Simple enough, here are 101 things you wish you knew before starting medical school.
- If I had known what it was going to be like, I would never have done it.
- You’ll study more than you ever have in your life.
- Only half of your class will be in the top 50%. You have a 50% chance of being in the top half of your class. Get used to it now.
- You don’t need to know anatomy before school starts. Or pathology. Or physiology.
- Third year rotations will suck the life out you.
- Several people from your class will have sex with each other. You might be one of the lucky participants.
- You may discover early on that medicine isn’t for you.
- You don’t have to be AOA or have impeccable board scores to match somewhere – only if you’re matching into radiology.
- Your social life may suffer some.
- Pelvic exams are teh suck.
- You won’t be a medical student on the surgery service. You’ll be the retractor bitch.
- Residents will probably ask you to retrieve some type of nourishment for them.
- Most of your time on rotations will be wasted. Thrown away. Down the drain.
- You’ll work with at least one attending physician who you’ll want to beat the shit out of.
- You’ll work with at least three residents who you’ll want to beat the shit out of.
- You’ll ask a stranger about the quality of their stools.
- You’ll ask post-op patients if they’ve farted within the last 24 hours.
- At some point during your stay, a stranger’s bodily fluids will most likely come into contact with your exposed skin.
- Somebody in your class will flunk out of medical school.
- You’ll work 14 days straight without a single day off. Probably multiple times.
- A student in your class will have sex with an attending or resident.
- After the first two years are over, your summer breaks will no longer exist. Enjoy them as much as you can.
- You’ll be sleep deprived.
- There will be times on certain rotations where you won’t be allowed to eat.
- You will be pimped.
- You’ll wake up one day and ask yourself is this really what you want out of life.
- You’ll party a lot during the first two years, but then that pretty much ends at the beginning of your junior year.
- You’ll probably change your specialty of choice at least 4 times.
- You’ll spend a good deal of your time playing social worker.
- You’ll learn that medical insurance reimbursement is a huge problem, particularly for primary care physicians.
- Nurses will treat you badly, simply because you are a medical student.
- There will be times when you’ll be ignored by your attending or resident.
- You will develop a thick skin. If you fail to do this, you’ll cry often.
- Public humiliation is very commonplace in medical training.
- Surgeons are assholes. Take my word for it now.
- OB/GYN residents are treated like shit, and that shit runs downhill. Be ready to pick it up and sleep with it.
- It’s always the medical student’s fault.
- Gunner is a derogatory word. It’s almost as bad as racial slurs.
- You’ll look forward to the weekend, not so you can relax and have a good time but so you can catch up on studying for the week.
- Your house might go uncleaned for two weeks during an intensive exam block.
- As a medical student on rotations, you don’t matter. In fact, you get in the way and impede productivity.
- There’s a fair chance that you will be physically struck by a nurse, resident, or attending physician. This may include slapped on the hand or kicked on the shin in order to instruct you to “move” or “get out of the way.”
- Any really bad procedures will be done by you. The residents don’t want to do them, and you’re the low man on the totem pole. This includes rectal examinations and digital disimpactions.
- You’ll be competing against the best of the best, the cream of the crop. This isn’t college where half of your classmates are idiots. Everybody in medical school is smart.
- Don’t think that you own the world because you just got accepted into medical school. That kind of attitude will humble you faster than anything else.
- If you’re in it for the money, there are much better, more efficient ways to make a living. Medicine is not one of them.
- Anatomy sucks. All of the bone names sound the same.
- If there is anything at all that you’d rather do in life, do not go into medicine.
- The competition doesn’t end after getting accepted to medical school. You’ll have to compete for class rank, awards, and residency. If you want to do a fellowship, you’ll have to compete for that too.
- You’ll never look at weekends the same again.
- VA hospitals suck. Most of them are old, but the medical records system is good.
- Your fourth year in medical school will be like a vacation compared to the first three years. It’s a good thing too, because you’ll need one.
- Somebody in your class will be known as the “highlighter whore.” Most often a female, she’ll carry around a backpack full of every highlighter color known to man. She’ll actually use them, too.
- Rumors surrounding members of your class will spread faster than they did in high school.
- You’ll meet a lot of cool people, many new friends, and maybe your husband or wife.
- No matter how bad your medical school experience was at times, you’ll still be able to think about the good times. Kind of like how I am doing right now.
- Your first class get-together will be the most memorable. Cherish those times.
- Long after medical school is over, you’ll still keep in contact with the friends you made. I do nearly every day.
- Gunners always sit in the front row. This rule never fails. However, not everyone who sits in the front row is a gunner.
- There will be one person in your class who’s the coolest, most laid back person you’ve ever met. This guy will sit in the back row and throw paper airplanes during class, and then blow up with 260+ Step I’s after second year. True story.
- At the beginning of first year, everyone will talk about how cool it’s going to be to help patients. At the end of third year, everybody will talk about how cool it’s going to be to make a lot of money.
- Students who start medical school wanting to do primary care end up in dermatology. Those students who start medical school wanting to do dermatology end up in family medicine.
- Telling local girls at the bar that you’re a medical student doesn’t mean shit. They’ve been hearing that for years. Be more unique.
- The money isn’t really that good in medicine. Not if you look at it in terms of hours worked.
- Don’t wear your white coat into the gas station, or any other business that has nothing to do with you wearing a white coat. You look like an ass, and people do make fun of you.
- Don’t round on patients that aren’t yours. If you round on another student’s patients, that will spread around your class like fire after a 10 year drought. Your team will think you’re an idiot too.
- If you are on a rotation with other students, don’t bring in journal articles to share with the team “on the fly” without letting the other students know. This makes you look like a gunner, and nobody likes a gunner. Do it once, and you might as well bring in a new topic daily. Rest assured that your fellow students will just to show you up.
- If you piss off your intern, he or she can make your life hell.
- If your intern pisses you off, you can make his or her life hell.
- Don’t try to work during medical school. Live life and enjoy the first two years.
- Not participating in tons of ECs doesn’t hurt your chances for residency. Forget the weekend free clinic and play some Frisbee golf instead.
- Don’t rent an apartment. If you can afford to, buy a small home instead. I saved $200 per month and had roughly $30,000 in equity by choosing to buy versus rent.
- Your family members will ask you for medical advice, even after your first week of first year.
- Many of your friends will go onto great jobs and fantastic lifestyles. You’ll be faced with 4 more years of debt and then at least 3 years of residency before you’ll see any real earning potential.
- Pick a specialty based around what you like to do.
- At least once during your 4 year stay, you’ll wonder if you should quit.
- It’s amazing how fast time flies on your days off. It’s equally amazing at how slow the days are on a rotation you hate.
- You’ll learn to be scared of asking for time off.
- No matter what specialty you want to do, somebody on an unrelated rotation will hold it against you.
- A great way to piss of attendings and residents are to tell them that you don’t plan to complete a residency.
- Many of your rotations will require you to be the “vitals bitch.” On surgery, you’ll be the “retractor bitch.”
- Sitting around in a group and talking about ethical issues involving patients is not fun.
- If an attending or resident treats you badly, call them out on it. You can get away with far more than you think.
- Going to class is generally a waste of time. Make your own schedule and enjoy the added free time.
- Find new ways to study. The methods you used in college may or may not work. If something doesn’t work, adapt.
- Hospitals smell bad.
- Subjective evaluations are just that – subjective. They aren’t your end all, be all so don’t dwell on a poor evaluation. The person giving it was probably an asshole, anyway.
- Some physicians will tell you it’s better than it really is. Take what you hear (both positive and negative) with a grain of salt.
- 90% of surgeons are assholes, and 63% of statistics are made up. The former falls in the lucky 37%.
- The best time of your entire medical school career is between the times when you first get your acceptance letter and when you start school.
- During the summer before medical school starts, do not attempt to study or read anything remotely related to medicine. Take this time to travel and do things for you.
- The residents and faculty in OB/GYN will be some of the most malignant personalities you’ve ever come into contact with.
- Vaginal deliveries are messy. So are c-sections. It’s just an all-around blood fest if you like that sort of thing.
- Despite what the faculty tell you, you don’t need all of the fancy equipment that they suggest for you to buy. All you need is a stethoscope. The other equipment they say you “need” is standard in all clinic and hospital exam rooms. If it’s not standard, your training hospital and clinics suck.
- If your school has a note taking service, it’s a good idea to pony up the cash for it. It saves time and gives you the option of not attending lecture.
- Medicine is better than being a janitor, but there were times when I envied the people cleaning the hospital trash cans.
- Avoid surgery like the plague.
- See above and then apply it to OB/GYN as well.
- The money is good in medicine, but it’s not all that great especially considering the amount of time that you’ll have to work.
- One time an HIV+ patient ripped out his IV and then “slung” his blood at the staff in the room. Go, go infectious disease.
- Read Med School Hell now, throughout medical school, and then after you’re done. Then come back and tell me how right I am.
I was laughing all through your article! in nigeria we run a 6yr med sch circle, with the 1st half known as pre~clinicals and the 2nd,clinicals! i just finished my pre~clinics and that showed me you are damn right!
med sch is hell but fun
i actually am the paper plane throwin guy in ma class who alot thinks was gone fail his 2nd mbbs exams!……but i nailed it and GOD’s grace starting clinicals in july!
I was laughin all through your article! in nigeria we run a 6yrs med sch circle with the 1st half known as pre~clinics and the 2nd,clinicals! i just finished my preclinics and from that i know how damn right you are!
i actually was the paper plane throwing guy in ma class and alota peeps expected me to fail but by GOD’s grace i nailed may 2nd m.b.b.s exams in my 1st sitting and am starting clinicals in july!…med. sch. really is hell but still great fun to me!
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Holy crap…so true! I started medical school as a normal, well adjusted, and pretty smart student. After two years of med school, I have to say I’m barely clinging to my confidence and whatever confidence in my intelligence that I had has been shattered by preparing for the monster that is STEP 1.
You may come to learn that something as simple as BIKRAM YOGA which only requires a 9 week teacher training is MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE THAN THE ENTIRETY OF WESTERN MEDICINE
if ur nt a med student or done wid it u cant even imagine the dark memories its gonna inflict on ur brain forever … Its like living in helll .. Truly …
Those 100 things are all so true so far. Im enjoying my summer before my second year begins! HEHE and Ive been chilling throughout most of the first year, Thankfully I passed all my courses, Studied impossible amounts of anatomy. Pointless Biochemistry, and Skipped all of Physiology. People tell me second year is just like first year in a sense its all still in classes and not much hospital work. Im planning to study a little bit more in second year because your right about the rest of the class being smart, theyre all nerds man wtf. I swear they never even partied/went out/socialized. Mostly Indians and Pakis whos pressurized under so much parently stress. Cant blame them really. So our bell curve is going to be really high next year since 10 students dropped out.
10!!
Anyway, any advise on second year? It’s really important for me to know what I should be expecting. Thing is I got a Cplus as afinal grade for my first year. Very depressing as everyone else got As and Bs seeing as they are class nerds. I just want to organize my time a bit better in order for me to balance well between my studies and my partying. Instead of just partying all summer long, sleeping through classes, and craming all the studying till the last few days before the exams. Im surprisd I made it
I was accepted into med school a few years ago on the same day I got married. Ended up deferring a year, found a job I really liked and ended up bagging the whole thing. The job was great for 4 years until the financial crisis turned things upside down and my job hasn’t been the same. I’ve been regretting my decision not to go to med school recently, but this blog made me feel better. Thanks!
I’m a 4th yr med student at a top 30 med school and this post is med school to the T!!
LOAs don’t hurt residency match chances right? I definitely will need to take a rest between each year of medical school.
What to do during breaks? Maybe serve drinks. I wish I had an easy career to turn to during a break. Too bad the economy sucks like shit. Well, it might get better in 2014. The author forgot to add in all the unpaid hours spent volunteering for recommendations as a pre-med.
I hope I don’t end up being rejected to all schools and having to go to a Caribbean one. Competition at a second-chance school would be sky-high. Class rank and USMLE? Why does everyone say not to study for it before medical school? Learning is awesome, but it would suck big time if your support base is the one you are competing against. Do commaraderie, love, and class rank mesh at all?
LOA’s can hurt your residency chances, especially in more competitive fields. And more than 1 LOA would definitely not be looked on well. You have so much to learn it’s not worth it studying before and you won’t remember most of it. Also, you’ll get close to burnout at least once and relaxing before school will help stave it off. Competition in the Caribbean schools isn’t that different. Regardless of the school you are going to work as hard as you can to do as well as you can.
This really makes me want to go to medical school more than ever!
Take on the challenge.
I can’t imagine myself doing anything else anyways.
I think what d writer wrote is absolutely true. I just got accepted n i guess im gonna have to work my ass off. Anyway, this might be out a bit. But do u guys think it’s possible to keep a relationship going when u’re a med student n the other is from other courses? Im freaking out coz everyone keeps telling me its normal to fail n im not gonna be able to breathe coz of all d hard work..
#52!!! I’m in 4th year…it feels like vacation compared to the first 3 years.
This post is too true though. Thank you.
Every body in my family is in medicine field. Sister: dentist, cousins: bunch of doctors and pharmacists.
Ok, here are some points:
Tangible:
Money they can get: so so. Do not know about 10 years later. Housing and every thing for living: ok.
Intangible
Debt: to the neck for now. (2-3 years after finished school). Hopefully it will be paid off in the next 10 years.
Life: very busy.
Life style: some are ok, some are sucks. Honestly, I cannot say I like their friends too. Some of the too proud of themselves. Why? maybe even if they have the lowest GPA in the school list, we still call them: doctors!!! I do not know that is just because they have been studied too much, or because they were treated like hell at school.
Conclusion about school: no complain-> So, it is not that bad!!! However, all they want to talk about their school life is: my school is on top 10….15….18..etc in U.S. That’s it.
The reason why I read this topic because another member in my family want to go to medicine too, and she is not so sure about what she is going to do. She searched, and she found this topic. I am not in medicine field, but I think the host have some right points about the negative perspective view on medicine field, and I am not going to contradict that.
About my point of view:
1. Medicine: good career.
2: Salary: good
3. Good life: yes
4. Reputation: yes
5. Risk: up to insurance
6. Work hard: yes
7. Holiday: not sure
8. Vacation: yes
9. Competition: extremely yes
10. Family: up to you
11. Stress: definitely
12. Sexual harassment: yes (if you are men, you may enjoy it lol)
Every thing have 2 sides. You all know that. You want to have a good life after 9, 10 years? You definitely have to spend some “hell time” at school. Is that worth? Answer for yourself!
I think you’re taking this too literally. If you’ve been through med school and residency, then you would laugh at this blog and take it at face value as we all are.
I am considering med school. Science and biology computer science Math etc comes soooo easy for me. But after reading this blog I have come to a fortitude of rational realization. I’m too sexy to be a book worm.
Thanks for the post. For some reason, I don’t think it’s as bad as you portray it to be if your goal is to live and serve medicine with all of your life.
people who go through medicine may have that goal at the beginning but only a few will retain it after they go through med school and internship. and yes, it’s as bad as he portrays it to be.
I think he’s right, but at least right now I’m totally cool with accepting all of these things. I wouldn’t be happy doing anything else.
doctors save lives dont you guys ever forget that med school just prepares you for it money is a gift in exchange for your kindness and giving. no one said life is easy. Its hard to be the best. its not for the weak its for the realest people because real people do real things and impact lots of people. the power is in your soul and your body is your machine that has a time on it. its up to you to decide who you will be. may god bless you
agree completely well said i’m going through that right now and it sucks it’s exactly living hell
I can’t imagine how someone could be happy going to class for 6 hours and then come home and study 6 more hours in a highly competitive and malignant environment unless there was absolutely nothing else you wanted to do in life AND you were in the top 1/2 of your class (at least safely passing most tests). Not to mention the loans are outrageous and does not justify the cost of attendance unless you can get state tuition or a scholarship/grant. Most people don’t like medical school, but are able to tolerate it. Not me though.
I agree. I felt the same way. It’s all about what you want in life and what’s important to you. For me, all I kept thinking about was how I wanted to be able to hike more and have a family of my own. I really want to help others but I couldn’t do what my classmates were doing and give up my life for this career. They wouldn’t even go out on dates! I’m sorry but just because I’m a medical student doesn’t mean that I’m dead. I want to spend my life with those I love, not choose a career to be a slave to people who really don’t care about me and take me for granted and then never see those who would die for me. Just think about that for a minute.
After going through internship, and halfway through my PGY-2 year, I think it’s even worse than what he portrays it…
gunner
You are very right.
You are totally right, I’m 2 months away from finishing med school and I hate it with all my guts.
Don’t do medicine unless you want your creativity and individuality sapped from your veins
I got into medical school, and at the beginning of my fourth year, I quit. That was almost a decade ago. To this day, friends and family still tell me, “you should have finished”, “you were so close”, “you should go back”… but I don’t regret my decision at all. The day that I walked out the school doors for the last time, I felt like I was leaving prison. Though it was scary, it was also one of the happiest days of my life.
What do you do now? I’m a31 year old female architect considering going into Med school. any advice?
This might speak to you or others Velma,
If you really care about people’s health, but aren’t sure about committing to med school and patching people up, there’s a really big need for well informed people in environmental health/public policy (spoke with Dr. Nriagu of University of Michigan about this)–you look at the systemic/environmental/procedural issues that send people to hospitals in the first place and find ways to resolve them. For good case studies on public health in “developing” countries, look up Dr. Rita Colwell’s work on cholera in Bangladesh.
On the policy end, a lot of afflicted communities (from air pollution, contaminated water, etc. look at Southwest Detroit for example or other low-income and heavy industry areas and the Gulf coast communities affected by the ongoing BP Haliburton spill) don’t have legal devices to pursue proper remand. The laws simply don’t exist for people who get leukemia or other health problems that are caused by known disasters. Instead a lot of people have to bring suit via old school common law tortes like trespass and such.
It’s a worthy field to consider. You’ll have to do the homework on the payback/timeframe on your own as I don’t have the numbers on hand.
I hope I don’t seem preachy, but I know several architects and I think a comprehensive preventative systems approach to health might appeal to you.
Either way, good luck to all!
That’s an interesting point. I’m a HIPAA security analyst for a critical access hospital, and I’m considering med school. Your post brings to mind the fact that those with regulatory and policy experience may have other options besides a standard issue physician.
Also, torte != tort. =D yum.
Only four months in, getting through gross anatomy, and I decided med school’s not for me and I left, no questions asked. I was passing my classes okay but I was miserable beyond belief and couldn’t imagine going another seven years, with things getting worse and worse and worse. I’m so glad I didn’t wait a moment longer, but I still have respect for anyone at anytime in their career who made the right decision. I know I sure did!!! And same thought for me projecting into the future: five years from now I’ll look back and say it was the best thing I ever did. My ending thought: it’s too bad the system’s like this. Perhaps a major reason why our health care system is so bad (it all starts from the beginning)? I really don’t think it’s necessary to take people’s lives away while they’re going through this and the weight of all the debt, too—but my theory is that with all the obsessive personalities abound (and people with no lives, no families, no care about the world other than medicine–to get there at any cost), nothing will ever change.
PS: i looked at this site quite a lot before applying to med school and from my brief experience while in med school, 100% of it is true.
I admire you….might I ask what you are doing now? I finished med school, but am reconsidering doing residency. Any advice???
Thanks. I just started med school last month and was feeling pretty down. I couldn’t even bring myself to start studying for my first exam. This helped me realize, in a good way, that thing are going to get worse before they get better and I better start enjoying the time and freedoms I have now. Thanks again.
lol….i TOTALLY agree on the surgeon part…they are a bunch of arrogant and self-obsessed motherfuckers…that too i am in india where they give utmost importance to ‘attendance’…i skipped the last week and now i am gonna get screwed bad by the H.O.D…and medical isnt the way i imagined…i thought it would be challenging,interesting…..but its just tiresome and frustrating…
I am sure what you describe is very true; however, it only matters when you do not like medicine. If a person sees medicine as a challenge for oneself then this would be a perfect choice! All of these sound so difficult but it would not matter more than the transient need of wanting to puke each time one passes in and out of that horrible smelly gross anatomy lab coat room. Gross Anatomy sure is hard but 90% of a class of smart medical students can pass the class without question.
I totally agree. I’m in the third year right now, just went home on a free weekend. and I’m sitting here dreading tomorrow with all my guts….
Wow right on the dot.
90% of surgeons aren’t assholes though…may be like 89%!
Cheers
Damn! I’m thinking it may not br for me. I want to fucking get rich (not super rich to buy ferrarries and shit). I love using my knowledge in helping people. But I’m thinking I can reach the same carrier goal with pharmacy. Medicine may. It be for me cuz naturally have high Levels of anxiety/stress and don’t seem to care a it what health problem ppl are facing. I don’t like the “individuality” factor in my career and certainly don’t like to be challenged for my whole life. Thanks for sharing
Sorry for my fucked up grammar and spelling. I’m not illiterate I’m using my stupid iPhone to type with the auto correction on
I’m in my second year of med school and I can tell you hands down that if you are looking to get rich and if you don’t care about what’s wrong with the person and you are high on the stress/anxiety scale then med school is not the best option. I am not a high stress person and I even struggle not to be stressed out. I work harder than I ever have in my life and every term I sign my name to a loan that puts me in more debt than I can even think about without getting sick to my stomach. For me, I know that I made the right choice coming to school and I don’t regret it one bit. I enjoy what I’m learning and I am looking forward to doing this for the rest of my life. But I also know I’ll never be rich and I’ll spend an awful lot of my life not skating down easy street. Make sure you know what you are getting into before you do it – otherwise you’ll end up miserable and in debt.
OMG! This is so true!!!!!!!!!!!! All of it… and…. I’m doing my surgery rotation right now… worst two months of my last decade…
Highlighter girl.
lulz
Find it funny that some people complain thy the med school system is messed up after giving it 4 months. If you don’t want to work hard and and devote your mind to learning it’s no secret that medschool isn’t for you. And I know plenty of people who still maintain a family life and a social life.
“I know plenty of people who still maintain a family life and a social life.”
It’s all in the person and the stage of life. I went to undergrad just after my 17th birthday, and it was a pain. I carried a 3.0 (barely). I then proceeded to contract Lyme Disease and drop out. Went back at 25 (married with a kid) and destroyed the class rankings with little effort. It was no longer a question of passing – it was a question of getting 100% or not.
To generalize a bit, most of the “adult students” I know have at least some experience at managing time on a professional level, and quite a few are used to 10+ hour days on average. Of course, that doesn’t imply they’ll all excel, but it does mean I can maintain my relationship with my kids while doing well academically.
This is a huge encouragement to me. I am turning 25, have three kids, and am starting undergrad. I know this is what I want to do. It is more than a want. I need to do this. Its everything I love. I can’t explain it.
I am also starting my undergrad at 27. I have my career path set towards physiotherapy, but if I can obtain high enough marks and get accepted I’d really like to go towards orthopedic sports medicine. In highschool I can’t remember ever studying for more than an hour (if that) but after completing my apprenticeship in carpentry and working for the past 7 years with 8-12hr shifts, I feel I am a little more in tune with how to manage my time more effectively, not to mention stay disciplined. Putting in a 10hour study day to me doesn’t really seem like a big deal to me anymore, it’s my job.
Med school is 4 years- It’s probably going to seem like an eternity while you’re in it, but it’s a transitory phase. There’s a whole life ahead of you. I mean, if I have to do somewhere between 10-14years of school to specialize in orthopedics I am going to be about 40 by the time I’m done. Still not old, 20 plus years before even considering retirement that you can spend forgetting about how chaotic it was.
I’m just on my first year, and yeah, I see some of these. I’ll come back here after I graduate (trying to be optimistic here
) and say whether I experience all of these. Good thing I did #90 and #94. Thanks for sharing this. 
I like medical school. If you have a good mindset, it is not overly hard, and it’s a lot of fun. Take this website with a grain of salt.
Hang in there guys. .It was frustrating ,but not impossible.I think the key was too sleep regularly-its much easier to study when you have 8 hrs of sleep everyday.Just got to make time for it…
Ooh…and OB/GYN staff and residents are pure evil…make friends with one of them to make life easier in that rotation.I didnt do that-I graduated a few years ago-but still would want to shoot the OB/GYN Satans I worked with : )
I’ve been in Med School in the UK for 4 years. It’s scary how much it his is right.
I have a question for eveyone; I’m a Family Nurse Practitioner but I have a desire to become a MD. I came accross a few MD programs that are foreign schools here in the US. I’m 46 years young (Lol) and concerned that I may be denied Med-School entrance in U.S. because of my age. Yet, the foreign schools have NP to MD programs with the average age being 43. I have done some investigating to see if I can take the medical exam in NC post graduation from an foreign school and found out it was approved. I have a desire to open a clinic but in NC a collaborating physician is required. Well, many physicians here are not too happy about being any NP’s collaborating physician. What are your thoughts? would you chance a foreign school at age 46???
Unlikely to happen. At 43, you’ll be at least 50 before you grad and only be able to give the profession 20-35 years. Have seen countless people over 35 apply and not get in. Plus, call will be an issue. Q3 to a 25 year old is much different than it is at 43
good luck
Residency I beg to differ – 39 when I applied and got two acceptances. Matriculating in August. Kim if you feel it, go for it!
Hey Kim, I’m in an Caribbean school at the moment and there are a few people in my school who are near 50 years of age, just finishing 2/3nd year, and two in particular look to be on track to graduate and be successful. If you feel that it is something you really want to do and have time and money then sure, but be sure it is something you really want to do. It’s been a while since nursing school, right? and med school is no walk in the park!
How are the Caribbean schools by the way? Are they the same as listed above?
Kim, have you considered the emerging programs called Doctor of Nursing? You would get a graduate degree in Nursing. Just something you might be interested in looking into.
Maybe you were just too weak to handle it. It makes good money and saves lives. You probably should of never tried to begin with because you just stated all the obvious.
huh… Well would you look at that, Engineering doesn’t look so bad anymore
I’m an undergraduate choosing between engineering and medicine. My family is pushing me toward medicine but I don’t have a real passion for it. However, I don’t loveee engineering either (I like psychology and perhaps starting a business). How do I convince them to let me go??
Any advice appreciated!
You are damn right,if anyone doesnt agree with this is not a medical student! You hate it as much as you love it!
Wow.. I’m the highlighter whore.
^ like
Perhaps the biggest thing I learned from this is that medicine is pretty much like any other career. I could adapt all 101 of these for health informatics. All things being equal, it’s good to know that med school won’t really be much of a change from my current career.
Ha! That’ll piss a few people off! =)
Totally agree sounds like BS in corporate america and some of my customer ( am self employed now) I am looking at going to Medical school for my 3rd Career and in my 30′s. I started working young and my degree is in International Business. Though I know most of my doctors I have had in the past are not too bright even though they think they are, that can be said for alot of people in general. This site is eye opening though, helps you prep mentally.
Daniell…much like yourself only a bit older. Not sure how far along you are in your 30′s but at 39 i will be starting med school this August. Like all things in life, and as duly noted on this site, it will be a challenge……but say with me like rocky “no pain, “no pain”
lots of people are thinking :
“its like any other career” “it cannot be that bad” or “this wont be my case”
ONLY BEFORE they step in
you have no idea…it will rape you… mentally and physically…
few people will make it with sane mind through the med school, but everyone will be BROKEN during the residency….you will see and experience things you wish you wouldnt….like young mother dying in tears and her three little kids looking at you asking if its going to be allright, explaining parents that their child is going to die and you cannot do nothing about it…shattered dreams…shattered families, lives..including your own…you will never love that part of medicine
there are also bright aspects of medic/doc life…and focusing on them is the only way to survive
Is this really true?? I am an anxious premed (pressured by family) who can’t handle even watching sad movies! Am I not cut out for it? Are there any specialties that you don’t see horrific, sad things in?……
Advice appreciated!
If I had to make choice again, in first place I wouldnt care about money, but the lifestyle
so, its been said almost million times before….
DERMATOLOGY, DERM/PATH, PATH, RADIOLOGY perhaps Immunology, Psychiatry…these are way to go, you should be fine there.
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You are totally right. I quit medicine school in the 2nd year.
Why?
Love it im in my 4th year now and so far this list sums it up!
How often does #6 happen? All the pre-med girls I know are pretty attractive.
So right now I am a premed student, finishing my second year. Ive been volunteering every week and shadowing a Ortho Surgeon for about 2 months. In the office I find it really fun, and exactly what I want to do. So for the first time He asked me if I wanted to watch some surgeries. I was really expecting to have a great time and everything to be cool. Well surgery was the SHIT!!! I got to see 2 of them, the first one they went easy on me and then the second one I really got to see how shit rolls in the OR. I was shocked everyone in the room was ripped on, and I was told If I want to really want this I will be treated like shit for 6 years at least and that this is an incredibly hard road. After I was questioning if I could even make it, Almost cried, I had no Idea it was like that. Its been a couple of days since and I’m looking for more surprises like this? Next time I shadow I have a million questions to ask him about making it. I want this. One of the questions I want to ask him is…… Was it worth it??? Or anyone who is out of residency…. Is it worth it??? If he says “No” this will be a huge disappointment, and not sure what I will do. If he and/or Other people say IT IS than that is fine and I will not stop tell I am finished, I have had a hard life and from all of the numbers above, Around 60 of them is how my life is anyway so……. seems like a shitty time but I really can’t tell you anytime in my life that has been better than that.
This made me smile after looking at my bank account in the negatives as I await my check, starting 4 year, study for boards , study for shelves, and do my 15 hour IM sched, it’s all true..it’s all fantastic
I studied microbiology, and I am planning to enter medical college. Advice me pls.
Nweze, kedu. If you have all the prereqs and a decent gpa, its then a question of taking your mcat scoring well and staying busy volunteering so you can preesent a solid application. i will be starting this august so ping me if you have any specific questions.
You can do it bro, you can do it, after all you are the son of a king
There are really some people who get into medicine because of passion and dedication this is why they succeed.
I agree, only those will make it and will be at the top….of their career though… but ask their families about their succes, or try to see what they do in their free time (work only) , I respect these people, they deserve millions…
I’ve just finished medical school and I’m waiting to start my internship. Even though I should be happy I’ve finished university like every other normal graduate, the hell I’ve been through in medical school and just thinking about the hell I’m about to go through with internship and specialising in something (which I also haven’t managed to choose yet as I realised I hate all the specialities of medicine) never actually let me enjoy graduating. I feel like I’m stuck. I can’t go back and not study medicine, and yet I can’t continue going on like this doing something that’s completely energy & personality sapping and time consuming..Not just a few hours or years but literally your whole entire life is wasted working and studying. And for what? An okay salary? The satisfaction of helping someone who you don’t know and is rude and impolite to you? Or for being able to gain experience and learn from doctors above you who treat you like crap? And notice this is coming from a girl who graduated 3 months ago, so it’s not just the work and exam stress talking.
Hey Muram, cant you just become a GP right now instead of going on to specialise?
I read all of these and all i can say is if you are determine to achieve a goal you will be ready to bear all of the above it is the end that matters.Nothing good comes easy even the great city of Rome wasnt built in a day in take time to bring out your dream into your present physical reality
The most cliche’s I have ever seen in one post. Good job!
Hey guys , I just turned 20, I have a 3 year old & an 18 month old, am considering studying Biomedical Science – thats the only way (as far as I know) to get into Med school over here. Really interested in becoming a Pediatrician, really want to earn a lot of money to comfortably support my family & also because I personally love people, especially babies & children. The thought of perhaps helping a few babies/children live better lives brings joy as I would never want anything to happen to my 2. Then someday when my children grow up, I would open up a clinic over in Africa as well as a Medical school. This is my dream & have had a lot of people say shit because I had my 2 young that I am stupid and am going nowhere. Constantly being put down about reaching my goal will never stop me, giving my children someone to admire helps at those time so I can say F^&** to those shitty people.I read this site & don’t care how hard its going to be, I am determined even moreso! Just want to know, as a pre-requisite to get into Biomed, I have to complete Maths B (2nd hardest maths over here) but I am hopeless at Maths. Have Read the subjects/tutorials I would be studying in Biomed & there is no maths in it whatsoever!! I dont get it!! Why do you have to Maths B to get into a degree that will help you get into Med school? Is there any maths in Med school at all? Would appreciate an answer:)
There’s some reasonably simple maths involved but those are just hoops to get in. They want to see some academic ability.
As long as you can PASS the courses, you’ll be fine for med school. No one checks your math marks. In med school you’ll need to know/learn/re-learn some statistics and some formulae, be able to add/subtract/multiply, use/manipulate given formulae, that’s it. Nothing daunting. You’ll be fine.
Med school is a LOT of work and a LOT a LOT of studying. You can’t do it part time. You can’t hold down a part time job at the same time, studying becomes your part time or more like full time job on top of class time. There’s a lady in my school with a small daughter, but her boyfriend stays home to watch the child while shes in class and studies. If you don’t have someone who can help watch your children for you you will find it difficult to study enough to get even passing grades. That said, if you enjoy it and have friends in your class that you can study with and lean on and you really, really really want to do this, and can handle getting ~150,000-250,000 in debt while not being able to work, then go for it.
OB/GYN people are sadists. I’ve come to believe they really enjoy the suffering of others. Medical school was the worst decision I ever made, and at 300,000+ in loans, there’s nothing left to do but be a doctor…
i start in september and if #90 is right i’m royally screwed
hahaha not totally, refer to #55-58. So true I have so many good memories and have a few amazing friends thanks to med school.