Question for Doctors?

Question

I have wanted to become a doctor since many years ago when my younger brother almost died, he was sent to the hospital due to a massive seizure, we spent many days in ICU and I watched the doctors work, I thought of the satisfaction they must get out of there jobs. From that point forward I have wanted to become a doctor. It has been 7 years, and am graduating this year room HS. My guidance counselor told me I don't have the stuff to become a doctor today, which has gotten me really down. Looking for any positive thoughts or comments that may help me decide if I should still pursue my dream or drop it like my guidance counselor suggest, I am just trying to find out if it was worth? and any tips/comments/adive from any doctors out there? Thanks very much

I screwed up my freshman year so my GPA is not nearly as high as I could be I have since tried hard to counter but the damage is done(GPA is 3.3 right now). When it comes to science classes I enjoy learning about them and they seem to come very easy I got a 249/250 on my Biology Honors final exam with half hour of studying my freshman year, my killer is Math, which is my biggest worry about Pre-med. If high school has thought me anything it is if you want something bad enough you can't screw up not even once which is the though I plan to carry with me to college. Just my guidance counselor was real rough today on me so I am second guessing myself and trying to find some answers. Thanks again

I am a Sr. right now I graduate in May, I got an A in Chemistry but I hear College Chemistry/Organic Chemistry can be rough, I think I could handle them just the add on with math would hurt is my worry. It looks like I will be going to University of North Florida(I may do community, its just my mom so money is tight). I am hoping to major in Investment Finance with Pre-med, I don't want a Biology major. Just like I said my biggest worry is College Chemistry will be much much harder then HS and I will have to split my attention between that and a math class which I despise. Thanks so much for you help

Answer 1

I'm not a doctor, but I think that if you have the drive and desire to become a doctor, you should go for it. Be aware, however that the pursuit of an MD is a long and difficult road. It means sacrificing sleep and a social life just getting throught med school and your residency. If you're not willing to spend years of study and hard work, choose another career path. If you think you can dedicate yourself to the job and be good at it, then do it! Good luck to you in your post-secondary education and future career!

Answer 2

Some guidance counselor you have. You still have a shot at med school if you buckle down in college. Most medical schools look for a 3.5 or better GPA. Yes organic chemistry is meant to be a "weeder course" for students because everyone wants to be a doctor but most don't realize the time commitment. A lot of people drop the pre med idea after taking organic because the professors are trying to prepare you for how corses are designed in med school. . You should take organic chemistry first thing that way if you can't handle it, you will know right away and will have a chance to decide on another major. Remember, you don't have to declare a major until the end of sophmore year. If you do well in organic chemitry and this is still something you want to do, then volunteer in a clinic or get a job doing paperwork in a clinic, job shadow a doctor. Anything to get some experience as to what the job is like. I have found in my college experience that I had to skip the parties and study more than other students and I had to work through college because money was tight too. So a good work ethic would be great :) You also need to have patience, perserverence, and you need to be intrinsically motivated. (be a self starter) I really think that your guidance counselor was way too quick to judge. You will find that college changes people-most often for the better. I still can't believe how much I had grown intellectually in my college years. People become doctors in their late 20's at the earliest. Medical school is pretty intense too I'm not going to lie. Thats a long way down the road and it is way too early to make that kind of judgement right now. I'd definately keep going :)

Answer 3

Well you haven't told us what your grades are or how hard you worked. You may have slacked off and could pull off A's in everything undergraduate

Or you could look at the alternatives-- and just modify that dream a little.

You can become a physician's assistant, you can become a nurse or a nurse practictioner. You can become an x-ray tech, an EMT or a Paramedic.

There are many different ways that you can get into the medical field without being a doctor.

Your guidance counselor did not do their job if they you left feeling down, you should have been given alternatives into the wonderful world of medicine.

Trust me, I have seen doctors ask nurses for advice. And in the ER, many people would not be alive today if the EMTs and Paramedics did not treat the patients and get them to the hospital alive.

Please look into the alternatives.

Grades: You can always hit a community college and pick up those math courses that you struggled with in high school. If you did them in the summer and they were your only courses, you could probably ace them. A 249/250 on your AP biology is pretty impressive to me. What about Chemistry? Are you a junior....senior. Community college is a great way to work on your weaknesses.

Answer 4

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Answer 5

I'm not a doctor (yet). But I've had a similar experience. I didn't do well in high school, and felt confused about what I'd do with my life. I decided I wanted to be a doctor pretty late, when I experienced my sister being born. My stepdad had the same high school experience and he's a doctor now.

I don't really know what he means by "[You] don't have the stuff to become a doctor today." Obviously you're not going to be a doctor today, or even soon. It takes years of hard work.

Besides admission to universities, no one really looks at your high school GPA after high school and so you get to start over new. Try to get into a good school, even a good community college. Then you have to get straight A's, or as close to it as possible. Then transfer to the best 4-year school you can and maintain your grades. Volunteer or work in a hospital setting or volunteer in the community as much as possible. Medical schools love to see that you have experience in the medical environment and that you care about helping people. You have a unique experience with the loss of your brother, and that makes you stand out from the people who say they want to be a doctor because "everyone in my family is a doctor" or "I've wanted to be a doctor since I was a little kid." Oh ... and major in something that interests you, in case you change your mind.

You still have good chance. So if you're convinced you want this, it would be stupid to give up now. You just have to get good/great grades from college onward.

(Edit): You're doing well, don't second guess yourself. In college get a 3.5 or higher. Don't take too many classes right away and overwelm yourself. College Chemistry classes are harder than high school, but not that much. They're just very time consuming because you teach yourself most things by reading the book, lectures are more like an overview. Chemistry in college is probably 5 times as much work, if not more. (I don't ever remember studying very much in high school.) As for Math, I don't know what level you're at now, but for Pre-Med Physics classes you just have to take Calculus 1 and 2. (Since it has to be Calculus-based Physics.) You have 4 years to get them out of the way.

If you are having trouble with money, consider going to community college for some time. I personally don't think it looks bad on med school applications at all because you can say that you had issues with paying for college and were determined so you found a way and through this you've grown. You also have to think about how long you will be going to school, so saving money by going to a community college the first year or so would be good too.

Take it one day at a time.

Good luck.

Answer 6

Don't mind what the guidance counselor said. They are not always right. If deep within you you really have that 100% desire to become a doctor, then go for it. However, if you are , say only 50% decided, then choose another career. Becoming a doctor is a long, long tedious process. Lots of sacrifices for you and your parents (will they be shouldering your med school expenses?). Your former classmates will probably have started earning by the time you even get to med school proper. But, hey, it is well worth the wait. This is if you are really motivated.
Have a friend whose son was also told by the guidance guy that he was only good for mechanical jobs. His son now is a very accomplished orthopedic surgeon (aren't these doctors the carpenters or mechanics of the human body?)
Good luck!

Answer 7

As long as you understand that you are getting into a field that requires a lot of self sacrifice and hours of studying, I say go for it. I'm a person that doesn't beat around the bush or sugar coat things so I'll hand it to you straight. I'm a medical assistant who tends to work with a lot of residents at my urgent care clinic. Just know that with the satisfaction of helping people also comes the dissatisfaction. It's not going to be all easy and with the sue-happy society that we have nowadays you're going to get a lot of patients that are just looking for a reason to get their hands into your pockets. You're going to come up against drug seekers, protective mothers, hypochondriacs, patients who think they know it all, patients who don't have a clue, family members who think they have the right to know everything about a sick member of their family, etc. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and love the opportunity of not just helping people but of educating them about how to better take care of themselves, but there are days when it seems like (forgive my language) the Asshole Convention has rolled into town. So if you can be compassionate and talk to your patients like they're people and have tough skin for the patients who would rather spit on you than look at you, then I'd say go for it.

As for grades, as long as you're willing to dedicate the time to improving in the areas that need it...like going to tutors...then I wouldn't worry about it too much. And if I were your parent, I'd be paying a little visit to your principal and guidance counselor for his unsupportive role in your educational career. After all, they're salaries are paid for by tax money and if he's not willing to help you find a way to fulfill your dream, then he needs to find a different career.