my friends and what they go through in architecture.. So I weighed THAT with medicine, and found medicine to be to my pleasing a little more.. I love this blog post http://lonecoyote11.blogspot.com/2008/06/was-medical-school-worth-it.html I think it speaks reality with optimism.. I can't really find something else I'd like to do (regardless of it being MD or not MD) I also thought about chemical engineering, but engineering overall is very demanding as medicine is, and I seem to like medicine much much more. In the end, I guess if you really want something, you'll like it no matter how hard it is, right?

What year are you in now? How much left have you've got? What have you got to suggest? I mean, I do realize that medicine isn't easy, but then again, you can't really EXPECT to get into something easy unless you wanna take the easy way out and get into business or something.. And that's not something I'm considering.

 

[tennisball80]

You will be graduating as a IMG or FMG. You will be having a harder time to get a residency spot comparing to a U.S medical school graduate. Only 50% of IMGs/FMGs match every year. If you want to practice in the U.S, please go to a U.S medical school. It would be easier for you to secure a residency.

Source: post from Dapakote. Originally from http://www.nrmp.org/data/advancedatatables2009.pdf


IMG: International medical graduate. A U.S citizen who went to abroad to complete his/her medical education.

FMG. Foreign medical graduate. A non-U.S citizen who attended a medical school in a foreign country.

Check out the Valuemd's residency section for more information.

 

[Rendar5]

6 weeks left of medical school. 3 more years of emergency medicine residency left. Architecture has you doing 80 hr/weeks for the first few years? Didn't know it was that bad.

Have you considered being a more midlevel provider such as an NP or PA? There are tons of other really important careers in medicine too who save lives and with tons of patient contact like EMTs, RNs, etc. I mean there's plenty of stuff to do in medicine that doesn't suck up ur 20s and that gives you a life much sooner. Honestly, in retrospect, I would have gone those routes if I just wanted to be in medicine and wasn't such an education junkie.

Well, RCSI has an integrated 6 year course, so I wont really be majoring in premed but I'm going to go through the thing as a whole.. I have tried to put other options, but nothing has came across my mind. I have tried to convince myself with accounting, economics, or finance, but that didn't work.. I like architecture, but when I compared the workloads of architecture and medicine, architecture weighed up to medicine if not more. I mean, I'm going to be spending "almost" the same time doing more exhausting work and crap like that.. And I've seen my friends and what they go through in architecture.. So I weighed THAT with medicine, and found medicine to be to my pleasing a little more.. I love this blog post http://lonecoyote11.blogspot.com/2008/06/was-medical-school-worth-it.html I think it speaks reality with optimism.. I can't really find something else I'd like to do (regardless of it being MD or not MD) I also thought about chemical engineering, but engineering overall is very demanding as medicine is, and I seem to like medicine much much more. In the end, I guess if you really want something, you'll like it no matter how hard it is, right?

What year are you in now? How much left have you've got? What have you got to suggest? I mean, I do realize that medicine isn't easy, but then again, you can't really EXPECT to get into something easy unless you wanna take the easy way out and get into business or something.. And that's not something I'm considering.

 

[DrYoda]

Anyways, long story short, I really wanted my friend to be with me! But I guess not everything I want will happen, will it?

Sorry your friend won't be going with you. That's really how alot of life goes though, as you go from HS to college and from college to working the geographical distance from your friends often increases. My three best friends from HS all live in either Cali or Florida, I'm in the midwest. Luckily we have things like email, nation-wide phone plans and facebook that allow us to easily stay in contact with our friends.

What do you think?

You will make new friends at you program, and you can stay in touch with old friends. Don't base decisions off what your friends are doing, do what you want to. Do for sure stay in contact with your friend though.

I haven't started med school yet, so I can't answer if I think it's worth it or not.

 

[tennisball80]

I have moved to a few countries and transfered between many schools. It was a quite good experience for me. The most important skill I have learned is to adapt to a new culture and language. Certainly, there are many kinds of people in the world.

If you go to somewhere without having your current friends, you will make new friends that hang out with you well. As DrYoda says, there are many ways to stay connected with your old friends.

 

[Reemaw]

Rendar5:
Well, I don't know how many hours architecture has you doing per week, but I know many people studying in that field and I see how much they work. They themselves are virtually lifeless. All of their time is spent curving over cardboard and crap like that to get their projects done. They work a LOT. With that, I've decided that if I'm going to be lifeless both ways (although I don't fully agree with that fact), why not do medicine? Especially that it's something I completely (think) want to do (e.g: not pushed into it)
I haven't considered nursing at all. Although if you think about it, you do get more in contact with patients being a nurse, but no. I haven't thought of that.
6 weeks of medical school left is pretty amazing though, and you should be proud. (Don't know why I'm getting the impression that you feel pretty miserable /= )
I don't think you'll regret any of your work in a couple of years no matter how hard it was. Good luck!!

 

[Reemaw]

Sorry your friend won't be going with you. That's really how alot of life goes though, as you go from HS to college and from college to working the geographical distance from your friends often increases. My three best friends from HS all live in either Cali or Florida, I'm in the midwest. Luckily we have things like email, nation-wide phone plans and facebook that allow us to easily stay in contact with our friends.


You will make new friends at you program, and you can stay in touch with old friends. Don't base decisions off what your friends are doing, do what you want to. Do for sure stay in contact with your friend though.

I haven't started med school yet, so I can't answer if I think it's worth it or not.

Thanks a lot I'm trying to adjust myself from now. I've always knew that we would part as high school ends.. But this friend per say applied with me to certain schools as she was interested in medicine too, so I got pretty attached, fantasizing about how college would be mediocrely fun.. After she got accepted with me, she decided that she wanted to follow her brother, and now she's applying to Austin I think, to major in chemistry or something like that.. Anyways, elaborated too much up there I think
Long story short, I don't think I care anymore if she's going to be there or not. I love the college I applied into, and that's what matters the most. If she's letting that go, it's her decision in the beginning and the end. She's not even that interested in chemistry and abandoned her dreams of majoring in medicine just to go to Texas. I have NO idea what the hell she's going to do.
Besides, the college isn't THAT far from where I live.. It's just about 90 minutes away by car.. So I can visit my friends whenever I want, I'll definitely make new one's, and Facebook gives you more than your fair share of "socializing".

Are you going to start med school anytime soon? Pre med perhaps?
Or something in the health field?

 

[Reemaw]

You will be graduating as a IMG or FMG. You will be having a harder time to get a residency spot comparing to a U.S medical school graduate. Only 50% of IMGs/FMGs match every year. If you want to practice in the U.S, please go to a U.S medical school. It would be easier for you to secure a residency.

Source: post from Dapakote. Originally from http://www.nrmp.org/data/advancedatatables2009.pdf


IMG: International medical graduate. A U.S citizen who went to abroad to complete his/her medical education.

FMG. Foreign medical graduate. A non-U.S citizen who attended a medical school in a foreign country.

Check out the Valuemd's residency section for more information.

Thanks for all that info! Well, I've applied to WCMC-Q, but I haven't received any reply from them yet.. That's the only U.S medical school I applied to.
I got accepted by RCSI, though.. And I haven't really thought about where I'm doing my residency (foolish much? I know) but I don't mind doing anything in Europe or Ireland.. I mean, if I possibly get into WCMC-Q that'll secure me a U.S residency as you say.. If I continue on with RCSI, I guess I might TRY to apply for a U.S residency and see how that goes. If it doesn't, I don't mind the UK.. Another reason though is that I'm already considered as an FMG as I'm not an American citizen so that doesn't change much /=

 

[DrYoda]

Thanks a lot I'm trying to adjust myself from now. I've always knew that we would part as high school ends.. But this friend per say applied with me to certain schools as she was interested in medicine too, so I got pretty attached, fantasizing about how college would be mediocrely fun.. After she got accepted with me, she decided that she wanted to follow her brother, and now she's applying to Austin I think, to major in chemistry or something like that.. Anyways, elaborated too much up there I think
Long story short, I don't think I care anymore if she's going to be there or not. I love the college I applied into, and that's what matters the most. If she's letting that go, it's her decision in the beginning and the end. She's not even that interested in chemistry and abandoned her dreams of majoring in medicine just to go to Texas. I have NO idea what the hell she's going to do.
Besides, the college isn't THAT far from where I live.. It's just about 90 minutes away by car.. So I can visit my friends whenever I want, I'll definitely make new one's, and Facebook gives you more than your fair share of "socializing".

Are you going to start med school anytime soon? Pre med perhaps?
Or something in the health field?

I'll be starting medical school in August.

Congrats on your acceptance btw.

 

[Reemaw]

Impressive Me like you, DrYoda You PSYCHED!?

And thanks a lot!

 

[Reemaw]

Well, I like the school a lot.. I don't know how the students "are" there, but I assume I won't be confronted by your dilemma Sure they're different, but it's nothing I can't handle! Med student = dreadful.. I've heard that a LOT. But as you say, you become happy as an intern, and most of the people I've seen would say the same thing. DO NOT ENTER MEDICAL SCHOOL. But also, a lot of people have told me that if you really want it, nothing's gonna stop you, and that they regret NOTHING of their past years.
I really wanna be a doctor. I'm not kidding. I hope that's good enough motive to get me through! I've swerved my way of thinking to that, if people say you're wasting your time, effort, and life going through med school, that shows how limited they are. Those are just my views, though..

 

[xnfs93hy]

Well, I like the school a lot.. I don't know how the students "are" there, but I assume I won't be confronted by your dilemma Sure they're different, but it's nothing I can't handle! Med student = dreadful.. I've heard that a LOT. But as you say, you become happy as an intern, and most of the people I've seen would say the same thing. DO NOT ENTER MEDICAL SCHOOL. But also, a lot of people have told me that if you really want it, nothing's gonna stop you, and that they regret NOTHING of their past years.
I really wanna be a doctor. I'm not kidding. I hope that's good enough motive to get me through! I've swerved my way of thinking to that, if people say you're wasting your time, effort, and life going through med school, that shows how limited they are. Those are just my views, though..

I do not deny you, but IMHO, you need more motivation than "I want to be a doctor."

For example, I have Epilepsy and I want to do NS. That is a gigantic goal and I still think I need motivation because you have to be Uber smart or study like absolute hell in MS to pull the numbers on the STEP I that you need, probably have to be decently high up in your class as well.

"I want to be a doctor" may motivate you to make it in to medical school but I really think you need to be passionate (even if you don't show it) to make it all the way.

 

[Reemaw]

I do not deny you, but IMHO, you need more motivation than "I want to be a doctor."

For example, I have Epilepsy and I want to do NS. That is a gigantic goal and I still think I need motivation because you have to be Uber smart or study like absolute hell in MS to pull the numbers on the STEP I that you need, probably have to be decently high up in your class as well.

"I want to be a doctor" may motivate you to make it in to medical school but I really think you need to be passionate (even if you don't show it) to make it all the way.

Well, I don't have any disorders per say, I have different conditions and I've been in and out of hospitals all my life. But for now, it's nothing very serious. My grandmother though had a malignant tumor in her brain about 12 years ago, and they removed it and she was okay. 3 months ago, she relapsed, and had another malignant tumor and had to get her skull open again and go through all the treatment again. She breaks my heart, and if anything, I want to be able to something to help that. Oncology is pretty amazing to me right now, but I'm also thinking of other things. NS is amazing too! Best of luck to you! I know that medicine isn't easy, but there really isn't anything easy to do except if you want the easy way out. That's not something I'm considering.
What year are you in now? I assume second year pre med?

 

[236116]

I do not deny you, but IMHO, you need more motivation than "I want to be a doctor."

LOL. Kid, "I want to be a doctor" encompasses more than you can conceive.

 

[Reemaw]

^ Me like

 

[tennisball80]

Thanks for all that info! Well, I've applied to WCMC-Q, but I haven't received any reply from them yet.. That's the only U.S medical school I applied to.
I got accepted by RCSI, though.. And I haven't really thought about where I'm doing my residency (foolish much? I know) but I don't mind doing anything in Europe or Ireland.. I mean, if I possibly get into WCMC-Q that'll secure me a U.S residency as you say.. If I continue on with RCSI, I guess I might TRY to apply for a U.S residency and see how that goes. If it doesn't, I don't mind the UK.. Another reason though is that I'm already considered as an FMG as I'm not an American citizen so that doesn't change much /=

I want to also point it out that U.K and Ireland need a EU passport for internship (residency).

If you don't have a EU passport, it is nearly impossible to get an internship position.

 

[Reemaw]

I didn't think of that d:

But they do have many residency programs in Bahrain /=
That's what I've been told.. And I don't mind continuing there..

 

[Shells]

Hi there Reemaw!! well, it's interesting to see how excited you are in coming to RCSI-MUB.

It's great to see that you are enthuastic about becoming a doctor, but I would like to shed some reality. Medicine is not difficult, it's just a lot of work. The concepts you will learn aren't hard, but it's the volume of workload that you have to deal with.

In addition, it's the stuff "around" medicine that can be difficult. For instance, the people you deal with in your class. It can be very difficult to find "good" friends in medicine, as there are a lot of type A, competitive personalities here. People might try to sabatoge you as well (this might happen in later years in residencies or last years in medicine) and dont be surprised if they do. Some people might try to help you as well. Medicine is competitive and continues to be competitive as the years go by. If you want to be a GOOD DOCTOR, you learn to walk away from people who are capable of sabotaging, but with dignity and respect for self and others. Most importantly, a good doctor would know how to work with people-colleagues, other health care professionals, etc.

I am much older than you and I have been into other universities. I would like to say that you will not get a full university experience here in RCSI-MUB. There isn't much to do in this country, especially if you are coming from a developed nation.

I am not sure who told you that you can intern in Bahrain, this is incorrect. If you are Bahraini, only then will you have a chance and the chance is slim. It is only for family medicine program. There are no other internship programs here. If you are hoping to get an internship here, I believe you should think again before coming. Unless the school does something about it, you will have to leave when you graduate and try to do residency elsewhere. This is where the passport comes in handy. It's quite political-it's not how good of a doctor you are, it's the passport you hold...