The Medical Thread

[BigRedBeta]

Yes, I'm going to be starting my pediatrics residency in the summer - don't know where yet. That will be revealed on March 19th. I eventually want to do a fellowship (more training after residency) in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine and then take care of children in Pediatric Intensive Care Units.

As for med school questions you've raised.

You can have any major. My Bachelor's is in Sociology, and I have friends with history, political science, and - yes - even music. Medical school is what teaches you to be a physician, so really, undergrad is prove that you can do it to the admissions committees. As long as you've taken the required pre-med courses (1 year of bio, chem, organic chem, physics), take the MCAT, and are involved on campus and in the community, you can apply. Your major doesn't have be directly applicable, and many schools like variety in their students. You might actually find that your musical training gives you some sort of unique perspective towards the emotional side of medicine...

The other thing is that, there are a significant number of people who go back to medical school years after starting another profession. It's not easy, as they need to do all the things that other 'pre-meds' need to do to gain admission. I know individuals that in their previous lives were teachers, nurses, pharmacists, bankers, physician's assistants, and engineers.

Please don't focus on the money that physicians make. Yes, it's a well paid career, but it's an extremely long time period that goes into reaching that salary. 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, and 3-7 years of residency and fellowship working 80 hours a week while only earning about $48k a year (The highest salary I was offered for next year was $50000 even, with three weeks of vacation - if I were to work the maximum allowed of 80 hours a week that ends up being $12.75/hr...and none of my other programs pay that much). Add to the fact that the average medical student has more than $140,000 in debt upon graduating medical school. Financially, this is not the smartest option for a career.

Also, remember there are other health related careers available - Physician's assistants, nursing (advanced practice nurses like nurse anesthetists can make ridiculously high salaries in some locations - higher than many physicians...and they get to continue to work as a nurse while going to anesthetist school), and many others. If you're really concerned about the applicability of a music degree, maybe being a recreational therapist or child life specialist would be good fits. These are great examples of how healing is so much an art than just a science.