Suffer, I am well aware of the pitfalls of middle management (and the rewards depending on the job). I was just surprised that someone your age was planning life to that extent. I think you are overthinking things.
Until very recently, undergrad business and finance were not well-respected. Traditionally top management came from the kind of (now elitist) education that was “for learning’s sake,” often humanities- and also from connections! But times are changing.
The main point I would want to make with someone like you is to stop overthinking and prematurely planning. Go to college and explore some courses and see what interests you. Then go to grad school in that area, or med school, or work if internships, classes and networking have given you direction by then. Let life happen.
ps You do know that generally people work their way through middle management to move up? I mean, middle management is pretty unavoidable for an ambitious person. Generally people don’t start at the top.
“Then go to grad school in that area, or med school” - I wish they can just go to med. school to try it out. Not the case, though…And humanity is lucky that it is not the case. I can guarantee you with some degree of certainty, that we would have much greater shortage of doc’s than now, I can see that hardly anybody will choose to stay there if they could only try it out first. The med. students are pushed to the limits in ALL aspects of human life, mental. emotional, physical, social, I cannot think of a single way that they are NOT pushed.
MIamiDAP not sure why you think I am suggesting anyone try med school out-? Or why you think I think med students aren’t pushed-? No need to answer, but just saying, you are misinterpreting my post.
Be flexible. No matter what route you take, its likely you will need to change paths at some point in your career (and likely multiple times) and probably without a huge amount of time to react.
Everyone grouses about the workload in college. That’s true. But the workload will only increase in med school and again during residency. (Can’t express just how much D1 is just loving those 80 hour work weeks she puts in as a resident! 80 hours which, btw, does not include the reading and study time she has to do during her “off” time.)
Medicine is as much as a calling or a vocation as is the ministry or the religious life. If you feel the call, you will find medicine fulfilling and worthwhile; if you don’t, you’ll be miserable.
The advice I would give anyone is : Find your passion. What do you like to do? Because whatever you choose, you are going to spend a great deal of your time doing it. Someone implied that medicine is more altruistic than banking, but really any profession can change another person’s life. If you get a high from making sure your checking account is balanced to the penny or following the stock market, then banking/finance may be for you. If you are one to nurse family members when they’re ill, then medicine may be your path. If your passion changes, then go back to school and learn something new. A lot of people do it. There are no right and wrong choices.
Physicians get the “too smart” remark. Somewhat tongue in cheek but reflecting the cons of being a physician.
For the time spent you really have to love it, regardless of the financial gain (likewise with anything business- couldn’t get me in any biz school major!). Post #25 about the calling/vocation is the right attitude to take. Many physicians who practiced before all of the third party interventions (and I mean not only insurance but management with cost effective practice guidelines- nonphysicians trying to make a place as profitable as possible…) miss the old days when you had more freedom to choose a practice style… Also- be aware it does not take a genius or academic giftedness to be a physician, there is a lot of material to learn in a short time period but the concepts are not hard to grasp for intelligent people.
OP- most students can easily choose among several professions. YOU need to decide which activity most grabs you- which would you prefer to be spending too many hours in a day at when things need to get done? You will find most people are multifaceted- but need to choose a main way to earn a living. Notice a theme from the parents here?
Biggest thing with medicine is having a plan B. Most medical school applicants would make fine physicians but there simply isn’t enough room to accommodate them, nor is it easy to up the numbers.
I am neither a physician nor an investment banker. However at different points of my career I spent a lot of time in NYC hospitals and investment banks. I would say that both environments are not for everyone. I discovered that I do not like being alongside sick and dying people on a daily basis or work in the environment where your work should have always been completed yesterday even if you got the assignment 15 min ago.
I recommend OP to intern/shadow these professionals in their natural habitat and see for yourself.
she puts in as a resident! 80 hours which, btw, does not include the reading and study time she has to do during her “off” time.)