<p>I know almost everyone on this board is South Asian and more specifically indian/pakistani/bangladeshi.</p>
<p>But why? Why is medicine the #1 choice for almost all South Asians (including me)?</p>
<p>I'm not...</p>
<p>From what most of my Indian friends tell me, though, it's all about prestige and money.</p>
<p>it's the parents - mine think that being a doctor is the only respectable career, and i really dont have the heart to break theirs by being something else</p>
<p>I'm Indian and my parents aren't forcing me to be a doctor. No one in my family is a doctor, so I would be the first. They do want me to go into the health field because of the job security but if I hated it they wouldn't make me do it. I've actually wanted to be a doc since I can remember. No idea why I wanted to be one when I was in preschool.lol. But now it's because of my interest in the field. Maybe it's genetic? :)
PS-just realized that this is the 1,000th post on Multiple Degree Programs!</p>
<p>lol. im just like you spyder..my parents actually want me to be an engineer or go into business, but i wanted to be a doctor. I would be the first in my immediate family (excluding cousins), but if you counted my entire family (both sides), i would be probably the 30th doctor or something like that. all my cousins and i want to be doctors lol. 2 of my cousins who are 1 year and 2 years older than me are already in bs/md programs....</p>
<p>"it's the parents - mine think that being a doctor is the only respectable career, and i really dont have the heart to break theirs by being something else"</p>
<p>ditto Lisa. </p>
<p>I am also applying to engineering schools...so, it might work out.</p>
<p>I think this is a common thread amongst immigrants, that is, getting a good education and a professional standing in the community. I think it's particularly true in the Indian & Pakistani communities today because their immigrant parents were generally educated already.</p>
<p>I am Jewish, not too dissimilar culturally in many ways. When my grandparents came here from eastern Europe about 100 years ago, they were fleeing from the "pogroms". In general they were uneducated (unlike later waves of Jews who came from western Europe in the 30s, many of whom were German doctors, lawyers, etc., fleeing Nazism). They felt the best shot at permanence and standing for their families here was through education, so any and all sacrifices were made to see that my parents' generation went to college and that my generation went to some kind of graduate/professional school. Actually, we had 2 choices: law or medicine. (see, some things don't change much?)</p>
<p>Now, when my 1st graduates from harvard in June, I will be thinking of my grandfather and how amazed he'd have been! His favorite saying whenever something good like that happened was "only in America!". So it goes.</p>
<p>wow PSedrish, we are very similar. I have the same jewish background that you have, and my brother is graduating harvard at the same time your kid is.</p>
<p>I'm one of the many Pakistanis pursuing a career in medicine. I really do believe that Asians are brainwashed at an early age to become doctors. There really arent that many Pakistani/Indian lawyers or politicians, so I was thinking about doing something like that. Upon further thought, I realized that my skills were more suited towards medicine, and im not sure that I would be well accepted as a politician, especially with a last name like Hussain.</p>
<p>Who has seen "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle"? That movie embodies many of the stereotypes about Asians, so I would recommend it to anyone on this thread.</p>
<p>HAROLD AND KUMAR!! YEA!!! lol, that movie is sweet.</p>
<p>ahh that was such a stoner movie.. though it was funny at the gas station where kumar starts talking hindi, and only then does the owner talk back.</p>
<p>oh if i had a nickle for everytime that has happened to me.</p>
<p>That movie is the greatest of all time. "Did Doogie Howser just steal my car?" hahahaha</p>