Reasons Why Being A Med Students Rocks

1. No more pre-med!!!! - This is by far the #1 reason. All that panic, feelings of inadequacy, worry about debt, trying to prove you're "good enough", trying to figure out what the hell else you'll do if you don't get accepted.... that's all gone. All of that oscillating between "I want to be a doctor more than anything on the planet" and "holy Mary mother of GOD, I CANNOT take this anymore" is gone. You're there. There are very few things you can do to F&%# up your situation at this point (which we will discuss in another post).

2. You finally get to study things that are 100% relevant to your interests. You don´t have to study horrible science classes with no clinical applications, no survey classes that are way below your intellectual capabilities and are in no way able to keep your interest, no fluff BS classes like "Introduction to Liberal Arts", and no suffering through painfully boring lectures that a hold absolutely no relevance to your career goals. Even BIOCHEM in med school is wonderful. I promise.

3. People start telling you that you're smart. - Which may not seem like a big deal, but it's an interesting phenomenon. I don't ever particularly remember feeling as though people thought I was an idiot... but I do remember always feeling the need to demonstrate that I was capable. Before, it always seemed like professors and advisors were a little (or a lot) on the discouraging/skeptical side. If I had an idea, question, or whatever I was usually faced with 762 reasons why my idea was ridiculous or not possible. In med school your professors LISTEN to you.... and they seem genuinely happy and excited to answer your questions. And when you have a new idea, they say "I don't know, try it!". It's amazing! It's as if I've entered into this whole world where I am suddenly considered credible and capable. It's pretty damn nice, actually.

4. You're one of the "Good Guys" - You're going to be a doctor, and for all intents and purposes that's the same as actually being a doctor for most people... and you are suddenly a "good guy". "Good Guys" are few and far between. Firefighters are good guys. Lawyers, not so much.. The definition of a "good guy" is someone that everyone generally assumes to be benevolent, trustworthy, well intentioned... and who is welcome in nearly every society in the world. As long as you conduct yourself appropriately, your title as a physician... as a healer... automatically gives you privileges that other people have to earn over time. For instance, people listen to you, respect what you say, and will let you see them naked within 5 minutes of knowing them. Not to say that you can't screw up your identity as a "good guy"... because many doctors do. But your default starting position in mainstream society is as a "good guy". If you keep your reputation solid, it's like having a golden ticket at Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory.

5. Your family starts calling you for medical advice - For which, you can say something innocuous like "I think you have a virus"... then charge them $220 bucks! (Just Kidding!)