Doctor, eventually. January 27, 2012 8:53 PM   Subscribe

Thanks, Metafilter.

For the past day or so, Google has been sending out emails about its change in privacy policies to every Gmail address. This means, of course, that I've gotten one for each throwaway email I've created for anonymous AskMe questions over the years (because those throwaway addresses forward to my real one).

It's given me occasion to go back through those anonymous questions, and the answers I was given. Now, I'm not going to out myself for all of them (they're anonymous for a reason!), but one in particular comes as a very timely reminder.

In March of 2010 I asked this question: "I'm potentially interested in becoming a primary care (family) physician.... Can you help me find resources I can use to decide if this is something I really want to pursue, or just a fantasy?" Y'all responded with lots of food for thought, many aspects of the profession that I hadn't considered, and advice on how to go about discerning my path that over the past two years has been extremely helpful.

On Monday, I'm starting post-bacc classes, and in about two years, I'll be applying to med school (or, maybe not, if organic chemistry kicks my butt). In a certain way, this new start stems directly from the answers I got in that post, and the thoughts and actions they inspired.

So, thanks again, MeFi. Someday within the next decade and change, I'll probably be able to say "I am a doctor, but I am not your doctor," and mean it. I appreciate it.
posted by ocherdraco to MetaFilter-Related at 8:53 PM (30 comments total) 31 users marked this as a favorite

Interesting. I too have been bombarded with the privacy policy e/mails for all the throwaways I've created.... I suspect google has spawned a lot of "oh, yeah, I've forgotten about that" thoughts.

I wish you the best in your studies. You've chosen a difficult but rewarding road.......
posted by HuronBob at 9:01 PM on January 27, 2012


I don't have any throwaways as far as Mefi goes., but how bout this.

100xk to you, go kick ass.

Everytime I watch a re-run of a medical drama with one eye open, I will thank of you (misspell intentional)

There are alot of things this world could use a lot less of.

Doctors have never been on that list.
posted by timsteil at 9:47 PM on January 27, 2012 [2 favorites]


Not to turn this into the Yeah, I Too Am Taken Aback By All The Throw-Away Gmail Accounts That Have Been Forwarding TOS Alerts To My Primary, but yeah, I too am taken aback by all the throw-away gmail accounts that have been forwarding TOS alerts to my primary.

Also, that is pretty awesome, all the best in your endeavor!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 9:49 PM on January 27, 2012


That is really awesome. It makes me feel so warm & fuzzy when Mefi, especially Ask, makes good things happen!

I've received seven so far, but they keep coming.
posted by insectosaurus at 10:09 PM on January 27, 2012


So you are our doctor?
posted by cjorgensen at 10:10 PM on January 27, 2012 [1 favorite]


You have our best wishes ocherdraco!
posted by infini at 11:01 PM on January 27, 2012


You people are smarter than me. I never thought to forward my throwaway accounts to my main one. I don't even remember what they were.

I guess this is why I didn't go to med school.

(and good job, ocherdraco!)
posted by desjardins at 11:07 PM on January 27, 2012 [6 favorites]


Don't let organic chemistry intimidate you. You can do it and come back to tell us all how easy it was. It can't be any harder than having every one you know say, "Hey doc, I've got this funny ache in my..."
posted by Cranberry at 11:36 PM on January 27, 2012


I wasn't involved in the original AskMe, but good luck, and good luck with organic chemistry, ocherdraco!

You are a very kind dragon. You can melt equations.
posted by nangar at 11:57 PM on January 27, 2012 [1 favorite]


Fantastic! Good luck ocherdraco!! :)
posted by zarq at 12:01 AM on January 28, 2012


This is great news Ocherdraco!
posted by Jofus at 1:28 AM on January 28, 2012


Very cool news, glad things are progressing
posted by Z303 at 2:47 AM on January 28, 2012


Congrats! My husband did something similar -- got a post-bacc after years of another career (which meant confronting o-chem!) and started med school at 30. Now, 14 years later, he's on faculty at UPenn and works at CHOP and loves what he does so much he can't even believe he once ever pursued something else. If you ever want/need any advice, or help, or just want to hear the perspective of someone who's been down that road, memail and I'll put you in touch!

Congratulations again!
posted by mothershock at 4:54 AM on January 28, 2012 [2 favorites]


I advise all of you who really really need the anonymity to not link the throwaway mail accounts to your main accounts, as that information may become public eventually. Gmail has not had a massive hack yet as far as I know, but who's to say it will remain that way the next decades.
posted by CautionToTheWind at 5:01 AM on January 28, 2012


Congratulations! We're in the same boat (different countries, though).

I have an interview at my 3rd medical school on Wednesday. Already got a rejection from one (Guy's Hospital in London), and not feeling prepared with all the motivational questions, because I've had a really hard year and not had any hands on patient work experience for nearly a year, but maybe I'll pick up some way of showing how much I want it come Wednesday afternoon.

34 years old here, and ready to start out. I've had it on my mind for 10 years, but not felt the confidence. But, man, when I started being able to do things for ill people, I realised that this was something I could do, and something I had to do, because there's a flukeishly strong intellect stuck in my head which will feel like it's spinning its wheels in futility unless I go out there and see it being used and making people safe and happy straight off. And sometimes failing to even make people any better, because those are the odds, unfortunately.

It's going to be hard work, but I'll get there somehow.
posted by ambrosen at 5:25 AM on January 28, 2012 [2 favorites]


Oh, and for organic chemistry, I worked through the Khan Academy videos on it, and that taught me enough to get through the aptitude test I needed to pass. I don't know if looking at those will give you an idea of how you'll cope. And I don't know how accurate the GAMSAT is at checking aptitude, but the med schools seem happy with it.
posted by ambrosen at 5:30 AM on January 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


That's great! As someone a little further down a similar road (albeit in the hopes of becoming a DVM - I don't much care for people) I can empathize. It's a slog, for sure (especially if you continue to work full-time while banging out pre-reqs) but it absolutely can be done. Good luck.
posted by Ufez Jones at 6:23 AM on January 28, 2012


Awww! That's so great! Thanks for sharing.
posted by brainwane at 8:49 AM on January 28, 2012


congratulations! nthing encouragement on the orgchem. my husband IS an organic chemist, and he loves that stuff. you may find you do too :)
posted by supermedusa at 10:35 AM on January 28, 2012


It's hard to believe that it's been five years since MeFi hoped me down the same path-- three and a half since I started my own post-bacc, but writing to you as a 2nd year MD/MPH student I can tell you that the advice I got (almost identical to the advice you got, though the user names have changed) has been both accurate and invaluable. Maybe someday, when we're both members of that learned profession, we can return the favor. GO TEAM MEDFI!

In the mean time, kick ass at orgo. Think of the post-bacc as mental endurance training and develop good, disciplined study skills (speaking as someone who only very recently learned how to study diligently, your transcript will thank you for honing those skills before you matriculate).
posted by The White Hat at 12:07 PM on January 28, 2012 [3 favorites]


Oh yeah-- be sure to go to a med school that puts all its lectures online.

In my PJs, learning Pathophys,

TWH
posted by The White Hat at 12:09 PM on January 28, 2012 [1 favorite]


I think it would rock to be a doctor, but I suck at math, chemistry, and geography, so am pretty sure I wouldn't be very good at it.
posted by cjorgensen at 4:12 PM on January 28, 2012


Geography? Ulp! Is there some part of being a doctor I don't know about?
posted by ambrosen at 4:25 PM on January 28, 2012


The only necessary geography I'm aware of is the geography of the body...

Thanks for all the kind words everyone.
posted by ocherdraco at 4:53 PM on January 28, 2012


You'll have to retire this account and make your new username "ocher doctor aco" of course.
posted by not_on_display at 11:29 PM on January 28, 2012


That's awesome! Congrats!
posted by delmoi at 7:45 AM on January 29, 2012


That is wonderful.

am totally going to add you to my noodge list of people I bother about my bizarre medical questions
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:08 PM on January 29, 2012 [1 favorite]


You're welcome.
posted by Metro Gnome at 8:46 PM on January 29, 2012


Pfff, I can't imagine you really need orgo for anything other than getting to biochemistry. And after biochemistry, it's practically all done by the magic of enzymes.

...Or I could be forgetting everything I actually learned in both orgo (except electron pushing. Push those electrons!) and biochem (except the structure of glycine). I am not a doctor and am too cowardly to go back to school. So congratulations! And good luck! And seriously, just get through the class, you'll be fine.
posted by maryr at 9:10 PM on January 29, 2012


it's great you thought it through and researched so thoroughly! good luck in school dude :)
posted by cristinacristinacristina at 1:36 PM on January 31, 2012


« Older Holiday redemption!   |   Scrollin' Newer »

You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments