Should I Go To Medical School? [How To Know If It’s Right For Me]

If you’re looking to start a career as a physician, you will probably find yourself asking: “Should I go to medical school?” In this article, I’m going to help you answer this question. I’ll also talk you through everything you should consider before you enter medical school and how to know if this career path is right for you.

It’s no secret that medical school is a huge commitment. For as long as you’re a med student, you’ll be dealing with strenuous lectures and painstakingly long working hours day in and day out.

You’ve probably heard that most medical students devote their youth and get into debt to finish their degrees. Although this is true, you’ll find that there are also many excellent reasons to study medicine, especially if you’re passionate about improving other people’s lives.

Without further ado, here’s a comprehensive guide to everything you need to consider if you’re looking to attend medical school.

Questions To Ask Yourself Before Applying To Med School

The application process for medical school is incredibly rigorous, not to mention the difficulties you’ll face once you get accepted. You must carefully examine every aspect of your life to see if you can commit the next decade to med school.

Before you send out your university applications, here are a few questions you should ask yourself to understand if you’re prepared to make this life-altering decision.

Why Do I Want To Be A Doctor?

The first thing you must establish before enrolling in medical school is your reason for pursuing a career as a physician. If you don’t have a firm grasp on your purpose for studying medicine, you might quit halfway through the program when times get tough.   

Remember, you don’t need to have a particularly noble reason to study medicine. If you want to help relieve the pain of others, that’s excellent; if you find the field interesting, that’s fair too. 

What’s important is that you have reasons you consider significant enough to warrant pursuing a medical degree.

Am I Academically Prepared For Medical School?

Medical schools are incredibly competitive. With a 38 percent increase in applicants and a national matriculation rate of 36 percent in 2022, you’re facing one of the lowest admission odds in history. 

The American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) data can be discouraging. If you aspire to become a physician, you’ll have to meet the stringent criteria that most colleges impose on applicants. 

Applicants who get admitted to medical school have an average GPA of 3.7. Schools accept students with higher grades because it’s a sign that they are prepared to handle the demanding courses and strenuous training of all medicine degree programs.

Your grades will help determine whether you get accepted. From your GPA to your MCAT rating, these will substantially affect your chances of getting into medical school.

If you’re looking to pursue a medical career, you must ask yourself if you can keep up with medical school’s competitive and intense nature. Consider if you’re willing to make the appropriate sacrifices to meet the requirements of most colleges and universities.

Can I Afford Medical School?

Financially, medical school can be a substantial investment. According to the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of completing a medical degree is $218,792.

Aside from the actual degree program, the application process can also be costly. According to a report from the AAMC, you can expect to pay an application fee of $170 for your first choice of university. 

If you want to enroll in medical school but haven’t taken the required science courses, you’ll have to attend a post-baccalaureate program to make up for it. These programs take one to two years to complete and cost about $40,000.  

If you already have student loans from your undergraduate degree, going to medical school will significantly affect your ability to pay them back. You should carefully evaluate your financial situation and see if you’re willing to take out another loan to enroll in a medical degree program. 

If you want a full breakdown of exactly how much it cost me to become a doctor, check out our blog post here.

Am I Willing To Spend Years Of My Life Studying?

Once you pursue a medical degree program, you’ll have to dedicate most of your waking hours to rigorously studying and learning about new and complicated concepts. Most aspects of your life will probably have to take a backseat for you to be able to focus on finishing your studies.

However, this does not mean your relationships will suffer, you’ll have to drop your hobbies, or you won’t have time to relax. It is essential that you still make time for things you consider to be important in your life.

It will take four years to graduate from medical school, and once you receive your degree, you’ll have to go to the next phase of your training: residency. Residency is where you’ll receive training in your desired specialty, and this phase of your medical education will last between three to seven years.

Medicine is a suitable career if you can adapt reasonably well to the grueling testing methods of medical school and a demanding work environment. In this field, you will spend over a decade learning and absorbing information from your professors and textbooks. 

Before you apply for medical school, consider if you want to devote years of your life to medical education and training. Ask yourself if you’re willing to miss out on a few things to be able to complete your studies.

Reasons Why You Should Go To Medical School

Although it can be incredibly challenging to get into and graduate from medical school, there are plenty of excellent reasons why you should consider a career in the medical field. If you’re still undecided on whether you should go to medical school, here are a few reasons that may convince you to pursue a career as a physician.

A Career In Medicine Can Be Incredibly Fulfilling 

As a physician, you’ll be able to help people remain healthy and recover from illnesses. You will also be able to directly and positively impact your community, making it one of the most satisfying professions. 

Aside from positively contributing to the betterment of your locality, a medical degree can also provide you with financial stability. Knowing that you’ll make a substantial income as a physician can make the hardships and sleepless nights of medical school worth it. 

The Field Of Medicine Is Fascinating

In medical school, you will learn about the functions and intricacies of every part of the human body. To most people, the human body is an exciting subject to study, and as a medical student, you will have the opportunity to learn everything there is to know about it using the most advanced technology. 

There is much information and knowledge to gain from medical school, and you will undoubtedly never get bored of the various topics in the curriculum.  

There Are Plenty Of Job Opportunities

A medical degree can open up various career opportunities as a professor, researcher, journalist, consultant, and many others. You are also guaranteed to find openings in other cities and countries as there is always a demand for physicians.

Medicine Is An Intellectually Stimulating Career

As a physician, you will interact with all sorts of people, allowing you to treat whatever ailments they have while learning new things. In medical school, the variety of experiences and subjects you’ll encounter will guarantee that each day will have some excitement.

Reasons Why You Should Not Go To Medical School

Medicine is a field that requires a lot of patience and passion. If you dedicate years of your life to studying medicine, you must do it for the right reasons.

Although there are no bad or wrong reasons for pursuing a medical career, some people go to medical school with unrealistic and misguided expectations. Here is a list of some of these misplaced expectations and a few reasons you should not study medicine.

A Career In Medicine Is Prestigious

While having the initials “MD” at the end of your name can feel rewarding, this should not be your primary purpose for enrolling in medical school. The same goes for the respect and prestige that comes with the profession. 

If you’re only after the social status of being a physician, you will probably find your work dissatisfying and unrewarding.

A Medical Career Seems Enticing In TV Dramas

Although the intense scenes of doctors performing emergency surgeries in TV medical dramas are entertaining, most of these shows don’t portray medical school and training accurately. 

If you apply to medical school to experience what is shown on TV, you will be disappointed. Although medical programs are engaging and interesting, they are nowhere as intense as portrayed in the media. 

Medical School Can Take Over Your Life

Medical school will require most of your time and attention, and you may not be able to do what you used to before starting your studies. If you’re not willing to let go of a few hobbies and interests in pursuing a medical degree, medical school may not be for you.

 

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about pursuing a medical career:

What Is Medical School Like?

The typical medical school emphasizes lectures and modules that require students to solve problems. Imagine yourself attending class, taking notes, and then sitting for exams.

The basic sciences are the first thing they will teach you in medical school, followed by clinical education and training. Medical schools will also frequently test your knowledge by presenting you with hypothetical patient cases.

With patient cases, your instructors will ask you to work with other students to diagnose and treat a hypothetical patient. The instructor will give you a patient’s symptoms and medical history, and it is up to you to diagnose and prescribe them the proper treatment. 

Depending on your school, you may encounter a traditional or systems-based learning curriculum. In a systems-based curriculum, each class will tackle a different bodily system. 

For instance, the respiratory system might be the topic of month one; the gastrointestinal system might be the topic of month two; the cardiovascular system might be the topic of month three, and so on.

Is It Worth It To Go To Medical School?

Whether or not a medical degree is worth it depends on your priorities. If you have an inextinguishable passion for the medical field, then you will find that getting a medical degree is worth your time despite the rigorous lectures, sleepless nights, and financial debt.

Can The Average Person Go To Medical School?

Unfortunately, there is no straightforward answer as it depends on the individual and the school. However, we can try to answer this by looking at the national GPA averages and the grades of students who get into medical school. 

The average undergraduate student has a GPA of around 3.15, and students who get accepted into medical school have an average GPA of 3.7. If grades were the only basis for acceptance, the average student is less likely to get into a medical degree program.

Although schools hold grades in high regard, they also have other criteria for selecting which students to accept into their program. Your work experience, extracurricular activities, MCAT rating, and answers during the interview will all determine if you can get into medical school. 

Do Medical Students Enjoy Their Life?

Yes, most medical students enjoy their lives despite their busy schedules. They learn about subjects they’re interested in and immerse themselves in a challenging yet rewarding environment.

One common misconception is that medical students have no time for a social life. Although students have to be strategic when using their free time, they can still find opportunities to go out with friends and relax.

If you’re still undecided about whether you should pursue a medical degree, feel free to take as much time as you need to consider every aspect of your life to see if the field of medicine is for you. Entering a medical school is an expensive, life-altering, long-term commitment, and you should be sure about becoming a physician before you apply. 

As I’ve mentioned earlier, as long as you have a reason important enough for you to pursue medicine, you’ll be able to get through the most grueling stages of medical school. 

Once you consider everything listed above, you will be thoroughly prepared to make an informed decision regarding medical school. Thank you for reading until the end, and best of luck in pursuing a medical career! 

You may be in medical school and you want tips and strategies that will help you avoid pitfalls and become more successful. Study better and have better time management and productivity with the Domination Bundle!

The Domination Bundle is literally all the guides and resources that I have put together when I was in medical school and things that I wish that I used back then. And it’s been reviewed by hundreds of students. So check it out here if you’re interested.

Did you learn something new from this post? If so, you may also find these articles helpful:

• 10 Best Post Bacc Programs For Med School In 2022
• Medical School Timeline: Full Year By Year Breakdown
• Medical Schools That Don’t Require The MCAT [Full List]
• What To Do If You Don’t Get Into Med School
• What Is A Good GPA For Med School? [Full Breakdown]
• What Is A Competitive MCAT Score?
• Exactly How Much It Cost Me To Become A Doctor
• What To Do If You Are Waitlisted For Medical School?
• How To Make Dating In Medical School Work

Until the next one, my friend…