Today will be the first of a series of articles looking at the choice to go to medical school. What I hope to offer is a few simple observations as I look back on the process that I went through to become a doctor and maybe even offer a little advice. In upcoming articles, I will discuss the results of my informal survey to my friends in their first year of residency.
Basically I will be asking them the question, "what would you like to have known about medicine before you decided to become a doctor?" One article will discuss the answers in general, while the follow-up will talk about issues and problems specific to women in medicine.
I'm not out to discourage anybody from the choice to go into medicine, especially while you are studying for the big organic chemistry exam. Instead, I'm just tossing out ideas that perhaps would have helped me along the way. This week, I'll focus on a list of things I wish I knew going into medical school.
#1: There are other options
Getting an MD or DO is not the only way to practice medicine. In fact, if one of your goals is to go into primary care or anesthesia, you may find some interesting alternatives such as physician assistant, nurse practitioner or nurse anesthesiologist. Educate yourself on the other options before you make your choice. Most of my friends never considered these careers, largely for the wrong reasons (being blinded by the attraction of being a "doctor"), and as we watch our PA friends leave school with less debt and in less time to work a high-paying job with no weekends, you can bet a few of us questioned our career choice.
Of course, there are drawbacks to these professions also, but it is important that you know about them before you decide.
#2: Medical schools are not all the same
Let me first say that a bigger name is not always better. Often, a more reputable school can get you into a more reputable residency program, but to make the assumption that those medical school rankings are based on their dedication to education or the quality of physicians they produce is not an accurate conclusion. Schools may have big names, but often, as we have seen in college, a TA will teach you better than a professor who is well known in his or her field. Make sure to ask about how the classes are taught; do multiple people combine to teach the class or is there a dedicated professor who is available for questions and discussion? Is there a good opportunity to get to know your professors?Look back on college and remember how you have learned best and try to find a medical school that matches that method.
With this said, don't kill yourself finding the perfect school.There is no magic formula of medical education, and a lot of times it is just plain painful. Often what makes the biggest difference is the attitude you bring to the program, and, even more importantly, the people that will be with you along the way.
#3: You don't have to follow the path
Medical school is supposed to be finished in four years, but don't fixate on the time table. I had several friends who left school for a year to pursue really cool interests. One went to NPR as a consultant for their health and science pieces, another worked with the CDC, and I even had a couple friends go to India to study medicine there for a year. Basically, medicine tends to be a little traditional, but you don't have to get sucked in. If you find an interest you would like to pursue, do it. Once you start residency there just isn't much time to step outside of the box anymore.
Well, I'll stop there for today.Please, if you have any questions you want addressed either by me or the upcoming informal survey, email me at pjones@cavalierdaily.com. I would be more than happy to work it into a future article.
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