Long time lurker, first time poster. Anyone out there ditch a legal career for medicine? I started out college with the intention of going medical school (along with about a third of my class), and between getting slaughtered grade-wise (top five school) and talking myself out of the long training, I “wound up” a lawyer. Never stopped being interested in medicine though. If I were to consider this change now, I would have to take all of the pre-reqs over again (5-6 semesters).
Anyone here make a similarly drastic switch?
Not a lawyer, but otherwise a very similar story. Always wanted to pursue medicine, got slaughtered in first 2 years of university and ended up doing my MBA, continually telling myself that this was the path I was meant to take. “Woke up” this past summer realizing that the next step career wise would be a VP of Marketing role and I really wasn’t very happy and I really wanted, very badly, to be a doctor. I was living vicariously by reading and following medically related stories, watching medical shows (Resident Life, Mystery Diagnosis etc). So, am now taking retaking BIO, will be taking CHEM and PHYS this summer, then a full course load of upper science courses next year. Have to fit ORG CHEM and MCAT Prep in the following summer. Obviously I am planning to be unemployed in the very near future. There are layoffs rumoured at my company so I am trying to get myself a package. I am also selling my house and moving in with a relative for the next couple of years.
I am in Canada so the timelines are a little different for applications (Oct vs June??) and technically I don’t need to retake the prereqs as they will take 20 year old credits. I am just covering my bases should I decide to apply in the US as well and besides, it is good prep for the MCAT.
Lynda
I briefly considered law (even took the lsat for the hell of it), but I know its not really my cup of tea; medicine seems much cooler and definitely more rewarding. Good luck and study hard, time flies fast and the next thing you know you’re applying for med school.
Lawyer here but still in pre mode as far as medical school goes…
Need to do all the pre-reqs etc…But also have to stay full time employed because of sig other and child at home to provide for.
Definitely feel your pain though, I knew pretty keenly after the first year of law school that it was the wrong direction, but stuck it out hoping…Sadly, and maybe it’s just me, but the job of lawyer, not all that challenging and certainly doesn’t feel like I’m in a helping profession.
JDRoger
Know what you mean. The past couple of years, the only challenge has been getting out of bed in the morning. And no possibility of helping people in my specialty–I’m racking up a Karma debt.
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Bit of a lurker myself (here and on SDN), but thought it time to register. Anyway, I’ve been practicing law for 4 years – long enough to know that my dislike of the profession is genuine, and not so long that the “golden handcuffs” are permanently attached. I’m definitely fearful of making the switch, especially since I’m already 36, and I have quite a bit of debt left from law school to pay off. But I just can’t see spending the next several decades of my life in this field, when sometimes I wonder if I can make it through the rest of the week. I know some people enjoy this work, but it brings me no personal fulfillment (I confess I went into law for the money – huge mistake). Giving up all the time, money and education I’ve invested in law, to say nothing of years of earning potential, to try my hand at medicine is certainly a gamble, but it’s one I’m willing to take. Of course, I don’t have a family to be concerned about, so that makes things much easier – if I fall, I’m the only one who goes down. I just hope I have the brain cells to keep up with people almost 2 decades younger than me!
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