Medical school

[PaulsRightNut]

Don't do it.

[TK]

Pharmacy is cool though

[SouthernCross40]

Don't do it.

SC pre-med student here...please continue.

[zaxophone]

yeah tell me more...
i'm still in high school but thats what my current field of choice would lead to.

[OnLettingGo]

:/

that's what people told me about taking 7 ap tests this year. i've never been good at taking advice.

[diehtc0ke]

:/

that's what people told me about taking 7 ap tests this year. i've never been good at taking advice.
lol. AP was a joke at my school. Didn't prepare me for shit.

[laxcrs]

im looking at pa school

[billyboatkid]

Pharmacy is cool though
That's what I'm doing.

[zaxophone]

:/

that's what people told me about taking 7 ap tests this year. i've never been good at taking advice.
yikes. im taking 4 ap classes and debating which one to drop, eng lang or whap. right now i'm taking all 4.

[TK]

That's what I'm doing.

Have you finished your prerequisites?

[PaulsRightNut]

SC pre-med student here...please continue.
The amount of stress and misery is impossible to describe.
im looking at pa school

Todd...Saves_The_Night is a PA. You should ask him about it.

I was really into being a PA, but I think I felt like I would regret (not going to full on med school) it later on, but I honestly feel like at this point thats what I personally should have done. But who knows.

[gillygtv]

I'm technically between my 1 and 2 years of med school ( went into a 7 year program out of hs)
and I really believe that being a PA would be better for me in the future.
I must say though, at my school, we take some classes with the PA students (Anatomy, Pharm..etc)...So they take many of the same classes that doctors do and work their asses of, but don't get the MD degree. Then again, when it comes to an actual career you aren't left with as many responsibilities...

[cris545]

apparently the more stress your job induces the shorter your life expectancy becomes

[spriltsc]

Pharmacy is cool though
i'm gonna go to pharm school next year. it will suck ass.

[spriltsc]

That's what I'm doing.
where are you gonna apply for pharm school??

[billyboatkid]

where are you gonna apply for pharm school??

I already applied at UNM in New Mexico.

It's a really good program and I'm already on the list or whatever.

You?

[laxcrs]

The amount of stress and misery is impossible to describe.


Todd...Saves_The_Night is a PA. You should ask him about it.

I was really into being a PA, but I think I felt like I would regret (not going to full on med school) it later on, but I honestly feel like at this point thats what I personally should have done. But who knows.

thanks ill send him a pm

[spriltsc]

I already applied at UNM in New Mexico.

It's a really good program and I'm already on the list or whatever.

You?
i applied to University of the Pacific. Passed my interview and stuff. just need to boost my grades.

[sdbrown]

Yikes, I've started exploring this for the future (I've got to get my post-bacc before I even consider applying as I have no calc/chem experience) but I'm freaking terrified. I was originally going to apply to PA school but I've heard some stuff that made me reconsider. Not anything horrible, mind, but just that you basically go through very similar schooling as doctors but get almost none of the respect and autonomy.

I'm technically between my 1 and 2 years of med school ( went into a 7 year program out of hs)
and I really believe that being a PA would be better for me in the future.
I must say though, at my school, we take some classes with the PA students (Anatomy, Pharm..etc)...So they take many of the same classes that doctors do and work their asses of, but don't get the MD degree. Then again, when it comes to an actual career you aren't left with as many responsibilities...
I've been visiting advice forums/columns for PA school and most of the PAs have been saying you have a lot more responsibility than the 'career center descriptions' give credit for. Though in terms of malpractice you're right.

[spriltsc]

what the hell is PA?? pharmacy??

[spriltsc]

ooo nvm, just googled it. ya i wouldn't want to be a PA either.

[PaulsRightNut]

It really depends on what specialty you go into, what practice you are with, or what hospital you work in etc. etc.

The PA's I've worked with had pretty much complete independence from the doctor. They were doing surgical procedures, diagnosing and treating patients pretty much on their own (with the exception of the signature of the doctor they were working with on perscriptions etc)...so I thought that was pretty cool. I mean, in a lot of situations PA's are the first person a patient will see in the ER or what not, so I guess it just depends.

[nicko]

I'm a med student in Australia.

And it's also my very first post on AP....ever. Yay!

I went into medical school straight from high school - which about 50% of medical students do here. Some people take a gap year and travel to europe or the states or asia or wherever, and lots do it after doing a more general degree. Most students don't pay for university up front - I'll be in debt about 60 thousand when I graduate, becuase I contribute some but the government pays for most of my training.

Sometimes it feels as though I haven't done anything particularly interesting in my life, and that the main focus in my life, especially looking back on it, will be treating patients. Everything else will have fitted around that goal. Sometimes that makes me feel great, because I've sacrificed so much to get here and it feels great cause I've gotten to the stage where I'm treating patients myself, and at other times it makes me feel really depressed.

All the stress and pressure, coupled with other stuff in my life, lead me to have some pretty heavy problems with anxiety and substances - which is common in the profession. But with help, I've been able to overcome these things, and I'm happy and healthy now. And those things will make me a better doctor and a better person.

Med school can be the greatest thing ever, but it can also be the worst. Do it if you want no life, if you like spending saturday nights with anatomy text books so you won't fail, and if you want to basically lose contact with all your non-medical friends. But if you love working, and you love academics and science and having a million different options open to you, and love having hot nurses flirt with you even if you're ugly like me, and if you love helping people (even f-wits), then there is no greater career.

You've just got to figure out whether its worth it for you.

[thatwasamoment]

No, please do it! We need more doctors.

[PaulsRightNut]

I'm a med student in Australia.

And it's also my very first post on AP....ever. Yay!

I went into medical school straight from high school - which about 50% of medical students do here. Some people take a gap year and travel to europe or the states or asia or wherever, and lots do it after doing a more general degree. Most students don't pay for university up front - I'll be in debt about 60 thousand when I graduate, becuase I contribute some but the government pays for most of my training.

Sometimes it feels as though I haven't done anything particularly interesting in my life, and that the main focus in my life, especially looking back on it, will be treating patients. Everything else will have fitted around that goal. Sometimes that makes me feel great, because I've sacrificed so much to get here and it feels great cause I've gotten to the stage where I'm treating patients myself, and at other times it makes me feel really depressed.

All the stress and pressure, coupled with other stuff in my life, lead me to have some pretty heavy problems with anxiety and substances - which is common in the profession. But with help, I've been able to overcome these things, and I'm happy and healthy now. And those things will make me a better doctor and a better person.

Med school can be the greatest thing ever, but it can also be the worst. Do it if you want no life, if you like spending saturday nights with anatomy text books so you won't fail, and if you want to basically lose contact with all your non-medical friends. But if you love working, and you love academics and science and having a million different options open to you, and love having hot nurses flirt with you even if you're ugly like me, and if you love helping people (even f-wits), then there is no greater career.

You've just got to figure out whether its worth it for you.

personally I don't mind that I don't have a life. I didn't exactly have one before I started so that never really bothered me.

and to be honest my love of science was pretty much crushed... if you actually have an interest in something sitting down and memorizing/repeatedly going through thousands of facts merely because you know you're going to be tested on it isn't something anyone would do cause they love that particular subject.

Everyone knows its hard, and you know its going to be challenging and stressful.

I just think no one can really prepare themselves for the emotional & mental aspects that go along with everything.

I mean, some days can be really depressing and you can't help but run into the bathroom to hide and cry your eyes out. Some days you might actually feel pretty confident and happy. Then the next day its back to feeling stressed and anxious about everything.

Whatever...I've put in my two cents... just felt like venting I guess.

[The Summer Ends]

personally I don't mind that I don't have a life. I didn't exactly have one before I started so that never really bothered me.

Everyone knows its hard, and you know its going to be challenging and stressful.

I just think no one can really prepare themselves for the emotional & mental aspects that go along with everything.

I mean, some days can be really depressing and you can't help but run into the bathroom to hide and cry your eyes out. Some days you might actually feel pretty confident and happy. Then the next day its back to feeling stressed and anxious about everything.

Whatever...I've put in my two cents... just felt like venting I guess.

Where do you go to school?

[nicko]

My goodness PaulsRightNut, I think we are like twins, except you were born 3 years before me, and in another country. And to a different mother.

Just stick with it, cause there will come a time and a place where a patient comes along, and you actually make a difference, and then all the bullshit is all worthwhile. I admit it, I'm still waiting for that moment, but one day it'll come. You can do it.

If your finding it really difficult, where I live we have something called the Victorian Doctors Health Program, which is totally free for doctors and students, who've basically got any health problems, but especially ones relating to stress, anxiety, substances yada yada. It's all confidential, and the doctors who work there are amazing. Like AMAZING. They've helped me out heaps. So maybe there is something like that around you.

But yeah, it's good to vent, and it can be especially cathartic on the internet where you've got a veil of anonymity. I came up with that phrase just then - poetic isn't it ;-)