BruceWayne Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 So what? 3-4 years is nothing in the grand scheme of things. It could be more than 5% of your life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 It could be more than 5% of your life. Do you think that spending a measly 5% of your life pursuing your dream means it isn't worth it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmorelan Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 Do you think that spending a measly 5% of your life pursuing your dream means it isn't worth it? Not to mention on the practical side that degree in of itself might be useful. I am curious to what impact that might have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 Not to mention on the practical side that degree in of itself might be useful. I am curious to what impact that might have. Also true. Education generally increases your employment prospects, and could open up doors for the OP. Not always, but generally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astrogirl Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 I'm 29 (was 28 when I started med school), my undergrad GPA was about 2.9 (and it's not because I'm stupid or lazy - I still managed to get a PhD, there were just some extenuating circumstances in my undergrad like having to work all the time to pay for school and being sick with undiagnosed celiac disease), and I applied to med school and got in on my first try (no one was more surprised than me, I assure you). I realized while I was in the middle of doing my PhD that astronomy was really my hobby and not my career and after a lot of searching and exploring and talking to people who knew me well in various other careers I was considering, including medicine, I decided that I wanted to go to med school. It just made so much sense and felt like the right fit for me. Lots of people told me it would never happen and that I was too old and too idealistic and my grades were horrible, but I just didn't really listen to them and decided that all I could do was try, and if it never happened, at least I could still get a decent job with the education I already had even though that really wasn't what I wanted to be doing. So I applied and got in. I am so happy I decided to try. I still wake up every morning and can't believe what I am doing. I could never have imagined that something would make me this happy. You are going to get old no matter what you do, so you might as well try for what you want, even if you are trying a bit later in life. And even if you don't get into medicine or you change your mind about it, I think you will still be glad that you went back to school and finished your undergrad. If it's worth it to you to try, then that's what matters. I mean no offense at all to younger people when I say this, but I think that a lot of people have sort of a different perspective on age and wanting to be done with school when they are in their early 20s than they do when they get a little bit older. When I was 23/24/25 (which was not really even that long ago) I just wanted to be done with school and get on with my life. It was a little bit horrifying to me that it was going to take me until I was 28 to finish my PhD. But when I got to be in my late 20s the age thing just stopped mattering to me. I'll be 31 when I finish med school, all of the things I'm interested in are 5 year residencies, so I'll be at least 36 by the time I'm an attending. I probably would have freaked out at the thought of that when I was 24, but now 36 actually seems really young to me. My parents weren't even married yet when they were 36! If the age thing doesn't bother you, then I don't think it's something you need to worry about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paloma22 Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 [You are not a realist, you don't appear to know anything about anything, and your comments, as well as yourself, are unwelcome on the non-trad forum as you don't appear to be a grad/mature student. Kindly disappear little boy. Took the words out of my mouth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paloma22 Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 It could be more than 5% of your life. What are you trying to prove? Nothing you are saying is realistic, only pessimistic. It's all in the way you shine the light. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der Kaiser Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 I wasn't going to reply to you initially Bruce, because I realize you just lack perspective (like we all did when we were young). It's just that your comment implied that life could not begin for the OP until he/she became a doctor. Frankly, if you don't like the journey to becoming a doctor, you should not become a doctor. I like to believe it is still possible to have a life and be a med student (maybe not a resident, but I saw an article in CMAJ suggesting changes are coming). Anyway OP, if you really want it go for it. I am personally going to keep doing everything I can to get in because I am 99.999% positive it is what I want to do. You only live once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 I wasn't going to reply to you initially Bruce, because I realize you just lack perspective (like we all did when we were young). It's just that your comment implied that life could not begin for the OP until he/she became a doctor. Frankly, if you don't like the journey to becoming a doctor, you should not become a doctor. I like to believe it is still possible to have a life and be a med student (maybe not a resident, but I saw an article in CMAJ suggesting changes are coming). Anyway OP, if you really want it go for it. I am personally going to keep doing everything I can to get in because I am 99.999% positive it is what I want to do. You only live once. I was reading about this before, and it turns out lots of residents have kids during residency. It requires organization to ensure you get time off, but it is not uncommon. At least that is what I read. Don't know a huge number of residents myself. Plus, the OP didn't even mention if they want kids (some people don't) or if they already have them. I'm younger than the OP and will be going into this having already completed my family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceWayne Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 I wasn't going to reply to you initially Bruce, because I realize you just lack perspective (like we all did when we were young). It's just that your comment implied that life could not begin for the OP until he/she became a doctor. Frankly, if you don't like the journey to becoming a doctor, you should not become a doctor. I like to believe it is still possible to have a life and be a med student (maybe not a resident, but I saw an article in CMAJ suggesting changes are coming). Anyway OP, if you really want it go for it. I am personally going to keep doing everything I can to get in because I am 99.999% positive it is what I want to do. You only live once. #YOLO. 10char Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birdy Posted May 25, 2012 Report Share Posted May 25, 2012 Lots of women have kids during residency because 1) you get paid while on mat and parental 2) you will never be able to take that time off during practice 3) It is a nice welcome break in a 5 year haul. There is only 1 rule when it comes to having kids: there is no such thing as the right time. If you can handle this kind of career a family is icing on the cake. We have 1 lecturer at U of A who has 4 kids, does research, is peads and ID, is working on her PhD, and used to teach while breast feeding. Anyone who tells you that this type of life is too hard to have a family has never lived it. To be fair, mat and parental benefits aren't that great unless you have an agreement that tops them up. I do agree particularly on the bolded. Because I have a fertility problem that tends to worsen with age, if I didn't have kids when I did, I may never have been able to. As it is, at 22, it took fertility meds to conceive our second, after losing three pregnancies in a row. Had I done everything the 'right way' I probably wouldn't have been able to have kids biologically. The wrong time can become the right time, so long as you work with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legion Posted May 26, 2012 Report Share Posted May 26, 2012 Sorry for being a realist? This is the equivalent of telling a child he can be the President, an NHL/NBA superstar etc. when he grows up. I guess your reality is different than the rest of us. I'm sensing someone had a rough childhood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceWayne Posted May 26, 2012 Report Share Posted May 26, 2012 I guess your reality is different than the rest of us. I'm sensing someone had a rough childhood. Lol nope. Have awesome siblings and parents and am actually really spoiled because I'm the youngest (ie. new clothes, video games etc.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziweiwu Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 I am 32, I have a 1 year old daughter and have just finished my first year of med. 5 years ago I didn't have any grade 12 classes at an academic level. Right now I am looking at my honors degree which I completed in 3 years before starting med last year as I sit in the house my wife, who I married before starting undergrad, and I own. My close friends in my class include 2 single moms, one 34 the other 47, another 33yo dude like me and a smattering of 29, 28, and 27 year old people some starting a family and others waiting till later. You are not a realist, you don't appear to know anything about anything, and your comments, as well as yourself, are unwelcome on the non-trad forum as you don't appear to be a grad/mature student. Kindly disappear little boy. Never too late to start pursue your dream, and never let people judge you. You have your own stories and people other you can never fully understand. Set a goal and strive forward, you would realize all the seemingly difficulties become non exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziweiwu Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 Awesome. So true too. I love this one as well. Kept me going when I am down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziweiwu Posted May 30, 2012 Report Share Posted May 30, 2012 It could be more than 5% of your life. I like Bruce's honesty. So if you want to spend 5% to pursue your dream you better make that 5% worth the sacrifice and get 50% of your dream out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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