<p>Hey there,
I'm a high school senior who has an interest of becoming a doctor.
My mom, however, does not like that idea.
She thinks that I do not need that stress in my life and that I am too quiet since doctors have to be strong as nails in order to deal with difficult patients.
Medicine is something I always had in mind but I fear she may be right. </p>
<p>You can apply to medical school with any major as long as you take the prerequisite classes. Medical schools also like to see experience volunteering in medical settings and research. </p>
<p>Why not take this one step at a time? You might decide it is for you or it isn’t. You might also become interested in other areas of health care- physician’s assistant, nursing, physical therapy, pharmacist- there are many.</p>
<p>Sometimes following this path works itself out one way or the other. Many students start out as pre-med and change their minds, some decide to apply to medical school later.</p>
<p>“She thinks that I do not need that stress in my life and that I am too quiet since doctors have to be strong as nails in order to deal with difficult patients.”</p>
<p>Sounds like your mother is projecting!</p>
<p>@geo113 Yeah… she tends to do that.
She likes to guilt trip me and my bother as well. </p>
<p>The problem with your mother’s analysis is that in all walks of life you run into difficult people. </p>
<p>@geo1113 Exactly. I’m going to run into difficult people anyway. I don’t understand why she doesn’t allow
me deal with these problems myself. </p>
<p>She can’t help herself. I actually had to yell at my mother when I was 27 to bud out. At least it was helpful in dealing with my sons.</p>
<p>In your situation, my best advice is to keep the options open that will allow you to go to medical school.</p>
<p>It is your life, your decision, your education. If you want to become a doctor, do it. She can’t control what you choose to do with your life. [-( </p>
<p>My mom is the exact same way. She’s trying to dictate where I put in applications and which school I go to. I just keep telling her, I’m going where is best for me. I think that you should tell your mom that too. That this is YOUR future that you’re building, not hers. And you should remember that too. Do what is best for you and remember that this is college we’re talking about. You said you’re quiet, well this could be a life changing experience. </p>
<p>
Some people are just late bloomers.</p>
<p>What does that have to do with the price of tea in China!</p>
<p>I can go into the pre-med path.
But my parents are not going to pay for it. They even said so themselves. </p>
<p>What are your parents stipulation for what they will pay for? Is it a particular major, certain classes, a particular career path, what? What do they want you to do? Or are they letting you pick as long as you don’t become a doctor?</p>
<p>You can major in what your parents are willing to pay for and then also take pre-med classes to keep that option open, unless your parents are checking your class schedule to make sure you aren’t taking any science classes. You may also be able to get some pre-med requirements to fit into GE requirements if they ask why you are taking them.</p>
<p>In the meantime, start exploring different career paths. Many students want to be a doctor without really knowing what it entails, so make sure you get a real understanding of what it will be like. Volunteer in hospitals and get other experience that would be good for medical school. Maybe after you have some more experience and a better understanding of what you want to do, they will be more receptive to the idea. Maybe you want to keep the idea alive so they aren’t blindsided that you are keeping that option open. Maybe if you do really well in your pre-med classes and keep a high GPA, and really standout in extracurriculars involving medical school, your parents will be more convinced. Maybe if you get some leadership experience where you really have to take charge or if you work jobs where you really have to be strong and deal with difficult people, your parents will be more convinced. Being stronger with your parents may also help with that, but don’t be so disrespectful that your parents cut off support entirely.</p>
<p>Regardless, even if they forbid you from taking any pre-med classes and from majoring in anything that will have pre-med requirements as some of the major requirements, you can work and do a post-bacc program to get the premed requirements and then apply to medical school. Keep doing extracurriculars that would strengthen your medical school application. Many students apply after they graduate from undergrad or change career paths. If being a doctor is really what you want to do, there are ways to do it. If you aren’t willing to take some time off to work and become financially independent, funding your own pre-med courses and application fees, then maybe you don’t really want to be a doctor badly enough. Which is absolutely fine. But there are other options, even if your parents aren’t willing to foot the bill.</p>
<p>@ baxtrax
They do not want me to take a large amount of science and math classes because I’m not good at it.
Even if I was good at it, they still would not let me take it. </p>
<p>I have somewhat of a backup. I want to go into linguistics with possibly a minor in CS or English. </p>
<p>I’ve considered that. But I have done a lot of thinking and I don’t think I want to go into pre-med anymore. </p>
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<p>It sounds like their concern is not so much your personality traits that aren’t suite to being a doctor, but that your academic talents aren’t very suited to being a doctor. Sounds like a very valid and reasonable concern.</p>
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<p>Well, not wanting to go to medical school pretty much solves your problem =D</p>
<p>Yea, you seem to be more in your comfort zone in english as compared to science and pre med stuff. You haven’t even started classes yet and you are already doubting your choice. Going forward with medical school is a monumental commitment which will consume likely 8 years of your life in practicing for it alone. I would take your mom’s advice. You seem to be articulate, why not something like a journalist or something.</p>
<p>And while science is heavy in medical fields, math is not at all a focus as a doctor am I right?</p>
<p>Hey, I’m the complete opposite! Parents want me to become a doctor but I want to be a science writer 
Anyways, as corny as this sounds, follow your dreams! Your career is a huge commitment and you should definitely be working in something you love to do. As long as you love it, you will be motivated, and it won’t be as much stress and burdensome. Have you volunteered/shadowed a doctor in a hospital? I recommend doing so to see if you can gain an inside experience. Also, try asking a family friend who’s a doctor and see what they say being a doctor is all about. If it ends up you still want to be a doc and your mom doesn’t, then try and reason with her and tell her why you want to become a doc. Hope this helped! </p>