Medical Education US

I'm planning to get an M.D., but now I start to wonder should I even want to get it. Medical School sounds scary to me at the same time I want to become a doctor no matter what.

All I'm asking is: How difficult is Medical School?
Is it only for super smart people to attend?

My own personal opinion is that medical school is very, very, very, very difficult - and then harder than that.

I'd say if you are smart enough to get into medical school, you are smart enough to complete it.

The difficulty of the coursework is only a factor in the challenges of medical school. The volume of coursework is a big challenge. The physical demands of medical school (and even more so, residency) are a huge challenge. The emotional demands of medical school and residency are a big challenge. Your ability to work as part of a team can be challenging. Depending on your personality, interacting with other people, especially those that are sick, can be challenging.

If you want to become a doctor "no matter what" - I think you need to reflect on what that means. I've heard people say that - but in the end, being a doctor was clearly not the right choice for them. You need to think about why you want to become a doctor and make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. If you aren't, then the challenges of medical school become even that much more challenging.

Most people I know who dropped out of medical school did not drop out because of the coursework. Usually there are other personal reasons and in most cases, dropping out was a much smarter decision than "sticking it out". If you are smart enough to get into medical school, then you are probably smart enough to be successful in many other fields as well.

i agree with what Admin said.

i think it takes more than intelligence to survive med school and residency. motivation and devotion are key. if you really want it, you can do it. i'm in love with medicine, and there's nothing else i'd rather do. i'm willing to overcome any obstacle that comes my way.

so you need to make up your own mind and ask yourself how badly you want be a doctor. and how much sacrafice you're willing to make.