Take a look in the mirror, young doctor.

I've recently been taking a long hard look at myself in the mirror lately. As I end my medical school career and begin my new life as a fresh young doctor in this really crazy time in medicine, I've had to re-evaluate why I chose to go to medical school. I started off wanting to be a nephrologist. Then I wanted to be a radiologist, an ophthalmologist, an ENT, a general surgeon, a cardiologist, an allergist...you get the picture. I had to re-calibrate my thoughts and think about why I chose the path I'm presently on. During college, I was so focused on my goal - medical school - that I neglected many other areas of my life. At the time, I couldn't possibly believe there was anything else out there for me. I still feel that way today, but with some reservation now knowing what I know! I often wonder if I should have chosen another path such as business or computer science when I was in college trying to decide what to do with the rest of my life! Computer science is now a dying science in my opinion because all the "good" jobs are going overseas. Business offered no guarantees except the possibility of becoming a manager at a Steak-n-Shake, one of the largest on-campus recruiters at my school. None of those options appealed to me. However, I had always wanted to be a doctor. Ever since my mom's kidney transplant in 1993 I was inspired by the physicians that saved her to become one of them. It was my mission. It was my way to change the world! My how things have changed - even since 1993!! The way medicine is practiced today is even different from when I started medical school four years ago. The reason why I chose internal medicine was because I enjoyed my clinical medicine rotation and the possibility of pursing a variety fellowships - such as nephrology. But even more importantly, I chose it because I enjoyed physiology and pharmacology as a med student. I felt that those were my strengths. I believe it takes the same amount of thought when deciding upon a medical specialty as it does in deciding whether or not to go to medical school. All things aside (such as huge debt burden), you really must think carefully BEFORE you embark on medical school. It is the BIG LEAGUES if you will. One of the best pieces of advice I can give to you is to think about WHY you want to go to medical school. A little thought can save you time, money, and sanity! I'd love to hear what your thoughts are. Please feel free to share your thoughts on why you are thinking about applying to medical school. Also, don't forget to bookmark this site and come back often because I'm constantly updating!