When I first started medical school, I was much like most of you. I didn’t have much of a clue of what I was really getting myself involved with. Here are five things that I learned from my medical school experience, and five things I wish I would have known before starting.
1. Your Life Will Change
Medical school and the practice of medicine in general occupies your life. It’s not a job, but rather a lifestyle. Be prepared to work long, grueling hours throughout medical school and residency. Depending upon your specialty of choice, those hours might continue. Be prepared for these changes, and note that your free time will decrease dramatically. I wasn’t ready for this.
2. Medical Training is Inefficient
Not only do you get slapped in the face by having to stick around at the hospital for no reasons at all as a student, but your time is generally wasted. Yes, you’re paying thousands in tuition and you get repaid through the most inefficient use of that time imaginable. Instead of keeping you at the hospital sitting around doing nothing, your time is better spent in an environment better suited for studying. I don’t want to hear “well, you can study at the hospital while sitting around” either. Sure, you can study at the hospital but for all of you that have tried it you know it sucks. Just when you’re getting in that study zone, some resident sends you on a task in boredom hell. There’s nobody around that thinks studying at the hospital is better environment than a quiet library somewhere. If you do, you’re delirious.
3. Many Residents, Attendings, and Nurses are Asses
I didn’t say they all were, but many of them are. Sure, there are the cool residents like what Panda seems to be. But in general, you’ll be faced with some of the most unhappy and angry people that you’ve ever come into contact with. This brings up an interesting question, too. Why does medicine in general produce some of the most malignant personalities? I think that’s something you have to examine while looking into a possible career in medicine. If the majority of people are so unhappy, there has to be something wrong somewhere down the line. If you put yourself in front of these types of people day in and day out, you’ll start to become them. I wasn’t nearly as cynical as I am now prior to starting medicine. Some of the cynicism is waining at this point, but a lot of that stems from the fact that I’m no longer in the presence of dickheads all day long.
4. Many Patients Are Ungrateful
Most medical training institutions cater to the indigent population. From what I’ve experienced, many of these people are ungrateful. They treat you like shit and expect the best care possible, even though their ability to pay for services is nonexistent. You would think they would be appreciative of anything they could get for free, and many of them are. There are still the ungrateful ones that tend to stand out like a sore thumb. There’s nothing like being berated by your team and then going in to get further beaten down by some homeless guy with pancreatitis due to his excessive alcohol consumption. Instead, they should be thankful they’re able to receive medical treatment due to a self-inflicted disease.
5. Volunteering Will Not Show You Much
I thought that I was ready to go to medical school after a few of the typical volunteer experiences that most medical students complete prior to applying. Boy, was I wrong. Most of the volunteer experiences involve shadowing other physicians. While getting to see what they do all day, it doesn’t really immerse you into the lifestyle. This portion of your medical education will come around year three. Unfortunately at this point it’s too late. If you hate it, you’re already in a considerable amount of debt (for most students) and you’ve already put in too much time to simply quit. In order to really see what medical school and medical training is all about, here’s what you need to do:
During a summer between your college years, seek out a training hospital close to your house and ask them if you can spend an entire month shadowing a PGY-1 or PGY-2 OB/GYN resident. Work the same hours as the resident does, including call. Get involved with as many things as they’ll let you do. If it’s 3 am, you’ll probably get to do a lot. If you’re still fired up about medicine, you’ve just had a more realistic taste of what your life is about to transform into.
Hindsight is 20/20
If I would’ve known those five things above, and especially did the “extended” volunteer experience with an OB/GYN resident, I would’ve never wasted four years of my life to attend medical school. It’s sad to think that a one-month “boot camp” experience could have saved me thousands in school debt, but it’s the truth.
Know what you’re getting into, and know it well.
Hoover,
Everyone seems to say residency sucks. However, does it get better once one becomes a practicing physician?
Hoover,
I completely agree with you about the volunteering experience. It is useless, and a good shadowing would be much more beneficial to anyone considering medicine.
As far as people being angry and mean all the time, I think that’s true, but considerably more so for anyone working in a teaching hospital. When I worked for a hospital, the nurses and other techs were nutty assholes. But every clinic I’ve been in has people that genuinely enjoy their job. I think in private practice, people tend to be more down to earth and nicer.
Keep up the good work!
klaus, I think in most cases it does get better after residency is over. However, I have worked with many physicians who are overworked and unhappy.
It really depends on a number of factors, mainly your specialty of choice and how much money you want (or need) to make. If you value your free time more than most people do, you could probably manage to swing a part time practice schedule if you wanted it bad enough.
Wow, this is some great advice. I was just wondering, and sorry if I missed this elsewhere, but what are you doing now? Did you continue to pursue medicine, or did you decide to call it quits after having gone through all of this?
Thanks for the comments Kate. I am not in medicine, but I finished school. I toyed around with a few tech careers that were very closely involved with medicine, but ultimately decided to start a company. My business is not related to medicine, and I’m the happiest that I’ve ever been in my life.
My free time is abundant, I absolutely love working, the money is great, and I’m the CEO.
Life is good. =)
Congratulations… I will now not go to medical school.
- Jaden
Wow, that really hit home. Every single comment was exactly what I experienced going through. If I didn’t have to take those stupid Shelf exams for each rotation, I could have learned something useful in the hospital. But most of the time, I just wanted to be left alone to study.
And I agree…We spend so much money on an education which we don’t have control over. There are so many things wrong with how my med school’s curriculum is run.
And boy do I hate writing H and Ps. In my last year, I realize that Pathology is the best residency for me. I prefer being in a lab doing research and I enjoy my sleep. I’ll probably end up doing a Phd because medicine is so dull.
The flip side of the argument of the indigent population is a little messed up, though. Although it is true, they are ungrateful, do you really think that an affluent population would allow residents treat them? Seeing what I’ve seen in the hospital, residents are very dangerous depending on their level of responsibility. I refuse to let them treat me.
Anyway, great article.
Hi is it really possible to job shadow a resident? Is doing so compliant with HIPAA and any other regulations? I am debating between teaching and medicine, and I am feeling a big feeling of dread because of the huge opportunity cost associated with each of my decision. I would love to shadow a resident to sort out my feelings if it was legally ok.
I agree with 3 & 4 a lot. On the job I keep a cool head and by acting polite and dignified you separate yourself from them. People will notice and you will develop a reputation as a person who is NOT an ass and who is ABOVE being bothered by the homeless and their behavior. You will quickly develop respect. Respect from people who wish they were you.
I got news for all the residents out there who are complaining about how hard they are working and how much it isn’t worth it in the end, I have a question for you. ESPECIALLY in the economy the way it is now, do you think there is anyone out there who is going to be a success in life without years of hard work? Years of long hours and tears? There may be a few special cases of people who get really lucky, but thats all they are, REEALLY lucky!
In the end, yeah Med school is a more grueling process than others, but (to steal words from Tom Hanks in “A League of Their Own”):
“Of course its hard! If it wasn’t hard everybody would be doing it. It being hard, is what makes it great.”
Couldn’t agree more Hoover, awesome post. 3rd year resident, currently, and only managing to stay sane because I chose Pathology, which I like. However, it scares me that I had no idea what Pathology Was at the start of medical school…if it were not for this, I would be a) divorced, b) even more overworked, tired and unhealthy than I am now. I should eventually make money at the end of this but there are much smarter ways of doing so – medical school cost me a million dollars, once you add up the lost wages, tuition and compounded interest over 10 years of med school, residency and fellowship.
I was heavily considering med school, but am having serious doubts because I get the same info that is displayed here from ‘everyone’ associated with medicine.
Horrible post, for christ sakes. This applies to ANY career:
1) your life will change – duh
2) job training is inefficient
3) people are assholes
4) people are assholes
5) are you getting this yet ?
Generic, stupid list. Whoever above said “great post” and “thanks for this” ? Ah yes, the great minds that will become doctors. Time to be worried.
Agree completely with Clarkson. Any job worth having is worth working hard for, and honestly if you go into medicine for the money you shouldn’t be there at all.
I disagree with Clarkson completely. I’ve worked in corporate environments then decided to change careers and will graduate from medical school this month. I can honestly say that medical school is much different than training in a corporate setting. Unless you’ve gone through it, you’re not going to get it.
Also disagree with Clarkson. While this list can probably be applied to any career to some extent, these issues are *particularly* problematic in medicine. I worked as an engineer prior to medical school and the latter is an entirely different game. The control it has over your entire life, the inefficiencies, the malignant culture, the sense of entitlement among patients… Even with all the warnings I heard going into it, the experience was still well beyond what I could have imagined.
Thank you for your thoughts Hoover, as well as, this inspiring site.
As an undergraduate student, it was my destiny to practice medicine. At the time, I was overly excited and motivated about the prospects of attending medical school and residency. During this time, I held many healthcare related positions in clinics, hospitals, and medical research settings. Through this experience, I realized that medicine was not my cup of tea. Everything Hoover mentions is 100% accurate. I collaborated closely with allied health professionals, residents, and attendings, so I can confirm much of the discontent many have experienced in this profession.
The residents and medical students always seemed cheerful, but after a while I realized that they were only masking their true emotions. These individuals were often ridiculed, humiliated, and abused by the entire medical staff. They slept very little and seemed to be stressed all the time. Working in a radiology department, I worked the same hours and worked very closely with all types of residents (radiology, emergency, surgery, etc.) This experience helped me to understand the true nature of the medical profession, and it is nothing to get excited about (my opinion). Thus, I have elected not pursue a career in medicine and not just for the reasons I have described but others as well (other career interests, debt, length of medical school, etc). I have been told by many residents that if I could see myself doing anything other than medicine…do that! Fortunately, I can say that there is something other than medicine in my future.
My intentions are not to belittle the profession, nor is it my intention to discourage anyone from pursuing medicine; that is your choice. Instead, I only wanted to share my thoughts and experiences with others who share similar feelings. I have a great deal of respect for those who persevere through the rigors of medical school and post graduate training.
Yep. Medical school is a waste of your time. I’m a NP and I do the exact same thing, get nearly 85% of your salary, and didn’t spend my life believing that western medicine and pharmaceutical companies had the answer. Yes! And the patients love me, and I truly help them, by spending time with them. I’m sorry you never got socialized.
NP? You’re a joke. I couldn’t imagine shoveling the bull you shovel into your “patients” minds to anyone I honestly wanted to get better.
If you are in med school and bitching on this site, go fuck yourself. You obviously got into it for the money. You have been given a privilege and you are shitting on it. Seriously, all you nancy fucks can suck a dick.
DAMN THAT FELT GOOD. I’M GANA GO SAVE SOMEONES LIFE NOW.
What Jay is essentially the truth, there are many more unhappy Physicians than unhappy Nurses out there…
You think that you’re making a difference as a Physician ? This profession is slowly being slaughtered by the Government just like they did with Law.
Tuition cost is rising, salaries are still going down, working hours are increasing for almost every Specialty, private setting is saturated, malpractice is tearing Physicians apart, more Med Schools being built without increasing the number of seats in Residency, get DISSED by patients for a yes or no, admission cut-offs decreasing for most Universities…etc.
Want me to say more ?
2010 is not a good era to become a Physician, most Medical Students i know(even those who dreamed about it since the age of 10) regret their choice of profession and would have preferred getting into Dentistry or Business.
YES! I am a third year med student and strongly second Dr. SMG’s post. There are always gonna be haters and nay-sayers and party pooper wherever you go. The ones that truly hate medicine (whether they dropped out or stuck with it and hate it as practicing docs) almost certainly went into it for the wrong reasons or have no perspective. I am psyched as hell to be here and if you want to go into medicine for the right reasons, go for it.
And PS docs are happier than most of the entire population and average 4/5 on a 5 point scale of happiness. Heres the data to support that:
http://www.medscape.com/features/slideshow/lifestyle/2012/public
Wow. Old thread but I’ll post anyways.
I am a JD considering medical school when I graduate next year.
I hear lawstudents bitch the same way. I think it is something we all do, regardless of trade.
Lawstudents bitch worse though, they make you think that the whole experience is somehow the worst choice of their life, but when you ask them why they don’t just dropout and go back to their old careers……….they clam up until they think you forgot about it, and start back to the bitching again.
Hell, all we have to do is read. You guys get that plus blood. We mess up, there is appeals. You mess up, dude stays dead.
FUCK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://medschooltrap.wordpress.com/
medical school does suck. I feel like the rise of mid level providers is a good thing. PA school is a good balance of medicine and having a life after 2 years.
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