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I don't want to take a risk by staying as a premed for another 3 years and then get rejected pre- or post-interview from every med school I applied to.
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<p>There aren't very many people who want this either. But that's part of the process. There are threads about Plan B's and such. It's a good idea to be thinking about "what if's" like this one. Would you reapply the next year? Are there other fields that interest you?</p>
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Even if I get into a med school, I can't be sure if I'll be happy in it.
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<p>Also true of a great many people. Believe me, I had my moments in the first two years where I was absolutely miserable. Luckily third year was an almost immediate breath of fresh air and I can say without a doubt that I'm happy doing what I'm doing. But during those first two years there's a lot of those "what have I gotten myself into?" moments. As third year began, I had a lot of worry about what might happen if I continued to hate 3rd year as much as I had hated the first two...but again, that unknown factor is just part of the deal.</p>
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It provides good stability and a great income
AND
What paths require you to put in not as much but still provide you with good stability and a great income?
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<p>Let's get one thing straight. The stability of medicine comes from the fact that it is so "risky" in getting in. The gate is at the beginning and it is only once you get in that the path is pretty well set and stability assured. The risk is all up front - which you've voiced your concern about. Other fields that have similar earning potentials (like law) aren't nearly as difficult to get in to, and so there's less risk getting rejected initially (it's much easier to get into law school than med school) but the trade off is that it carries more risk throughout the process - it's common for law students to flunk out, there's real risk in not passing the Bar, there is a more difficult job market. </p>
<p>Part of this, I believe, is due to the way the education of doctors and lawyers takes place. Medical education is for all intents and purposes an apprenticeship during the last two years of medical school and then completes residency and fellowship. It's a time consuming endeavor that uses a lot of resources to achieve its goals, but in the end, I don't think there are any other ways to do it. Because it's such an expensive process (time and money), there is a definite need to make sure as many people as possible make it through to the end. That's why it's so rare to fail out of medical school and why medical schools are so willing to give students 2nd and even 3rd opportunities.</p>
<p>On the other hand, most law schools (especially the top tier ones) don't actually teach you how to BE a lawyer. They teach you the LAW, and how to think legally, but there is very little emphasis on giving you the skills to be a lawyer. The teaching of these skills is left to the first employer. With that model, there is far fewer resources needed to teach large numbers of law students, because you only need lectures and seminars and class room learning. So there is little risk for the schools to fail a student. </p>
<p>It's an interesting contrast, but illustrates one reason WHY medicine education is structured as it is and why there is little risk once admitted, but a lot of risk in trying to get in.</p>