This is the problem, I would love to go to med school. It has been a dream since I was a child. To help and heal others. But, now, later in life, I find it hard to make decisions. Everytime I choose to do something, i end up not doing it because of my anxiety of choosing the wrong thing. Does any one have the answers.....?
120982
I'm 23, and I'm in law school.  I have the same anxieties: worrying if I've made the right decision, if this is what I'm really meant to be, fear that I might be missing out on my "true" calling.  The only thing I've found that allays these fears is experience.  Just start doing what you want to do, if you find your calling, you find your calling; if you screw it up, you screw it up.  Get a job at a hospital or a clinic.  See what doctors do every single day.  If you can see yourself happy, even when being a doctor can be a grind, then go for it.  To quote Brook Benton: "No matter how you look at it, or think of it. / It's life and you just got to play the game."
194355
Yes. Think about everything that has happened in your life. (I have no idea how old you are) Now think from the now(the present) and go backwards (to the past) don't go too fast. Now ask yourself, Why did I make that particular decision? Look at what led to you making that decision, the events, how you felt, and why you didn't make a different decision. Something prompted you make a particular decision. (I hope I haven't lost you by now, bear with me for a moment more) Even before you made that decision there were other decisions and so on and so forth. Believe it or not our decisions we make now affect what decisions we make later. Put it this way they affect the process for us to make the next decision. So yes,I believe "Everything happens for a reason".
64926
Yes, I was obsessing awhile back about a decision I made years ago, thinking I should have gone with the other choice, wondering what my life would be like, etc.  It was depressing me and I had to force myself to stop thinking about it and accept the way things are.
444673
The three 'R's - Rest, Relax and Reason.\n\nYou really need to rest and take sleep when you can - the demands of being a medical student go above and beyond the average Joe and you need to be on tip top form.\nRelax to take your mind away from your workload - this doesn't mean going out and getting yourself drunk and partied every night, but blow off some steam - exercise - hit out at a few punch bags and breathe in some lavender oils to wind down.\nReason with yourself - Is it worth worrying about? Is it worth affecting your health for? What would be the consequences if you didn't do something? Would life still go on regardless? Are there alternative routes you can try? Can you ask for delays from your tutors? Can you get help from them, or anyone else?\n\nMost of this is common sense, but when you get stressed, tired and depressed, sense goes out the window.\n\nMost of all - remember to breathe.\n\nTake Care
608515
You've never failed at anything so don't be afraid now.  Your anxieties are probably due to going out on your own and living away from your parents and family.  It's a great time to be your age, I mean being your age is great.  Live life to the fullest, get a little naughty and explore yourself and experiment -- that's what college is all about to be honest!\n\nDon't let your parents see this Answer!  Hehe.  Good luck to you.  Even if you decide not to be pre-med, Yale is a great school and you will be great.
287548
It matters what interests you.  Me, personally, the brain interests me, so I would like to be in the field of neurology.  I know two other people who would rather go into pharmacy and cardiology, but that was their choices, and not mine.
408640
First off, what do you call the person who graduates last in his class in medical school?  DOCTOR!  I've worked in the medical field (ER) for 25 years, and some of the dopiest people I've met are doctors.  What exactly is smart?  I think that you are putting too much pressure on yourself.  You see these young people coming out of school, so intent on getting good grades.  Yeah, they may be technically proficient, but none of them know how to talk to (or treat) people.  Give me a real person who had heart, desire and tries their best.  Even if you get a "C", you are the kind of student / doctor that I want to work with.  \n\nSo, stop and smell the roses.  Don't drink too much coffee.  Set reasonable hours for study and sleep.  Don't think that you'll get an "A" in everything.  You'll see (when you are a doctor) that the things you are worried about now are not so important later.\n\nBe good to yourself.
327286
finding out this new information is a huge blow.  first off, im very sorry.  its hard to find out your unable to have children.  in regards to this issue, don't get tooo down about it (i know, easier said than done) but, consider other options.  you could always adopt or find a surrogate mother... there are always options if you decide you do want to have a family.  you may want to speak with a campus counselor about this issue.\n\nas far as med school goes, i would imagine that doctors (of all people) should understand where your at.  you have to take care of yourself first, that is most important.  if your mind is wandering thinking of children instead of paying attention to class, it could potentially make you make a huge mistake on a patient later on, maybe even a fatal one.  \n\ntalk to your finance.  afterall, if you plan to marry and be together forever, one doctors salary should be more than enough to support you and yours... regardless of whether or not you choose to finsih your degree.\n\nmost imporantly, you must, above all else, do whats best for YOU!\n\ngood luck... your in my prayers :)
330173
Take what you want to take.  Follow your heart.  A UNC senior was talking about the same thing and had to decide between a job at Merck or and M.D.  He was told not to go into medicine because of malpractice insurance costs and to take the job at Merck.  He decided to go into medicine anyways, because he decided to follow his heart and he does not regret it.  So my answer to you is to follow your heart and do what you want.  You will be happier.
348369
First. you need to explore why you're afraid of doctors. Are you afraid of pain? Are you afraid of being out of control? Is there a reason why you might not trust doctors? Did you have a bad experience with a doctor when you were very young? \nIf you can get to these questions you might be able to figure out what you're afraid of. All I can tell you is it's not always easy to trust strangers, especially if you're sick (I know.. I'm a nurse and deal with anxious patients all the time). Try to keep in mind we're just here to help, and a doctor will have your best interests at heart.
243296
It's perfectly OK that you are still unsure about the path you want your life to take. Many people are still unsure when they are ready to graduate from high school or college. Don't worry about what your friends think. Each of us makes these choices when the time is right for us. You will, too. Take your time and don't let anyone push you into making a choice before you are ready. God Bless!
667346
Going to med school?\nI suggest you read the books then...
241000
Good luck with that one.  Try talking with a counsellor at the school you are planning on attending.
124414
What initially drive me to think about college was the pressure of my parents and the people around me to attend college. I decide on the college that I would go to by just checking all their program and see what match. This progress is very tedious, although in the end i was able to control my life and the way i see fit. Along the way I have met many who share the same interest as me. This process will bring u a sense of acccomplishment once u fully are invigorated in that idea.As it seem I chose to major in dentistry because it is a profession that have been long to fulfill.
536364
You have a long way to go before worrying too much. Get into college first, do well in undergrad. Get into med school. There is a long way ahead of you, and you have to make sure this is what you really want. Honestly, not having all A's in 10th grade won't bar you from med school. I know people that got B's in some Biology courses that got into med school just fine and are well on their way to being doctors. But Undergrad is generally a lot harder than High School, and Med School is infinitely harder than undergrad, so if you're struggling with straight A's right now, just think what it will be like to struggle for straight A's in college. I'm not trying to discourage you, but there is a lot to do before you're really ready to become a doctor. After high school the next 12 years of your life are devoted to becoming the best damn doctor you can be.\n\nThe 12 years after high school are generally, 4 years of undergrad (Pre-Med), 4 years of Med-School, and mostly 4 years of a residency, depends on the specialty. The undergrad years are generally your most fun, but are still crucial. Now I don't want you to be a naive little gunner and overwhelm yourself like most pre-meds, so watch out for scheduling yourself to do too much (volunteering at the hospital, trying to do some extra research, taking too many hard classes at once, doing shadowing rotations). And while you are doing extra curriculars, make sure you're making them worthwhile, like if you're shadowing a pediatrician, ask them as many questions as you can without coming off annoying. Just do your best in these years, and keep your GPA high and study as much as you can for the MC AT (Expect to study up to 6-8 hours a day). Then once you do get accepted into a med-school, prepare for the first stage of hell. It will involve constant studying, with maybe a few hours A WEEK for fun, and not much time for you to have a fun life. A residency is your next step, and once you're there, you will spend time running around the hospital picking up as much info as you can on how to become a pediatrician.\n\nJust don't buy into all the glam our of the life of a doctor, you might change your mind about becoming one, or might change your specialty, or who knows. There is a lot of work ahead of you kid, and I wish you the best of luck, but make sure you have your wits about you, and actually understand the profession inside and out. And understand that you'll end up in debt most likely, and that family life will be really hard while in med school. Realize that malpractice insurance comes with the job, and that not just bad doctors get sued. Becoming a pediatrician is one of the most prestigious careers you can choose, but it comes with so many hardships that anyone who is too weak will be sorted out very quickly, make sure you know what you're in for, and that you're strong enough to make it. Best of luck.
492786
They are separate classes, but I think you're worrying too much. Medical schools are run by smart people (big surprise) who know there's more to a person than GPA and MCAT score,  though of course it doesn't hurt to have good numbers in both areas. Also, pre-med students as a general rule have the perception that it's much more difficult than it actually is to get into a (if perhaps not your first choice of) medical school. Roughly half of all applicants go on to medical school, and if you look around at your college's pre-med folks, I bet you can tell which half will and which half won't go.
14753
Same problem..so I hear ya.  I also however, don't have the determination to get in there do my thing in school and finish it out.  The best thing I did as an eye opener was make an appointment to talk to one of the counselors at the school.  They did assessments with me, and tests to see what I was good at and in and what I would do awful to be in.  This narrowed out things..and brought things to light that I probably shouldn't do when I actually considered or tried them before (no wonder they didn't work).  So in the end I was left with a much smaller number of career/school choices to research more and choose from.  We even talked about things in my personal life that may interfere or why I felt the way I did about school.  It helped me out tremendously..good luck!