I just read this article from one of my favorite blog sites, KevinMD:  5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Go into Medical School.  I highly recommend reading it!  If, however, you are too lazy to do so, here is a summary of the 5 reasons:

1. You do not consider yourself a life-long learner.

2. You are not capable of jumping through hoops.

3. You do not enjoy working with peers.

4. You are not interested in how diseases develop and why treatments work.

5. You are not capable of temporarily sacrificing other aspects of your life.

This is a pretty good list, in my opinion.  Especially number five.  I feel like I am constantly reminded about the sacrifices I have made to do this.  At least once or twice a week (and I am not exaggerating for effect…), one of my friends announces on facebook that they are pregnant or posts pictures of their new baby.  I try to remind myself that I am doing the right thing, and that it will all be worth it in the end, but some days I forget and it makes me sad.

The last week has been incredibly brutal.  I had something like six different exams or practicals.  Plus, we had a snow day on Tuesady, so two of my practicals got cancelled…one of which was rescheduled for Friday at 4 pm.  So instead of getting them out of the way, I had to sit and worry about them all week.

It was just one of those weeks where I asked myself, “WHY?  Why did I want to be a doctor?!”  I used to get annoyed when people tried to talk me out of applying to med school, but now the shoe is on the other foot.  Every time I see interviewees touring the school, my first instinct is to scream GET OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN!  I just hope they know what they are getting themselves into.

I do love med school.  Well…I guess it is more of a “love/hate” relationship. But it isn’t easy, and it isn’t always fun.  This upcoming week is finals week.  I have a block exam, a practical, and then finals.  It is going to be really, really awful.  But it will pass, and someday I will get to be a doctor, and hopefully I will pay off all my loan debt, and it will all be worth it.  But right now, I have to get back to studying…