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[Crankin]

How is med school treating you, Blueberry?

[Blueberry]

How is med school treating you, Blueberry?

I'm loving it! Sure there are bumps and frustrating parts, but I love the (medical related) coursework and the clinical aspects. We've finished 2 blocks (Principles of Med and Immunology) and we're on to Hematology/Oncology. It's really not as bad as I thought it would be in terms of difficulty. Our class is really laid back and helpful (we're pass/fail, which helps). Sure there are stressful times - like the weekends before exams - but it's not all that bad. We just finished our first clinical week - where we spend a week in a local doctor's office taking patient histories and practicing our exam skills. Such a different perspective on what we're learning, but really welcome!

Some stress trying to figure out what I might want to do. I know it seems early, but for some of the really competitive specialties you have to do research between your first and second years in that field (mainly because there is no other time to do it) - and that has to be lined up early. Of course, all of this is for the residency match in our fourth year (and I'm in my first) - so it all seems a little silly!

I don't talk about med school stuff here much because I feel like I'd bore people to death. Maybe I need to not make assumptions about what y'all might want to hear and post more.

[Pax]

I'd enjoy hearing about your medical school adventure, I don't really know anyone who's gone through it so it would be interesting to hear first hand.

[Blueberry]

Fair enough. It was sort of a black box for me until I started looking into admissions and the related classes.

No med school today - glued to the TV streaming the ironman world championships. It's the only sporting event I actually watch. I need to go do a tri one of these years.

[Crankin]

I'd like to hear it, too, Blueberry. The only people I know going to med school now, are the children of friends. Well, one is in his residency in ophthalmology, and the other is a 2nd year med student at U Mass Medical School. He is a really nice person, and also an endurance sport/lifting person, and I think he is going into sports med. It would be nice to hear your perspective, as someone a bit older.

[emily_in_nc]

I'd enjoy hearing about your medical school adventure, I don't really know anyone who's gone through it so it would be interesting to hear first hand.

I agree -- and a doctor was what I always wanted to "be when I grow up" as a child, though I later switched to psychology after I found about all the chemistry I'd have to take (not my thing!) And then I switched again while in psych grad school when I determined I was too shy to deal with people and would rather deal with computers. So I was a software engineer for my entire career. Lol! The twists and turns careers can take, right?

BUT...I'm still fascinated by med school, love medical-related shows, always have. In fact, it was Marcus Welby and Medical Center that fueled my original career goal as a girl! So post away...when you have time. I know it can be intense and very busy!

I agree that it seems way too early to have to choose a specialty. But I guess it's not that different from most kids just entering college already knowing what they plan to major in. Not to say that can't be changed, but it doesn't seem to happen all that much. As an aside, I almost switched from psychology to health education mid-way through my studies at UNC, but for various reasons ended up not doing so.

[Crankin]

Emily, in my first 2 years, I switched from Special Ed, to Social Work, to Psych (briefly), and back to Special Ed. I couldn't handle the math (statistics) for psych, although, curiously, I took stats when I had my brief period as a doctoral student. By then, we actually did the calculations on a computer, which in 1980, was very ahead of its time. So, you can see, I actually, in my second career, ended up doing what I really wanted to do. I briefly thought of law school, before I decided on education, but I was afraid of majoring in a liberal arts major, and I knew I wouldn't get into law school with a degree in education. I got my master's in special ed right away, at night, while I was working. Right when I got that degree, ASU was starting a PhD program in Special Ed. I had already quit my job and was waiting to hear from U of Arizona about getting in there (I don't think I would have). Then, my parents moved from AZ to San Diego, and I met DH. I deferred my admission to the PhD program at ASU a year, went back to work, got married. I started the next summer, and by December I was fried. Plus, I got obsessed with having a baby. It was really an obsession. Very unlike me. But, it would have been stupid to have 3 degrees from the same school. I went back to work, had 2 kids, and all was good. I was taking classes to get my CAGS (EdS) degree in Ed Admin around the time my youngest graduated HS. It's an easier version of a doctorate for educators. Then, right when I finished all of the classwork, and had to do the internship, I had no idea how I would get that done and work at the same time. Just like before, I became suddenly obsessed with not doing this, because it just didn't feel right. The nature of school administrators had changed, I was already making good money as a teacher, so when DS 2 dropped out of U of A, I decided that I would just go do something else in a couple of years. Basically, it took me 30+ years, but I don't regret my first career at all. I loved teaching.

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, in my first 2 years, I switched from Special Ed, to Social Work, to Psych (briefly), and back to Special Ed. I couldn't handle the math (statistics) for psych, although, curiously, I took stats when I had my brief period as a doctoral student. By then, we actually did the calculations on a computer, which in 1980, was very ahead of its time.

That's interesting to me because -- in my first year of clinical psych graduate school (1983-84), we also did most of our stats work on computers using SAS. I had never liked math all that much, but I absolutely loved it. That was when I became obsessed with computers and decided to leave the program after that year and change to studying computer science. I ended up going to a different university (NCSU instead of UNC), since they had a post-baccalaureate program in computer programming that you could do in the evenings. So I took a job as a technical writer and did coursework for two years in the evenings, after which I was able to get my first programming job.

It's kinda fascinating how careers can evolve with exposure to different things.

I briefly thought of law school, before I decided on education, but I was afraid of majoring in a liberal arts major, and I knew I wouldn't get into law school with a degree in education.

Interestingly, a younger friend of ours recently got into law school with a degree in English, so you never know! But she hated law school and left the program after one semester. Now she is looking towards a PhD in English.

Plus, I got obsessed with having a baby. It was really an obsession. Very unlike me.

Boy, that is something else we have in common. I went through this very same thing. Total obsession. Although in our case, it ended very differently. We were never able to have a child despite multiple interventions (after trying for a year the natural way, of course!) I did finally get pregnant using IVF/ICSI but miscarried. I was devastated. By this time, we'd been trying for 7-8 years and were just burnt out, getting older all the time, and decided we couldn't continue on. We never wanted to go through the whole adoption roller coaster either. So this is why we were able to retire early -- the silver lining in this cloud. If I hadn't miscarried, I would have an 18-year old right now, which boggles my mind!

[Crankin]

Actually, an English major is quite recommended for law school, as it teaches you to think and analyze. I had an English minor (12 credits as an undergrad and then 6 more post masters). That's kinda how I wormed my way around the state regs and got certified as a middle school English teacher. That wouldn't happen today! Plus, I did my national boards for prof. teaching standards certification in English. Of all of the things I've done, including both of my masters and my one year in the PhD program, that was the hardest and most stressful thing! I had to do a portfolio, which included videotaping myself teaching (ugh). I remember, in the middle of one, of course, I got paged on the intercom; "Mrs. M, can you send so and so to the office?" The kids laughed, but I did not stop the tape. And, I had to take a test that was the hardest fricking test I've taken, including my master's comps.
I agree with the silver cloud thing. We've done a lot of things because we didn't have to pay for DS #2's college education. Although I barely could accept him enlisting, he is very well situated now. And, at a very selective liberal arts college, on a full scholarship, in addition to his military benefits. Between his prior service, being in the reserves for 4 years, and being an Army officer when he graduates, he will be able to retire when he is 40... only 9 years away. I don't know if he will ever use his economics/math degree, but I suspect he will become a math teacher, which is what he has been destined for. His ability to teach was evident when he was a toddler! He has the gene.