all my friends are going to become doctors....i feel so unsuperior?

Question

all my friends are going to become doctors. one is going to become a pediatrican one an cardiologist one a dentist an other an ob/gyn and other an neurosurgeon and i decided that i was going to become an anesthesiologist. and dont get me wrong I AM SMART. so i can become one if i want to, the only problem is it takes 12 years. thats like elementary junior and high school all in one. i dont want to be in school that long so is there something else that i can become that deals with anesthesia just not as long? or do u think i should just swallow my pride and become an anesthesiologist? i know that i should be what i want to be and dont base my LIFE CHANGING DECISIONS based on what my friends are becoming but from where i'm from if your not some type or doctor or judge or something in an high postion of work then your dont have an upperhand. so what i need is some really heartfelt advice. i mean REALLY HEARTFELT. i've asked my parents and they told me to follow my heart. PLZ NO NEGATIVE

Answer 1

It is really difficult to make decisions like this when you're just getting out of high school. How could you possibly know at that age what you want to do for the REST of your life? Of course your choices are influenced by your friends... those are important people in your life and you value their opinions and their choices, otherwise they wouldn't be your friends. However, keep in mind that our opinions change and decisions develop with every new experience. Looking ahead at ANOTHER 12 years of schooling can seem like a daunting task, but so is a Ph.D. in the humanities. Just take it one degree at a time and enjoy the greatest strength of the U.S. system of higher education... liberal arts. You can test the waters, try out different fields of study, and make your final decision later.

Also, after you graduate, you may end up in a place where social status is not based on profession. Try to remain confident that you will succeed at anything you want to pursue.

Answer 2

Hey, we need all types of people in life, not just doctors. If we only had doctors we'd all be very healthy, but we wouldn't have very meaningful lives. DON'T go into medicine just because your friends are. That much education all at once just isn't for everyone!

I started in music because that's what I had thought I was going to do all my life. I was pretty good, but totally bored. So I finally switched to education (even though I cried and cried once I made my decision). It turned out to be the best thing ever. I love what I do, it's so fascinating, and I feel like I'm going to make a world of difference for so many people! I can't wait to be a teacher (and the pay isn't really that bad. I'll probably be making 40,000 when I start out, and my mom now makes twice that much, plus I get benefits). So yeah, everything is great!

So I agree with your parents. Follow your heart, don't be an anesthesiologist. It sounds like you find it okay, but it's NOT your passion, I can tell. If you can't declare a major, then don't. Go to the career center when you get to school and talk to a counselor about things you might like to do. They will have all sorts of information right there for you. Choosing a major is NOT easy, but you usually end up with something that you can live with and feel happy and successful if you give yourself the chance.

Answer 3

There is another way to look at this: 12 years is 12 years, no matter what. So you might as well do something with it that you want.

As for your friends all wanting to become doctors- well, that is a noble goal. But it is a hard one, and chances are pretty good that not all will make it.

Don't worry about your friends: If they are your friends, they, like your parents, will support you. If they decide to look down their noses at you, then they are not friends and therefore not worth consideration.

As for a speeded up program- Well, I'm not sure there is any such thing. But you could inquire at the nearest medical college about it. Keep in mind that you would have to do a horrendous amount of studying and homework, and a fast-track type of program would be worse.

You could just start with the normal schooling to get your feet wet so to speak. And if you can handle the work load, then go for more.

Good luck!

Answer 4

I think that if you really want to be an anesthesiologist, then you should buckle down and commit to the schooling while you're young enough to spend the years on it. Yeah, it's a long time to be in school, but there are some schools that might offer accelerated programs or you could perhaps take a heavier course load to complete it a little faster. Of course, that would be really hard to do, but if you're very smart and committed, you might be able to pull it off. Get a really good evaluation with a counselor before you attempt it though.

If you don't want to be an anesthesiologist, however, then don't be one. Just because your friends are in the medical field doesn't mean you have to go into it too. Nor does it mean you have to be a lawyer or judge. Yeah, they make the most cash, but you have to remember that whatever you choose is going to be the occupation you spend almost all of your life doing. 30 or 40 years is a long time and it'd be a pain to go through all of that schooling and paying the bills that result from it, and THEN figure out you hate your job. Do what makes you happy, what can give you a good feeling or a sense of accomplishment. Some jobs don't pay so much, but they can still give you a huge boost in satisfaction that it'll be worth living a little poorer from. Then again, who knows that you won't get into a different field and make such a huge success from it that it blows everyone else in the same field out of the water? It could happen. Just depends on your skill and committment.

My suggestion is go with what you are passionate about. If you are passionate about anesthesiology, then do that no matter how long the education will take because that's what's going to make you happy. If you like something else instead, then go that route. The important thing is, finding a career that will make you want to get out of bed in the morning, something that fills your soul with fire and inspires you to reach for something, to improve yourself and push yourself to excel. Your job should be something that can at least make you crave it at least some of the time. Case in point, I'm a writer. I love to write. I go to sleep dreaming about scenes I want to work on next, working out dialog in my head, picturing character personality traits while I"m doing other things during the day. I adore writing and I spend as much of my free time doing it as I can. It is what I feel passionate about and what I crave to do almost all the time. One day I have faith that I'll publish and have at least moderate success with my books. I'm smart and could have probably done anything else I wanted (except things requiring complicated math), but I want and need to be a writer.

You should be whatever you feel that way about. The thing that you want and need so much that it is a part of your breath and soul.

Hope you figure out your path soon. Good luck.

Answer 5

Trust me...do not go for something that you really don't want to do! I didn't do what I really wanted in college and now I regret it. I don't hate my job at the moment or anything, but it's just not what I'd really like to be doing. It sounds like you are interested in it but maybe not interested enough or you'd be willing to do the time. If your friends are true friends, they won't judge you for picking something that may not have as much so-called prestige or rake in as much money as their jobs do. You are also more likely to quit in the middle of a program if you aren't satisfied with what you are doing. There are plenty of shorter medical type programs, but I'm not sure if there is one related to anesthesia specifically or not.

Answer 6

I can relate to you saying that it takes too long, because at one time I wanted to be a doctor. However, I started to thinking that I couldn't handle it and school would take up another half of my life. But I do think you should do your own thing, because if you pursue a career you really don't like it, unhappiness will be you ultimate result.

Answer 7

Don't go through all that if you don't want to. Really, don't. Doctors have almost no time off, they are always busy, under extreme stress, worried about being sued - it's not worth the high salary unless you really, REALLY want to do that.

Do what you are interested in instead - you'll have a good-paying job while your friends are still in school. Then they'll be jealous of you.

Answer 8

Don't get me wrong... the medical profession is very admirable and a good Doc is worth his / her weight in gold...

Answers below:

But... name 3 famous Doctors (not including Freud - he was a psych)...

Now... name 3 famous business people... quick now.

Name 3 famous inventors.

Name 3 famous artists.

Get the idea?

Here are some of my answers:

Doctors: ????

Biz People:

Steve Jobs
Bill Gates
Waren Buffet
... this is too easy...

Inventors:

Jarvis - Doctor but known for inventing the artificial heart
Franklin
Da Vinci
Edison
...this is too easy

Artists:

Rembrandt
Dali
Van Gogh
... this is too easy