Should I Go to Medical School?: An Irreverent Guide to the Pros and Cons of a Career in Medicine

People decide to go to medical school for all kinds of reasons. Most of the reasons are bad; some are just plain terrible: ? My parents want me to be a doctor ? Seemed like a better idea than law school ? Prestige yo! ? Chicks dig doctors ? I'll make tons of cash ? Job security yo! I'll always have a job and nobody can fire me ? I wanna help people! ? Couldn't think of anything else to do with my life Wrong wrong wrong and so wrong. But hey grasshopper I don't blame you. 'Cause you've never been a doc. How can you possibly know what it's like? Like parenting nobody really know what they're getting into until they've done it themselves. That's why this book exists: to help you with that Major Life Decision. Should you pursue a career in medicine? This is a big-ticket item. Why? Because medicine isn?t just a job or even a career. It?s a calling. Also because this decision will determine the direction of the rest of your life. Hey no pressure buddy. That's why you need to hear from the people who've already been through the experiences you're seeking to have -- namely the med students and doctors who have contributed the 70 or so short pieces to this book. You?ll hear from the med students and residents; the disillusioned orthopedist of 14 years; the guy who goes to med school after 10 years in the military; the chief resident who quits in his final year; the 58-year old cardiologist with heartache; the blissfully content rural doc; the 35-year old obstetrician/gynecologist who suddenly feels stuck and can?t escape; and dozens more from both the pro and con contingents. This way you get a flavor for what a medical career is like in each phase of training and practice. Of course you could just go through medical school and gather your own data. But I'm guessing that listening to the experiences of others would be more cost-effective. $250000 and eight years vs nine bucks and a couple of hours. Your pick. The book has eight sections: 1) ?Should you or shouldn?t you? is the introduction and my essays. 2) ?The Voice of Reason? featuring balanced well-reasoned pieces on what it means to be a doctor with both the pluses and minuses. All but one of these come from practicing physicians. 3) Pieces from medical students residents and practicing physicians who are against a medical career. 4) Med students and practitioners pro a medical career. 5) Lifestyle and relationship issues in the context of a medical career. 6) Long-form interviews with two practicing physicians. One interview is with Dr Dean Ornish a well-known physician and an eloquent proponent of medicine if there ever was one. The other is with Dr Ashvin Pande interventional cardiologist and an old friend of mine. 7) Alternatives to medicine: naturopathy physical therapy pharmacy physician?s assistant research nurse practitioner osteopathy veterinary school biomedical engineering. 8) Further resources: links to other books videos and articles you may find useful. You can preview some of the book by clicking on the Look Inside! button in the upper left corner of this page or download a sample. Thanks for your attention!

Paperback: 241 pages

Publisher: American Council on Medical Education (September 14 2017)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0977984591

ISBN-13: 978-0977984596

Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches

Shipping Weight: 15 ounces