Is medicine not for me?

[mechanics]

Hi there, I am currently 20 years old and have been out of school for 2 years now. During this time, a close family member of mine passed away and have been living in stricken poverty and depression. I feel motivated to get back on track now that I can, but I feel I may be wasting my time? I feel as though my IQ has severely deteriorated over this time, and I would not be able to perform as well as the medical schools want me too in undergrad. I did, however, graduate 89 average. And finding out that old friends from high-school have already been accepted to med-schools and are preparing themselves is also disheartening as well. I can only start next year at 21 (most universities do not allow entry in January for science programs), and will be 25 by the time I do get in med-school. I've always been fascinated by medicine as a child, particularly oncology and could not see myself doing any other thing.

 

 

Is it better to quit before my losses are too great? I've been out of school for 2 years, and transitioning to university level sciences just might be too difficult?

 

I appreciate all responses and I thank for your time.

[TheBoss]

Plenty of people take time off school before going to university, I don't think that should be a problem. Also, I think the average age of people starting med school is about 25 anyway. You're not behind; you're right on time.

[future_doc]

You have developed increased maturity and life experience, which is good.

 

The fact that your friends move ahead academically and that you have been away from school for 2 years is totally irrelevant, proves nothing and says nothing.

 

You are motivated and now have a sense of direction. This puts you way ahead. Doing well in undergrad has everything to do with motivation, a very strong work ehtic, discipline, focus, dedication, stress and time management skills and IQ is somewhere at the very bottom of the heap. It is about prioritizing and not having distractions. Hard work is worth farmore than pure intelligence and is worth much more.

 

So, indeed, you are good to go. Your future is entirely in your hands and all you need do is to be efficient and do the best of which you are capable,k when you stumble, stand up and move forward, we learn more fromk our failures than our successes. Focus on your studies, take something that interests you and that can lead to a Plan B for an alternative interesting and financially sustainable career. You can do it, you will do it! Age is only a number and you are sooo young.

[Renoir]

Hard work hard work. If you graduated with 89, all you have to do is put in the hours daily when you get home. (study is a grind, no matter how bright you are)

 

I graduated from college over 5 years ago, and am just now starting the u/g. (As you say, because I felt my IQ starting to dip...)

 

You'll be fine, just have the confidence and know as an absolute certainty that you can't see yourself doing anything but med. Good luck, and welcome to the old person club. It means you'll have some of the freshmen cowed.

[future_doc]

well said fourloves

[medguy5367]

It does not sound like medicine is for you, especially if you are concerned about being able to perform academically. Medicine is quite challenging academically.

 

Additionally, if you are still living in poverty, then taking out $100,00+ loans won't help your situation.

 

I suggest you consider alternate careers in health care if that is what you are interested in.

[oto]

Hi there, I am currently 20 years old and have been out of school for 2 years now. During this time, a close family member of mine passed away and have been living in stricken poverty and depression. I feel motivated to get back on track now that I can, but I feel I may be wasting my time? I feel as though my IQ has severely deteriorated over this time, and I would not be able to perform as well as the medical schools want me too in undergrad. I did, however, graduate 89 average. And finding out that old friends from high-school have already been accepted to med-schools and are preparing themselves is also disheartening as well. I can only start next year at 21 (most universities do not allow entry in January for science programs), and will be 25 by the time I do get in med-school. I've always been fascinated by medicine as a child, particularly oncology and could not see myself doing any other thing.

 

 

Is it better to quit before my losses are too great? I've been out of school for 2 years, and transitioning to university level sciences just might be too difficult?

 

I appreciate all responses and I thank for your time.

 

Hmm, you know what, there's no need to go to university at all. Just work and then go straight to the library to read books of your choice on medicine (especially oncology). Volunteer a bit to help out cancer patients also.

 

This will definitely satisfy your fascination with medicine AND you'll have an income.

[Maher]

Hi there, I am currently 20 years old and have been out of school for 2 years now. During this time, a close family member of mine passed away and have been living in stricken poverty and depression. I feel motivated to get back on track now that I can, but I feel I may be wasting my time? I feel as though my IQ has severely deteriorated over this time, and I would not be able to perform as well as the medical schools want me too in undergrad. I did, however, graduate 89 average. And finding out that old friends from high-school have already been accepted to med-schools and are preparing themselves is also disheartening as well. I can only start next year at 21 (most universities do not allow entry in January for science programs), and will be 25 by the time I do get in med-school. I've always been fascinated by medicine as a child, particularly oncology and could not see myself doing any other thing.

 

 

Is it better to quit before my losses are too great? I've been out of school for 2 years, and transitioning to university level sciences just might be too difficult?

 

I appreciate all responses and I thank for your time.

 

Read this and take it to heart. First of all, your IQ level does not determine whether or not you will succeed in university. What determines success is determination, persistence, and patience. You are still very young and you have your whole life ahead of you. Feel lucky that you live in a country where you can attend university with aid from the government. Work hard, get to med school, kill med school, become an amazing doctor and your situation will reverse!

[kylamonkey]

Hi there, I am currently 20 years old and have been out of school for 2 years now. During this time, a close family member of mine passed away and have been living in stricken poverty and depression. I feel motivated to get back on track now that I can, but I feel I may be wasting my time? I feel as though my IQ has severely deteriorated over this time, and I would not be able to perform as well as the medical schools want me too in undergrad. I did, however, graduate 89 average. And finding out that old friends from high-school have already been accepted to med-schools and are preparing themselves is also disheartening as well. I can only start next year at 21 (most universities do not allow entry in January for science programs), and will be 25 by the time I do get in med-school. I've always been fascinated by medicine as a child, particularly oncology and could not see myself doing any other thing.

 

 

Is it better to quit before my losses are too great? I've been out of school for 2 years, and transitioning to university level sciences just might be too difficult?

 

I appreciate all responses and I thank for your time.

 

You know what? When I decided to go back to school I had been living in a small town for a while. The average level of discourse was pretty low.

 

I found that once I immersed myself in the university experience I bounced right back. Try taking a term at a community college or something first to ease yourself in, or if you feel you can handle it, take a course through correspondence.

 

If it is what you want, you can get it. 89% in high school is just fine, it shows you have either the innate smarts or study skills (or both) to make it.

 

BUT- this is super hard work. Don't get me wrong. Also, don't expect to get in right away. Are you willing to apply 3,4, 8 times? Are you willing to not get in until you're 30? It might happen. Med schools say they don't discriminate, but there are checks in place that you'll find when you start to apply. It is definitely easier to be a traditional applicant- I keep telling my cousin in grade 12 that he is the perfect applicant because he hasn't screwed up yet.

[Claire00]

Hi Wanderer. I have experienced the same problem as yours before. What I did was I didn't care about my status that time (IQ deteriorated, too old to go to school, etc), instead I focused on finishing my college degree as soon as possible and get a job. It is the motivation that drive me to reach my dreams.

[Renoir]

... It is definitely easier to be a traditional applicant- I keep telling my cousin in grade 12 that he is the perfect applicant because he hasn't screwed up yet.

 

I haven't heard of this before - I thought non-trad were often better candidates as they have life experience, ecs, volunteer, and maturity. (in many cases... )

 

Why would a trad out of UG have a better chance, given similar GPA, MCAT, EC, Volunteer?

[oto]

I haven't heard of this before - I thought non-trad were often better candidates as they have life experience, ecs, volunteer, and maturity. (in many cases... )

 

Why would a trad out of UG have a better chance, given similar GPA, MCAT, EC, Volunteer?

 

Hmm, you wrote what I was thinking also.

 

Maybe it's that medical schools look for consistency over experience though. I mean, a student with 4 consistent undergrad years of a high gpa (3.8+?) may be looked upon favourably than a person with 2 undergrads who had a 3.5 gpa during his/her first undergrad and then a higher (3.8 gpa) in the second undergrad.

[azzurrifan87]

You don't necessarily need to get a B.Sc. As long as you do the necessary pre-reqs you can major in whatever interests you. Remember that if you like what you study you're more likely to succeed. The first year or 2 back might be tough as you get used to studying and university life but you'd adjust. You'll also need to get involved in ECs and stuff but you can do it.

 

Also don't be discouraged by your age. People enter med school at all different ages. I have a friend who was 25 when she started. Someone else I know was 27. The fact is as long as you like medicine age shouldn't matter.

[Prothrombin]

It does not sound like medicine is for you, especially if you are concerned about being able to perform academically. Medicine is quite challenging academically.

 

Additionally, if you are still living in poverty, then taking out $100,00+ loans won't help your situation.

 

I suggest you consider alternate careers in health care if that is what you are interested in.

 

What the FU CK, i hope this is sarcasm because this is some of the worst advice i've seen on this board. Your financial situation shouldn't dictate what career you choose, in fact it should motivate you to pursue an interesting career with good financial potential. As far as academic performance is concerned, you'll never know unless you try. It's completely normal to be worried about your academic performance in university, given the degree of competitiveness of med schools, and the toughness of some of the programs and courses.

[hking03]

What the FU CK, i hope this is sarcasm because this is some of the worst advice i've seen on this board. Your financial situation shouldn't dictate what career you choose, in fact it should motivate you to pursue an interesting career with good financial potential. As far as academic performance is concerned, you'll never know unless you try. It's completely normal to be worried about your academic performance in university, given the degree of competitiveness of med schools, and the toughness of some of the programs and courses.

+ 1. Don't let your financial situation dictate your career path. Student Loans, Grants, Bursaries, Scholarships are out there for a reason... In the states Doctors come out of medical school with upwards of 200k in student loans... we are lucky in Canada to walk out with 100k... don't let that turn you away from pursuing something you really want to pursue.

 

Almost everybody doubts themselves in terms of academic performance at some point in time... if you don't you are either a machine or lying.

 

Good luck!

[apache]

I think the median age of people in my class at first year was maybe 24 and we're a "younger" med school; there's tons of people in their late twenties and early thirties in my class.

 

The biggest thing is believing in yourself, people think that intelligence is fixed, but your brain is like a muscle: if you keep challenging yourself with new material and people who challenge you, you will see results very quickly.

 

I caution you not to jump into medicine though. Even in medicine, many people are unsure of what specialty they'd like to practice, it really comes down to actually doing the work to know it's for you, but if you're willing to put in the work to get where you want to be, anythings possible! I was told by many people that I wasn't the calibre of student, or that I didn't have the intellect to do something like medicine, but once I found something I enjoyed in school (rather than what I felt was uninteresting in high school) it lit a fire under me and I read voraciously. In my experience, I've found it's not so much the person but the effort that matters.

 

That's my two cents, hope it helps.

 

Hi there, I am currently 20 years old and have been out of school for 2 years now. During this time, a close family member of mine passed away and have been living in stricken poverty and depression. I feel motivated to get back on track now that I can, but I feel I may be wasting my time? I feel as though my IQ has severely deteriorated over this time, and I would not be able to perform as well as the medical schools want me too in undergrad. I did, however, graduate 89 average. And finding out that old friends from high-school have already been accepted to med-schools and are preparing themselves is also disheartening as well. I can only start next year at 21 (most universities do not allow entry in January for science programs), and will be 25 by the time I do get in med-school. I've always been fascinated by medicine as a child, particularly oncology and could not see myself doing any other thing.

 

 

Is it better to quit before my losses are too great? I've been out of school for 2 years, and transitioning to university level sciences just might be too difficult?

 

I appreciate all responses and I thank for your time.

[apache]

First of all, this guy doesn't know what he's talking about, people change all the time!

 

I was concerned about doing well academically in university and relegated my career choices to some government job upon initially entering university: in my middle two years of university I accumulated over 20 scholarships (including 3 national scholarships) and 45,000 dollars in funding , scored two research positions, got two high paying jobs (20 and 23$ per hour) in health care and held down numerous volunteering positions, all while maintaining a 95% plus GPA in university. However, I was also initially rejected for numerous positions, and had to withdraw from a class in my first semester: the key is persistence and a belief in yourself despite adversity.

 

In high school I had had high 60's, low 70's in grade 10 and 11, and a bit higher in grade 12, all while living in significant poverty, so don't let finances hold you down, once you get into medicine the banks will help you, also, student loans are very helpful if you come from a low income family

 

I'm not saying this to brag, but my latter achievements (or lack thereof) were what came out of me not believing in myself, whereas my prior ones were built through a slow and steady exposure to experiences that built my confidence; now I believe I can stand toe to toe with anyone I approach, self beliefs are very important, and for you to define his self belief system in a negative framework isn't very conducive to him achieving his goals.

 

My advice to the original poster would be to start out slow, take maybe four classes, and don't volunteer initially, there's lots of time for that later. Prove to yourself that you can succeed, and then from there, gradually add more responsibilities and challenges so you can continually build up your confidence to be among the best in the class.

 

Best of luck!

 

It does not sound like medicine is for you, especially if you are concerned about being able to perform academically. Medicine is quite challenging academically.

 

Additionally, if you are still living in poverty, then taking out $100,00+ loans won't help your situation.

 

I suggest you consider alternate careers in health care if that is what you are interested in.

[rogerroger]

Hi there, I am currently 20 years old and have been out of school for 2 years now. During this time, a close family member of mine passed away and have been living in stricken poverty and depression. I feel motivated to get back on track now that I can, but I feel I may be wasting my time? I feel as though my IQ has severely deteriorated over this time, and I would not be able to perform as well as the medical schools want me too in undergrad. I did, however, graduate 89 average. And finding out that old friends from high-school have already been accepted to med-schools and are preparing themselves is also disheartening as well. I can only start next year at 21 (most universities do not allow entry in January for science programs), and will be 25 by the time I do get in med-school. I've always been fascinated by medicine as a child, particularly oncology and could not see myself doing any other thing.

 

 

Is it better to quit before my losses are too great? I've been out of school for 2 years, and transitioning to university level sciences just might be too difficult?

 

I appreciate all responses and I thank for your time.

 

Go for it! The life experience you accumulated over the last several years will serve you well on the road ahead. I did the direct high school -> undergrad -> MD route. There are more than a few times along this long road that I wished I took more time to grow and mature. Also in first year the avg age was 24 point something. It not rare to run into people who are >30 and starting residency.

 

You are in an excellent position. Go forth, enjoy, and good luck!

[panda__eyes]

To the OP:

It seems like you are struggling to find a balance between your emotions and rationale, especially since you are seeking feedback and/or reassurance and/or support from individuals who you know do not have anywhere near a solid understanding of your past and present. Although easier said than done (but can be done), I suggest taking your mind off of this matter for a few weeks and then revisit it. It's very understandable that you're thinking about your situation constantly but at the same time, doing that often leads you to scrutinize and persist on perhaps irrelevant details and minor things, while leaving out the bigger picture.

[Wayward son]

Is it better to quit before my losses are too great? I've been out of school for 2 years, and transitioning to university level sciences just might be too difficult?

 

I appreciate all responses and I thank for your time.

 

I know an ICU doctor who worked at a mill in his 20s. In his 30s he went to university and then medical school. Your age is not a barrier to success to university or acceptance at medical school. If anything your experiences will be an asset for both.

[apache]

i.e. most IMG's start residency at like 35

 

Go for it! The life experience you accumulated over the last several years will serve you well on the road ahead. I did the direct high school -> undergrad -> MD route. There are more than a few times along this long road that I wished I took more time to grow and mature. Also in first year the avg age was 24 point something. It not rare to run into people who are >30 and starting residency.

 

You are in an excellent position. Go forth, enjoy, and good luck!

[mechanics]

You have developed increased maturity and life experience, which is good.

 

The fact that your friends move ahead academically and that you have been away from school for 2 years is totally irrelevant, proves nothing and says nothing.

 

You are motivated and now have a sense of direction. This puts you way ahead. Doing well in undergrad has everything to do with motivation, a very strong work ehtic, discipline, focus, dedication, stress and time management skills and IQ is somewhere at the very bottom of the heap. It is about prioritizing and not having distractions. Hard work is worth farmore than pure intelligence and is worth much more.

 

So, indeed, you are good to go. Your future is entirely in your hands and all you need do is to be efficient and do the best of which you are capable,k when you stumble, stand up and move forward, we learn more fromk our failures than our successes. Focus on your studies, take something that interests you and that can lead to a Plan B for an alternative interesting and financially sustainable career. You can do it, you will do it! Age is only a number and you are sooo young.

 

This post really helped, both informative and emotionally touching. Thank you for that, future_doc. I needed that.

[mechanics]

I think the median age of people in my class at first year was maybe 24 and we're a "younger" med school; there's tons of people in their late twenties and early thirties in my class.

 

The biggest thing is believing in yourself, people think that intelligence is fixed, but your brain is like a muscle: if you keep challenging yourself with new material and people who challenge you, you will see results very quickly.

 

I caution you not to jump into medicine though. Even in medicine, many people are unsure of what specialty they'd like to practice, it really comes down to actually doing the work to know it's for you, but if you're willing to put in the work to get where you want to be, anythings possible! I was told by many people that I wasn't the calibre of student, or that I didn't have the intellect to do something like medicine, but once I found something I enjoyed in school (rather than what I felt was uninteresting in high school) it lit a fire under me and I read voraciously. In my experience, I've found it's not so much the person but the effort that matters.

 

That's my two cents, hope it helps.

Another golden post, this was very very helpful. Thank you and that's great of you, proving all those people wrong. For some reason, like other people, I seem to have stereotyped medicine as a profession that only a genius gets into.

[mechanics]

Thanks once again for all these great posts, I do appreciate them and I hope you all are doing well.

 

I have one more question, how difficult was the high-school to university transition for you guys? Were you 90+ students and experienced a 15% drop? I appreciate all input.

[RyanMaverick]

I got 90%'s in high school. My first year my average was around 67%. However, it should be noted that I coupled that 23% fall in GPA with at least that much of an increase in my average BAC. I've matured (arguably) a little these days.