Her Dr! I was shocked to see a reaction to our video hahah. Thanks for doing this so respectfully and adding valuable insight. It's obviously so important to weigh out all your options before making a huge decision such as this. SO to clear things up and make it brief: we have had other business/ more stable long term opportunities pop up as of late.. that is what my husband is going all in on. :) He would not be happy NOT working hard and providing for us and our 2 children. I think overall- his decision stemmed from a gut feeling that it wasn't right, a lack of passion, and a realization that a change in course isn't something to be ashamed of. Happy Thanksgiving- and thanks again for not making this a bash video hahah!!
Thanks Madison! Glad you guys are doing well and glad Blake is happy with such a tough decision. Hope you guys have a great Thanksgiving as well! All the best
Un-private the video where he was so excited about going to med school because he worked so hard for it & it was something he dreamed about for a long time. He went into it for the wrong reasons as he stated in the video. He went for the money & stability. That should’ve been his first gut feeling to get more experience to see if that’s he valued & wanted. Be truthful
@@strongbodystrongmiind And who are you to say whether someone else's reasons are right or wrong? Everybody has the freedom to make their own choices throughout life. Different people come from different places and can have different reasons for their pursuits. At the end of the day being a doctor is a job, just like any other job, there is no rule that states that someone wanting to become a doctor must be a saint.
@@roaduntaken1083 In general during the med school (I don't know how it's there where you live but talking about where I live) if you just go in for money or making someone else happy, these people most likely burnout faster because honestly you can make more money doing other jobs, have more stability, less stress, etc. Obviously doctors aren't going their jobs for charity and they're getting paid but if you're after money & stability medschool isn't the best place for it.
I retired from a 40-year career (including 3 years of residency) in Family Medicine almost 3 years ago. Medical school was really hard for me. I was married throughout med school and my wife provided me with a lot of love and stability which really helped me. Even our arguments at times could be a welcome distraction. When we speak now of med school and residency, I always say "when we were in med school" and "when we were in residency." I don't believe I could have ever done it without her. My son also went to med school and is now a family doc for the Navajo Nation. I remember him calling me sometime after New Year of his first year of med school and telling me, "In college, we covered in a month the amount of material that we covered in a marking period in high school, but in med school, we cover the amount of material each week that we covered in a semester in college." He was a little shocked by this as was I back in the 1970s. I tried to warn him, but it's what he wanted. There is not only a massive amount to learn, and I mean a mind-boggling amount, but you are confronted with all sorts of things about yourself as a human being as well as discovering the fragility and temporary nature of life. Your knowledge and self-esteem are on the line all day every day (and not infrequently all night) as you go through the clinical rotations. I was 21 years old when I started med school and the guy I most admired in my class was in his mid 30's. He was unshakable and always calm, fully in charge, and always, as the British say, "sorted out." He was an inspiration to me and I tried to model his behavior. It was very difficult for me and I was never even 25% as put together as he was. I found out that med school for him was a mid-career change. He was in the Navy and previously had been an executive office on a destroyer. He'd seen a lot of pretty tense stuff before so he had a more balanced perspective than I did at the time. I remember going to my pathology professor after one particularly long, brutal, and seemingly impossible to know everything test to complain. He said, "Allen, you don't need to know everything (he seemingly did, though), you just need to survive the process as best you can and maintain your sanity." WTF!!!!???? So it was a survival contest. I was helped, too, by my fellow students, some very kind, but exacting interns, residents, fellows, and attendings who I wanted to emulate. Also helping me were the nasty, cruel, mean, and denigrating residents, fellows, and attendings. I learned from them how not to treat patients, colleagues, and other members of the health care team. I'm so glad I stuck it out through so many ups and downs, challenges, tears, heartaches, worry, and moments of aching and crushing self-doubt. I had a wonderful and challenging career. I believe I did some good in this world. My marriage survived and thrived. Looking back I was privileged and proud to be able to become an M.D. and a Board Certified family doctor. I was honored to be trusted by so many thousands of people with the most personal things at some of the very best and worst times of their lives. I would not change a thing and I would never, ever do it again.
@@modelzerfu9221 I would never, ever do it again. I don't have it in me at 68 to do it again. And I actually in some ways don't understand how I survived with my sanity intact. Some days I would get home, rarely before 9 or 10 pm, and tell my wife that my empathy and patience were all used up. If I could get home a little earlier on occasion, it always restored me to sit and watch her read a book or story to our twins. When the kids were in bed, she would often turn to me and tell me I was her hero. That always got me back in the game. It was at times unimaginably beyond stressful and until the last few years or so of my career, I never worked less than a 70-80 hour week. I remember one particularly bad week in the early '90s when the docs in my call group were all away (at that time I was in solo practice), and I did a 110 hour week. It was brutal and all-consuming, but I had good training in my residency and could handle it but it was not ideal by any means and not sustainable. After that week we developed a rule that there were never to be more than one doc in the call group away at the same time for more than 2 days. During that week one night when I was on ER roster call as well as on-call for my call group I had 12 admissions between 6 pm and 6 am. I was done. I went home around 7 am, took a shower, and was back in the office at 8:30. When I got home that evening after making rounds at the hospital on all the patients I had admitted, I broke down in tears. Patients never see that aspect of practice and thank God they don't. As I said grounding from my wife helped immeasurably. When I was on call and took a phone call from home, she would "rate" my tone, my empathy, my patience, and my attitude whether or not it was with a patient, a nurse from one of the units at the hospital, or an ER doc. She was perceptive and always right on even though she just heard my side of the call. Other than above nothing ever made me feel better than to hear her say to me "that was a good call" after finishing a phone call after hours. That helped me improve to no end. My life improved immensely once our group practice (by that time I was in a group with 5 other docs and two nurse practitioners) started to use the hospitalists at the hospital to do all of our inpatient work.
Speaking as someone who “stuck it out” as long as I could before my mental health plummeted, I completely understand and respect this guys decision. I entered medicine for the wrong reasons and buried any second thoughts and wrote off every “do I wanna do this ?” Question as imposter syndrome . Along the way I tried to find the aspects that I enjoyed but they were few and far between. The problem was that I was so wrapped up in this “plan” that I was almost on autopilot. Once I stopped BSing and started being honest with myself , I realized that I didn’t enjoy medicine . In fact , I legitimately disliked it. Fundamentally at my core , I did not want to be a provider. Ive learned this over the last 6 months , and although I have many interests , I still have no clue what I wanna do . I’m still trying to figure it out but I’m learning that it’s ok to not have every detail mapped out . Leaving medicine didn’t feel wrong and I think that’s how I know it truthfully wasn’t right for me.
I retired in 2014 after a 30 year career in infectious diseases. I loved my career, enjoyed it every day, glad that I did it. This posting brought back the major stress all of us felt during MRD school,
you got my subscription after you said 'dont be a lurker, be a follower' and realized i've watched 3 videos so far and highly enjoyed each. love these 'med school drop out' videos. i'm a first year med student :)
Blake is/was my class in med school! We didn't talk a whole lot as our class has about 190 students, but I thought he seemed like a really cool dude! I had no Idea he was famous haha! I respect his honesty! it's a bold move. If more people had the financial freedom to do so more would also quit. Best of luck to Blake and his family!
Interestingly, most med students or residents who quit medicine and suddenly have a realization that they don't enjoy their job are those who have other more lucrative jobs lined up for them.
People always say it’s worth it at the end, and it really is. It’s a long road but just taking it one rotation at a time can help. There will be highs and lows. And you can lose yourself in the stress of it all, but I think most everyone finds their way back to a level of happiness and pride that you made it through.
Depends a lot on the school, but IM is usually in 3rd year. I agree, really late to quit especially when there are so many options available after graduating--although you do generally at least need one year of postgraduate training to be considered for those positions, and those who have completed residency are preferred. I could imagine looking down the barrel of 3-5 years of very hard work you don't feel passionate about and deciding it's not worth it, especially in the absence of loans. A really tough decision--hopefully he made the right choice for himself!
I believe he went to Med school in Florida somewhere. I believe he said originally he wanted to go PT route but tried it and said wasn’t for him. He kind of seems like he’s always indecisive and unsure so maybe he hit that point of super stressed and decided he’d had enough. Even in PA school things got super hard but mentally I knew once I started I had to finish, it was a 3 year program.
I can relate! I kept the poem by Edward Guest entitled "Keep Going" in my wallet. When I felt like quitting it was instrumental in helping me to persist through the tough times while attending college out of state. Awesome video, as always!👌
Hi Dr I’m a medical intern. Had that stressful moments such as, one time where I had no desire to do anything and we got an easy admission I was just mentally unhappy that I needed to get out and go for some Starbucks just to mentally take a break. After came back from Starbucks I felt so much better and happier just more productive. While I was doing the daytime admission I realized what my dad was trying to prevent was burnout syndrome by yelling at to eat breakfast and take breaks, so I made document and saying where I’m going but not asking for permission and here a piece of paper write what you want from Starbucks. Burnout Syndrome is real.
I was also wondering how the debt was playing into his decision. I seriously questioned whether I should continue with medical school in my first year, but since I wasn't sure, I kept going, and the farther I got into medical school and the debt, the less realistic it seemed to quit. Now I am 10 years out of family medicine residency, and I would say I am glad I kept going. I enjoy medicine, but the flexibility it gives to basically work as much as I want to is what makes this profession better than most. Of course I can't say for sure what my life would be like if I had quit, but I have a feeling no matter what I chose to do, I would have struggled with knowing whether it was the right thing for me or not.
Some of the comments are seriously so uncalled for. First of all no one gets into med school without working hard for it and he probably realized this year that medicine wasn’t for him because he just started clinical years and they are so much more different than preclinical years, so blame the system before you blame him because we don’t actually get to know how actually being a doctor is until 3/4th year and that’s when most students begin to realize wether they like being a doctor or not. Some students hate it but feel stuck since they’re half way through but he actually had the courage to do what most want to do but rather seek others approval and be in a job that they hate for the rest of their lives. I’m a 4th year med student and I’ve seriously been considering dropping out because I feel like I’ve lost passion and it’s been affecting my mental health although I love medicine so I understand why he quit and y’all guilt tripping him by saying that he took someone’s place is stupid because first he earned it and secondly no one can predict the future, if he would of known that he was going to quit before applying I’m sure he wouldn’t have, people grow, circumstances and life changes no one can read into the future and predict what’s going to happen and y’all wonder why there’s so much suicide and burnout in the medical field when that’s the response you give when someone chooses their mental health first.
@@csc1641 funny of you to assume that English is my first language or that I’m American so I think Walmart is up your alley since you’re so ignorant and don’t know about the outside world
I'm glad he decided to drop out for his mental health. To the commentors: Nothing is wrong with that. His scores got him his spot and they thought he was deserving. So no he didn't take someone else's spot. Whether he went in for the "wrong" reasons or not. It's still a job at the end of the day.
Interesting video!! I am finally at the point of residency interviews, and I can't imagine another career path… However, I do have friends that feel regret related to their choice to pursue medicine, but are in "too deep." I wish the selection processes for medical school were more based on experience and passion than grades.. The physicians that I truly admire aren't the "smartest," but the ones with a personality and passion for medicine/their patients every day.. That's what makes this rewarding! My boyfriend actually applied IR! I'll definitely share your channel with him!
He seems like he still isnt comfortable with his decision. I hope that he is genuinely happy with his decision and it doesnt lead to regret. I feel like everyone in med school has days where they just want to quit. Was this just an impulsive choice? I guess the lack of debt makes things alot easier. Also the financial security thanks to his wife makes it so that he doesnt have to work.
@@strongbodystrongmiind regardless he has the look of someone who isnt sure if the just made the right choice. I hope in his case he did. But work is work, every job will have aspects that you would consider not enjoyable. Medicine is tougher than most to finish, but it opens up the door to a beautiful life, where you can control alot.
He’s probably embarrassed and it’s hard to talk about esp online. It was I’m sure a joint decision. I know so many that almost dropped out but stayed because of loans.
Most people, myself included, have had thoughts of quitting medical school at least 4-5 times throughout. 3rd year is especially challenging because you don’t know where you are going for residency and if you haven’t found where you want to go or what type of doctor you want to be then those thoughts only get worse. I’m really glad I kept going because at the end of the day I love my patients and I love medicine, and I’m so so happy that I matched radiology!
Your list off the top of your head of what you can do with an MD degree besides being hands on as a physician is great. It would make a good separate video on its own as a topic. How many doors would open to you with that degree? I’d like to know. I have to check but I think there was even an astronaut with an MD.
Actually there were quite a few astronauts with m.d.’s. Johnny Kim is the latest astronaut who is also a physician. He was also a Nsvy Seal before attending Harvard med school. Look him up…amazing life journey to get to where he is now.
I don’t know how my nephew does it. He is about to finish his first year in med school and he is the top student in his class. He absolutely loves school and can’t wait to do his residency in anesthesiology. His stepmother is a physician and she told me she would come home and see him reading anatomy books when he was 12 years old. She gave him lots of advice so by the time he started college he knew medicine was indeed his true calling. He is extremely disciplined and organized with his study schedule and even has time to see his med student girlfriend on Saturday evenings. Well, my brother pays for everything and my nephew is debt free, so I guess it makes the demands of med school much more bearable for him. He is a very lucky kid! He just told me over the weekend that two students that were in his class dropped out because they couldn’t handle the pressure. At least they did it in the first year.
Idk why people struggle so much in med school. Sure, I had some doubts too - regarding working hours and pay when in residency - but never because of med school itself. I see my gf at least twice a week, see friends regularly and have never ever stayed up all night learning. I'm in my final semester now, was always one of the best students and I've never been very organized or determined. Hope your nephew does well and enjoys his career!
In Europe it's a bit different, cause you start med school after high school, takes about 6 years to finish it. The most who quit, they do it in the first two years, after that less likely. Med school doesn't cost nearly as much here as in the US, so that takes a bit of the pressure of, but honestly, so close to the end, I'd have just powered through. So close... it would have opened a lot of possibilities for him, lot of them with long term security. I still don't really understand what exactly made him quit. That said, awesome reaction & radiology rules🤩 can't wait to start my residency there
Personally would've finished as well just to get the degree. The doors of opportunity by just having that piece of paper but glad he chose his mental health over daunting days.
hahahaha Dr. Cellini stalking was priceless. “Hold on, there has to be a picture somewhere” 🤣 But honestly, that takes courage to do, specially so far into the career. I think the decision may have been different if he would’ve had to consider paying back those loans.. but either way, if he wasn’t passionate about it, I’m glad he realized it and change paths. That being said if you are going into medicine because of the money reaaally think long and hard before applying, and maybe leave those spots for people who really want to be one
I would like to share my experience. I am going to start my 4th year, already pass my step 1 and soon taking step 2. There are a lot of times were I honestly question myself were I am. Is a very demanding specialty in which sometimes you dont have time to assist to a medical appointment, visit family members or do personal things because when you finish with clinical hours and classes everything is closed. I feel in my part as well there have been a lot of struggles. I am in a LCME accredited school. During my medical years I have experienced a Hurricane category 4, earthquakes and also this covid pandemic. I had to move from my apartment due to the earthquake, also the whole theoretical teaching strategy change due to covid. There was a time were everything paralyzed and when it once continued it was insane all the test that we were supposed to take in so short time. In clinical years, there are a lot of physician during rotations that do not inspire at all students and evaluate without being objective. Some base their evaluation if they like you and dont show respect towards hospital nurse or employees, and lack of professionalism and sensibility. It happened similar to me that I didnt enjoyed most of my rotations in third year. I would say that until now the most liked have been internal medicine. I believe that one of my problems is that I dont talk these things and the accumulation of stressful experiences have affected me. If other people have felt this way, please comment your experiences and mention what approaches or resources implemented have helped. Thank you!
I’m a first year med student, and I feel like it would be truly difficult to work as hard as med students do, for such an extended amount of time, go through residency and all of that, while living a very lucrative life as an “influencer” and knowing you don’t absolutely need to reach the finish line to have a good life and financial stability.
I respect him for putting in a good faith effort, and shooting for the stars in hopes of becoming a physician. However, in order to “go for the money”, you likely need to be quite brilliant to overcome the rigors without passion guiding your way.
can you please make a video on what the alternate routes are other than being a clinician once you get that MD?? Im starting my third year... step 1 made me want to quit but I wont lmao. But interested in knowing the options!
I think this is a pretty tough call! Only the person going through it can know what is best for them. I agree that from the outside it seems like why not tough it out one more year and just get the degree. But, there's also the sunk cost fallacy, and if he knows he doesn't want to do it, why keep investing more resources and being miserable. Either way, kudos to them for being open about it and hope it works out for the best.
I appreciate the people that take that courage and quit because they have doubts. I surely would not like to be treated by person that feels he/she if trapped/forced to do what they do. I hope the finds something that will fill his life with happiness. He will have debts but as long as he is alive he can make that money through some time and pay off while on other side we have slimed students and even doctors done suicide because they don’t like it anymore.
For someone like me, who applied twice to get in a few years ago, and is now hoping (looking forward*) to matching this coming Spring...it's hard not to think back about the struggle of getting into medical school and feel annoyed watching someone drop out of medical school. It also shows that a lot of pre-meds are not really aware of the struggle of medical school, so at least this video is helpful in that way.
Yeah it's pretty hard to watch this. I don't hear him saying he wants to do anything really, and maybe it's my bias, but I feel like he should be wearing a "I'd rather be surfing" t-shirt. I want to be supportive and understanding, but I'm just left feeling like he needs to grow up.
@@benmerzouk9737 Exactly! So many of us would give so much to have that opportunity, that to watch someone squander it because it was hard is just offensive. I guess I'd rather have a guy that doesn't care dropout, than turn into a doctor that doesn't care, but it's disgusting to watch.
@@benmerzouk9737 I had a girl like that in my graduate program and thought just the same as you. We were such a small cohort to begin with and she took a spot from someone who probably really wanted to be there. She never put in the work, even stopped registering for required courses and decided to go take some undergrad "fun" courses instead. Oh and she was somehow surprised that a large city is quite fast paced and people are busy and in a rush more than in a small town.
@@xXxSapphir3xXx I suspect he was not cutting it with grades/evaluations - but this allows him to save face by "not liking medicine" in his announcement video... He would have done some much better in terms of income and job opportunities to just complete the the degree (since he is allegedly so worried about providing for his family). As you say though, I would rather not have a guy be a doctor if he has no consistency or work ethic to stick out a rough patch, or if his anxiety is so overwhelming he can't just manage a simple med school rotation where he has literally no responsibility. Hopefully he can actually find some job to do that actually supports his family (since his wife has been supporting all his folly so far), even if its not his "passion"
I would have thought it would be worthwhile just to get the MD and then go work for Industry etc. I have had medical friends who leave once they get the degree but it gives them better job prospects than without it. At the very least I would have thought it would have been worth discussing with the school to take a year leave and then come back to it after a break.
Hey Dr. C! I'm really liking your reaction videos here lately because I can relate not only to the videos but also to your comments! As one who just finished a doctorate in nurse anesthesia, I can remember having many days of panic and just wanting to crawl under my desk and hide! haha :) To help myself I developed a stress management program both for me and for my classmates to help deal with the stress of graduate school and I'd be happy to share some of the resources I found.
I always wanted to become an MD, but went to Nursing school instead. Now, 30 years later, I really want to get my CRNP! If I ever had the chance to go to med. school, though, I would take it in a heartbeat! My “passion” has always been MEDICINE, but nursing was not my “passion.” However, I have had experiences that I never would have had otherwise. Hindsight’s always 20/20, right?
I was 8 months into my 2 years clinical nutrition recidency when I quit. (Not in the US) I was just depressed though I couldn't do it anymore. Couldn't sleep, always tired, super thin (so much even my program director noticed). Sometimes you can't deal with the pressure
Just like in the airplane you have to put the mask on yourself first, healthcare workers need to remember to do the same. The stigma around mental health around healthcare workers is ridiculous once is something we study in college, but for some reason some people act like we are immune against it, or we don’t have the right to prioritize our health, because if we do we are called weak or selfish, those same people though are the ones I see smoking during their breaks, and doing so many unhealthy things to cope with the stress, things that can cost a patient’s life if the doctor makes a mistake, isn’t better if the doctor just go treat himself so he can give a better care for his patients? We know the answer. You did the right thing! Your mental health has no price! Not even the price of student loans 😄
Blake is probably going through somethings we don't know. If he lacks passion about being a doctor then it is fine... let the man live without judging or assuming.
I think this video helped me a little bit in realising that I have options. The part-time career sounds so good. As well as the fact that I could skip practicing medicine altogether and do something like consultation or illustration, etc.
I completely agree. I can see first year or even second year med students quitting. But 3rd year. You are more than half way towards the end. For the most part, the worse parts of medical school is over. 3rd and 4th year are mainly 1 month rotations in different specialties. If you hate one rotation, its not forever, you'll be moving on in 3 weeks. Worse part of 3rd and 4th year is applying for residency. But I agree with Cellini, dont apply for residency and get the degree and do something else with it. -Anesthesiologist.
Dr Cellini can you speak to why young doctors are preferring to work for hospitals vs participating in private practice? I had this conversation this week with my GP. Big changes in our local hospital that is impacting my oncologist and essentially my care. I’m blessed that in my 11 years of having CML that I haven’t had to seek out a specialist at M D Anderson, but I fear it’s coming.
Starting a business takes more debt for most people in order to establish necessary space/live off of in the mean time before being profitable. Joining an established practice is an option, but you still bear more of the costs of malpractice insurance, etc, and sometimes buy-in to take over a share of the practice. It’s hard to take that on with $300,000 in loans that want to be paid back. If you want to go on vacation or if you get sick, you are responsible for finding your own coverage for your patients. Some specialties don’t get patients outside of the hospital, which means they would still be contracted with the hospital to see patients there. There are certainly pros in private practice, but they are rarely enjoyable until after a few years. It’s more straightforward to be hired and start getting a paycheck, even though it’s still a hassle to deal with the administrative requirements.
dude, the medical school debt literally makes me suicidal.... I wish I was so blessed to have that weight lifted. I have to finish or else my family is under water. To be clear, I can't imagine doing anything else, I absolutely love medicine, its just aggravating to see someone so flippant about their priced position in a medical school class.
@@darcyliliana4907 For medicine, there aren’t many scholarship programs in the U.S., & not everyone is eligible physically to even consider going into the military, or wants that life! I’m not, & wasn’t even in college.
Hang in there. The debt problem is real, but can be overcome. take as little debt as you can during school, make wise choices (now is not the time for fine living and flashy cars) look at your options upon graduation, consolidation or not, but nearly everyone defers payment while in residency. Some can moonlight but that mostly pays the bills not eliminates debt. Make a plan for repayment after residency. Some like to pay down quickly, some stretch it out as long as possible, its a personal decision on how you want to live your life and how much stress you feel carrying debt. Take it seriously and consider how fast and when you want to focus on repayment. (You will have to make at least minimum payments monthly though. Some jobs offer loan repayment but everything has strings attached so you have to decide if its worth what they require. As for the comments about scholarships and the military. Those too have strings attached. Nothing is for fee, and your either paying back time (years of your life) or money. One of those you can decide to pay back faster if you want. The ugly truth of the matter is Medical education is not an altruistic institution for the betterment of society. Most these colleges and Universities are in it to make money and they make it. Many med students graduate with $300,000-$600,000 in student loan debt. I tell the hopeful students that rotate with me. Get your education for as little cost as you can, cause we all pass the same national boards and are held to the same national standards and Medicare doesn’t care if you went to state college or Ivy League the government pays us all the same. I came to the same realization after paying tuition for my first semester, that the only way I would ever be able to repay this school debt was if I made it all the way through. I had already reached a financial point of no return in the first year. Fortunately its a good job, you get paid well, and your income supports repayment. Your not going to live an extravagant life like on TV but you will have enough to be comfortable and pay back your loans.
I thought the same thing. Like so much privilege to be able to drop out on a whim like that. Most of us would be in financial ruin for the rest of our lives.
I’m a current M2 in the long MD/PhD journey. M2 has been rough to say the least. With so many years ahead of me it’s hard to stay motivated. It’s like, oh, only 6 more years!! Lol. Med-tubers like you help keep me thinking big picture. This too shall pass!
Love your intro. At 1st I felt bad for him. Starting his 3rd yr you would think he'd finish. But then he was honest with his why's. It just wasn't for him. So yea kudos to him. I wish him thhe best. Yes do more like this. Glad u went to Paris but sorry u got sick. Feel better soon!
There is a difference between being indifferent about your job and actually HATING it. Young people nowadays seem to think that if something doesn't make you happy then you are not supposed to be doing it. NEWSFLASH! any job eventually just becomes a job, and most people do NOT love their jobs. Jobs are something you do so you can make money to then pay for things you enjoy. Bad decision on his part, but it would have been worse if he was in debt.
I think the difference between medicine and so many other jobs is that there’s a lot of sacrifice and continuous studying that comes with it. Also with the hours. Many jobs at least take some hours and you can use the rest to follow up on other things you like. If you don’t at least like the job of medicine to an extent, you’d be highly miserable
I respect his decision in dropping out but he was more than half way finished . Should’ve sticked to it and just finish it all off .. he needed more emotional support and guideance before he dropped
I would agree. Even if I hated medicine I would have stuck it through also because there is usually something you can with a medical degree. Public health, corporate world, and even some specialties are pretty catering to people who hate medicine.
“I had creeping thoughts ‘so you really want to do this for the rest of your life?’” Homie every med student thinks that when it gets tough. Would’ve loved to see him finish it out, but your health comes first.
There are a lot of things you can do with an MD other than being a clinician. They don't really advertise them as part of the coursework. There isn't a push from companies saying We need MDs for telemed computer integration or hospital management or anything outside being a clinician.
Hi Dr. Cellini, Thanks for the Video. I would like to share my experience too. I worked as a pharmacist in both community and hospital settings. I also completed a Master and PhD in pharmacy from a US University to explore my scope of practice. However, I was not satisfied with my jobs at that time. Very limited scope of practice. Actually I did not like it from the first day of school. But I have been forced to continue. Well, I have tried (secretly) to transition to Med School (Medicine and Surgery has been my passion) but I failed, I was afraid from the responses and consequences. I grow up in a conservative society specifically in things related to women. Western values such as freedom and right to choose even your professional career are unacceptable.
You will have to get your doctorate..all CRNA programs are going to mandatory doctoral programs by the year 2025 I believe but am not 100% positive. Either way there are very few masters CRNA programs left in the country, and by the time you get out of nursing school, get the needed icu experience, and apply those few masters programs will likely be doctorate programs…source am about to graduate CRNA school in December.
@@bpt249 I’m having a hard time deciding if I should go the CRNA route or the Anesthesiologist route. I’ve always dreamt of being a doctor, more specifically an anesthesiologist. But knowing that I can do the same thing that an anesthesiologist does but as a nurse anesthetist is making me reconsider going down the medical school path. This is mainly due to the amount of debt I’d incur while in medical school😞. I’m just not sure if I’m willing to go into so much debt but I’m also not sure if I truly want to be a nurse. I’m almost in university but im still trying to figure out what path I want to go down before I go there.
@@-notorious-2487 you have plenty of time to figure it out..but if you have always dreamed of being a doctor then go for it! You will incur more debt that route but you will also earn much more..up to 500k a year as an anesthesiologist I believe. I was between the two and nursing seemed it was a better fit for me. There are pros and cons to both. As a CRNA I will make less and have less student debt but my hours worked will be better at around 40 a week. From what I’ve been told as an attending anesthesiologist you can expect 60 hour work weeks with taking call. The debt will get paid off..just don’t fall into the trap of living above your means when you graduate. Attack the loans and get them paid off asap so you can live your life the way you want. Most docs I have talked to continue to live like they are a broke student when they are practicing and their debt is paid of in a couple years.
@@bpt249 I’m so thankful you actually saw my comment I was worrying you wouldn’t lol. I know at the end of the day I have to make the ultimate decision but I feel like making big decisions such as this one requires some amount of input before a final decision can be made. Thank you so much💓💓
@@jasonlopez8499 I think they said he originally was doing PT, then changed to med. school. Big difference! Sounds like he didn’t really have the exposure to/experiences in said fields to really know for sure what he wanted.
Hey Dr. C. Can you make a video about all the occupations that one may land with an MD/DO degree for those of us who’ve decided that medicine isn’t for us?
I hope he did not think internal medicine represented every specialty. I love internal medicine, that’s why I’m an internist, but is so different than any other specialty.
If you are not passionate about joining the healthcare field please do not apply to medical school. This guy took a spot that could of been filled by someone who actually desires to become a doctor for something other than cash flow. I think that him applying to medschool just to quit and not having been passionate about it in the first place is a slap to the face of the people who are passionate. I’m glad this guy chose to quit because he shouldn’t be in medicine if he isn’t passionate about it. I hope people see this as an example and don’t selfishly apply because “it looks like a good job”
Thank you. I’m on my second application attempt. I️ love the field. The idea of treating patients and leading a healthcare team towards serving patients still continues to motivate me. Furthermore, with the crazy competitiveness of med school acceptance becoming an increasingly difficult part of the process for our generation and if the trend continues future generations (probably worse). It’s very frustrating for people that genuinely want to be doctors see people like this get in and waste their opportunity or take a spot from someone who would make a great doctor. It’s hard for me to feel sympathetic for the guy. Especially since he’s clearly a privileged guy since he’s leaving with 0 debt.
Tbh I feel for the guy. But there are so many premedical students yearning for the opportunity who have worked tremendously in the healthcare field for years and loved it, and are just trying to get accepted to medical school. So in all seriousness, that seat could’ve gone to them. To those students who got what it takes and are just fighting every year for that one chance.
@@PrideofPitchers What Waleed said plus stress of trying to pick a specialty and constantly trying to impress those around you for good evaluations. It's doable though and not all bad. 4th year has been so nice though :)
Guy went to med school for the wrong reasons and took a seat from another person who wanted it for the right reasons. He quits with no debt because his wife covered his cost of attendance. I'm sorry but this reeks of privilege. There's a lot you can do OUTSIDE of clinical work as a doctor that have lifestyle hours. Also i feel these vids of quitting for happiness are a bit detrimental as they are beneficial because a young aspiring premed WILL fail an exam and start to feel that they won't make it. Then they get home and watch this and think its okay to quit. But to each their own i guess.
your views are weirdly entitled as hell. people quit things all the time. the spot he earned didnt belong to anyone else. matriculation to medical school is not a binding agreement with the gods of the universe. chill.
I think you're being a little self righteous. we had a few people drop out of medical school in my class. they shouldn't just finish because they took away the opportunity of someone else. at the end of the day, they still EARNED that opportunity AND the CHOICE of what to do with it. welcome to the real world fam. this guy did nothing wrong.
I’ve been a nocturnist for 13 years and I want to apply to another specialty that’s more challenging. I’s gotten too easy. I’m thinking pulm/crit or just crit.
It is beyond me how people are willing to study in the US. I'm from Europe and I pay like $500 a Semester (that includes everything). I have 0 depts after Med School and earn way more than a resident in the US (as an attending, you earn more in the US though, but whatever). You can easily do the USMLE and work in the US afterwards with a degree and 0 depts.
Man, I really want to become a Doctor but I’m on my first year of college and is going really bad for me, and I’m thinking about dropping off, every time I think about that and I get sad bc I’m losing motivation and probably I gotta repeat the semester, I’m even having these dreams about what’s happening with my life, if I’m gonna drop out or not bc is not going well rn and idk what to do, maybe is not for me…
You’re psyching yourself out. YOU WILL make it. Put your nose to the grindstone and remind yourself why you want to be a doctor. It’s the intangible things that get us to our goal, the money is only part of the reward and although it’s part, it’s a lot of money. You get to make a difference in someone’s life, save someone’s life, and make great money doing it. When you make it and eventually become an attending remind yourself that you are there to make it better for the patients you are seeing.
Keep focused on your goal! Unfortunately, the sane thing happened to me, & I’ve been paying for it ever since! I got sidetracked in college, & was soooo bored with my undergraduate classes! Most weren’t really necessary for medical school, & I hated it! My parents divorced, Mom remarried, & there were a lot of other things. I ended up changing half way through and went into Nursing instead. I’ve done it for 39 years now, but I’ve always regretted not getting to go to med. school & getting my MD! I wanted that, & never anything else, since I was in about 1st or 2nd grade! Instead, I settled for less than I wanted. Now, hindsight’s always 20/20! I wish I’d stayed the course, never settled. I’ve always felt like a failure ever since, & still wish I had been able to get my MD. Stick with it, & re-channel your focus! Maybe make a list of pros/cons, wants/don’t want’s, likes/dislikes. Everyone has to do the basics first! Another idea is to do a degree in the medical field, while also doing your premed. courses & studying for your MCAT. Maybe you’ll enjoy that better than just the liberal arts, as the subjects will apply to you more & be closer to what you want to do. Just don’t give up! I would hate for you to end up like me, never doing what you really, really want to do. I tried to go back several years ago, but it was so far after my prereq’s that it wasn’t an option. Now, I’m 53, single, & haven’t come anywhere even close to living the life I wanted. Sure, I’ve had good things happen, but it’s never been fulfilling because it wasn’t what I wanted all this time. Now I’m trying to find a way to at least get somewhere close to that, maybe by getting my CRNP. Good luck!
I agree with you Dr. Cellini, I wonder if he was aware of the different options he has upon receiving his degree. He could have worked part-time. Definitely only go into medicine if you are passionate about medicine. Passion means to suffer. (Root word definition) You’re welcome 😊
Maybe he had no passion for it and he realized it late and the stress really affected his mental health. Without the passion driving you, it's really difficult to stick it through and bear all that stress and anxiety when you don't know why you are doing what you're doing.
It’s a big jump but you will be ok 💕You’re going to be part of a team of experienced doctors, nurses, allied health and support staff that all have worked with interns starting out with feelings such as yours. Try and keep yourself organised (write everything down and don’t lose your list!), look after yourself outside of work (food, sleep and catching up with friends) and realise that some days will be great but others will be 💩 as most of life is.
@@brasschick4214 And whatever you do, always remember to treat the nurses right & treat them with respect! They can be your BEST FRIENDS, or your WORST ENEMIES, esp. in your intern year! Remember that a nurse like me with 30 years experience has a LOT to offer you, & can be a big help to you!
Her Dr! I was shocked to see a reaction to our video hahah. Thanks for doing this so respectfully and adding valuable insight. It's obviously so important to weigh out all your options before making a huge decision such as this. SO to clear things up and make it brief: we have had other business/ more stable long term opportunities pop up as of late.. that is what my husband is going all in on. :) He would not be happy NOT working hard and providing for us and our 2 children. I think overall- his decision stemmed from a gut feeling that it wasn't right, a lack of passion, and a realization that a change in course isn't something to be ashamed of. Happy Thanksgiving- and thanks again for not making this a bash video hahah!!
Thanks Madison! Glad you guys are doing well and glad Blake is happy with such a tough decision. Hope you guys have a great Thanksgiving as well! All the best
Un-private the video where he was so excited about going to med school because he worked so hard for it & it was something he dreamed about for a long time. He went into it for the wrong reasons as he stated in the video. He went for the money & stability. That should’ve been his first gut feeling to get more experience to see if that’s he valued & wanted. Be truthful
@@strongbodystrongmiind And who are you to say whether someone else's reasons are right or wrong? Everybody has the freedom to make their own choices throughout life. Different people come from different places and can have different reasons for their pursuits. At the end of the day being a doctor is a job, just like any other job, there is no rule that states that someone wanting to become a doctor must be a saint.
@@roaduntaken1083 lmao i’m just tellin u what was said in the video.. take it or leave it
@@roaduntaken1083 In general during the med school (I don't know how it's there where you live but talking about where I live) if you just go in for money or making someone else happy, these people most likely burnout faster because honestly you can make more money doing other jobs, have more stability, less stress, etc. Obviously doctors aren't going their jobs for charity and they're getting paid but if you're after money & stability medschool isn't the best place for it.
I retired from a 40-year career (including 3 years of residency) in Family Medicine almost 3 years ago. Medical school was really hard for me. I was married throughout med school and my wife provided me with a lot of love and stability which really helped me. Even our arguments at times could be a welcome distraction. When we speak now of med school and residency, I always say "when we were in med school" and "when we were in residency." I don't believe I could have ever done it without her. My son also went to med school and is now a family doc for the Navajo Nation. I remember him calling me sometime after New Year of his first year of med school and telling me, "In college, we covered in a month the amount of material that we covered in a marking period in high school, but in med school, we cover the amount of material each week that we covered in a semester in college." He was a little shocked by this as was I back in the 1970s. I tried to warn him, but it's what he wanted. There is not only a massive amount to learn, and I mean a mind-boggling amount, but you are confronted with all sorts of things about yourself as a human being as well as discovering the fragility and temporary nature of life. Your knowledge and self-esteem are on the line all day every day (and not infrequently all night) as you go through the clinical rotations. I was 21 years old when I started med school and the guy I most admired in my class was in his mid 30's. He was unshakable and always calm, fully in charge, and always, as the British say, "sorted out." He was an inspiration to me and I tried to model his behavior. It was very difficult for me and I was never even 25% as put together as he was. I found out that med school for him was a mid-career change. He was in the Navy and previously had been an executive office on a destroyer. He'd seen a lot of pretty tense stuff before so he had a more balanced perspective than I did at the time. I remember going to my pathology professor after one particularly long, brutal, and seemingly impossible to know everything test to complain. He said, "Allen, you don't need to know everything (he seemingly did, though), you just need to survive the process as best you can and maintain your sanity." WTF!!!!???? So it was a survival contest. I was helped, too, by my fellow students, some very kind, but exacting interns, residents, fellows, and attendings who I wanted to emulate. Also helping me were the nasty, cruel, mean, and denigrating residents, fellows, and attendings. I learned from them how not to treat patients, colleagues, and other members of the health care team.
I'm so glad I stuck it out through so many ups and downs, challenges, tears, heartaches, worry, and moments of aching and crushing self-doubt. I had a wonderful and challenging career. I believe I did some good in this world. My marriage survived and thrived. Looking back I was privileged and proud to be able to become an M.D. and a Board Certified family doctor. I was honored to be trusted by so many thousands of people with the most personal things at some of the very best and worst times of their lives. I would not change a thing and I would never, ever do it again.
What a legacy!
Allen, This was probably one of the most interesting summaries of someone's medical training. Wow! Kudos to you for your hard work and success.
Thank for sharing your story
Thanks for sharing your story! About your last sentence... You would or would not do it again??
@@modelzerfu9221 I would never, ever do it again. I don't have it in me at 68 to do it again. And I actually in some ways don't understand how I survived with my sanity intact. Some days I would get home, rarely before 9 or 10 pm, and tell my wife that my empathy and patience were all used up. If I could get home a little earlier on occasion, it always restored me to sit and watch her read a book or story to our twins. When the kids were in bed, she would often turn to me and tell me I was her hero. That always got me back in the game. It was at times unimaginably beyond stressful and until the last few years or so of my career, I never worked less than a 70-80 hour week. I remember one particularly bad week in the early '90s when the docs in my call group were all away (at that time I was in solo practice), and I did a 110 hour week. It was brutal and all-consuming, but I had good training in my residency and could handle it but it was not ideal by any means and not sustainable. After that week we developed a rule that there were never to be more than one doc in the call group away at the same time for more than 2 days. During that week one night when I was on ER roster call as well as on-call for my call group I had 12 admissions between 6 pm and 6 am. I was done. I went home around 7 am, took a shower, and was back in the office at 8:30. When I got home that evening after making rounds at the hospital on all the patients I had admitted, I broke down in tears. Patients never see that aspect of practice and thank God they don't. As I said grounding from my wife helped immeasurably. When I was on call and took a phone call from home, she would "rate" my tone, my empathy, my patience, and my attitude whether or not it was with a patient, a nurse from one of the units at the hospital, or an ER doc. She was perceptive and always right on even though she just heard my side of the call. Other than above nothing ever made me feel better than to hear her say to me "that was a good call" after finishing a phone call after hours. That helped me improve to no end. My life improved immensely once our group practice (by that time I was in a group with 5 other docs and two nurse practitioners) started to use the hospitalists at the hospital to do all of our inpatient work.
Speaking as someone who “stuck it out” as long as I could before my mental health plummeted, I completely understand and respect this guys decision. I entered medicine for the wrong reasons and buried any second thoughts and wrote off every “do I wanna do this ?” Question as imposter syndrome . Along the way I tried to find the aspects that I enjoyed but they were few and far between. The problem was that I was so wrapped up in this “plan” that I was almost on autopilot. Once I stopped BSing and started being honest with myself , I realized that I didn’t enjoy medicine . In fact , I legitimately disliked it. Fundamentally at my core , I did not want to be a provider. Ive learned this over the last 6 months , and although I have many interests , I still have no clue what I wanna do . I’m still trying to figure it out but I’m learning that it’s ok to not have every detail mapped out . Leaving medicine didn’t feel wrong and I think that’s how I know it truthfully wasn’t right for me.
I retired in 2014 after a 30 year career in infectious diseases. I loved my career, enjoyed it every day, glad that I did it. This posting brought back the major stress all of us felt during MRD school,
you got my subscription after you said 'dont be a lurker, be a follower' and realized i've watched 3 videos so far and highly enjoyed each. love these 'med school drop out' videos. i'm a first year med student :)
Blake is/was my class in med school! We didn't talk a whole lot as our class has about 190 students, but I thought he seemed like a really cool dude! I had no Idea he was famous haha! I respect his honesty! it's a bold move. If more people had the financial freedom to do so more would also quit. Best of luck to Blake and his family!
Interestingly, most med students or residents who quit medicine and suddenly have a realization that they don't enjoy their job are those who have other more lucrative jobs lined up for them.
A lot more would if they could but probably feel trapped & in too deep. Having an alternative allows to have balls to make the decision
People always say it’s worth it at the end, and it really is. It’s a long road but just taking it one rotation at a time can help. There will be highs and lows. And you can lose yourself in the stress of it all, but I think most everyone finds their way back to a level of happiness and pride that you made it through.
he is definitely very privileged to be able to quit med school in his third year, he probably wouldn’t if he had debt
i couldnt do that. After my first year there was no going back.
Depends a lot on the school, but IM is usually in 3rd year. I agree, really late to quit especially when there are so many options available after graduating--although you do generally at least need one year of postgraduate training to be considered for those positions, and those who have completed residency are preferred. I could imagine looking down the barrel of 3-5 years of very hard work you don't feel passionate about and deciding it's not worth it, especially in the absence of loans. A really tough decision--hopefully he made the right choice for himself!
he was able to quit despite getting that far BECAUSE he was debt free. if he had loans he would have stuck it out.
I believe he went to Med school in Florida somewhere. I believe he said originally he wanted to go PT route but tried it and said wasn’t for him. He kind of seems like he’s always indecisive and unsure so maybe he hit that point of super stressed and decided he’d had enough. Even in PA school things got super hard but mentally I knew once I started I had to finish, it was a 3 year program.
LECOM student 2023
I can relate! I kept the poem by Edward Guest entitled "Keep Going" in my wallet. When I felt like quitting it was instrumental in helping me to persist through the tough times while attending college out of state. Awesome video, as always!👌
Thanks for the reference to “Keep Going” by Edward Guest.
@@OneKindWord You're welcome!
Nice poem thanks!
@@drandrewtan Glad you liked it!
I am going thru a hard time right now and I need this poem to hang om my wall and to read every day. Thanks.
Hi Dr
I’m a medical intern. Had that stressful moments such as, one time where I had no desire to do anything and we got an easy admission I was just mentally unhappy that I needed to get out and go for some Starbucks just to mentally take a break. After came back from Starbucks I felt so much better and happier just more productive. While I was doing the daytime admission I realized what my dad was trying to prevent was burnout syndrome by yelling at to eat breakfast and take breaks, so I made document and saying where I’m going but not asking for permission and here a piece of paper write what you want from Starbucks.
Burnout Syndrome is real.
I subscribed for Dr. Cellini’s humour 😂 the edits kill me
haha thanks!
I was also wondering how the debt was playing into his decision. I seriously questioned whether I should continue with medical school in my first year, but since I wasn't sure, I kept going, and the farther I got into medical school and the debt, the less realistic it seemed to quit. Now I am 10 years out of family medicine residency, and I would say I am glad I kept going. I enjoy medicine, but the flexibility it gives to basically work as much as I want to is what makes this profession better than most. Of course I can't say for sure what my life would be like if I had quit, but I have a feeling no matter what I chose to do, I would have struggled with knowing whether it was the right thing for me or not.
Some of the comments are seriously so uncalled for. First of all no one gets into med school without working hard for it and he probably realized this year that medicine wasn’t for him because he just started clinical years and they are so much more different than preclinical years, so blame the system before you blame him because we don’t actually get to know how actually being a doctor is until 3/4th year and that’s when most students begin to realize wether they like being a doctor or not. Some students hate it but feel stuck since they’re half way through but he actually had the courage to do what most want to do but rather seek others approval and be in a job that they hate for the rest of their lives. I’m a 4th year med student and I’ve seriously been considering dropping out because I feel like I’ve lost passion and it’s been affecting my mental health although I love medicine so I understand why he quit and y’all guilt tripping him by saying that he took someone’s place is stupid because first he earned it and secondly no one can predict the future, if he would of known that he was going to quit before applying I’m sure he wouldn’t have, people grow, circumstances and life changes no one can read into the future and predict what’s going to happen and y’all wonder why there’s so much suicide and burnout in the medical field when that’s the response you give when someone chooses their mental health first.
Who uses "y'all." Dear gosh maybe working at Walmart is more up your alley.
@@csc1641 funny of you to assume that English is my first language or that I’m American so I think Walmart is up your alley since you’re so ignorant and don’t know about the outside world
@@csc1641 y'all is a legit word. you're wack for ready that entire post and complaining over the word y'all. get a grip
These comments are very disheartening. People are allowed to change their minds.
Legacy entry is real. Faculty who works at Mount sinai medical center can get their kids into the school of medicine. Even when the kids are marginal.
I'm glad he decided to drop out for his mental health. To the commentors: Nothing is wrong with that. His scores got him his spot and they thought he was deserving. So no he didn't take someone else's spot. Whether he went in for the "wrong" reasons or not. It's still a job at the end of the day.
Interesting video!! I am finally at the point of residency interviews, and I can't imagine another career path… However, I do have friends that feel regret related to their choice to pursue medicine, but are in "too deep." I wish the selection processes for medical school were more based on experience and passion than grades.. The physicians that I truly admire aren't the "smartest," but the ones with a personality and passion for medicine/their patients every day.. That's what makes this rewarding! My boyfriend actually applied IR! I'll definitely share your channel with him!
He seems like he still isnt comfortable with his decision. I hope that he is genuinely happy with his decision and it doesnt lead to regret. I feel like everyone in med school has days where they just want to quit. Was this just an impulsive choice? I guess the lack of debt makes things alot easier. Also the financial security thanks to his wife makes it so that he doesnt have to work.
he didn’t want to do it in the first place. he clearly said he went for the money & stability
@@strongbodystrongmiind regardless he has the look of someone who isnt sure if the just made the right choice. I hope in his case he did. But work is work, every job will have aspects that you would consider not enjoyable. Medicine is tougher than most to finish, but it opens up the door to a beautiful life, where you can control alot.
@@Jake-pw8rp You’re so right 💙
He’s probably embarrassed and it’s hard to talk about esp online. It was I’m sure a joint decision. I know so many that almost dropped out but stayed because of loans.
@@amberj3941 Wowww
Most people, myself included, have had thoughts of quitting medical school at least 4-5 times throughout. 3rd year is especially challenging because you don’t know where you are going for residency and if you haven’t found where you want to go or what type of doctor you want to be then those thoughts only get worse. I’m really glad I kept going because at the end of the day I love my patients and I love medicine, and I’m so so happy that I matched radiology!
Your list off the top of your head of what you can do with an MD degree besides being hands on as a physician is great. It would make a good separate video on its own as a topic. How many doors would open to you with that degree? I’d like to know. I have to check but I think there was even an astronaut with an MD.
Check out “Story Musgrave”
@@sunriserd Astronaut Dr Story Musgrave
I agree. A separate video would be a great topic!
Yes same !!
Actually there were quite a few astronauts with m.d.’s. Johnny Kim is the latest astronaut who is also a physician. He was also a Nsvy Seal before attending Harvard med school. Look him up…amazing life journey to get to where he is now.
I don’t know how my nephew does it. He is about to finish his first year in med school and he is the top student in his class. He absolutely loves school and can’t wait to do his residency in anesthesiology. His stepmother is a physician and she told me she would come home and see him reading anatomy books when he was 12 years old. She gave him lots of advice so by the time he started college he knew medicine was indeed his true calling. He is extremely disciplined and organized with his study schedule and even has time to see his med student girlfriend on Saturday evenings. Well, my brother pays for everything and my nephew is debt free, so I guess it makes the demands of med school much more bearable for him. He is a very lucky kid! He just told me over the weekend that two students that were in his class dropped out because they couldn’t handle the pressure. At least they did it in the first year.
Idk why people struggle so much in med school. Sure, I had some doubts too - regarding working hours and pay when in residency - but never because of med school itself. I see my gf at least twice a week, see friends regularly and have never ever stayed up all night learning. I'm in my final semester now, was always one of the best students and I've never been very organized or determined. Hope your nephew does well and enjoys his career!
In Europe it's a bit different, cause you start med school after high school, takes about 6 years to finish it. The most who quit, they do it in the first two years, after that less likely. Med school doesn't cost nearly as much here as in the US, so that takes a bit of the pressure of, but honestly, so close to the end, I'd have just powered through. So close... it would have opened a lot of possibilities for him, lot of them with long term security. I still don't really understand what exactly made him quit. That said, awesome reaction & radiology rules🤩 can't wait to start my residency there
Personally would've finished as well just to get the degree. The doors of opportunity by just having that piece of paper but glad he chose his mental health over daunting days.
He definitely did the right thing. I shifted from a law career to medicine and I have no regrets.
hahahaha Dr. Cellini stalking was priceless. “Hold on, there has to be a picture somewhere” 🤣
But honestly, that takes courage to do, specially so far into the career. I think the decision may have been different if he would’ve had to consider paying back those loans.. but either way, if he wasn’t passionate about it, I’m glad he realized it and change paths. That being said if you are going into medicine because of the money reaaally think long and hard before applying, and maybe leave those spots for people who really want to be one
Even more so now, as MD’s aren’t making what they used to. Granted, though, they still make a quite nice living & far more than I do!
I think a lot more people would quit if they didn't have debt
Trust me. A LOT!!!
I would like to share my experience. I am going to start my 4th year, already pass my step 1 and soon taking step 2. There are a lot of times were I honestly question myself were I am. Is a very demanding specialty in which sometimes you dont have time to assist to a medical appointment, visit family members or do personal things because when you finish with clinical hours and classes everything is closed. I feel in my part as well there have been a lot of struggles. I am in a LCME accredited school. During my medical years I have experienced a Hurricane category 4, earthquakes and also this covid pandemic. I had to move from my apartment due to the earthquake, also the whole theoretical teaching strategy change due to covid. There was a time were everything paralyzed and when it once continued it was insane all the test that we were supposed to take in so short time. In clinical years, there are a lot of physician during rotations that do not inspire at all students and evaluate without being objective. Some base their evaluation if they like you and dont show respect towards hospital nurse or employees, and lack of professionalism and sensibility. It happened similar to me that I didnt enjoyed most of my rotations in third year. I would say that until now the most liked have been internal medicine. I believe that one of my problems is that I dont talk these things and the accumulation of stressful experiences have affected me. If other people have felt this way, please comment your experiences and mention what approaches or resources implemented have helped. Thank you!
I’m a first year med student, and I feel like it would be truly difficult to work as hard as med students do, for such an extended amount of time, go through residency and all of that, while living a very lucrative life as an “influencer” and knowing you don’t absolutely need to reach the finish line to have a good life and financial stability.
It sure isn't for everyone but contextually it may be a good thing!
How many people started med school in your class and managed to “survive” the entire time til graduation. 90% or less?
Yeah I think it was around 90%ish
We lost 10%
I love your reaction videos, I learn a lot from them! I'd love it if you kept doing them.
I respect him for putting in a good faith effort, and shooting for the stars in hopes of becoming a physician. However, in order to “go for the money”, you likely need to be quite brilliant to overcome the rigors without passion guiding your way.
can you please make a video on what the alternate routes are other than being a clinician once you get that MD?? Im starting my third year... step 1 made me want to quit but I wont lmao. But interested in knowing the options!
I think this is a pretty tough call! Only the person going through it can know what is best for them. I agree that from the outside it seems like why not tough it out one more year and just get the degree. But, there's also the sunk cost fallacy, and if he knows he doesn't want to do it, why keep investing more resources and being miserable. Either way, kudos to them for being open about it and hope it works out for the best.
I appreciate the people that take that courage and quit because they have doubts. I surely would not like to be treated by person that feels he/she if trapped/forced to do what they do. I hope the finds something that will fill his life with happiness. He will have debts but as long as he is alive he can make that money through some time and pay off while on other side we have slimed students and even doctors done suicide because they don’t like it anymore.
For someone like me, who applied twice to get in a few years ago, and is now hoping (looking forward*) to matching this coming Spring...it's hard not to think back about the struggle of getting into medical school and feel annoyed watching someone drop out of medical school. It also shows that a lot of pre-meds are not really aware of the struggle of medical school, so at least this video is helpful in that way.
Someone people think they can handle it and it turn out its not for them. That's perfectly fine.
Yeah it's pretty hard to watch this. I don't hear him saying he wants to do anything really, and maybe it's my bias, but I feel like he should be wearing a "I'd rather be surfing" t-shirt. I want to be supportive and understanding, but I'm just left feeling like he needs to grow up.
@@benmerzouk9737 Exactly! So many of us would give so much to have that opportunity, that to watch someone squander it because it was hard is just offensive. I guess I'd rather have a guy that doesn't care dropout, than turn into a doctor that doesn't care, but it's disgusting to watch.
@@benmerzouk9737 I had a girl like that in my graduate program and thought just the same as you. We were such a small cohort to begin with and she took a spot from someone who probably really wanted to be there. She never put in the work, even stopped registering for required courses and decided to go take some undergrad "fun" courses instead. Oh and she was somehow surprised that a large city is quite fast paced and people are busy and in a rush more than in a small town.
@@xXxSapphir3xXx I suspect he was not cutting it with grades/evaluations - but this allows him to save face by "not liking medicine" in his announcement video... He would have done some much better in terms of income and job opportunities to just complete the the degree (since he is allegedly so worried about providing for his family). As you say though, I would rather not have a guy be a doctor if he has no consistency or work ethic to stick out a rough patch, or if his anxiety is so overwhelming he can't just manage a simple med school rotation where he has literally no responsibility. Hopefully he can actually find some job to do that actually supports his family (since his wife has been supporting all his folly so far), even if its not his "passion"
“Why can’t people donate to me?” 😂😂
I will!
Right after you donate to mine.
@@shamrockgirl6595 Yes! 😂
This couples are so nice and it's sad to leave med school . Great video reaction 👏👏
I would have thought it would be worthwhile just to get the MD and then go work for Industry etc. I have had medical friends who leave once they get the degree but it gives them better job prospects than without it. At the very least I would have thought it would have been worth discussing with the school to take a year leave and then come back to it after a break.
Hey Dr. C! I'm really liking your reaction videos here lately because I can relate not only to the videos but also to your comments! As one who just finished a doctorate in nurse anesthesia, I can remember having many days of panic and just wanting to crawl under my desk and hide! haha :) To help myself I developed a stress management program both for me and for my classmates to help deal with the stress of graduate school and I'd be happy to share some of the resources I found.
please share your stress management program that would be amazing
Please, share your resources.
I always wanted to become an MD, but went to Nursing school instead. Now, 30 years later, I really want to get my CRNP! If I ever had the chance to go to med. school, though, I would take it in a heartbeat! My “passion” has always been MEDICINE, but nursing was not my “passion.” However, I have had experiences that I never would have had otherwise. Hindsight’s always 20/20, right?
I was 8 months into my 2 years clinical nutrition recidency when I quit. (Not in the US)
I was just depressed though I couldn't do it anymore.
Couldn't sleep, always tired, super thin (so much even my program director noticed).
Sometimes you can't deal with the pressure
Just like in the airplane you have to put the mask on yourself first, healthcare workers need to remember to do the same. The stigma around mental health around healthcare workers is ridiculous once is something we study in college, but for some reason some people act like we are immune against it, or we don’t have the right to prioritize our health, because if we do we are called weak or selfish, those same people though are the ones I see smoking during their breaks, and doing so many unhealthy things to cope with the stress, things that can cost a patient’s life if the doctor makes a mistake, isn’t better if the doctor just go treat himself so he can give a better care for his patients? We know the answer.
You did the right thing! Your mental health has no price! Not even the price of student loans 😄
Blake is probably going through somethings we don't know. If he lacks passion about being a doctor then it is fine... let the man live without judging or assuming.
I don't even remotely care whether you shave or not but keep making such videos which bring experiences from different dimensions. Love ❤️
That is a very supportive wife there
I think this video helped me a little bit in realising that I have options. The part-time career sounds so good. As well as the fact that I could skip practicing medicine altogether and do something like consultation or illustration, etc.
I completely agree. I can see first year or even second year med students quitting. But 3rd year. You are more than half way towards the end. For the most part, the worse parts of medical school is over. 3rd and 4th year are mainly 1 month rotations in different specialties. If you hate one rotation, its not forever, you'll be moving on in 3 weeks. Worse part of 3rd and 4th year is applying for residency. But I agree with Cellini, dont apply for residency and get the degree and do something else with it. -Anesthesiologist.
Dr Cellini can you speak to why young doctors are preferring to work for hospitals vs participating in private practice? I had this conversation this week with my GP. Big changes in our local hospital that is impacting my oncologist and essentially my care. I’m blessed that in my 11 years of having CML that I haven’t had to seek out a specialist at M D Anderson, but I fear it’s coming.
Starting a business takes more debt for most people in order to establish necessary space/live off of in the mean time before being profitable. Joining an established practice is an option, but you still bear more of the costs of malpractice insurance, etc, and sometimes buy-in to take over a share of the practice. It’s hard to take that on with $300,000 in loans that want to be paid back.
If you want to go on vacation or if you get sick, you are responsible for finding your own coverage for your patients.
Some specialties don’t get patients outside of the hospital, which means they would still be contracted with the hospital to see patients there.
There are certainly pros in private practice, but they are rarely enjoyable until after a few years.
It’s more straightforward to be hired and start getting a paycheck, even though it’s still a hassle to deal with the administrative requirements.
Stagnant salaries for doctors the last decade or two, rising cost of running a business, etc.
Have a great thanksgiving Doctor C! And congrats on the new chair
Thanks so much!
Loving this series
dude, the medical school debt literally makes me suicidal.... I wish I was so blessed to have that weight lifted. I have to finish or else my family is under water. To be clear, I can't imagine doing anything else, I absolutely love medicine, its just aggravating to see someone so flippant about their priced position in a medical school class.
There are scholarship programs and you can apply for an army scholarship
@@darcyliliana4907 For medicine, there aren’t many scholarship programs in the U.S., & not everyone is eligible physically to even consider going into the military, or wants that life! I’m not, & wasn’t even in college.
@@JaimeDornanLady ohhh wow that’s really something
Hang in there. The debt problem is real, but can be overcome. take as little debt as you can during school, make wise choices (now is not the time for fine living and flashy cars) look at your options upon graduation, consolidation or not, but nearly everyone defers payment while in residency. Some can moonlight but that mostly pays the bills not eliminates debt. Make a plan for repayment after residency. Some like to pay down quickly, some stretch it out as long as possible, its a personal decision on how you want to live your life and how much stress you feel carrying debt. Take it seriously and consider how fast and when you want to focus on repayment. (You will have to make at least minimum payments monthly though. Some jobs offer loan repayment but everything has strings attached so you have to decide if its worth what they require. As for the comments about scholarships and the military. Those too have strings attached. Nothing is for fee, and your either paying back time (years of your life) or money. One of those you can decide to pay back faster if you want. The ugly truth of the matter is Medical education is not an altruistic institution for the betterment of society. Most these colleges and Universities are in it to make money and they make it. Many med students graduate with $300,000-$600,000 in student loan debt. I tell the hopeful students that rotate with me. Get your education for as little cost as you can, cause we all pass the same national boards and are held to the same national standards and Medicare doesn’t care if you went to state college or Ivy League the government pays us all the same.
I came to the same realization after paying tuition for my first semester, that the only way I would ever be able to repay this school debt was if I made it all the way through. I had already reached a financial point of no return in the first year. Fortunately its a good job, you get paid well, and your income supports repayment. Your not going to live an extravagant life like on TV but you will have enough to be comfortable and pay back your loans.
I thought the same thing. Like so much privilege to be able to drop out on a whim like that. Most of us would be in financial ruin for the rest of our lives.
I’m a current M2 in the long MD/PhD journey. M2 has been rough to say the least. With so many years ahead of me it’s hard to stay motivated. It’s like, oh, only 6 more years!! Lol. Med-tubers like you help keep me thinking big picture. This too shall pass!
Hi! I’m curious why did u choose the md/phd route
He is going to regret this decision. He should've at least gotten his M.D. I don't think this video is good for people on the verge of quitting.
Medical school is hell even if you are passionate about it. I can’t imagine how bad it must be if you don’t want to be there
Love your intro. At 1st I felt bad for him. Starting his 3rd yr you would think he'd finish. But then he was honest with his why's. It just wasn't for him. So yea kudos to him. I wish him thhe best. Yes do more like this. Glad u went to Paris but sorry u got sick. Feel better soon!
There is a difference between being indifferent about your job and actually HATING it. Young people nowadays seem to think that if something doesn't make you happy then you are not supposed to be doing it. NEWSFLASH! any job eventually just becomes a job, and most people do NOT love their jobs. Jobs are something you do so you can make money to then pay for things you enjoy. Bad decision on his part, but it would have been worse if he was in debt.
I think the difference between medicine and so many other jobs is that there’s a lot of sacrifice and continuous studying that comes with it. Also with the hours. Many jobs at least take some hours and you can use the rest to follow up on other things you like. If you don’t at least like the job of medicine to an extent, you’d be highly miserable
I respect his decision in dropping out but he was more than half way finished . Should’ve sticked to it and just finish it all off .. he needed more emotional support and guideance before he dropped
he went into it for the wrong reasons. that’s why he was unhappy
I would agree. Even if I hated medicine I would have stuck it through also because there is usually something you can with a medical degree. Public health, corporate world, and even some specialties are pretty catering to people who hate medicine.
“I had creeping thoughts ‘so you really want to do this for the rest of your life?’” Homie every med student thinks that when it gets tough. Would’ve loved to see him finish it out, but your health comes first.
Can i knw about as a medical student in which stage we will knw alot of information? And can diagnose cases?
There are a lot of things you can do with an MD other than being a clinician. They don't really advertise them as part of the coursework. There isn't a push from companies saying We need MDs for telemed computer integration or hospital management or anything outside being a clinician.
Suicide rates for Doctors are higher than average. I can see his point once he started stressing out.
obsessed w your vids🥰
Hi Dr. Cellini, Thanks for the Video. I would like to share my experience too. I worked as a pharmacist in both community and hospital settings. I also completed a Master and PhD in pharmacy from a US University to explore my scope of practice. However, I was not satisfied with my jobs at that time. Very limited scope of practice. Actually I did not like it from the first day of school. But I have been forced to continue. Well, I have tried (secretly) to transition to Med School (Medicine and Surgery has been my passion) but I failed, I was afraid from the responses and consequences. I grow up in a conservative society specifically in things related to women. Western values such as freedom and right to choose even your professional career are unacceptable.
I’m working on getting my RN license. But plan to get my masters as a CRNA.
You will have to get your doctorate..all CRNA programs are going to mandatory doctoral programs by the year 2025 I believe but am not 100% positive. Either way there are very few masters CRNA programs left in the country, and by the time you get out of nursing school, get the needed icu experience, and apply those few masters programs will likely be doctorate programs…source am about to graduate CRNA school in December.
@@bpt249 I’m having a hard time deciding if I should go the CRNA route or the Anesthesiologist route. I’ve always dreamt of being a doctor, more specifically an anesthesiologist. But knowing that I can do the same thing that an anesthesiologist does but as a nurse anesthetist is making me reconsider going down the medical school path. This is mainly due to the amount of debt I’d incur while in medical school😞. I’m just not sure if I’m willing to go into so much debt but I’m also not sure if I truly want to be a nurse. I’m almost in university but im still trying to figure out what path I want to go down before I go there.
@@-notorious-2487 you have plenty of time to figure it out..but if you have always dreamed of being a doctor then go for it! You will incur more debt that route but you will also earn much more..up to 500k a year as an anesthesiologist I believe. I was between the two and nursing seemed it was a better fit for me. There are pros and cons to both. As a CRNA I will make less and have less student debt but my hours worked will be better at around 40 a week. From what I’ve been told as an attending anesthesiologist you can expect 60 hour work weeks with taking call. The debt will get paid off..just don’t fall into the trap of living above your means when you graduate. Attack the loans and get them paid off asap so you can live your life the way you want. Most docs I have talked to continue to live like they are a broke student when they are practicing and their debt is paid of in a couple years.
@@bpt249 I’m so thankful you actually saw my comment I was worrying you wouldn’t lol. I know at the end of the day I have to make the ultimate decision but I feel like making big decisions such as this one requires some amount of input before a final decision can be made. Thank you so much💓💓
Prayers to you all!😇😇😇
Could you make a video on the alternatives of practising medicine eg. Working in pharmaceutical companies
According to his lindkin profile (old profile). He was in a doctor of physical therapy at the Univ of Florida.
.... wow .... so not med school. they literally made this video for the views.
@@jasonlopez8499 But Dr Cellini didn’t know that as his reaction clearly showed and now we have that list of other jobs for people with a MD degree.
@@OneKindWord im talking about the people he's reacting to.
@@jasonlopez8499 I think they said he originally was doing PT, then changed to med. school. Big difference! Sounds like he didn’t really have the exposure to/experiences in said fields to really know for sure what he wanted.
Love your vids Dr Cellini! How’s the new chair?
Hey Dr. C. Can you make a video about all the occupations that one may land with an MD/DO degree for those of us who’ve decided that medicine isn’t for us?
Another great vid sorry he thought he had a dead end career. Well he has to do what’s best for him. Wish you and the Misses a very Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope he did not think internal medicine represented every specialty. I love internal medicine, that’s why I’m an internist, but is so different than any other specialty.
Thank you dr Cellini Happy Thanksgiving
Love your videos!
thanks so much!
If you are not passionate about joining the healthcare field please do not apply to medical school. This guy took a spot that could of been filled by someone who actually desires to become a doctor for something other than cash flow. I think that him applying to medschool just to quit and not having been passionate about it in the first place is a slap to the face of the people who are passionate. I’m glad this guy chose to quit because he shouldn’t be in medicine if he isn’t passionate about it. I hope people see this as an example and don’t selfishly apply because “it looks like a good job”
Thank you. I’m on my second application attempt. I️ love the field. The idea of treating patients and leading a healthcare team towards serving patients still continues to motivate me. Furthermore, with the crazy competitiveness of med school acceptance becoming an increasingly difficult part of the process for our generation and if the trend continues future generations (probably worse). It’s very frustrating for people that genuinely want to be doctors see people like this get in and waste their opportunity or take a spot from someone who would make a great doctor. It’s hard for me to feel sympathetic for the guy. Especially since he’s clearly a privileged guy since he’s leaving with 0 debt.
A lot of people are not fit for the clinical health care profession but they want to finish what they started and they want to pay their debts.
Dr Cellini you always give good advise and you're oh so funny
Tbh I feel for the guy. But there are so many premedical students yearning for the opportunity who have worked tremendously in the healthcare field for years and loved it, and are just trying to get accepted to medical school. So in all seriousness, that seat could’ve gone to them. To those students who got what it takes and are just fighting every year for that one chance.
I work in corporate and I hate it . I’m trying to get into dental school
3rd year is the hardest imo!
I can agree with that
If I may ask, why? I'll be entering my first year next fall
@@PrideofPitchers you are in the hospital all day then need to go home and study to pass exams every month. Then step 2
@@PrideofPitchers What Waleed said plus stress of trying to pick a specialty and constantly trying to impress those around you for good evaluations. It's doable though and not all bad. 4th year has been so nice though :)
Good to hear it’s very feasible having a family and going to medical school, I am curious about Cardiothoracic surgery/general surgery though…
Guy went to med school for the wrong reasons and took a seat from another person who wanted it for the right reasons. He quits with no debt because his wife covered his cost of attendance. I'm sorry but this reeks of privilege. There's a lot you can do OUTSIDE of clinical work as a doctor that have lifestyle hours. Also i feel these vids of quitting for happiness are a bit detrimental as they are beneficial because a young aspiring premed WILL fail an exam and start to feel that they won't make it. Then they get home and watch this and think its okay to quit. But to each their own i guess.
your views are weirdly entitled as hell. people quit things all the time. the spot he earned didnt belong to anyone else. matriculation to medical school is not a binding agreement with the gods of the universe. chill.
Yeah, hurts to know that that seat in his class is empty with a bunch of rejected applications littering the floor.
I think you're being a little self righteous. we had a few people drop out of medical school in my class. they shouldn't just finish because they took away the opportunity of someone else. at the end of the day, they still EARNED that opportunity AND the CHOICE of what to do with it. welcome to the real world fam. this guy did nothing wrong.
I tried to stalk where he went to medical school too. The town they live in in Florida, there is a DO school there so I'm assuming that's the school.
Is it just me? Or he looks exactly like dr. Chase from dr. House?
He does!! Omg
I’ve been a nocturnist for 13 years and I want to apply to another specialty that’s more challenging. I’s gotten too easy. I’m thinking pulm/crit or just crit.
Haha hey Doc, how old were you when you started medical school? I can’t remember if you mentioned it.
I have a computer science engineering degree. And I absolutely hated it. I just got my degree and decided not to work in my field. Now I am at peace
I think doctors definitely earn every dollar they make!
This guy looks like Sam from Supernatural
He kind of does a little bit! Lol 😂
So I've been watching a lot of these doctor videos on various channels lately and why don't any of you have any art on your walls?
It is beyond me how people are willing to study in the US. I'm from Europe and I pay like $500 a Semester (that includes everything). I have 0 depts after Med School and earn way more than a resident in the US (as an attending, you earn more in the US though, but whatever). You can easily do the USMLE and work in the US afterwards with a degree and 0 depts.
hey doc! please react to Ali Abdal quitting medicine.
Man, I really want to become a Doctor but I’m on my first year of college and is going really bad for me, and I’m thinking about dropping off, every time I think about that and I get sad bc I’m losing motivation and probably I gotta repeat the semester, I’m even having these dreams about what’s happening with my life, if I’m gonna drop out or not bc is not going well rn and idk what to do, maybe is not for me…
You’re psyching yourself out. YOU WILL make it. Put your nose to the grindstone and remind yourself why you want to be a doctor. It’s the intangible things that get us to our goal, the money is only part of the reward and although it’s part, it’s a lot of money. You get to make a difference in someone’s life, save someone’s life, and make great money doing it. When you make it and eventually become an attending remind yourself that you are there to make it better for the patients you are seeing.
Keep focused on your goal! Unfortunately, the sane thing happened to me, & I’ve been paying for it ever since! I got sidetracked in college, & was soooo bored with my undergraduate classes! Most weren’t really necessary for medical school, & I hated it! My parents divorced, Mom remarried, & there were a lot of other things. I ended up changing half way through and went into Nursing instead. I’ve done it for 39 years now, but I’ve always regretted not getting to go to med. school & getting my MD! I wanted that, & never anything else, since I was in about 1st or 2nd grade! Instead, I settled for less than I wanted. Now, hindsight’s always 20/20! I wish I’d stayed the course, never settled. I’ve always felt like a failure ever since, & still wish I had been able to get my MD. Stick with it, & re-channel your focus! Maybe make a list of pros/cons, wants/don’t want’s, likes/dislikes. Everyone has to do the basics first! Another idea is to do a degree in the medical field, while also doing your premed. courses & studying for your MCAT. Maybe you’ll enjoy that better than just the liberal arts, as the subjects will apply to you more & be closer to what you want to do. Just don’t give up! I would hate for you to end up like me, never doing what you really, really want to do. I tried to go back several years ago, but it was so far after my prereq’s that it wasn’t an option. Now, I’m 53, single, & haven’t come anywhere even close to living the life I wanted. Sure, I’ve had good things happen, but it’s never been fulfilling because it wasn’t what I wanted all this time. Now I’m trying to find a way to at least get somewhere close to that, maybe by getting my CRNP. Good luck!
Taylor chamberlain’s husband also dropped out of med school. I don’t think he got as far as clerkships though
I agree with you Dr. Cellini, I wonder if he was aware of the different options he has upon receiving his degree. He could have worked part-time.
Definitely only go into medicine if you are passionate about medicine. Passion means to suffer. (Root word definition)
You’re welcome 😊
Maybe he had no passion for it and he realized it late and the stress really affected his mental health. Without the passion driving you, it's really difficult to stick it through and bear all that stress and anxiety when you don't know why you are doing what you're doing.
I find it messed up how the lady used her fans to pay for his med school debt then he drops out on his 3rd year…
I'm about to start my intern year and I'm already stressed 😥😫
it's a long road!
you’ve got this! you earned the opportunity for a reason 😌
It’s a big jump but you will be ok 💕You’re going to be part of a team of experienced doctors, nurses, allied health and support staff that all have worked with interns starting out with feelings such as yours. Try and keep yourself organised (write everything down and don’t lose your list!), look after yourself outside of work (food, sleep and catching up with friends) and realise that some days will be great but others will be 💩 as most of life is.
@@brasschick4214 And whatever you do, always remember to treat the nurses right & treat them with respect! They can be your BEST FRIENDS, or your WORST ENEMIES, esp. in your intern year! Remember that a nurse like me with 30 years experience has a LOT to offer you, & can be a big help to you!
I work on wall street I'm the top performer in my company but I don't like what I do ☹️
That’s privilege for you.
It is!! Totally