<p>I'm kind of confused here.
I have the grades to go to medical/dental school. which is a good thing; it's a good carrer and pays well. And Medicine sort of runs in the family, both my parnt are doctors. So I've always thought that I'd have the same job as them. But I don't want to pick a carrer without expolring other options. I've always been fond of writing, and I've thought about persuing a carrer in journalism; however, that job just doesn't pay well. It's basically less than minimum wage. And I think I might have a good shot at something like construction engineering. But the vast majority of graduates of that can't find a decent job and end up teaching art in school which, needless to say, doesn't pay much.
Both my parents persued carrers in Medicine against their will (because their parents thought that just because they had the grades, they shouldn't ''waste them'' on colleges that didn't require them...it's a stupid mentallity, I know). My Dad wanted to be an engineer and never stops asking 'what if?' and my mom also had a thing about journalism but her mom didn't want her to do that. My Dad turned out okay and enjoys his job. But my Mom admits that she would have been happier as a writer or something; she became a stay at home mom because she hated her job so much.
The bottom line is, I don't want to be my parents age and regret or ask 'what if?'..I'm lost.</p>
<p>PS: My parents think that medical is in my best interest (they're usually right about that stuff) but I can't be sure. </p>
<p>I didn't say I loved it. I just said that I'm interested in them. And I don't want to do it when I retire; that's the time I would be waiting for for 40 years because I'm stuck ina job I hate, and the time I'll spend doing nothing.</p>
<p>You don't have to make your choice now. You don't even have to pick a college major until you're a soph in college.</p>
<p>My advice is to get experience -- volunteer or paid -- in both medicine and in journalism, and see what you like best. Take the time, too, to learn about the fields. There may be aspects of medicine that you'd enjoy. There certainly are aspects of journalism that pay well (not necessarily as well as the highest paid doctors, but those folks probably not only are extremely talented, but also truly love what they are doing.)</p>
<p>For all you know, you may end up finding out that you love medicine, and that journalism/writing was only a fantasy for you. Perhaps you love reading, but don't really enjoy writing or don't have the discipline to do it.</p>
<p>You also don't have to be a bio or chem major to go to medical or dental school. You can major in whatever you want as long as you take the classes that medical/dental schools require.</p>
<p>Some people will advise you to go for the money when you're young, but then do what you want in retirement. My response is: You have no guarantee that you'll live long enough to retire. Also, why spend 30 years in a job that you dislike, making money that you don't even have time to enjoy, and then spend 10-15 years in declining health after retirement trying vainly to pursue something that you might have been very good at 40 years earlier,but no longer have the energy to do? </p>
<p>Do you really want to live the kind of life your mom is -- feeling that she missed out on a chance to do what she really loved?</p>
<p>It sounds like your parents are doing exactly what their parents did, even though they both kind of regret that they went into medicine. You have to decide which is more important to you; making money, or finding a job that you love. Once you know that, you can go on from there.</p>
<p>When I think about it; of course doing something I enjoy is a much better choice than doing something for money. But - and I mean this in the niceest way - I don't think I'd survive without money; mentally and physically. I mean, maybe I need more experience. But I'm trying to manage my allowance right now and can't do it because it's not enough. So imagine how hard it would be to support a whole family later with only 300 pounds (52 USD) per month.
I know for sure that if my grades get me into medical/dental, I'd go for it and hopefully graduate in a few years. But lots of stuff worries me:
-I might want to study for a degree or whatever in journalism after graduation, but will I have time with my post graduate studies for Medicine?
-If I do educate myself in both areas, what topics would I write about? would they be mainly medical articles (whatever branch of medicine I may specialize in). This bothers me because I don't know if I'll ever like medicine so if I start to write abot something I hate; would that make me happy?
I'm starting to confuse myself :p</p>
<p>and there is one teeny tiny thing that has me worried. BLOOD TOTALLY GROSSES ME OUT!!
and I've seen alot of it 'cause my Dad's an ER specialist...</p>
<p>If blood grosses you out, maybe you're not cut out for a traditional job in medicine. You could try something more like a psychologist or psychaitrist, or something like that.</p>
<p>I thought about that too. It seems to be the best choice for me, according to my mom lol. she seems to not want me to go to Medicine but thinks that anything else won't get me anywhere. She was the one who suggested dental because it's not as bloody as Medicine.</p>
<p>Are you going to go to University in Egypt?</p>
<p>Or, are you going to go to University abroad and then finish up the higher degrees in Egypt?</p>
<p>Are you going to work one day in Egypt or move? </p>
<p>You know, in having had to learn of Egypt's history, one thing sticks out in my memory...a lot of medical science originated in your country, man! Gosh darnit, what didn't the people of your country invent with regards to medicine? Shoot, do not even get me started on Astronomy. </p>
<p>Can you do a double major? Like, in the US, one has a double major and it could be...</p>
<p>Pre Med and Journalism!</p>
<p>That way you could get everything out of your system and pick what you want later on. You also are giving your parents four years to think things over, because you can be conversing with them while you decide what to do and stuff.</p>
<p>My plan was to study here in Egypt then do the post graduate stuff abroad. And hopefully work abroad as well.
what 4 years (medicine is 7 years.) but yeah, I get your point.
Maybe Egyptians have had a few accomplishments, but nothing recent comes to mind.</p>
<p>I was thinking how odd this thread was until I got to the part where you live in Egypt. Most American doctors don't seem to want their children to be doctors. It is getting harder and harder here to make a good living as a doctor. An ER doctor doesn't make nearly as much money as someone successful in law or business. Only very few specialties that have patients who pay privately make lots of money. So if you don't want to live in Egypt, think twice about being an MD.</p>
<p>For the longest time, I've wanted to be a doctor. Just some type of doctor. But when I got to high school, I found journalism. I've done so much and accomplished so much as a student-journalist, that I don't really see myself doing anything else. My first love really is the newsroom.</p>
<p>Right now, my plan is to do a dual-major in journalism and political science. But there's still that part of me that wants to be a doctor.</p>
<p>My mom loves that I want to be a journalist, because she knows how talented I am how far I could take it. It is my passion, and she wants me to do something that I'm passionate about, something that makes me happy.</p>
<p>My dad, on the other hand, is telling all his friends that I'm going to Stanford as a pre-med. He wants nothing to do with my journalism! When I win awards, get published, etc., he doesn't say a thing, he just tells me to get a real job like my sister (speech pathologist).</p>
<p>So I don't know. I don't want my dad to be disappointed in me, but at the same time, I might want to actually consider the medical field. I have a lot of thought to give it.</p>
<p>But in that case, is there really such a thing as pre-med and journalism? I know some colleges only let you double major in related things or have restrictions on what you can do, so that's why I ask. </p>
<p>I'm sure i can study both, just not at the same time. There are plenty of famous doctors who contribute to medical journals on a redular basis.</p>
<p>I don't know about America, but over here, the most well paying and sought after job is to be a doctor. There are only 30 ER physicians in the whole MENA (Middle East and North Africa) and it's rarity makes it pay really well (as long as you work in an Arab gulf country and not in Egypt of course)</p>
<p>I thought I'd post an update (I'm s-o-1700, with a new sn)</p>
<p>anyway, I just finished my first year of dental school here in Alexandria. It wasn't too bad, but there's no actual practical work till next year, so I still don't know about the blood thing. Anyway, because of my busy schedule, writing got put on hold. I still want to write, but it doesn't look like I'll have any time to do so in the next 4 years.
Wish me luck, I guess..</p>