To be or not to be... a doctor.
Yes, I know that was a cheezy line to use and yes, I realize that the line from Hamlet questions whether he should actually exist or not. So technically I'm saying "To exist or not to exist... as a doctor". But symantecs aside, let me make my point.
I want to be a doctor. Always have basically. I never thought I had the ability to become one but basically now I know I can. But recently I realized that this begins my dilema.
To be a doctor is to dedicate your life to medicine. But that also means that you have very little time for anything else. I've spoken with my doctor about his life and while he loves his job, he has no time for other things. During med school, recidency and sub specialty training, I'll have 15 years of just medicine. Yes, I'd enjoy it, but today I created a list of things I'm going to learn... and I hope to complete the list soon. Not that most of the things can actually be completed.
Fighting (some sort of martial art)
Dancing (mostly social dances. Waltz, samba, tango, etc.)
Painting
Drawing
ASL
Acrobatics (seriously wanna move like the yamakazi)
Guitar
Piano
There were more things but since I left my notebook in my car, I will have to write them down later... or more likely not at all.
If I choose medicine, there is a good chance I won't be able to accomplish all that. I guess I'll start them for the next year and when it gets close to going back to school, I should decide what is more important. The only thing I have to do is be happy and if I can learn all that and become the well adjusted person I wish I was, then there is a good chance I won't even miss medicine. Time will tell.
posted by Catalyst @ 5:57 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
I found you through Sapph's blog.
I've put in my time interviewing undergrads who were med school wannabes. I told them all the same thing: you should only go into medicine if you cannot see yourself being happy doing anything else. Being able to get into med school/survive the training is not a good enough reason.
Although it's a much crappier profession than it used to be, it still has its merits. I rarely feel like a useless piece of crap (a common feeling in former days). It really does feel good to help people. No, you never fully get bored with that.
As for not having outside time: yeah, if I had a list like yours, I'd be pretty depressed. My own list is modest by comparison. I want to be a novelist. I want to have enough time for my family and for the things that I love (writing, cooking, reading). And I need some time on the side to work out three times a week, too.
I'm lucky in that I am in an easier branch of medicine (ENT), but see, you have control over that. You don't have to be a thoracic surgeon, for heaven's sake. And I don't know where you get that 15 years figure -- 4 years of med school, 4 years of residency, and you too can be an ENT (or an ophthalmologist, urologist, etc.) Most fellowships are 2 years, so that would bring you from 8 to 10 years. There are worse things to be doing over the next ten years.
But the bottom line has to be the desire to be a doctor -- because you know you'd be unhappy or unfulfilled doing anything else. For me, it's that simple. Best of luck to you.
Hehe, well I'm not sure if you're in america or something but in Alberta, Canada it's 4 years in a premed course (bach of science for example), 4 years in med school, 3 years residency and 5 years for most sub specialty trainings. I want to be either an oncologist or a specialist in infectious diseases. Both of which are 5 year courses.
I appreciate you taking the time to comment on my blog. Sapph told me all about being a Gamma Reader for your novel. She was terribly excited. You can really tell because her voice gets all squeeky when she's excited about something. Almost popped an ear drum on this one.
Anyway, I won't have my high school courses upgraded enough for med school for another year or so (can only do one course a semester) so I'll have lots of time to ponder it.
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