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longbough · 08-05-2006, 07:33 AM

How old are you? What you would do in your 20's would be much different than what you'd do in, say, your 40's.

If you know your ideal job/profession then focus on making it happen. And don't "half-ass" it ... go all out to realize your dream. In life your first responsibility is to yourself ... make your sacrifices early while you're still young. If you hate your job ... then 25 years from now you'll be kicking yourself as to why you wasted your whole life doing it.

Perhaps mine was an extreme example. In my case I was in my mid-20s in a nowhere job when I decided to go to medical school. Everyone said I was crazy. Even doctors I talked to tried to discourage me saying, "Don't do it ... it's too long a road." But that only made me more stubborn than ever to make it happen. I already had a bachelor's degree but I had to take a pre-med classes for a couple of years while working just to qualify to take the MCAT exam for medical school admissions.

I ended up moving to the Caribbean for medical school ... but it was no "vacation" because the years of training were mental and emotional torture ... but that's a whole 'nother story. I was basically living out of my luggage at the time ... moving around to clinical rotations in the UK and all over the east coast of the US (mainly around NY and CT). It was terrifying to think that if I quit at any time I will have only assumed a ton of debt with no way to pay it back. Quitting was not an option.

Of course my GF back in San Francisco dumped me saying she wasn't going to "wait for me." But I had already sacrificed a career move for love once before in my life ... I learned that sometimes practicality outweighs romance.

I did my medical residency at Brown University and became the chief resident of internal medicine and a member of the Brown University Medical School faculty as a result.

At the end of this crooked road I returned to California feeling a bit like Rip Van Winkle ... 12 years older but working in a specialized niche of medicine that I enjoy completely (I love going to work!) earning better than $300K per year. It was well worth it. Friends I had left behind were married and/or in the same job ... some still struggling and some in a stable lifestyle. I can only hope they're as happy as I am now.

It's a blessing to enjoy your work. You become a better person for it and you can enjoy life. Make your sacrifices while you're young. Even if you get burned (I had big "ups" and "downs" too where I thought I had made a terrible mistake) nobody can say you never took a chance in life.

08-05-2006, 07:33 AM	#7 (permalink)
longbough Soylent Green is people. Location: Northern California	How old are you? What you would do in your 20's would be much different than what you'd do in, say, your 40's. If you know your ideal job/profession then focus on making it happen. And don't "half-ass" it ... go all out to realize your dream. In life your first responsibility is to yourself ... make your sacrifices early while you're still young. If you hate your job ... then 25 years from now you'll be kicking yourself as to why you wasted your whole life doing it. Perhaps mine was an extreme example. In my case I was in my mid-20s in a nowhere job when I decided to go to medical school. Everyone said I was crazy. Even doctors I talked to tried to discourage me saying, "Don't do it ... it's too long a road." But that only made me more stubborn than ever to make it happen. I already had a bachelor's degree but I had to take a pre-med classes for a couple of years while working just to qualify to take the MCAT exam for medical school admissions. I ended up moving to the Caribbean for medical school ... but it was no "vacation" because the years of training were mental and emotional torture ... but that's a whole 'nother story. I was basically living out of my luggage at the time ... moving around to clinical rotations in the UK and all over the east coast of the US (mainly around NY and CT). It was terrifying to think that if I quit at any time I will have only assumed a ton of debt with no way to pay it back. Quitting was not an option. Of course my GF back in San Francisco dumped me saying she wasn't going to "wait for me." But I had already sacrificed a career move for love once before in my life ... I learned that sometimes practicality outweighs romance. I did my medical residency at Brown University and became the chief resident of internal medicine and a member of the Brown University Medical School faculty as a result. At the end of this crooked road I returned to California feeling a bit like Rip Van Winkle ... 12 years older but working in a specialized niche of medicine that I enjoy completely (I love going to work!) earning better than $300K per year. It was well worth it. Friends I had left behind were married and/or in the same job ... some still struggling and some in a stable lifestyle. I can only hope they're as happy as I am now. It's a blessing to enjoy your work. You become a better person for it and you can enjoy life. Make your sacrifices while you're young. Even if you get burned (I had big "ups" and "downs" too where I thought I had made a terrible mistake) nobody can say you never took a chance in life. Last edited by longbough; 08-05-2006 at 07:42 AM..