Do you have to give up your life to become a doctor??

Question

I have wanted to be a doctor/surgeon for a few years now...but now that it's time for me to start taking my pre-med classes, I am getting cold feet. I don't know if I want to be under pressure to study, work long shifts, and try not to kill anyone. Is the road to becoming an M.D. manageable? Your opinions will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Answer 1

I certainly didn't give up MY life!

I have a husband and three kids, a farm in the country with horses, and a very pleasant life.

Early on - medical school and residency - you have to commit a LOT of time and effort to studying and working in the hospital, for very little reward and lots of hassles.

Later, the investment pays off. You get to choose how much time you want to devote to your work. (Most doctors, after spending over a decade in training, choose to spend a lot of time doing what they were trained to do.)

There will always be stress and pressure - it's part of the job. If you can't handle some stress, you won't do well as a physician. You'll be trained to know what to do, though, and it feels great when your training comes into play and you do the right thing for your patient.

I love my job, and am glad that I went through all that I did. This is what I am meant to do, and I don't think I'd be happy doing anything else.

Your path may be different, and only you can decide that. If you're smart and want to make a difference in people's lives, medicine might be where you are meant to be. If you buckle under stress, explore different careers.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

Answer 2

No, you don't have to "give up your life" to become a doctor. It's so hard to understand what medical training means when you're 17 or 18 or whatever because you just "want to be a doctor," and you may not even know why. The key? Go follow some surgeons and other types of docs around (your school guidance dept. or preprofessional committee can hook you up with them) and try to get an idea of what they do. You definitely will make sacrifices to become a doctor (nights staying in to study, overworked/underpaid for your 20's and early 30's) but we still have one of the highest satisfaction ratings of all careers. If you're going into medicine to get rich or to please your parents or some other reason than your own deep desire to practice medicine, get away now. Becoming a doctor is only manageable if you are in 100%, trust me. But, it's a supremely cool job and I wouldn't change my path if I had the chance. Good Luck!

Answer 3

It's not easy becoming a doctor. And probably not worth it unless you truly have a fervent desire in becoming a physician. Like many professions, you should think about the reasons you want to be in that field. If you want to be a doctor just b/c it is a job that pays well, then you're going to hate it. You should shadow physicians and gain experience volunteering in hospitals first. And talk to medical students also. They'll give you the best insight.

Answer 4

For anything to work you have to want it badly enough to make it work. Thousands of people become doctors. None of them will tell you the road is easy or short. But they wanted it badly enough to make the sacrifices they needed to. So what you have to ask yourself is whether or not you really really want it. When it comes to becoming a doctor there are no half measures.

Answer 5

Yes, you have a big commitment. No, you don't have to be totally subsumed. Pre-med students are actually much more nutsy than medical students and residents. Once you get there, you adapt. Until you get your acceptance letter to medical school, everybody expects you to be half-psychotic, but the tendency can be restrained.

Answer 6

you dont have to work overtime

here my story:----------it all comes down to luck and what job you get

i am a family docotor in the USA, look at the questions i asked and you should get the idea

i work 72 hours in a weeks and the next week i have off, so i besically work 6 months. i work at a hospital, with 10-12 hours shifts. but i enjoy my job because i work 6 months and still make $150,000..

i might work a full time job in the future during the week off and hopefully boost my salary to $170,000-180,000


it all depends on luck in how much you make and your locations, but the hospital is near the city so more business

any other questions e-mail, since this week i am off, lots of time off

Answer 7

You win some and you lose some

Answer 8

no, just your love life.