You guys think I should try pre-med?

PhrostByte

PhrostByte

CAG Newbie
Here's the deal. I'm one semester away from graduating with a BA in psychology and a certificate in Personnel/Industrial relations. Recently, I decided that I want to be a doctor... however, whether or not I can get into medical school is up for debate.

Right now I have a 3.5 GPA. I've got nothing but A's for over a year now... but here's the dilemna. I haven't really taken any of the pre-med courses. I'm planning on starting out with introductory chemistry next semester along with the rest of my P/I classes to see how I do... If I do well, I'd continue taking pre-med classes instead of graduating. My first 3 semesters, I didn't really have any direction or motivation.. So I ended up getting 3 C's on my transcript.. In a basic math class, a pre-calculus class, and a biology class for non-science majors. Some guy convinced me that taking the bio class for non-science majors was better than taking the basic intro to bio class... but in retrospect, I doubt it. So while I'd agree that math and science were never my strong suit.. I think now in general I'm more motivated and determined. Another thing working in my favor is that I've completed all the other requirements.. So I can concentrate on biology, chemistry, and physics, and math. As a matter of fact, if I end up taking physics and math over the summer, I can completely devote my time to biology and chemistry.. I might even be able to only take those classes and have 12 credits... a minimum to retain full-time status. Having only those two classes will make it a little bit easier.. even if those classes will probably be hell for me.. Also, if I actually can maintain good grades in these classes, I can convert my BA in psyc to a BS by only taking an extra 3 classes... so that would be nice I think.

Thoughts?
 
[quote name='PhrostByte']Here's the deal. I'm one semester away from graduating with a BA in psychology and a certificate in Personnel/Industrial relations. Recently, I decided that I want to be a doctor... however, whether or not I can get into medical school is up for debate.

Right now I have a 3.5 GPA. I've got nothing but A's for over a year now... but here's the dilemna. I haven't really taken any of the pre-med courses. I'm planning on starting out with introductory chemistry next semester along with the rest of my P/I classes to see how I do... If I do well, I'd continue taking pre-med classes instead of graduating. My first 3 semesters, I didn't really have any direction or motivation.. So I ended up getting 3 C's on my transcript.. In a basic math class, a pre-calculus class, and a biology class for non-science majors. Some guy convinced me that taking the bio class for non-science majors was better than taking the basic intro to bio class... but in retrospect, I doubt it. So while I'd agree that math and science were never my strong suit.. I think now in general I'm more motivated and determined. Another thing working in my favor is that I've completed all the other requirements.. So I can concentrate on biology, chemistry, and physics, and math. As a matter of fact, if I end up taking physics and math over the summer, I can completely devote my time to biology and chemistry.. I might even be able to only take those classes and have 12 credits... a minimum to retain full-time status. Having only those two classes will make it a little bit easier.. even if those classes will probably be hell for me..

Thoughts?[/QUOTE]

if you want to go thru years of schooling, constantly learning new stuff, dealing with sick people all the time, paper work, chances of malpractice lawsuits, not to mention 12+hours on the job.... then go for it.
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']if you want to go thru years of schooling, constantly learning new stuff, dealing with sick people all the time, paper work, chances of malpractice lawsuits, not to mention 12+hours on the job.... then go for it.[/quote]

Well.. everybody's got to do something right.. I won't necessarily be dealing with sick people... I don't know exactly what I'd want to specialize in.. but some possibilites I've thought about include psychiatry, internal medicine, and emergency medicine. And while the hours are crazy sometimes, at least I'd actually be making a difference in peoples lives instead of sitting at a desk for 30% of my life. Basically, I think that if I can get into med school... I'd want to try out the whole doctoring thing. :p
 
[quote name='PhrostByte']Well.. everybody's got to do something right.. I won't necessarily be dealing with sick people... I don't know exactly what I'd want to specialize in.. but some possibilites I've thought about include psychiatry, internal medicine, and emergency medicine. And while the hours are crazy sometimes, at least I'd actually be making a difference in peoples lives instead of sitting at a desk for 30% of my life. Basically, I think that if I can get into med school... I'd want to try out the whole doctoring thing. :p[/QUOTE]


Not only that, but you have to have good people skills. Seriously do you really want to be in a job where you work for more then 12+ hour shifts!?!?!?

Sure you will make enough money to buy a new car, new house, 100 inch LCD HDtv by LD, but you won't have time to enjoy it. And this is one of those fields that once your in, your stuck with it for the rest of your career. How many people do you know are doctors that just decided to scale back and be something else?
 
i get hurt all the time!? so if can patch me up 4 free lol, then sure be a doctor, ill advertise for you!!
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']Not only that, but you have to have good people skills. Seriously do you really want to be in a job where you work for more then 12+ hour shifts!?!?!?

Sure you will make enough money to buy a new car, new house, 100 inch LCD HDtv by LD, but you won't have time to enjoy it. And this is one of those fields that once your in, your stuck with it for the rest of your career. How many people do you know are doctors that just decided to scale back and be something else?[/quote]

Well.. the thing is.. I might not have to work those crazy hours. Maybe I will have a mostly office-type schedule. For example, psychiatrists mostly have set schedules.. like 10-5 or something like that..

A 12+ shift does sound bad.. you're right about that, but at least the work will be interesting.
 
[quote name='PhrostByte']

A 12+ shift does sound bad.. you're right about that, but at least the work will be interesting.[/QUOTE]


Remember this if you do take a job that's 12+ hrs a week.

Your boss will say "We are short handed and needs your help". He or she will continue to say that for 3 years and claim that they are trying to find help, but in the end not hire anyone and you work 60+ hrs a week.
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']Not only that, but you have to have good people skills. Seriously do you really want to be in a job where you work for more then 12+ hour shifts!?!?!?

Sure you will make enough money to buy a new car, new house, 100 inch LCD HDtv by LD, but you won't have time to enjoy it. And this is one of those fields that once your in, your stuck with it for the rest of your career. How many people do you know are doctors that just decided to scale back and be something else?[/quote]
thats crap. once your established, the hours arnt killing, and medicine is one of the most prestigous thigns you can get. my entire family is filled with doctors, and trust me, once you start making that salary you can kiss CAG goodbye.

but OP, i wouldnt go into it unless you are really dedicated, because becoming a doctor is extremely tough. in the end its worth it though - just make sure its what you want to do.
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']Not only that, but you have to have good people skills. Seriously do you really want to be in a job where you work for more then 12+ hour shifts!?!?!?[/quote]

I'm glad there are people in this world who would want to do this and love it. Or else there wouldn't be any doctors in this world?

To the OP,

You really need to take a look at yourself to answer this question. To do well in Pre-med courses you really have to be science minded. You're looking at taking some pretty intense science courses including Organic Chemistry, Physics, Calculus, Biology (Genetics, Microbio) not to mention labs for all of these excluding Calculus. You mentioned getting C's in the some of those intro courses. In order to remain competitive for med schools, you must make mostly A's and maybe a few B's in all of those Pre-med courses. It's going to be tough.

My advice would be to go see your school's professional health careers office (every school should have one) and talk to an advisor. They can definitely give you a better idea of what it takes to make it to med school and courses to take.

The people who excel in pre-med and through med school are those who are dedicated and passionate about medicine. You certainley need to be in order to survive those 10+ years of school. If you're 'in it' for the money, better look elsewhere. You won't be 'banking' until you're at least 30.
 
[quote name='omgu8myrice']thats crap. once your established, the hours arnt killing, and medicine is one of the most prestigous thigns you can get. my entire family is filled with doctors, and trust me, once you start making that salary you can kiss CAG goodbye.

but OP, i wouldnt go into it unless you are really dedicated, because becoming a doctor is extremely tough. in the end its worth it though - just make sure its what you want to do.[/quote]

The thing is.. I don't know what I want to do. But I want to keep my options open. During my sophomore year I decided to get into psychology and maybe go all the way.. or at least get a masters. Now I'm thinking that if I do well in pre-med I'll have much more options than just going for my masters.. At the very least I'll have a choice between psychology and psychiatry.
 
The first thing you'll need to do is look up the pre-med requirements at your school. If I'm not mistaken you'll have to take 2 semester of gen. bio and gen. chem. Then you'll have to do orgo, genetics and physics and a bunch of other science electives. Also, you'll need to take at least 1 semester of calculus (I have a degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry so a lot of my friends/classmates did the pre-med thing).

The gen. bio and chem classes are weed-out classes so you should have a pretty good idea if you are cut out for med school once you're done with them.
 
[quote name='ispeshaled']I'm glad there are people in this world who would want to do this and love it. Or else there wouldn't be any doctors in this world?

To the OP,

You really need to take a look at yourself to answer this question. To do well in Pre-med courses you really have to be science minded. You're looking at taking some pretty intense science courses including Organic Chemistry, Physics, Calculus, Biology (Genetics, Microbio) not to mention labs for all of these excluding Calculus. You mentioned getting C's in the some of those intro courses. In order to remain competitive for med schools, you must make mostly A's and maybe a few B's in all of those Pre-med courses. It's going to be tough.

My advice would be to go see your school's professional health careers office (every school should have one) and talk to an advisor. They can definitely give you a better idea of what it takes to make it to med school and courses to take.

The people who excel in pre-med and through med school are those who are dedicated and passionate about medicine. You certainley need to be in order to survive those 10+ years of school. If you're 'in it' for the money, better look elsewhere. You won't be 'banking' until you're at least 30.[/quote]

If I can do it.. I won't be worried about the debt.

I actually did talk to a pre-health advisor. She basically told me the same thing. It's up to me.. if I think I can do it, I should try. She also told me that if I continue to keep my grades up, and get a decent MCAT score, then I should be able to get into at least a few med schools.. It's going to take a lot of work to reroute my brain from social sciences to life sciences mode... but I figure I have to try.. If I don't, I'll never know if I could.. and I might regret it later.
 
[quote name='PhrostByte']If I can do it.. I won't be worried about the debt.

I actually did talk to a pre-health advisor. She basically told me the same thing. It's up to me.. if I think I can do it, I should try. She also told me that if I continue to keep my grades up, and get a decent MCAT score, then I should be able to get into at least a few med schools.. It's going to take a lot of work to reroute my brain from social sciences to life sciences mode... but I figure I have to try.. If I don't, I'll never know if I could.. and I might regret it later.[/quote]


I know people who majored in Computer Science, Business, and Psychology who have made it to med school. If you want it enough, you can do it. Take a couple of intro courses and see how that goes.
 
Well, you already have the mild drug addiction part of the job down, so might as well see where this crazy coaster takes you.
 
[quote name='PhrostByte']If I can do it.. I won't be worried about the debt.

I actually did talk to a pre-health advisor. She basically told me the same thing. It's up to me.. if I think I can do it, I should try. She also told me that if I continue to keep my grades up, and get a decent MCAT score, then I should be able to get into at least a few med schools.. It's going to take a lot of work to reroute my brain from social sciences to life sciences mode... but I figure I have to try.. If I don't, I'll never know if I could.. and I might regret it later.[/QUOTE]

Just a warning, Med School is really hard to get into. You'll need more than a decent MCAT score. Two of my classmates with 3.6 and 3.7 gpas respectively, scores of 31 or better on the MCATs had a tough time getting into schools in the states (US). You need to be a well rounded person with a lot to offer ie distinguish yourself from the rest of the applicant pool. It's truly tough.
 
[quote name='kill3r7']Just a warning, Med School is really hard to get into. You'll need more than a decent MCAT score. Two of my classmates with 3.6 and 3.7 gpas respectively, scores of 31 or better on the MCATs had a tough time getting into schools in the states (US). You need to be a well rounded person with a lot to offer ie distinguish yourself from the rest of the applicant pool. It's truly tough.[/quote]


This is very true. You should check out local hospitals for volunteering opportunities. Also, leadership positions in organizations and researching with professors...these earn you major brownie points come Med school applications.
 
[quote name='ispeshaled']This is very true. You should check out local hospitals for volunteering opportunities. Also, leadership positions in organizations and researching with professors...these earn you major brownie points come Med school applications.[/quote]

I've already done research assistance for over a year and am planning on getting a job as an orderly if I succeed in the science classes..
 
[quote name='JimmieMac']Well, you already have the mild drug addiction part of the job down, so might as well see where this crazy coaster takes you.[/quote]

Actually.. I was never a drug addict.. and I stopped using drugs completely after my friend overdosed.. but thanks for another completely pointless comment, compliments of you.
 
[quote name='omgu8myrice']and trust me, once you start making that salary you can kiss CAG goodbye.

[/QUOTE]


So your saying once someone here makes 80k+ a year they won't need to go to CAG anymore? well that's crap.

I will be coming here til the day the site is sold.
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']So your saying once someone here makes 80k+ a year they won't need to go to CAG anymore? well that's crap.

I will be coming here til the day the site is sold.[/quote]


General practice doctors average $150-200k a year. Specialty doctors make more. I would think most doctors would be too busy to be playing videogames anyways...or they would have moved past it.
 
If money is the issue, you can go the nursing route and start making $80-$100k per year. As the baby-boomer generation is now rolling into retirement and their golden years, Nurses are actually in higher demand than Doctors at this point.

PS: A GP may clear $100-$200k per year, but that varies SUBSTANTIALLY by region....and frankly, from the doctors I've talked to, the stress just isn't worth it.
 
Op,
I'm curious, if you don't mind me asking but why all of the sudden change in decision to become a doctor?
Considering you only have 'one' more semester to go before obtaining your B.A. degree - why not just complete it? I find it difficult to imagine that you've strive for so long in school just to change your mind at the very end. If anything, you could persue those extra classes to gain your B.S degree.

Reason I'm asking is that if you're interested in the medical field but still unsure about medical school & taking even more classes - would you consider being a Physician's Assistant, a PA? The pre-req's are similar to a medical school program if not much less (depending on the school & what you've already taken)- General & organic chemistry, Biology, etc.., you don't need to take MCAT's (however, some schools may require it) & it's easier to enter rather than a medical school. Plus, it's only a 2 year program rather than 4.

Please don't take this condescending, as if I'm trying to persuade you to obtain a degree (not inferior, but perhaps less stressful & competitive, to a degree of course) than M.D. - but rather just to give some insight on other career choices if you want to do something in the Medical Field. If anything, it's definately something to look at if you are interested.

I have a friend with a B.A. in business (did a complete 180 - to now be interested in Medical sciences) & now he's entering Western University in California on his 2nd year to obtain a M.S in Physician's Assistance. He's graduation next year summer.


****
If however, you are certain M.D is the path for you - ispeshaled offered teriffic advice! This is a very competitive field, being in it myself - grades & MCAT scores alone are not enough to qualify as a strong candidate for acceptance. As you've declared, already assisting in undergrad research will prove beneficiary - I would implore that you do try to volunteer in a local hospital or clinic. That way you'll get a glimpse of what to expect in the future (even though your obligations are not as intense) & will look well in the eyes of application commitee. Remember, only you can determine whether or not you'd like to pursue this career. If you are confident & motivated, I'd say go for it & give it your best shot!!

Good luck to you.
 
[quote name='ispeshaled']General practice doctors average $150-200k a year. Specialty doctors make more. I would think most doctors would be too busy to be playing videogames anyways...or they would have moved past it.[/QUOTE]
Moved to what, banging high priced hookers?
 
[quote name='docvinh']Moved to what, banging high priced hookers?[/quote]

Why yes...they gotta do something in between playing golf and saving lives, right? :lol:
 
I majored in international economics and started a postbac premed program a few weeks after graduating. I'm finishing that up this coming spring and will be applying to schools in the summer. As some background, I didn't have a single med school prerequisite under my belt when I graduated. The program I'm taking offers a straight track of night courses designed to get you in and out in 2 years. It's designed for high-level college grads who didn't think of medicine right away and are working day jobs. It's fairly convenient and I know that these programs are scattered around the country (Johns Hopkins actually has a fantastic one locally for you, although it's expensive and very competitive).

Basically, you need to ask yourself why you want to be a doc. If it's because you don't know what else to do, step back and make sure before going through the premed hassle. Trust me...you DO NOT want to experience organic chemistry unless you're absolutely sure this is what you want. Generally speaking, it's a nightmare unless you get lucky and get a cakewalk course (which has the double-edge of probably not adequately preparing you for MCATs). I wasn't sure what I wanted to do when I was approaching graduation, but realized that I wanted to work with kids...and I didn't want to be a teacher at all. Pediatrics interested me when I was younger, and now that I have some volunteer and work experience in the field it's made me sure of my choice. On that note, maybe volunteer at a hospital if you're unsure. Many have a lot of different opportunities and you could get a feel of different areas, different types of medicine, etc. It won't be very hands-on, but it's a taste. Sometimes that's enough for a person to know one way or the other.
 
my pop's a doctor & he told me and my siblings never to become one unless we REALLY wanted to because of all the crap. (more about hospital politics, inept coworkers, and administrators who interfere with his work as oppose to the hard residency, long hours, and being on call at all hours) And it seems youre on the fence and dont really know what you want to do so I say you should finish what you started, so you can always fall back on it.

P.S. i thought i wanted to be a surgeon until at age 16 i went to a morgue and saw someone's dead and naked grandparents and realized I couldn’t handle all the blood and death. Then I thought about helping the mentally sick so I visited a psychiatric hospital and came out of there never wanting to become a psychiatrist. (it was worse than the morgue). So try out whatever you want to do before you invest too much of your time and let us know! find your passion and success will follow.
 
If you're gonna be a doc, consider diagnostic radiology. You'll make the 6 figures along w/ a 9 to 5 job shift looking at xrays and you don't need to deal w/ people directly... that is, if you can get past the med school, shit intern schedules, office politics, etc. There are other types of radiology but that's the one that I think offers the best medical job for maximal pay & minimal patient interaction. To be honest though, don't work for the money. Find a profession you're comfortable in and use that money you earn in that profession to invest wisely. The one thing that I think is more precious than money is time. I can comfortably say I make more than a GP doc simply because I invest wisely. Also consider this: my mom is a GP and she makes sickloads of money (no pun intended) but she pretty much cancels out her money by her high insurance rates due to the sue-happy nature of US society. Me, otoh, don't have to worry about such things. While my primary focus is real estate, I have other investments that contribute to my wealth (especially since I rightly saw the real estate fiasco the country is currenty in). I have both time & money to do what I want.
 
You can't be iffy because you will end up wasting a shitton of money on school. Medical school is not just "Oh its a lot of work, but anyone can do it." You must be naturally smarter than other people and of course devoted.

EDIT: Have you ever volunteered in a Hospital?
 
[quote name='ITDEFX']So your saying once someone here makes 80k+ a year they won't need to go to CAG anymore? well that's crap.

I will be coming here til the day the site is sold.[/quote]

doctors make a lot more than 80k my friend. and the next time you see a doctor playing gears of war or viva pinata, let me know ;)
 
[quote name='omgu8myrice']doctors make a lot more than 80k my friend. and the next time you see a doctor playing gears of war or viva pinata, let me know ;)[/quote]

I'm not a doctor but I make more money than one. I'm online playing gears of war as well as TF or starcraft or any number of games. And one of the reasons why I've got money is that I'm shrewd when it comes to investing or finding a good deal so not going to CAG would be pretty stupid for someone like me. It's pretty stupid to pay for retail if you can find it for less. The extremely rich & popular knows this especially since they get their stuff for free (minus the cost due to tax claims) for promotions & such.
 
[quote name='PhrostByte']Why?[/quote]
Don't try to be a hero, Phrost.

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http://img260.imageshack.us/my.php?image=250px120pxchristianwm4.jpg
Because, well, you just don't have what it takes.​
 
[quote name='jaykrue']I'm not a doctor but I make more money than one. I'm online playing gears of war as well as TF or starcraft or any number of games. And one of the reasons why I've got money is that I'm shrewd when it comes to investing or finding a good deal so not going to CAG would be pretty stupid for someone like me. It's pretty stupid to pay for retail if you can find it for less. The extremely rich & popular knows this especially since they get their stuff for free (minus the cost due to tax claims) for promotions & such.[/quote]

true but being a doctor its sort of different. society sort of expects you NOT to play video games, to concentrate on your job, and then family when you have free time. its not only because of the money, your mentality changes once you are in that kind of a job
 
[quote name='omgu8myrice']true but being a doctor its sort of different. society sort of expects you NOT to play video games, to concentrate on your job, and then family when you have free time. its not only because of the money, your mentality changes once you are in that kind of a job[/quote]

Meh. Doesn't mean a thing. By your logic, society expects all lawyers to be scum & all policemen taser happy & prejudiced against minorities. Doesn't mean it's true. It's a perception and a skewed one at that. Yeah, being a doctor is time consuming but it doesn't mean a doctor can't have hobbies or leisure activities which may seem childish to some. Nor would it stop a doctor from taking advantage of a cheap deal even if they've got the money to pay retail.

My mom's a GP (general practice doctor) meaning she's called at odd hours to deal w/ someone having a heart attack or a baby. But when she does have time to relax she does so by playing wii sports w/ her friends (despite how silly I perceive it), karoake, or she goes out to socialize. The only probable difference between my mom & someone who's not a doc is that she has a morbid sense of humor (as I notice a lot of doctors have) due to dealing w/ sickness & death on a regular basis. That's about the only difference in mentality I can see.
 
Not all doctors earn in the 150k-200k range, pediatricians for example make much less than that. Also if you want to get into a high paying specialty, expect an even longer residency before you start making that money, meaning that you are at least 8 years away from that salary if you were starting med school this semester.

A 3.5 GPA might be enough if you do well on MCATS and/or can claim to be some type of minority. They will weigh your science classes more. Taking the pre-reqs isn't a breeze either, organic chemistry is a bitch no matter where you take it. And expect every class in any kind of health profession to be harder than your hardest undergrad class, that's just the way it is. You should also start volunteering at a hospital to get some experience.

I thought about med school for the first 2.5 years of college, but the more I researched it the more I realized being an MD isn't what its made out to be. You work extremely long hours no matter where you are, unless you're a pediatrician or family doctor, which won't make you filthy rich. I think quality of life matters more than a profession that absolutely takes over your life. I decided to go to pharmacy school instead since there isn't much you can with just a bachelor's in Biology without additional education, and that is still pretty miserable class-wise so I know med school would have sucked.

But, if you really want to be a doctor and have the motivation for it you should go for it, there will never be a shortage of jobs.
 
You need to figure out what type of medicine you would want to go into before making the decision. If you want to go into Radiology or something like that you should stay away. For the high pay, fixed schedule jobs you have to be in the very top percent of students in order to even get into the program.

If you really want it I say go for it but if you aren't 100% sure you want to do it I would advise against it.
 
[quote name='ispeshaled']Why yes...they gotta do something in between playing golf and saving lives, right? :lol:[/QUOTE]
Well yeah, duhhhhhhh.:)
 
[quote name='jaykrue']If you're gonna be a doc, consider diagnostic radiology. You'll make the 6 figures along w/ a 9 to 5 job shift looking at xrays and you don't need to deal w/ people directly... that is, if you can get past the med school, shit intern schedules, office politics, etc. There are other types of radiology but that's the one that I think offers the best medical job for maximal pay & minimal patient interaction. To be honest though, don't work for the money. Find a profession you're comfortable in and use that money you earn in that profession to invest wisely. The one thing that I think is more precious than money is time. I can comfortably say I make more than a GP doc simply because I invest wisely. Also consider this: my mom is a GP and she makes sickloads of money (no pun intended) but she pretty much cancels out her money by her high insurance rates due to the sue-happy nature of US society. Me, otoh, don't have to worry about such things. While my primary focus is real estate, I have other investments that contribute to my wealth (especially since I rightly saw the real estate fiasco the country is currenty in). I have both time & money to do what I want.[/quote]

Hehe, I'm working with a study in the UCSF diagnostic radiology department and it definitely seems pretty dang chill. Other than my PI for the study, everyone else seems to just sit around all day manipulating images on the screen and chatting with each other. I'd imagine my boss makes $200K or so and she is usually working from like 8-4:30 or so. Very nice indeed
 
[quote name='TahoeMax']Hehe, I'm working with a study in the UCSF diagnostic radiology department and it definitely seems pretty dang chill. Other than my PI for the study, everyone else seems to just sit around all day manipulating images on the screen and chatting with each other. I'd imagine my boss makes $200K or so and she is usually working from like 8-4:30 or so. Very nice indeed[/quote]

Dermatologists have it pretty easy as well (after all those years of med school of course). I heard from a friend in med school that dermatology is very competitive amongst med school students.

Low stress profession, 9-5 hours, with $200k+ salary to prescribe acne cream to people.
 
Docs don't make as much money as you think they do. It really all depends on what kind of residency program you can get into after med school. If you can become a spine surgeon, plastic surgeon, anesthesiologist, radiologist, or dermatologist, then jump all over med school. If you don't think you'll like any of those fields, be prepared to make around 80k-100k after malpractice insurance and overhead. That sounds awesome for most people but you have to realize that's AFTER 4 years of med school, 5 years of residency, and a 1 year fellowship. You'll need a fellowship to keep up with the other docs. You also need to consider that private practice is increasinly harder to get into. Let's say you become a general surgeon. After school, you'll need to either go work at a university hospital for a set salary or you can try to get into a private practice. The thing is, like a law firm, you won't become a partner right out of school. They set you up with a decent salary but also realize that you become the practice's bitch for a couple years until the next sucker gets hired. Who's gonna get called by the E.R. at 3 am? You. Who's gonna stand there and hold a retractor for an entire surgery while the senior partner does the real work? You. Who gets to see the patients with the most problems? You. Think you're gonna join the partners on their Friday golf outings? Nope. You get to cover the service and make sure every patient in the practice that calls or goes into the hospital on that day are taken care of.

I work with surgeons and they all suggested that I go to business school instead of going to med school. Only one doc in the last 3 years has suggested that I become a surgeon. Many joke that they will have been failures if their kids follow in their footsteps.

Last but not least, don't forget that more and more Americans aren't covered by insurance. That means that many of your surgeries will become "pro bono". Unfortunately, many people come in with a ruptured appendix and you ethically and legally HAVE to perform the surgery regardless of their ability to pay. So that little 3 am surgery you perform will end up being a charity case. Many established surgeons accept that as part of the business but when you don't have an established practice, it can lead to financial disaster. Remember, the insurance companies want their money or you won't be covered and then unable to practice anywhere. Your office staff won't accept IOU's either, they want cash money.

EDIT -- The highest paid medical professions are also the hardest to get into. Those 3 C's you got early on won't help. Hopefully, you can ace your MCAT.
 
No offense, but you have quite bit of catching up to do. Med school is extremely competitive so you need to really beef up your grades in the hard sciences. At minimum you need to strive for a 3.5 GPA in the premed requirement sciences and also do well on the MCAT.

As people have pointed out, it's a long road in which just getting into med school is only the first small step. Medical school is 4 grueling years in which you'll have no life unless you have a photographic memory. You need to pass two board exams, the Step 1 and Step 2 before you can graduate. Then depending on your specialty, you have to do at least 3 years of training in which you literally are paid less than the minimum hourly wage. For psychiatry, I believe that's 4 years total (1 year of medical internship and 3 years of psychiatry residency) and you again have to pass a licensing exam (Step 3). Tack on 1-3 years for fellowship and you are looking at up to 10 years before you finally achieve your goal (and the right to take yet another exam, your specialty boards). That being said, having gone through it myself, I love being in the medical field (I'm a neurologist) and most definitely would have done it all again because I enjoy the intellectual challenge and personal satisfaction of diagnosing and treating patients. However, money should not be the motivating factor since yes, you will make good money but you're also saddled with huge debt (well into six-figures).

Best of luck and if you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer if I can.
 
a few points:

1. the money alone is not worth the effort
2. med school, intern+residency, fellowship/specialty = all hard
3. in the end, it's just another job

you need very good reasons for why you want to go into medicine. it's definitely NOT something everyone can do.
 
Haha good luck with Organic Chemistry(almost all pre-med students have to take it, I had to take it becuase I'm doing the Neuroscience option for my B.S. in Psychology) man that course is almost suicide inducing.
 
[quote name='jaykrue']If you're gonna be a doc, consider diagnostic radiology. You'll make the 6 figures along w/ a 9 to 5 job shift looking at xrays and you don't need to deal w/ people directly... that is, if you can get past the med school, shit intern schedules, office politics, etc. There are other types of radiology but that's the one that I think offers the best medical job for maximal pay & minimal patient interaction. To be honest though, don't work for the money. Find a profession you're comfortable in and use that money you earn in that profession to invest wisely. The one thing that I think is more precious than money is time. I can comfortably say I make more than a GP doc simply because I invest wisely. Also consider this: my mom is a GP and she makes sickloads of money (no pun intended) but she pretty much cancels out her money by her high insurance rates due to the sue-happy nature of US society. Me, otoh, don't have to worry about such things. While my primary focus is real estate, I have other investments that contribute to my wealth (especially since I rightly saw the real estate fiasco the country is currenty in). I have both time & money to do what I want.[/QUOTE]

Wow it must be nice to be filthy rich and have ALL the women all over you. CoughbullshitterCouch.

Sorry man but you don't sound smart enough to pass a GED test.
 
[quote name='Blitz']Wow it must be nice to be filthy rich and have ALL the women all over you. CoughbullshitterCouch.

Sorry man but you don't sound smart enough to pass a GED test.[/quote]

:applause::lol:Hmmm, bitter at your lot in life? Ah, well, there's always a hater somewhere. :roll: Must be fun living as a prostitute in Vegas. I bet you get lots of money sucking old men's dicks.
 
[quote name='Blitz']Wow it must be nice to be filthy rich and have ALL the women all over you. CoughbullshitterCouch.

Sorry man but you don't sound smart enough to pass a GED test.[/QUOTE]
Jesus, what the hell is that about?
 
Thanks for the replies everyone... A lot of them have been pretty helpful and insightful.. It's given me a good bit to think about.
 
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