I need some guidance..I don't know what to do with my life?

Question

When I graduated from high school, my ambition was to become a doctor...so I volunteered for a year in a hospital, then I figured out that medicine is right for me.

Now, I don't know what to do with my life..My sister advises me to become a PA or nurse or something, but I know it won't make me happy..I keep going back and forth between being a PA and a doctor of medicine..but I still don't know...I know deep in my heart, I want to become a doctor..but I'm scared of the rigorous studying and hours spend in the hospital during residency...I know there are many sacrifices involve, but I'm scared..

My GPA isn't great like some people, but I know I can improve it.

I'm not sure which to pick..PA or doctor...Now, I'm so confused enough that I don't know what to do with my life anymore..

What should I do? I'm so confused..

Answer 1

Here's some advice from Premier Dalton McGuinty of Ontario, Canada:

"Anything worth doing is difficult and complicated."

Don't compromise if you know you have the ability. What you might find is that it's not as difficult as you think...

Answer 2

Nothing ever works out how we plan it, the future is uncertain, and that is very certain. No matter how or what you envision, it will always deviate, so loosen up. If you want to practice medicine, great! You will help heal a lot of sick people, and that is an admirable goal. This alone should give you satisfaction in that whatever subsection you choose, you are still helping people, making a difference, and making a decent living.

You say there are sacrifices? There are always sacrifices, and in this opportunity you have the choice to do the sacrificing instead of having something taken from you, as life so often does.

As Lao Tzu once said "A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step" Worry about the first step before you worry about the second. After all, it's not like you have to travel all that distance in a single step!

I may over prescribe it, but I suggest you take up meditation. It sounds like you have some anxiety over this and whatever the future holds, it will be challenging. Mediation is a great way to relieve stress; it's peaceful, blissful (once you get good at it), and it increases your mindfulness and concentration making it less likely you will make mistakes. It even thickens the neocorex with glial cells (you know, the ones Einstein had an abnormal abundance of)!

I suggest the book "Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond: A Meditators Handbook" by Ajahn Brahm, a theoretical physics Ph.D (from Cambridge U, England) who became a monk. I'll link it in my sources. Good luck!

Answer 3

Remember one thing: you know what field you want to be in. That's a fantastic start. Also, you might be happy to be drawn to a field that's in high-demand.

Regarding your GPA: Raise it. No matter what you're planning, or where you're going, it always helps to have it as high as possible. Not doing so can prevent doors from opening, or might be factor in another candidate getting a position over you.

Now, if you become a PA, you can always go back to medical school later on. If nothing else, it may be a pay raise for you for now, and some places will offer tuition reimbursement. You'll also have you more time to think about the issue, and if you do go back to school, you'll have some experience and knowledge that'll likely prove valuable in the classroom.

If you become a doctor, the pay is higher, the respect is greater, and your options are wider. It's a great-way to jump start a career in medicine, but, yes, you have to devote yourself 100% to "make it." If you can make that commitment, and having a doctor's life is what you truly want, nobody can fault you for reaching for that particiular goal. Think of it as a payment: are the costs worth the position? Only you can decide that for yourself.

Answer 4

I have a couple of suggestions that may help you to decide.

!) INSURANCE Malpractice insurance, for some doctors, is up around $1-200,00 a year. This is not an option either, as I'm sure you know.
2) MEDICADE AND MEDICARE PATIENTS. The government will only pay so much on the dollar for services provided and it is illegal to turn to the patient for any remainder if they are medicade patients, and we know that medicare patients are usually on a fixed income that allows little for unexpected illnesses. The would affect your budget immensly and may even determine the office you lease, the services you wish to provide, the staffing you are able to hire, the continued education for you and staff, and equipement and supplies.
3)STAFF PROTECTED UNDER YOUR MALPRACTICE INSURANCE. Unless you employ RNs, then your MAs PAs, and nurse practitioners are covered under your insurance and you are responsible for their conduct. It is extremely practical to hire MAs for clinical or administrative duties, as they have a broad scope fo practice, but the doctor is still responsible for the care recieved by them in every case. (I'm sorry, but I can not remember if the same holds true even if an MA becomes certified, but I think it does)
4)PAs can do every thing a doctor can except diognose or perscribe. (Because they do not have a malpratice policy.)
5) Nurse Practioners can diognose and perscribe but can not perform invasive surgery.

Something else to consider; How much interaction do you want with the patient? Each of the areas of expertise that I have mentioned, have a certain amount of dealling with patients verses the others. It is my understanding, that "usually, the MAs spend the most time with patinets and are required to provide care while beign emotional detached.

I hope this helped.

Answer 5

First.... Step back for awhile and let things "cool" off. Anything you may wish to pursue will still be there for you when YOU'RE ready!!! There's many things in life which I'm sure you really love or enjoy, perhaps more so than any field of medicine? Don't make those types of decisions based upon status or money or the possibility of!!! Pick something YOU will be happy with and find comfort in. Doing so will allow for you to excel at it! Plus you'll love going to work or making a living throughout the entire process. There's many avenues of "medicine" which do not require many of the things which you now fear.... such as research. Look into all options and when YOU feel comfortable in pursuing something, then take steps towards it.

Answer 6

Only you can decide the road you take in life. You must be willing to work hard to become a Doctor.

If you lack the motivation than take a few weeks away from school and go volunteer at a nearby Hospital.

Good luck!!

Answer 7

Your are not confused.
You have two options to choose. In those, you like to become doctor and you know how to put yourself in the right path.
Studying, hard work, sacrifices and all will happen automatically with the help of your friends and well wishers. So nothing to scare. Just go for it and keep putting your effort until achieve your goal.
All the best Doctor (Dr. cherryBlossom)

Answer 8

you can be anyrhing you want nothing is easy in lif except welfare. so what you gpa isn't great there are alot or people with low gpa's that don't say they can't be what they want, just about everything you do takes hard work going to school getting the grades and completeing 12 years, not having children and perpressure took hard work so if you did all that then you can have your dream of being a doctor.

Answer 9

My psychologist shared his own story with me. He said that when he entered graduate school he knew he wanted to be a psychologist so much that he would have done ANYTHING necessary for that to happen... even if they told him he would have to go to the moon and back. And he said that the rigors of graduate and medical school are such that it takes that kind of desire and commitment to get through it. So, decide if your desire is that strong. Then you'll know what to do.

Answer 10

Honestly, I would not want a doctor who is in any way doubtful of their abilities. Go for Nurse or PA. Would you really want to second guess yourself with someone else's life 'literally' in your hands?