a pen and stethescope on medical chart papers.
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When Medical School is No Longer an Option

Entering college on a pre-med track is a popular choice. At UMass Lowell, we offer several majors where students can join a pre-med track to pursue medical school and other adjacent paths. But according to a study of over 15,000 students across 102 universities, only about 16.5% of students who initially intended to major in pre-med finished with all the coursework required for medical school (Zhang et al., 2020).

Students switch their majors and desired career paths all the time. At UMass Lowell, about 70% of students switch their major at least once before they graduate. Some students realize their values and skills are better aligned in other areas, while others are simply forced to find alternate options. Thankfully, it’s fairly easy to pivot at a large institution like UMass Lowell.

The key point is this: Medical school isn’t the only (or always the best) way to have a meaningful career in healthcare.

The medical field is in need of practitioners, and it’s no secret. Choosing to go to medical school for the right reason is not only important but necessary. Students with a genuine desire to help people, a personal experience in healthcare that propels a passion for the field, an interest in biology, health, and the human body, and strong academic standing are essential to build motivation and to persist in a career field that can be demanding.

There are common reasons students identify for going to medical school that may not be helpful. For example, many students say they want to become doctors to “ to help people”, but helping people isn’t limited to traditional healthcare roles like medical doctors. Public health researchers can help people by studying how environmental factors impact the human body. Engineers can help people by making sure doctors use medical devices properly during surgery. A career advisor, like me, can help someone consider if becoming a doctor is the right career path for them! Just these few examples show that helping people is so much more than direct medical care.

Here are a few reasons not to go to medical school:

  • Chasing a paycheck. Chasing a salary can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction. Doctors can make quite a bit of money, but have to sacrifice in other areas.
  • Because of family or cultural pressure. As an immigrant and someone with a grandmother who was adamant that I become a doctor, I get the pressure of trying to meet others’ expectations versus setting my own goals. Making career decisions based on this pressure may not work out in the end.
  • Falling for the fantasy. It’s easy to rely on things like movies, TV shows, and social media for a picture or example of what a doctor is like, but it is very possible that what you see doesn’t entirely match reality.
  • Misplacing confidence in academic achievement. Doing well in your science courses is important to get into medical school, but it doesn’t equate to a lifelong passion for medicine.

Medical school may not be for everyone, but it is right for some! If you’re passionate about the field and committed to the process, we’re here to support you! There are a variety of individuals at UMass Lowell who are here to help and cheer you on. Your career advisors can help you clarify your goals, and pre-health advisors can guide you through the coursework and requirements needed for medical school.

But if you find yourself doubting medical school as the path for you, or you want to learn about other options, here are 3 considerations to expand your exploration:

  1. Consider working alongside physicians in careers like physician assistant, nurse practitioner, registered nurse.
  2. Looking for a career in health care that requires a Master’s or Doctorate? Consider careers like physical therapist, occupational therapist, social worker, and mental health counselor.
  3. Explore fields that are related to healthcare but do not require direct patient care, like public health, biomedical sciences, biomedical engineering, and pharmaceutical sciences.

These 3 considerations represent just a sliver of the options you can explore. To take this exploration further, here are some resources that can help you:

By Carla Merkosky
Carla Merkosky Career Advisor, Career Services
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