Thanks, Becky!
I will definitely look for schools with a well-ventilated lab. I don’t know if there are IM residencies that allow you to get 6.5 hours of sleep. I’m best suited for IM, or Rheum, which, of course, would require me to go through an IM residency first.
I too have a chronic pain condition and nervous system disorder. I am also scared about med school being too much and making my condition worse.
Personally, I am firm in the belief that our experiences with illness and chronic pain will help make us excellent physicians!
Good luck and thanks for all the posts- this gives me hope
Add me to the list of suffer’s of chronic pain and chronic illness.
I’ve found that the better my diet/more I excerise/get adequate rest, the better I am at either being symptom free or having only mild symptoms.
I have Lupus and am going to be a first time mom. At 27, I too am wondering how my health will do through the rigors of courses and residency. I know now after 6 years of diagnosis and a dual of fibromyalgia. That I have to persevere. It was one of the reasons I’d talked myself out of my pre-med major to something easier and more manageable. What a mistake! With support, and taking excellent care of yourself and listening to your body you can do it! The great thing about this forum is the support we can provide each other. Also to know that a DO or MD behind someone’s name doesn’t mean they don’t deal with things either. I had an endocrinologist who was painfully thin, due to pituitary gland /thyroid issues. It was her impetus to pursue medicine and succeed. We all have a story to tell!
I’m losing hope. I have severe fibromyalgia. I’ve had it for 21 years. Nothing, and I mean, nothing, has helped. I have significant stiffness as well. I may be developing a systemic autoimmune disorder, also. I exhausted treatments for the Lyme; I use an alternative treatment. I’m pretty sick, and I doubt I can endure the rigors of med school and residency. Plus, I really don’t know if I want to spend that much of midlife in school. Sigh…
I’m so confused. I’m considering other paths, within and without health care, but I’m not sure about them, either.
Star
Star,
First thing is my rule 1…take a breath, let it out slowly. I am in the same boat with a very long term back, neck pain and severe headaches that started nearly 10 years ago and I question myself if I should if the rigors of medical school would be more masochistic than anything else. But part of the process of premed is not simply to learn material but also to learn if you want to be a student for years. I am purposely taking the second half of Organic Chem this summer to remind myself what I am planning to do and how hard it will be.(“I got 15 weeks of schoolin but I’m doing it 5” yes I did write a blues song.
There are 3 things here that you have to remember as a premed.
- Until you get the letter of acceptance, it all hypothetical. You shouldn’t worry now about hwo it will be but work hard, as hard as you possibly can to get that letter. Compared to medical school cost, time, and effort, the work on premed is a minor. So bust your hump and get the grades, do the work, and apply.
- Once you get acceptance, then you have the choice, you don’t have to wonder if I could have gotten in or could I have done it. You can to choose to your destiny.
- In Zen there is a saying that life is painful and suffering is optional. I will like you, probably wake up every day for the rest of my life in pain. My normal headaches that I wake up with feel like I am about to get the flu and those are good days. My bad days sometimes feel like a knife is going thru my left eye and out the base of my left skull. Could I overcome and keep working to make it thru medical school. I have no doubt that I could. But I need to do that to myself and those around me? do i need to add more suffering? it is a choice that I will someday make and find peace with either one.
and now back to your regularly scheduled program
Richard: I can’t tell you how much I have appreciated your good advice and humor.
I feel for you in your situation as well. What you are doing makes so much sense. I just don’t know if it’s right for me.
I know that if I go through premed (would have to do it over four years due to a math deficit) and either don’t get in and decide to stop there, or do get in and decide to stop there, I wouldn’t want to “just” try to get into a PA program. If I didn’t “do” medicine, I would go in a very different direction. That would mean four years of hard schooling wasted (in that I couldn’t apply it to anything I would care to do), and a lot of debt I couldn’t afford (heaped on debt I would incur from whatever I did decide to do). I’m in a situation where we’re in such severe financial duress that we will either be without heat, or be without our home this winter. Little expenses are unaffordable. We’re in bankruptcy; I can’t find even part-time work here, and we are yet again in debt to my husband’s sister, with interest. We have no savings. (I didn’t mean to make this my own blues song!)
Until very recently, I’ve worried I’d be stuck wondering if I could have done it if I don’t try. I’m looking at it differently now. I’m much more empowered when I consider that, sure, I could do it, but at what cost? I have to weigh the benefits and risks and realize that this is not the only thing on Earth I could do. I guess that’s really where you’re at, only you’ll make the decision later.
My condition has only gotten progressively worse through the years, and my functionality gets weaker.
Star
Starphoenix,
You need to do what makes you happy, and there is no harm in taking some pre-reqs. I think it is a good idea to stress yourself with work, volunteer and classes to see how you do. I would also shadow some residents if you can. Do you know what you may want to do someday? Medical school is one thing but residency is another. Medical school is mentally taxing, residency is mentally and physically taxing. Thankfully, the ACGME has limited our hours to 80 hours a week and you must have on average 1 day off in 7 days. That means that in a month long rotation you get 4 days off, they could be 2 days off and then you work the next 14. You can also not be asked to stay longer than 30 hours. Now there are, thankfully, few rotations (surgery, trauma, ICU, CCU,…) that this becomes an issue.
I hate to be so pessimestic, but it is something that you need think about.
Have you ever thought about a field where you can help other people with chronic pain? That can be as a physician, nurse,…
Good luck with whatever you decide and keep us posted
Rachel Yealy, DO
Thanks so much for your insight, Rachel.
I couldn’t take the pre-reqs for the reasons mentioned above, I’m afraid.
I’m not too sure what I’d want to do. I’ve considered IM and the subspecialty of rheum. Also neuro and peds.
I’d want to be in Northern NJ, so neuro is probably out. I believe there’s a glut of neuros, maybe even rheums. The primary-care fields would be a more likely option, I believe. I would lean more toward the peds, then. Treating adults with a lot of, at least somewhat, self-inflicted conditions (Diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, COPD) would drive me nuts if they refused to follow tx orders. (My husband is one of them.)
I have no interest in nursing, and that would be too physically demanding anyway, not just for clinical, but the career as well.
I would consider being a medical assistant, but I would be on my feet all day. I could suffer through that for training, but the career is another matter.
The more I’ve been reading about med school, the more I’ve been worrying about my endurance. From what I’ve read, even med school is physically demanding. I’m not just talking about the clinical years. It sounds like the sleep deprivation is high during the preclinical years, too.
Sigh…
Star-
I have been meaning to add my input about research nursing for some time, as an alternative to medicine- for those considering alternatives. I just thought of it again when I read your post about nursing being to physically demanding…
My story (part of it) is that I studied public health with a concentration in epidemiology (didn’t complete the final project), was working in the cath lab part time and happened to hear that the docs were looking for a research nurse. Since I knew all about study design, statisitics, etc, I thought it would be a good match so I applied. They changed the job description a bit and I started. Once in, even thought I could do the study coordination (make sure the patients moved through the protocols as planned), etc, I found that I really drawn to the clinical aspect- seeing patients in clinic, both new patients and those returning for f/u. So I ended up completing a BSN,so I could cover this aspect of the job as well.
To summarize, as a research nurse I work for one physician. In this job, I write study protocols for new studies that he wants to initiate, work with sponsors (outside industry) when have a protocol that we want to participate in , write and negotiate the budget, get the required regulatory approvals (IRB, FDA), figure out the logistics of how the protocol is going to work in our division, make sure everything that is supposed to happen-happens, collect data, analyze the data (our studies are small-so simple stats), write abstracts for the meetings, have the opportunity to present abstracts at the meetings (I can’t stand in front of people and do this-but there is always someone around who wants the experience), help write the papers for publication, see new patients in clinic (in addition to the PA and attending-but I am seeing them to discuss and screen for clinical trials that are available), see patients in clinic for follow-up (those participating in the studies), prepare reports for the annual reviews (results of the study interventions, what went right, any problems, how we will address any problems, etc.). There is more, I just can’t think of everything right now. But I just wanted to let you know about research nursing and that it can be quite rewarding and intellectually stimulating- yet maybe not physically demanding. Also, I get to spend quite a bit of time interacting with the patients, and get to know them very well. I have a lot of independence and control over how I do my job. The key is finding the right group of people to work with and the right population of patients that will benefit with what you can offer (our patients have unresectable liver cancer, someone earlier mentioned to you about taking care of patients with chromic pain-that is a very large research area and you certainly would be able to empathize with this group).
Also, in this role I can obtain an NP, PA, MBA, MS in biotech, MPH (am finishing Dec 08, yeah!) and make the role progress with me. Obviously I have the small voice inside whispering ‘medicine’, thats why I’m here on this site…but like others am still discerning if it would be the right move
Hope this helps a little-
Hi, Mimosa. I’m glad you’re posting on the forums. Welcome!
Thank you for sharing about your job as a research nurse. It does sound very interesting. I’ve never been drawn to research. I just don’t know.
Maybe I should investigate other nursing roles that I could fulfill with a BSN, ones that wouldn’t require me to work my butt off in the hospital and would offer more independence.
I have so much to consider! I’ve been thinking of doing something totally different, too: becoming a minister. I’m considering theological school. I would get to do many of the things I enjoy: counsel, social work, write, speak to groups, administer, study my religion.
I would have to do something intellectually stimulating. Therefore, I don’t think becoming a medical assistant will be the ticket. I have so much to think about!
I know that flight nurses have a lot of stimulation(!) and independence, too.
Star, any of the fields you’ve described - peds, rheum, medicine, medical assistant, nurse - are going to be physically demanding. While I sit down when I first talk to a patient, I am back on my feet in a few minutes and generally on my feet between encounters. There are days when I truly doubt I can get back out of the chair once I am done with patient care.
The way my office is set up, the MAs and nurses actually sit more than the providers do, and some of them say to us, “I don’t know how you do it!” I don’t know how I do it sometimes, either.
Since you sound like you have a holistic bent, what about nutritionist? You would get to do health-related counseling, you would not be as likely to have to crank out high volume to make ends meet (as any primary care doc who participates with insurance plans must), and you could sit down and talk with your clients about things that you - and they - value.
Note: I have no idea how one becomes a specialist in nutrition. Wish I knew more about the topic myself.
Mary
Mary: Thank you, as always, for your wisdom and insight. You are so helpful, and I, for one, am grateful.
I’ve had no interest in nutrition (except my own!) Maybe that ministerial path is in order. It’s quite scholastic. I can do some moving around (like for social work in the community), and I could manage to stand behind a podium. It’s never for a whole hour anyway. By the time music, announcements, and other parts of the program are addressed, it would be a half hour or so.
I never even thought about the moving around I’d do in an office as a physician. I think, in years of seeing my IM doc, I’ve been examined twice, and once was for a job. He just talks to me. Of course, he gets up to deal with orders. I realize you have to examine children each time. I would have to examine folk for consultations in any of the fields.
I have a lot of analytic meditating to do!
It really sounds like you want to help others. What about being a counselor? Psych nurse/asst/psychologist. I have a girlfriend that got her masters as a psych nurse, she loves it and really feels like she can help some people. Social worker,… School nurse/medical tech…Case manager…
Flight RN - alot of lifting, getting in and out of helicopters/planes and 24 hour shifts with not a lot of sleep if you have a busy night.
I am excited about some of these possibilities for you and was brainstorming when I was shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond (not sure why, maybe it was buying the kids’ back to school stuff).
Rachel
That’s so kind of you, Rachel, to brainstorm on my behalf.
I don’t want to go into mental health. I did give it a lot of consideration.
School nurse may be possible. Wouldn’t I still stand a lot, though? I’m not sure about any nursing position.
School nurses on their feet, not that I have seen. A lot of paperwork, and waiting until a kid comes in. I have had to go in a few times for my step-daughter’s diabetes, she never got up from behind the desk. Although she does have to travel between 2 schools during the day. She has a med asst that watches one school while she is at another. She does some education for the kids, and she really loves the kids.
Good luck
Rachel Yealy
Thank you, Rachel.
I may have narrowed it down to three choices now:
- Minister (MDiv), for all reasons already mentioned. Okay pay, I guess.
- Nurse, but only for one of two possibilities:
a. Associate’s level to work in one of a series of clinics I appreciate. I would sit quite a bit, counseling clients, yet I would get to move around some, which is also important. I believe in the mission, and the client base is in great need. Modest pay.
b. Bachelor’s level for school nursing. I believe that, with a BSN, I can then get a specialized certificate in school nursing. I have worked with children in various capacities and might really enjoy this. (I had mentioned peds as an interest before.) Okay pay, I guess.
(While it’s not about money, I do need to provide additional support for myself and husband; we want to move back to NJ, and it’s expensive. Pay is better, by and large, though.)
If I went for a second Bachelor’s, at least I wouldn’t have to repeat everything. It would take three years, full time. MDiv, three to four years full time. Associate’s: three years part time (due to sequencing).
I’ve wanted to be a doctor so very much, and I’m grieving. I know now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it would be impossible for me. Thank you, even so, for trying to help me figure out what to do next. It means so much. I wouldn’t have even considered school counseling, or nursing at all now, if not for you folk.
Getting into a career in less time means less intense struggle with debt, too. I was bawling and having panic attacks trying to pay bills yesterday, and I really don’t want to be in this condition for more than five more years.
Investigate that school nursing gig (with the BSN) more carefully. It has been my impression that the higher-educated nurses tended to be in charge of several sites, did a lot more administrative work, and if you are working for a public health and/or public school system it will not be very well paid. Maybe it’s different where you are, I don’t know.
Mary
Thanks so much, Mary.
We’d like to move back to Northern NJ, and it’s like one big suburb of NYC. I think it may be fine. I don’t think the nurses have to cover various schools. High cost of living, but good pay. My husband has a modest salary, but, together, we should at least be able to rent a house. He’d be closer to work, also.
The nice thing about the medical field (physician, nurse, tech) is that their are numerous opportunities out there in what ever you want to do. You just have to find what you like.
If you were trying to decide between getting assoc & BSN - I would just get the BSN…it’s 4 yrs and you are done. I was able to work as a tech as a 3rd & 4th year (not alot of hours for clinicals) to help pay expenses.
Good luck
Rachel