Resources for pre-med students
So, you want to be a doctor! That's awesome! Congratulations!
How does it feel?
Are you excited? Nervous?
Do you have a lot of unanswered questions?
Is it hard to develop a clear picture of what your decision entails?
People go into medicine for many reasons, and like so much else in life, it's not always easy to know what you're getting into until you're waist deep in it and well past the point of no return.
That's how it was for me. I'm really glad I became a doctor, but I had NO CLUE what it involved until I did it.
At that time, I didn't have a physician in my personal life: no one to shadow or mentor me, no one to share insider secrets with me. I figured it out as I went along.
If you have no one to learn from, welcome, love!
You're in good company. I remember what that felt like, and this post is for you.
Since becoming a physician, I've had the tremendous privilege of mentoring pre-med and med students just like you, and devised these 10 questions to help you hone in on your priorities and dreams.
So, grab a cup of whatever-you-drink (I've got a mug of warm tea) and if you're really up for the task, bring a pen and paper.
I'm going to ask you a series of 10 questions.
Take your time. Don't hurry. There's no right or wrong answers here. Don't try to make it fit the answers your loved ones want.
The more time you take with this, digging down to your heart and soul, the better you'll feel about your decision, no matter what that is.
Ready? Here we go:
How passionate are you about learning new things?
How do you feel about spending 10-15 hours a day studying for several years?
How do you feel about being around people who are sick or in pain?
How important is it to you to have the title and degree of "medical doctor"?
How easily do you defer gratification and put off having things you want?
How do you feel about devoting most of your young adult years to medical school and delaying your first job until your mid-20's?
How comfortable are you with several hundred thousand dollars of student loans?
How willing are you to set aside your creativity and do what's expected?
How important is having time for a partner, family and/or children?
How do you feel about being in a class full of high achievers and possibly struggling academically for the first time?
To learn more, check out my talk for MedUnite here!
Hope this helps! Strength to you, love!