Читать книгу So, you want to go to Medical School? - Daniel C Merrill - Страница 5

Sixty years ago when I was trying to determine what to do with my life, the medical profession was one of, if not the most, honorable professions. I think it still is, for the most part; however, the public’s image of MDs has changed greatly over the past 50 to 60 years.

In the 1940s and 50s the local general practitioners were held in great esteem and respect by the members of our rural communities. MDs still are well thought of by the community, but not to the extent they were when I was a youngster growing up in Southern Humboldt County. At that time when my father meet our local Seventh Day Adventist doctor, Dr. Atteberry, on the street he would move to the side of the sidewalk , remove his hat and give a small bow and a greeting to the good doctor. I would have done the same if I had owned a hat and was not so awestruck by the good doctor that I was, for practical purposes, speechless.

For a variety of reasons doctors of medicine are not held in such high esteem today. I ask you, would you even recognize one of your local MDs if you meet him or her on the street? I’ll bet you would not!

Dr Atteberry also was one of the wealthiest individuals in Humboldt County although you would never have know it if you visited his modest home after office hours as I did when an inadvertent cast by my father put a fishhook in my scalp. At that particular Sunday afternoon we found him plowing one of his fields on his small farm in Fortuna’s Campton Heights. He was a very humble and down to earth man despite his professional status and wealth.

The point is this. In those days if you came from a relatively humble background, as I did, and wanted to make something of yourself you did everything possible to become an MD. Furthermore, your family was willing to make ever sacrifice to make that happen, especially if they were poorly uneducated and relatively poor as mine were.

There are always exceptions to any rule, but a great deal has changed in the past six decades and I no longer believe that you will be able to achieve your childhood dreams by becoming a member of the medical profession. More importantly, I question whether or not you will reach your full potential if you chose to become a MD. If you dream of becoming a medical research scientist, that’s one thing, but a member of the healing arts profession no way, not in this day and age.

In any case, I am writing this eBook in the hopes that someone who has lived through it all can stop you from making a gigantic career misstate. No, unless you are pretty much unqualified to make something significant out of yourself or consider yourself to be 50% Mother Teresa and 50% Mahatma Gandhi put this career option behind you. It’s not for you, start looking for a challenging career that will make you some money, yes that’s the stuff that will put food on the table and put your children through college. Hopefully, there will be enough left over when you are my age for a decent retirement.

The goal of this book is to convince you and your parents that what I say the medical profession today is true. For your sake, I hope that I am successful in this endeavor!