Pros and Cons of Going to Medical School

My husband has only been a medical student for a couple of months. It has been a lot of fun growing as a couple, individually, and as a family with this new adventure. As we have moved here and started school, we have found some of our favorite things and things that we dislike. Here are the pros and cons of medical school.

Pros of Going to Medical School

1. Dreams come true! Since Kevin was young, he has always dreamed of making it into medical school. It has been a fun dream to take part in!
2. You are learning to take part in one of the most prestigious jobs. When you think of a doctor, what do you think? Most of the time it's, thought of as something noble and high esteemed.
3. You are with people with similar interests every day. Have you always felt like a health nerd? Do you want to make a difference in medicine? Do you LOVE learning? So does everyone else around you.
4. You know a ton about the body. Every nerve, muscle, and cell will be drilled into your brain. 
5. It stretches you to push your brain past its limits. Your brain will have so much information shoved in it your head might feel like it is growing. Watch out, or all of your favorite hats may not fit anymore.
6. It teaches you how to keep a tight budget. Living off of nothing for 8-12 years will force you to be outstanding at budgeting. 
7. Your whole job is to make others' lives easier. Do you like to help people? Medical school might be perfect for you.
8. It helps when something at home comes up. Sometimes I have terrible migraines that will last for days. Since Kevin has started school, he has learned some techniques to relieve some of the pain. The best part of marrying a doctor.
9. Our kids learn a lot about medicine before they even start kindergarten. Our three-year-old will ask questions about her bones more than any other three-year-old would ask! 

Cons of Going to Medical School

1. You go into tons of debt! Are you ready to owe over $300,000? Bring it on!
2. You have very little free time. Study from before the sun comes up to after the sun goes down. Never enough time!
3. You may have to travel for rotation and leave your family (if you're married). And no, this isn't the fun vacation traveling you've been itching to do.
4. Most of the information taught will be out of date when you graduate. With current rates of research, about 50% of what you learn in med school will be wrong by the time you graduate, and 50% of what's left of that you'll forget by the time you graduate, leaving you with about 25% of the knowledge you worked so hard to master. At least, that is what the professors say. 
5. It can be uber-competitive and catty. Ever had someone intentionally sabotage your brand new computer by spilling their coffee on it to ensure you're not top of the class? Well, in many med schools where collaboration is not a top priority, this might be the least of the things to happen to you.
6. There is a lot of stress with so much information thrown at you. Drinking through a fire hydrant? Try drinking through Niagara falls while a clown stuffs hot dogs down your throat coated with ghost-pepper sauce.
7. How well you do in medical school depends on if you get into a good residency. We all mess up; it's human. But that one bad grade or test score could mean the difference between your dreams being fulfilled or crushed.

"Our goal is to help the world make decisions with a list of Pros and Cons. We invite all to add to our lists to help others make the most educated decision possible. We are all in this world together to help each other and learn from what others have learned from their lives journey." - Pros and Cons Team

Written By: Sarah