kevinkwon84 Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 Hi everyone! I am an undergrad student at UofT, and becoming a doctor was my dream since I was very young. Things have not been so smooth between me and my father. I grew up in a strict, VERY traditional Korean family so my father giving me his "advise" has been a casual thing. I am now 23 years old and I believe I can handle things by myself. Ever since I got into university, I decided to be less dependent on my parents and for 4 years I'd been working part-time during school to support myself (of course, with aid of BCSAP). I'm currently on 4th yearm and if it went as it should have went I should be graduating this coming May. As many of you might already know, university-study doesn't always go as planned. Many goes for 5th year and other 6 years +. I, myself, had relatively lower GPA compared to competitive applicants, so I decided to stay at the university for at least another 2 years to boost my GPA. During those 2 years, I also wanted to travel to other countries to broaden my horizon, study to score higher on the MCAT (got 10PS, 9BS, 8VR, and Q on WS), do more volunteerings, and A LOT MORE! I just waned to seize every opportunity there is out there before I begin medical school application. But when I told my father about my "2 years of victory lab" plan, he thought I was being extremely ridiculous. We had 3 hours of argument over the phone. I tried to be patient as much as I can and to explain how much I wanted to be a doctor and how passionate I was. I also told him how taking extra years at the universiy would be essential for my medical school applcation. 2 hours of convincing did not help at all. My father is a very stubborn man, and if my memory serves me right no one has EVER succeeded in convincing him on anything. He would just compare myself to his friends' sons/daughters and criticize on how far I am falling behind right now. I tried my best to convince him that going to medical school is not all about competition, but becoming a person with quality. I tried, I tried, I tried....but my stubborn old man would just compare myself to his friends' "successful" children, criticize on how immature and ignorant I am (I have no idea where he got this), and say how son should obey his father. Please, I've been very patient with him and tried everything I could to convince him. Any advise will be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sars Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 I think most schools look down on taking a few extra years of undergrad just to boost GPA, or atleast I know UBC does. You should think about it carefully and try to get some stats to see how many people in 5th/6th year actually end up going to med school. As for your father, I don't see how anyone here can help you with that.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Cave Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 you are way more than old enough to do as you wish. If your father can;t respect your decisions then that is his problem. Sounds like he is concerned about what others will think of you. Give him an eye opener by showing up in full gay stud leather regalia while holding hands with a similarly attired friend same sex friend. After that he won't care about your victory lap Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lll Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 i am not sure whether i can be of any help..but i've tried my best...dont get annoyed if it doesnt help....firstly, go back home and sit with ur dad..and talk in person about this...it will be a lot better than over the phone...patiently explain how this can be beneficial...if it fails then u cud think about doing masters...in that case..u r being educated climbing up the ladder...ask a family friend or sum1 from the family to discuss this as well...they can support ur plan and also convince ur dad this might be fine... ________ Leeds Assembly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avenir001 Posted February 9, 2008 Report Share Posted February 9, 2008 make sure u know what u're getting yourself into...do you know what went wrong for u? are you fairly certain that staying for another 2 years will improve your gpa? do u know what it will take to get the gpa u want, and are u willing to do it? it sounds to me like u have too much to do in 2 years (fixing gpa & mcat, volunteering, travelling, and much more)...i'd mostly just focus on my studies and volunteering if i were u...travelling and other opportunities will always be there, but it's very difficult to improve a low overall gpa, so i'd focus on that first. anyway, if u have a plan and are determined to do what it takes, i would do the 2+ years, preferably as part of a second degree. if u're unsure or really want to travel/have fun, take a year or two off, do your thing, and come back. don't worry about your dad..be nice, he's your dad and he wants the best for you in his own weird way...but this is about your life and your happiness and at the end he'll be happy if u're happy..just make sure u're not going to be calling him back in a few years to say u're still gonna do a few more yrs of undergrad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bayervillager Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 Do you have an interest in graduate studies? If you like research, you can take the two years and do a Master's degree instead. If you don't like research, you can do a course-based MSc in Biotech or Clinical Sciences. It will help your application to medical school because some schools will overlook a low undergrad GPA providing the graduate course work is good, and doing a Master's might be more palatable to your father. Plus, depending what you do your MSc in, it can also help you succeed in medical school. For example, there's a guy in my class who did a MSc in radiation physics, and his degree is really going to help him if he chooses to apply for radiology or radiation oncology residency later on. If you are into more "hands-on" type of things, you can also try 2 year paramedic, X-ray technologist etc. college degrees. You get time to increase your MCAT scores, and good health-care related experiences to talk about during your medical school interviews. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldboy82 Posted February 10, 2008 Report Share Posted February 10, 2008 I have sent you PM, Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0T6 Posted February 11, 2008 Report Share Posted February 11, 2008 Get your dad to have a look at this forum so he can see how many fantastic applicants don't get in just cause there aren't enough spots, then maybe he'll appreciate why you're choosing to do whatever you do to make yourself more appealing, and get him to consider all of his friends' kids - i highly doubt ALL of them got into meds off the get go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 well forgive the simplicity of my answer, but if you feel that you are not competitive enough to get into medical school, and your father disagrees, why not apply and prove him wrong? (or better yet, be proven wrong, and end up with an acceptance? ) I assume if he's pushing you so much, he should be willing to pay for the application, so you've really got nothing to loose: experience is very valuable for applying to medicine. Maybe I've misunderstood the problem, but what is your father's alternative to your 2 year victory lap? I'd side with others on here and say that doing a masters, even if it is course based, would be better than a 2 year victory lap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocInTraining Posted February 12, 2008 Report Share Posted February 12, 2008 I know what its like to have a parent that pushes you in a direction you don't want. I don't really have any suggestions, but just wanted to say hi and I hope you can work things out. It's never a nice feeling when it feels as though your parent(s) can't or won't accept your decisions. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinkwon84 Posted February 13, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2008 thnx everyone! You guys have been helpful and most considerate. I've decided to walk the path I believe its right, and will prove that I can succeed in whatever I am planning. Again, thank you very much for your support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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