I think further down the road, I will invest in a WACOM tablet for the sake of NOT getting carpal tunnel...although coloring something easier is probably a better start than trying to color a full page spread.
Over the years, I have started to realize that the process of applying to med school is a huge conundrum. Everyone likes to ask what kind of doctor you want to be....It's not just a simple 'oh, what fields are you interested in and why?'...It's as if they demand to know exactly you want...as if just shadowing a primary care physician for a couple hours each week for two years in undergrad clearly shows that I am interested in primary care.
I hate that...the absolutes. If I choose to withhold answering with a definitive specialty, they judge. I can see that people are looking for an applicant with conviction and drive, but honestly I just want to reserve vocalizing my decision until i have more information on what it's like being a GP, or radiologist, or neurosurgeon. Sure, i can read about cardiology, neurology, and radiology...but it's not the same. Even then, Dr. F at work very astutely pointed out that a med students' residency choices are often very biased opinions...Someone who had a blast and loved doing rotations with the anesthesiologists at one school might be miserable in residency.
But...it is what it is, and choices like that are never set in stone. It's possible to change residencies (but probably painful and stressful).
For the record, I do like anesthesiologists...the ones I've met have the best sense of humor (extreme sarcasm). :P I also like putting people to sleep so i don't have to deal with annoying or whiny patients. I admire how they make their jobs look so easy and carefree (checking e-mails, using a freakin ipad during surgery), but I also know their insurance premiums are pretty high, considering all the things that CAN go wrong because of anesthesia.
Most med school applicants don't know their future specialty. With few exceptions, a candidate who is dead set on a single specialty may strike admissions committees as closed-minded or ill-informed.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to have an idea of which specialties interest you. It's also essential to show you've gained exposure to the practice of medicine through clinical experience and mentorship. Adcoms want to know that you've considered at least some of what you're getting yourself into, because medicine is one looong and winding road not for the lazy, pessimistic, or faint of heart!