You know those vivid life memories that stand out in your mind? The experiences that last for but a few minutes, but occupy a large portion of your memory? They’re the ones that last a lifetime, the ones we’re confident we’ll never forget.
One that jumps out at me was a conversation I had with my Uncle Marc. He was a cardiologist, the only doctor in either of my extended families. He was a brilliant man. One of the parts of his folklore was that while an undergrad at Yale, he scored so high on an exam that it “broke the scoring machine.”
I remember scheduling a phone call with him so that we could talk about a possible career in medicine. I had recently graduated college and spent a year or two traveling and having fun, and was (possibly) ready for the next step in life.
The call, as it turns out, was a game changer, and set me on the path to becoming a physician.
For anyone who may be unsure like I was, I’d like to share my story with you. Here’s how I transformed from a hesitant college kid into an anesthesiologist—all thanks to my uncle.
Why I Hesitated to Pursue Medicine
Medicine was always something I’d considered, but the tales from some physicians (and non-physicians) planted serious seeds of doubt.
From my volunteer experiences, I remember the physician assistant in the ED who told me he took the fast track to a six-figure income and a gratifying career in medicine. He seemed like a happy enough guy, especially compared to the burnt out 50-year-old ED attending, who told me “You think you’re getting into this for all the glory of saving lives, but in reality it’s constipation and nonagenarians with vaginal bleeding.”
I remember the inner-city OB clinic where the OBGYNs looked me squarely in the eye, and told me “Don’t do this. Do something else. Anything else.” They were the most depressed, burnt-out people that I have met in my life. Did a “future in medicine” mean that I would sit in their chair in 25 years time, wishing I’d followed their advice?
My own personal primary care physician seemed like a happy enough guy. He never tried to steer me one way or the other, and just wanted me to get an objective peak into what his days were like. But how much can one really figure out as a high schooler who’s shadowing for a few days in the summer?
My call with Uncle Marc was a game changer.
You can see why, at this point, I wasn’t sure medicine was the right thing for me. People in the field told me not to do it. And it seemed like there were some viable alternatives. All of it just left me wondering if becoming a doctor was really worth it.
I needed some guidance, so I decided to call my uncle. During our chat he made a few salient points that really helped nudge me in the direction of MCAT studying and a med school application.
3 Takeaways from My Call with Uncle Marc
The big takeaways from our talk were as follows, and might help you on your journey to becoming a doctor as well:
1. As a doctor, you aren’t going to go hungry.
As a naive twenty-something, I had true worries about the state of healthcare in America. Now, almost 20 years later, we still wonder what the future of American healthcare will bring.
Back then, I worried about the financial prospects of investing the next decade of my life in learning how to be a physician. Would it be worth studying for MCATs, med school applications, med school tuition, and long residency hours? Was it a financially imprudent decision to saddle myself with five or six figures of debt, only to scrape by after making loan payments for a decade?
My uncle imparted the idea that if I made responsible decisions, I would be fine financially. Mind you, this was in the wake of the financial crisis of 2008, where the institutions we assumed would be lifelong monetary stalwarts were disappearing overnight.
Gone were the days of front row seats to sporting events, nightly steak dinners on the company dollar, and seven-figure incomes. But if I pursued medicine, and was smart with my money, I wouldn’t have a money problem.
2. Choosing a career is a lot like choosing a spouse.
Dozens of people have probably told you this: “If you can see yourself doing anything else except medicine, you should do that instead.” Sure medicine requires commitment, but it has its perks. I also think it’s trite to think that any fascination with another career should preclude your desire to be a doctor.
No matter how you slice it, the advice that if you can see yourself doing anything else, do that instead, makes it nearly impossible for an idealistic college graduate to opt for a career in medicine with confidence and impunity. How could I be sure that I wouldn’t be satisfied with a career in finance, or sales, or outdoor education? There was so much in the world that interested and intrigued me at the time. I could see myself doing so many things! Did I align with the conventional wisdom, and disqualify myself from medicine for that reason?
It became clear when my uncle likened it to getting married. He told me, “You’ll never be able to date everyone, and see who you like best. You get to a point and say, ‘OK. This is working out. I’ll make a life with this person.’” You make the best decision you can with the knowledge you’ve got.
3. You don’t have to wait to live.
Something that Uncle Marc imparted to me was that medicine didn’t have to be a joyless experience. As a student, I wouldn’t be garnering respect and earning income, but I could have an enjoyable and fruitful time learning about medicine and connecting with both peers and patients in meaningful ways.
In residency, I’d have the opportunity to get on the real fast track of learning to apply those years of medical school knowledge, and honing a skill set which I’d call upon for life. If I chose wisely, I could enjoy the days of my attending career, with opportunities to lead, teach, and heal.
The bottom line was there’s no reason why the path of training and working had to be unenjoyable. It would be demanding, protracted, and at times I might develop second thoughts. But in the end, it would afford me an exciting, lucrative career, with opportunities for unlimited growth.
Final Thoughts
So that’s my journey, from a kid that wasn’t sure to a doctor. And now, here I sit in the call room on a Friday night, telling myself, “Boy, am I glad I listened to Uncle Marc.”
To this day, I think about that call. It had a huge impact on me. Hopefully, you have someone in your life that can help you find the right path. If not, you have the insights my uncle shared with me. I hope they help, and good luck on your journey!
Looking for more (free) content along your journey to becoming a physician? Check out these other posts on the blog:
