dr_2020 Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 Dear all As you may already know, I am in the infancy stages of the 'medicine' path. Yesterday, I met with a Radiologist. The Dr. was telling me that in his early school years all he ever wanted to do was to become a surgeon. For him, this meant living and breathing the textbooks, study study study ... studying occupied most of his waking life towards becoming a surgeon. Unfortunately he was unable to fulfill his dream. He later switched to radiology and is quite happy in his profession. He suggested to me, that if you really really really want to study medicine, you have to enter medicine for the 'right' reasons, be absolutely certain this is what you want to do, be incredibly determined, driven, motivated and to make sacrifices enroute to being a doctor. This includes: working behind your desk for many many hours, and facing a mountain of debt. Yikes! (was my initial response). Is this the reality of being a medical student? Is there no life? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0T6 Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 I don't think that accurately depicts my life right now.. but everyone IS different. I'm going out more now than I did in undergrad, I think I'm overall happier, and I'm doing well at school. It really depends on the type of student you are and how much you need to study to not only do well, but to feel good about what you've learned.. some people aren't happy until they review stuff a dozen times, even if they know it cold by the 3rd or 4th run through. So yah, I'm sure a lot of ppl agree with me that life as a med student (1st and 2nd year at least) is great, and others will probably have the complete opposite viewpoint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_B Posted January 16, 2007 Report Share Posted January 16, 2007 I'm first year, so I can't comment on what upper year students feel, but I will say this. When you are in, you enter the "bubble" of medicine. If you move to go to medical school, it is likely that most/all of your friends will be in medicine. The opportunites are quite simply VAST. There seems to be over a hundred different things we can do that are medically related, from sitting on review boards, taking elective courses, journal clubs, volunteering, and so forth. When you aren't doing these things (should you choose to do them of course) you may be doing observerships, studying, working on group projects, and so forth. So to be honest, for many in my class, it seems as though they are always doing something that can be traced back to them being in medical school. I myself am fortunate that I came with my fiance to school, and although this brings its own challenges, I thankfully have an outlet that keeps me connected with the outside world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talon01 Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Depends on the type of person you are. The same the second hardest thing to do is to get into a med school in Ontario. The hardest thing to do is to get kicked out of that school. Once you're in, the grading system is pass/fail (honors if you get > 80% at some schools). Now, there's a wackload of people who will still stress out if they don't get 95% and will spend hours and hours upon hours memorizing every minute detail. However, there are some people who aren't as high strung and maintain a balanced life. Don't worry, as long as you're not uber competitive (which most people need to be before getting into med school) and will be ok not being the top student in the class there's plenty of free time. I find I have WAY more freetime now (second year) than my previous 6 years of school. Morale of the story: there's a life outside school if you want one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenola Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Yeah, that pass/fail thing is great. Finally starting to relax a little...it takes a while to get used to NOT worrying all the time. The free time is definatly there if you want it. Most people still study like mad....I know a few with young kids that try to approach it like a job. They work until 5 or 6 or so, and then they quit (except for exam time). So, you could have almost every evening off (at least in your preclinical years), but it just depends how you want to orchestrate it. Kenola Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyleh Posted January 18, 2007 Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 What medical schools do the previous^ posters attend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0T6 Posted January 18, 2007 Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 Talon01 and myself are both 2nd years at Ottawa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JewelLeigh Posted January 18, 2007 Report Share Posted January 18, 2007 Speaking from a 3rd year perspective, it's a significant amount harder to have a life outside of medicine once you start clerkship. 12 hour days are common and 1 in 4 or 5 call is the norm, not to mention studying. So, while that leaves a few hours in the week for other stuff....I am usually tempted to spend them either sleeping or staring at my TV in a semi-comatose state Seriously though...it's possible to have a life outside of medicine in clerkship and I'm guessing beyond, but it might not be as extensive as in the first couple of years, and it requires a lot more effort! I personally think the effort is not only worth it, but also necessary for one's sanity! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CutieYellow Posted January 19, 2007 Report Share Posted January 19, 2007 I'm a 4th year - and it's relatively easy to do stuff outside of medicine in the first two yrs. The third one is slightly harder, b/c of clerkship/calls/sheer exhaustion. However, be prepared to do medicine, a little of extracurrics and lots of studying in 4th yr. With the finals coming up, there is only so much time we can dedicate outside of med - doesn't mean we don't have time to go play our weekly basketball intramural or go to the gym once in a while... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
degoo_ Posted January 21, 2007 Report Share Posted January 21, 2007 I'm not sure if this was mentioned elsewhere, but reading the US forums on a similar question, it seems that many med students actually skip a whole bunch of their classes. Is this phenomenon as prevalent in Canada? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
everyoneloveschem Posted January 21, 2007 Report Share Posted January 21, 2007 Disclaimer: I don't think I am as smart as everyone else in medical school. I find med school chews up more of my time than undergrad did to achieve the same grades. The content in med school is not harder, in fact it is easier, but they throw more at you (volume overload). I have not yet figured out what I can let go. I do not fool myself into thinking I can learn it all, but I haven't determined the fine line between studying too much and not enough. I don't JUST want to pass, I have some personal pride, which may be whittled down as I become increasing sick of having no life. That sounds pretty negative. I actually am not unhappy. I find time to cook and eat real food, I go to the gym a couple times a week, I spend time with my family at least once a week and I do some social stuff. I do not have the same amount of time for my hobbies that I used to have. I am currently struggling with finding the balance. [i wish I had a dollar for every time I have talked about balance, I'd be a rich gal] So...free time...it really depends on a) how smart you are/how easily you 'get' stuff how much free time you are used to c) how well you want to do and d) all the other stuff you want to fit into your life (does grocery shopping count towards free time?). I just wanted to post another perspective, because I know that I am not the only person in my class struggling with this. Granted we tend to be the applicants who did not come directly from undergrad, so maybe we just have greater expectations for life outside of school? I don't know. Just be aware that your life may change (for good and bad). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kosmo14 Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 I found the pre clerkship years very nice, did a lot outside of medicine (more than in undergrad), clerkship was quite a bit harder, less time, less sleep leaving you quite drained. Now that residency has come I find myself saying all too frequently "what life". Typical days 10-14 hours and then being on call every 3-4 nights makes having a life quite difficult especially when you seem to be recovering from call 4 out of the 7 days a week. Then there is the issue of weekends. Forget having weekends off, you frequently are on call at least one of the weekend days 3/4 weekends a month. All that being said, it is just for a short time. Typically as a junior resident you do more call than the senior residents so it should get better. So enjoy your time now, because if you spend every waking moment studying/living and breathing medicine you are in for a very long 6-9 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blinknoodle Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 I found I had more of a life while in years 1 and 2 of medical school. I suppose that was the benefit of a pass/fail system where everyone passes, so it is nice to have something else other than grades to help differentiate you from the pack. Now that I am in clerkship, I have found myself wondering how I keep the stamina going at times... granted, I started with surgery and just finished my obstetrics rotation with 1:4 call. Clerks actually have it better then the residents, since we actually get off post-call (not so for the senior surgery residents!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ans Posted January 22, 2007 Report Share Posted January 22, 2007 What are you doing your residency in? I found the pre clerkship years very nice, did a lot outside of medicine (more than in undergrad), clerkship was quite a bit harder, less time, less sleep leaving you quite drained. Now that residency has come I find myself saying all too frequently "what life". Typical days 10-14 hours and then being on call every 3-4 nights makes having a life quite difficult especially when you seem to be recovering from call 4 out of the 7 days a week. Then there is the issue of weekends. Forget having weekends off, you frequently are on call at least one of the weekend days 3/4 weekends a month. All that being said, it is just for a short time. Typically as a junior resident you do more call than the senior residents so it should get better. So enjoy your time now, because if you spend every waking moment studying/living and breathing medicine you are in for a very long 6-9 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kosmo14 Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 I am doing my residency in Anesthesia, so it will get significantly better when I am actually doing anesthesia as it trends towards a much more humane residency (ie/ 16 hour call day off before and after and shorter daytime hours). The problem with the first year of residency is rotating through all of the services. The worst for workload are: gen surg, int med, obs/gyn, peds (all include a great deal of call, long hours, lots of responsibility). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Streethawk Posted January 31, 2007 Report Share Posted January 31, 2007 Dear allIs this the reality of being a medical student? Is there no life? If that is your reality, then you probably don't belong in Medicine. Come on now, you HAVE to have a life outside of Medicine. Yes, it is challenging. Yes, you might not have as much free time as in your undergrad days. BUT, it simply isn't healthy to be thinking about disease and being around sick people all day and night. Fair enough? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_2020 Posted January 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2007 If that is your reality, then you probably don't belong in Medicine. Come on now, you HAVE to have a life outside of Medicine. Yes, it is challenging. Yes, you might not have as much free time as in your undergrad days. BUT, it simply isn't healthy to be thinking about disease and being around sick people all day and night. Fair enough? I agree that living / breathing work matters isn't good mind health. Separate work and personal life as best as you can. That is a work philosophy I've learned to adopt for many years. In my life, I couldn't pass up my dedicated free time to a short stroll along the white sandy beaches, a splash in the water and watching the ocean waves roll in. I enjoy playing with my adorable, cheeky 4 year old niece and building sandcastles ... (she also likes cushion fights!). Of course, we are all unique people, how to manage work-life balance is going to be different person to person. Some may have more 'free' time than others, some may not. By the way, I am not in medical school yet. As per my original post, I am in the very early stages of pursing medicine. I should have elaborated further that I am currently working on my pre-med courses at this time. The radiologist I spoke with gave me a 'snapshot' of HIS experience going over hurdles, the commitment, sacrifices, emotions, expenses, determination, that made it possible for him to succeed. For him (not me), that meant studying full on with little room for playtime. I have read many posts in this Canadian Forum of other students living a similar lifestyle and carrying a stressful (but manageable) workload that comes with being a medical student. Is this the reality? This led me to raise the question here 'Is there life outside of medical school?'. On a side note .... In my view, I believe it is a 'smart' idea to talk (rather than surf the internet) with people currently in the medical profession (without leaping blindly into it). It gives me a better flavor of what it takes and what is involved to become a physician/specialist physician. Would you all agree/disagree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffp Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 I agree with the above posters. It depends what kind of person you are. How much you need to study in med school will depend on a variety of factors - like your study strategy, how efficient you are, how quickly you memorize things, etc. I did skip a bunch of lectures in the first 2 years of med school, but this will depend on the type of learner you are. Some people find lectures an effective way of absorbing material, and retain what they hear in a lecture. I can't learn anything in lectures. I need to be at my own desk, wearing pajamas, listening to music and eating snacks, usually in the middle of the night. I need the freedom to work at my own pace, and concentrate on what I find challenging or interesting. I can't stand to be in a crowded, distracting classroom at some godforsaken hour of the morning listening to a prof drone on. I found that I could cover a couple weeks' worth of lecture material in about 4-5 hours of home-study... so this freed up quite a bit of time for me. In clerkship and residency, you also have to deal with call and working weekends... but I found being out in the "real world" meant i was less tired than sitting in the classroom. When it comes to residency/fellowship, you have to be clear about your priorities. Some people I know chose "cushy" specialties because they wanted a life outside of medicine (ie. radiology, pathology, endocrine). I loved cardiology right from the start, but people warned me away from it because of the "bad" lifestyle. Eventually I reached the conclusion that you have to do what you love. Working 9-5 as a rheumatologist would absolutely kill me with boredom. As a cardiology trainee, I am very busy and work long hours... but I hardly notice the time passing by because I love what I'm doing. There are 2 things I think you need to remember: 1. No matter what your stage of training, retain friends and interests outside of medicine. It might seem too exhausting or time-consuming, but really - you'll feel better in the end. 2. No matter what specialty you choose, you can dictate your lifestyle to a certain extent. So you want to be a cardiologist or surgeon - go somewhere where you can join a large practice group and share call! You don't necessarily need to do 1:3 your whole life! Find someone else who wants to work part-time and share a practice with them... the options are yours to choose. good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
temp_degoo Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 What is 1:3? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffp Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 temp_degoo: sorry.. 1:3 is my shorthand for 1 in 3 call... what I currently am doing as a cardio fellow :-/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crackers Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 1:3 --- at least you're home call, I hope? I have senior medicine call that promises to be all night overnight 1:4 for 3 months next year, and long stretches of 1:3 on CCU this spring... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffp Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Yep, home call (theoretically at least). Cardio can be quite busy, and we scrub in the cath lab when there is a case in the middle of the night. The fellow also reviews all ER consults with the junior and takes all outside calls from GPs and docs in the periphery We stack our calls... which has both good and bad points. After 63 hours straight (Fri, Sat, Sun), you really feel like crap... but it means you have the other 3 weekends off in the month. Good luck with senior medicine! Maybe it's just me, but I prefer cardio fellow call any day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.