I get approached a lot by people, especially other paramedics, about the possibility of them studying med. I must say, of all of them, only about half again would consider OUM. It's just too alternative for most. I've fielded a few phones calls over the past few weeks. It must be that time of year. Only one I know is actually going through the application process now (power to you!) and one or two are studying for GAMSAT this Summer.
The amount of times I've been approached by people that have a bucket-load of excuses and never go through with it is incredible. Most common excuses are "can't afford it" and "don't want to go back to study". The most honest reasons I (barely ever) hear are "I'm afraid of failure", "I don't want to be at the bottom of the pecking order again", and "it looks really hard".
I remember when I did the MedPrep course (and excuse me if I've already told this story before) and the lecturer said "If you don't give it your best and keep trying until you get in, one day you'll be sitting the in the GP waiting room with your children telling them the story of how you almost became a doctor".
I had an anatomy lecturer in my paramedic degree that told the class how he used to be a medical student. This guy was about 55 and used to being a medical student was still his identity. He had to go to work at that same university every day and teach medical students and he couldn't even hide his regret. Imagine that?
Blaming your children for not doing something is gold. I mean, how can I reply to the best excuse of all which is "I can't afford my mortgage if I got back to medical school". It's so true. You probably won't be able to afford that mortgage you have. And I know the feeling. I mean, I did almost exactly the same thing - I chose OUM to retain my lifestyle over moving 3000km away with no money and the prospect of another 4 years of two-minute noodles.
My point is; we don't all have to act on our dreams of someday becoming a doctor (or an astrophysicist or whatever). But if you think you might be that person in the GP waiting room one day, sitting there in regret, which your children can read all over your face, then that might cost your soul more than your mortgage repayments.
I don't want to put even more guilt on parents, especially seeing as I'm currently childless. I just want to say there's lots of people who are "want to's", who are "gonna be's". I ask those people to really think what's stopping them. Is it the lifestyle change, or is it fear of something else? It is a hard thing to do, I know. And even if you can admit to yourself it's fear of failure, acting despite of that fear can be almost impossible. I know it. Because I'm the opposite. I just have to act - I can barely contain myself!
The amount of times I've been approached by people that have a bucket-load of excuses and never go through with it is incredible. Most common excuses are "can't afford it" and "don't want to go back to study". The most honest reasons I (barely ever) hear are "I'm afraid of failure", "I don't want to be at the bottom of the pecking order again", and "it looks really hard".
I remember when I did the MedPrep course (and excuse me if I've already told this story before) and the lecturer said "If you don't give it your best and keep trying until you get in, one day you'll be sitting the in the GP waiting room with your children telling them the story of how you almost became a doctor".
I had an anatomy lecturer in my paramedic degree that told the class how he used to be a medical student. This guy was about 55 and used to being a medical student was still his identity. He had to go to work at that same university every day and teach medical students and he couldn't even hide his regret. Imagine that?
Blaming your children for not doing something is gold. I mean, how can I reply to the best excuse of all which is "I can't afford my mortgage if I got back to medical school". It's so true. You probably won't be able to afford that mortgage you have. And I know the feeling. I mean, I did almost exactly the same thing - I chose OUM to retain my lifestyle over moving 3000km away with no money and the prospect of another 4 years of two-minute noodles.
My point is; we don't all have to act on our dreams of someday becoming a doctor (or an astrophysicist or whatever). But if you think you might be that person in the GP waiting room one day, sitting there in regret, which your children can read all over your face, then that might cost your soul more than your mortgage repayments.
I don't want to put even more guilt on parents, especially seeing as I'm currently childless. I just want to say there's lots of people who are "want to's", who are "gonna be's". I ask those people to really think what's stopping them. Is it the lifestyle change, or is it fear of something else? It is a hard thing to do, I know. And even if you can admit to yourself it's fear of failure, acting despite of that fear can be almost impossible. I know it. Because I'm the opposite. I just have to act - I can barely contain myself!
Yes yes yes! Well said.
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