Medical Career?!


Question: Im considering a medical career as a podiatrist, dermatologist, orthropedic doctor (not a surgeon), or a general practitioner. anyone who has information please let me know.
I basically have the grades, the only thing im worried about is that medical school is going to be hard. Is it going to be so hard im going to go crazy? And i would like to have family time (why i do not want to be a surgeon) to start a family and actually be there instead of tide up at work. I know that there can be some long hours but dont want to be up for 48 hours at my job. The pay is good and the benefits are good, and im determined.
And i know theres a test for medical school (MCATS i think) is it redictulously hard to get in or do you get well prepared for it in college?
Does anyone have any insight for me or advice?


Answers: Im considering a medical career as a podiatrist, dermatologist, orthropedic doctor (not a surgeon), or a general practitioner. anyone who has information please let me know.
I basically have the grades, the only thing im worried about is that medical school is going to be hard. Is it going to be so hard im going to go crazy? And i would like to have family time (why i do not want to be a surgeon) to start a family and actually be there instead of tide up at work. I know that there can be some long hours but dont want to be up for 48 hours at my job. The pay is good and the benefits are good, and im determined.
And i know theres a test for medical school (MCATS i think) is it redictulously hard to get in or do you get well prepared for it in college?
Does anyone have any insight for me or advice?

If you want to go into medicine just for the good pay and the benefits, you might as well go into something else that requires less time in school.

And, good pay is relative to what you think is good pay. If you're going to become a doctor without any surgical subspecialty, you'll probably make somewhere between $100,000-200,000 depending on a lot of factors. To most people that's some seriously good money, but I don't know what you're in now. You may be in high school or you may already have a career and are considering a switch. Most doctors don't end up millionaires, let's put it that way. But they can live rather comfortably.

Med school is hard, even for those who are prepared. You might go crazy, that's all up to you and how you handle the course load, the stress, the time committment, etc. I will tell you this, be sure this is what you really want to do before you go into it. I think the average student loan is in the $130,000 range, but don't quote me on that.

As for family time, you can find family time, but it probably won't be of the same quality you have now. If you're married with kids, you need to sit down and have a frank talk with them. The first two years is mostly classroom, but you'll spend a good chunk of your time with your nose buried in a book. The 3rd and 4th years are clinical, so depending on yoru school, there will be days where you will be at the hospital for 30 hours. Not 48, but 30 is a lot.

And remember, med school is 4 years long, but then you have internship and residency after that. For a general family practice doc, residency is an extra 3 years of training after med school. I don't know that there are orthopedic doctors who don't do surgery. I guess you could focus on sports medicine. For dermatology, you need to be at the top of your med school class, have research, do great things, etc. And, that's 4 years extra training after med school.

I have no idea about podiatry. That's a different school than medical school.

The MCAT is hard. How well prepared for it you are depends on you. It covers physics, organic and non-organic chemistery, biology, English, etc. You don't have to be a pre-med major, but make sure you research some med schools and know what their requirements are.

If medicine still sounds like a good idea, go for it! If you don't go into it for the right reasons, you're gonna hate it. If you do it because you actually enjoy it, it'll be really rewarding.

I'm about to graduate med school, and I LOVE what I do. For me, it was all worth the pain, the sleepless nights, the long hours at the hospital. You have to decide if it's worth it to you. My advice is to talk to doctors in your community, go take a tour of some med schools, talk to their students, go follow a doctor around for a day, etc.

Lastly, good luck!

join the Army and become a combat medic first!

You know that you want this.
Follow your dream and you will attain it.
Sure, med school is hard but your grades prove you have what it takes.
Now go for it!

Good luck!!!!

all i can say is go for it dude. Every other job in america or the world will someday be done by computers or robots. I know that is kind of far fetched but i think that it will happen. I am currently in the medical field right now for the Us Navy. I have been a field medic with the marines out in Iraq, Afghanistan and even Columbia. Medicine expecially emergancy medicine will never be replaced. You need to have a brain and be able to think outside the box. As far as what it takes to be one of those doctors. Only you will be able to stop yourself... My cousin did that.. she is now a Vet. All she did was go to school and study during college. Yhe the partying will be fun while it lasts but it wont last forever. What you are studing now will pay for that family that you plan on starting. give it your all. if i had studied a little hard and partied alot less i would have never had to join the military. I see that now though through very touch lessons.
john

I'm actually on this path right now and I can give you insight from what I know....Yes, medical school will be VERY hard and VERY strenuous. If it wasn't, there would be a lot more doctors. Grades are not everything. Research experience and volenteering also looks good on applications to medical, though grades and MCAT scores are of highest importance. If you want family time and more regularly scheduled hours, you should be a podiatrist or dermatologist where most of your hours are scheduled and it isn't imperative that you be on call 24/7. Jobs in a hospital will most likely require that, and that can be hard for typical family life. As for becoming prepared in college, you get what you put in. If you have the drive and the determination, then go for it, you can do it. But if it isn't something you go into full-heartedly, I would say it would be difficult to accomplish this goal (high school sciences are much more simple than college so dedication is key!) If you prepare and study for the MCATs, even take a course, you will be as ready as you can be. Like I said, if you want it badly enough you can do anything you want to. Good luck! :)

If you are really determined and it is your pleasure to have a medical carreer I would only encourage you you to go on. Yes the way is hard and you have to study a lot but at the end it is very satisfactory. Don't think that much of the future life. There could be an instances that would be much different than what you are imagining. Maybe you will get attracted with someone in the same line as yours and so there would be mor understanding and backing. Many doctors pass from this experience and they are happily married. A doctor is a 24hours job manly but that doesn't mean that you won't have time for yourself.
Myself I did dtart start a course for a nurse. It had been my wish for a long time. I started the practice time in the wards and I was liking it even though there was the shift especially the night shift. I had to stop because of certain reasons and up to today I still feel in myself that I like the medical. But the main thing is that you don't take it as a job but more as a vocational and that would put away all problems.
So, keep it up, as you said it is also a rewarding work financially. Unlike me, my cousin went to England and continued studying there gaining not only the nursing grade but also continued to get a doctorate in nursing and now he is also a tutor.
Keep it up and Happy Holidays





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