Will Medical School Stifle My Passion for Technology?

[alan_longor]

So i am 18 years old , and i just graduated high school with a high score . recently i got accepted into medical school and my parents are pushing me hard to study there .
aside from school work , i have been extremely interested in technology , i did some extensive research on programming languages , embedded systems and micro-controller and CPU structures , at this point i am able to write fully optimized C and assembly code for AVR micro-controllers and i am now attempting to study the more advanced ARM architecture .. i enjoy this , though my parents said that it can just be a hobby for me .and that i should study medicine . i also am interested in somethings in math that my father calls useless , like bent dimensions and ultra-dimensional objects . i really enjoy math .

Now studying anatomy and how the human body works sounds interesting to me and i like doing research ,the problem is , a full med-school program lasts for 11 years here in France . so i will be almost 30 by the time i graduate . the thing i am afraid of is the possibility that medical school would destroy my passion for technology and remove that tendency all together . to be honest , i am not willing to lose this since i like technology too much . that"s why i am writing this today ... will medical school remove or cancel my passion for technology ? and get me to forget everything i did study for that ?

I also don't want my father's predictions to turn true .. he said that after a few years i will become more realistic and understand that medical school is the best choice for me to forge my personality , he also said that people that think like me and want to do research often end up depressed and alone (i don't know how he got that idea) . i do not want to become a materialistic person , and even though i am too young to say this , i feel that research is the only thing that can give some meaning to my life .

Please pardon me for this long post and my bad literacy , i posted this because i am unable to find a solution to this matter and haven't found anyone to seriously support me .

thank you .

 

[axmls]

I don't understand how computer engineering is less realistic or practical than medicine. Computer engineering is a very valuable degree choice, at least, I know it is in the U.S. Whether you lose passion for something after a few years of study is only something you can determine. It's also your decision how much you chose to weigh your parents' decision for you versus your own decisions. In some cultures, parents play an important role in choosing someone's career, and in some cultures, they don't, and this varies very much even within cultures.

You're an adult, or almost an adult, though, and you have the freedom to decide what you do with your life. Your parents literally cannot make that decision for you, especially in a free country like France. If you want to do something different (like I said, your interests are in line with computer engineering), then do it. That doesn't mean there won't be consequences for doing something your parents don't want you to do, but it's your decision.

I don't see how the choices are "practical medicine" or "theoretical research" with nothing in between. Perhaps you should look more into computer engineering and explore that option with your parents. On the one hand, your parents are likely invested in your future and want you to choose something that will bring you success, and on the other, it's your life, not your parents'. You just need to show them that there are practical fields besides medicine.

In the USA, many doctors have told me that you need to have a passion for medicine to be a doctor, or you have to really like money. I don't know if French doctors make as much as American doctors do, though. If you're not passionate about it, it will be difficult to succeed. Keep that in mind.

 

[berkeman]

i feel that research is the only thing that can give some meaning to my life .

You mostly mention medical research. You don't need an MD degree to do medical research. Probably a PhD would suit you better if you are not interested in patient care.

What patient contacts do you have so far? Have you tried volunteering at a local hospital, or volunteering on the First Aid Team at large public events? Are you currently certified in First Aid / CPR / AED?

will medical school remove or cancel my passion for technology ?

I son't see why it would. Certainly you will be very busy for much of that time, which gives you less time to learn about electronics and other aspects of technology. But many doctors can mix technology with their MD pursuits and interests -- it would depend a bit on the specialty that you choose.

 

[alan_longor]

thank you very much sir . i really appreciate your help .