med school dropout!?

[Ryan Umms '04]

Desperate plea for some reassurance and/or advice:

I'm 32, 'should' be halfway thru MSIV, and for various reasons I am facing dropping out of med
school...I'm lost and have NO clue what else I might do with my life...getting into med school
was the single most momentous point in my life save for my daughter's birth and now I'm bereft of
that even...

again, any advice as to where I can go from here would be welcome...I have zero useful work exp
prior to school (did odd jobs, no 'profession' per se)...lots of desire/ambition/interests...just
not fitting the 'doctor' mold apparently (did fine first two years but third year has been a
distaster in retrospect).

Thanks in advance,

Ryan UMMS '0?

[Mike]

I know of several people who dropped out of medical school due to academic or personal problems.
Many of them deeply regretted their decision, and felt trapped, since they couldn't get reinstated
in another medical school unless the school they originally dropped out from gave the okay.

I say this to urge you, that if there's any chance that you want to be a doctor, to talk to your
Dean and do everything in your power to make things right. This may take a lot of honestly,
humility, and hard work on your part. But it's better than living with regrets.

Best of luck,

Mike

--
Mike
George Washington University School of Medicine
http://www.NontraditionalMedicalStudent.com (http://www.nontraditionalmedicalstudent.com/)

"Ryan UMMS '04" <ryan.bassette@umassmed.edu> wrote in message
news:9389f5b2.0312101834.1da9fa3d@posting.google.com...

> Desperate plea for some reassurance and/or advice:
>
> I'm 32, 'should' be halfway thru MSIV, and for various reasons I am
> facing dropping out of med school...I'm lost and have NO clue what
> else I might do with my life...getting into med school was the single
> most momentous point in my life save for my daughter's birth and now
> I'm bereft of that even...
>
> again, any advice as to where I can go from here would be welcome...I
> have zero useful work exp prior to school (did odd jobs, no
> 'profession' per se)...lots of desire/ambition/interests...just not
> fitting the 'doctor' mold apparently (did fine first two years but
> third year has been a distaster in retrospect).
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Ryan UMMS '0?

[Beachhouse]

a lot depends on the "various reasons" ... would be extremely difficult to advise you without
knowing what exactly is going in with your med school career...

are you sure it's all over?

"Ryan UMMS '04" <ryan.bassette@umassmed.edu> wrote in message
news:9389f5b2.0312101834.1da9fa3d@posting.google.com...
> Desperate plea for some reassurance and/or advice:
>
> I'm 32, 'should' be halfway thru MSIV, and for various reasons I am facing dropping out of med
> school...I'm lost and have NO clue what else I might do with my life...getting into med school
> was the single most momentous point in my life save for my daughter's birth and now I'm bereft of
> that even...
>
> again, any advice as to where I can go from here would be welcome...I have zero useful work exp
> prior to school (did odd jobs, no 'profession' per se)...lots of desire/ambition/interests...just
> not fitting the 'doctor' mold apparently (did fine first two years but third year has been a
> distaster in retrospect).
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Ryan UMMS '0?

[Njbmd]

Hi there, First of all, is there a possiblity that you might be able to get a leave of absence to
take care of your needs until you can devote full time to your studies once again. It seems that if
your medical school invested three years in you, they would be willing to allow you to sit out a
year or two and then return. It is much easier to come back and finish fourth year or possibly
repeat third year than to come back to do first or second year. Have a conversation with your Dean
of Student Affairs.

Most students have problems in medical school because of the demands on time. Medicine and its study
are very time-intensive. Since you have gotten this far, you need to continue. There are very few
jobs out there that will enable you to pay off your student debt after medical school besides
medicine. Try to plot a strategy that will enable you to finish.

As for the "doctor mold", there isn't one. You can tailor your practice to fit whatever you want to
do. Medicine gives you options but you need to finish medical school in order to exercise those
options. There is plenty of room built into fourth year to allow you to make up most of your third
year if need be. Fourth-year is pretty much a traveling vacation and honing year.

Get any kind of help that you need that will enable you to get engaged in your studies once more. It
kind of sounds like you are pretty overwhelmed with everything medical and a short leave of absence
should get your brain some needed rest. You could even use the time for some needed exploration of
alternative ways to use your MD.

Good luck!

njbmd

"Ryan UMMS '04" <ryan.bassette@umassmed.edu> wrote in message
news:9389f5b2.0312101834.1da9fa3d@posting.google.com...
> Desperate plea for some reassurance and/or advice:
>
> I'm 32, 'should' be halfway thru MSIV, and for various reasons I am facing dropping out of med
> school...I'm lost and have NO clue what else I might do with my life...getting into med school
> was the single most momentous point in my life save for my daughter's birth and now I'm bereft of
> that even...
>
> again, any advice as to where I can go from here would be welcome...I have zero useful work exp
> prior to school (did odd jobs, no 'profession' per se)...lots of desire/ambition/interests...just
> not fitting the 'doctor' mold apparently (did fine first two years but third year has been a
> distaster in retrospect).
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Ryan UMMS '0?

[W.R]

Ryan

I am not going to say much in some ways but alot if you want to listen.

A doctor mold - if you haven't seen the movie yet go immediately and find "Patch Adams" - watch
this movie.

You decided on a career in your life for some reason anything worth doing is tough. Sorry, dude but
if you want it find out where you need the help and get it. Talk to whomever you need to and then
get down to brass tacks and bust your butt.

Finally - if you do or don't believe - this is up to you but the Great Physician is God - and
he knows everything you need to know and more - ask him for help. Yup, I am suggesting
something as simple as praying dude. Do it daily, do it minute by minute ... and you will get
the assistance you need.

Wayne Rowe "Ryan UMMS '04" <ryan.bassette@umassmed.edu> wrote in message
news:9389f5b2.0312101834.1da9fa3d@posting.google.com...
> Desperate plea for some reassurance and/or advice:
>
> I'm 32, 'should' be halfway thru MSIV, and for various reasons I am facing dropping out of med
> school...I'm lost and have NO clue what else I might do with my life...getting into med school
> was the single most momentous point in my life save for my daughter's birth and now I'm bereft of
> that even...
>
> again, any advice as to where I can go from here would be welcome...I have zero useful work exp
> prior to school (did odd jobs, no 'profession' per se)...lots of desire/ambition/interests...just
> not fitting the 'doctor' mold apparently (did fine first two years but third year has been a
> distaster in retrospect).
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Ryan UMMS '0?

[Doctor Tofu]

My utlimate advice to you is not to drop out. Having your MD can open doors for you. Going through 3
1/2 years of medical school without finishing? Well, that and $.50 can get you a cup of coffee. Even
if you need to withdraw from the match this year, you really need to figure out a way to graduate
even if it means taking a leave as someone else previously suggested. You're right, the 3rd year is
the worst. So, why drop out during the 4th and EASIEST year?

When you say that the first 2 years of school were good but the 3rd was disastrous, it makes me
think that you don't enjoy clinical work or that it doesn't mesh with your interests. You might look
into pulling out of school for a bit and spend a year in the lab to see if that fits your interests
better. Poke around your school and see if there are any research opportunities opening up now or
next year. Not all research is in the laboratory, BTW. A lot of research has to do with data
analysis and even just hashing over previously published studies and doing meta-analyses. It's not
all test tubes and bunsen burners.

You might also consider the law. I'm pretty sure MD/JD's won't have trouble finding work. You might
not need to take the LSATs since you took the MCAT's (don't quote me on that. I'm sure that varies
school to school). But you really need to get the MD to make that sparkle.

Look at it from the perspective of an employer or school: if they see that you have a history of not
completing what you've started, what kind of message does that send about you? They don't know you.
They don't know that things didn't work out the way you expected. They don't know the crap that
you've been through. They don't know that you're a hard worker or anything about you. Even if you
have good grades, they have objective evidence that you didn't finish something that you started
(and you'll learn that smart people without a good work ethic or persistence are a dime a dozen).
Would you take that person over someone without that history?

ryan.bassette@umassmed.edu (Ryan UMMS '04) wrote in message
news:<9389f5b2.0312101834.1da9fa3d@posting.google.com>...
> Desperate plea for some reassurance and/or advice:
>
> I'm 32, 'should' be halfway thru MSIV, and for various reasons I am facing dropping out of med
> school...I'm lost and have NO clue what else I might do with my life...getting into med school
> was the single most momentous point in my life save for my daughter's birth and now I'm bereft of
> that even...
>
> again, any advice as to where I can go from here would be welcome...I have zero useful work exp
> prior to school (did odd jobs, no 'profession' per se)...lots of desire/ambition/interests...just
> not fitting the 'doctor' mold apparently (did fine first two years but third year has been a
> distaster in retrospect).
>
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Ryan UMMS '0?