Since my early college years, I put my focus on the medical field because it’s what has always intrigued me. I recieved my undergrad degree working in as an athletic trainer. I had worked during my undergrad and even after in another as a tech in cardiology. I felt that if I immerse myself with picking up new things medically-related, I would keep my focus on maybe going to medical school. I tried working with my degree for about 3 years, at which ended with me deciding I didn’t want to do particular job for a career and did want to return to college for something else. I’ve focused lately on working a lot of hours-around 70 to be exact, between a full-time in a cardiology clinic and just recently part-time as an ER tech-to lower my budget and thus began work on my “ideal career.” The pay, which isn’t a whole lot, is better than what I would get offered doing any other job since it’s what most of my experience is in. Currently, medicine as well as a couple of others careers, PT and PA, that I have long considered no longer seem attractive because I a)spent so much time in college already and b) possibly because I’m burned out on having to work an excessive amount of hours as I’ve done many times in the past. A third possibly is that I find myself comparing myself to where everyone else is around my age, i.e. home, decent car, ability to travel on occasion, free time to enjoy life, etc. On a few occasions, I have thought, ‘I could take career route ‘X’, and within a couple of years, I’d have what they have and maybe what I need.’ Either way, getting into a career isn’t like it used to be, know someone, get a little OJT with a class here and there. Now, you have to really invest time and money to get into a career requiring some form of higher education and/or advanced degrees. Being I’m 27, I want to make a career decision and stick to it so I can enjoy life as well, but I want to find what I can commit to, be happy with, and not just because ‘it’s good money.’
It’s never just the ‘it makes good money’ thing, but more of the intellectual challenge, decision-making and leading people on a track to better health that has attracted me to medicine. I do have hobbies and skills, i.e. playing guitar, renewing my art skills, good comprehension of the spanish language, interest in cars, recreation, etc., etc., but none of which I’m confident in pursuing wholeheartedly. I would like to reinvigorate my interest in medicine altogether but not sure how.
Advice? Thanks.
- southpawslugger Said:
..I would like to reinvigorate my interest in medicine altogether but not sure how.
Advice? Thanks.
Advice? Thanks.
Southpawslugger,
This last statement may be something you need to ponder more about. Forcing an interest in medicine or 'reinvigorating' it would be, in my opinion, unadvisable. Primarily because as you may have gleaned from the posts on the forum, the path is long and arduous to say the least. You may end up 'losing' interest in the midst of it and that would leave you in a very awkward position.
After having read your post a couple of times, it seems to me as if you need to get the 'lure of the world' out of your system. You have age on your side - the average age of members on this board is much older, myself included. It actually might be worthwhile to take your mind completely off of medicine for a while and pursue a career doing something that affords you the luxuries of life or as you put it, what the other 27 year olds have. Once you have surmounted that attraction, then you can revisit your attraction to medicine and re-evaluate it. If it's still there then it's something that never went away and you should start pursuing it. However, it is entirely possible that you may end up deciding that you are happy with the course your life is taking and permanently shelve the medicine plans.
An appointment with a career counsellor may also be worthwhile.
agreed with Dazed–get some feedback from friends or professional career counselor regarding what you want to do, are good at, feel called to do, etc.
Burned out is exactly what I was thinking when I read your first couple of sentences.
Go do something totally different–visit Europe, join a bowling league, take up basket weaving–just do something else to get your brain out of medical mode for a few hours a week. You’re 27 and you want to get on with your life–sure, but consider this–you’re only 27. You have plenty of time to do medicine later. Your happiness and sanity come first. Best of luck,
- ttraub Said:
agreed with Dazed--get some feedback from friends or professional career counselor regarding what you want to do, are good at, feel called to do, etc.
Burned out is exactly what I was thinking when I read your first couple of sentences.
Go do something totally different--visit Europe, join a bowling league, take up basket weaving--just do something else to get your brain out of medical mode for a few hours a week. You're 27 and you want to get on with your life--sure, but consider this--you're only 27. You have plenty of time to do medicine later. Your happiness and sanity come first. Best of luck,
Burned out is exactly what I was thinking when I read your first couple of sentences.
Go do something totally different--visit Europe, join a bowling league, take up basket weaving--just do something else to get your brain out of medical mode for a few hours a week. You're 27 and you want to get on with your life--sure, but consider this--you're only 27. You have plenty of time to do medicine later. Your happiness and sanity come first. Best of luck,
Honestly, even with a mind deadset on medicine, I think burnout is quite common. I'm feeling it right now already from my friggin' gen chem 2 class. Granted, it probably has something to do with going to a joke of a CC to a very rigorous CC that actually takes themselves seriously, but still, stressing out about this entire process is inevitable.
Then add that to stressing about whether our next president is going to be a bumbling idiot who socializes health care and you have a recipe for burnout.
- Tim Said:
...Then add that to stressing about whether our next president is going to be a bumbling idiot who socializes health care and you have a recipe for burnout.
Had to throw that in didn't ya!
