“I could be sipping mimosas on a beach right now,” Cindy said as we sat in Powell Library, MCAT prep books in tow.
Committing to the pre-med track is one of the biggest hurdles a future doctor has to overcome. The undergraduate years are full of opportunities to seize and memories to made that really put those four years of medical school in perspective.
Am I giving up my chance to start a family? Are there memories and moments that I’m missing out on, studying in this library? Am I just blowing my chances of enjoying college because I’m preparing for another four difficult years?
Image Source: Thomas Barwick
Is it worth it?
Many students across campuses will agree that a majority of their friends who were pre-med freshman year changed their career plans. For some, the pressure to attain a high GPA was too much while others realized it wasn’t their calling.
For the few who did stick it out, there’s no doubt that the question of “Is this worth it?” has crossed their minds more than once, and with good reason. Between attaining a high GPA and MCAT score, lab research, shadowing, and extracurricular activities, at some point, it begins to feel like pre-meds only know three places: the classroom, the lab, and their bed.
“Am I squandering my youth in the library?”
The average age of the UCSF incoming class of 2014 is 25 years old, meaning most students will be at least 29 by the time they graduate. Factor in a minimum of three years residency (and if you’re specializing, another two or three years of school or fellowship), students don’t become full-fledged doctors until they are around 30! If you went directly to medical school after undergrad, it meant eight straight years of school, while those who did not go directly into medicine most likely worked in research or another related field in medicine..
After I expressed these doubts to one of my mentors, he coolly answered, “You’re here because you love helping others.”
Any doctor would tell you that it was worth it. After all, it takes dedication to stick to medicine through eight years if you didn’t love what you were learning.
If you’re a pre-med because you love the profession, you have a passion for helping others, or you just love the area of study, you aren’t wasting your time. Although at times, that love and passion is bittersweet, it is not without great reward. One day, you will be one of the many practicing physicians who work hard every day with their patient’s best interest in mind.
And who said your career comes at the cost of memorable moments?
Don’t let the multiple late night coffee runs and 8am labs discourage you from enjoying college to the fullest in your own way.
Those long “study sessions” with other pre-meds as you cram for O-Chem can create friendships that transcend the whiteboard in the study room. You never would have talked to that cute girl in your biology lecture if you weren’t paired as lab partners. And when it’s time to take a break away from the academic strain, friendships formed through hardships are there to see you through.
As the old adage goes, those who work hard, play hard.
