Medicine right for me?

twogirls
Mon, 22 May 2023 09:38:25 +0000

Besides liking and excelling in your science classes, you need to actually enjoy the work that is involved. You might not have these experiences until college or in the years following.

You should enjoy shadowing, volunteering, etc. This includes working in underserved communities and with people who may be different than you (homeless people, refugees, etc).

I think some students think premed/medicine is always exciting. This is false. When my daughter shadowed a pediatrician she actually found it to be a little boring and mundane. She spent the day watching kids get routine physicals and the doctor (not his staff) on the phone dealing with insurance. She did not like primary care, yet that is what is needed.

I think there are a lot of students who excel in the hard science classes that they take in college, yet change their mind about going to medical school once they realize that other careers appeal to them more. They did not have exposure to these classes/experiences/careers in HS.

One last thing- students may think they are ok dealing with blood etc. Some change their mind about medicine (MD, DO, BSN, NP, PA) once they realize they are not.