Refrain.

[astrophel_]

(My parents hear this at semi-regular intervals... every few months, perhaps.)
After I complete this Masters degree thingy--(just got back to Karlsruhe from CT yesterday; it smells like summer outside. Germany and Italy share a certain wonderful summer-scent, I think)--I shall change careers, get a postbacc and go to medical school.
Reasons (today's

Comments

switches - they hurt

[anonymous]

I switched from theatre to engineering as an undergraduate, and it was very difficult. Three years later I had achieved my goal, but I felt like a Vietnam veteran coming home from the war: my family did not appreciate my work (I too have the "they worked so hard for me to have opportunity" guilt), I was financially impoverished (I do not think anyone will pay you to go to med school), and I was permanently scarred (I got a raging hemorrhoid at the tender age of 20 from the catch-up work and stress).

You cannot switch this late in the game of life just because you want to and you feel you missed the boat. In med school, there is a wall of Chinese who will kill you with perfect test scores, making you feel foolish and questioning your ability to do anything let alone attend med school. There are professors who thrive on ridding med schools of unserious students and NO AMOUNT of persuasion save the right numbers on exams will convince them that you are an adequate candidate.

You have to want to go to med school so badly that your life would be meaningless without it, because other people are there for that reason and you're starting waaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy behind them with your background in the arts.

Your reality check is free of charge.

Why not try law school?

-Dominique

Re: switches - they hurt

[astrophel_]

Dominique--how good to hear from you. How are things?

The response to your message turned into such a rant that I decided to post it as a new posting. Unfortunately, I made a delightful quip about cat-o'-nine-tails that I had to cut because it didn't make sense out of this context. So it goes, no?

Meanwhile, I hope all is well. Really, it is good to hear from you--I've wondered what you've been up to these last several years.
All the best,
-j