I'm new to this forum, and I'm not sure if this is the right section to post this thread, but anyway--
There's a lot of Indian-American pre-meds on this forum who are posting about going to India for medical school. There's also a strong "parental-control" sentiment which comes through almost subliminally...hell, there's a thread where a person directly asks what other Indians' parents think about the prestige of the DO degree!
So, I'd like to share my story with the forum. Hopefully, it'll spark at least a tiny flame of independence in at least one person.
My parents are from India; they immigrated here before I was born. I was born and raised in the US. No one in my family is a doctor.
As far back as I can remember--even when I was in kindergarten--my mother has been shoving me into medicine. Both of my parents strongly discouraged any interest I showed in other subjects, unless it could be used on a med school application. They told me that I will be a doctor, because it is the most noble profession, prestige, money, blah blah blah.
I have never had any interest in helping people; I have never had any interest in medical science.
I suspect many of you Indian pre-meds don't have any true interest in medicine--rather, it's the culture amongst Indians and their social gatherings that you must become a doctor, or else you're nothing.
Back to my story: during high school, my parents made me apply to 6-yr programs. I was just a kid--brainwashed, emotionally abused, told day after day that any non-medical interest is "evil." So, I sent out the apps, and I got into a 6 year program on the east coast.
I wanted to be a physics major in college--it was my dream to develop new theories in physics. But, in the 6 year program, I had to be a bio major.
After those 2 measly years of "college," I started med school. While I performed well above average, I hated every minute of it. I took a year off after 2nd year of school, and my parents said I was killing them by doing so. I spent that year "finding myself," working full-time, traveling the world, fully supporting myself.
So I graduated med school this year, and I didn't apply into residency. I'm done.
I've been cheated out of a true college experience, though I did rectify those mistakes...I've lived a more adventurous, fulfilling life than most people I know, all thanks to "waking up" to what had been done to me.
I'm now in college again, studying for a physics degree, and then I'll go to physics grad school.
It makes me cringe to be around large groups of Indian college kids--I know first-hand the pressure exerted by the community. Here's how the hierarchy goes: MD -> DO -> Dentist -> PA -> PT/OT -> Death
So, Indian kids, it's OK to be yourself. It's OK to say you don't want to be a doctor.
And to those of you who sincerely do wish to become doctors, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.
There's a lot of Indian-American pre-meds on this forum who are posting about going to India for medical school. There's also a strong "parental-control" sentiment which comes through almost subliminally...hell, there's a thread where a person directly asks what other Indians' parents think about the prestige of the DO degree!
So, I'd like to share my story with the forum. Hopefully, it'll spark at least a tiny flame of independence in at least one person.
My parents are from India; they immigrated here before I was born. I was born and raised in the US. No one in my family is a doctor.
As far back as I can remember--even when I was in kindergarten--my mother has been shoving me into medicine. Both of my parents strongly discouraged any interest I showed in other subjects, unless it could be used on a med school application. They told me that I will be a doctor, because it is the most noble profession, prestige, money, blah blah blah.
I have never had any interest in helping people; I have never had any interest in medical science.
I suspect many of you Indian pre-meds don't have any true interest in medicine--rather, it's the culture amongst Indians and their social gatherings that you must become a doctor, or else you're nothing.
Back to my story: during high school, my parents made me apply to 6-yr programs. I was just a kid--brainwashed, emotionally abused, told day after day that any non-medical interest is "evil." So, I sent out the apps, and I got into a 6 year program on the east coast.
I wanted to be a physics major in college--it was my dream to develop new theories in physics. But, in the 6 year program, I had to be a bio major.
After those 2 measly years of "college," I started med school. While I performed well above average, I hated every minute of it. I took a year off after 2nd year of school, and my parents said I was killing them by doing so. I spent that year "finding myself," working full-time, traveling the world, fully supporting myself.
So I graduated med school this year, and I didn't apply into residency. I'm done.
I've been cheated out of a true college experience, though I did rectify those mistakes...I've lived a more adventurous, fulfilling life than most people I know, all thanks to "waking up" to what had been done to me.
I'm now in college again, studying for a physics degree, and then I'll go to physics grad school.
It makes me cringe to be around large groups of Indian college kids--I know first-hand the pressure exerted by the community. Here's how the hierarchy goes: MD -> DO -> Dentist -> PA -> PT/OT -> Death
So, Indian kids, it's OK to be yourself. It's OK to say you don't want to be a doctor.
And to those of you who sincerely do wish to become doctors, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.