<p>“So why does all this matter for this thread? I still don’t know exactly why I hesitate to interact with other Indians. But I suspect it may be the case for me and people of other races that there is a hesitation regarding culture and trying to fit that culture, they may feel like they are being judged to see if they are “black” enough, or “asian” enough, etc. and that may make them feel uncomfortable.”</p>
<p>Yes, this definitely does happen with some black people. I remember some black students at Harvard who tried to act like they were “real black guys from the hood.” They were prep school grads from affluent backgrounds. I guess that when they were younger, they had been teased by some black people for “acting white” and they decided to adapt false personas in order to deflect such talk from new black acquaintances.</p>
<p>By the time they graduated, most had grown out of that.</p>
<p>Northstarmom, may I ask what you do? I am merely interested because i am thinking about my future and i have been looking at what other people choose to do with their lives for direction.</p>
<p>BTW, My sons white friends (his friends are mainly white, several are hispanic), say he is the “whitest black kid they know”. Never mind that he is the ONLY black kid they know.</p>
<p>LOL, people tell me that too. But there are usually five of us blacks (in the AP classes) and none of us are “really” black apparently. Shrinkrap may I ask you a question?</p>
<p>Oh sorry about that. Well this is my real question:</p>
<p>I have been struggling with the concept of becoming a doctor. I know that you are a doctor and so I wanted to ask you. I mean I have wanted to be a doctor since I was very young. Medical school is very expensive and I will have no parental support, so I would be looking at about 160K in debt. I would become a primary care physician, but the problem is that it would take seven years past college to finish med school and residency and I just don’t know if all that debt and years lost are worth it. I have always wanted to be a father and so starting a family is a top priority in my book and I am afraid that if I pursue medicine I will have to hold off on getting married and having children. I wanted to just ask do you think medicine is worth it for all the sacrifice? The reason I wanted to become a doctor was because I really enjoyed the science and biological processes that take place inside the human body, but I really do not care very much about people’s health and people dying. So would you suggest medicine as a career field, or would you dissuade me?</p>
<p>Dbate, I think you know I can’t answer that for you. I will tell you neither my husband (first gen, family practice) nor I, had any financial help from our families. I went to an HBCU and got a military scholarship. Debt was not a big deal for me. Husband went to an Ivy, and after 20 years, he is still paying. He is a great, and reasonably present (but not nearly as eager as you!) dad. Neither of us is encouraging OR dissuading or kids regarding medicine.</p>
<p>Unless you are doing university/research, it is ALL about the people. Not really about the science.</p>
<p>I am in Hunstville, Ala right now, watching my 99 year old aunt die.</p>
<p>Thanks, I don’t know any doctors so i have been trying to get all the advice I can. I have one last question though, if you could have gone a different path would you? Or do you think you have had to give up anything by pursuing your career path?</p>
<p>P.S. I am sorry to hear that about your aunt.</p>
<p>Dbate, sorry about interrupting your conversation with Shrinkrap. If you interested in the science aspects of medicine, you should look into MD/PhD programs. Admissions are very competitive, but the best part is that some of these programs are funded (just like PhD programs), which means that you might not be paying tuition. Or maybe you should consider a PhD in biological sciences (mol. biology, immunology, genetics) with close ties to medicine? Try to join a research lab at some point during your undergraduate studies to see if biological research is your cup of tea.</p>
<p>Yeah I thought about the MD/PhD route, but that will kill the family aspirations. As far as getting a PhD they don’t make much money so I crossed that off my list. I am planning on double majoring in molecular bio and political science and will probably just go off to be a lobbyist. They make a bunch of money, don’t really have to go to graduate school, and I could start my family early (I wanted to get married at about 27 or 28).</p>
<p>My cousin’s daughter is in her 3rd(?) year of residency. Her path was;
Biology at Stanford - BS
Public Health at U-Mich Masters
Med School at Duke
Residency via Harvard</p>
<p>My question to her parents were how the heck can you afford this. And the answer was loans. She also was the recipient of several fellowships,as is another cousing at Texas Southwestern med school via FAMU. The fellowships offset some of the loans.</p>
<p>I can tell you that even though both are very new to their careers, they can’t see themselves doing anything differently. We may ask again in 10-20 years, but right now they are happy and committed.</p>
<p>Wow your cousins daughter must be really smart. Duke Med is legit. Internally I am propelled toward medicine, but it just seems as if I would be missing out on all the other opportunities that are open to me.</p>
<p>Dbate, I wouldn’t worry too much about your potential professional career. Students change their majors all the time. Some realize pre-med isn’t the right field for them. I certainly changed my major between high school and sophomore year of college.</p>
<p>I don’t want you to think posters like myself were harsh on you. If you spoke to me over the phone right now, I actually sound like a white person. I speak articulately and do not use slang words. I attended a predominately white private school in one of the wealthiest cities in Michigan. I know how the upper-class mingle and so forth. My black peers and I knew we were privileged, but we didn’t try to emulate our wealthier white peers’ standards. I attended Northwestern University, an elite institution that is often discussed and compared on this forum. I’m going to University of Michigan for my dual-master’s program.</p>
<p>Unlike you, I lived in a predominately black middle-class neighborhood where I interacted with blacks across income levels daily. I understood while growing up that racial and class discrimination exists. My parents made sure I learned my African American history and introduced me to their white and black companions. They exposed me to real situations and I’m quite thankful that I can be anywhere and do fine by myself. </p>
<p>You need to get out of your comfort zone. When you arrive at Yale, volunteer in the community. You said you’re interested in tutoring. Take African American Studies course electives. You will realize the world is much bigger and different than your bubble in Sugar Land.</p>
<p>I didn’t think people were people were being rude at all. I know alot black people my school is 40% black, then thing is they are black people like me from mostly well to do backgrounds. That was the criticism of the program because it seemed to focus on a specific demographic of blacks that I didn’t feel was the most ideal. </p>
<p>
To be honest I am not particularly street smart and so I don’t think I should go certain places. </p>
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</p>
<p>Courses like that always seemed to bug me. I makes it appear as if African american history is distinct from the history of the US which i would claim is absolutely false the history of blacks is part of the history of america so I just can not understand why there should be this distinction, but to each his own. I think I am going to focus more on girls and my GPA in college for the most part.</p>
<p>A survey American History course does not cover every single aspect of African American history. You can explore a topic (i.e. slavery, welfare policy, black intellectual history, Harlem Renaissance, black women in America, etc.) more in depth in an African American Studies course. Like I said, get out of your comfort zone.</p>
<p>I understand that, that but the distinction on at least an organizational level seems to imply that African american history exists in a vacuum. I mean AA history has its own department distinct from American Studies at Yale and I think it would be more beneficial for AA history to be recognized as a subtopic of american history. That way on a cognitive level it alleviates the separation that seems to be built up around AA history and the history of america as a whole.</p>
<p>A doctor has to be empathetic. I believe rotations for interns include emergency rooms and you will be exposed to many people who will pull you way out of your comfort zone. Initially, you will not be able to pick and chose your patients.</p>
<p>It’s not a bad idea to explore something as an elective. Toss a little Liberal Arts into your life : )</p>
<p>I beleive schools teach not only African American history, but courses such as Polish American histoy and perhaps others. We are just asking you to be a wee bit more open.</p>
<p>I don’t have a problem with AA history I tend to believe that all humanities fields are a little pointless and so have a pretty derisive attitude toward it. Polish american history seems like it would be a dumb department too.</p>
<p>I’m back. Visited a bit with my 94 year old uncle. Learned something new about his perspectives on "the depression "( almost “business as usual” for “Negroes”), F.D. Roosevelt, and the WPA. Dbate, you should hear what HE’D have to she about your… “perspective”!</p>
<p>Anyways…</p>
<p>"I have one last question though, if you could have gone a different path would you? "</p>
<p>Sometimes I think it would have been nice to follow my more creative tendencies (I wanted to be a writer), but no. If I REALLY had what it took, I could still do it.</p>
<p>“Or do you think you have had to give up anything by pursuing your career path?”</p>
<p>Maybe, but nothing comes to mind. I don’t remember it as some desperate quest that started in 6th grade. I mean, I thought I could be a doctor, but it wasn’t the focus of my life until medical school. My brother sees it differently. He saw me as constantly buried in books and studying, for years on end. But in retrospect, it was like “that’s how we roll!”. TOTALLY beats “real life”. I was BRIEFLY disappointed it had to pass on an offer to be a pre-school teacher right out of college, and I dated plenty of “losers”, that could have knocked me off my path, but there were no conscious forks in the road.I feel blessed/fortunate (especially about things not working out with the “losers”), but that’s not just about being a doctor.</p>
<p>Had my first child at 29 (husband was 26), and the timing was perfect. Not planned, but perfect. That should not stand in your way.</p>
<p>Anyway… enough about me…</p>
<p>BTW, my D is 5’3", My SIL about the same, and my mom was about 5’2". One of her sisters was 4’8".</p>
<p>Are you verbally impulsive? Not meant as an insultat all, but from the brain it comes out the mouth? My youngest is like this, she has inserted her foot in her mouth more times than I can count, and I at times feel a need to put a disclaimer sticker on her when out and about. When you go away to school, let others talk first, don’t interject these personal opinions too readily, unless you enjoy this banter of insults even in the virtual world. Otherwise life may become difficult.</p>
Otherwise life may become difficult.</p>