Is there a doctor in the house?
Mar 28Dear Straight Talk: I’m a junior in college studying pre-med. My grandfather was doctor, and three of his children are doctors, my mother being one of them. From a young age I’ve felt the calling, too. At a party recently, a family friend who has known me since birth (also a doctor), pulled me aside and told me I will never make a good doctor, that I’m more cut out for creative fields (my father is a writer). It’s true I clock in extra hours making B’s, while others breeze through, but I’ve always imagined myself a doctor. It’s been a bit of a blow. How do I know if I’m cut out for something?—Will
Dear Will: In the classes I teach for teens, students determine their personality type and match it to career options. When a career matches one’s natural disposition it’s like writing with your preferred hand: it flows. When the career doesn’t match, there is friction. To discover what career you are cut out for, I highly recommend the book, Follow Your True Colors to the Work You Love. Also, with all those doctors in your family, why not follow one of them around for a day and see how you like it?
From Carmen, 20: Explore your talents, learn what excites you. There are many ways to serve people that will match your talents and values. At the same time, if being a doctor turns you on, the struggle to get there will make it all the more rewarding.
From Mary, 16: My mom always told me: don’t shut any doors yet, open some new ones. If you’re passionate about being a doctor then go after it. You can always do something creative on the side.
From Johannes, 20: I’ve wanted to be a lawyer since I was seven. Now, studying pre-law, I know it’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life, but Social Security will be in the dumps soon and I need to establish a solid financial base while I’m young to secure comfort when I am older. Working as an attorney will provide that base. Investing and saving well, I can then venture into areas of more interest and less pay. I feel that changing majors several times or trying different careers will compromise my financial future. I will find happiness through love and family, not necessarily through my work. A close family friend owns a successful law firm and I have an assured job there. I’m lucky to have that opportunity, therefore I will pursue it.
From Lennon, 20: The creative arts are not difficult to try without instruction. Sit down and write, paint, or sculpt something. Give it a shot while you’re studying to be a doctor. If you like one of them, pursue it with a teacher.
From Peter, 19: For the longest time I thought I wanted to teach. Everyone said I was totally cut out for it, but after actually teaching a freshman English class, I realized it wasn’t what I wanted to do. In college, I’ve discovered that my natural aptitude is in linguistics. The exact career is uncertain, but I love the subject matter—and that’s what makes the difference. Why not take a semester of classes that interest you and see what happens?
From Kendal, 20: Don’t let another person tell you what you would or wouldn’t be good at. Only you know that. Ask yourself if being a doctor is something you would enjoy. Have you put expectations on yourself because you come from a doctoring family? Your classes are challenging, but do they spark you and make you want to learn more? Being a student is the perfect time to explore your options. Recent classes stimulated me to change my major. By taking a variety of classes I could see which ones I walked away from wanting to talk about versus those I just walked away from.
