“too young to feel like I’m running out of time”

I’m assuming if you are reading this then you are probably some type of health professional student, will be health professional student, or currently a health care provider. Normally, health care providers {especially women} we get the “pharmacy/ medical school, that will take years and years before you will actually get to your career and don’t you want to get married? Have kids?” or “it will take half your life to pay back all those loans you originally accumulate from professional school” or “You won’t have a family life if you do this” or “why would you want to put yourself through that stress?” Ever get those questions? These self doubts that if you pick this career you’ll be behind in life? I saw this tweet quoting,

“Too young to feel like I’m running out of time.” 

I stopped and thought how much I feel like I relate to this quote currently. Now moving to a whole new region of the country, starting pharmacy school, and starting over can seem magical but they do not tell you all the low points you’ll have that are filled with self doubt with this adventure you chose. It all came at a cost to chase my dream to go to a pharmacy school in a big city with exceptional hospitals. I deal with loneliness a lot. {I was definitely a big fish in a small pond back in Monroe, Louisiana}. Scared that I will never find someone or the I won’t have kids till I’m 40 and that because I chose pharmacy that I am at a disadvantage. Feeling like my “time” for guys to be interested in me is going to run out or thinking my “time” to have kids is closing, is ridiculous. I spend majority of my time at school or in some coffee shop downtown studying so my potential opportunity to meet someone is slim.  I’m 22, 2-2 and I feel behind! My mom was engaged at my age and in the south it is very, very normal to be engaged at my age. I have three weddings to go this summer, THREE!

However, does this really make me behind in life? NO. When it comes to life there is no manual and we all take different paths in life. If medicine is your passion, chase it. Go after it, and don’t let these self doubts of “running out of time” stop you. We are the new generation. We are not limited to a time frame of what is suppose to be. Instead of thinking how long it will take to get where you want or can I have a family doing this, think just imagine how many people I can help if I chose this path and when I do have a family how proud of me they are.

Now, I know this is not every health professionals is alone. There are many people who are in committed relationships, but I fully believe they have gotten the question about pushing off having a family till after school, residency, etc. I chose medicine for a number of reasons and yes, it does come at a cost. I might get engaged later, might start a family later, and I might not be able to afford a new car until I’m out of residency for a few years. BUT I’m okay with that. I love being in school and my favorite part of it is when I get to interact with patients and help them feel better. So hear hearfor all the health professionals who still chose medicine we aren’t running out of time, we are creating more of it.