Big props to those of you ignoring the naysayers. We are almost 6 months into remodeling our kitchen. We decided to do it because we had the $$ available for the stuff we need and because my fiance’s brothers are all handy and agreed to help for free (each of the boys have their own talents and help each other).
Lately we’ve run into the family factor, which is why it’s been almost 6 months without a kitchen. My mom told me the other day to set a deadline and if it’s not done by then, hire a contractor and spend an extra $2-3K to get it done. She told me "your sanity is priceless. 2K might sound like a lot, but you’ll be happy in the end."
I’ve been thinking a lot about that quote, and realize it applies to more than just my kitchen! My sanity is priceless for wanting to achieve the med school goal, too. So yeah, it’s going to cost a extra and require extra time, but if I’m happy in the end, it’ll be SO worth it!
Also, MEOWMIX, looking back at when you started this thread, don’t you feel SO much better now! 
Let me add my IQ at this late date: 135(considered “gifted” but not genius) breezed through high school, bombed my first time in college after not studying well, and in medical school now, but it still isn’t easy for me, and its all about study habits
One thing that has surprised me a lot is how many naysayers there are – people who don’t even know me have negative thoughts to share. Some grill me on how much work I have ahead of me.
None of them have worked on a campaign, once you work on one of those the hours required for med school and after seems normal. At least when I get paged/called at four in the morning it will for something actually important (none of the late night calls I got for any campaign or any other political job has actually been something that could not have waited until the next day).
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At least when I get paged/called at four in the morning it will for something actually important (none of the late night calls I got for any campaign or any other political job has actually been something that could not have waited until the next day).
Uhhhhhh will I also be guilty of naysaying when I tell you that lots of my 4am pages are equally worthless?
Hate to do it to ya but at least in my part of the world, there are folks who seem to think that the “doctor on call” is just taking the night shift and is therefore awake and ready to discuss any concern you might have. I’ve personally advised parents on cold medicines for babies and advised another person that taking two pills once a day was OK vs one pill twice a day - this call came at 3:30am.One of my colleagues recently got a call asking, “Where is my blood work?” Okay, it was only 8pm but still. Another got called in the middle of the night: “My father just stubbed his toe, what should we do?”
I will grudgingly admit that most of my impatient calls were valid.
Sorry, and I really am not trying to be a naysayer, just kind of giggling because while I love my job, sometimes it’s just stupid.
Mary
Funny that there are new replies to this thread! Just this evening I was visiting my aunt and uncle. They were asking what I was up to, and I began to tell them about the Genetics and Organic classes I’m taking. Their response was “What are you in school for NOW?”, like it’s a bad thing to be in school. I told them my plans for med school, and my aunt got this disgusted look and said “You and your mother” (my mom also was a non-trad, a little older than me when she went back). I couldn’t fight back or even defend myself!
I have no problem letting others know how I feel, except for this one aunt. For some reason, when she puts me down (which is about every time I see her - and she’s very passive aggressive), I find myself stammering and at a loss for words.
Sometimes it makes me feel silly to be pursuing the med school idea, but then I snap back to reality when I leave. Anyone else have this problem with a friend/family member?
Meg, I’m lucky with my family’s support. But what if you defended your mom instead? “I’m very proud of my mom, thanks!” you can say to the aunt. It would be fun to see the look on her face.
Well, it would be fun for ME.
Yeah, I’ve defended her in the past, but I was also pretty tired this afternoon. I shoulda said something though, because I AM proud of her. It’s funny - my aunt doesn’t criticize with a gruff or mean voice - it’s the extremely annoying sing-song voice that drives me crazy!
Yeah, sometimes all you can do is sit there with your mouth hanging open and compose zingers on the way home in the car. That’s what I really do.
Hang in there!
I was fortunate to have mostly very supportive family members. I had one brother-in-law who I don’t think meant to be putting me down but came across that way. I just adopted an air of breezy assurance conveying “Of course I am going to do this and it is going to work” as if he were nuts for suggesting otherwise. But since I’m also not good at confrontation, I would answer questions with closed responses “Oh it’s going fine” and then change the subject. It just wasn’t worth going there and I preferred not to defend myself.
Mary
Mary – it’s funny you mention the silly calls you get. When I had my wisdom teeth out I got really sick that night and I called the oral surgeon the next morning and he asked me when I had been sick – it did not even occur to me to call him, what was he going to do for me at 4 am? He got really mad and said, “If you have an emergency you can call, you know I am real doctor!” I never saw him again, when I went in for the follow up I saw his partner.
I guess I should have said more of the calls will be for something worthwhile. I guess there was a time or two when someone really did need to talk to me during the wee hours of the night. Usually, it was something like, “we think the press credential should be a lighter shade of blue.” Yes, that was vital. The coolest thing we had was what was called a ‘call holding,’ you’d get a page that you had this and you’d call into either a 800 number for staff or on your cell or whatever and be connected to the person who was paging you. I used that only when it was urgent, something other staffers did not do, that bothered me more almost than the late night calls. The worst I got was when we were ordering food for the press and it turned out the chicken dish was going to be baked rather than broiled. Whatever.
Sorry this was so long and so far off topic. My brain is everywhere today – I just drank a white, iced mocha and am totally hyper.
Yeah, that’s pretty much how I react. My extended family really aren’t that close, except for this particular aunt. She has made an effort to be involved in my life from the moment of birth, and I love her for that, but at the same time is extremely critical of everything I do. She DOES have her own serious issues that I try to remember when she’s driving me up the wall, but at the same time, I REALLY want to succeed in becoming a physician, and I don’t want encouragement for that little voice in my head that tells me that I can’t do it!
But, I feel better now after seeing the responses
This is going to look goofy but I read somewhere that the best way to get rid of that little voice is not to ignore it but confront it. When mine tells me I’ll never make it, I give it reasons why I will. It makes me feel better.
Yes, I agree. This is the thread that goes on forever!
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Yeah, I’ve defended her in the past, but I was also pretty tired this afternoon. I shoulda said something though, because I AM proud of her. It’s funny - my aunt doesn’t criticize with a gruff or mean voice - it’s the extremely annoying sing-song voice that drives me crazy!
Sometimes when assaulted with a thoughtlessly denigrating remark I will look quizzically at the person, cock my head, and say, “Huh?” I will continue to be baffled by everything that comes out of their mouth until they start making sense. After all, it makes no sense to discourage someone from doing a great thing like going into medicine. I mean, wtf, don’t we need more doctors?
Good point. This particular aunt is an LPN and I am guessing a little jealous of my mom, who is the same age, and an MD
I like the “huh?” routine. That’s a keeper!
A woman I dance with spent a fair amount of time trying to get me to go into nursing instead, and be an N.P. After a while I realized that it was because SHE was a nurse, and she wanted me to choose the path she had chosen, because it was a good path for her, and she thought it would be good for me. Because she thought the nursing model of medical care was a better one. It was a compliment.
Just not a very effective one.
I’ve been told to do so many things in my life. If I express the slightest interest in something (and I’m interested in almost everything) it gives them an opener. A friend in education tried to push me into going into teaching. Someone else is convinced it should be bioinformatics. Or nursing. Or PA. Or my own computer repair business. Or the State Department. Or music. You name it, I’ve had it thrown at me.
Very, very few people ever ask me, “What are you interested in doing? What floats your boat?” It’s kind of weird. I guess we Americans learn to impose our opinions on others rather than listen to them. We map our interests or ambitions onto other people and then expect them to live up to it, which I just learned in my massage therapy class is called “transference”.
Then, once we are successful in our own chosen profession, others will applaud us for having the perseverance and resolve to make it, after they have in all likelihood attempted to steer us astray out of misguided concern.
Gee I guess I’m waxing philosophical now and that usually means I’m procrastinating, in this case from studying physics!!!
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At least when I get paged/called at four in the morning it will for something actually important (none of the late night calls I got for any campaign or any other political job has actually been something that could not have waited until the next day).
Uhhhhhh will I also be guilty of naysaying when I tell you that lots of my 4am pages are equally worthless?
One of my colleagues recently got a call asking, “Where is my blood work?” Okay, it was only 8pm but still. Another got called in the middle of the night: “My father just stubbed his toe, what should we do?”
I will grudgingly admit that most of my impatient calls were valid.
Sorry, and I really am not trying to be a naysayer, just kind of giggling because while I love my job, sometimes it’s just stupid.
Mary
I kid you not, one time when Wendy was working in home health in Saginaw, MI - some dude called at like 2am becase his A$$ WAS ITCHING!!! Now that was definitely from someone who was not the sharpest tool in the shed!!!
Hi Meowmix,
I am new to the site and was just browsing and saw your post. Firstly, you are not “lots of doctors” and even though some may not be making lots of money, they get by primarily because they are doing what they love - what is deep in their gut. As for your age, forgive me for the cliche but “age really is just a number”. Don’t let anyone limit you and EVEN more importantly, don’t limit yourself. The brain is a muscle (yes, my knowledge of the anatomy may be a little faulty) and it is a good as the user makes it. There is no age restriction, so ignore the rubbish.
What I can tell you is that you ARE VERY BRAVE. Yay for you! And indeed for all of us. But, and this is major, in my expereince, you need to want to do this because there will be days, and many of them at that, when you wonder what the heck you are doing with your life. Trust me - I have had my share. But, as the days go by (and they fly by quickly), it comes together. And before you know it, you would have another notch on your belt and you would have fulfilled something inside you. That is truly priceless.
Anyways, that was my 2 cents. Have to go back and study.
Hope this helps. Chin up and knock 'em dead.
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At least when I get paged/called at four in the morning it will for something actually important (none of the late night calls I got for any campaign or any other political job has actually been something that could not have waited until the next day).
Uhhhhhh will I also be guilty of naysaying when I tell you that lots of my 4am pages are equally worthless?
One of my colleagues recently got a call asking, “Where is my blood work?” Okay, it was only 8pm but still. Another got called in the middle of the night: “My father just stubbed his toe, what should we do?”
I will grudgingly admit that most of my impatient calls were valid.
Sorry, and I really am not trying to be a naysayer, just kind of giggling because while I love my job, sometimes it’s just stupid.
Mary
I kid you not, one time when Wendy was working in home health in Saginaw, MI - some dude called at like 2am becase his A$$ WAS ITCHING!!! Now that was definitely from someone who was not the sharpest tool in the shed!!!
LOL Old Man Dave! I worked in Homecare for about 16 years and yes many times crazy calls between 2 and 4 am and they sometimes would make crap up to get me to the home cause “they needed a Nurse” CRAPPPPP! But I realize they are scared and I would bite my tounge ( I think it is an inch shorter now)
BTW can I call you at 2:45pm for a Ducolax order?
I still love that line by Dr Cox on scrubs “It’s tylenol newbie, you take a handful and throw it at em and what sticks is the dose”. LOL