Being a Doctor

<p>i'm a rising senior in hs
since my eigth grade bio dissection i've dreamed of being a doctor.
anyways, its getting pretty close to making one of the biggest decisions of my life.
i do want to be a doctor. the way i felt in eigth grade and how i feel when i'm volunteering in the hospital cannot be described by words. however, being practical, being any kind of doctor takes time about 10 years of time.
i have other options i can take, but i feel like i can't abandon this dream of holding a scalpel one day. my other option would be international relations. I am interested in that too, but i want to know how all of you guys feel going to undergrad school then med and fulfilling all the requirements.
is being a doctor really that great?</p>

<p>You don't have to decide this for another three years. Why the urgency? Shadow some docs, get some hospital experience, and get a feel for how you will react to it personally.</p>

<p>I'm a junior in high school now. And you would be VERY surprised at how much pressure we are being put on to already consider a career choice even at the age of 16. It is almost unfair really. But we are being told that things are a lot easier when you know what you want to major in right when you get into college. Whether it's right or wrong, even kids in high school are seriously contemplating what career they will have 5-10 years down the road.</p>

<p>you got time. you need to know what you want to do pretty much by your junior year of college.</p>

<p>lots of people say they want to be doctors. lots of people say that, but in reality chose the medical route because of money or their parents "wanted them too". if you truly think your up for med, engage yourself. go volunteer at a hospital. shadow doctors, nurses, etc. go on internships. in other words, be productive. its also good to find out early that medicine isnt for you. this way, you can explore and find your true belonging faster and not have to waste your time in pointless college classes.</p>

<p>Following up and expounding a bit on BDM's comments; the road to becoming a Doctor is a long haul and certainly not something that needs to be decided on as a high school sophomore or junior. To the second poster, don't allow anyone to pressure you into deciding on a career choice at such a young age. Even the finest prep schools can't offer the extent of courses that could satisfy everyone's intellectual curiosity.</p>

<p>Most people change majors several times in college before finally landing on the one that they really like. The fact that many schools have broad based core requirements is because so many people never find something that they can be passionate about until they have been exposed to a number of things.</p>

<p>My S is now an MS1 after graduating from college in May. He too could never see himself as anything but an MD since about 9th or 10th grade. We never forced or pushed him and truth be told, probably did all we could do to point out all the reasons NOT to go into medicine today unless he was really passionate about it. He never wavered and fortunately was able to be admitted to a top Med school as well. There is however much to think about before venturing down the long road to medicine</p>

<p>Three of his best friends are on Wall Street right now in some form of IB jobs, two are on Fulbright Scholarships in Asia, one is at Harvard Med, two are in Law school, and the rest have all entered the business world in some form or fashion. All but the friend at Harvard will be earning significant amounts of money long before he has any REAL income, and for the most part will have their futures somewhat figured out long before he has even decided what kind of Doctor he really wants to be.</p>

<p>He, on the other hand, is in class or lab 36 plus hours a week and studying who knows how many other hours a week and this is just week three of the first year of Med school. Despite the workload he is happier and more excited than I have seen him in a long time.</p>

<p>Take time to enjoy your last years of high school as well as your undergrad years. Look at ALL your options, don't be afraid to major in "non-traditional" majors if they are of interest to you. You don't have to be a Bio or Chem major to go to Med school, my S majored in Linguistics and Religious Studies and minored in Chemistry. If you end up in Med School, you'll be taking NOTHING but science classes for the rest of your life so don't be afraid to broaden your knowledge base and take classes that interest you; you will be better because of it.</p>

<p>Relax a bit and enjoy the next few years, you have plenty of time to figure out if Medicine is the right career path for you.</p>