I'm currently halfway through a major in Health Studies an have always had the goal of applying to medical school and eventually becoming a family/general practitioner. Since starting university though I've found myself to be extremely stressed out and constantly worrying about my grades and I feel like if I don't get into med school my life will be over (a little extreme i know but this is what i've dreamed about since i was 5).

So right now i'm trying to re-evaluate my life and see if this is what I really want. I just wanted to hear from some doctors/med students about what your day-to-day routine is like and do you feel you are missing out on life? Also did you always know this was what you wanted to do?

Also I would love to hear from just healthcare professionals in general because I want to explore other careers in health too! Thanks in advance ladies!!

anyone??

Originally Posted by anne.A

I'm currently halfway through a major in Health Studies an have always had the goal of applying to medical school and eventually becoming a family/general practitioner. Since starting university though I've found myself to be extremely stressed out and constantly worrying about my grades and I feel like if I don't get into med school my life will be over (a little extreme i know but this is what i've dreamed about since i was 5). So right now i'm trying to re-evaluate my life and see if this is what I really want. I just wanted to hear from some doctors/med students about what your day-to-day routine is like and do you feel you are missing out on life? Also did you always know this was what you wanted to do? Also I would love to hear from just healthcare professionals in general because I want to explore other careers in health too! Thanks in advance ladies!!

I wasn't going to respond unless someone else did because I am not a med student, but I do attend a school of medicine so I have a pretty good grasp on what the med students go through as I see it all first hand and am close with several of them.

First, I think it's great that you are so passionate about medicine, that is definitely a key to being successful in med school!

That said, you absolutely must be able to manage stress to make it though. Day-to-day usually involves waking up at 5 or 6 (to study), class from 8 to about 10, then some days have labs for two to three hours and some days do not. After class/lab, the rest of the day is spent studying for exams. "The rest of the day" can mean anywhere from 5 to 10 or even midnight, depending on how you study or how many exams are coming up. Generally at my school, there is one exam a week, but some really crazy weeks (like midterm time) can have 3.

Many med schools are set up so that students have sort of a "block schedule" or "systems-based learning", so one unit (or system in the body) is covered at a time, which I think would definitely be much more manageable. My school is moving in that direction, but currently students take 5 classes at once (equivalent to 24 credit hours) and study a variety of topics simultaneously.

As far as sacrifice, it seems people who manage best are either 100% single, or have a very supportive spouse. It can be done with children depending on the spouse's goals/career. Med school is definitely a joint decision. If you are single, I will say you will sacrifice dating/the social scene for the first 2 years. The students become very close with each other though, so there is a form of support within each class. Some of them go out and celebrate to let off steam after exams, but many just aren't the partying type. Generally many are able to go home or visit family around holidays.

I think one of the most important things is to cultivate interests outside of medicine to become a more well-rounded person. I find that our admissions board looks for individuals that will be more than "just doctors". We have one student who was a professional gymnast, a married couple who are learning medicine to become medical missionaries, a handful are in the military, and most take part in one of the many school clubs. While it is great to have that intense focus on getting accepted, don't close yourself off to other passions that can enhance you as a person. If you get a B because you were running for school senate that semester, that is something you can explain.

Have you done any internships/shadowing/medical mission trips? I think the majority of the students in my school have in some way enhanced their medical knowledge outside of the classroom, and the admissions board really appreciates that. Plus, it will give you better insight into the routine of a doctor's life and also some idea of which specialty you may prefer.

I find many of the students I know were not stressed in undergrad with only 15-18 credit hours (or considered it to be relatively easy), so you may want to seriously consider if this is the right track for you. It involves two years of intense study, followed by rotations and residencies before you are finally a doctor. Definitely not for the faint of heart. I knew in undergrad I had no interest in medicine so I did not pursue it, but being here has only reaffirmed that it is not for me. I would also suggest you take a few tours of med schools, that way you can talk to some students first hand and see what the campuses are like.

For more info, you may want to check out the student doctor network forums (don't think I'm allowed to directly link to it, but just google and it'll pop up).

Good luck! Let us know what you decide to do, I know it is a huge decision. Keep in mind that you CAN take a breather after undergrad to figure out your life. Med school will always be there.

Hey Laurie, thank-you SO much for your reply. It really helped me a lot i've been reconsidering some things and also googling forums and blogs. A lot of what you said is definietely true and I think one of the things i've been forgetting is that medical school will always be there, thank-you for reminding me! I'm seriously considering taking an year off after undergrad to relax and just take a breather. One of the reasons I'm so stressed about school is that in Canada there are about 15 medical schools and most of the provinces outside ontario only take about 10 students from outside provinces. I feel like I won't be able to afford international schools so maybe I'll that year off working or something haha. Anyways thanks once again for all the valuable input!

Hey Anne, I just PM-ed you. I do feel like I'm missing out on life sometimes. See my PM for a longer reason, but I forgot to mention in the PM that it's hard to think about the fact that I spent a decade longer in school than my friends (med school + residency). I didn't realize how long it would be before I was really DONE with training. Everything has to be put on hold for school, then residency, then building a practice, then paying back student loans. By "everything", i mean buying a house, having kids, saving for retirement, and doing other things in life that I've always wanted to do. I got married and we manage to travel somewhat, but it's nothing like what I had imagined it would be. I get jealous of my friends and their lunch dates, starting families, etc. Those things just have to be behind medicine in your list of priorities.

Originally Posted by anne.A

I'm currently halfway through a major in Health Studies an have always had the goal of applying to medical school and eventually becoming a family/general practitioner. Since starting university though I've found myself to be extremely stressed out and constantly worrying about my grades and I feel like if I don't get into med school my life will be over (a little extreme i know but this is what i've dreamed about since i was 5). So right now i'm trying to re-evaluate my life and see if this is what I really want. I just wanted to hear from some doctors/med students about what your day-to-day routine is like and do you feel you are missing out on life? Also did you always know this was what you wanted to do? Also I would love to hear from just healthcare professionals in general because I want to explore other careers in health too! Thanks in advance ladies!!

I went through the same thing during my junior year of undergrad. I was pre-med for most of my undergrad career, but when it came time to apply I started having doubts. I would have major anxiety attacks every time I thought about studying for the MCAT and would spend hours obsessing over my grades and CV. I began thinking "why am I reacting so negatively to this process?". After some deep self reflection, I realized that I was going into the field for all of the wrong reasons. After that, I decided to take some time and allow myself the chance to consider some other career opportunities (such as accounting and nursing).

I ended up choosing dentistry I'm currently a 1st year dental student and I love it! Personally, I feel that dentistry is a wonderful career, especially for women. There is a lot of freedom and choice in this field. You can really make it what you want. Plus, there is no required residency!!! School is definitely a challenge but it is doable. I have enough free time to keep me happy
The worst times are during our block exams :( I am single but many of my classmates are either married or in long-term relationships, so there is hope!

Please let me know if I can answer any other questions for you
Good luck!

My dad is a doctor- internal medicine to be specific. He picked internal medicine because it was something he loved to do. He now regrets not going into something that makes more money...he knows tons of anesthesiologists who sit on their a** all day and make twice as much as he does.

Aside from that, being a doctor is extremely stressful. It is emotionally and physically exhausting. I would definitely make sure its something you 100% want to do before you jump into it.

I'm a surgeon, and have just started my private practice. After 6 years undergraduate medicine, 2 years junior training, 6 years specialist training (general surgery then urology) and a year in Europe on fellowship. I'm 33 and pregnant with my first child.

As everyone has said, at points it is stressful beyond belief. Exams, your first day of internship, operating solo when things are going wrong, if a patient dies or you make a mistake. Missing a holiday or endless birthday parties.

That never goes away. You can only do it for that long if you really love it.

Which I do.

Originally Posted by lafemmenikita

I'm a surgeon, and have just started my private practice. After 6 years undergraduate medicine, 2 years junior training, 6 years specialist training (general surgery then urology) and a year in Europe on fellowship. I'm 33 and pregnant with my first child. As everyone has said, at points it is stressful beyond belief. Exams, your first day of internship, operating solo when things are going wrong, if a patient dies or you make a mistake. Missing a holiday or endless birthday parties. That never goes away. You can only do it for that long if you really love it. Which I do.

Couldn't have said it any better.

P.S. lafemmenikita - do you recommend fellowship in Europe? Congrats on your pregnancy! Hope all goes smoothly for you.

Thanks! I was based in London - AMAZING - and did lots of courses and observed for short stints elsewhere in Europe. Brilliant.

I'm in medicine - did my 4-year MD, then a 5 year speciality, and have been working for the past 4-5 since being board certified. I love my work - no regrets.

My thoughts - go into it if you like medicine and you have the grades... don't go into it because of money. With the hours I work, I could make more elsewhere.

The biggest advantage of the work is the consistency in income and getting patients well. The hours are long (it gets better once you're an attending since on-call hours are typically less, but if you have interests in being promoted within the university, holding certain positions in addition to your clinical practice, you will definitely be putting in extra hours). There's the usual annoyances of practice management, insurance/payments, and patients who have unrealistic expectations.

It's good to have a supportive spouse/partner and it's tricky to figure out the best time to have a family if that's something you want. As physicians, you don't get the mat leave benefits that regular employed women do, you need to be mindful of skill maintenance, etc.

Regarding getting in, it's a bit concerning that you're this stressed about it and haven't gotten to the point of actual patient responsibility and handling death/complaints/difficult ethical issues, etc... I remember it being something at the back of my mind, but schools want students who are not just grades obsessed. You obviously need a certain standard to handle the knowledge required to look after patients, but you need to have a balance. That will take you through admissions, your training, and your career not just in medicine but elsewhere.

Do I feel like I've missed out on life?

No - I made some sacrifices (i.e. fewer college parties, didn't have a job during the school year so I always had less spending money than my friends in college) but the longer term payoff is huge. Except for friends in medicine or who have done well in business, I have one of the best lifestyles amongst my friends since I've been an attending. I have a job that's not just pushing paper around, have travelled more than most, dine out regularly, have almost paid of a house in an expensive city, and have good job security.

You need to honestly look at yourself and see if you realistically can handle the process (i.e. admission, sleep on call, quick decisions in difficult situations, no "mandated lunch/coffee breaks", etc), and if not, there are a lot of other valuable careers that may be better suited to you.

Originally Posted by tweetie

Regarding getting in, it's a bit concerning that you're this stressed about it and haven't gotten to the point of actual patient responsibility and handling death/complaints/difficult ethical issues, etc... I remember it being something at the back of my mind, but schools want students who are not just grades obsessed. You obviously need a certain standard to handle the knowledge required to look after patients, but you need to have a balance. That will take you through admissions, your training, and your career not just in medicine but elsewhere.

This. I can remember residency being so stressful that i wanted to be back in med school because it was so much easier. College feels like kindergarten now! I can't believe that i was ever stressed during college or early med school because i didn't know what REAL stress was back then. The problem with medicine is that it never gets easier. I used to think that it would be better when i was in med school, then i thought i could relax when i got into residency, then i thought i could take it easy when i passed my specialty boards, then it was getting a job, now it's trying to take care of people without f-ing up. Also, a lot of physicians have to re-certify every 10 years so the testing never ends. It just never really ends, so you do have to LOVE it.

Excellent insight and advice from other posters.

Have you considered a career as an allied health professional? If you are stressed now and have doubts about going through the rigorous training of becoming a doctor, not to mention the debt, then this avenue may be a better option for you. There are so many careers in healthcare other than becoming a doctor. Here's a quick list from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_health_professions. Or, you could become a physician's assistant, nurse, or pursue dentistry like mizzbash.

I am an allied health professional and couldn't be happier with my decision not to pursue medical school. When I was younger I wanted to be a pediatrician but I realized in high school that I did not have the drive and desire to devote so much time to pursuing that career. I've found a happy medium in my career because I get to help people, work with children, still have some autonomy as I see patients on my own (as well as with the doctor during his/her clinic), but the doctor has the ultimate responsibility for the patient. My training was a 2 year fellowship after undergraduate school and the program I entered only cost $4,000 total plus all my living expenses. As a result, I accumulated a modest amount of debt (all paid off years ago) in comparison to medical school and I make a respectable salary, although not anywhere near what a doctor makes.

As others have mentioned it's definitely ok to take some time off to figure out what you want. I took a year off after obtaining my bachelor's, worked in retail, and during that time did some job shadowing and looked through career books until I found my profession. Like Laurie said job shadowing, internships, and medical mission trips are invaluable to confirm career aspirations, rule out career options, and discover new options.

I have a huge amount of respect for doctors but being a doctor is not for everyone. I work alongside residents and fellows so I get a glimpse of what doctors have to go through and it seems pretty relentless, as some in this thread can attest to. Take your time deciding and good luck!

Thank-you everyone for you wonderful words of support and advice! I'm just so crazed with all my finals going on right now so I'm waiting til May when I can reply to everyone properly but just wanted to say thanks for all the replies!! :)

Good luck on your exams, Anne!

...about 7 years ago I was in your exact position.