Asalamu Alaykum ,
I'm an older grad of Medicine , Ain Shams . I reassure you it's totally normal to have doubts along the way , ESPECIALLY during 3rd year !!!! It's considered "the neck of the bottle" , once you're through , you're just about home-free & can start reapping the fruits of your effort & enjoy the clinical years isA .
Clinical years are relatively laid-back & spread out , so you'll have time to do other stuff in your life , besides study !! Alhamdullilah , thru out , I managed to take many courses ( 1st Aid , Spanish , French , Computer ) , hold down a part time job (training a sport) , volunteer twice in US Hospitals during 4th yr. & 6th yr. breaks & attend a multitude of Medical Conferences . In case you're wondering , my average was "Good" thru the academic years & "Very Good" thru the clinical years !!
Don't mean to rattle on about myself , just thought I'd speak up to prove it's been done , not just a thoery !! As for yourself , I hear TWO BUZZ PHRASES :
medicine has always been my passion &
intend to practice in the West . I can confidently tell you that you have alot going for you isA .
Please take my advice AT YOUR OWN RISK , but transferring now is like doing the time then switching when it was just about to pay off !!!
I know it's different for guys , because others tend to evaluate them in terms of " what you make is what you're worth " !!! But don't limit your thinking in terms of
how much !!! Take a wholistic approach & consider : sense of satisfaction/fulfillment , lifestyle , type of patients , range of choices in the field etc. It's obvious you'e not that materialistic , since "social suicide" is something that mattered to you . I admit that Medicine had it's toll on my friendships & that they were gradually being replaced with my buddies-in-profession , but all-in-all , we've managed to stick together .
My brother graduated from Dentistry, Ain Shams , & I can tell you , IT"S NO PICINIC EITHER , esp. getting into the US system . I think there are more things in common between Medicine & Dentistry than everyone thinks ( as regards on-going studying , occupational hazards , similar income levels) !
If I felt any discripancy at all , it was because he was a guy !!!! During college yrs. , he had alot more freedom/fun , but once graduated , the pressure was turned on him while I took it easy ! ( No hard feelings bro !!
)
I've heard people drop-out , switch careers mid-way or even after the whole 9 yards , even personally know a few ! But , we're talking about a two-digit number among a three-digit number ( something like 10:900 ) !! For some reason , they seem to stand out more & leave an impression ! Still , if they felt they needed to , I heartily applaude them for having the guts to do it !!
For the majority of people I know , when we had to choose it was either :
Teb till Death vs.
Prefer death over Teb !!! Some people decided by exclusion , you don't seem to be one of them .
My dad always says , a successful Car Mechanic is better than a failure Physician !! At every bifurcation in your life , you'll always have doubts , but you must decide to the best of your knowledge . Once decided , NO MATTER WHAT YOUR DESICION WAS , you'll always look back & wonder ??!!!
SO at this point , I'd advise you to do your homework real well (like your life depended on it , which it does !! ) & get all the information you need before contemplating the switch . Best to get INSIDE information 1st hand from Dentists & those yet-to-be & those already practicing in the West. Check out the (international) dental forums here to find out some leads & acquaintances.
Whichever you choose , plan your future EARLY , don't wait till you graduate ! Study for License exams , train at clinics , make connections , etc. ALWAYS be a step ahead !! If you want to be successful at anything , you'll have to WORK HARD & STAND OUT ! I remember what I fret about while deciding about Medicine was the life-long commitment to studying , then I saw a TV series where the lady was a Lawyer & her son comes in & sees her among a pile of books & innocently asks ; Mama , inti lissa bitzakkri ?? That said alot to me !
Although I have always had my mind set on praticing in the US isA , I came across a few set backs & for personal reasons practiced in Egypt for awhile . So I know how frustrating it could be , but am thankful I had a choice & am now picking up where I left off. All the time , having a long-term goal has helped me stay on track !!!
Needless to say , after doing your part , follow the Prophet's example& take your worries to Allah via ishtikhara prayer . You never know what's best .
ONE LAST THING ; on an official website that stated average incomes of each speciality in Medicine in the US , there was fine-print at the bottom that stated that numbers were only an AVERAGE & that variation also depended on other things among them ; area of practice &
personal skills & competancy of the physician !!!!! So ask yourself, what do you think you'll be good at & which will you rise up to every morning looking forward to go to work , despite the put-downs & frustrations !!
If you decide to stay in Medicine , it'll help alot if you could somehow focus on a speciality that interests you & work towards it . Though it would be unfair to expect that of you so early on , if it helps , choose by exclusion !! Then find a mentor (maybe a resident during your clinical yrs. who's stayed connected with his colleagues who went abroad) .
Oh , by the way , my brother is currently doing an MBA in Business along with his License studies , not because he's having second thoughts , but because he has some extra time & thouhgt it would do his career some good .
DustyDog said:
hi! im ahmed a 3rd year med student in Ain Shams University
im new to this forum & happy to finally find some fellow egyptian med students with common interests...
so why is it that i keep hearing more & more stories these days about med students who switched careers to dentistry, business etc...
whats happening?! after enduring all the pain & committing social suicide for 6 full years!!! to pursue your assumed dream career! & once u get you get there or in mid-way you realize its the biggest mistake of your lifetime!
i personally know a med student who got very good grades. yet he switched to business after he graduated & started allover again! i know other med
A-students who adviced me to go for dentistry before applying to medicine. they said its not worth the effort as dentists get twice as paid as MDs at the half the effort!
all of this didnt matter to me tho because medicine has been my passion & i always wanted to pursue a career in a western country inshallah. but even this doesnt seem promising anymore. i have a couple of egy-american friends who came back to egypt for college and all of them went for dentistry! they said the exact same stuff about medicine double the effort for half the cash! i might seem selfish but it just doesnt feel fair!
Right now im soo frustarted with my studies eventho i love medicine. i just dont feel the urge to study anymore!
Seriously Considering a shift to dentistry before its too late!
what do u think? any1 with similar experience? plz share
thxx in advance...& soo glad to finally find you guys!