Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobby Blue
It's been inspiring to read all the threads, it's really helping me to shape my thoughts about medical training. I'm a 30 year old clinical psychologist, married and hoping to start a family soon. How realistic would it be to start medical training in the next five years or so, with a potentially tiny baby (or two!)? I have a very supportive husband, but not much family close by. People have mentioned work experience - I work in a hospital with huge amounts of discussion and consultation with doctors - does that count? I would love to hear if others have made the leap from psychology to medicine and survived (not been snubbed for being too fluffy!).
Any thoughts/comments would be really appreciated.
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I am 34 years old and not a psychologist by the way , meaning that I do not have the tools you have to investigate myself and my needs lollll
But here is a part of my story, briefly:
1-Born outside UK from an ileterate family who do not speak English, not even french correctly
2-Spent my life seeing my father struggling to bring food at the end of the month for years. I guess you can imagine how frustrating one can feel to see his parents always wondering "why is life this way"...anyway..
3-at the age of 21 left home to sort myself out of misery
4-age of 25 set sails overseas for 8 years to realize my dream of studying
5-did not see my parents for 4.5 years, no family at all around me
6-first years I used to sleep in a studio full of insects that used to wake me up so I can go to school lolllll (believe me I was not laughing at that time...I would have put lolll behind my feelings)
6'-I used to go to some churches to get 5kg bread for less than one pound
7-finally sorted out myself,but not without personal sacrifice.
For instance: I remember the day I received a picture of my father, his beard had turned white..I was schoked and even cried as it was a message to me that I had certainly missed many years beside him and my family...etc...(the purpose here is not to be a pitiful sight)
8-once I got back, everything had changed, my place was not the same as it used to be....and still today I feel so different than my family, I can even say I feel I have no family....a very weird feeling...it's like we have a common story but I became somewhat different..although I love my family from the bottom of my heart.
9-during my years overseas I wanted to study medicine, but obviously I was not in the appropriate conditions to optimize my potential so I missed my admission by 0.3 poinst only.....but I never gave up
10-For few years I worked in pharmaceutical industry, and started to see the return of my sacrifice, I had finally sorted myself out of misery and got my first salary (and believe me, pharma industry pays very well)
11-It was a wonderful feeling to be able to offer some presents to my parents, help them clear their debt and still enjoy life with great feeling of personal achievement
12-however, one ghost was still to kill before I could feel accomplished: getting into medicine
13-8 years later, I finally got in and will start this september,
years after I left home.
14-Looking back, I still remember when my meals hardly consisted of natural pasta and rice, and orange juice was a gift from the sky to me...
But damn it was worth the sacrifice...this is what I remind myself about when I sometimes feel to0 easy going, too demanding, too lazy, while I have everything I need today...
My wonderful spouse never doubted on my success, even during the times when I wanted to give up .....and still these past weeks I was wondering if I should not go back to pharma industry or in finance, but I know this is because I fear to go back to poverty, so I decided to challenge my fears once again, and push myself towards another achievement, medicine.
After all, the worst that can happen is dying lollll....
15-in regards to having a child: Do you think men are different than women? I am 34, and I can tell you I would not want til 40 to have a child, many times I wonder "can you imagine having 60 when your first child will be 20?" , believe me it's a horrible feeling I have...
The point here I think is to be honest with oneself first and make a difference between true feelings and good excuses lolll...
you certainly know what a psychological alibi is, so ask yourself if you really want to have children at 30's or if it is just a beautiful excuse for your own consciousness (alibi) not to achieve your desire of studying medicine.
do you deeply feel it's time to have a child at a point that you can not sleep without thinking of that? are you having many discussion about taht wiht your husband? is it a real issue for you?
do you really feel you should go to medicine?
which one is more important to you, "child now" or "medicine now"?
if your answer is "both" then I think you probably maintain the status quo because you are in fear of taking the worst decision....
but the worst thing to do is not to decide.
Try to see it this way:
what happens if you figure out you 've made the wrong decision?
option 1: you quit medicine and start a family , as simple as that.
option 2:you like it, get your MBBS, then have a child at 32 (which is far from being too late) and go for your FYs.
Whatever you decide, there si one thing you have to accept in life:
You can never ever take only the positive side of an issue
You have to accept there will always be negative sides to take with..
but if the ratio positive/negative is positive then go for it...
Just my 2 p....
Good luck!
