Not a typical pre-med question...

[ditde]

I've been working hard as hell this semester and feel pretty well-prepared to ace my Finals and get that 4.0 that I'm aiming for. I'm exercising on the regular, taking time to relax with friends and most importantly I'm studying efficiently and effectively. I have my pre-med summer all planned out too. In short, things are going well.

 

But sometimes I find myself wondering if I'm really cut out to be a doctor, assuming I can get the grades (which is a tall order in itself, but I'm choosing to ignore that for now). I know that medicine interests me, but is that really enough? I began to seriously think about this when I was learning about cancer a few days ago and thought about how cool it would be to be an Oncologist... and then I thought about what the actual job entailed. Medical stuff aside, I can't imagine myself ever being able to appropriately interact with a terminally ill patient. I've never been very empathetic and that is a quality that I would hope all doctors out there possess.

 

I read the posts of some of the posters on this site, and I can actually feel their passion in wanting to help people. I can see that they want to go into medicine to do good and make a difference in people's lives. I don't feel like I have that passion. Even when I dream about my future in medicine (yes, I do that sometimes ), I'm thinking about the cool anatomy classes and watching surgeries - not about actually HELPING PEOPLE.

 

I don't know if it's because I'm too caught up in the academic side of things right now since I'm currently in full-out school mode. I mean, I don't have a hollow tin chest, I'm not completely indifferent when it comes to helping people, I get that warm-fuzzy feeling too when I do a good deed... but no matter how much I want it to be, it's even close to being one of the main reasons I want to go into medicine (interest, prestige, being able to support my family when my parents retire).

 

I'm going to look for some volunteering opportunities this summer, on top of my research gig and studying. My friends and I are already going to start a English-Teaching/Basketball camp this summer and donate all the money we earn to a charity that we haven't decided on yet, but I think I need to really help people with my own two hands to hopefully light that spark in me...

 

I rambling, sorry.

 

Thoughts?

[gluck]

Find an oncologist willing to let you shadow them. I suspect it might change your outlook.

 

That or, you know, become a pathologist . All of the "interest, prestige, being able to support my family when my parents retire" ...none of the (live) patients.

 

In any case, give it some serious thought. Medicine is a long road, you want to be sure about it before you apply.

[ditde]

I'm only a first year, but I feel like I'm prepared to do what it takes to get in. I'm more worried about being the kind of person that medical schools are looking for, not just because I want to maximize my chances of getting in, but also because I want to become a better human being.

 

And yes, I will be looking for doctors to shadow next school year.

 

Thanks for your reply gluck!

[future_doc]

Helping others in any context is the next step and you will grow from the experience. It can be a soup kitchen, Big Brother, an elder neighbour, whatever.

[Robin Hood]

The great thing about medicine is that it's such a broad field. Sure, many specialties are best suited for empathetic people, but there are plenty of other areas, like surgery, pathology (as another poster mentioned), etc where you don't have much contact with awake patients. I don't think you need to be all that empathetic to be successful in these areas.

 

But won't someone who is not very empathic have a hard time during the interview.

[future_doc]

But won't someone who is not very empathic have a hard time during the interview.

 

If you are personable, an ethical and critical thinker, probelm solver, can calmly deal with a high pressure environment, are honest, able to understand and bond with people, you should be fine during the MEMFI (MMI).

[<abstract>]

Lately I have been having the same trouble as the original poster. There are days were being a doctor is the only thing I can see myself doing. I enjoy helping people, I am good in science, I have the GPA and have all the fluff med school admin committees are looking for (I assume). But sometimes I feel like I am not cut out to be a doctor and I should just cut my losses and get a masters in chemical engineering and make a wad of cash in oil patch in Alberta. I have never been extremely personable and sometimes I find it difficult and draining to interact with people that I don't even know. Mean while, with the odds of getting in to medical school and the years of training + residency it doesn't seem to be worth it. I don't want to spend my youth in school or waiting for an acceptance letter while my friends move away, get careers, and start families. But then again, being a doctor and helping people still seems appealing to me and therefore here I sit in my research lab at the University on a Sunday when it is 23C outside in March. Sometimes I wish I didn't have this drive to become a doctor and be happy with a regular life, but this is the hand I was dealt and dammit I am going to play!

[ditde]

Lately I have been having the same trouble as the original poster. There are days were being a doctor is the only thing I can see myself doing. I enjoy helping people' date=' I am good in science, I have the GPA and have all the fluff med school admin committees are looking for (I assume). But sometimes I feel like I am not cut out to be a doctor and I should just cut my losses and get a masters in chemical engineering and make a wad of cash in oil patch in Alberta. I have never been extremely personable and sometimes I find it difficult and draining to interact with people that I don't even know. Mean while, with the odds of getting in to medical school and the years of training + residency it doesn't seem to be worth it. I don't want to spend my youth in school or waiting for an acceptance letter while my friends move away, get careers, and start families. But then again, being a doctor and helping people still seems appealing to me and therefore here I sit in my research lab at the University on a Sunday when it is 23C outside in March. Sometimes I wish I didn't have this drive to become a doctor and be happy with a regular life, but this is the hand I was dealt and dammit I am going to play![/quote']

 

Haha, I can relate with so many things that you said.

 

I find it draining to interact with people I don't know too. I have to stop myself from groaning when my friends want to introduce me to someone, but that's on a "nice to meet you" basis, not a patient-doctor basis.

 

My high school friends are living life right now and sometimes it upsets me to think about how I'm missing out on the supposed rite of passage that is the "University Life", but then I just think about what I truly want and it's all good.

 

I'm hoping that I will grow in the next three years and become the person that I want to be and maybe that will be good enough for an admissions committee to give me the opportunity. The way I see it is that I only have one life to live, and this is the only option that allows me to do something I am passionate about and make a difference... since becoming an NBA superstar and starting my own charity organization didn't quite work out.