Pursuing medical field?
Hi! I'm a senior (female) in high school right now and am just finishing with my college applications. I'm most likely going to go to TCNJ because I love the tennis program there and they have about an 85% acceptance rate into med school. Although it wasn't my top choice, it is cheap, but still has strong academics. My ultimate goal is to go to medical school. I love medicine, and am interested in studying primarily diseases. I'm considering following a career in infectious diseases. However, I'm terrified of medical school. I've done research, and it seems like a grueling process, seeing that almost everyone said they studied well over 5 hours a day. That seems a bit ridiculous to me. I'm currently taking psychology and they advise that you don't study that much in a day, because it can become counterproductive. Also, seeing as I am a female, being in school for that long would hinder starting a family. Although that isn't a big concern at the moment, it is something I should take into account. I also want to be able to travel and experience the world while I'm still very young, but I feel like being in medical school would inhibit that. I was wondering if anyone could give me any advice or speak from personal experience. I truly want to go into the medical field, but I do have concerns. Thank you!
Is it too late to pursue Medical School?
No it's not too late. I started medschool at 24. I have been practicing for many years and still am considered a young doctor. I think that the most important question is "Are you sure you want to be a doctor?" The pay is LOW compared to many financial and technology professions. In addition it is a long, rigorous and expensive course to take. I graduated from med school 8 years ago and still have 92K in debt. And that is good compared to many of my friends. I don't stress out about it. But it is something to be aware of. If you can get into a state school, that won't be a problem. Despite my long winded answer. . if it's your dream and passion GO FOR IT. I LOVE my profession and don't have any second guesses about it.
Is it possible to start medical school at 27-28 years old in order to become a surgeon? Would I still have a place and a decent career?
I went to Medical school in Boston. There was a woman in my class who was 60 years old in the first year Med school class. She was 64 years old and on graduation day, was sitting next to me in cap and gown and I asked her what she was planning to do after graduation. She replied that she was going to a family practice residency (which would be 3 years). So I said you’ll be 67 by the time you are able to practice. Why did you wait so long. She replied “I’ve been a flight attendant for over 30 years. One day I accidentally spilled a soda on a passenger and he made such a scene by yelling, cursing and dehumanizing me in front of the entire cabin. He told me ‘you’re just a lousy waitress who never amounted to anything’ I was in my 50’s at the time. I cried so much that day. I had always liked science in school and wanted to be a doctor when I was growing up but my family and life’s circumstances forced me to get a job in my early 20’s and give up my education. That incident stirred up something inside me and I was determined to pursue my dream. So I used the money I saved all those years and put myself through pre-Med classes and medical school. I needed to know that I could do it. And even though I may only practice a few years after all the hard work and training, I will have realized my dream.” I was so proud of that woman for her determination and spirit. I wish I had gotten to know her more throughout medical school. She inspires me to this day.
Architecture or Medicine?
the fact that you are undecided with these 2 options doesnt surprise me i know a lot of people who went from medicine to architecture and back to medicine or viceversa.. o people who were exactly in your situation for some reason many people are undecided on these 2 as far as personal experience i study architecture and my sister studies medicine i can tell you our sleeping habits changed drastically since we both started college... i get about 5-6 hours of sleep on average and so does she from my point of view architecture is way more expensive... you have to buy tons of work material ever week or so and in medicine you buy books this is another thing architecture is way more work with your hands... plans..models etc... and medicine is tons of reading as far as time i think both are equally however you will spend alot of time in studio if you study architecture building models and drawing... a good model once took me about 16 - 20 hours... my sister spends most of her time reading and studying not before every test but before every class as far as life... you can pretty much expect to spend most of your time with you new friends who from now on will be your classmates... neither of these are easy and i would say both are about the toughest majors be prepared to not sleep well... eat well.. lose touch with people etc another thing not to scare you but you HAVE TO ABSOLUTELY LOVE these majors or youll be out the door in no time about have of my generation already dropped out in about a year and a half and my sisters about 1/4 already did in about 1 semester.. good luck
Is it possible to become a medical doctor and a Hollywood actor, and if so, how?
Many people switch careers because they are miserable in their current one. In some cases, though, people are happy in their current job but have an opportunity to do something they like even more. Such an opportunity came along for Ken Jeong, best known as Leslie Chow in the movie The Hangover and Ben Chang on the TV Series Community.You see, Jeong is a licensed physician. He didn’t quit the practice to pursue acting, either. While he was completing his residency he also worked on his stand up routine. Through his stand up comedy, doors were opened which ultimately led to some very big acting jobs and a new full-time career.As I said, Jeong can be seen on the show Community quite a bit, and there’s no mystery why: he’s hilarious! It would have been very easy for him to say “being a doctor takes up so much time, comedy and acting would just take up more of my time and who knows if anything would happen with it…” Instead he pursued it, even while – I can only assume – putting in crazy hours in his training and subsequent career as a Doctor.
My parents don’t want me to study medicine?
I can actually relate to what you're saying, because I went through the same thing--but for a different reason. I, too, wanted to be a dr., in fact, a medical missionary. I had a friend who was a nurse at a mission in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). She went on to get her medical degree, and became the dr. for the mission. I was the valedictorian of my class and could have had the grades to study medicine. However, my father absolutely forbade it. Back in the 1950's, there weren't many opportunities for young women as far as jobs went. We were relegated to be teachers, secretaries, or nurses. My father, who was very religiously strict, said that nice girls didn't go around looking at naked bodes. Therefore, no daughter of his was going to be a dr. I ended up being a teacher, and I taught for over 30 years. I hated every minute of it. I would recommend that if you really want to dedicate yourself to be a dr., inquire about financial aid and if you have the grades and background to study medicine, then do it. It will not be an easy road, but you need to fulfill your dream if at all possible.